Survival Knife

I have spent a lot of time with Big game guides, Native peoples who live on the edge of Civilization(both northern and southern), old time Foresters and woodsmen. Some things i have learned.

In the southern (central america and further south.) the first tool bought or traded for is a machete. It is quite simply amazing what they can do with that one tool. From making shelter, to killing and processing game to making paths or self defense. the machete rules in the jungle climate. In the far north, the kit is almost always a small folder. a mid size fixed blade, and a smaller hatchet. The needs are different, but the tools are pretty standardized for location. Rarely above mid texas do you see people who rely on the wild for livelihood carrying a machete. It is a tool for the soft growth of the tropical latitudes. anywhere in the colder climes, you will see the small jack knife, the mid size fixed blade and the hatchet, this applies to the Baltic countries, Northern canada, Alaska, Siberia. The only exception to this would be the Ulu of the inuits, and that is often supplimented by the others when they can afford it. On my trips to Alaska, and Canada hunting, one of the favorite things to leave behind with guides or camp help is a good smaller knife. The people I have left mine with have always held them in high regard.

The only addition i have added of late is a very small fixed blade like a minicanadian skinner from BRKT. With that, one can almost skip the smaller folder, but I keep them both just on the basis of so useful, and if i leave the BRKT behind, i still have a small folder for the trip home.
 
You may wish to consider BRK&T's new "Aurora". It's designed along the line of British bushcraft knives but without the large bevel. It's priced very reasonably and would probably be my choice in a production blade for the purposes you mentioned.
 
ninjajoe said:
I agree, price is really the main issue. I have a Busse FBM on order, up till now for wilderness type stuff I have relyed on my Benchmade Nimravous in M2, I like it alot, but dont seariously abuse it as the steel isint quite on par with some others as far as shock resistance. that said I have pounded it through quite a few logs with no problumes. It takes and holds an incredible edge, and that to me is more important than being super tough.
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M2 takes a very good edge and it tends to keep it for a very long time due to its high hardness. In terms of ductility though, one needs to be very careful since the steel is not a tough one. When someone uses a knife (mostly if it is made of M2) for pounding through logs, they should never use any metallic object (such as a pipe or a hammer for that matter) to pound on the back of the blade since this will create micro fractures. It may not be visible in the beginning but they will be there thus weakening the knife and making it more susceptible to breaking. It is much better to use a wooden club since this will transfer the kinetic energy on the back of the blade but it will also offer a degree of "elasticity" so it won't be as harsh on the knife. Generally, I believe that M2 makes a very good cutter (provided heat treatment is right) but I would refrain from using it during pounding.


I dont have any of them but I like the look of the randall adventure and training series, (except the RTAK, read stamp's review) maby one of there 6.5" ones if its the only knife you'll have, or a 4.5 if its a companion? the Ranger ready detachment series looks good too. another thing that is verry overlooked is what kind of stones / sharpening systm will you be using? a good knife is just about worthless without good sharpening equiptment.
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The RAT-7 is indeed a good knife suitable for survival applications. You may find this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=430248 very informative on this knife.

I hope that helps.
 
siguy said:
survival knives are usually fixed blade so that it can be used for light chopping as well, though you can just whittle through most reasonably sized saplings in a matter of seconds with a sharp blade. most people want a hollow handle knife for their micro survival kit, but it is usually better to go without for the sake of structural integrity of the knife. usually a pouch attached to the front of a sheath will contain much more than the handle could hold, and be much more easy to get to. if you want a folder, i will suggest that you get a strong reliable lock that has a good reputation. a larger blade with a relatively thick spine could be useful, though some people prefer a thinner spine. a good edge grind is of course essential. but ultimately it is up to you, and you have to think about the requirements that you are looking to meet.
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Note:
Bold emphasis added by me.

Siguy,

Have you tried Chris Reeve Knives hollow handled knives yet?
If not, I highly recommend you check them out. They are a solid chunk of A-2 tool steel that is completely shaped by milling the chunk down. The whole knife is a single piece of steel!
The structural integrity of these knives is easily as good and really is better in some ways than a full tang knife.
I have an NKONKA and it is one knife that I feel is a real-deal total package.
The blade is strong and exceptionally sharp right OOB. The hollow handle contains a carbide bit driver set. The leather sheath is 10 oz. leather!

The only thing I can find about the knife to whine about is CRK hardens their A-2 Hollow handled knives to Rc55-57. I feel they could have taken it a point higher. Big deal...just my opinion. Even this has turned into a non-issue because, it works just as good as any other quality fixed blade out there. And, at this Rc, it should be easy to restore that hair popping edge on a river rock, if need be. Well, when I finally get around to that stage. So far, swiping it across a strop has brought it back to scary sharp. I've used it to chop dead wood, take down some Camphor tree saplings, some rough whittling and de-barking. Mikey likee!

I had a CRK Sable IV and it's handle had an emergency med kit I stored in there that included emergency pain meds, Alcohol wipes, butterfly bandages (in case emergency sutures were needed) and a little gauze. I was waiting for a small suture kit to show up on the 'net, but economic circumstances had forced me to sell the knife before that came to fruition(much sadness was dealt with after that transaction).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there really is a quality hollow handled knife line out there to be had. They are not cheap, but they were worth what I paid for them. And, Chris Reeve Knives is the only real contender in this category as far as I know. I believe a custom maker or two makes good hollow handled knives, IIRC, Jack Crain may be one of them, but CRK can be had without a multi-year wait like a custom maker might have in store for you.


All the best,
Mike U.
 
If you have money try to find a Mc Williams.
If you habe midlle money try a Falknieven , or a Cordova custom survival.
If you have a limited money Cold steel will make the job correctly.
 
has anyone had any experience with the para traxx,i have found a supplier who sells them for 20.00,this is 50.00 less than the maker charges.is it worth 20.00 grandpas.knives
 
It is said on this site that the Benchmade CSK is better made than the CS SRK. It is about $80-$90 dollars or so. I ordered one for use as my survival knife, but I have not recieved it yet. And it will be a lot less expensive than the Presidio.
 
Let me premise this post by saying I am a novice and am trying to learn about what makes a quality knife.

Nobody has mentioned the Gerber LMF II. Is this just another knife with a lot of talk and no action?

One knife I've heard good things about is the "Knives of Alaska" bush knife in AUS-8. Any thoughts on this knife as a good servival/camp knife?
 
matthew krissak said:
The best survival knife IMO, is the fallkniven F1, for a small fixed blade. And the Fallkniven A1 for a larger blade.
As for the Manix. you cant go wrong. I love mine!

In the bush i always have my Manix, Fallkniven F1, and my SAK camper.
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Agree with you there. The F1 is a great blade.:thumbup:
 
A survival knife is not a camping knife. These are two different beasts, so let's not confuse them. Camping knives are for sitting by the fire whittling, but a survival knife will be your only tool with which to erect an emergency shelter. I have a good amount of experience in this area, and IMHO, the first rule is to bring enough knife for the task. The task, in this case is typically chopping. A good shelter typically takes a LOT of chopping. In short, a big blade can do everything a small blade can, but the opposite is definitely not the case!

You can survive for a few weeks without food, and a few days without water, but you can die in a few HOURS without shelter from the elements. This is why a chopper is critical in a survival situation.

Enough knife for chopping usually means at least 9 or 10 inches of good, heavy blade. Even a $20 khukri (properly modified) makes a decent survival blade. The reason I mention a $20 blade is because you should never spend so much on a blade that you're afraid to beat the crap out of it. A US mil spec machete is another great performer in the $20 price range. I've had mine through almost 20 years of use and abuse, and it still performs like a champ.

If you can drop $100 on a blade and still justify beating it up, I'd recommend a Becker Brute. I once chopped about a mile of trail, and that sucker would still shave my arm. There aren't too many blades in the hundred dollar price category that will perform like that.

If you want to go a bit higher in price, I've been beating the holy hell out of a Cold Steel SanMai Trailmaster (about $250-$300) for the last 6 months or so, and it's held up nicely... what an edge!

In any case, these days my own personal threshhold is at the $300 mark. Any more, and I'd be afraid of REALLY using it. It's like those folks that buy jacked up Hummer H2's, and then never leave the road for fear of scratching them.

PS - If you do decide to go with a smaller blade, the $20 machete would probably be a good thing to keep in your pack!
 
Let me premise this post by saying I am a novice and am trying to learn about what makes a quality knife.
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There is no easy answer for this- most of the more affordable manufactered brands have good and bad models. Gerber is a case in point. Some of thier current knives are good- the LMF II does not seem to be that bad. Some of their models are bad. Some of their older models were great, but those same models produced today are crap. So you really have to do your research before choosing.

Some brands, like Busse and Randall are regarded very highly, but are expensive. Some brands, such as Ka-Bar, Becker, and Mora knives are regarded as very good for the money spent.

You have to have several elements to a good knife- good steel, good processing of said steel, good machining and construction techniques, and good design of the knife itself. Learn more by looking on this site and using the search function to find info. I'm pretty much a novice too, but I do my research on this site and others.
 
MDLockard said:
Looking for suggestions on a survival knife for hiking and backpacking. Have Spyderco Military and am looking at the Spyderco Manix as another options.

Thoughts on these knives and other suggestions?
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I think that you also said that you carry a Leatherman Wave as well as your Military, right?
If so, then I think you already plenty of steel for 99.9% of all hiking/camping/survival situations.
Remember, you're not homesteading, or trying to live off the land for years, or trying to create a frontier outpost.

Personally, I have found a small folding shovel (like the military style) to be much more useful than any large chopping blade.

A large folding saw is rather handy too, but the woodsaw on your Leatherman wave should do in a pinch.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
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