Survival Knife Description ?

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
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I have been reading another thread where people are describing their criteria for a BushCraft Knife and it got me thinking what criteria would you use to describe your idea of a perfect Survival knife ?
Please don't give me that " Survival knife is the one you have on you " after all anyone reading this forum should by now be prepared at all times and not happen to find themselves in the middle of nowhere with a monkey metal chinese knife from a gift shop !!!
Please don't just list brands but also give details of blade length, grind type and steel etc, maybe even suggesting how your current favourite could be improved upon !!!:thumbup:
 
My survival knife is the one I have with me. It could be a Boker Subcom or a 3 blade stockman or a multitool. I don't gear up every time I walk out the front door. When I go "prepared" it is usually with a Mora clipper or something similar. During the winter I often carry a hatchet too.
 
I've read that serrated knives are not the best wilderness blades. Also that the blade should be between 4-6" long and between 1/8" to 1/4" thick. I also read that drop point is the most versatile. Preferably full tang or similar. And a lanyard hole helps. And obviously strong, durable steel is a must.



Source: Equipped to Survive
 
my large sak is my true go to survival knife. the large blade and wood saw make for a great duo in the woods in a very compact package. i like the awl too.


i wish mine came with that little stick pin hole by the corkscrew. i always need a stick pin for splinters and such. why don't they put that on all the models?
 
One criteria in my opinion is that it must have a high enough quality blade that it wont need frequent sharpening.

I take my ka-bar when I go into the bush, I can do everything I need to prepare a fire with it: chop and split wood, shave sticks for kindling, scrape material for tinder, and keeps a razor sharp edge. And of course its very durable, I can trust it not to break if I had to use it for prying or batoning.

But the best survival knife might be thats practical to carry when you dont expect you'll need a knife. Seems a lot of the time people are thrust into survival situations totally unexpectedly.
 
If I am going to be more than a Shout or a Crawl from civilisation then I GO PREPARED to coin the phrase that 2 Dogs used. To me that means a knife that is not too large to be cumbersome, a 4-5" blade seems about right.
I'm the same as most on here and have knives in many shapes and sizes but this is what I would now be looking for....

4-5" blade of 3/16" High Carbon Steel. A Drop point, straight ground blade. A comfortable handle that permits different grips. It must have a full tang !
The knife must be strong enough to use with a batton, this also means it should have a flat spine, no saw-backs or false edges !!!
It must be able to be choked up for finer wood-working tasks and have a blade that is of use around camp for cutting up food stuffs. In saying this I do not care if my rabbit or squirrel is a little hacked up and not cut wafer thin like a sushi chef, this is after all survival !

Do I own this blade....NO, but I am still looking and do have others that tick most of the boxes !!!
 
pitdog said:
4-5" blade of 3/16" High Carbon Steel. A Drop point, straight ground blade. A comfortable handle that permits different grips. It must have a full tang !
The knife must be strong enough to use with a batton, this also means it should have a flat spine, no saw-backs or false edges !!!
It must be able to be choked up for finer wood-working tasks and have a blade that is of use around camp for cutting up food stuffs. In saying this I do not care if my rabbit or squirrel is a little hacked up and not cut wafer thin like a sushi chef, this is after all survival !
Click to expand...

Have you seen Nicks survival knife? :thumbup: :D I had mine made in the 4 inch version. I love mine. ;) :p

KR
 
witchhunter said:
my large sak is my true go to survival knife. the large blade and wood saw make for a great duo in the woods in a very compact package. i like the awl too.


i wish mine came with that little stick pin hole by the corkscrew. i always need a stick pin for splinters and such. why don't they put that on all the models?
Click to expand...

that's a pretty easy mod. you might want to look into some of the guys doing SAK mods and see about getting a custyom set of scales witht eh stick pin, pen, and light added in.

of course, taking a hot pin and sticking it in there to make the hole might work just as well.
 
pitdog said:
4-5" blade of 3/16" High Carbon Steel. A Drop point, straight ground blade. A comfortable handle that permits different grips. It must have a full tang !
The knife must be strong enough to use with a batton, this also means it should have a flat spine, no saw-backs or false edges !!!
It must be able to be choked up for finer wood-working tasks and have a blade that is of use around camp for cutting up food stuffs. In saying this I do not care if my rabbit or squirrel is a little hacked up and not cut wafer thin like a sushi chef, this is after all survival !

Do I own this blade....NO, but I am still looking and do have others that tick most of the boxes !!!
Click to expand...

I think your list of criteria seams resonable. I've never really given much thought to what makes a good survival knife. I've owned several knives that came close to this set of criteria and worked fine for me. I recently got a knife that fits your description very close.
5" Blade, 3/16" thick (I think), full tang, flat spine, no serrations, false egde etc..., large choil that allows choking up on the blade for better control, well balanced, battons great and the handle is nearly indestructable. So far it cuts through everything I've thrown at it. The only thing I have found it does not do well is chopping. The blade is a little to short and light; otherwise it is a great all around knife.
 
pitdog said:
If I am going to be more than a Shout or a Crawl from civilisation then I GO PREPARED to coin the phrase that 2 Dogs used. To me that means a knife that is not too large to be cumbersome, a 4-5" blade seems about right.
I'm the same as most on here and have knives in many shapes and sizes but this is what I would now be looking for....

4-5" blade of 3/16" High Carbon Steel. A Drop point, straight ground blade. A comfortable handle that permits different grips. It must have a full tang !
The knife must be strong enough to use with a batton, this also means it should have a flat spine, no saw-backs or false edges !!!
It must be able to be choked up for finer wood-working tasks and have a blade that is of use around camp for cutting up food stuffs. In saying this I do not care if my rabbit or squirrel is a little hacked up and not cut wafer thin like a sushi chef, this is after all survival !

Do I own this blade....NO, but I am still looking and do have others that tick most of the boxes !!!
Click to expand...

how about this?

8.5 inches overall with a 4.5 inch blade, made as an integral with a barge cemented on deerskin wrap (asy to replace). 3/16 thick at the base of the spine (at the heel) with a steady distal all the way up. Incidentally, this is my first fully forged knife. Grind is flat, 3/4 of the blade, with a 21/18 compound bevel on the edge. The next one is going to have a pretty sturdy edge and a partial scandi grind, but it's a full 1/4 inch at the butt end. not done yet :)

(I had the forge a bit hot on this one as it was my first blade in the forge, it pitted a bit and I didn't polish them out all the way as a reminder)

IMG_2215.jpg


IMG_2224.jpg



IMG_2227.jpg
 
Well, if I'm heading outdoors, I will always carry a fixed blade that will fill this role. I know some prefer a large blade and I do to most of the time, however I don't always get the option to carry it in some places, hence a smaller belt knife is more likely to be my main blade.

With that said, some things I would avoid for a "survival" blade:

1. serrations, not really necessary for outdoors needs
2. Clip point blade...anything with a very narrow, skinning tip that may break
3. Double edged; I like a solid spine to whack on
4. Cheap steel (440C or AUS8 is as low as I would probably go)
5. Narrow or cord-wrapped handles

Now, I don't have a big problem with a good stainless blade nor fear of a rust-prone high-carbon blade. For most emergency situations, neither are that important if you have the other "essentials" on you. As long as you have a tried and tested (and decently heat-treated) blade, you'll be okay.

What I do like to see:

1. Full tang (the only hollow handle I have and trust are Chris Reeves)
2. 3/16" to 1/4" thick blades
3. Flat or full convex grind
4. Wide blade profile
5. Spear or drop point prefered
6. Comfortable handle for chopping
7. Pommel that can be used comfortably in your palm for drilling
8. Lanyard hole
9. Quality/functional/comfortable sheath or sheath system.

Reasonable blade length for a belt knife (for me) is anything from 4" to 6". Anything bigger, and it's a little too cumbersome without a specific drop leg sheath or other carry method; anything smaller, and there's not much advantage over a quality folding knife (which is even more convenient to carry). Personally, I like a 5 to 5.5" blade, that seems to be ideal for small and large chores such as building an emergency shelter. Again, this is a knife that needs to be on your person, hence a belt knife...the only way I'm leaving it behind is if I'm in my Birthday suit. I like a choil, but it's not a mandatory requirement; a choil is just comfortable for me on mid to large sized blades...I usually have a smaller folder or SAK, so they do the really small work for me. The thicker 1/4" blades are okay if the blade profile is wide and has a decent flat or full convex grind. A mid-sized knife is not solely a chopper and I don't care for too many of the saber ground, thick blades. A wide flat/full convex grind gives you a great cutting edge and still enough lateral strength for minor prying if needed.

I mentioned full-tang. If a knife is done correctly (especially mid to smaller belt knives), I don't have a huge problem with stick-tang knives. However, if I was to choose, I would pick a full tang mostly for my psychological comfort. There are some really good hidden tang knives that work quite well, such as Bark River (the Nebula and Kephart come to mind).

The sheath is often overlooked. I don't mind treated leather if it's comfortable and carries well, but a good Kydex sheath can be built into a great system with a ferro-rod or small PSK pouch if needed. You need to be able to access and sheath the knife without too much trouble, but it still needs to be secure enough not to fall out if you take a spill or touble down the side of a hill.

A comfortable handle is a must, especially if you plan to use for a continuous hour or two building a shelter or gathering/chopping/battoning firewood. This is purely and individual thing. Chris Reeves' handles are uncomfortable for some and others don't have a problem with them for extended chopping sessions. I'm not a big fan of the cord-wrapped handle or a very thing handle, so those are things I avoid. I typically don't like a rubber handle, but Fallkniven knives are an exception for me. They don't bite as bad as the older Cold Steel Kraton covered handles.

For the more advanced primative-skill people, a higher carbon blade can be used to make sparks for fires, but since I always have a ferro rod on me, it's not a "high-carbon only" knife requirement.

I know you don't want to hear that "it's the knife that's on me", but the truth of the matter is your favorite "survival" knife will never be there when you need it if you don't take it on the day hikes or short hunting trips. I think most of us are well aware of that and typically "over-prepare" for the shortest trips...those to me, are the most likely to turn bad as you're not planning anything more than just a few hours or single day event.

ROCK6
 
I prefer the Fallkniven F1 because it is the proper size (4" blade, fulltang, convex etc) and can take lots and lots of beating and it is not too aggresive amongst normal people either.
I complement that with a folding saw and a Leatherman Fuse.
http://hem.passagen.se/trio.jpg

If I dont have time to plan my "survival" I have to make do with a Fallkniven WM1. It is not that strong as the F1 but easier to bring along and fits in my nice-to-have-things box. I have a Fallkniven U2 folder in my pocket if I need to do normal things but it might be a survival tool too if needed.

My best suggestion for a good "survival knife" is to look at some of the models you like, try them out and bring them along on normal outdoor hikes and see if you like it. I would like to have a Fallkniven MC1 (short sword) just because it is so cool, but it would not be a good survival knife because it is too big.
If a knife feels good in you hand, it keeps a good edge, it doesnt weigh you down too much and it appeals you design wise, then use it.
I would not prefer too big knives because you might be tempted to chop with it and by doing so the risk for injuries increases. You can split wood with a short knife in a safer way than chopping.
I would most likely make do with a Fallkniven F1, not that it is so cute, it is also developed to be used in the region I live. Winter, cold, snow, rain, wet, wet, wet.

A knife of brand X might work very well in summer time when it is dry and nice weather but perform like a piece of junk when it is cold and wet.

Good luck.
 
I've gonna be honest, a SAK is all I would NEED. Though having an 8" blade (ka-bar tanto) is very convenient. But the serrations on my ka-bar are very usful, for me anyways. There thick, so on chopping I find they aid me. Its eaiser to notch out notch's. But I believe that my nimravus, or revolver would be the knives I'd want on my belt, very controlable but I can still do the nasty stuff.
 
koyote.... thyat is a nice blade good work... my survival knife rigt now is a vic farmer... I've been using it almost exclusively for about a month and have doen alot with it...during the winter I plan on doing a comoprehensive review on it....If I'm going out into the bush I'll also bring a 12 inch ontario camp machete... (does all the heavy work) and fits neatly and inconspiculously lashed to the bottom of my maxpedition devildog buttpack.
 
Light enough to always have with me, but still stout.
Strong point
Easy to field sharpen
Comfortable handle (This is the hardest criteria to fill IMO)
4-6" blade (3/16ths of an inch seems to be an ideal thickness for me)
I have several from different makers that fit my ideal now.
 
I agree, Nick's knife has fit the ticket for me perfectly. It goes everywhere with me as much as possible.

I'm split between a SAK (camper or farmer) or a golok as a second knife. It would depend where I was and what I was doing.
 
skammer said:
Isn't there a search function. Been asked a million times.

Skam[/QUOTE


Nearly every question on this forum has probably been asked in one form or another over the years, however we always get new members and there are always new knives on the market !!!
Click to expand...
 
Random04 said:
I agree, Nick's knife has fit the ticket for me perfectly. It goes everywhere with me as much as possible.

I'm split between a SAK (camper or farmer) or a golok as a second knife. It would depend where I was and what I was doing.
Click to expand...

Can you give me a link to this " Nick's Knife " !
 
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