Looking for a survival knife

Ka-bar is field tested and has been used by the military for decades, I own one myself and can vouch for them.

Although this is not exactly my choice of a blade, I would point you more towards R.A.T. Cutlery, take a look at their goods, you might be surprise of what you can get for the price :thumbup::D
 
It really comes down to you get what you pay for. A Ka-bar is a fine knife for the money invested. Remember, this is an old design from the 40's. It was made as an inexpensive disposable field knife for the military. The design has lasted this long because it works for what it was designed for. Fighting and then utility. Not a chopper, not a shovel, not a fine wood carver, just a general jack of all trades - master of none.

If you are wearing the uniform, a "combat" knife is not high on the priority list. If you want that, the govt will issue you one with your rifle. The M9 or Marine bayonet from Ontario. Other that that a handy utility blade around 4 or 5" will work just fine.

Out of uniform; spend all the money you want. After all, most knives on the market are collected over actual use. Thats ok as that is what makes the knife industry chug along.

Personal favorite right now is any Bark River product. This is from years of collecting and using production and customs. I have knives that I like for purley aesthetic reasons and others as users only - not that pretty!

Bottom line is you probably won't go wrong if you stay with a quality blade from a reliable maker or factory. Have fun and keep em sharp!!
 
My suggestions: Falllkniven, Bark River, RAT.
It all depends on what you want to do. We can give you the classical answers for the classic outdoor/survival/bushcraft knife but if you have special needs you might need something else.
 
Kukri. Use one yesterday to delimb a large branch that fell in the yard. Picked it up at a swap and shop for grins and have been smiling ever since. I have lots of knives and hatchets and this seems to be my go to blade. Seems to work well once you get the swing down. Loosearrow
 
Good steels:

A2, O1, 5160 spring steel, 1095. There are others but all of these have proven themselves over and over again. my personal favorite is A2.
 
Outdoors Fanatic said:
+1

Anything from BARK RIVER!!
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No, I would say anything from bark river that has a guard. IMO, a survival knife should have a guard, since you might have to depend on it when you are cold and fumbly. Severed tendons and massive bleeding might hurt your chances of surviving.
 
:thumbup: on the RAT's . But if you look around & talk to some of the fine knife makers on here you could get a good bushknife. Bryan Breeden makes some fine Bushcraft Blades !
 
Get an old Navy MK1. Doesn't really matter which one, Pal, Kabar, etc. It'll do you just fine.
 
Not sure how great it is, but for the price I've been happy with my Cold Steel SRK.

It's went with me on a few camping trips, it has a comfortable grip, no complaints for $70.
 
I carry a Fallkniven S1 or the larger A1 and a multi tool when I go into the woods.I have carried a ka-bar before and it has served me very well.
 
Ive owned most of the above knives (Fallknives, Barkies, Busses, Rats, etc).

When I go out into the woods, I take a Kershaw Outcast for serious chopping and batoning, and a Small Bark River for camp chores, cooking, etc.

I convexed the edge on the Outcast, and for a HUGE chunk of D2, they are dirt cheap. The blade design is meant for chopping, it has a good handle. Only drawback (which is true of any hard steel) is that you will need to take sharping tools for extended outings.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
No, I would say anything from bark river that has a guard. IMO, a survival knife should have a guard, since you might have to depend on it when you are cold and fumbly. Severed tendons and massive bleeding might hurt your chances of surviving.
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I hate guards on survival knives. They get in the way of proper bushcraft. A porperly contoured handle suffices nicely. Here's an example:

PICT0026-1.jpg


And two other examples that serve the same purpose, but differently:

PICT0004-4.jpg


All are guardless Bark Rivers. The key to using a knife for survival is practicing ahead of time and developing the proper technique for using them safely.
 
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Brian Jones said:
I hate guards on survival knives. They get in the way of proper bushcraft.
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I have never had a guard get in the way. I am not talking about a huge double guard like a sword has, more like just enough to keep your hand from sliding up the edge. . . like this one for instance:
aurora2.jpg


That is about as minimal a guard as I would want.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
I see our posts crossed. That is what I meant by guard.
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It's funny - your first picture and mine are of the same exact knife - both first production run Bark River Auroras!

I see we agree exactly, we just misunderstood each other! :D

However, that said, I actually like the completlelt guardless knives and would take any one of them out as a survival knife. This is where knowledge comes into play. If your hands are that numb and cold, there are plenty of things you can do first to get warm, and warm your hands up for proper control - without using the knife, or using it in a way that numb hands can "handle."

A good backup is to always have enough duct tape handy to wrap your hand and the knife tightly to counter the grip problems. :)
 
If you look at the classic sami knives they lack any finger guards whatsoever.
I use the Fallkniven F1 and H1. They are totally different knives. The F1 is developed as a survival knife and issued as such to the Swedish AF. The H1 is a hunting knife but at the same time a really good bushcraft knife.
Usually when you cut things you pull towards you, if you in theory were to loose the grip you would just drop the knife. If you push cut or stab and loose your grip, your index finger comes off.
I know you guys like big knives but a 4" blade is enough to solve most things. You get more chop in a bigger knife but you have to carry it.
You can baton a 4" knife so that it does what a 6" knife does.
Many survival experts like the Mora knives. They are easy to use, light and does not invite to chopping.
 
Now if a Sasquatch walks up to your lean-to..what would you rather have handy? A Mora or a Machete? Lol..
 
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