Need for Survival Knife

I'm not a survival expert but I have used these 3 outdoors:

Gerber Prodigy- Tough and easy to sharpen the Sandvik 12C27 steel. I don't care for the serrations and I hear that the newer models are made from 420HC. $50

SOG Seal Pup Elite- Nice AUS-8A hollow ground blade. I had several sheath issues with SOG but I finally got the nylon multi-position sheath which is excellent. I am not a SOG fan but this knife is a keeper. $65

Cold Steel SRK. Great 6" blade made from AUS-8A. Comes with a kydex sheath and a baked on blade coating that does wear easily. $70
 
ThePharce said:
Yep...get a machete, a mora, and some sort of SAK and call it a day! Hell, in your price range you could even throw in a hatchet!
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Yup! A machete, a small or mid-sized fixed blade and/or a compact saw or SAK and there's not much you can't handle. In the $100 or less price bracket you can get all three and still have a little left over.

You can get a 18" Condor EcoSurvivor, a Mora Companion MG in 12C27, and an Opinel folding saw for under $70. Not much you can't tackle with all three!
 
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To: n2s. A long time ago, at Ft. Drum, NY we were doing our annual train ing. We had to cut tree branches to camouflage our vehicles. The only cutting instrument we were provided with, was a AX. Trying to cut a tree branch over yourt head with it, was dangerous, ant not productive. The ax bounced off the branch. The next year, I brought my own 18 inch machete. Some guys laughed at me with the machete, but when they saw how much easier it was to use then the axe, they came over to me and wanted to borrow it.
 
That's because your axe was very poorly maintained, and/or using technique was poor. A good axe will sail through just about anything, and if you know how to use it, is very safe overhead.
 
Victorinox Soldier, the new one. Pretty much unbeatable, as it has a saw, locking partially serrated blade, locking screw-driver/pry bar, can opener, awl, etc.

I'm not sure why folks always recommend these big knives to use as hatchets when a saw is the right tool for the job. Then the knife stays sharp too!

Does anyone make a good version of the survival knives that were popular in the 80s, with the big bowie blade, sawback spine, and a hollow handle with tools and matches inside? That would be one to rival the Soldier, if someone made a decent quality one...
 
Smaug said:
Victorinox Soldier, the new one. Pretty much unbeatable, as it has a saw, locking partially serrated blade, locking screw-driver/pry bar, can opener, awl, etc.

I'm not sure why folks always recommend these big knives to use as hatchets when a saw is the right tool for the job. Then the knife stays sharp too!

Does anyone make a good version of the survival knives that were popular in the 80s, with the big bowie blade, sawback spine, and a hollow handle with tools and matches inside? That would be one to rival the Soldier, if someone made a decent quality one...
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Big knives are one thing, but machetes are different animals. Try cutting your way through a blackberry thicket with a hatchet and let me know how it works out for ya'. Same with the saw. :D

Having a saw is GREAT but they're a specialized tool. The beauty of the machete is that it's one of the most versatile tools you can have.
 
A big reason is that because it is cheap. Not cheap in a bad way necessarily like some of the steel used for REALLY cheap knives from China, but cheap nonetheless. If a custom makers wants to jump from say 1095 to CPM 3V, he may end up spending 5 or more times as much just on the raw steel. In a retail setting, you might have to take that price difference and double it.
blackjackdan08 said:
Question..many of the top survival knifes ontario,Esee rc6 , Kabar use 1095 steel..why?...it does rust..so why 1095?
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Becker BK2 7 or 9 depending how much steel you want to lug around. They fit your price range and are indestructible.

DSCN0139.jpg


here is my BK9 very heavily used after it out chopped a Fiskars hatchet.
 
harkamus said:
A lot of the high carbon steels can't be matched for toughness.
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That's simply not true and I wish people would stop spreading it around. Carbon content above .85% or so is actually bad for toughness; and there are several higher-alloy tool and stainless steels that will whup the snot out of 1095 all day long, in terms of both toughness and edge-retention. They do tend to sacrifice ease-of-sharpening, but then again they stay sharp a lot longer, so... *shrug*

However, I'm talking about fairly extreme tests. "High carbon steel" (1095, O1, 1084 etc) does make for a great using knife that will work hard yet be reasonably easy to sharpen. Concerns about rust are greatly exaggerated, unless you spend a lot of time in saltwater. If a person can operate a handkerchief, they can prevent actual rust on high-carbon steel. :) It will spot, stain and develop a patina, but that doesn't harm the knife's usefulness at all.

To get back to the OP's question and budget, I'll put in another vote for Becker knives in 1095. They're decent designs, affordable and well-made. The ones I've used, examined and worked on came with good sturdy sheathes, too. They're among the best-bang-for-the-buck knives on the market today. :thumbup:

EDIT: RE why do so many companies use 1095...
jdm61 said:
A big reason is that because it is cheap. Not cheap in a bad way necessarily...
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That's a fact. 1095 is inexpensive to make, machine and heat-treat in large batches. Is it the finest steel in its class, and do I use it myself? Hell no. But it does work pretty well.
 
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blackjackdan08 said:
Question..many of the top survival knifes ontario,Esee rc6 , Kabar use 1095 steel..why?...it does rust..so why 1095?
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1095 is a good strong steel that can be sharpened easy and keeps and edge if treated right. As for rust, a knife with rust on it still cuts.
 
PayetteRucker said:
That's because your axe was very poorly maintained, and/or using technique was poor. A good axe will sail through just about anything, and if you know how to use it, is very safe overhead.
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That is a singular opinion, sir. An axe is not optimized to cut light brush and is susceptible to "hooking" if used on a tangle of overhead branches. Hence the machete and others of its ilk.
 
1095 was - and is -- extensively used for harrows, plow shares, and hoes. Those tools encounter rocks and tree roots with some force, especially if powered by a tractor. That application for generations is a real-world argument for its ability to withstand impact and deal with moisture. It is probably not run "knife-hard" for those applications.
 
blackjackdan08 said:
Looking for a solid survival knife...back woods...lost in the jungle kind of knife...what can you suggest for 50 to 100 bucks....thanks for any help...
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there are a bunch of good choices in the $50-$100 price range (like the becker bk-7/bk-9, ontario rd7, etc), i would suggest spending $10-$20 on a folding saw and take that along with you as well.
 
From DennisKelley:
Some guys laughed at me with the machete, but when they saw how much easier it was to use then the axe, they came over to me and wanted to borrow it.

I just love "Well they're not laughing at me now" stories!
 
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