Most important considerations for an outdoor/survival knife

Most Important Consideration For An Outdoor/Survival Knife

  • Blade Type (Fixed vs Folding)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Blade Steel

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Blade Length

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Blade Thickness

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Tang

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sharpening Ease

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    1
It's kinda hard to narrow it down to 1 specific thing. I guess if you have to the poll so far seems about right. I would say personally that if you didn't have the right combination of the first 4 tho, that the question would be moot.

Like, let's say you have a fixed blade. But it's made out of crappy steel. Or fixed blade but it's only 3" and made outa crappy steel and 1/8" thick. In those cases I'd rather have a quality folder.

Out of everything tho, I'd say ease of sharpening would be the least important.
 
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This is what I would look for...

Fixed blade
Full Tang Construction
High Carbon Steel (Tougher than stainless and easier to sharpen in the field)
Decently thick stock blade (not talking 3/8" here, but also not 1/8")
Longer blade to handle a whole multitude of tasks from smaller whittling to chopping/splitting of smaller pieces of wood(getting to dry wood in a wet environment) - 4-6 inches seems to be a good range for me.

A "survival knife" should be the jack of all trades. The master of none, it should adequately handle any task you throw at it and last as long as you need it to.
 
All depends if your are trying to sell "survival knives" to us or to the general public. For the general public, the most important consideration is which guy on TV endorses it. And that's fine. They'll take it out car camping at the state park one weekend a year and play "survival" within 100 yards of the car.

If you are trying to sell "survival knives" here...then I would do some research on whether or not "survival knives" and "survival" "sell" here among serious knife and outdoor enthusiasts. It may not be a selling point.
 
I like to pair a blade (like the BK17) with these specs:

Fixed
Full tang
Carbon steel--yay Becker HT
slightly over 1/8 inch stock
4 to 5 inch blade

with a blade (like the BK9) with these specs:

Fixed
Full tang
Carbon steel--yay Becker HT
3/16 to 1/4 inch stock
6 to 9 inch blade
 
Definitely fixed blade (try batoning with your folding knife).
I would never buy a fixed blade knife that wasn't full tang.
Thicker blade, but with an appropriate grind for the thickness. If it is to be a hard use knife it must be robust.
The handle would have to be very sturdy, I prefer scales bolted onto the tang of the knife.

As far as steels go, it doesn't have to be super high carbon, there are some really nice steels that can inhibit rust a little better.
I have an esee 6, which is a large blade knife, and I pair it with my spyderco bushcraft for hunting, etc...I find I use the bushcraft more, because it's shorter blade is a lot more user friendly with skinning, and finer work.

If you want to sell knives though, put a survivalists name on it, put the word "tactical" somewhere in the name, add a full brass knuckle style finger guard...and don't forget the seatbelt cutter! It could be made of tin and it will sell.
 
Fixed scandi at about 3-4" blade.

Tang spine thickness is not important unless you can't properly use a knife and need to baton.
 
Ergonomics would be it for me. Using an uncomfortable knife for extended periods of time can cause blisters, blisters burst and become wounds, wounds get infected and I don't want MRSA when I'm trying not to die. Having a knife that can chop and batton is handy, no doubt, but I carry a tiny little folding saw all the time, and a larger folding saw most of the time so that I don't really have to do that with my knife.
 
Quiet said:
This Stabman guy is alright. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I keep waiting for him to say something that ISN'T witty and original. I've been waiting a year, and I suspect I'll have to keep waiting for quite a while.
 
Stabman, what kind of folder is that? Very nice.

I'm not saying that batoning with a folder is impossible, it requires proper technique. If you put too much torque on the joint, it will snap. The handle could also break the handle, rendering it useless.

Folders require more maintenance, if you let moisture get inside it can rust from the inside. Which is why i don't skin with one.

If a folder is all you have, so be it. If given the choice, fixed.
 
Hi all,

Stabman bet me to it. While I don't yet own the likes of an ESEE Izula ll, it is most likely something this size that I want on my person (i.e. EDC) in the event of an emergency.
Hell, I can carry most anything in my Car but, what if I can't get to my Car ? That being said, I usually carry (on my person) three knives......a small SAK, a Spyderco PM2 and a small custom FIXED blade Nick Rossi EDC.

Regards,
HARDBALL
 
stabman said:
Done that:
(time travelled too...look at the date)



thanks for sharing the pics. Glad you survived to fight another
To make this:





(I survived...)
Click to expand...

thanks for sharing the pics. glad you survived to fight another day.
 
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