Knife you could rely on for survival

[Hickory n steel]

Axe ? You will take axe with you in wildness ??
This will do better/faster job from your axe and your knife combined This was tool I could rely on for survival ..............

Sorry, but no it won't.

My axe will chop better because of it's top heavy balance and it's length, it will split better, and it's also a hammer.
You may have to baton this thing through wood to split it, but my axe doesn't even know the word baton.
The hammer poll on my axe could break whatever that thing is you have there.

If that thing works for you then that's fine, I chose to forget about farce that is the one tool option but that's my personal choice.

 

[Mecha]

Do they make hollow handled swords?

Hold my whiskey...

 

[maximus83]

The dreaded 'one knife' apocalypse, oh no! I think it'd never seriously happen with me, I'd either be prepared (normal case, and would have several purpose-built knives), or I'd be unprepared and have nothing.

If you're gonna make me travel light and choose one:

 

[shinyedges]

Sorry, but no it won't.

My axe will chop better because of it's top heavy balance and it's length, it will split better, and it's also a hammer.
You may have to baton this thing through wood to split it, but my axe doesn't even know the word baton.
The hammer poll on my axe could break whatever that thing is you have there.

If that thing works for you then that's fine, I chose to forget about farce that is the one tool option but that's my personal choice.

I dont know what that has to do with anything. Unless your axe is an estwing all steel construction a swiss army knife could destroy the handle even if it was an estwing a sak could cut the rubber portion off making it painful to use...

Also, it appears to be a parang of some sort. Since you chose not to partake in the threads topic why even say anything? Jeesh.

 

[DracoKrys]

Where will you get the piece of glass?

And yet people have been successfully building shelters, making traps, skinning and cleaning their game and fish, collecting firewood, etc., etc. for over a century with
nothing but a sub four inch blade Mora, possibly paired with a SAK or jack knife.
The fur traders (AKA "Mountain Man") generally had two knives with them while out trapping. The first was their patch knife. It was used to cut patches when they loaded their muzzleloader. (The cloth around the ball was called a "patch". It was what engaged the rifling of the barrel, not the lead ball.)
Their second (primary) knife would be a 4 to 7 inch knife we would consider a "butcher" knife today. Wood handle slabs riveted to the tang, no guard, etc.
They did not depend on a knife, a cutting tool, that they trusted their life on, to chop or split wood. A hatchet, or tomahawk was always part of their kit. Some might have had an axe at their base camp, but they always had a hatchet or tomahawk with them, just like their knives, a cooking tin, along with powder and ball for their rifle.
I have done many "primitive camps" over the last 55 odd years. Not once did I ever have to use my knife to chop or split wood.
I have always had the proper tool for the job. A hatchet or tomahawk for chopping and splitting, if necessary. A sharp multi-blade pocket knife for things like making feather sticks, tent stakes, cleaning the day's catch, and so on, and a 4 to 5 inch thin stock fixed blade (like a Mora No. 1 or No. 2) to clean game and cooking uses.
Of course the Mora is just as capable as the pocket knife for making feather sticks, and the other things I use the pocket knife for.

If you doubt me, read the works by Nessmuk, Kephart, and E.H. Kreps.
(Admittedly, Mr. Kreps prefers the axe. In fact, the first three chapters give instructions on building and furnishing a log cabin using only the axe. He does not get into knives very much, and does not mention what style or pattern folding knife (if any) that he used.)

I admit I consider batoning a knife to be unwise. The fact of the matter is, regardless of the knife used to baton with, it will eventually break. It might take decades, or it might be the first time you baton with it, or at any time in between.
What good is a broken knife? Why take a chance?
I can carve a 6x6 post in half with any of my knives, if I had to. (Fortunately, I don't have to) It may take a while, but it can be done. There are better tools for that job though: an axe, hatchet, tomahawk, or saw.

As others have said in this thread, "The one knife for everything in the woods is a myth."
Use the proper tool for the job.
You would not use your knife to dig a latrine pit, if you had a choice in the matter, would you? Of course not. You would (at the very least) want to use an Army Surplus folding shovel, or worst case, a trowel.
The OP's situation is intentionally going into the boonies "for a long time."
Therefore, it is logical to think he would also take along the proper tools for chopping, digging, etc., a tent for shelter, and possibly a firearm or archery equipment for hunting, and a compact fishing rod and reel, as well.

As for an unexpected survival situation, you are going to use what you have with you. Period. End of discussion.
If, for example, you are out cross country skiing and get caught in a blizzard, are injured, or lost, or for any other reason are unable to continue, chances are you will not have your "do everything" chopper blade with you. At best you might have a folding knife in your pocket.
You should therefore know how to make an emergency shelter (or improve cover under a pine tree or willow, or other low branched tree) and start a fire with what you normally carry, and know how to start and keep a fire without it burning the forest down during the night.

You're right, I am thinking of a scenario such as a very long hike, where anyone with a functioning brain would bring other tools. However this is a knife forum and not a backpacking/hiking forum, and I wanted to know specifically about what kind of knives you would bring for performing the duties that a knife is designed to do in a situation similar to a long hike i.e spending a long time in the wilderness.

 

[afishhunter]

Sorry, I did not see your post directly above this one while I was typing.
We can mention axes and such, since they are also discussed here at Blade Forums.

I would take my Buck 110 or an Old Timer 7OT or 6OT.
The reason being that I have been carrying one of these since 1969 or 1970.
I know that they are capable of everything I need to do in the boonies from a primitive camp to a modern camp, because I've done it.
I also like that if they need more than a stropping, I can use a smooth river rock (preferably granite) to sharpen it, if I did not bring, or if I lost my sharpening stone.

If I had to choose a fixed blade, it would be either my Buck 877 Maverick (USA made) or Buck 119.

However, like I said above, in the event of an emergency, you are going to use what you have with you.
Since my normal EDC is a Buck 110 on my belt, a large Stockman and either a 4 blade Scout Knife or SAK Huntsman in my pocket, plus, since February 3rd of this year, an Ontario RAT 1 has also been in my pocket every day, those are the four knives I would be bringing with me on a hike, and do take with me everytime I ride my bicycle.
(Car free by choice since 1995. Fuel, registration, and insurance costs too much, IMHO.)

 

[DracoKrys]

I can use piece of sharp stone instead of glass........My point is first you must catch your dinner , it is much easy after that
Well , I agree with you almost everything you say . People survive millennium with knife made from animal bone But if I have choice /
There Can Be Only One/ I will always choose to take biggest knife I have /my small parang in my case/ because big knife can do anything that can small knife .And a small knife can only do few things from what can do BIG knife . Make sence ?

Now I am relatively new and inexperienced with knives, but people keep making statements like this and it baffles me. And it's simply not true. A big knife is horrible for carving or any sort of delicate work, it can't process food, and it is heavy waste of space for what is essentially a poorly designed axe/bushwacker. Can someone please explain to me how a big blade (imo even 6" is really too large for anything you'll ever need) is better than a 3-5 inch blade?

 

[Natlek]

Sorry, but no it won't.

My axe will chop better because of it's top heavy balance and it's length, it will split better, and it's also a hammer.
You may have to baton this thing through wood to split it, but my axe doesn't even know the word baton.
The hammer poll on my axe could break whatever that thing is you have there.

If that thing works for you then that's fine, I chose to forget about farce that is the one tool option but that's my personal choice.

Ok , let see ..........I will cut down any tree which you can cut down with axe , it may take a while longer but I will cut . Can you maneuver with axe in cramped space ? Can you cut down small bushes with ax to clean say new spot near river for fishing ? As I say , if one tool is allowed this is my choice........

 

[DJC72]

View media item 934I would take my .220 Busse Ash 1. Infi is ridiculous tough, easy to sharpen and maintain in the field and has solid corrosion resistance. This particular Ash really cuts effectively, batons with ease and chops amazing well for a 6.5” blade.

 

[katanas]

Draco, if you need to ask, you haven't been out enough and you definitely don't have enough experience with very large knives. Go get some, you might enjoy learning something besides what most of us know a smaller blade can do well. Bottom line, a big knife can do what a small knife can do (though frequently not as well) if properly designed and used; a small knife frequently cannot do things a large knife can.

 

[Natlek]

Now I am relatively new and inexperienced with knives, but people keep making statements like this and it baffles me. And it's simply not true. A big knife is horrible for carving or any sort of delicate work, it can't process food, and it is heavy waste of space for what is essentially a poorly designed axe/bushwacker. Can someone please explain to me how a big blade (imo even 6" is really too large for anything you'll ever need) is better than a 3-5 inch blade?

Carving when I need to survive ? What I will need to carving ? Whistle to call for help ............ ??? sorry I do not need a fork, I'll will eat with hands ......... if I find food naturally !

 

[91bravo]

I can process more wood with a saw and big knife than I can with an axe; more efficiently and safer at that. Not that there's anything wrong with an axe, I used to be an axe guy myself. Why can't you folks just agree that everybody is going to grab something different in a situation like this? Just because it's different doesn't mean it's wrong. Knives are like cars, guns, optics, electronics; everyone has their likes and dislikes. In the end, we are all trying to reach the same end result, just in different ways.

 

[DracoKrys]

Carving when I need to survive ? What I will need to carving ? Whistle to call for help ............ ??? sorry I do not need a fork, I'll will eat with hands ......... if I find food naturally !

Tools, traps, shelter etc.

To be clear I am not criticising the use of a big knife or those people who prefer it, after all, I think it's pretty clear I was asking for peoples preferences. But I also asked why people have these preferences, and I cannot understand why people would prefer a big knife.

 

[afishhunter]

Now I am relatively new and inexperienced with knives, but people keep making statements like this and it baffles me. And it's simply not true. A big knife is horrible for carving or any sort of delicate work, it can't process food, and it is heavy waste of space for what is essentially a poorly designed axe/bushwacker. Can someone please explain to me how a big blade (imo even 6" is really too large for anything you'll ever need) is better than a 3-5 inch blade?

A 3 to 5 inch fixed blade is all you need.
If you read the works of Nessmuk and Kephart (the "Father's" of modern bushcraft) (free from Kindle) both gentlemen recommend a fixed blade knife between 4 and 5 inches, with a somewhat thin and flexible blade, rather than a stiff blade, as on a Bowie or a fighting knife.
Both gentlemen also recommend a "sturdy" pocket knife. Nessmuk used a Moose pattern, based on the illustrations in his book. From what I remember, Kephart did not specify what pattern he preferred.
The "Nessmuk Trio" is a 4.5 inch blade fixed blade, a Moose or other heavy duty 2 blade slipjoint, such as a Trapper or large Sunfish, and a double bit hand axe.
If you are interested, Condor makes a Nessmuk pattern fixed blade, as well as the Kephart pattern.

 

[Mountain Man 75]

My ESEE 5 which is also accompanied by it's little buddy Kershaw Scallion for finer work.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I dont know what that has to do with anything. Unless your axe is an estwing all steel construction a swiss army knife could destroy the handle even if it was an estwing a sak could cut the rubber portion off making it painful to use...

Also, it appears to be a parang of some sort. Since you chose not to partake in the threads topic why even say anything? Jeesh.

I was fine with my personal choice of knife ( he never said no axes as well )
He chose to call me out for choosing an axe.
I wouldn't have criticised his choice had he not done so to me.
I chose what would work well for me and he chose what would work well for him.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Ok , let see ..........I will cut down any tree which you can cut down with axe , it may take a while longer but I will cut . Can you maneuver with axe in cramped space ? Can you cut down small bushes with ax to clean say new spot near river for fishing ? As I say , if one tool is allowed this is my choice........

It is clear your choice would get the job done for you, as would mine for me.
I don't want to argue your choice because that's what you would personally have to survive , as would I with my choices.
I don't really care how well your tool may or may not work, but you just had to call out my choice of an axe for some strange reason.

Btw I did chose 1 knife to take with me as he said, the axe isn't a knife and he never said we couldn't have one as well.

 

[Natlek]

Tools, traps, shelter etc.

To be clear I am not criticising the use of a big knife or those people who prefer it, after all, I think it's pretty clear I was asking for peoples preferences. But I also asked why people have these preferences, and I cannot understand why people would prefer a big knife.

I apologize that I was rude

 

[KingMC]

You're right, I am thinking of a scenario such as a very long hike, where anyone with a functioning brain would bring other tools. However this is a knife forum and not a backpacking/hiking forum, and I wanted to know specifically about what kind of knives you would bring for performing the duties that a knife is designed to do in a situation similar to a long hike i.e spending a long time in the wilderness.

The problem is you backed everybody into the hypothetical corner that is the 'one knife only' survival situation; in real life everybody I know has more than one knife with them whenever they go out into the woods, because one knife cannot do every knife task at maximum efficiency.

Now I am relatively new and inexperienced with knives, but people keep making statements like this and it baffles me. And it's simply not true. A big knife is horrible for carving or any sort of delicate work, it can't process food, and it is heavy waste of space for what is essentially a poorly designed axe/bushwacker. Can someone please explain to me how a big blade (imo even 6" is really too large for anything you'll ever need) is better than a 3-5 inch blade?

I have carved hooks for noose-style traps using a 6"+ blade before, I have processed plenty of meat and vegetables with my 11" Becker (who *doesn't* own a chef's knife that's longer than 5"?), and it's a better bushwhacking machete/ax combo than either of those tools on their own. Check yourself before you dig yourself into a stereotyped hole, just because a knife is big doesn't mean a knife is somehow unable to perform certain tasks.

I carry a 4" Fiddleback Bushfinger and my 11" BK20, combine that with a Bahco Laplander and I can really process anything you need for a fire build. My BK20 can turn a dead tree into kindling faster than any other tool in my arsenal, try building a fire starting with a dead tree and you'll start to appreciate blades over 5" that can chop and baton. I also baton with my Bushfinger, but only the smaller sticks and twigs for precise and thin fire materials, the bigger blade is so much faster at wood prep it's not even a good comparison.

Tools, traps, shelter etc.

To be clear I am not criticising the use of a big knife or those people who prefer it, after all, I think it's pretty clear I was asking for peoples preferences. But I also asked why people have these preferences, and I cannot understand why people would prefer a big knife.

Yes, you are criticising [sic] the use of big knives, just read your prior posts.

Why start this thread and limit the options to one knife if you don't even think the idea of a big knife is a good one? Was your purpose to start an argument? That's what it seems like you're trying to do with your most recent posts.

 

[91bravo]

The problem is you backed everybody into the hypothetical corner that is the 'one knife only' survival situation; in real life everybody I know has more than one knife with them whenever they go out into the woods, because one knife cannot do every knife task at maximum efficiency.



I have carved hooks for noose-style traps using a 6"+ blade before, I have processed plenty of meat and vegetables with my 11" Becker (who *doesn't* own a chef's knife that's longer than 5"?), and it's a better bushwhacking machete/ax combo than either of those tools on their own. Check yourself before you dig yourself into a stereotyped hole, just because a knife is big doesn't mean a knife is somehow unable to perform certain tasks.

I carry a 4" Fiddleback Bushfinger and my 11" BK20, combine that with a Bahco Laplander and I can really process anything you need for a fire build. My BK20 can turn a dead tree into kindling faster than any other tool in my arsenal, try building a fire starting with a dead tree and you'll start to appreciate blades over 5" that can chop and baton. I also baton with my Bushfinger, but only the smaller sticks and twigs for precise and thin fire materials, the bigger blade is so much faster at wood prep it's not even a good comparison.



Yes, you are criticising [sic] the use of big knives, just read your prior posts.

Why start this thread and limit the options to one knife if you don't even think the idea of a big knife is a good one? Was your purpose to start an argument? That's what it seems like you're trying to do with your most recent posts.

I'm of the same mentality. My Reinhardt and a SAK Farmer are all that I really need. Every time my wife and I backpack, we throw everything we can into our packs, including the kitchen sink...and many many knives!