Blades for Survival

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453
If you were to be alone and lost in an uncharted territory with nothing but your wits and untested bravery, what do you think would be the three best type of knives to have with you?

Let's break that down:

Multi-tool (what make and model)

Fixed blade (what kind and why)

Heavy duty blade for chopping (take your pick)



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
Multi-tool: Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman or Yeoman (if I have no other firestarting device.) To many uses for these incredible tools to even list all of the prospects.

Fixed Blade: Either the Busse 5, Dozier K series or a Fallkniven S1. Good general purpose designs with great blade steels that are capable of scary sharpness and holding that sharpness for a long period of time.

Big Knife: Although I have no personal experience with it yet, I'm banking on the performance of the Becker Brute. Good steel, great ergos, reinforced sweet spot, and a great sheath system.


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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
I'd be pleased as punch to have any of these with me:
Victorinox Hunter or Leatherman Wave.
Chris Reeve Project I.
Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe or Aitor Bolo Machete.

The only one I have not tried is the Aitor. There are plenty of other combinations that would work, and for the most of it, its what you are used to, personal taste and or the depth of your wallet. Wish I could have afforded this lot when I was eighteen.
 
For me it would have to be:
Victronix Hunter
Chris Reeve Shadow IV
12" Blackie Collins Machete
I've used this combo for years and it has worked out well.


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I'll take point
 
Multi tool...
SAK Hiker,and a smallpair of Channell lock pliers

Fixed blade..Grohmann #3 Boat Knife, dozier Pro Guide.

Heavy chopper; Depends on the area
Jungle: gollock,12-14 " machette
Hard wood forest: My Chas Sauer 6.5 " Bowie, literally anything over 7" that Newt Livesay makes
and I second the Grandfors axe, or a quality Tomahawk. YMMV,,
Ravenn

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Age, and treachery , will always win out over youth and skill!
 
Multitool- Victorinox Swisstool. This is by far the nicest of the breed. Comfortable handles, great fit and finish, super design and all the tools lock. I actually like a SAK, i.e. RUKSAK or Fireman, better than a multi-tool for outdoor adventures. Watching Ron Hood's excellent survival videos will make anyone love the SAK. www.survival.com

Fixed Blade: Rinaldi TTKK (5.5" Talonite). A great all around food prep and utility knife. The Talonite blade allows for extreme
corrosion resistance as well as edge holding. The grip is ergonomic and indexes well in my hand. The full flat grind and 5/32" stock allow for a strong knife with excellent edge geometery.

Chopper: A Busse, either a Battlemistress or Basic #9. This one speaks for itself.

If corrosion resistance was not a factor I would pick the Air Assault and RTAK by Newt Livesay www.newt.livesay.com both are great knives at a super price. Newt does the best micarta work in the buisness, imho.



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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
"Those who hold the thin blue line keep order, and insure that anarchy and chaos will not prevail." Chad (1992)
"He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He who dies by the sword did not train hard enough" -Chad (1999)
chad234@email.com
 
multitool:
SAK Fireman
Leatherman Wave

Fixed blade:
My piggyback combo of the Fallkniven A1 and F1 carried as one unit.

Chopper:
I am waiting on the new Beckers Trail Machete and am guessing that this would be my choice,however, I now have a H.I. UBE and the Beckers Machax so one of those would have to do the job. The Machax carries better then the khukuri but the UBE has a lot of weight for chopping.

rolleyes.gif
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and
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Ron,
Bremerton, Washington
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I never get tired of this topic.
smile.gif


Leatherman Supertool
Dozier Professional Guides Knife
Gransfors Bruks 3/4 axe (small forest axe)

I'm assuming the uncharted territory is da Nort Woods, eh?
smile.gif


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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Hoodoo, the list only changes because we keep getting new knives...

1. Multi-tool, my SAK Tinkerer. Its got everything I need...

2. Livesay Mod-131 Air Assault if it has to be really strong, but then again I might go with my Dozier K-1 if I had it yet! Then again, there is my $26 Mora2000. Its big advantage is its light weight, especially if I've got my...

3. Livesay RCM because I love chopping with it! Unless of course I knew I was going to be working my way through a jungle of soft tissue plants in which case I might prefer my Aki SBM!

4. How come you didn't ask about folders? I've got to have an excuse to carry my large Seb. after all!
 
1. New Gerber Legend multitool (because I just got it in the mail that's why)
2. Camillus Talon (though I had to add my own retaining system as the blade likes to slip right out of the sheath)
3. either my Livesay RTAK or Gerber BMF
Regards,
DHall

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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
Multi-tool: Leatherman Wave.

Fixed blade: 4-5 inch utility blade, preferably with removable slab handle, without Kraton (Becker Companion for instance). Busses are also great.

Heavy duty blade: machete (Becker, Barteaux, Ontario) or Becker Brute or axe (Gransfors, Fiskars or other) or 'king size bowie' (Busse BM, Cold Steel Trailmaster) or just a folding saw depending on climate, geographic area and 'mission'.

HM
 
Big mistake: reading the posts above, I realized that I forgot the Livesay and Simonich knives as well as the Camillus Talon. All of them I would consider good for their purpose.

HM
 
Man, just three? That would definitely make it a survival situation. :~}

Multi-tool: Gerber 600. Good saw, great file and pliers, and the only decent blade I've seen on a multi-tool. Not a lot of experience in this arena, but my Leatherman blade wouldn't hold an edge.

Mid-size: Mora 2000. great for skinning/gutting, and works really well for food prep. A good, sharp, INEXPENSIVE (as opposed to cheap) knife.

Chopping: my Bhojpure khukuri from Gurkha House. You could build a small cabin with this thing, and I've actually used it to cut the legs off a goat, so I know that butchering chores won't faze it.
 
Multi-tool: Victorinox Swiss Multi-tool. It has everything one needs in 20 different situations.

Fixed Blade: 4 inch Customised damascus. Thinking of ordering one to suit my hands, with a weight balance that feels like an extension of my arm.

Heavy duty: Probably a golok. Will get one done in talonite in future. Have to be at least 12-inch. Should be a bit on the heavy side, say, about 1 lb 10 oz.
Second choice would be an Ang Khola kukri.

Personally, I prefer to carry a fourth blade, another folder, as back-up in case I lose one of the knives in an unexpected situation.



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
Multi Tool: Gerber Scout Multitool. It has all the tools I need especially the saw.

Fixed Blade: Becker Companion. Solid knife, excellent edge. Sheath has a pouch for my multitool and small survival kit.

Heavy Duty Blade: Becker Brute. Great chopper, nice weight. It has replaced my issue machette that I normally carried. It fits nicely on my rucksack.

I have been very impressed with the Becker line. They are very economical and a huge value. Plus you get a kydex type sheath.

Jeff in Canada
 
Guys, one of the absolutely best deals on a small fixed blade is going on right now. It's the Camillus Talon in 154CM. If you don't buy one of these now you may eventually wish you had. Only 300 were made (actually 311 from what I heard but who's counting?
smile.gif
) They cost $99 and they are VERY WELL made.

I think this knife is perfect for people who spend time in the outdoors. First off it's stainless. And not any old stainless but 154CM. 154CM is not difficult to sharpen, takes a razor's edge, and holds it well. I'm a big fan of carbon steel blades but lets face it, there are some stainless steels out there that have proven their worth and ATS34 and 154CM are two of them and it's nice sometimes not to have to worry about rust. If you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, then you know how it is not always possible to keep your cutlery dry.

Secondly, the blade is flat-ground all the way to the spine. Hard to find in a production fixed-blade any more. That gives you a solid blade with a strong edge that should last well. The blade is 3 1/2", plenty big for most utility tasks like cleaning small game or whittling trap triggers, but the knife is fairly light and compact which makes it an excellent choice for backpacking. The drop-point design is superbly executed. There is a very slight, gracefull curve in the edge that will give you a little extra slicing ability but not hinder sharpening. There is plenty of spine to hammer on if needed, but the knife is thin enough to clean a fish and long enough to reach into the bottom of the peanut butter jar. Thirdly, the scales are G10 and should last a lifetime of outdoor use. The knife is comfortable in either blade down or blade up positon. File work on the spine and choil give great thumb purchase. And lastly, fit and finish are EXCELLENT.

I don't know how many are left (1SKS is selling them) but there better be at least one more 'cause I just ordered another one!
smile.gif
If you want a high quality small stainless drop point that will do a big job, this is a steal!

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM

[This message has been edited by Hoodoo (edited 04-07-2001).]
 
Leatherman-Wave with Eric Noeldechan conclex sheath

Bob Dozier- Woodcraft-style custom fixed blade

John Greco- La Duena. 8670 steel zoned tempered.

IF allowed a folder... Oh yes, Tops...The CQT MAGNUM with Kydex bread-away sheath !! Cannot say enough good about this sweetheart.
 
Hoodoo,
Man, you read my mind! See my topic on Camillus. I have been long time planning to get a first class smaller fixed blade. I was considering the 154CM Talon or Becker Companion or BM Nimravus. However, I very much like the drop point flat ground of the Talon. Which one would you choose?
Thanks,

HM
 
Yep, I ordered one (154CM Talon) too, to tote along with my Busse NO, Leatherman tool, and Gerber axe-->sorta on-topic.
Looks like a great knife for food prep and most of the little chores we use knives for.
I love the shape, and love small flat ground blades, so hopefully I'll be very pleased. Kind of want to give Talonite a try one of these days, though.

Been lusting after a Simonich Wambli (knife the Talon's based on) in D2, but it's three times the cost and has a bead blast finish-only one I've found for sale. Decided to get the Talon, and wait for Rob to start taking orders again so I can "have it my way".

[This message has been edited by OwenM (edited 04-07-2001).]
 
HM,
I can't really say much about the Nimravus. I've wondered about them myself and I handled one once and liked it. But the rough file work on the spine was uncomfortable and I'm guessing that since the tang is not flush with the scales, heavy whittling over a period of time might be uncomfortable. I dunno.

But the Companion and Talon are two entirely different knives. The Companion is really a chopper compared to the Talon. It's a much bigger knife overall. It's not really a hunting or fishing knife per se. But the Talon fits that bill perfectly. I guess it depends on what you want to do with it. When I go hunting, I carry a Talon-sized knife and also the Companion. The Companion I use primarily for chopping small brush like briars and twigs. If you've ever hunted grouse, you know what kind of twig forest cover you can be in. The Companion is wonderful for removing pesky branches that might poke an eye out. The Talon, in contrast, is a whittler and game knife. No chopping but I wouldn't be afraid to use a baton on it for chopping. It has a much heavier spine than a Mora and Mors Kochanski hammers on those. So it will do as a survival knife in a pinch. It's ruggedly designed.

The Talon is really a Puukko on steroids. It has Puukko size and similar shape but it also has a full tang and moisture-proof scales, and imo, a much better grip. It may lack the cutting ability of some carbon-steeled puukkos but I think you're getting pretty particular if 154CM doesn't wind your watch for the kind of money we are talking about here.



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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
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