Survival knife for my nephew.

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Shotgun

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Feb 3, 2006
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My nephew went hunting with his dad this year and they scored 3 elk in the party so he's jazzed on the experience. My family and his dad scoff at the fact that I have a $150 dollar Swamp Rat that they think is funny that I call a 'Survival Knife.' So I'm going to ignore the jokes and impart some real (Un-biased) knowledge to my nephew. I'm hoping that you guys can help my pick out a good knife for survival that's in the 30-50 dollar range to get him for Christmas. Closer to the 30 would be best.:o I need to get him a gift so I figured I could get him a good knife and take him out and teach him how to use it. If he's gonna be out in the middle of nowhere I would like him to know how to handle himself. And maybe carry his dad out of danger too.:D

Also, if there are any other survival oriented gifts in that price range, let me know. Thanks.
 
The Becker Knife and Tool series is a good place to look. I can vouch that the BK7 is a good knife for about $50
 
Becker would be my first choice, with one of the heavy Ka Bar Bowies as my second in that price range.
 
http://http://www.knifezone.ca/grohmannoutdoor/r1kit.htm

Why not get him hooked on knifemaking at the same time? Maybe someday he will make you a knife.
heres the finished knife
R2Sf.jpg


A great Canadian knife, highly functional and beautiful. I'm sure this is available in the US as well.
 
Where can you find a Ka-Bar for $50?

I'm not being a smartass, I'm serious..:D
 
Mora 2000 is an excellent field knife. It would just require a little different techniques to accomplish the same goal as you would, using your Rat blade. It's approx. $30.00. A Becker BK-7, if you can find one, can be had for around $40.00. Cold Steel has a couple of knives that can be had for under the $40.00 mark.

Other gear I'd think about would be a good firestarting tool. The Spark-lite Aviators emergency firestarting kit has both the ignition tool and tinder in a small self contained unit. It's around $7.00 or so.

Water treatment is another need for survival. For what you are looking to spend, the Katadyn MP1 micropur pills would be a good choice for around $30.00. There is also Potable aqua iodine treatment that are around 10.00 a bottle.
 
Liam Ryan said:
http://http://www.knifezone.ca/grohmannoutdoor/r1kit.htm

Why not get him hooked on knifemaking at the same time? Maybe someday he will make you a knife.
heres the finished knife
R2Sf.jpg


A great Canadian knife, highly functional and beautiful. I'm sure this is available in the US as well.
Click to expand...

That was going to be my opinion as well. I purchased a kit from www.bladematrix.com for $20.00. Put the kit together in a hour or so, and the knife is a pleasure to use. Decent steel, great design, and won't hurt the wallet all that much.

Here is the link: http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=29914
 
I'll second that if you're looking to get a him a big blade. The kabar short bowies can be found for around $35.
 
for a folder a SAK one handed trekker
804485-03.jpg


for a fixed blade...... it would depend on what you think he will be doing. And you are not going to get much of a quality fixed blade for $50. I have seen the SOG Seal Revolvers around the $50-$60 range.
 
I have a Grohmann #1 and a Becker BK10. Both are fine and useful knives. The Grohmann is easier carrying and more practical for ordinary tasks, obviously, but the Becker seems more like it is specifically intended for survival-type use.
 
I have a new found liking for BT&K knives as they are a great knife to modify, clean up, streamline and make a cleaner looking knife....Hence you get a big knife and you get some knife making experience...Then you find a new respect for those that really make knives from a piece of Bar Stock.

Below is an early picture of BK9 in the grip working period, BK7 in need of finishing and new grips, BK10 rough ground and reprofiled, BK2 just started.

mvc019stg5.jpg


BK2's and BK10's can still be found in the $40.00-50.00 price range but they are disapearing fast.

Karsten
 
How old is your nephew? I was guessing in the early teens or younger, which was why I picked the Grohman. It seems to fit any sized hand comfortably.
 
I too would recommend a much smaller knife than you suggest if he is going to be hunting elk, My experience is the cutting of an elk is actually more difficult than a deer as the confines are smaller, seems in contrast to what would be intuitive but the belly is easy, but up in the ribcage, you can not muscle the ribs apart like you can a deer and a smaller more nimble knife is more useful, I would suggest the grohmann or perhaps a knife like a Bark River woodland or clip point skinner. They are going to exceed your budget, but the quality will be something he will use for the rest of his life and end up in his heirs hands...other choices in that size are the D2 rat,

http://www.sagecreekoutfitters.com/...een=PROD&Product_Code=K1203&Category_Code=ORK

Now if you are wanting to give him a big whacker for the "survival" aspect, feel free to give him anything you want.

http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=30811 a ka bar for 45 bucks good people to deal with....

But I did my moose and one of my elk just using a BRKT mini canadian and a older buck skinner. On my trips, I have never seen a guide with a knife bigger than a 4-4.5 inch blade, I do not think it is appropriate to try to wrangle his head against his dads idea of what works for him.

This is a great heavy hunting knife.... http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=28725

as is this
http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=28728

http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=24647

http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=38737


Not to be overly brash, but if I was to meet a bush guide who had a knife like the big one's on the bottom of the above pic, I would consider asking about refunds.
 
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