Military Pilot Survival Knife

Z

Zip06

Joined
Mar 2, 2003
Messages
76
Does anyone have an opinion of how this knife compares to the current crop of survival knives? I am talking about the military issue survival knife with the 5"blade and a sheath with the sharpening stone.
 
By " compares to the current crop of survival knives", do you mean the Ramboesque flea-market knives, or perhaps the Chris Reeves Aviator, or something else?
I have a Ontario PSK, a Kabar Marine knife amd a Fallkniven S1, which I believe all of these are in the "survival knife" category. These are military-issue fixed blades over 5 inches, designed for heavy use and combat. I know others (myself included) consider a "survival knife" is any knife (or knives) that you have on your person in a "survival event" (i.e. your car breaks down in middle of nowhere, hurricane hits your town, etc.).

On with the review:
For its price I think the PSK is a good knife; sturdy, easily sharpened, ready-modified (lash-holes on crossguard, sawback), useful in the field. However, it does try to be everything that a R&D committee could think a pilot would need in a survival situation. It does everything OK at the price of doing any one thing not so well. For example, the sawback isn't very good for sawing wood, the crossgaurd cuts into the hand during extended use, the blade is thicker than would be good for carving wood, and it's shorter than I'd like for a fighting knife.
Compared with the Marine Kabar, they are both carbon steel, the Kabar is longer, the handle is easier to hold. Compared with the Fallkniven S1, the S1 is nearly the same sixe, doesn't have the sawback (but it isn't needed as the nordic style of chopping wood involves "batoning" the knife into the tree limb), has a comfortable synthetic rubber handle with protruding tang, and is made from VG-10 stainless.

I don't know how much this helps, as there seem to be two "schools of thought" when it comes to survival knives: first, the big knife school, which prefers a large (7"+) fixed blade; second, the folder or Swiss Army knife school, which prefers a SAK or similar multi-tool knives. Each has its pros and cons by my reckoning; that's why I tend to carry more that one knife at any given time. Right now, for instance, I have a Wenger SAW Soldier, a Wenger SAK Esquire, a Mora Frosts Swedish Army knife, and a Camillus ArcLite "Ol' Glory" neck knife. I don't get out of bed without putting on the ArcLite, as it also has a Inova LED, as my "preparedness kit."

Matt in Texas
 
I had a PSK for a few months as my primary general usage fixed blade.

Overall I thought it was a perfectly adequate knife, but not really exceptional.

There was never a time when I desired to complete a task with the PSK and it was unable to do so. However, it was usually not a particularly efficient tool and I would frequently see considerably more flex than I wanted to see out of that juncture between the stick tang and the blade.

The handle was an interesting compromise. Although it was not real comfortable or secure under any circumstances, because it was symmetrical the knife felt the same regardless of what you were doing with it. With many more "ergonomic" knives there is exactly 1 comfortable way to hold the blade.

It'll probably do whatever you want it to, but there are better choices out there for a bit more money.

When I got rid of the knife I ended up giving it to my brother, and he loves it.
 
I was not looking for a comparison to those Pakistani/Chinese semi-swords. The Pilot Survival Knife has been around a long time. Given its lack of modern metalurgy and ergonomics I was just wondering how it rated compared to the SRK; the Becker Companion and Crew member 5 inchers and others. I had a Kbar in the service and it was a pretty good knife. We opened crates, chopped, dug and generally abused it but I always thought it had to long of a blade. Others thought it had to short of a blade. There was talk of a replacement for the Pilot Survival Knife so is the current one ready to go out to carbon steel heaven?
 
Excellent link. Thanks.

After 50 years they are closing them out. Guess they aren't that competitive in today's market?
 
Camillus is NOT discontinuing this model, probably just overstocked with this particular variation (Desert Tan powdercoated blade). The fact they still make them after 50 years says something.
 
Actually, the Desert Tan version is being discontinued but the regular line including the Pilot Survival knife, the USMC Marine Combat knife and the regular version Marine Combat knife are still in regular production.
 
I was given the Ontario version of the Pilot Survival knife, and it was dull as a spoon. The edge is actually flat in a couple of areas, and is pretty much useless. Is it safe to assume that the Camillus version actually comes with a decent working edge? If so I might have to get one.

Chris
 
Originally posted by extremefishin00
Is it safe to assume that the Camillus version actually comes with a decent working edge?
Click to expand...

The Camillus Pilot knife that I bought (I think it was in Spring of '02) came with a somewhat functional but extremely rough edge. It is my uderstanding that the spec for these knives does not require removing the final burr from the edge, so this is what you get. It was also rather unevenly ground, almost to the point of being a chisel edge.

Niether of these was a real problem, and after about a minute with a sharpener it was fine for an outdoors knife.

Just don't expect laser-sharp perfection.
 
How does it compare to other survival knives? Hmm, hard to say. There are ones for few hundred bucks that would probably outperform it in the long run. This knife is capable of survival, no doubt, and it does well for the price.
 
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