Survival knife

I don't think anyone has mentioned the new Blackjack Trailguide knives. They come with single or double guards, and have blades of 52100 steel. The blade length is a bit under 5 inches.
 
Trace Rinaldi :

[vs "production" blades from Busse Combat]

there is something to be said for a Custom maker who produces a quality product, with emphasis on fit and finish, with quality materials and the best heat/cryo treatment available...
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First off Trace, Jerry Busse is a custom knife maker, this is at the root of the Busse Combat knives. Their heat treating is also done in house and quite frankly I can think of few few individuals who know as much about steel and heat treating as he does. He also has a very solid grasp on issues such as blade geometry, issues of balance etc., so the above contrast doesn't hold. While Busse Combat blades do not fit the defination of "custom" as currently used (which I think is nonsense), they are not even similar to a production company like Cold Steel, for which your comments would hold.

But anyone who wants to break a knife CAN do it! No matter what steel yer talking about...
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No one has every argued that Busse Combat makes unbreakable knives, though I have seen more than one custom maker promote their knives in this manner. The point is quite simply that the durablity is very high, and that this is not hype, but performance that is supported by Busse Combat. There is no nonsense about promotional testing that the users can't attempt to verify.

Trace, while I have not used your blades, I know people who I respect who have and speak well of you. I also see a lot of functionality in several of your designs such as the Megiddo, which is a type of blade that Busse Combat doesn't even offer, unfortunately. This is where your argument should come from as it has a lot of merit.

-Cliff
 
Yes I think I may have forgotten about Chris Reeve and Tops. They are both very good I just wish C. Reeve would put a bigger guard on the knives. You might also want to check out Bill Siegle knives or even Bob Dozier....
 
I second King Grinch's complaint about the small guards on the Chris Reeves knives. I was about to buy one but chose a Blackjack Model 5 instead, because it had a larger guard. Careless and clumsy people like myself need knives with long guards.
 
Now theres a funny thing. I once purchased a shadow IV from Chris. When I received it, I found the guard too small (years ago now).

I rang Chris that night (I think I spoke to Anne)and said I would also like a project 2, but could he make the guard larger (longer) and at the same time drill lanyard holes in it. The answer back was one expected, it takes too much Bar Stock to acheive this and although possible, very expensive for the user.

Maybe CRK could start a custom shop up where you make to order? I would go for a P2 with larger guard and lanyard holes in a flash!
 
I think Gundy has identified the problem with small guards. When the guards are integral to the blade as in Chris Reeve's one piece designs, they tend to be pretty small. Unfortunately alot of otherwise great knives are made this way, and have to be ruled out by those of us who need the extra insurance of a wide guard.
 
I have found the single style guard/finger coil combo on my Busse's very effective concerning safety issues as the "E" or ergonomic handles lend force and in exactly the right way. Over the years, designers have gone away from the usual 'Randall' style guards and it is a shame, as they were and could be still very popular.
 
Here are some nice examples of Bill Siegle's work. I like all of the knives mentioned so far, but, before you go for one of these cool high tech butcher/wood chopping knives, walk over to your local Walmart and get yourself a good SAK. It can be really hard to pull a spinter out of your toe with a 12" bowie, and you are far more likely to do that then to fight off lions, tigers, and bears (or even those ferocious trees). :)

n2s
 
I would have to say for the money approx. 80.00 the cold steel SRK is a very tough knife.I have used mine alot with no complaints
 
BK&T Combat/Utility 7 or BK&T Combat Bowie (BK9 coming out next month)

my personal pick (which may be altered when I get my BK9) for my survival scenarios was a BK&T BK7 with a WSI Survival Kit in that lil pouch, along with a nice lensatic compass and an SAS wire-saw.
Perfect for TEOTWAWKI :)
 
I was wondering how the Benchmade Nimravus or Camillus CQB might serve as survival knives? I have shyed away from them myself due to the lack of guards, but perhaps in other respects they would make good multipurpose knives.

Mr. Mitin's earlier post, berating large, heavily made "survival knives", reveals a European perspective on the subject. Most European countries have lower crime rates in comparison to the U.S., so a knife with defensive capabilities would not be valued there. On the other hand, campers and hikers in the U.S. are sometimes attacked, so many here think of a survival knife as one which can be effective for self-defense.

I would think a medium size knife with features similar to the U.S. Pilot Survival knife would be the best compromise between utility and defensive use.
 
Will Fennel himself said that for survival purposes the Beckers are better than the CQBs.
Don't get me wrong or anything, the CQBs and the Nimravus are great knives, and would make fine work knives, as well as personal defense.
HOWEVER, they are too light and short to do much chopping, so you sacrifice strength and choppability for a slightly better personal defense weapon.
Although, a BK7 seems to be ok in a weapon role, it is blade heavy (as a hardcore utility knife should be) which makes it slightly awkward and pretty much impossible to really use in a reverse grip, but it is a helluva utility knife.

It's your call.
 
Hello Youngcutter,

Three_grams in his original post said he had a Gerber axe and a folding knife, and was looking for something to complement these.
In this case I would not think he needs a large chopping blade, since he already has an axe. A medium size knife would fit the gap between the axe and the small folder. It should be capable of self-defense use, but also usable for shelter and food preparation. I expect a large utility knife like the BK7 might be awkward to use for deboning a possum, for example.
 
Under those circumstances I will alter my vote to a Camillus CQB1 or CQB2 (that stainless is nice for the skinning/food prep)
 
Here is another option, mentioned previously by Mr. Mitin. It is the Spyderco Fred Perrin Street Bowie. I just finished reading some threads about it, and owners report that it is a fantastic knife. Of particular interest to me is the deep finger choil, which should afford a more secure grip than the shallow choils on the Camillus CQB and Benchmade Nimravus.
 
"Survival" speck/style knives should be built to be a little more robust than those you would use at home in civilisation. This generally means they loose out a bit in the efficiency department.

Frankly any knife in a survival situation is a plus. You will probably buy the one that suits your pocket and most of the sugestions would do and would be great to have with you.

My advice is not to go too heavy. Heavy knives you "pack", light knives you tend to "carry". "Pack", I mean by: you make a conscious decision to take it with you. "Carry" is part of your everyday dress and is most likely to be with you in an emergency.
Another problem with weighty knives is that when you are exhausted, truely exhausted, they are difficult to manipulate and control. I still maintain a Cold Steel SRK is a good start survival knife, until you know what more you want.

The guard/tines on my CR Projects are just fine for a utility/survival knife as they are enough and more would get in the way; well thats my opinion.
 
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