Survival Knife

I would have to say it depends on the survival scenario you are planning for. There are a number of situations and a lot of knives that will fill the role nicely. If you are planning for a scenario where TEOTWAWKI comes into play than you want something that will last for a very long time, in that case I would suggest a Busse. If its wilderness survival than the options are endless but I would want a smaller 4-5 inch bushcraft knife and a large chopper (look at the Chris Caine line up) I have a few of his knives and they excel in their design.
 
Yea it will def be in the wilderness...pines of east texas as well as mesquite in west texas, oak check D all the above lol like you were saying im looking for something with a smaller blade that i could maybe carry around my neck and also have some sort of copper with me for the big stuff
 
Also im probably gunna go with an axe or a tomahawk for chopping...I have a kbar kukri right now that does pretty well...
 
Axes are great for chopping, however in a survival situation they can be undesirable. They are dangerous unless you have the knowledge to use one properly and they burn a great deal of energy. Battoning your wood is safer and uses less energy. In a survival situation you want to conserve energy and you sure don't want an injury.
 
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I think it is smart to think about your budget in terms of what you are willing to spend and still be able to use the knife appropriately for it's intended purpose. For example, I cannot wrap my brain around buying a $300 knife and then going into the woods and actually using the thing. It is just too much money for me. Others will have no issue at all with that.
My limit tends to be about $150 for a blade that I can really use. I cannot explain why that is, it just is. The question is what is your limit?

At the high end for me, some Bark River knives have worked out great. The Fox River is my best example and I bought it for about $150 and have used it really well. I also love my Mini Canadian and my mikro Canadian and have use them all quite a lot with no buyers remorse. The only problem with Barkies is that they tend to be more money for less knife...what I mean by that is even the very small knives are typically well over $100 which seems like a lot for a little knife. Still, somehow I can live with it because it like them so much.

I also just handled an ESEE Izula 2 and loved it immediately. I bought it right away. It feels like a great size to me for most things I might need it for and it carries well as a neck knife or as a belt knife or pack knife. The price point is great too at under $80 for the survival kit including a fire steel. This knife makes me wonder about the other ESEE knives to eventually replace the Fox River.

My one regret is the Swamp Rat Camp Tramp. This thing could cut the barrel off of a tank because it is so tough. It chops well and and is just a big badass knife...and I never use it...ever. It has been in my sock drawer for eight years after I initially played with it. I discovered quicky that smaller fixed blades can do much of what larger ones can do without the hassle of such a big knife. I guess that's me. So you will need to learn what you like. I would recommend starting small instead of large and moving up from there if you want.

Cheers.
 
USAF_CAVEMAN said:
Thanks for all the good info! Mora sounds like a great knife...not sure how they are able to keep there prices so low...One more question do any of you guys know the difference between a RAT knife made by esee and a Rat knife made by ontario knife co?
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there was a 5 year period when Ontario and Randall's Adventure Training partnered up to make RAT knives.
After that 5 year period, RAT started selling their own knives (made by Shon Rowen in Idaho) and then a couple years ago changed their name to ESEE to avoid confusion between the Ontario RAT series of knives and the RAT RC (Randall cutlery) knives.
Ontario still makes and sells a few of the RAT knives they produced during the partnership.

knives you might want to check out with roughly 4" blades:
Mora Robust
Ontario TAK1
ESEE 3 or 4 (I prefer the 4)
Becker BK16 (drop point) or 17 (clip point)

"necker" sized blades:
ESEE Izula 2
Becker BK14
Tops Tibo (just came out this past week)
 
Whatever you decide to go with, do yourself a favor and set aside $10 for a good midsize machete from someone like Imacasa or Tramontina. These knives are used by millions worldwide to survive and thrive. They are inexpensive, but also very practical and durable over a extremly wide range of uses.

n2s
 
Condor, Becker, Mora great knives that are not to expensive. You get bang for your buck. Look at Baryonyx here on the forum. He is awesome to deal with. And you will have your blade shipped SUPER FAST .
 
I agree with the machete idea. I like short ones. For my survival kit, I carry a Marttiini M571. With sheath, it weighs 2oz. and is an excellent bush knife and kit knife. It will set you back $12 to $18 depending on where you purchase it. You should also check the Light My Fire knife for around $25-$29. It's similar to a Mora Clipper and has a fire steel built in. You have your fire starter, shelter builder and hunting knife all in one. Sure, I love the current Swamprat offerings, Fallkniven F1 and ESEE knives, but you don't have to spend much to get a knife you can rely on and a light knife keeps your kit weight down.

Joe
 
You could check out the knife exchange right here on Blade Forums. There are several very talented knife makers here that make awesome blades for $200 or less. I have some customs that I have purchased on the exchange for a lot less than many factory knives that have been already metioned. I'm also going to have to mention my favorite custom maker Matt Lesniewski as he makes great knives for great prices. Look him up on the internet and check out his website.


Tony
 
Dont forget custom knife makers! If you
Check the exchange often you may find
A great deal on a great knife !...i have two
Customs both made by scott gossman !
Who has a sub forum on here they are
Both great knives one is a PSK and the
Other is the polaris ! Check him out you
Wont be sorry !

Frank
 
My recommendation is for fallkniven, Mora, Bark River and Becker all have great blades in your price range
 
Many of the companies have similar knives in different sizes, shapes and weights that would meet your needs. You can choose smaller or larger models depending on your size, how you intend to carry it and the jobs you intend to do. All are solid companies that have a considerable following with military personnel all over the world as well as hunters, fisherman and outdoorsman. Hard to go wrong with any of them.

Falkniven, ESEE, KA-BAR, Becker, Cold Steel, Mora, Buck, Bark River and Gerber.

I will give a for instance within the Becker line. The BK 2 is a small(er) but rather heavy knife, the kind you would want to have if the world fell apart while you were sleeping and you may not get the chance to ever buy another knife. It can and will do anything you ask and keep on ticking. The BK16 and BK17 are in the same overall size range as the BK2 but are lighter and have 2 different shaped blades to choose from. Going larger the BK5 and BK 7 are similar in overall length but are very different in blade shape and weight. The BK9, Kukri Machete and Combat Kukri would be the largest size and designed for much heavier tasks including longer term wood processing, trail clearing and shelter building. As I said, each company offers their version of this size progression so it depends on many of the points already mentioned by others, what are you going to do with it, how big are you, how will you carry it, how much do you want to spend, blade preference, etc. Good luck with your search.
 
In Texas, especially West Texas, an axe would be like carrying an anchor and almost as useless. The exception being a small hatchet sized axe, even though that's not ideal either. Spending my whole life in these areas, I've come to the conclusion that something capable of machete work is a must. A cheap Tramontina machete works great and can be had for $5-$8. For a long term survival situation, I just can't trust a machete to handle everything and last for years. Personally, I've discovered that out of what I have, my ESEE Junglas and Cold Steel Gurkha kukri are ideally suited to chop wood or blaze a trail. They are also bullet-proof and come with incredible sheaths. The Becker BK 9 and BK 4 also seem well suited to what you need and people love them.

As for a knife, I did a lot of pondering and reading and decided the ESEE 4 was what I wanted in a smallish knife to handle any situation. It's thick enough to pry with, but light weight and easy to handle. I think it's perfect paired with a large blade. I don't have experience with Becker, Busse, etc.., but it's easy to spend a few hours here and see what sort of abuse these knives can handle. In particular, the Beckers have great reviews and are reasonably priced. If you want something bigger, I can wholeheartedly recommend the ESEE 5 and 6. The 5 being perfect for prying apart cars and the 6 being an ideal stand alone woods blade.


So, if you're not a khukuri fan and have a few hundred bucks to spend, an ESEE 4 and Junglas will get you through the end of the world. Comparable Beckers should handle similar chores and cut the price a bit. If money is tight, get one of the new becker "tweeners" like a BK 16/17 and a Tramontina 14" Bush machete (which can be had with a simple canvass sheath for $16.99) and you're well armed for probably less than $70 or thereabouts. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 
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