Define the Ultimate Survival/ Utility knife

On my Russian site I have story from Vadim Denisov - outdorsman from Norilsk (you should really check map to understand what does it mean). He told there about two cases when guys had to survive mountan gravel slide - you know this small stones on the mountan slope, moving under you feet. One had Nivramus 154CM and use it as an anchor sticking it in the rock under his feet - and he make his way down safe. Of course he had to restore edge on his Nivramis. Another one had one of this Rambo kind of knife with everithing for survaving - like big toothes on the back etc. When he try to use it as an anchor - it just breake. It costs him several broken bones and few monthes in hospital. He is now coming to Vadim time to time searching for good knife - can not choose any - to thin on his opinion...

So I think it should be tough knife suitable to carry all the time on you and this depends on you personal abilities - I saw Kabar review from russian SN, he sad KaBar is good "small" knife, his arms twice bigger then mine probably - for him KaBar is like stake knife for me. Personaly, for now I like Bark River A2 blade .217" thick 4" long...

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I think the ideal survival knife would be a pairing of a nice multiblade Swiss Army Knife like the Explorer model along with a larger fixed blade. I think the Kabar is a fine choice. Any larger and it would be a bear to tote around. I've seen a lot of those monster sized Bowies and they are real beauties but don't know how practical they'd be on a belt sheath. Kind of like lugging an anvil on your waist. Just my two cents. A nice machete would be awfully handy too.
 
nozh2002 said:
One had Nivramus 154CM and use it as an anchor sticking it in the rock under his feet...
Click to expand...

Hey nozh, just wanna know how did the guy use it as an anchor. Was he attached the knife under the boot? Would like to know.

My Idea of the ultimate survival knife - anything that holds an edge as long as u need it, and won't break when u can't afford it to. ;)
 
As I understand - when slide starts, it happens time to time during his way down, he just stick it in the rock and wait until slide stop. He use it as an alpenshtok (can not find this word in dictionary - kind os small pick for mountaineering). It was actualli Nivramus Cub - 145.
Thanks, Vassili.
 
A good outdoor knife would be buy the best you could afford. To pin down a particular knife would be tough because there are so many to choose from. Shop around, see what feels good in the hand and rides comfortably on the belt. To me, a blade in the 5 to 6 inch range would be ideal with about a 4 1/2 to 5 inch handle. Also a small belt pack or fanny pack would be good to have on to carry other necessary survival items.
 
textoothpk,
I am sure the Ka-Bar USMC fighting/utility knife is a good knife. But for me i will prefer a Survival/utility/camp knife. Fighting with a knife is not on my to do list with my knife.

BURNSY56,
Swamp Rat Camp Tramp is a good knife but i prefer the Swamp Rat Battle Rat. Swap Rat knives has simple but good design and i like Swamp Rat knives but is SR-101 Steel Stainless steel or carbon steel? If i am not mistaken Swamp Rat knives are differntially tamperd and only carbon steel can be differentially tamperd. Even with a good coating the cuting edge is still expose to the element. I have seen even stainless steel rust so carbon steel knives will not be my choice.
 
Given the point given by a few and me what are the characteristic that ulitimate/survivial knife should have? What are the atributes that should be found in a good utility/survival knife? Another thing is should i continue here or start another thread?
 
I live in a fairly remote area, and spend most of my days out of doors. My solution is of course to have several tools to cover the various tasks that might arise. I also ensure that they all are secured to me so that they will not be lost unless I'm somehow stripped naked, and even then I will still have my "ultimate survival utility knife": my Victorinox Rucksack with its kydex neck sheath. The sheath has a ferro rod and several feet of hemp twine attached, allowing for easy fire-starting. The knife has a LED light attached as well. I carry a GB mini for chopping, an Allen Blade Pack Pal for heavier knife tasks, the rucksack for general duty work, and a swisstool X for tools. All of these are EDC items for me. 99% of the time, the Rucksack handles all the work, be it shelter building, firewood gathering, fuzz-stick making, fish cleaning, etc... I keep the pack pal in reserve, preserving its sharp edge for emergencies. For defense against cougars, I'll stick with a firearm or a good sturdy walking stick...
 
If things go bad when I'm in the bush, I have all the knives I need on my person, because when I go into the bush, I take always take them. Because I am a LEO, I'm used to carrying weight on my belt. My duty belt with pistol plus two mags, two pairs of cuffs, surefire light, Leatherman, radio, ASP baton, M26 TASER, OC spray, and mini 1st aid kit weighs about 25 lbs, so I don't mind the weight of my camp knife, EDC folder, multi tool, SAK, and back up camp knife on my belt and in my pockets.
The problem I find is when I am out in the yard playing T ball with the kids, and I don't have a knife. I inevitably get "asked" to go quickly to the store and pick something up by my darling wife, in a big hurry. Then, I'm in the wild, untamed, urban jungle without a knife. Once in a while, some "client" I arrested last night walks into the 7-11, and is standing in line behind me, and all I have on me is a debit card and a two-four of toilet paper! :eek:
As ridiculous as it sounds, I always grab a piping hot coffee if I realize I'm out without a knife, and I encounter a local bad guy. Boiling hot water is a great deterrant!
Anyway, to answer the question, if I could have only one single bladed knife for survival, it would be a 5-6 inch custom, probably in 52100, likely a drop point with a nice ergonomic leather washer handle, an attractive leather sheath, and a killer sharp edge. Plus, always carry a SAK, in addition to anything else you choose. Those saws and thin edges really save the day.
 
I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I’ve chosen the Camillus Pilot Survival for this role. They’re tough (1095 steel, same as the Kbar), the 5 inch blade is big enough for anything I need to do with it and handy on the belt or in the hand. Every knife has its limitations and that’s certainly true of the Pilot. While the point is pretty good for detail work, I know some people consider it a weak point. I’m just careful not to twist the blade while it’s embedded in anything I think is tougher than it is and I’ve never broken one. I don’t have to deal with salt water, so a quick wipe with a little oil after a day of use is all the maintenance it ever needs. Customs are great I suppose, but at $32.00 these are inexpensive enough to have several. This means I can keep one with my pack, one in each car and another one anywhere else I think having a knife might be useful. Let’s face it, few of us are in a position to go about our daily lives with a fixed bladed knife strapped to our hip. The Blackhawk sheaths are well made and the little pouch holds quite a bit if you pack carefully. I spent the better part of a rainy Saturday morning coming up with the para wrap for the handle. It’s 12 feet of cord, over I don’t know how many yards of 25-pound test fishing line. The wrist thong can be any length that’s comfortable to you and the whole thing is virtually self-tightening with use.

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Very nice Tusk, I had one of those "with a stock sheath" in the past but traded it off. Always wished I would of hung on to it.
 
The stock sheath is horrible. With the handle wrapped in paracord it won't fit in that any way. The addition of the sheath really makes up into a nice package.
 
I suppose it would depend on what you mean by "survival".
If you mean being stranded or shipwrecked some place where you might never be found, I would choose an ax or machete.

But if you mean having to survive until you hike out of the wilderness and back to civilization, or survive until help arrives, then I would choose either a multi-tool like the Leatherman Super-Tool or one of the large lock-blade Victorinox SAKs (like the Rucksack or the Locksmith).

IMO, a large fixed-blade like the Ka-Bar is very handy but you can do so much more with a multi-tool or SAK.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Tusk,
The Camillus Pilot Survival is a fine knife. But i would prefer Ontario's SP 6 - Fighter (http://www.ontarioknife.com/specplus_pg1.html) the thing that i dont like is that its 1095 carbon steel as in The Camillus Pilot Survival. As i am around saltwater enviroment alot 1095 is not a steel that is well suited for my enviorment.
 
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