Suggestions for a good survival blade?

M

MartinQ

Joined
Aug 11, 2010
Messages
13
Hey guys,

I'm new to this forum (and don't know a great deal about knives and the like) and need some advice.

I've been looking for a outdoor/survival blade that can perform a wide range of tasks, will last and take a lot of solid (ab)use. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I am really liking the SOG Creed; That belly and thickness is very attractive. I know AUS 8 isn't the cream of the crop as far as steels go, so what would you suggest?

thx for your help.
 
Welcome, Martin.

Take a look at this search to get the ball rolling, and then maybe take a stroll through the Wilderness and Survival Skills forum found under the "Community" link at the top of the page.

:thumbup:
 
I would suggest Becker BK-7 or BK-2 or Esee RC-4, 5 or 6. They're good and solid piece of knives.
 
For about $60 you can get a Becker BK2 which is a great knife value. Check out Equip2Endure on YouTube. He runs excellent head to head tests for real world application. BK2 beats most everything that is 3 and 4 times the price. Comparable to the BK2 is the EESE RC5 which is around $130. This is also a great choice. The EESE Knives are all very good and cost more. They also have an amazing warranty as long as the company stays in business. Most of their knives are very similar. If you like one you like them all. If you think one is boring them they all will be. I own a TOPS Smoke Jumper and it is great. Very thick, great micarta handles and the blade is built for batoning. Very unique design. Hope this helps.
 
MartinQ said:
I've been looking for a outdoor/survival blade that can perform a wide range of tasks, will last and take a lot of solid (ab)use. Do you guys have any suggestions?
Click to expand...


Look at the Bark River Knives or the American made BlackJacks. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:


Plenty of hard working of knives to choose from.



BlackJack HALO Attack.




Big Mike
 
My current favourite, designed by me and made by Mark Wohlwend !

p81000071.jpg

By pitdog2010 at 2010-08-10
 
AUS8 is one of the few stainless steels I think really lends itself to a survival style blade, though I don't think any of SOG's designs in particular strike me as the ideal shape and profile. Look at the Entrek Javalina, the RAT RC5 and 6, Beckers, Cold Steel SRK, Benchmade CSK2, a Fallkniven or Scrapyard would be places to start.
 
Welcome to the forum!

I don't have a Sog Creed, so I can't comment on it. I do however, have multiple Sog knives. They have all held up. The Sog Seal Pup , is one of my favorite knives.
The Creed looks nice. My advice, if you like it, get it, your the one using and admiring it. AUS 8 is fine, holds a very sharp edge, IMO.

Edit : Just found this, thought you might find it helpful in making your decision. http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5829
 
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+1 on Bark River.

I have both the BK2 and Bark River Bravo 1. Although the BK2 is a beast and bombproof, I feel that the Bravo 1 is a more versatile knife for general camp, food prep, and bush craft tasks. The Bravo 1 is pretty much bomb proof as well, yet lighter to carry.

For value, the BK2 wins hands down if you have only one knife. This was my first knife purchase after a long hiatus from knife buying.

For what it's worth, since I bought the Bravo 1, the BK2 has not seen the light of day.

Hope this helps.
 
Whats the budget?

Busse FSH or ASH-1, or BWM which is still available for a week or so more.
 
There are a lot of great knives out there... too many to narrow it down with the information you've provided. You should ask yourself a few questions about what you are looking for in the blade. What will you use it for mostly? What is the climate/environment like in the area you will be using the blade? If you are going to encounter a lot of moisture regularly, you may want to consider how corrosion resistant the steel in your knife is, or whether or not the blade is coated or not.
Some steels can be more prone to chipping and rolling than others, so you may want to look into the test and review section of the forums to get an idea of how certain steels perform. Also, don't forget that two blades of the same steel may have completely different performance based on the heat treat. If the blade is going to be processing a lot of wood (chopping, batoning, etc) you will want to make sure it's a good steel and a good heat treat to hold up to those demands.

I have a Fehrman Last Chance, and I've submitted an image below, and it has performed very well for me out in the bush. Recently, however, I have found the need to get a blade that has slightly better corrosion resistance for my kayaking trips, because during my trip last week I completely dunked everything I had in the river and it was all soaked for many hours, and my Ferhman got a few small pits where it corroded slightly. I cleaned it up for the most part, but it was still enough to convince me to get something a little different for when I know I might get really wet.

I am looking at ESEE, most likely the RC-6 (although I am also interested in the Junglas). ESEE make great knives and have a good rep around here. Most of the others mentioned will do pretty well also, however.

What's your budget? That will play a factor, too. Just some stuff to think about.

J
DSCN1240.jpg
 
Thanks to everyone for their replies.

It seems the Becker BK-2 is the favorite here; that seems to be the way to go.

One question: besides the aesthetic differences, how does satin finish compare to TiNi/TiN?
 
The Swamp (check out the Swamp Rat sub-forum) is currently taking orders for the Ratmandu, a very popular "do-it-all" type of knife. Good balance and ergos, nice size, great steel & heat treat, and you write your own warranty.
 
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