So I'm a little confused on the difference of survival and bushcraft knives,

I read bushcraft as a voluntary experience where you're consciously choosing to head off the grid but into a situation within your comfort zone.

Survival on the other had is a situation you've been thrust into with no idea of what to expect. So a larger and more veritable (and cruder) knife is called for.
 
I think the biggest difference is the fact that bushcraft users want to be able to do more fine carving activities. They also want a knife that was designed to strike a fire starter or have a bow drill divot. Bushcrafters will want to make fire, construct dwellings, carve utensils on their own.
 
In all my years of practicing and discussing surival and bushcraft, to use the common terms, I've boiled the definitions down this way, at least for when I am using the terms:

Survival = short term, improvising and doing whatever you have to do to stay alive until you are rescued. The primary objective is getting out, and/or getting rescued. Signaling is a key to this, to give an example of a skill you need to know.

Bushcraft = wilderness living. Its long term. It's a way of life. The goal is to stay in the wilderness, not try to get out.

Either one of these could turn into the other, depending on many external and/or internal factors.

So, even more simply, the goal of survival is to get out of the wilderness, the goal of bushcraft is to stay in the wilderness.
 
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Survival Knife

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Bushcraft Knife

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Whatever this thing is knife

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Bushcraft knives in my mind are Mora-esque scandi grind blades in the ~3-4in size range, usually in a carbon steel. I think of them as a woods focused utility knife. Bushcraft knives (at least the ones that I see marketed as such) also tend to look more "natural" in their appearance.

Survival knives are more typically "overbuilt". They still tend to be a woods focused utility knife, just more "beefy" and usually somewhat more tactical/modern looking.

I'd say that the Mora and Becker recommendations are pretty spot on. The Mora #1 or the Companion are "stereotypical" bushcraft knives, while the Becker BK2/10 and ESEE 4/5/6 are somewhat stereotypical "survival" knives.

Personally, the BK16 is probably the sweet spot between "bushcraft" and "survival" knives. It is full tang, and fairly thick stock (5/32in), but has a nice flat grind and is still very lightweight. It also has a very comfortable handle profile, and doesn't break the bank. Its strong enough that any reasonable use won't be a problem for it, without being ungainly at all (like some of the larger "survival" knives are).
 
Bushcraft knives excel at crafting primitive tools, objects from wood, tinder for fire or cleaning game.

More emphasis on keen edges

Survival knives are indestructible utility knives.

More emphasis on toughness and durability.

Some knives have more overlap then others.

Fallkniven makes great knives that are a cross of both qualities.


Affordable options for each?

Mora carbon companion is a great example of a Bushcraft knife.

Schrade Schf38 is a great example for a survival knife.


The affordable middle ground Bushcraft/survival knife is a condor bushlore
 
Another point too is that since bushcraft works with the environment what makes a good choice in one location won't do the same in another.

Looking at the local ethnic knives can at least get you started in the right direction.
 
Brian Jones said:
In all my years of practicing and discussing surival and bushcraft, to use the common terms, I've boiled the definitions down this way, at least for when I am using the terms:

Survival = short term, improvising and doing whatever you have to do to stay alive until you are rescued. The primary objective is getting out, and/or getting rescued. Signaling is a key to this, to give an example of a skill you need to know.

Bushcraft = wilderness living. Its long term. It's a way of life. The goal is to stay in the wilderness, not try to get out.

Either one of these could turn into the other, depending on many external and/or internal factors.

So, even more simply, the goal of survival is to get out of the wilderness, the goal of bushcraft is to stay in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

I like this ^^^
 
Brian Jones said:
In all my years of practicing and discussing surival and bushcraft, to use the common terms, I've boiled the definitions down this way, at least for when I am using the terms:

Survival = short term, improvising and doing whatever you have to do to stay alive until you are rescued. The primary objective is getting out, and/or getting rescued. Signaling is a key to this, to give an example of a skill you need to know.

Bushcraft = wilderness living. Its long term. It's a way of life. The goal is to stay in the wilderness, not try to get out.

Either one of these could turn into the other, depending on many external and/or internal factors.

So, even more simply, the goal of survival is to get out of the wilderness, the goal of bushcraft is to stay in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

Well said. Now I understand 'em easier.
 
Brian Jones said:
...

So, even more simply, the goal of survival is to get out of the wilderness, the goal of bushcraft is to stay in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

I like this definition, with a little addition for me that survival is not just wilderness oriented, but could also be about urban/vehicle related conditions and bushcraft really is nature oriented.
 
Brian Jones said:
In all my years of practicing and discussing surival and bushcraft, to use the common terms, I've boiled the definitions down this way, at least for when I am using the terms:

Survival = short term, improvising and doing whatever you have to do to stay alive until you are rescued. The primary objective is getting out, and/or getting rescued. Signaling is a key to this, to give an example of a skill you need to know.

Bushcraft = wilderness living. Its long term. It's a way of life. The goal is to stay in the wilderness, not try to get out.

Either one of these could turn into the other, depending on many external and/or internal factors.

So, even more simply, the goal of survival is to get out of the wilderness, the goal of bushcraft is to stay in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

That is a pretty good summary from my point of view. Bushcrafting is a skill set that is employed in the wilderness. As stated, a bushcrafting experience could turn into a survival situation. The goal with survival is well.... surviving and getting yourself to a better place. The survival thing really started with the SHTF type scenarios that many of us like to fantasize about. I doubt many people fantasize about bushcrafting per se. That is something you do when in the outdoors/woods/field.

I'd say that survival is a much broader term in relation to choosing a knife. Potentially you are using your knife tool for many utility functions and it is certainly situation based. As a result, the marketing of practical knives under this scenario leans on big (+6" blade length and always a fixed blade) and usually with thicker blade stock for toughness or durability. They are typically not designed for nimble cutting, but can be used for this with experience.

One only needs to look at the TV survival shows and folks with a military lean to their survival would tend to choose a bigger heavier knife and ones more prone to bushcraft survival tend to use a lighter more nimble blade and tend to be pointy for drilling holes. The Matt Graham knife kind of straddles the two applications. Teti would likely choose something heavier or at least longer such as a thick machete and something that he could use for fighting if necessary. Cody Lundin is all about bushcrafting in his choice of the Mora. I would guess that Dave Canterbury distinguishes between bushcraft and survival blade choices. But he tends to go with about a 6" fixed blade of medium stock thickness.

They say that the best survival knife is the one you have with you when the need presents itself. That means in most unexpected situations, I would likely have a Vic SAK with me and perhaps another folder. But no fixed blade at all. Tis why I tend to keep an assortment of blades in my vehicle as I am typically linked to my vehicle one way or the other. The "bug out" bag is just a smaller or more portable version of the linkage.
 
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knoefz said:
I like this definition, with a little addition for me that survival is not just wilderness oriented, but could also be about urban/vehicle related conditions and bushcraft really is nature oriented.
Click to expand...

I agree, and am going to remember to add this to my definition as well. Thanks for the contribution, knoefz!
 
I will say that my path I expect was fairly typical on the survival/bushcraft thing. I always carried folders. Even camping I seldom had a fixed blade with me for years. I would often have an axe with me car camping which is the dominant form of camping that I do.

Being younger, my first custom knife was geared toward hunting applications which I routinely did. Then the survival thing kicked in and I chose a number of blades but they all had 1/4" blade stock and tended toward the a fighting knife bowie type design (think Randall, EK). But my most loved Randall was in fact a more normal blade (Jack Crider Special). Things stopped there for the most part until I joined BF. I started with the heavy 1/4" blades like the BK-2 and ESEE.... then moved toward a middle blade stock thickness for most everything I am likely to do with a knife. I have choppers, but I seldom need to chop anything other than machete work. I am in a machete phase now and like both the heavier and lighter machetes for many woods applications along with a folder and a middle sized fixed blade. But you can see where the influence came from.... survival meant fighting or possible fighting with a knife and woods activities leaned toward middle sized blades.

There is obviously urban versus rural choices and cutting applications in a survival event. Rural would probably lean more toward bushcrafting and urban more toward larger heavier knives for prying and fighting. But I am no knife fighter, so that is a fantasy.
 
BK2, BK7 survival knives that can be used for bushcraft IMHO

BK16 and BK12 Bushcraft knives that can be used for survival....IMHO

Thicker bladed overbuilt sharpened prybar type knives with full tangs tend to evoke thoughts of survival knives to me....

Thinner, lighter bladed knives with a tendency to overvalue ergonomics evoke thoughts of bushcraft knives to me.....

but as always, my opinions are worthless to anyone but myself and I fully expect to be found in the minority of folks once the dust settles....
 
I agree with you Hawg. It takes some practice to use the heavier longer blades for bushcraft in a safe effective manner. I have all of those except the BK-12. I still favor the BK-15 for most everything other than chopping. When I first joined BF, I bought no less than two SOG Tigersharks..... what on earth am I going to use that beast for? Chopping perhaps. Fighting perhaps if you're a big guy but mostly a slasher fighting I would think. Anway, the Tigersharks remain un-used and a memento to an earlier way of thinking for me.

So, relative to the OP, it is how you use a knife that defines it.
 
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