Best Survival knife under $30.00??? Maybe.

L

LEATHALBLADES

Joined
Nov 20, 2014
Messages
17
If any one is looking for a decent fixed blade for camping or backpacking check out the Glock 78 or 81 Field knives. I personally own the 81 and I gotta say it's quite impressive. I have taken it out in the wood many times and beat the hell out of it. I have batoned,chopped, sliced, and carved with it. I have also used it as a throwing knife. The only thing messed up with the knife is the black finishing on the blade. Only negstive is that the edge out of the box is just horrible but of if you can reprofile the edge you should be pretty happy with it. It is extremely light and skinny making it easy to pack away and the best part is its only $30.00 so if it is lost or stolen it's no big deal. Also check out some of the torture test videos on YouTube... You just might be surprised.

Let me Know if you guys have any questions.
 
I have heard mixed feelings about moras. I think they would be excellent knives for smaller tasks but for choping or batoning they seem to be a little smal and thin. I cant say much because I have never used a mora but its just my initial thought.
 
Couple questions since you specifically asked for them:

1) What is the difference between a camping/backpacking/outdoor recreation knife and a survival knife, and which one of those is the Glock?

2) Why throw a knife in a survival situation and risk losing or damaging your second most important survival tool when you could just make a spear using the knife?

3) How can you judge the Mora's utility without ever having used it? Along similar lines, it seems that the validity of ones review of survival knives would depend on the knives they have used and being able to compare them. You have spent a long time using all different kinds of knives in the woods, I assume. Just not a Mora?
 
marcinek said:
1) What is the difference between a camping/backpacking/outdoor recreation knife and a survival knife, and which one of those is the Glock?
Click to expand...

For me they can/should be the same knife - main difference is with the camping/backpacking/outdoor recreation knife you get in the car and drive home when you're done but with the 'survival knife' you don't... ;)
 
marcinek said:
Couple questions since you specifically asked for them:

1) What is the difference between a camping/backpacking/outdoor recreation knife and a survival knife, and which one of those is the Glock?

2) Why throw a knife in a survival situation and risk losing or damaging your second most important survival tool when you could just make a spear using the knife?

3) How can you judge the Mora's utility without ever having used it? Along similar lines, it seems that the validity of ones review of survival knives would depend on the knives they have used and being able to compare them. You have spent a long time using all different kinds of knives in the woods, I assume. Just not a Mora?
Click to expand...

1- Well Each one of those activities are different. Depending on which one your doing and what type of of work you do in the woods should be your 2 deciding factors when purchasing a knife. I use this Knife for camping and since i use My Bug Out Bag when I go I guess you can call it a survival knife as Well. But this knife should preform well in all of these.

2- I Wouldn't.... I only did that to preform my own torture test. I wanted to see how much this knife would hold up to before failure. If it were in an actual survival situation I would sharpen the tip of a stick and use that.

3- I didnt want it to sound like I was bashing Mora. I was just Giving my personal opinion of the knife. I have owned and tested many knifes with thin blades (similar to Mora's size) and they just didn't preform as well in the hard use test as the larger blades. If the Mora works for you or anybody else keep using them. I Just prefer Larger Blades; that's all.
 
Do you know what the differences are between a combat knife and a camping knife?
 
I think one needs to try a Mora, something like a Companion, before you eliminate them from your potential knife arsenal. I resisted buying a Mora for years. It is probably because they often felt to me more like a kitchen knife that something I want to depend on in the outdoors. I will say they are quite useful for 90% of what needs doing with a knife. Give one a try. You might be surprised. They are quite light and you could easily store one inside your pack.

As far as $30 knives go in general, I seldom even look at fixed blade knives in this price range, so I am not much good in making a judgement concerning your choices. I do like some folders in this price range.
 
RevDevil said:
Do you know what the differences are between a combat knife and a camping knife?
Click to expand...

Are you asking because you want to know or do you already know differences but are just asking me if i know?

Just to clear it up The Glock 78 was designed for the Austrian Military. But if you are on a tight budget and want a Knife for camping that will hold up the Glock would be great option. MUCH better than that gimmicky BEAR GRYLLS NOT ULTIMATE SURVIVAL KNIFE. I prefer the Becker BK2 but that knife cost a lot more.
 
22-rimfire said:
I think one needs to try a Mora, something like a Companion, before you eliminate them from your potential knife arsenal. I resisted buying a Mora for years. It is probably because they often felt to me more like a kitchen knife that something I want to depend on in the outdoors. I will say they are quite useful for 90% of what needs doing with a knife. Give one a try. You might be surprised. They are quite light and you could easily store one inside your pack.

As far as $30 knives go in general, I seldom even look at fixed blade knives in this price range, so I am not much good in making a judgement concerning your choices. I do like some folders in this price range.
Click to expand...

I am Probably going to get a Mora anyway just for carving and I will test it with some hard use test like batoning and chopping. Its not going to do as well with chopping because it is so light.
 
I was asking to see if you knew actually. You know the suggestion about the Mora wasn't as far-fetched as you may think. Those knives are pretty tough when put in the hands of someone skilled. You aren't going to fell a 100 year old Redwood, but you can get pretty much whatever task you need done. I own a BK7, and it has processed some wood and meat pretty well for what it is.
If the budget is tight, then I wait until the budget is right.
 
I assume you're young and $30 is not pocket change that you toss in a donation jar when you are buying other stuff.

I think you should get what you want. The combat or bayonet styled knives never appealed to me. If you do a fair amount of camping and see that as an activity you intend to pursue for a long time, I would probably just save up some more $ and get the BK-2 or BK-10. BK-15's are a very useful knife too and I have read that they are on sale lately (like $40) as Kabar is discontinuing them. Honestly, I like the BK-15 more than the Mora Companion.

No, the Mora is not a chopper. But it is a very useful knife. How often do you actually need to chop anything with a knife anyway? I use short machetes for that a lot. The BK-7 is a useful knife too, but many feel that the BK-9 does everything a BK-7 does and better. I don't have a BK-9, but I do have a BK-7. The Kabar Beckers are quite useful and cost effective knives.
 
Last edited:
RevDevil said:
I was asking to see if you knew actually. You know the suggestion about the Mora wasn't as far-fetched as you may think. Those knives are pretty tough when put in the hands of someone skilled. You aren't going to fell a 100 year old Redwood, but you can get pretty much whatever task you need done. I own a BK7, and it has processed some wood and meat pretty well for what it is.
If the budget is tight, then I wait until the budget is right.
Click to expand...

Ok.Yes I know there are many differences between combat and survival knifes. just to name a few, Blade shape Shealth design ( How easy and fast it is to deploy) handle shape and many other things.
 
Imho the Victorinox Farmer is one of the best knives to have when you're up that smelly creek W/O a paddle.:eek::)
 
LEATHALBLADES said:
1- Well Each one of those activities are different. Depending on which one your doing and what type of of work you do in the woods should be your 2 deciding factors when purchasing a knife. I use this Knife for camping and since i use My Bug Out Bag when I go I guess you can call it a survival knife as Well. But this knife should preform well in all of these..
Click to expand...

So you are saying you can go out to the outdoors and you can "do camping/backpacking" or you can go to the outdoors and "do survival."

I dont understand what the latter means. Could you explain it?
 
LEATHALBLADES said:
2- I Wouldn't.... I only did that to preform my own torture test. I wanted to see how much this knife would hold up to before failure. If it were in an actual survival situation I would sharpen the tip of a stick and use that. .
Click to expand...

Then how is that test in any way relevant? I wouldn't use my knife as a shoe in a survival situation, so taping a knife to my foot and walking around isn't a valid test for the knife...just like your throwing.
 
LEATHALBLADES said:
Ok.Yes I know there are many differences between combat and survival knifes. just to name a few, Blade shape Shealth design ( How easy and fast it is to deploy) handle shape and many other things.
Click to expand...

What shape is a combat knife?
What shape is a survival knife?
What shape is an outdoor recreation knife?
 
This is what I have discovered in my life. I buy stuff all the time that I never use just because it caught my eye. When I was younger and a few dollars made a really big deal, I tended to think along the lines you are thinking. ...basically making something work good enough within the confines of my financial reality.... Choosing and buying knives is something that gets into your blood and somebody that buys one knife and uses it for 30 years is not what what I am. We start out buying stuff that we think meets our objectives and hopefully our expectations. But if you really use knives in the woods and you buy something that is "less", you will always want the next one and you'll want it sooner rather than later. So, buying the less expensive knives is just part of the knife buying and owning journey. I would really suggest you take a look at the Kabar Becker BK-15. You can baton with it to your heart's content as long as you don't take a sledge hammer to it. It is a VERY useful knife and very cost effective now.
 
22-rimfire said:
I assume you're young and $30 is not pocket change that you toss in a donation jar when you are buying other stuff.

I think you should get what you want. The combat or bayonet styled knives never appealed to me. If you do a fair amount of camping and see that as an activity you intend to pursue for a long time, I would probably just save up some more $ and get the BK-2 or BK-10. BK-15's are a very useful knife too and I have read that they are on sale lately (like $40) as Kabar is discontinuing them. Honestly, I like the BK-15 more than the Mora Companion.

No, the Mora is not a chopper. But it is a very useful knife. How often do you actually need to chop anything with a knife anyway? I use short machetes for that a lot. The BK-7 is a useful knife too, but many feel that the BK-9 does everything a BK-7 does and better. I don't have a BK-9, but I do have a BK-7. The Kabar Beckers are quite useful and cost effective knives.
Click to expand...


Well Actually 30 dollars its quite a bit when your paying for car insurence and trying to fix up the car at the same time. knives is just another expense. I can only afford to buy a knife once every couple of months. the GLOCK 81 is a backup I use the BK2 as my Go-to primary.
 
LEATHALBLADES said:
Just to clear it up The Glock 78 was designed for the Austrian Military. But if you are on a tight budget and want a Knife for camping that will hold up the Glock would be great option. MUCH better than that gimmicky BEAR GRYLLS NOT ULTIMATE SURVIVAL KNIFE. I prefer the Becker BK2 but that knife cost a lot more.
Click to expand...

OK. You brought up the point and you asked for questions:

How is the Glock 78 better for camping than the Bear Grylls?

I think that's a fair question.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top