Pilot Survival Knife

I don't know that there is anything the Pilot Survival knife can do that can't be done better by another knife. What attracted me to it is it's multi-use design. The five inch long blade seems to be a good compromise length for alot of purposes. It has belly for skinning/camping uses, but also a sharpened upper edge so it can be effective in a self-defense role. The pommel can even be used for hammering. It is sort of a fixed blade version of the SAK - lots of uses, but probably not the best for any one of them.
 
I've been harrassing Camillus to make a version without the stoopid saw teeth, and I want to seize this opportunity to recruit some help! The last thread I harrassed them in was http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122022&highlight=pilot -- hmm, would it be more effective if you dredge up that old thread, or would it be better if you start a new thread and fool them into thinking we're a bunch of independent individuals instead of a conspiracy? Maybe best to do both -- one or more of you can post in that old thread and others can start a new thread.

Please note I do not want it to be stainless. I want exactly the same knife without the stoopid sawteeth. If you ask them for a stainless version ... um ... I'll flame you? I'll excommunicate you from the conspiracy? I'll track you down and set fire to your sock drawer? Give me time ... I'm sure I can think of a better threat than any of those ... just give me time to think....
 
Originally posted by Sergiusz Mitin
Second vote on Fällkniven. F1 is used by Swedish military pilots as survival knife for some years, recently USMC Air Forces are going to issue F1 and bigger S1 in the same role.
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I almost ordered an F1 this afternoon. Looks pretty nice for $69.99 (w/Kydex sheath). I like the micarta even better, but not for $150!

Might still order one tonight....looking for something to stick in the glovebox of my truck. I sometimes like to drive off into the mountains and wander around, looks like it might fit the bill.

Mike
 
I finally found and ordered a knife that has similar features to the Camillus Pilot Survival knife. A company called "New Graham Pharmacy" has a knife for sale that is supposed to be a resurrected Blackjack Trail Guide. Actually there are two models, one with a single and one with a double guard. I ordered the one with a double guard.
The knife does lack one of my original requirements - that the blade be made of stainless steel. Having read so many pro - carbon steel comentaries on Bladeforums, I have about been convinced that carbon is the way to go, unless one wants a diver's knife. This knife is said to have a blade made of 52100 carbon steel, which I hear is a good one.
The knife looks awfully similar to a Randall Made knife, which is what I like about it. The Randalls are over my budget for the moment, so I am delighted to find a less expensive knife with similar features.
 
Hey WT..

Whatcha mean Busse don't have guards ??

They have excellent guards..
Probably one of the best guards...

ttyle

Eric...
 
Cougar,
I've found one use for the saw teeth on the Pilot's knife (besides the intended self-rescue from an aluminum aircraft), which is a narrow wood rasp. I have one as a sentimental thing, since my dad was in the USAF, even tho he wasn't a pilot nor was the knife actually _his_. I just really admire him. :)

Back on the topic; I'm thinking of getting the Falkkniven F1 also, since its VERY humid here in SE Texas, and the stainless would be better than carbon steel. (I've found light rust on the edge of my Pilot's knife just from it sitting in the sheath for a few months. It polished off easily enough with a few strokes on the issue sharpening stone.)

There's my 2 cts.

Matt in Texas
 
I don't think I have seen Busse knives up close, but in the pictures I have seen I remember the handles have a downward slope in front to act as a guard. I think of guards as a separate piece of metal between the handle and the blade, as on the Camillus Pilot Survival knife, Randall Made knives, etc. That kind of guard is often longer than the guards which are integral to the handle or blade (excepting on most of the Marble's knives).
Since I was looking for a knife similar to the Pilot knife, I wanted one with a separate metal guard.
 
Hello King Grinch,
I see alot on these forums praising the Chris Reeves knives. I took a look at them but thought the integral guards looked a bit short, say, in comparison to guards on Randall Made knives. The knife I have ordered looks like a Randall, but costs about half as much. I don't remember where I read it, but I saw some speculation that Marble's made them.
John Greco makes some knives from A2 steel with integral single guards. I've seen those on Bladeart. Not sure about the 6 inch blades, though.
 
Ok, King Grinch,
Thakns for the Chris Reeve Aviator suggestion, it looks really nice, but that price! I think I'll stick with my plans to get that Falkkniven F1, since that's under a C-note. Thats part of why I got the USAF knife, it was Cheap! ($25!)

Matt in Texas
 
Hi,
this is the samequestion i've been trying to answer for myself. I like my pilot knife for its pure utility and toughness, but not the wide edge bevel,or leather handle and sheath. I also really like serrations.(i know, I know...)
substitutes I've looked at :

Mission MPS in stainless- probably the best one but can't afford it.
Fallkniven S1- I have the F1 and am VERY impressed, but I want serrations.
SOG sealpup-my current choice, but I don't think it'l be nearly as tough as the USAF knife
Junglee Tactical Drop Clip Jr.- aus8 o.k., leather sheath and no serrations.
Grohmann 4S -a little bigger,well made full tang in stainless with serrations.
Any of these might work - what do you think of them?

JB
 
Hey TX...

The FI will do the trick for you..
Good blade for sure..

Drop me a note if you are interested in some custom Concealex for that blade...

ttyle

Eric...
 
dig it: i have an ontario pilot survival knife (same thing as camillus' version). i've used it for everything, and i've taken it camping many times. the blade's parkerized, so rust has never been a problem (not once!), even though it gets rather humid around these parts. it's carbon steel, so it holds a nice edge. i've sharpened it to a 22 degree angle on each side (if i remember correctly), and i've also sharpened the swedge. both the swedge and the main edge are shaving sharp, and even after a weekend of rough woods duty they can still slice paper edge-on. can we say "back-cutting?" :D
anyway, i've been totally impressed with this knife for about a year. and to think, it was less than 25 bones!
peace.
aleX.
 
I just recieved the kind of knife I had been looking for to be an upscale replacement for the Pilot Survival Knife. It is Trail Guide III ordered from New Graham Pharmacy (www.newgraham.com).
The knife looks very much like a Randall military knife, but with a shorter blade. The length looks to be a bit under five inches. The blade steel is 52-100, and it is a clip point with the clipped portion on top also sharpened.
The knife has a substantial double guard, a feature I like. With the crime rate such as it is in the U.S., I think it a good idea for a trail/camping knife to be able to double as a weapon if need be. The double guard enhances its suitability for defensive use. Sometimes people are attacked while on camping trips or hikes.
On the other hand, the name "Trail Guide" makes the knife more liberal lawyer resistant than knives which are designated as military or fighting knives.
There is a Randall style pommel, which doesn't appear to be designed for hammering. Also there are no saw teeth. Otherwise the knife has most of the other features of the Pilot Survival Knife, and is less expensive than a Randall or Chis Reeves knife.
 
Originally posted by Sergiusz Mitin
..... handguard 's role. Originally it was designed to protect your hand against enemy's blade when fighting blade against blade with large knives or short (also long) swords. It is not intended to protect your hand against your own blade, especially when working. If the man has calm, well controlled movements and use his knife with care he do not need the hand guard at all. Traditional Scandinavian knives are the good example here.....
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Not trying to particularly be contrary to you, Serguisz, but this represents IMO a pretty limited view of conditions where a knife may be used. Additionally, there are a few BIG "if's" in the quote above. Do you ever read BLADE magazine? Ed Fowler has a very good article in there where he talks this month about his reasons for making all his knives with prominent guards. One in particular: working in freezing weather where you might lose some dexterity in your fingers, the guard gives an extra measure of safety in situations where slicing open your hand could mean the death of you.

Orrrrrrr maybe the guard is just more important to us here in the states because we not as tough when it comes to the great outdoors as the Scandinavian countries, so our leetle fingers get colder quicker. ;) :D
 
Guards seem to be a controversial subject. However unlikely that it is to happen, I still think it is a good idea to be prepared should one be attacked by a criminal with a knife. One just might need a guard to deflect an opponent's blade.
It was hard to find a short bladed knife with a double guard. I wonder how much this has to do with design philosophy versus cost reduction? Obviously it is cheaper to make a knife with some sort of handle projections or finger groves instead of a separate metal guard.
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
Guards seem to be a controversial subject. However unlikely that it is to happen, I still think it is a good idea to be prepared should one be attacked by a criminal with a knife. One just might need a guard to deflect an opponent's blade.
It was hard to find a short bladed knife with a double guard. I wonder how much this has to do with design philosophy versus cost reduction? Obviously it is cheaper to make a knife with some sort of handle projections or finger groves instead of a separate metal guard.
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I think more than a little of it is just market driven. I personally prefer a single guard just for usability. Fits my style better. Heck, even more than a single guard I like just a dropped edge, not unlike a kitchen knife, or Trace Rinaldi's TTKK.
 
Actually I have one of the "short" Kabars, but I am not entirely happy with it. The name "short" doesn't accurately describe the difference between it and the regular Kabar. Not only is the blade shorter, but it is also more narrow. The handle of the knife is also smaller, and so is the guard. I could live with all of the other reductions, but the guard should have been left alone or at least reduced by a smaller proportion. The guard on the Kabar is tiny compared to the Pilot Survival Knife, and also tiny compared to my Trail Guide III. In my opinion it it is too small, ruining what would otherwise be a nice knife.
 
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