good survival knife?

The Fallkniven F1 gets my vote, a quality knife that fits nicely in your budget and does pretty much anything you could wish for except chopping.
As for CRKT, I don't have experience with them, but I hear varying experiences with their knives, customer service seems to be very good though.
 
I say that if weight is an issue to you, go with the RC4, or the F1, or the S1 they have different grinds but convex is not harder to sharpen than a V edge, and they are both made from great steels 1095 vs Laminated VG10.

If weight isn't an issue theres the BK2 or Bravo 1. I got a bravo, and I love it, its a great knife.

All 5 of these suggestions are great knives, But I think you'd find the S1 or the F1 the best, as they are stainless.
Also regarding CRKT, I don't think there is anything wrong with them, but when comparing their fixed blades to that of ESEE, Falkniven and Bark River, the quality is IMO, lower than that of a RC4, bravo 1 or F1.
 
I usually end up picking my BRKT Bravo-1 to fill this role, but if you are countng ounces, its not the knife to take. The Fallkniven F1 would be my choice. If weight is not an issue either the Bravo-1, ESEE-4 or Fallkniven S-1 are all great choices.
 
Spend a few more dollars and get a RatManDu (RMD) while they're still available from the factory:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=721907

As much as I like Fallkniven, Bark River, and ESEE, my RMD is unquestionably the knife I'd reach for if the SHTF.

"Jerry Busse makes some of the toughest knives on the planet." -- Mike Stewart

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Different option.

Victorinox, One Hand Trekker,

liner lock blade and a saw blade

small and compact, but good sized
 
Lots of good suggestions in this thread.

You should check out Blind Horse knives. They make some really nice knives for about your price and they come with a sheath. I have the bushcraft knife which is 4".
 
CRKT makes some nice designs, but keep in mind that most if not all of their blades come from overseas.
There is nothing wrong with the Ontario RAT or Ranger knives, and they have some good designs in their Spec Plus line - like the sp17 quartermaster. (if you can find it, I like the FF17 even better - it has a steel buttcap)
for your fire steel striker, a piece of hacksaw or a p38/p51 can opener works good and doesn't mark up your knife. (it also gives you a bit of redundancy)
others already mentioned:
Becker/KaBar make a lot of good knives at a similar price point to Ontario
RAT/ESEE (spanish for school (Esquela) of Survival, Escape, and Evasion) - slightly higher price, but well thought out ergonomics & carry systems
Scrapyard has some excellent tools at a competitive price - sheath not included
BRKT & Swamprat - good quality, significant jump in price
Busse -- nearly indestructible and priced accordingly. sheath not included.
 
termiteslayer said:
I always wondered why survival situation seekers don't get down to the roots of survival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4FuH3n4CE (edit: I found this video randomly and just now watched a few of his other vids... wow...)
When I was a kid I often used arrowheads we would find at a lake by where we lived.
Stone has some pretty good cutting capabilities as our ancestors can attest to.
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This is a knife website though, not an arrowhead website. Most of the "survival seekers" you encounter here are going to want info. on a good knife, not rocks.
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BK2 or BK7 are both good. The Falkniven line is great as well. If price wasn't an issue I'd suggest Busse or Swamprat...
 
Here's another Becker vote. I've got the BK-2 and my son has the BK-7. They both rule, but I'd get the BK-2 again in a heartbeat (though, as mentioned the BK-7 is lighter).
 
I have a Fallkniven F1 and like it very much. The Esee 4 is another knife to consider. The blade is great, but I'm not overly fond of the handle. I find the Esee 6 has way better ergonomics. Your mileage may very though.
I've heard great things about the Bark River Bravo 1, too. But, it's damn expensive.
A carbon Grohmann number 4 is worth a look see. They look very cool and have great ergonomics (like the #1, where it is derived). They definitely have their own Canadian flavor.
Good luck!

Oh, and my opinion on the Becker... I'd get something lighter. It's a great knife and my friend owns one, but it is on the chubby side. Definitely overkill for it's blade length.
 
EricFallkniven said:
Oh, and my opinion on the Becker... I'd get something lighter. It's a great knife and my friend owns one, but it is on the chubby side. Definitely overkill for it's blade length.
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its not so bad on the new ones made by kabar. alot lighter. bk7 & bk9 exspecially. 3/16inch thick instead of a quater inch.
 
Anothe vote for KA-Bar/Becker BK7...The plus to this is it comes with the very handy BK13 & the little BK13 will throw sparks with your ferro rod :thumbup: I use my BK13 for that all the time ;) The Becker knives are tough knives & have great customer service ! It would be hard to beat this knife for the money, don't let the price fool you !
 
There's alot of good knife makers out there.

I really like Bark River, Blind Horse and ESEE (Rat Cutlery).

Sometimes you can find used Bark Rivers on the forum for a reasonable price.

Bark River models that I use that would work good for your uses: Bravo 1, Fox River, Canadian Special, Aurora, Gunny.

The ESEE-4 (RC-4) and ESEE-3 (RC-3) are nice (I have both models), but I prefer the the way the Bark River handles fit my hand.
 
I find convex edges easier to maintain so I always go with Bark River or Fallkniven. Both of these two companies produce some of the best production knives in the world.
 
I'm surprised no one mentioned the sog seal pup elite.

You can get one for $70 with the kydex sheath and its relatively light at 5.7 oz.
 
DRodent said:
I'm surprised no one mentioned the sog seal pup elite.

You can get one for $70 with the kydex sheath and its relatively light at 5.7 oz.
Click to expand...

And for 20 bucks more you can get the ESEE 4, with a kydex sheath, and it only a couple of ounces heavier, at 7.4 oz. Its also, IMO better steel.
 
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