Super survival knife!!!

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Mar 12, 2006
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Here is what im after. I have bought one of thoes cheap-o survival knife kits from smkw I think, You know the one compass in the screw off handle, survival kit in the handle , hard plastic sheath with a sling shot built in to it spear etc,etc,etc. Either way all I can find is the junkie ones does a really good one exist? Maybe not even really good I just need one that is better than garbage. Any thoughts or should I build my own LOL.- Joel
 
For a hollow handled survival knife the standard is arguably a Chris Reeves one piece design. You can check out the subforum here for more details. Be prepared for a much higher price than what you paid at SMKW :)
 
A good rule of thumb is that hollow handle knives are weak and subject to breakage when you might need it worst. Those ground out of one piece of steel (Chris Reeves) are an exception to that rule, though the Randall Made knives using a heavy tubing handle silver soldered to the tang have a good reputation, too. You will probably be shocked at the prices of both of those choices. Get a good Mora knife from www.ragweedforge.com and build your survival kit around the sheath or a separate pouch on your belt. That works much better.
 
mora's are not beefey enough for a survival knife
you could carry a mora, hatchet and sak or you could carry one busse
go busse, they are the toughest knives in the world and the best
 
Here is what im after. I have bought one of thoes cheap-o survival knife kits from smkw I think, You know the one compass in the screw off handle, survival kit in the handle , hard plastic sheath with a sling shot built in to it spear etc,etc,etc. Either way all I can find is the junkie ones does a really good one exist? Maybe not even really good I just need one that is better than garbage. Any thoughts or should I build my own LOL.- Joel

Those cheap ones are copies the Aitor Jungle King (I & II). The Aitors are supposed to be nice, but they're still weak at the handle juncture. They're also hard to find and expensive.
 
mora's are not beefey enough for a survival knife
you could carry a mora, hatchet and sak or you could carry one busse
go busse, they are the toughest knives in the world and the best
How, oh how, did the human race evolve from the use of sharpened rocks and pointy sticks without Mr Busse's fine knives?

:D
 
How, oh how, did the human race evolve from the use of sharpened rocks and pointy sticks without Mr Busse's fine knives?

:D

Well, it's been tough for me. Today, I have both Busses AND sharpened rocks.

I believe in being prepared.:thumbup:

Seriously -- there are good, inexpensive choices like Mora, Scrapyard, Bark River, and Ranger. There are choices priced at the intermediate level like Fallkniven, Swampyard, and Koster. There are also good, expensive choices like Busse, Chris Reeve, Fehrman, and more Customs than I can count. Pay more and you get a better blade; of course, 'better' means different things to different people. I have blades at all these price points and I'm not unhappy with any of them. If you force me to pick one, I'd pick a Busse.

And those are just fixed blade knives.

We're lucky to have MANY excellent choices. Gather a little advice, borrow a knife or two to test out yourself, and then plunge right in.
 
Well, it's been tough for me. Today, I have both Busses AND sharpened rocks.

I believe in being prepared.:thumbup:

Seriously -- there are good, inexpensive choices like Mora, Scrapyard, Bark River, and Ranger. There are choices priced at the intermediate level like Fallkniven, Swampyard, and Koster. There are also good, expensive choices like Busse, Chris Reeve, Fehrman, and more Customs than I can count. Pay more and you get a better blade; of course, 'better' means different things to different people. I have blades at all these price points and I'm not unhappy with any of them. If you force me to pick one, I'd pick a Busse.

And those are just fixed blade knives.

We're lucky to have MANY excellent choices. Gather a little advice, borrow a knife or two to test out yourself, and then plunge right in.

swampyard? tell me about these.








:p
 
Have another sip of Kool-Aid and listen to this:

What you want or need in a survival knife depends on two factors:
1) Where you will be,
2) under what circumstances you will be there.

In other words, are you equipping yourself for a dayhike, a camping or hunting trip, or a search and rescue mission?
Are you going in summer or winter, in northern forests or southwest deserts?

Without some of this, no one can tell you if a Mora, a Busse, or an Aitor or similar survival knife is most appropriate. One fact is always sure: the more you know, the less you need. A Mora and a multitool (or SAK) will get you through more problems with less weight and expense than a big chopper. A decent short fixed blade will take care of the rest ... RAT-3, F1, Bravo-1, SRK.

Spend the money you save on a good bottle of Scotch to celebrate a successful trip! :D

Edit: let me include this link to some of the Aitor survival knives! http://www.cutlerytogo.com/aitor1.html
 
My fear is that I'd lose the knife (life blindsides you like that, sometimes) and all my stuff with it. I'd say get a good, tough fixed blade, and build a little survival kit for a pouch on your belt.

What Esav said is true - what you'll be doing will determine what you'll need. Most of my outdoor activity is dayhikes with my son & his friends, so here's what I've put together: modded Becker BK-7, wax-covered matches under the scales, stone in the sheath pocket; SAK in my pocket; the rest - seven or eight basic items in zip-locks - go in an old Russian army pouch, about 6"x6", on my belt. Lots of room left in the pouch, for anything I pick along the way.

I finally decided the Becker is a little too big. So, starting this spring, I'm going to build a similar kit, with a smaller fixed blade (3.5"-4") like a Busse, RAT, or new KaBar Becker, if they're on the market by then, and maybe a smaller pouch.

I have a couple of bigger packs made up, for other purposes, if needed, but the one I use the most is my dayhike kit.

thx - cpr
 
CS Bushman!
But that might be far too plain for many.
So, for a factory-made hollow handle with sling-shot 'n sawback knife; that's not in vogue these days.
Survivalist Wilderness Knives are anything from those made in Sweden to crudely forged bowies by a back-to-nature frontiersman.
 
Anything you can fit in the handle of a knife you can fit in your pocket. If you want a hollow handled knife that you can use as a spear get a Chris Reeve. If you just want a knife that can be used as a spear, get a Strider with cord wrapped handle. But if you want a really great knife that can take just about anything you throw at it... get a BUSSE. You'll never look back.
 
Another vote for the amazing bushman, must have been so obvious you guys all neglected to mention it, right?:D

http://www.knifetests.com/page3.html
Best 12 bucks you will ever spend. If it's too plain get 2 and mod it however you like, I put a drop point on mine, shortened the handle a bit, took off the coating and put grip tape on the handle.
csstoreonline_1983_4944782

I have the bowie version on the way as well, these are ugly and begging for a mod job, and the sheath sucks, but those are the only things wrong with it.
Keep your eyes peeled for the discontinued mini bushman, more expensive but a handier size.
 
I'd stake my welfare on a Chris Reeve one-piece; they're elegantly simple and basically indestructible. The price is high, but well-worth it.
 
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