Best Small Fixed Blade Survival knife

T

tigercasual

Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Messages
76
Hello Guys,

I've been wanting to pick up a great, small survival knife. (we'll define "small" as blade under four inches) I would love to know your opinions as to which you think are the best. I am on a bit of a budget so we'll call $100 my ceiling.

Cheers,
TC
 
The KA-BAR BK14 or BK24, here's my BK14 with KA-BAR's zytel handle scales, which are sold separately. The package includes both black, & blaze orange handle scales, so you can mix & match, or put it on a second knife. :cool:



If you buy the zytel handle scales, it doesn't come with a hex key, so you'll also need a SAE 7/64" hex key to put them on. Also, on the website page for the BK14, it says that the edge angles are 15 degrees, but if you download the pdf version of the 2014 KA-BAR catalog, it states that the edge angles are 20 degrees.

 
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I think that either the ESEE 3 or ESEE Izula II would be a good choice in that price range . Especially since they have that no questions asked lifetime guarantee .
 
+2 ESEE 3. Have one in desert tan and it's been a fantastic blade. Great sheath, great HT on the steel, and the warranty is unparalleled.
 
My three choices.
I know you said "under 4", but for me my best and favorite survival/camping knife is a 'Survive! Knives' GSO 4.1 which measures 4 and ¼ inches.
An amazing knife worth every penny, mine is M390 steel but he no longer makes them in that, he uses CPM-20CV or CPM-3V.
My two other small knifes under 4" are an Izula and a thick Wilmont EDC which can pry easily.

Survive! Knives' GSO 4.1::
Blade Length: 4.¼” (tip to front of handle)
Blade Cutting Length: 4.33”
Blade Height: 1.25”
Blade Thickness: 5/32”(.156”)
Overall Length: 8.95”

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Grey P.corded Izula:
Overall Length: 6.25"
Blade Length: 2.875"
Cutting Edge: 2.625"
Blade Thickness: 0.16"
Blade Material: 1095
Blade Style: Drop Point
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Gray
Edge Type: Plain
Handle Length: 3.375"
Weight: 1.90 oz.

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Wilmont EDC
Blade - 2.75" Cruwear
OAL - 6"
Weight - 3.72 oz
Black G10
Comes with Kydex and a Spyderco G-clip
Made in USA

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keep your eyes on the custom knives for sale area on this forum. Great knives for that price pop up all the time.
 
Chambelona59,
Never heard of Wilmont before, but now I want one! Thanks for the pics.

TigerCasual,
Kabar, Mora, and Esee have already been mentioned so thought I would add Helle. You ask for the "best" but that is definitely relative.
Do you want a carbon steel or stainless? Thicker blade or lighter? Preferred blade shape? Handle material? Do you care where it is made?
Leather or Kydex sheath? Do you want jimping on the spine of the blade? Pommel?

While there aren't many for <$100, If you will check the Custom Knife Maker: For Sale threads, they have some great deals. You can get a great knife made by an individual knife maker for what a lot of mass produced knives sell for.
 
tigercasual said:
Hello Guys,

I've been wanting to pick up a great, small survival knife. (we'll define "small" as blade under four inches) I would love to know your opinions as to which you think are the best. I am on a bit of a budget so we'll call $100 my ceiling.

Cheers,
TC
Click to expand...

More helpful than defining "small" would be defining what you think "survival" means. Everybody knows what small means, survival is a meaningless marketing term.

Then you could help us help you by telling us:

fixed or folder?
where are you doing this survival
will you have this knife on you at all times or in a bob?
 
For the money, just starting out, a Condor brand Kephart . Good 1075 HC tool steel, great feel. You can chop, pry, baton, drop it off a cliff, and if your son in law borrows it but never brings it back, you're out $35. :)
the Bushcraft, Bushlore, Kephart, & Scout Hunter models all fit your discription.
 
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To answer a few questions and help clarify:

I'm in the early stages of learning what works for me, so I'm pretty wide open. When I say best for the money, I just mean performance-wise. Is the knife well made with good materials etc. I'm not too particular as to what those materials are as long as the knife does its job. As far as the job or what I mean by survival; I tend to day-hike and take 2-3 day camping trips with some bushcrafting thrown into the mix. However, I'm really hoping to extend my camping trips over the next couple of years. So I want to improve my skills and learn which tools/supplies will work the best for me. Other than that, I use knives in everyday utility, food prep etc. The sheath isn't that big of a deal to me. If it's a great knife, I can always make or purchase another sheath.

Thanks for all of the input!
 
I'm a big fan of ESEE, so the ESEE 3 gets my vote. Great little knife. Plus, as the other poster mentioned, they have a warranty that can't be beat!
 
Dpx gear best is a solid knife for right around your price range. Have a look see and good luck
 
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