Survival with a SAK

Todd A

Todd A

Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
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Today was a great spring like day to have some dirt time with my son.

This time I wanted to get back to basics to answer some questions I had about myself.

You see, spending the winter on the forums here left me some doubts. Over in general we all see the "which survival knife" always with a fixed of one brand or another being touted as a perfect choice. Here in W&SS we are all always showing off are newest "bushcraft" or woodsbumming fixed blades. Nothing wrong with that at all,I do it myself. After all,we are knife junkies looking for our next fix.

But what really got me thinking was a thread a month or so ago in one of our manufacture forums. In this thread the OP was going on a hiking/camping trip for school. The teacher noticed his fixed blade on his pack and stated all he needed was a SAK and such a blade was overkill.

Now the OP was fine in his choice IMHO, and the teacher should have been quiet about it. However several responses in the thread denounced the SAK as a "survival" knife, and stated a strong fixed is needed.

That got me thinking. Do I need the pocket fixed I EDC with my SAK, the hatchet and Mora in my pack, plus the 4" fixed I add to my belt when I head out? I mean when I was a kid I would spend all day (and a few nights) out with only my Camillus cub scout knife. Had I lost my touch?

So today I only used this...my Vic Hiker, and my daybag.

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I just did three "skills" I feel are important in survival.

Fire prep..

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Check.

Food. (trap building)

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Check. Next (and most important ,shelter)

Cut and tied up (jute twine) a frame,with the SAK saw.

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walled it with deadfall sized the old fashioned way.With body weight and a tree fork.

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Then covered with my tarp..

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Comfy enough.though not too roomy...

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So at the end of the day I learned I can still remain alive with only a SAK, my son and I had fun. And I am not going to cancel my Michigan Trail Knife with a scandi grind from John due sometime at the end of next month.:)
 
Congratulations on your experiment.....and on having a fine time outside, on such a lovely Spring day ! Thank you for this great and thought-provoking post.

.....and I agree with you...I'm guilty of "knife-overkill" sometimes myself. A SAK is a VERY, VERY useful tool and can be employed to accomplish many tasks. There was period in my life when I repeatedly hiked in the Cascades and camped over-night with only a good SAK and folding SVEN saw. I carried the rest of the Ten Essentials including a light-weight stove, tent, sleeping bag, extra food and clothing and stayed to well marked trails and established campsites however, and was rarely 15 miles from the trail-head and my vehicle.

You certainly proved you could make a SAK work while experimenting on a nice Spring afternoon. The rub is making the SAK work on "day twelve" on a rainy, cold evening after being out there for all those days in a row. I'm not disparaging what you accomplished today.....just trying to add a perspective.


- regards
 
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A SAK can be an only knife, and you would make it just fine, IMO. However, a Fixed blade would make me feel much safer, and much more prepared. If you get stranded for a long period of time, a stronger blade would be much more ideal for fire prep, and other camp chores.

That said, if it was only a school trip, not sure a fixed blade would have been necessary. Albeit, I'd still like to have one if it was me.
 
I carry a leatherman wave and a fix blade.Often have a SAK in pack.I think they are great and would think that with just a SAK I would do fine as well. Though us knife people like to "be prepared" with our knives.
 
Great post! and very true, I have alot more fun outdoors ever since I lost the mentality that I must carry "XYZ packing list".
 
Nice work - I like it! I agree that a lot can be accomplished with a SAK, especially one with a saw and an awl. My cheap knock-off champion was always in my pocket when I was a kid, and it saw a lot of action. Same now but it's the real thing.

Personally, I'm a bit paranoid about using slip-joint folders due to an accident with one. Not an issue normally, but in a potential 'survival' situation when I might be tired, weak, injured and more clumsy than usual I would much rather have one of the bigger locking SAK's. Plus, there's less chance of the trip becoming a survival situation due to a moment's carelessness.

That's why I carry them outdoors instead of the smaller slip-joint ones.
 
I agree that a good SAK is well worth taking along. If I had to, I suppose that my Trekker would do most everything I need.

That does not mean that my other blades stay at home next time though. ;)
 
Ron Hood says if he could have only one knife, it'd be his SAK.
I might see if I can do everything I need with only my SAK Classic next trip. Thanks for the thread!
 
Great pics and comentary. The SAK is a neat tool.
I carry one on a daily basis too. I still carry a fixed blade though. With a SAK and my fixed blade, that is a great combo to have.

If you ever fall through some ice. Using a SAK to try and get out of that freezing cold water:eek:, the thought of trying to reach into my pocket and keep my head above the water and opening the blade up with by that time cold numb fingers and then trying to reach out from the hole that you are in and jam it into the ice and try and pull my self out deffenently does not sound good to me.

Using the SAK for that, Yikes.

Give me a fixed blade for that. In that situation just reach down, pull that fixed blade out of its sheath with one hand while still treading water by moving your feet and your other arm, while the other arm is reaching for the fixed blade , then reach out of the hole with that fixed blade and jam it into the ice ( hopefully is is not a guards fixed blade knife) and hopefully be able to pull ones self out of the cold water. Nothing is a guarantee. But I think a fixed would be better and easyer to use for that.

Also, on that thought of the what ifs in life. If you ever had to defend yourself from a 2 or a 4 legged creature. Again reaching for my fixed blade will be much faster than my SAK.

When things are going right using a pocket knife can be just fine, but when things go wrong having a fixed blade just might mean the difference between life or a nasty death.

Also cleaning and skinning a animal with a pocket knife leaves little to be desired the clean up sucks lol. Cleaning up fixed blade is pretty easy compared to a folder.

Good to hear that you do not plan to cancel your fixed blade order.

Again it is neat to see what you did with your SAK.

Bryan
 
I think a SAK is a wonderful blade to have, even in a survival situation, IF that's all you got.
It can work in an emergency, it does work as Todd just proved it, but there are better tools for those jobs.
 
SAKs are good utility knives.

But I think most of us think in terms of worst case scenario, not in case everything goes right.

Like the question that often comes up: "If you're cold and wet, sure you can make fire and a shelter with your SAK -- but can you do it fast enough while shivering uncontrollably and losing fine motor function?
 
I like my SAK Soldier Knife just fine, great tool!

With it and a stout fixed blade I could make pretty much everything I'd need in the woods.
 
Todd A said:
So today I only used this...my Vic Hiker, and my daybag.

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Click to expand...

I might have to buy myself a Hiker at some point - it seems to cover the minimum requirements in a SAK. With a saw, 2 blades, bottle opener and can opener - you are fairly well covered for camping tasks. It would make a great minimal tool to carry when keeping the gear light. It would also make a great backup & having the bottle opener & can opener and screwdrivers is great - you never know when you need one of those useful tools!

Of course I woudl generally use it as a backup to much more capable knives! I don't like to carry too many knives, luckily I have no idea how many I would have to take before I had too many!
On my last trip I took some choppers to play with:
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I also had a SAK & a LM Wave & a LM K502x & a couple of folders & a couple of Moras.

I managed to handle all the tasks I wanted to on that trip without finding myself under-knifed. But I am considering condensing down my knives for one trip to the bare essentials, maybe: SAK & Mora & bigger knife (one of the 4 in my pic above) for chopping/batoning. So yeah, just the bare basics - 3 knives total!!! (Yeah, OK - I probably would throw in another 2 or 3 backup knives just in case, but they would just be small & light folders of some sort)
 
I would be happy with just a SAK, but I also agree with others, that a stout fixed blade (or hatchet) is a nice backup. Personally, I think a SAK can do everything that a Mora can do, and much, much more. I would go with a much stouter blade if I were augmenting a SAK. They you are covered for big and small tasks.

But, because we're knife knuts, we'll probably have 20 or 30 along for the ride... :D
 
Using a 3.5 inch with the regular scales definitely made it a challenge I'm sure! I've always hated those slippery scales on the regular Vic's. Unless you work with your hands allot I bet your hand is going to feel it tomorrow. I can't believe they haven't made a textured version standard yet. FWIW, I just picked up a Rosewood Champ and WOW what a difference the rosewood scales make.

Anyway, kudos to you for going on and getting it done instead of just thinking about it...
 
sodak said:
Personally, I think a SAK can do everything that a Mora can do, and much, much more.
Click to expand...

A SAK can do what a Mora can do - but not as well. The scandi grind is better for wood carving and the handle on something like a clipper is MUCH more ergonomic. The fact that the SAK CAN be used to do the same tasks is what makes it a good backup - but I wont be leaving my carbon steel Mora at home when I go camping.

Naturally I would take a bigger knife with full tang for harder tasks like chopping & batoning. But the Mora or an equivalent scandi knife is just better for carving some tent stakes or whatever. I like to have the best tool for the job, even if I am carrying a couple more knives than I really need to.
 
I feel pretty confident I could get through a night or two with just a SAK w/saw. In my case, that would be a Farmer. I've been carrying a Mora 510 just because it's light and I like it. If something went bad, I'd be glad to have both, but just the SAK would suffice (I'm mostly sure.) :)
 
For an only knife, you could have a worse blade. With that handy little saw and awl as well, and there's a good chance it would be my OHT, with it's locking blade and easy opening, almost the ideal sak.

Chances are I will have a good fixed blade with me as well, though.
 
If one cannot survive with a good SAK then I wouldn't give them much chance no matter what they had.
 
The fact is that you're unlikely to have the big chopper on your belt in a true "survival situation". How many of us wear then while walking? The SAK on the otherhand is always in the pocket.
I know a big fixed blade would certainly get in the way hiking where I am. I pull it otu of the pack when arriving at camp. And by big fixed blade I mean 4".
 
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