making a survival knife

C

cjd1980

Joined
Sep 3, 2008
Messages
236
i have a client that wants me to make him a " survival knife " not the rambo type but a practical knife but that s all he gave me nothing really on size or style what do you guys carry or look for in a "survival knife " thanks chris
 
·The knife should have a fixed blade, non-folding.

·The blade should be made of good quality carbon steel. Carbon, unlike stainless steel can be used as the striker in the flint and steel method of fire lighting.

·An overall length of 8-9 inches is ideal to perform intricate woodcraft duties, yet is large enough to present a good target for batoning. Batoning will assist a 4-inch blade in cutting down small trees, and splitting wood.

·The knife should have a full tang; the metal of the knife blade should extend for the full length of the handle for strength.

·The knife’s spine should be squared off to be able to spark a FireSteel/ferrocerium rod.

·The knife needs a comfortable and easy to hold oval shaped handle, made of a water-resistant durable material, like micarta.

·The preferred grind is a wide flat bevel that runs to the edge of the blade with no significant secondary bevel, usually the edge bevels only goes 1/3 way up the side of the knife. The result is a very keen edge. This grind gives excellent control in woodcarving. If you carve wood, you will probably find that the flat bevels give you better control of the cut. The wide bevel face lies flat against the wood like a plain and slices wood into fine curls. Working with wood is a must when practicing wilderness living skills. Another advantage is ease of field sharpening. There is no special tool kit or other gadget required to get a razors edge. All that is required is to lay the bevel flat to the stone, and work the entire surface of the bevel. The wide bevel forms its own guide.
 
I think Myakka described my feelings too a tee. Probably the only area where I would differ, and this is purely personal, is that I prefer a full convex grind. Easy to strop and sharpen in the field and cuts like crazy. Again, that is purely personal preference.

I also like bright colored, orange to be specific, handles so I can find the knife easily if I set it down.

Charlie
 
The idea that an ideal survival knife be full tanged is entirely based on environment. If you're going to have to survive in bitter cold, then this would be a major drawback of the knife.
 
as a small buisness owner, i would deffinately get a contract with him stating that he will pay for any work done, even if he doesnt like what you've done. he left details to you and did not give you any specification on what he wanted done. otherwise, he is making you do this work, and in the end, if he doesnt like it, and requests another, you arent out all that time and hard work.

I'm very sure that your knives are of high quality, but there is no guarranty that you will be able to sell the one/s he doesnt like.

however, if you are doing this for fun and experiance then please disregard :)

best regards ----- Eric
 
I would ask him to be more specific in what he wants you to make. Ask him if there's a picture of a knife that resembles what he wants so you can have a better idea.
 
Fiddleback said:
The idea that an ideal survival knife be full tanged is entirely based on environment. If you're going to have to survive in bitter cold, then this would be a major drawback of the knife.
Click to expand...

It could still be full tang, but not an exposed tang.
 
Myakka hits what I think a survival knife should be (mainly), but I agree that more info is needed about what he thinks one should be.

Wasn't cold weather ramifications the reason the standard F1 has the wrap-around rubber grip?
 
I find a strong blade in the 5” to 7” range to be sufficient.

I favor a full tang, but a properly made hidden tang can be plenty strong, and as some have pointed out, there are times when a hidden tang is preferred.

When it comes to steel I like High Carbon steel, but depending on the user (and the care he is likely to give the knife) sometimes Stainless is a better option.

A full convex blade geometry is my choice; a well supported cutting edge and ease of sharpening are key for any knife you may need to rely on.

A square edge on at least part of the spine for striking a ferro rod should be include (as should a ferro rod and a holder built into the sheath to hold it).

Durable handle material is a must, but, for me, that does not exclude quality hard wood, stag or sheep horn.

Just my two cents, YMMV.
 
im going to meet up with him later this week and do some skeches for him just looking for some idea fpr myself to better advise do any of you have pics of your ideal knive to share also is there anything wrong or bad about hollow grind vs flat thanks chris
 
I wouldn't go for a long flat bevel to a zero edge. It will roll and chip very fast in typical woods use. A scandi or convex would be my choice.
 
cjd1980 said:
im going to meet up with him later this week and do some skeches for him just looking for some idea fpr myself to better advise do any of you have pics of your ideal knive to share also is there anything wrong or bad about hollow grind vs flat thanks chris
Click to expand...

Send him over to:

www.jkhandmadeknives.com

Some of my favorites (that work very well in the woods):

Kephart
Nessmuk
Hiker
Bushcrafter
Scout
 
Here is my idea of a survival knife.....

compliments of Ray Laconico :)

-Tdog


hh2.jpg
 
Yep too vague a label. To me, survival knife can mean the scalpel in my PSK. It is in there because my PSK goes with me wherever I go. My belt knife is the one I am always using and it is of the 4-5", 1/8" thick size that I prefer to work with. I'd be happy to have to "survive" with my belt knife. An 8" knife would spend most the time in a drawer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top