AFCK as a survival folder?

Shadow213

Shadow213

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I just got a BM 806D2 and I was wondering about the effectiveness of this blade as a survival tool if SHTF.

Of course, I know that the Axis can withstand quite a bit of torture, but how effective would the blade be in splitting wood, car door, etc., etc.?

Any input/opinions is/are appreciated. Thanks!
 
I think the overall design is great, the AXIS is strong, and the blade shape would make a great field utility knife. The real drawback I see is the tip is very thin and will break easily. I broke the tip off of one I had from cutting some heavy leather.
On the other hand, Jeff Randall used to carry a mini AFCK on his jungle survival trips and I don't think he had a complaint. But this was in addition to larger sheath knives and machetes.
 
Shadow213 said:
I just got a BM 806D2 and I was wondering about the effectiveness of this blade as a survival tool if SHTF.

Of course, I know that the Axis can withstand quite a bit of torture, but how effective would the blade be in splitting wood, car door, etc., etc.?

Any input/opinions is/are appreciated. Thanks!
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Folders are not survival knives in a true sense. Sure they can get you out of some trouble but they can't take much real abuse because of their design.

I wouldn't split wood with or torque any folder no matter the maker, they weren't designed for it.

The axis lock style will have little effect on the damage caused by pounding on it or torqing it because its still a folder.

Get a decent fixed blade for such uses.

Skam
 
Benchmade knives tend to be thinner than the current trends towards thick knives. They are tough, but not pry everything open tough, i.e. you need to know how to use it properly as a knife. A Nimravus can stand up to more abuse than you'd expect for the thickness, as can a AFCK, but both are pretty thin. The AFCK... well, and folder is going to develope problems if you pry with it. Yes, even Striders and Grecos, all fanaticism aside. Light splitting is probably a go, but I can't say for sure cuz I've never done it.
 
folders are not for survival.....get a fixed blade...say about 3" if you want to carry in pocket with a pocket sheath.....the axis lock might hold up under severe use but the weakest part of any folder is the pivot pin.....not the lock.....there is very little lateral strength in any folder compared to a FB

bob dozier and Gene Ingram make some great small 3-4" FB also, bark river knife and tool has a sweet 2.5" FB called the mini canadian that will carry in your pocket easily---i know cause its part of my EDC rotation----dont even know its there......also swamp rat knives are awesome FB but a little bigger........

a folder in the pocket or on the belt would be a good backup.......better yet would be a SAK or Leatherman wave.
 
Okay, guys, I think that I should clear some things up here.

First off, I'm not talking about going out into the woods with only the AFCK. I've been around knives long enough to know that the weakest fixed blade is stronger than the strongest folder, so I understand that it would only be common sense to carry a fixed blade out in the boonies and not just a folder.

Secondly, in today's society, you can't walk around with a 7"+ fixed blade strapped to your belt, so a large tactical folder would have to suffice.

Soooo, what I'm asking is, in your opinion, could the AFCK serve as a survival blade if need be?
 
According to Chris Janowsky, of the World Survival Institute, in a July 1996 article in American Survival Guide,

Let's look at the tasks a folding knife should be able to perform in a wilderness survival situation:
" Field dress both big and small game
" Quarter and butcher big and small game
" Gut and or fillet large and small fish
" Cut large diameter rope with a single slice
" Cut and carve hardwoods (Oak, Walnut, Hickory etc.) to improvise tools and shelters
" Drill holes in hardwood with the point
" Small enough to fit in your pocket
" Light weight (5 oz. or less)
" Strong enough to split firewood by pounding on it with another piece of wood.
" Hold an edge sharp enough to shave with
" Large enough for close quarter combat
" Lifetime guarantee

If a folding knife cannot perform these tasks easily and efficiently, it is not the survival knife you need. Remember the bottom line is, your life may well depend on it.

After putting numerous commercial offerings available at the time, his selection was the AFCK, at that time in the liner lock version.

If you would like a copy of the ASG article, let me know and I can e-mail it to you.
 
I've been looking for that article....:eek:....with no luck until now. Yeah, mguy, I'd appreciate a copy whenever you get a chance. :D
 
Thats the other article I was thinking of, I just couldn't remember who it was from. That's 2 top instructors reccomending the AFCK, sounds good to me.
 
A good folder like the AFCK is an excellent survival knife, contrary to many opinions.

You just have to know how to use it to build the other tools you'll need for heavier tasks such as prying etc.

It's not the tool that counts -- it's the knowledge of the user.
 
Just a heads up. I have the 806D2 and mine won't stand up to a spine whack test. It usually fails on about the third moderate whack. The base of the AFCK is radiused and IMO doesn't provide a nearly wide and stable enough surface for the ROUND locking bar. Many of the other axis models have squared off cuts for the bar to sit on and are much more secure.
 
Just checked mine.....and the AXIS held up just fine. Wouldn't Benchmade correct the problem, if you contact them, Lobo?
 
Brian Jones said:
A good folder like the AFCK is an excellent survival knife, contrary to many opinions.

You just have to know how to use it to build the other tools you'll need for heavier tasks such as prying etc.

It's not the tool that counts -- it's the knowledge of the user.
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Well, lets not get too crazy with these statements now. ;)

The AFCK is a good blade no question and will do many things well. However it would last 5 mins in my hands doing to it what I do to a 7 inch blade. There is no other way to do these things well improvising or not.

The AFCK is not a survival knife in any way shape or form. Anyone who thinks so will be educated very quickly to this fact 15 mins into the courses I teach.

It is however a good solid folder which excels in SD and general cutting and a bit of light bush work nothing more. To think otherwise is foolish.

Don't retire your axe yet. ;)

Skam
 
So I assume you carry your 7" fixed blade survival knife on a daily basis? If I could, I would do that too. But for most people, a folder is what they can carry day in and day out, and it will be there for mundane tasks as well as pressed into "survival" use.
I don't think anyone would suggest an AFCK can replace an axe, that's just a BIT over reaching don't ya think? If you were lost in the woods TODAY, and all you had was a folder, would you sit on a rock and cry because you don't have a big wonder chopper? :rolleyes: No way! Surviving is adapting and making due!
Don't mean to sound TOO sarcastic, but I get Shadow's question. Would you argue with Chris Janowski or Jeff Randall on what knife worked for them for survival tasks? (Brian is no slouch in the field either!) They also carry larger knives, machetes, axe's etc.
 
Thanks for your post, tknife. That's EXACTLY what I'm trying to point out.....

One can't carry around a 7"+ fixed blade in an urban environment, so either a small fixed blade or large tactical folder has to be sufficient.

Whatever fixed/folder you have on you would have to be your "survival" knife, if the need were to arise.

No, the AFCK is not a survival blade that I would go into the wilderness with and depend on for survival. But in your opinion, how would it compare to say the BM Ritter RSK Mk1 or the Spyderco Military that were designed for possible wilderness use?
 
Pardon. While some are making perfectly valid points, I am apparently missing something (which I am perfectly able to do :rolleyes: ).

The question seems to be whether a particular folding knife is adequate to perform wilderness tasks in an urban setting. Yes? No? Maybe?
 
I've owned all of them at one time or another, and the Ritter is my favorite. The AFCK and Military were great for daily carry and field use as well. I've used all of them on various survival trips with Christopher Nyerges. we carved trap triggers, harvested many types of plants, made fire boards and hand drills etc. The Ritter seemed to cut the best and held an edge longer. I'm not really a big fan of the large plasticy feeling handle, but it's downside is far outweighed by it's excellent qualities. I plan on getting a mini version too just to keep in a small survival kit. (Pick up the latest Tactical KNives, and you'll see how well it performed, even being batoned through wood! Something I haven't tried with it yet.)
I'm no expert, and it all comes down to your personal pref. But I think you will be impressed with the Ritter.

Thomas- What I take the question as is: Can this knife, which is carried daily be used for urban AND wilderness tasks. I say it can be. My only concern is tip strenght, but the knife is not as weak and delicate as some might think.
 
Shadow- I contacted BM and they will correct the problem. The bottom line for me though is that I feel the rounded base and the axis lock are a combination waiting to fail. I've switched back to my Al Mar S2K until I feel something better comes along. All in all though for wilderness work I think a fixed blade is the way to go and I don't go in the woods w/ out one
 
The question seems to be whether a particular folding knife is adequate to perform wilderness tasks in an urban setting. Yes? No? Maybe?
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Yeah, Thomas, my question would be 'do you think that the AFCK could perform survival/wilderness tasks in an urban setting'. The tip strength would be the only thing that I'd be concerned about, but combined with the AXIS lock I think that the AFCK could be batoned to split wood, etc., if need be.

I read an article in Blade a few weeks ago, that advises on how to turn your folder into an axe, not only for building a shelter, a lean-to, etc., but also if you would have to, for instance, cut through a locked door to get out of a building, etc..

Of course, this isn't your everyday type of situation, but in today's world, it's best to be informed and prepared. ;)

I'll have to double check on which issue it was....
 
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