I trust these knives !!!

[Liam Ryan]

I agree with most of what you say, allenc, but it has been said a few times that guys who like a big blade are making up for..something.
I think they just like to have a blade that can do most things a small knife can do but also chop and baton, which a small one cannot.
If you can only have 1 knive, it makes sense to have one that is a multi tasker, for me I would probably take a RAT7 if I could have just 1 edged tool. give me the option of 2 though and I will drop back down to a smaller scandi and an axe or saw.

 

[SpookyPistolero]

The one blade that I tend to never try to 'do without' is a good 4" blade. It's what I'm comfortable with and get the most use out of. That said, a big blade can do a whole lot of important things. It can clear some brush, gather branches easily, chop, split wood (very important!). These are all things that may be part of a 'uh-oh I just got soaked in ice water and need to warm up in a hurry' kind of situation.

It's not the only tool for the job, but it does those things well, and thus I wouldn't knock someone elses' choice for one.

 

[skammer]

I think too many folks think a bigger/stouter/stronger/etc. blade will somehow make up for their lack of survival knowledge.

Makes me laugh. Guess you should explain that to Ron Hood, Greg Davenport, Ray Mears, Tom Brown etc....

They all use and recommend larger tough blades. Guess they are wrong.

Looks like the only blade you actually use is the USAF knife the biggest and toughest of the lot.

Skam

 

[sketchbag]

I've only ever seen Ray Mears using a mora, a gransfors, machete and a folding saw once. Never saw him rock a big fat chopper, and the machete looked pretty thin and "cheap"

 

[skammer]

I've only ever seen Ray Mears using a mora, a gransfors, machete and a folding saw once. Never saw him rock a big fat chopper, and the machete looked pretty thin and "cheap"

He uses a parang often as his primary chopper. Qualifies as a large blade to me. Split some more hairs.

Skam

 

[runningboar]

Makes me laugh. Guess you should explain that to Ron Hood, Greg Davenport, Ray Mears, Tom Brown etc....

They all use and recommend larger tough blades. Guess they are wrong.

I really don't know these guys or care what they recommend and use, I will continue to use what works for me as you should, forget other peoples opinion.

I like to watch Desperate Housewives and Survivor and don't care if anybody else likes it........now that should start an argument. Chris

 

[allenC]

Looks like the only blade you actually use is the USAF knife the biggest and toughest of the lot.

To be honest, I don't think that USAF knife is an especially great knife.

And you might be surprised to learn that I carried and used it for only about eight months....from around September 1990 to April 1991, during the Gulf War.
It was given to me by my 1st Sgt when I was in the 101st.

And for what it's worth, I used my Vic Super Tinker a thousand times more often than I used the USAF knife.
Multi-tools and SAKs are way more useful for the majority of tasks than a single blade fixed-blade.
This true in both urban and wilderness settings.

Besides, who carries a large fixed-blade around 24/7?

If you don't carry a large fixed-blade around 24/7, then you had better learn to survive with whatever's in your pocket.

 

[straitshot]

I'm gonna take a chance on getting flamed here, but I can pretty much tell how tough a knife is just by looking it over. Narrow thin blade, wimpy tang, delicate tip, excessively cut out tang for a folder lock, too small pivot pin or stop pin, finger hole too close to the cutting edge ? All of these spell potential failure to me. It may be OK for opening packages, fruit, or fish, but not for use where failure could cause trouble. But that's only me.

Such items prevent me from buying many knives that are otherwise potential users. I have to believe many others who have been using tools for a long time do the same thing. The worst I've seen are those Browning imports that are laser cut 2/3 of the way across the blade. How ridiculous. Another favorite is a big bowie with an obviously wimpy hidden tang.

I don't see it as theoretical science, just common observation of a knife's features. Yes, I carry small pocket knives, but I don't trust them for heavy tasks that are beyond their purpose. Certain knives may be tough enough, but if it doesn't look right I won't trust it regardless of how massive the blade or how exotic the alloy. Regards, ss.

 

[allenC]

When you guys say "heavy use", "hard use", etc...

exactly what are you doing, survival wise, that would break even the average swiss army knife?

Making cordage?
Constructing a shelter?
Skinning an animal?
Making a fire?
Procuring water?
Creating traps?
Making a raft?
Digging a latrine?
Making weapons and tools?
Personal hygiene?

What???

Over and over I hear mentioned the need to chop, split logs, pry stuff, etc...

But with nearly 30 years of camping, hunting, fishing, and hiking, I have never needed to do any of that.
And I've never broken a knife or had a knife fail on me when I was using it in the wilderness.

Of course, when I was younger, I have broken knives doing stupid crap that I knew was un-necessary.
But I really think that some folks here have some totally unrealistic fears.

 

[batosai117]

I'm gonna take a chance on getting flamed here, but I can pretty much tell how tough a knife is just by looking it over. Narrow thin blade, wimpy tang, delicate tip, excessively cut out tang for a folder lock, too small pivot pin or stop pin, finger hole too close to the cutting edge ? All of these spell potential failure to me. It may be OK for opening packages, fruit, or fish, but not for use where failure could cause trouble. But that's only me.

Such items prevent me from buying many knives that are otherwise potential users. I have to believe many others who have been using tools for a long time do the same thing. The worst I've seen are those Browning imports that are laser cut 2/3 of the way across the blade. How ridiculous. Another favorite is a big bowie with an obviously wimpy hidden tang.

I don't see it as theoretical science, just common observation of a knife's features. Yes, I carry small pocket knives, but I don't trust them for heavy tasks that are beyond their purpose. Certain knives may be tough enough, but if it doesn't look right I won't trust it regardless of how massive the blade or how exotic the alloy. Regards, ss.

I couldn't agree with you more. A knife can have the "best in the business" brand on it, but if it looks wimpy and flimsy, I won't buy it. A lot of knife dealers that know me well almost frown when I walk through the door 'cause they know I take forever before making a selection. But I can tell you one thing, it is a damn good selection when I do pick one. The handle ergonomics and blade style go first. Then after holding it I see if the blade walks and talks any. If it passes that test, I make sure the blade has enough thickness to hold up to what I plan on using it for. Then of course I look at the lock and finally the blade steel. If the blade steel is cheap, the knife is pretty much worthless to me.

One folder that I do trust and carry around more than any is my emerson commander. The lock isn't the best in the business, but it's good enough for what I do with it, which is cut things. I don't use it as a chisel, prybar, shovel, etc...I just cut things with it as I do with all my knives. I trust it 100% for all of my tasks, and not just because of the name on the knife either. It has done everything that I have asked of it. But everyone has their favorites, and this one is mine, J.

 

[sketchbag]

He uses a parang often as his primary chopper. Qualifies as a large blade to me. Split some more hairs.

Skam

He uses the parang in the jungle, just like he uses an axe in the forest, but when he pulls out a KNIFE its invariably a mora. That stingy fool.

 

[pitdog]

I think a lot of people have missed the whole point of this post.
I have never said that a sturdy knife is the best and you should not bother with any other, most knife designs have their purpose !
I always carry a Multi-tool or SAK in my PSK and I also have a small thin Mora type blade in there as well for finer tasks.
In addition to these, however, I always carry a sturdy fixed blade with a blade around 4-5" and it is this such blade that I aimed this thread at.
I was just asking what knives you have that you trust are up to serious abuse if this is called upon, I never intended to start a debate over which type of knife is better, this is like two mechanics debating over whether a flat head screwdriver is better than a cross drive screwdriver.......crazy !!!!

I will also add that I do not believe that any knife can totally replace an axe but sometimes we do not always have the correct tool for the job.

 

[batosai117]

Sorry pitdog, but I'm just a folder kind of person and the only fixed blade that I own and like right now is my SOG Field Pup. It is a good knife, but I have folders right now that would easily outperform the said knife. So out of my folders I would pick my emerson commander or my benchmade rukus, as seen in my signature below.

 

[allenC]

I will also add that I do not believe that any knife can totally replace an axe but sometimes we do not always have the correct tool for the job.

"....but sometimes we do not always have the correct tool for the job."

This line really gets to the point I was attempting to make about survival knowledge trumping all other factors.

I think that we all agree that a 4" fixed-blade is a poor substitute for an axe.
But, in keeping with this example, why press it in to the role as an axe in the first place?

IMO, Here's what often happens....

Man feels the need to split a log for whatever reason.
The only blade the man has with him is a 4" fixed-blade (or a 4" folder, or a multi-tool...whatever, fill in the blank).
So what does this man do?
He proceeds to use his 4" knife as a splitting axe....accepting the risk that he might just break his ONLY survival blade.

But is this the best course of action?

A clever man might figure out a way to split the log without risking his ONLY survival blade.
A clever man might use his knife to create a wooded wedge, and then use that wedge and a rock to split the log.


Of course this is just a quick example of my point.
And the point being:
In a real "I just might die out here" survival situation, why would anyone risk breaking their only knife by doing something that knives were never intended to do?

Sure your knife might split a log....it might split 100 logs....but log number 101 might just break your knife.
In my opinion, in a real survival situation, a knife is just too valuable to treat it so carelessly.

Using the knife as an axe is just seeing just the tiny little brush-stroke on canvas, and not the "big picture".

And I can't think of a single survival situation that would demand that you push any knife, even a folder, beyond its limit.

 

[batosai117]

Well said allenC :thumbup:. I couldn't agree more.

 

[straitshot]

Pitdog: the ones I trust implicitly are similar to the ones you posted. Master Hunters, one by Dozier, one in Carbon V, plus a couple of Busses and a Swamp Rat HRLM. Others are a Graham custom full exposed tang, and a few damascus I made from quality USA blanks.

I tend to fret over tangs I can't see, but next fall I'll be relying upon a Street Scrapper 4 because I can't readily flex the tang in a vise. I was a little surprised at the size of the cutout in the skeleton tang of the nekkid BRKT Bravo picture. It bothers me even though it probably shouldn't.Regards, ss.

 

[skammer]

He uses the parang in the jungle, just like he uses an axe in the forest, but when he pulls out a KNIFE its invariably a mora. That stingy fool.

He uses a short parang "like" balde for chopping in episodes not in the jungle. He obviously understands the benefit of a blade long enough to chop in any environment. Split any more hairs.

Skam

 

[sketchbag]

He uses a short parang "like" balde for chopping in episodes not in the jungle. He obviously understands the benefit of a blade long enough to chop in any environment. Split any more hairs.

Skam

You are mistaken. And my point is Mears sports mora knives.

 

[pitdog]

Pitdog: the ones I trust implicitly are similar to the ones you posted. Master Hunters, one by Dozier, one in Carbon V, plus a couple of Busses and a Swamp Rat HRLM. Others are a Graham custom full exposed tang, and a few damascus I made from quality USA blanks.

I tend to fret over tangs I can't see, but next fall I'll be relying upon a Street Scrapper 4 because I can't readily flex the tang in a vise. I was a little surprised at the size of the cutout in the skeleton tang of the nekkid BRKT Bravo picture. It bothers me even though it probably shouldn't.Regards, ss.

I thought exactly the same when I saw the Bravo !!!


Regarding what someone said about not risking their knife to split wood and carving a splitting wedge etc: Yes most of us on here would do that under ideal circumstances, we are all for the most part intelligent individuals, however if say your canoe overturned in freezing water or you fell through ice then you are going to want to get a fire going as quick as possible....to hell with worrying if your knife will break, let's get some dry wood and start a fire !!!!!

 

[allenC]

.....however if say your canoe overturned in freezing water or you fell through ice then you are going to want to get a fire going as quick as possible....to hell with worrying if your knife will break, let's get some dry wood and start a fire !!!!!

Man! That's really reaching for a senario.

Even so, Getting a fire going is less important than getting out of the wet clothes and in to some warm dry one.
You did pack dry clothes and a sleeping-bag in a water-proof bag when you chose to canoe down a freezing river, right???


But what the heck, I'll play along....

to hell with worrying if your knife will break, let's get some dry wood and start a fire !!!!!

Okay, you climb out of the river and attempt to split a log....

Now you're standing beside a freezing river, many many miles from civilization, holding the handle of your now broken knife.
The blade is now embedded 1/2 way through a piece of frozen timber....and you still have no fire.

Now you're thinking "Man! I sure wish that I had not broken my knife trying to split this frozen lumber".