best survival knife?!

Thanks for re-opening the can of worms!!

There is no "one knife", IMO. I believe in the Trio. Hatchet/Tomahawk, Large fixed blade, and small folder. For me this means a Cold Steel TrailHawk (looking to also get a Rifleman's Hawk), a Ka-Bar 1211, and a Vic One Hand Trekker (Vic Farmer and Case Stockman CV are on order).

I agree with the "find the philosophy, then go after the right blade, according to that philosophy" idea. There are some that will only choose machetes, some that will only take a Mora, and some that will only take a SAK. I believe that a jack of all trades is a master of none, thus why not carry masters of each? That, and I don't live in the jungle, but a machete is always in the trunk.

Yes, the question asked what the best is, and that is my answer. No, it's not just one knife, but I've always got at least 2 on me. The best one will still be the one I have on me when it's needed.
 
Here's mine.

sammyismaboi001-2.jpg


sammyismaboi011.jpg


sammyismaboi044.jpg
 
Nice moras! Is that some kind of overmolding on the handles? Never seen any like that before.
 
S1 or ontario RAT-5 are what I'd prefer to have when it all comes apart but I agree with what was said earlier, the knife that you have when your A$$ needs saving is your survival knife.
 
Is this the twohundred and fiftytwelfth "best survival knife" thread?

Anyway, My contribution must be the Fallkniven F1 or maybe the S1
I have not tried Bark River or the RAT knives but they shold not make you disappointed either.

I still wonder what happens if you hammer on a LMF II?
The F1 has the protruding tang and what I have seen on pictures the LMFII does not have any contact whatsoever between the pommel and the blade.
It might be useful if you cut live cables and such.
Those knives are made to achieve the same goal, to keep the guy using it alive, however they are made totally different.
 
What you end up with is what you had the foresight to bring along. You want something simple, strong, durable, and can be maintained in the field -- that goes for all your equipment. You need to stay warm, dry, hydrated, and fed. If your equipment isn't aimed at those tasks, it is taking space and weight that could be dedicated to equipment that will keep you alive. I would rather have a 4" knife and all the other gear that will help me rather than a 12" knife and be out the other stuff because the weight and bulk of the knife was too great.

So, you aren't picking a knife in a vacuum-- you are building a system. Same thing with your clothing, etc. There is a limit to how much crap you can haul and there are all kinds of compromises. You try to choose each bit so it complements the others and has as many uses as possible. Maybe I take a smaller knife that has more utility for a wide range of chores and I have some line, duct tape, a space blanket, lots of fire starting options, some tinder, signaling gear, a first aid kit, etc, etc. You can have a PSK the size of a pop can and 10-12 ounces that will supply most of your needs for a night or two out and signal for help.

Stuff I like and why:

Fallkniven F1:
Stout, stainless steel (I live around salt water), reasonable expense, good for general cutting chores with some capacity for abuse.

Moras (stainless):
Cheap, sharp, light, excellent for cutting chores-- leaves no excuse for being caught out without a knife. I spent $8 on the last one I bought.

Leatherman Wave:
Covers many functions in one tool. Heavy but handy

SAK Trekker, Outrider, Farmer:
Blade plus saw and other features that aid repairs and improvising. Compact and inexpensive.

Kershaw/Bahco folding saw:
Lots of wood cutting power for the weight (6 ounces). Safe to use, compact, inexpensive. Will provide plenty of materials for fire and shelter.

Fiskar 14" axe:
Inexpensive, light compared to other axes. One of the first tools I would put in a vehicle kit and the last I would hike with-- weight is the problem.
 
Bark River Northstar for me. I think it would work for survival, but it is also totally suitable for the 99.9999% of the time when I'm not "surviving" but just doing ordinary outdoors stuff.

I also have a Becker BK-10. It is a good knife, but I almost never use it due to its bulk.
 
My Leatherman Change would probably be my BEST all around survival knife....

HPIM3671.jpg



But my Buck 110 is my FAVORITE....

HPIM3697.jpg
 
nodh said:
Is this the twohundred and fiftytwelfth "best survival knife" thread?
Click to expand...

LOL, I have been on these boards since 99. Threads with this theme has got to number in the thousands. Hell, there would probably be no boards. They usually get the most posts. :D

It is funny to me that so many people get so pissed about the ONLY one knife threads. I am not saying Nodh was expressing that. There has got to be a way to debate and discuss things for intro people and interact. These kinds of threads do just that. They serve a purpose. I have been to boards that splitter off to try to avoid newbie type questions like this and you know what they usually start off with a lot of posts then the excitement dies down.

Why not have fun with it? If we were all expert snot-ass woodsman, what the hell would we need the internet for?
 
+1 for everything DaleW said.

I use a Fallkniven S1 or stainless Mora clipper for a fixed blade, Pacific Salt, Delica, One Hand Trekker or occasionally an Opinel for a folder, and a Tramontina 14" Bolo and Bahco folding saw for chopping and sawing respectively.

Forgot to mention the Swisstool X, bloody excellent bit of kit.
 
The problem that people have in these threads is that they are hard set in the "be prepared for all situations" mindset. These are the people that when you ask them "if you could pick one knife" and they reply "no sorry, I insist on a knife, an axe, and a multitool."

You're answering the quesion "What is your sharps layout of choice?"

The question you were asked is "I fully understand that it might leave you in a less than fully prepared situation, but if you truly had to pick 1 knife to make you as prepared as possible, what would it be?"

Let me throw another wildcard in. If I'm answering "What is your sharps layout?" The fixed blade I choose will be different from the one I choose when answering "If you could only take one knife."

If I can take my preferred sharps layout, I will have a hatchet, a 5"ish fixed blade, and a SAK. If I can only take one, that fixed blade will probably become a 9"ish fixed blade because now I'll want it to do my hatchet's job, since the hatchet isn't coming along.

So currenty, in answer to your "1 knife" question, I would take my Ranger RD9.
If I'm taking my whole kit though, then it's my Hatchet, my Ranger bush shiv, and my SAK Outrider.
 
I have assembled a collection of fixed blades that I know I can rely on. They share a few things in common like carbon blades and Micarta scales. The search for the "perfect" survival knife is neverending, but also very fun (But expensive!)
 
I like my Cold Steel Master Hunter. Instead of that, then my Mora Clipper, slightly smaller. But there are plenty of great knives out there, everybody has their favorite.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top