Best knife for sub-0 work?

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FMJ Hunter

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Dec 27, 2010
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What, in your experience, is THE best knife for zub-zero shelter and fire making (other rather heavy activities), preferably 7 inches (not under 5).
 
Great question. I have also wondered this. Have heard of many who have broke thier favorite knife at -0 temps.
 
Look at the knives used by the Finns, Saami and Lapps. They've lived for thousands of years in extreme Arctic conditions.
 
Something tough out of carbon steel. It won't get wet at those temps. The handle needs to be big, the tang hidden so it is not so cold in hand, grippy for use with gloves and contoured for positive retention. I'd also want to see a hole for a front lanyard if chopping with it, for safety.
 
CWL said:
Look at the knives used by the Finns, Saami and Lapps. They've lived for thousands of years in extreme Arctic conditions.
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He hit it right on the head. Something a little more modern would be one of the larger knives from Fallkniven.
 
cramsey3006 said:
He hit it right on the head. Something a little more modern would be one of the larger knives from Fallkniven.
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FallKniven would also be my choice... The swedes are experts and obviously make knives for colder conditions. Esee Junglas, rat 7, or ontario rtak 2 would be my next choice
 
While there will never be a "best" of anything, the Leuku is a tested design. You need it a bit big for ease of control since your fine motor skills are going to be shot in these temps.

Roselli Leuku.

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In sub-zero weather a knife is going to be a very poor tool choice for fire and shelter building. You are taking a very grave risk IMO. I would be thinking buck saw/axe and leave the knife duties to dinner/food prep and/or game processing.
 
Sorry Ditch Digger, but I'm not going to pack an axe and saw 5 miles uphill on snowshoes. Not doin' that.
 
I'd definitely want an encapsulated tang. Fallkniven has it, Ontario has a bunch of them in the Spec Plus line, plus the traditional Finnish knives themselves.
 
FMJ Hunter said:
Sorry Ditch Digger, but I'm not going to pack an axe and saw 5 miles uphill on snowshoes. Not doin' that.
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I agree with Ditch Digger. The effort you spending take a small hatchet/folding saw with you will more than pay for itself in the time you spending doing similar tasks with a knife. Just my opinion based on my own experience.
 
If you think going out in sub zero temps with no axe for fire prep is a good idea you've lost you're damn mind i was camping in northern minnesota a few weeks ago by Ely and wood prep was almost a full time job. I think you'd be better served by a small axe, like a s&n hudson bay, small forest axe, or estwing camp axe and a smaller knife. I think Fiskars makes a small axe that weighs less than a busse BM (I could be wrong, but probably not by much). When it comes to winter camping/survival more gear is not a terrible idea.
 
I always carry a folding saw of some kind. Never carry a hatchet though. I'm on the big knife side of that debate.
 
Is this just a mental exercise or are you really expecting to do adequate "fire AND shelter" building in SUB-ZERO weather with nothing more than a knife???


..I hope you practice this notion before needing to really put it to the test in a life and death situation. When it comes to processing wood a saw is far more effective than any knife. There are many lightweight portable ones to choose from. I carry a Silky folding saw, you might want to take a look at 'em. And NO, I would rarely, if ever carry an axe, but it can't be beat for processing wood in the volume necessary for "sub zero" survival. Just sayin'.
 
Also look at how they use their knives. The Sami of the far north use the leuku, which has a long, broad, but relatively thin blade. Finesse, not brute force, will get the job done without massive weight.

You could get a Becker BK-7. I've got the BK-7 and an Iisakki Jarvenpaa leuku/puukko set. They are comparable knives.
 
Anything Busse. What you want is extreme fracture resistance, that is what the Busse family has nailed down better than anyone else (largely due to quality control).
Scrapyard knives with the Res-C (rubbery) handles work best in the cold, and are most comfy in general.

And yeah, when I set up a bonfire in the winter, I just rummage around for old dead trees and break/burn them apart.
I've never stuck around long enough to make a shelter, but if I were planning on putting myself in a situation where that would be a possibility, I would take a one man tent and sleeping bag. Then you're set up for just about anything, and at that point fire is more of a luxury/cooking thing, rather than being a matter of survival.
 
cramsey3006 said:
Brother, when it's 0 degrees or colder, fire is absolutely a matter of survival.
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What about mountain climbers who sleep hanging off a cliff?

You need to be wearing the right clothing, and I agree, wet and cold is dead, but it can be done.
 
If weight is a concern, a folding saw and 12" machete would cover your bases well.
for production blades under $200:
If you're serious about the 7" limit, then an ESEE6 or BK7 are definitely in the running.
If you're willing to go with up to a 9" blade, the Stromeng leuku with finger guard, BK9, RTAK II, Junglas, and a variety of Kabar & Ontario "big knives" all come to mind.
If it wasn't out of production, the Buck 124 would be a pick, too.
Over $200 & customs:
Busse (& kin), Siegle, Koyote (again with the leuku theme) all come quickly to mind, as do the Wohlwend Booshway & Fletcher Hatchula.
 
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