Shtf pocket knife

sideways said:
Agreed. Getting there could be tricky and slow going. Still, having a destination and end plan is so much more desirable than aimlessly wandering out the door for some camp site you visited back in college or whatever. Ideally (in terms of system failure survivability) we would all live self sufficiently in the boonies but the comforts of city living keep us willingly manning the stations in town. The most people can aspire too is a well stocked retreat and the inevitably chaotic commute there if bugging in for some extreme reason is not possible. Cities themselves with all the concentrated human and economic capital are pretty darn resilient.
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This is very very true.

In the history of man, I can't think of a single instance where a city didn't bounce back from a disaster. From Jerusalem and it's fall to the Crusaders to Rome being leveled by the Goths, to San Francisco after the huge quake, they all came back. Just too many advantage in the city for them not to. I know the survivalists have their pet fantasy of play Jeremiah Johnson, but really, how well is that going to go over with a a swarm of humanity taking to the woods to play survivalist? It's gonna be like a weekend in the local park with people bumping into one another.

I remember seeing a film about Berlin just after the war in 1945. It was bombed into ruble by the allied air forces, and for miles it was a big rock pile. People, the now homeless Berliners, just formed up lines of people clearing ruble, cleaning up, and getting things sorted out. I think that's what would happen now. There will be a short period of shock, then a realization that we have to do something, and then people will be like ants rebuilding the colony.

If the S did indeed hit the fan, I think a good mulitool and a shovel will be the best items to have on hand. Our niece was stations on the U.S.S. Blue Riidge when Japan got hit with that huge quake that wrecked a whole island. She was part of a group of sailors that was sent in to help re-establish communications network in the destroyed areas since that was her job as a communications person. She was assigned a small group of Japanese workers that went wither, and they all carried a short D handled shovel. The shovel was used for digger of course, but also prying, chopping, scraping, and general whatever tool. Ally had her issued tool kit which included a nice big Leatherman, and it and the shovels where the most used tool.

Today, that town in Japan is up and running, and life has become a bit back to normal. People will rebuild where they live. To rebuild, you need tools other than a knife.
 
Depending on your definition you may or may not agree with others, but some of us experience SHTF situations almost weekly, and therefore try and be prepared. To that end, it's often more about the mind and not the tools, but good tools only help;)

I have been carrying a Sebenza for a few months and it seems to fit the bill quite well.

A few weeks ago, I was out a few miles from anywhere and I had no spoon to eat my lunch, so I fabricated one from a plastic bottle in my litter bag.

It wasn't a zombie attack, but if you ever see trying to manage a field crew with low blood sugar, you would agree that the SHTF.

I could give other examples, but none are the sort of door prying, batoning, chopping fantasies that a lot of people develop, they are just typical minor emergencies we all deal with regularly.View attachment 469620
 
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Probably whatever I have in my pocket at the time. That means probably either a ZT 0350 or Ontario Utilitac II.

If I were given a choice, probably a Benchmade Adamas since knife laws wouldn't matter anymore.
 
The only knife in guaranteed to have on my person at all times is my Spyderco Mini Police necklace, it's always around my neck. (Not my pic).

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Probably my Cold Steel AK-47. Cheap, great lock, easy to sharpen and has a glass breaker.

I live in Los Angeles and I would say the riots in the early 90's and the Northridge quake were the closest SHTF scenarios I have experienced. The riots had me carrying a Glock 19 and a Mossberg Home Defender. I was a district manager and my stores were in the riot areas. A knife would of been useless if being mob attacked like Reginald Denny.

The 94 quake, a knife did not play as big roll as a crowbar/breaching axe, flashlight, generator, food and fresh water. Currently we have a pretty extensive EQ kit at home and at my parents house, which is walkable. We have three BOB's, one next to the bed, and one each in my car and wife's car. All three have CS AK-47's. My EQ kits have breaching axes and crowbars. Knives are Mora's. Have a generator with five days of fuel.
 
jackknife said:
This is very very true.

In the history of man, I can't think of a single instance where a city didn't bounce back from a disaster. From Jerusalem and it's fall to the Crusaders to Rome being leveled by the Goths, to San Francisco after the huge quake, they all came back. Just too many advantage in the city for them not to. I know the survivalists have their pet fantasy of play Jeremiah Johnson, but really, how well is that going to go over with a a swarm of humanity taking to the woods to play survivalist? It's gonna be like a weekend in the local park with people bumping into one another.

I remember seeing a film about Berlin just after the war in 1945. It was bombed into ruble by the allied air forces, and for miles it was a big rock pile. People, the now homeless Berliners, just formed up lines of people clearing ruble, cleaning up, and getting things sorted out. I think that's what would happen now. There will be a short period of shock, then a realization that we have to do something, and then people will be like ants rebuilding the colony.

If the S did indeed hit the fan, I think a good mulitool and a shovel will be the best items to have on hand. Our niece was stations on the U.S.S. Blue Riidge when Japan got hit with that huge quake that wrecked a whole island. She was part of a group of sailors that was sent in to help re-establish communications network in the destroyed areas since that was her job as a communications person. She was assigned a small group of Japanese workers that went wither, and they all carried a short D handled shovel. The shovel was used for digger of course, but also prying, chopping, scraping, and general whatever tool. Ally had her issued tool kit which included a nice big Leatherman, and it and the shovels where the most used tool.

Today, that town in Japan is up and running, and life has become a bit back to normal. People will rebuild where they live. To rebuild, you need tools other than a knife.
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Indeed. Bugging out is a fantasy for the few aspiring moutain men that inhabit the forums. It can be done (heading for the woods), but you need a plan in place with supplies in place. I doubt you will be able to rent a U-haul truck and load all the important stuff from your house and head to your rural retreat when the SHTF happens. I doubt it will happen barring a super volcano erupting in the US. I play odds and the odds suggest that it is best to stay home where you have a roof, blankets, food, and probably a few shovels.... The heck with living beneath a tarp out in the woods.

Most situations are local to regional. A big quake in CA will be regional. There is plenty of the rest of us that are not affected to take up the slack and help as needed. But I still want a few knives around even if a prybar or shovel is more useful in the short term. Probably a good supply of screws and nails would be a good idea as well in addition to a generator (with at least a few days worth of fuel) on hand.

I have been using a 2800W generator a lot for work lately and leaving my 5500W generator at home. I got the small generator so I could move it around by myself and I have been truly surprised just how useful it is even when my gut says.... you need a bigger generator. I had my house wired for a generator. That probably was the single biggest prep I have made that will pay huge dividends should something happen.
 
beehappy said:
I read a lot of threads asking what is the best SD knife but I think a better questions what knife are you going to have on you if SHTF we can not always carry a huge fixed blade so what pocket knife would you want to have on you if you could not get back home and it was all you had ​
I think I'd want my ZT 0350
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My first thought was my zt 350 as well mabey not the best but the toughest and most capable pocket knife I own
 
I like the Adventurer and the side lock. It has not failed me yet and I have carried and used this one for years.
 
SHTF!
This perfectly camouflaged beast sprang from the darkness and charged us across the room! The only thing I could reach was my 760bk, but I didn't have time to open it, and had to beat it down with the titanium frame!

 
Without a doubt I'd love to have along my SOG Tomcat. Even if somehow I did manage to break the blade on it, it's still heavy enough to throw at any zombie you might need to slow down.
 
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