Need help choosing survival knife

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Mr Patti

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Jun 2, 2010
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Hi I'm going to be thru hiking the appalachian trail and I'm in the market for a high quality fixed blade knife. I'm looking for something in the 6" - 7" range. The knife needs to hold an edge well since I'll be in the wilderness making sharpening opportunities rare. The knife obviously needs to be very tough as well as being able to handle some moisture. Knives I've been considering are the ESEE 6, KA-BAR Becker BK7, and the Buck 119 special. The pricetag on the ESEE 6 is the highest I'll spend so please don't recommend anything over $140 or so.

Thanks everyone.
 
my vote is for a fallkniven f1 swedish military survival knife with the zytel sheath.


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pictured with leather sheath.


it should handle the elements well and complete all the tasks that you throw at it.

its also within your price range.
 
can't go wrong with ESEE. But really, I don't think you would need anything much larger than the ESEE 3. Is there a specific reason you want something as big as the 6?
 
with a 1/4" thick 5 1/4" blade length, big beefy handle. the bk2. decent sheath. upgrade with micarta and stainless screws w/nylocs.:thumbup:

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The people I know who have through-hiked the Appalachian Trail took knives much smaller and lighter than the ones you're considering. And as far as I know, none of them wished they'd done otherwise.
 
Wow, that's a long way to pack a large heavy blade...I mean I'd do it myself but most think I'm nuts for doing so. I'd say the ESEE-6 would serve you very well. I don't have one yet but I've put 5 other ESEE knives through some rough paces with no problems. As much as I hate to admit it...I'm really not a machete kind of guy...I'd probably take something like the size of the ESEE-4 and stick a 12" machete in my pack, you can get both for less than $140.00. Actually personally I'd take the D.F. I just got and a small machete but the D.F. is a little beyond the $140.00 price point.

viva la said:
can't go wrong with ESEE. But really, I don't think you would need anything much larger than the ESEE 3. Is there a specific reason you want something as big as the 6?
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On a journey that long I personally wouldn't drop below the ESEE-4 unless it was augmented by a heavier tool.
 
I don't mind the extra weight at all. I would prefer a bigger knife for a variety of reasons but I'm positive That I don't want a knife with a blade shorter than 5.5". I was thinking the esee 6 since It seems to have great reviews on here.
 
what is the knife for - purely a just-in-case survival, or you'll be doing bushcraft stuff for fun as well? an esee-4 along with a $20 machete will serve both purposes...or a folding saw with the esee.

after using a machete i'm a convert. it's an excellent chopper since it digs in really deep. the esee-4 is big enough to split wood and small enough to do fine carvings.


mz9393 said:
The people I know who have through-hiked the Appalachian Trail took knives much smaller and lighter than the ones you're considering. And as far as I know, none of them wished they'd done otherwise.
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people who drive drunk most of the time don't get into accidents either...but a few of them...

eta: missed your length requirement. if i was only allowed to carry one knife and that's it? hands down i'll take the esee junglas. it's a 10" blade but it feels more like a machete (feels very quick in the hands and belies how big the blade really is) rather than a scaled-up knife.
 
The knife will be for many things. Various camp chores, cutting wood, just in case survival, possible defense. Many have recommended carrying a machete as well but I've never really been a machete guy. Thats kind of why I opted for a bigger knife.
 
+1 for a Reg, hard to beat for 100 bucks. More of a fighter in design but would be more than good enough for survival. Take a small sharpening stone too.... knives don't stay sharp forever.

I like bigger blades too but also have a smaller blade or multitool to cover all my needs. Something you probably have already?

You might also want to check out the Swamp rat subforum, some good stuff for sale....

Lots of good blades to choose from, take your time in deciding.
 
I dunno your exact, 'drop-dead' spec's or absolute max price (i did read max. to be an ESEE 6), but i'd squeeze a little more into the budget and get the ESEE 5.

The blade thickness is 1/4" - nice and stout, comes with a great sheath, and won't leave you wondering if your knife will handle the rigors of your thru-hike. The ESEE-5 is a bit more in the price, but you can't afford cheap gear. There's a price increase for good reason!!!

That said, i'd honestly recommend a 3" or 4" blade and the ESEE-3 or 4 would meet your budget, have enough 'ummph in the blade, and you can get a really nice sheath for it. Otherwise, there are some nice bush-craft blades that would do the job nicely -maybe some Scandi grind that does the basics really well could meet your needs.

I know 1 guy who did a thru-hike. We used to work together at an Eastern Mountain Sports retail store (was a nice PT job for both of us!!!). He was much more about saving weight and going fast saying the endless green tunnel became something he wanted to blaze through quickly rather than take his sweet time getting through.
 
Hey I've been thinking about this, how about e-mailing one of the makers..JK Knives, Koyote,Mark Wohlwend, Fletcher knives etc and asking if they would lend you a knife of the size you want and in return you would photograph it's use on your hike and post a review up on the forum before returning it to them to touch up and sell !
 
ESEE 4, Fallkniven F1, ESEE 6 would all work great. Take along a Fallkniven DC4 sharpener as well. Thet way you can keep it sharp. You acn clean the DC4 with one of the white vinyl erasers you get from art supply stores.
 
Mr Patti said:
I don't mind the extra weight at all. I would prefer a bigger knife for a variety of reasons but I'm positive That I don't want a knife with a blade shorter than 5.5". I was thinking the esee 6 since It seems to have great reviews on here.
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I'm not sure what your backpacking background is, but you need to think very seriously about weight. A week in and you'll be begging for a lighter load. Most long-distance backpackers would never consider the weight of a 6-7" blade. Having a decent blade is important, but you'll be on a very popular, well travelled and well-developed trail - not blazing through backwoods Alaska.

A small fallkniven or ESEE would be my vote @ no more than 4" - period. The majority of it's workload will be food prep. You're not going to be doing much else with it. A good survival knife is important, but in this scenario, you're going to be on the "freeway" of trails. Personally, I'd take an ESEE 3 - maybe. I'd probably be more likely to carry a stout folder ... or even just a Spyderco Military.

Go as light as you can afford! A heavy load will reduce your enjoyment and increase your propensity to get injured. You have to pick the right tool for the job. If you were wandering through Alaska for a year, building fires, hunting small game [i.e. surviving] I'd say go ESEE 5 or 6, but not in this scenario.
 
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