Survival knife?

love my f1 but recently retired for survive knives edc-4. Guy has a batch of edc-4 in 3v coming up and some more in elmax down the road. after years of using knives i developed my perfect knife design in my head. right when i was about to start shopping around for a custom maker to make for me i found guy's design. imo my grail knife.
 
Stubai said:
The new 1311 coming out is bound to be a great tool that is within a good weight limit for that size of blade but the old 18 inch Ontario is still a powerhouse that just feels great in the paw and keeps on working without too much fatigue delivered to the wielder.
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What and where is the 'new 1311'? and

love my f1 but recently retired for survive knives edc-4. Guy has a batch of edc-4 in 3v coming up and some more in elmax down the road. after years of using knives i developed my perfect knife design in my head. right when i was about to start shopping around for a custom maker to make for me i found guy's design. imo my grail knife.
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who is 'Guy'?

Doc
 
Axe, Big knife,Small knife, Saw, Hawk....they all perform great at their specific roles but sometimes it's nice to just carry one tool such as a large knife and be confident that this will get you by no matter what get's thrown in your way.

Here is my next ' Survival Knife ' ~

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Doc, sorry that I was not specific, I guess I thought most of us here knew about the 1311. It is a big chunk of metal that is being marketed by Scrapyard knives. From the specs this knife will be less heavy than the Mistress but just about as long as I'd want to carry in 3/16th of an inch thickness. That extra reach will be welcomed in the field for brush clearing.
 
bluerain said:
I'm looking to purchase a survival knife but, wouldn't it be better to get , say an fallkniven f1 and a small axe. Can any survival knife really be more beneficial than an axe. If so why.besides the extra carry, I would think an axe would work better, unless you need a machete type tool.is it purely a choice or is there something I'm missing. Ty b
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It depends entirely on where you're planning on going and how you're planning to travel. If you're carrying your shelter in the form of a tarp or tent and your insulation in the form of clothes and bedding, then there's very little reason to lug a bunch of steel around, whether in the form of a knife or axe.

If you actually need to process wood for shelter, traps, bridges, campcraft, etc. then an axe is much more versatile and valuable in the woods than any knife, in my opinion.

But I really wouldn't consider carrying an axe (or a large knife) on a two week hike...I simply wouldn't put up with the weight. And since I have my shelter and my insulation with me, I just don't have any need to process that much material.

Surviving is just living, and a "survival knife" is just a knife that you use for daily chores. For most people most of the time their "survival knife" is their most used kitchen knife. If a knife is sized or shaped such that it's not handy for daily tasks when everything is going well, then it's not going to be worth much when things start going poorly.

A Falkniven F1 or similar knife is pretty hard to beat for an all around utility blade. It's also about the limit of what I believe is reasonable to cary if you're traveling long distances on foot. In fact, it might even be a bit on the heavy side.

Lots of people love their big choppers, but I'd sure hate to pack one around for two weeks.
 
pitdog said:
I can't help you with the ' Guy ' part Doc but the 1311 is the new 13" bladed monster from Scrapyard Knives !
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HepatitisJ said:
Owner of company. Sorry should of been more specific. Posted in a rush
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Stubai said:
Doc, sorry that I was not specific, I guess I thought most of us here knew about the 1311. It is a big chunk of metal that is being marketed by Scrapyard knives. From the specs this knife will be less heavy than the Mistress but just about as long as I'd want to carry in 3/16th of an inch thickness. That extra reach will be welcomed in the field for brush clearing.
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Thanks guys.

Doc
 
ThriftyJoe said:
Then you become obsessed with weight. Long distance backpackers frequently go for the Victorinox Classic. Heavier knives get sent home or given away.

Remember that most of the time on long hikes, you're carrying your gear, not using it. Also just like at home, 1/3 of the time you're sleeping, so your sleeping bag and shelter are the most important then. If you check out some of the equipment lists from people hiking the 2663 mile Pacific Crest Trail here: http://postholer.com/journal/sampleGearlists.php you will see what a low priority cutlery takes on a trip of that length.

An inexpensive knife and an 800 fill down sleeping bag is a much better use of your money than an expensive survival knife and a Walmart sleeping bag.

Also get comfortable shoes and a good quality pack that fits, or those two items will torture you all day.

I would rather have a slightly larger folder than a Vic Classic for around two ounces, but YMMV. If you want a fixed blade, it's hard to find anything that can beat the cost/weight/utility of a Mora. :thumbup:
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All true, but it does depend on how solitary the forest in question is. The PCT in summer is well traveled, if your tent blows away or gets trashed by a bear, or you break an ankle, you won't be more than 3 or 4 days from a road or from running onto other people who can help you. But if you are hiking in Alaska or northern Canada you might not run into anyone else for weeks or months, so you need to be able to fend for yourself. I always carry a small saw (laplander) and/or a small but sturdy sheath knife in remote places as well as an SAK. I want to be able to make or fix whatever I might need. If I were planning to do all my cooking on wood fires I would probably bring a hatchet or a med size knife capable of splitting wood as well. On canoe trips I am not as worried about weight so I bring a larger camp knife. If you are on a budget, I agree, a Mora is tough to beat!
 
I truly love the Vic Classic...I have and use several of them (an alox Classic resides on my keychain as I write this!). But, to me, relying solely on one for your knife needs...long distance hiking or not, seems absolutely ludicrous. I know many will disagree with me ("I've never even needed a knife on a hike before!"), but it wil be "enough" knife....till it isn't. And then you're in a world of hurt!

I may no longer be a "long-distance" hiker...but a 21+ year career in Special Operations gave me a little experience in hiking long distances in rugged terrain. And I would not have done any of it with just a Vic Classic.

Just my $0.02 worth,
Ron
 
The most important factor when considering survival equipment is, "will you have it with you when you need it?" When you go for an afternoon hike with your wife/girlfriend and a storm rolls in, did you bring your knife/axe? How about if you wake up in the middle of the night and have to leave your tent to go pee, are you gonna have your knife/axe with you when you get lost or hurt in the dark? When your car slides off the road on the way to the trailhead, are you gonna have your knife/axe with you?

I'm not saying one tool selection is better than the other for you, but I know what I picked for a true survival setup. I carry a Becker BK-2 Campanion. (If I'm just out camping I may have an axe with me too, but thats not "survival.")

I bought it a while ago when I had grand ideas about my survival needs. I have since matured (concerning knives and what I actually need/use). I still rely on it for survival requirements, but my BK-2 also shines as a basic camp knife and trail tool.

I highly recommend the BK-2. Or maybe try a BK-14 or 16 with an axe if you wanna carry that.
 
Tixx, at that time, I had a Vic Hunter SAK, a Bucklite 112 and when necessary, a Randall Model 1 with a 6" blade and black micarta handle. They seemed to do anything I needed a knife to do. That went along with a poncho, two canteens and 330 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition for my primary "survival tool!" LOL!

Regards,
Ron
 
rwc53 said:
Tixx, at that time, I had a Vic Hunter SAK, a Bucklite 112 and when necessary, a Randall Model 1 with a 6" blade and black micarta handle. They seemed to do anything I needed a knife to do. That went along with a poncho, two canteens and 330 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition for my primary "survival tool!" LOL!

Regards,
Ron
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Now that covers it! :)
 
For a 2 week backpacking trip: Grab a Leatherman Freestyle or Freestyle CX. That will probably cover all your bases. If you are gonna do any wood processing (not bringing a stove/shelter) toss in a Becker BK-14. For as stout as it is, its incredibly light and convenient.
 
When I pick out a survival knife, bushcraft knife, etc whatever my intended task is. I don't normally choose something very specific to the job, I choose a knife that catches my eye and I enjoy using. For example I've been on a kick using my randall 14 for bushcraft and survival practice. Before that it was a Randall 18, Case bowie(most want to call me an idiot saying this is a good bushcraft knife I imagine), becker BK4 etc. Just go with what ya like you'll enjoy using it more and probably get more time using it. That's the idea anyway. :p
 
After some serious hiking and camping this summer, carrying a variety of fixed blades and folders, I've narrowed my user knives to lightweight folders with 3" or 4" blades (Spyderco Delica, Endura, Military) and fixed blades with thick, convex edged blades around 4" or 5".

Nothing I did required a fixed blade longer than 4".

95% of the cutting was done with the folding pocket knife, the fixed blade was only needed when setting up camp or batoning through wet sticks to get the dry insides after a rain.

I'm selling off all of my thin bladed fixed blade knives. They can't do anything I couldn't do with a folder, which is lighter and takes up less space. I'm also selling my fixed blades with blades longer than 5", as it's just wasted weight and space on my belt.
 
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