Ka-bar usmc short as survival knife?

[Trout Tamer]

I'll go ahead and wade into the fray, armed with my own $0.02 worth!

As others have stated, the KaBar is muchbetter than nothing. However, there are other knives that are muchbetter than the KaBar. The KaBar was orignally designed as a do-all knife; one of those tasks was a back-up weapon for soldiers. Given that, it is thicker than a well-made slicing knife, but thinner than a tough chopper. It seeks a compromise on all issues.

For wilderness chores or survival outings, I prefer having 2 knives and 1 multitool. If I'm going as light as possible, I err on the side of caution and take my big knife over my smaller knife.

And who makes a good survival knife? Well, that wholly depends on which factors play most heavily into your needs. Some considerations are: price, intended regular tasks, and personal preference. Do you need a do-it-all piece that can chop wood, build shelters, carve snare sticks, slice veggies and clean game? Or, are you looking for something that will excel at the finer tasks? Or... etc. What are you wanting this knife to do?

Some companies that make high-quality wilderness knives, in no particular order and varying price ranges, are:

Becker Knife and Tool
Cold Steel
Swamp Rat
Busse
Fallkniven
Ranger Knives
John Greco

Those last 2 are well-priced, handmade knifemakers. There are plenty more, but they immediately come to mind.

I think Becker may be going under, so now is the time to grab their stuff. For Cold Steel, anything that has Carbon V or SK-5 is good. There are plenty more companies, but this is a good starting point. Take a look at their goods. Find what interests you and, with the exception of Swamp Rat, Busse, and Ranger Knives, check out internet knife dealers for greatly discounted prices. Let us know what you're thinking, we love talking 'bout this stuff!

 

[SkunkWerX]

I'd like to add to Trout Tamer's list:
Ontario RAT-7 in 1095 steel. :thumbup:

Mine was a $54 Ebay grab. It has the serrations, I'd prefer a non-serrated blade for ease of touching up while away from home. But, you take what you can get in the auction game.

I have really grown fond of this RAT-7 knife in the past few months.
I am reaching for it more than the Brute these days. The Brute is more in the machete category to me now.
The choil on the Rat-7 allows for a forward fore-finger hold, for precise work, or, grab the handle farther back if you need to bear down or do some hacking. The RAT-7 is on the smaller side of the "chopper" blade range, but, can hold it's own against other modestly priced 7" and under blades. :thumbup:

Common theory suggests that 7" of blade is a good all around size, not considered small, not considered large. I'd offer that anything in the 6" to 9" range would be a good all rounder, depending on preferences, and intended usages.

 

[Thomas Linton]

. . .
For day hikes, I don't even carry a fixed blade in most environments, just my Endura.

Guess it depends on what one means by a "day hike" and where one engages in such an activity. Many SAR customers are "day hikers" whose plans changed due to circumsances -- weather, lost, injury, illness. I like my Endura - lots. Stuck in the woods with a broken ankle, I'd like a good fixed-blade better -- like the Becker that you reference or a range of others mentioned here (add Bark River). Break my arm, and I'd wish I had your hand axe - or a one-handed saw.

 

[Trout Tamer]

Stuck in the woods with a broken ankle, I'd like a good fixed-blade better

That's a very valid point. I believe that day hikes have a few dangers that backpacking or camping doesn't - namely, a lack of equipment. When BP'ing, one usually has a good supply of food and drink, not to mention shelter (tent/tarp), insulation (sleeping bag, extra clothes), and heat (a cooking stove). When merely day hiking, one doesn't usually carry such objects. Given that accidents and unforseen circumstances can crop up regardless of one's backpack content, I prefer to have a stout, fixed-blade knife, along with a few other things, when day hiking.

Back to the topic at hand, though...

 

[GibsonFan]

Actually, I have a Ka-Bar Next Generation that I use for everything from splitting firewood to skinning game and slicing vegetables. I think you are giving the short Ka-Bars too much disrespect. Try it! If you like it good for you. If you don't try something else. They aren't that expensive. So experiment.

I have experimented, thanks very much My comments come from personal experience. I've owned a Ka-Bar for going on 20 years, believe me, I've tested it on just about everything and I know what it can and can't do well.

Just my opinion of course, but I feel strongly that asking a 5" (or so) blade to be a good all-around survival tool is like asking a Ford Ranger to be both a full-size work truck AND a race car. Just not happening in either case, much less both.

Obviously, zillions of people disagree with me; I'd guess the vast majority of outdoor knives sold are about that size.