Survival\BOB Knife for a Newbie

I'm new to knives and I'm building a bug-out bag and I'm looking for ONE solid survival knife to add to it.

What recommendations do you guys have for a primary survival knife? Something to cut, chop, baton, and beat the crap out of but will still last. I will use it in more camping activites/building shelters/gathering firewood/ than say hunting/skinning.

I know there is no 1 answer but what blade length and material recommendations do you have?

I've been looking at RAT's (is an RC-4 too short?), Busse's (nice but expensive), Fallkniven (expensive), etc.

I already have a Leatherman Wave Multitool and a Glock entrenching tool as other tools in the bag. I will also have a 2-3 inch pocket knife as well as I EDC one now and will be looking for another.

Thanks for your input,

FG12351

(Sorry I just saw that I posted in the wrong section my apologies)
 
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MVF

MVF

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Messages
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You're already looking at some good knives, you can add Ranger and Fehrman to your list, as well as many of the makers that sell here on the exchange. I like something in the 3-4" range accompanied by a machete/large knnife (8-10")/or tomahawk/axe. A lot depends on where you are and what kind of environment you'll be dealing with.
 
I like the Mora 2000 for this, I have one in the BOB in my car. Not expensive, very durable, and stainless so you don't have to worry about corrosion during long-term storage.

Mora%202000upr.JPG


The blade is *about* 4", and it has a plastic sheath. It's very light weight, but tough. The handle is a semi-soft plastic, which gives a very good grip.

It ain't the prettiest knife out there, but for a knife I'm going to put away and not think about for long periods of time, it is one of the best.

Andy
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
I like the Mora 2000 for this, I have one in the BOB in my car. Not expensive, very durable, and stainless so you don't have to worry about corrosion during long-term storage.
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Worth mentioning also that the Sandvik 12C27 used in the Mora 2000 (and many other Mora knives) is quite tough -- tougher in fact than 1095 carbon steel, according to Sandvik. IMO that makes this a top choice for a survival knife.
 
I like that Sandvik steel too and for the money the Mora is agreat knife. But if you can afford it Fallkniven S1 is superb.
 
What recommendations do you guys have for a primary survival knife? Something to cut, chop, baton, and beat the crap out of but will still last. I will use it in more camping activites/building shelters/gathering firewood/ than say hunting/skinning.
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I just ordered a couple of Cold Steel Kukri after reading a review a little below this one. Seems like one of those would do everything you mentioned.
 
From what you describe as your intended use I would try one of the forementioned. Its a serious hard use knife that you can beat the snot out of and usually find for somewhere around 30$ or less. I ground the top guard off and made the bottom one smaller which added greatly to the utility use. For the price you cant beat the reliability and toughness. Ive got one that my father in law carried through 3 tours of 'Nam and the scabbard is still in good shape..KV
 
think about what survival/bob means. you wake up everyday and go online, go to the store and get food, etc. do you honestly expect to live for months out in the wilderness with a big knife and no skills? can you see yourself "beating the crap" out of a knife?

i wish i had thought about that when i was looking for a survival knife. skip the big fancy survival knives. get a mora ($10) and start practicing survival skills if you are actually interested in survival. size, shape, materials of the knife are your preference and should be based on use. i thought i liked big choppers and found that i actually like axes a lot more.

get in shape if you arent; start a better diet, stop smoking, etc. and perhaps most importantly, try to figure out why you care so much about survival

of course, there is nothing wrong with getting an expensive knife. just remember that you dont need to pay a lot to get a survival knife.

edit: knives in my BOB: swisstool spirit, mora, razors. also edc a spyderco military as my survival knife.
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
I like the Mora 2000 for this, I have one in the BOB in my car. Not expensive, very durable, and stainless so you don't have to worry about corrosion during long-term storage.

Mora%202000upr.JPG


The blade is *about* 4", and it has a plastic sheath. It's very light weight, but tough. The handle is a semi-soft plastic, which gives a very good grip.

It ain't the prettiest knife out there, but for a knife I'm going to put away and not think about for long periods of time, it is one of the best.

Andy
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Listen to this man! For the price of Fehrman's and such (great knives btw)you could by about 10 M2K's.
 
Like a lot of folks here, I have bush knives that cost ten times as much as the Mora 2000, and I still reach for the M2K a lot of the time when heading out! It's just a really impressive slicer/carver. Handle isn't too shabby for a production blade for sure. Come visit the Wilderness and Survival Skills area of BF for more outdoors chat/info. See Ragnar at www.ragweedforge.com for Mora's. See Kiahs for some sweet kydex. :D

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For a chopper / machete Kershaw Outcast Knife would be an excellent way to go. I have one that serves as my camp knife, Along with a BK-2 that I carry. There is a good review of it at Kershaw Outcast Knife Review

There are lots of excellent high end knives out there. I have a very few. Some cost so much to be honest I cringe every time they get scratched. IMO you do not need to spend a fortune for a real world hard use knife. Men that really use combat / survival / fighting blades just don't have a lot of money to spend on high end blades. For 25 years Ethan Becker has been designing top quality knives for the working man. Knives that work for a living. Honest clean functional indestructible designs, that are just plain brutal to anything they come up against. Combine that with the fact that since 1942 during WWII when a KA-BAR became the Marines official combat knife, KA-BAR has the proven production skills to produce premier quality hard use knives that have served American warriors in every war we have been in since. KA-BAR not only set the standard by which all other combat / survival / fighting knives are measured. KA-BAR created the standard. Becker's designs have raised that standard to a whole new level of performance and value. Easily equal to many knives costing six or seven times as much. You will be hard put to find a better hard use knife at any price. IMO for under $100 no one comes even close. Take a look at any of these KA-BAR / BECKER knives;
KA-BAR / Becker BK-2 "Becker Campanion"
KA-BAR / Becker BK-7 "Becker Combat Utility"
KA-BAR / Becker BK-9 "Becker Combat Bowie"

If you want to go a bit higher end consider any one of Grayman's Knives. They are hand made and designed by an operator that has spent the better part of a decade fighting Al-Qaeda. There is something special about having a blade with Death to Al-Qaeda stamped on it spine that you know is made by the man who used a blade just like yours to make a terrorist take a dirt nap. My understanding is that the sale of these knives aids him continue his fight against Al-Qaeda in Dafar. I like the thought that my knife purchase may have helped remove one more terrorist from the planet.

If you want pay out a bit more you may consider a Equatorian Chili from MercWorx an absolutely devastating weapon. If the SHTF this is the blade that will be strapped to my hip but in all honesty I would be equally comfortable carrying a KA-BAR / BECKER knives

Of course all of the above are made in America by Americans for Americans.
 
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I think most people who are into bushcraft take a 4" blade (a Mora does have the benefit of being very cheap, which I think makes it the ideal choice for a knife you might never actually use... and it is very good if you do need to use it) and then a small axe and/or folding saw. If you don't plan on adding an axe/hatchet/saw then you're going to want a bigger, stronger knife than a Mora or similar.

I don't have any experience in this larger class of knife, but my choice would be a RAT RC-6. While not being the ideal knife for chopping or carving/food prep tasks, I think it may be the best comprimise if you only had 1 cutting tool to work with.
 
I agree on the 4 to 5 inch blade. After that the blade gets to cumbersome for a lot of field craft needs. That is why my Outcast is my camp knife and the BK2 is the knife on my hip.

I also agree that you do not want to bet your life on a cheap knife. On the flip side there is absolutely no reason or need to go with only a high dollar knife. Especially for someone who is new to knives. It is better to get a good quality knife that you are not afraid of using. Than you can learn what a real quality survival knife is and should be capable of. That is why I suggested the BK-2. though many prefer the 7 inch blade of the BK 7 and may be an option for the OP.

This is not a cheap knife. Both KA-BAR and Becker have established their reputations by providing top of the line quality knives at affordable rates. IMO it is the perfect knife for someone new to knives and any skilled woodsman who appreciates quality over image. Get the BK2, use it, get to know it. It will set the standard that you will judge all other knives by and than be the one that you will use when you want a really good knife you can bet your life on. Than when you decide to invest in a more expensive knife you will know what a good quality knife should be. You will see that BK2 compares favorably to many much more expensive knives

KA-BAR / Becker BK-2 "Becker Campanion"
Overall length: 10.5"
Cutting Edge Length: 5.25"
Blade Width: 1.75"
Weight (knife only): 14.6 ounces
Drop point blade style, flat grind
Maximum thickness: .25"
1095 Carbon Steel, 58 Rc.
Removable Grivory handle slabs
BK 2 hard shell black glass filled nylon sheath.: $ 56.46

............................................

RC-6 w/ Molded Sheath
Overall length: 11.75"
Cutting Edge Length: 5.75"
Blade Width: 1.56"
Weight (knife only): 11.8 ounces
Drop point blade style, full flat grind
Maximum thickness: .188"
1095 Carbon Steel, 57 Rc.
Removable lined Micarta handle slabs
RC-6P - Plain Edge with molded sheath: $ 200.34

A bit of an aside, For a survival knife use the Becker line of knives are so popular with many woods man that several have developed survival kits that fit into their hollow handle that can hold essential survival items. These survival kits can be used in most any Becker knife as most of their handles are all essentially the same My BK-7 Kit Knife SASS
 
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fg12351 said:
Something to cut, chop, baton, and beat the crap out of but will still last. I will use it in more camping activites/building shelters/gathering firewood/ than say hunting/skinning.
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Since you put it that way, I would rule out the Moras. While you certainly can get by with one, if you're the type who likes the above activities, then you might want something stouter. The 4-5 inch range does most of these things, but doesn't chop well. Larger knives chop well, but are handicapped (generally) for finer tasks. You might want to check out the Becker line, and Himalayan Imports. A full flat grind or convex grind will be stronger than a hollow grind for your applications.

You also might want to think about a hatchet rather than a large knife, some people like them better.

If you have a good pocketknife, such as a Vic Farmer or Huntsman, or a good stockman, you have the finer cutting pretty well covered. There isn't much that a Mora could do over and above a Vic Farmer.
 
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I'd go with an RC4 for the knife uses and throw in a hatchet for the chopping.
Either that or do as I do and use a kukri as the chopper. I use a Himalayan Imports M-43 and it has worked to build a couple trappers cabins as well as scads of shorter term shelters.
 
sodak said:
Since you put it that way, I would rule out the Moras. While you certainly can get by with one, if you're the type who likes the above activities, then you might want something stouter. The 4-5 inch range does most of these things, but doesn't chop well. Larger knives chop well, but are handicapped (generally) for finer tasks.
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Generally speaking you'd be right but the BK2's quarter inch thick 2.75 X 5.25 blade has very impressive chopping ability. I had a bunch of smaller trees that I spent a day limbing and the BK2 breezed through branches a half inch thick with one stroke. I chopped alot of the trunks up with the BK2 as well as battoned those that needed splitting. Very rugged but to your point the thickness gives a nice weight to your swing. It held its edge well enough to butcher and skin a bunny my dog caught. Was great for splitting the carcass too and spiral cut some scrap leather for thread to stretch the hide with
 
fg12351 said:
I'm new to knives and I'm building a bug-out bag and I'm looking for ONE solid survival knife to add to it.

What recommendations do you guys have for a primary survival knife? Something to cut, chop, baton, and beat the crap out of but will still last. I will use it in more camping activites/building shelters/gathering firewood/ than say hunting/skinning.

I know there is no 1 answer but what blade length and material recommendations do you have?

I've been looking at RAT's (is an RC-4 too short?), Busse's (nice but expensive), Fallkniven (expensive), etc.

I already have a Leatherman Wave Multitool and a Glock entrenching tool as other tools in the bag. I will also have a 2-3 inch pocket knife as well as I EDC one now and will be looking for another.

Thanks for your input,

FG12351

(Sorry I just saw that I posted in the wrong section my apologies)
Click to expand...

You should check out grohmannknives.com. A Canadian company that produces excellent quality knives. They use German Solingen steel. I own several of their knives, both kitchen and outdoor knives. I believe they are of exceptional quality. You should be able to get one for about $120 CDN!
 
You should check out grohmannknives.com. They are a Canadian company that I believe produce exceptional knives, using German Solingen steel. You should be able to buy a fantastic survival knife for about $120.00 CDN!
 
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