Good Survival Knife

Stubai said:
Some great comments here. If I were 19 again, I'd go for the Ratmandu. The knife just fits the bill for so many applications and yes, it is tough as nails. To my mind, the ergos are superb. The Ratmandu is a proper jack of all trades and will probably be all the knife you'll ever need. Mileage may vary!
Click to expand...

Definitely up there on my list, thanks for the opinion :)
 
Shotgun said:
I agree with this. You should always have a "survival knife" on you if it's a survival knife. A survival knife in your pack with your tarp, extra clothes, sleeping bag, snacks, etc doesn't make sense to me. To that end, I avoid knives of the size you're asking about. They work great car camping and bumbing around but on a long hike, a pound on your hip isn't all that great. Buy the big knife(we all have them. I'm like Pinnah and pull it out to watch tv. Only for me it's venture bros.:D) and use it. I'd go with esee as it's not as expensive and is pretty good and has a good sheath. That way if you change your mind you have a bit of cash left to experiment with a smaller one if you lean that way. The BK2 wouldn't be a bad choice either. Remember, you're more than likely going to switch knives at some point. I've tried several popular knives and most don't work for me. And not just the size, in use they weren't so great for what I needed.

My knife of choice right now is a scott gossman unk. 5/32" thick 3v with a blade of only 3 inches. In the summer, I'm leaning toward folder only carry to be honest. Delica is my prime suspect for that. Fuzzes sticks like the dickens. :D
Click to expand...

The Esee is still up there on the list of knives/knife companies that I might choose from. The problem with a lot of these knives though is that I dont want to buy something without holding it and seeing how it feels first. Living in Canada makes it a little bit more difficult due to the smaller amount of selection as well as places that sell these types of specialized products. Might have to make a few phone calls to see what stores in the states carry them and take a trip over the border before I bite the bullet. And as I mentioned recently in the post. I currently own a 4.75 inch fixed blade that I seem to have no problem carrying; im hoping that 5.5 inches or slightly bigger wont be to different.
 
ESEE knives don't have anything complicated to the handles. It's just a rectangle with radius corners. You can get the ESEE 6, and if the handle is too square for you, The Knife Connection makes after market handles that are very well shaped and contoured.
 
When I was a young 'un going out in the woods with my grandfather I remember the only knife he carried was a Buck 110.
Funny how he didn't need a 1/4" thick piece of steel fury to get by. He told me over and over "the more you know, the less you need."
Now at middle age I've come to understand that philosophy.
I still need a belt knife. I haven't reached the skill level he had, in fact I have yet to meet anyone who has. Maybe one day I'll get there.
 
1/8'' is the magic steel thickness for me. A buddy of mines that has 20 times more experience love 3/32. I'd probably be okay with 3/32 also, but very few companies even make a knife that thin.
 
afishhunter said:
While it meets none of your specs; too thin, Carbon V blade, not a stainless or "super" steel, 7 inch blade length ... I like the Cold Steel Bushman.

My reasoning? It can be used to batton (but as with any other knife, excluding perhaps a 7/16 or thicker blade Kukri, a small axe or hatchet is a better tool for splitting wood) Carbon V, at one time was Cold Steel's premium high carbon steel. The design of the knife allows it to double as a spear head, and, it takes and holds a good edge, and is easy to sharpen.
The Bushman, while perhaps a little long, is good for skinning game, too. (I prefer a 4 inch or so drop point fixed blade for skinning)
Misters Nessmuk and Kephart, the "fathers" of modern bushcraft, never found it necessary to batton their knives. They both carried into the woods a small, 4 or 5 inch fixed blade, that was all of 1/8 inches thick, a good folding pocket knife, and a small axe or hatchet. In their day, they did not have tents made of the miracle fibers we have today, their knives were 1095 high carbon, (if that, may have been 1045 or 1055) since stainless and "super" steels were yet to be.
All this hype of "you need the latest and greatest _____ (fill in blank) to survive ..." is nothing more and nothing less than marketing, to get people to part with their hard earned money.
Click to expand...

The Bushman is not and never was made of Carbon V. It is SK5, hardened to 54 Rc.



OP, I would agree with the other folks that weight is an issue. Even if you want a bigger knife, consider one made from thinner stock with lighter weight handle material. Traditional Leukos are fairly large, but have narrow tangs in wood handles and 1/8" blades to keep weight down. People in harsh climates have been making camp and butchering game with those for a very long time.
 
RX-79G said:
The Bushman is not and never was made of Carbon V. It is SK5, hardened to 54 Rc.



OP, I would agree with the other folks that weight is an issue. Even if you want a bigger knife, consider one made from thinner stock with lighter weight handle material. Traditional Leukos are fairly large, but have narrow tangs in wood handles and 1/8" blades to keep weight down. People in harsh climates have been making camp and butchering game with those for a very long time.
Click to expand...

The Cold Steel Bushman was made in Carbon V. I bought one, way back when.

I’ve never seen a post-Camillus Bushman, so I can’t say how they compare.

On the other hand, the Bushman is too big and clumsy on the belt for Phage’s intended use.
 
Mob said:
ESEE knives don't have anything complicated to the handles. It's just a rectangle with radius corners. You can get the ESEE 6, and if the handle is too square for you, The Knife Connection makes after market handles that are very well shaped and contoured.
Click to expand...

I bought a RTAK II as a truck knife. It has a good rep as a sturdy trail knife. I got it at half price. Why not?

I hated the handle. I’ve got large hands, but that grip was too big and blocky for me. Some quality time with a belt sander knocked the corners down. Turned it into something I could use safely. Not something I loved, but okay for an emergency chopper.

I don’t know how ESEE handles compare to the Ontario Rat versions.

If Phage gets an ESEE 6 and hates the handle, he can modify it on his own. If that fails, he can still shop the aftermarket.

I've not handled a lot of the suggested knives, but... I personally recommend the Ratmandu. It's a tough, carryable, well designed, all purpose knife.
 
Remember that you also need [to carry] sharpening capability to go with the knife, so be aware that some of our newest [in] blade metals take more work to bring the edge up. Why I like/prefer the older AUS 8 or 1095 which, I personally, find easier to bring up/maintain the edge.
 
Raymond1000 said:
The Cold Steel Bushman was made in Carbon V. I bought one, way back when.

I’ve never seen a post-Camillus Bushman, so I can’t say how they compare.

On the other hand, the Bushman is too big and clumsy on the belt for Phage’s intended use.
Click to expand...

Here's the catalog from when it was introduced. Page 5, SK-5 steel:
https://www.coldsteel.com/images/Catalogs/1995catalog.pdf
Here's 2001, page 28:
https://www.coldsteel.com/images/Catalogs/2001catalog.pdf

If you get Cold Steel on the phone they will also tell you it was never made in Carbon V. A lot of people used to say it was, and I don't know why.
 
JasonECornu said:
When I was a young 'un going out in the woods with my grandfather I remember the only knife he carried was a Buck 110.
Funny how he didn't need a 1/4" thick piece of steel fury to get by. He told me over and over "the more you know, the less you need."
Now at middle age I've come to understand that philosophy.
I still need a belt knife. I haven't reached the skill level he had, in fact I have yet to meet anyone who has. Maybe one day I'll get there.
Click to expand...

I've actually owned the Buck 110 for quite a few years.
 
RX-79G said:
Here's the catalog from when it was introduced. Page 5, SK-5 steel:
https://www.coldsteel.com/images/Catalogs/1995catalog.pdf
Here's 2001, page 28:
https://www.coldsteel.com/images/Catalogs/2001catalog.pdf

If you get Cold Steel on the phone they will also tell you it was never made in Carbon V. A lot of people used to say it was, and I don't know why.
Click to expand...

Probably because Carbon V was Cold Steel's signature steel.

Despite the fact that nobody knew how to pronounce it. Was that V a letter or a Roman numeral?

Thanks.
 
I just got my GSO 5.1 in the mail and wanted to give you a comparison to the Ratmandu. It's definitely going to the upper end of my list of "Survival" knives. It's balanced and you get a pretty big piece of CPM3V for the money. It was slightly more than what I paid for my Bravo 1LT, but at least double the amount of steel. That being said, I'm still keeping the Bravo 1LT because I can still depend on it for nearly any situation I can see myself ever getting into.

The blade is longer and wider than the Ratmandu. I don't think either knife is a whittling knife or is going to be the best slicer. The 5.1 feels more comfortable in hand compared to the standard Ratmandu, but my Infimandu has black G10 scales which are very comfortable. The 5.1's blade tip is much thicker than the Ratmandu's, so I expect it to do better at prying, but not as well as making a bow drill divot. Granted I don't expect to ever have to make a bow drill to start a fire and if I had too it'll probably still work.

It's going to be tough to beat the 5.1 for the price in the upper end "Survival" knife spectrum because it was slightly more than my Bravo 1LT, which has much less CPM3V steel backing it. The price was a little more than my Ratmandu in SR101, but much less than my Infimandu. That being said, the Ratmandu and 5.1 are at the top of my list for 5" "Survival" knives. The downside with Survive Knives is the waiting time or trying to find one at a half way decent price. I'm still waiting for the 2 GSO 3.5's factory 2nd's that I ordered almost three weeks ago from them. However, for price and quality of the knife I'd say it's worth the wait:)

I will test it later tonight and during the weekend and post a comparison between the Ratmandu and GSO 5.1.
 
marcinek said:
Amen to all of that (inlcuding Venture Bros...funny, funny show).

It seems that if one spends time in the woods with, say, a Delica or Vic Farmer, they are not "doing" survival. While if one does the same thing in the same woods with a "survival knife" all of a sudden it becomes "survival."

I have never been able to quite get it. Like a woods enthusiast in the 30's with a Marbles Ideal did anything different than anybody does now. If anything that guy with his old stuff and no gps or cell phone or ferrocerium fire stick or CamelBack etc etc was probably way more "survival" than any of us now.
Click to expand...
I wonder if it's a combination of two things;(just theorizing here)
First, people don't really carry hatchets anymore. It's an odd thing to see a backpacker with a hatchet these days. So, I don't think overbuilt knives are necessarily a bad idea. They can fill the gap for those that want to have a campfire. Until that is banned. :D

Second, there's a disconnect for most people when it comes to the outdoors. A lot of people don't have access to it. So, when someone with no experience in the outdoors grows up and decides to start backpacking, they have wild ideas about it. I've camped with people who are afraid of bears, cougars, and bigfoot. The only thing I worry about is tics, mozzies, and people. Then they see these survival shows with a guy that has a knife and firesteel and that's it. Maybe not even clothes. So they think that's what you would need when in reality, the need for that big knife is mitigated by other gear that an experienced backpacker knows well.

Oh and number three. Sometimes a guy just has to pretend to be a mountain man with a big ol bowie on his belt. :D
pinnah said:
Shotgun,

:thumbup:

Are you a hunter?

My cousins are true Vermonters and big hunters. They have a large wood lot and harvest it selectively and run syrup lines and such. I crash around the woods dragging a gun and scaring off game.

One of the things we talk about in deer camp is my odd approach. I always have a fanny pack, minimally. They have the pockets of their mackinaws and pants stuffed to the gills. I have more survival stuff than they do. <shrug> We learned it differently. 'Zall good. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Nope not a hunter. I don't think I explained well. I do carry survival gear in my pack, especially day hiking, but my mindset is that the pack and it's contents are gravy. I go to my pack first if I'm in it believe me. It's just that I want the basics when I'm away from my pack. And I think I made that murkier. LOL Anyway, yup it's all good. We're both still breathing. :D
 
I was right where you are back in November. I went into it fullbore and have since owned most of the knives that have been discussed. The Esee 5 was my first and still one of my favorites, but I don't think it would be the best for what you have described. It's hard to beat the Esee warranty and the 6 is an awesome all around knife if you do decide to go with Esee. My personal vote would be for the Survive 5.1. Buy the Esee 6 now and get over to Survive and place your order for the new 5.1. You can always sell the Esee when your 5.1 comes in, but you won't.
 
Just spent the last hour in my backyard BBQing dinner and decided to try out the 5.1. I say go with the GSO 5.1 and try to pick one up on the For Sale forums, if you are lucky enough to pick one up at a good price. It went through hard oak like no tomorrow and feather sticked as well as my Fallkniven F1, S1, and Bark River 1LT. That's saying a lot because the other knives can do it, but those are the ones that slice like butter. I batonned it pretty hard through the knots in the oak and there wasn't a mark on the blade. The edge stayed razor sharp and doesn't even need a touch up. I can see why Survive knives are so popular and they're sold out.

I have seen some pictures and heard of people chipping the blades, but that was due to hitting rocks or concrete. Sorry, but I'm not going to test it:)
 
I love my Swamp Rat Ratmandu with a separately purchased Mashed Cat Kydex sheath. Also love my Survive GSO 5.1. I think the GSO is a slightly better knife. It all depends on how long you want to wait. You will wait over a year for a GSO 5.1. You can get the Ratmandu in about two-three months and a Mashed Cat sheath for it in a week. The Mashed Cat sheath is just as nice as the GSO kydex sheath provided. The Ratmandu has great steel although more rust prone (however it is coated). The Ratmandu/kydex sheath is about $40 cheaper. Again both are excellent mid size knives.
 
I prefer systems with redundancy. Any SAK that has a saw will get your fire going and 90% of the other knife tasks you'll usually encounter. The main blade for me is a plain jane SR101 Ratmandu with taco kydex sheath. It cost me less than $200 including sheath. Why this one? I know I'll never have to make a warranty claim. I can use it as hard as needed and can easily re-sharpen it on many things already in the field. Because of it's fine grain, I could even shave with it in a pinch. There are many other choices like the GSO series, which gets the nod in very salty, wet or corrosive environments. Their M390 is the best I've encountered. It hasn't got any use recently but it was checked out thoroughly and I doubt I'll ever need a warranty claim from them either. As long as you know the blade shape that.works for you and buy from a company that does things with care, you will be a satisfied customer. Your outings will go much better when you bring dependable tools with you. Skills are the most important.
 
I can't claim to the experience that some obviously have here (although I did do hundreds of miles on my bike, sometimes far away from any hep), but really, when I hear this endless complaining about "one pound" big 9" bowies, and how terrible they are to carry, I just have to wonder if anyone has any experience carrying those to begin with...

A one pound nine inch blade 1/4" stock bowie hardly even qualifies as an EDC concealment knife to me... And thinking about carrying those "on the hip" sounds to me as pretty clueless, since "on the hip" means it is exposed to weather, rain will get inside the sheath (and the rain will also completely deform any leather -like a sponge- even Randall sheath leather, and this in minutes), and any fall, dirt or airborne dust projected into exposed "hip carry" will scratch the blade to hell and abrade the edge, not to mention that IWB kidney carry fixes all of this and is exactly like carrying absolutely nothing...

The endless posturing, from the twig cutter brigade, that all you need is the exposed carry of something along the lines of a 4" Mora, is pretty much guaranteed to eventually get someone killed.. I get it that high tech clothing and sleeping bags materials can dispense with a fire, but those can also get dunked, and they take time to dry too, and a dunking plus a drop in temperature can easily mean only a fire, or improvised shelter, offers real relief... Good luck achieving this with the twig cutter...

Gaston
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top