What do you look for in a survival knife?

I like a good sturdy 5-6" blade, give or take. Anywhere from 3/16" - .25". Usually prefer carbon steel, but a good stainless like VG10 is just fine.

Some of my regular choices are:

CRK Mountain II
SRKW Ratmandu/M6
Fallkniven A1/S1
Busse BATAC
Bark River Bravo-1 (exception-4.25" blade, but very capable)
 
Hmm, for survival I like that last knife that Pitdog shows in his post. Can do without the upper guard though. The toughest knife I have, that I keep on a belt with my survival gear, is the Becker BK-7 with solid micarta scales.
 
The one I just built is a hollw handle integral and one piece. The handle wall thickness is .125" and the integral shoulder is 1" tapering down to 3/8". More then enough beef to not break even with a massive amount of abuse.

I wanted real aggresive saw teeth that can easily be re-sharpened and withstand being beat on with a large chunk of wood and not break. The handle cavity needs to big enough and watertight not just resistant. The knife could not be too heavy since anyone that backpacks knows what an extra Lbs. feels like after you gone five miles up the trail.

I played around with the design and function for a couple months. Maybe someday I can start producing them at a decent price. So far after using it I would not change anything on it. The magnesium thermite will certainly start a fire in not so optimum conditions. The mountains around WA state can be soggy even in the middle of summer.
 
Strong enough for me to realize I am doing something stupid before it breaks. Light enough to be carried. Able to take a good edge easily. Handle appropriate for continuous work in a variety of positions. A sheath that provides good retention of the knife. A useful but strong point, ideally in line w/ the center of the blade, but not neccesarily.

Many knives could fit the bill. I prefer the scandi grinds, but that is just me.
 
cgusek111 said:
Many people have different views on what does or doesn't make a good survival knife. There are so many options when it comes to choosing a survival knife. What is your take on the subject? Hollow handle? Carbon steel? Large? Small? Fixed blade or folder?
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My opinion used to be along the lines of most of the previous posts, but something happened this weekend to change my mind. Yesterday I watched a marathon of the Survivorman television show. The guy on the show usually only takes a multi-tool, SAK, or machete into survival situations, and in the episodes that I have seen, he hasn't complained about his choice. Again, it depends on what survival situation you are going into. Are you in danger from humans? Will you be hunting big game? Will big game be hunting you?! If you answered yes to any of those three questions, than a larger, Bowie-type knife might be a good choice. But if you aren't going to be in major danger from humans or large predators, then perhaps a multi-tool, SAK or machete would be appropriate. They aren't as macho as the attack/survival-type knives, but they should work for you reasonably better. I know that I really like SAK's, and I would rather open a tin can with a SAK than with a Bowie-type "survival knife".
 
Elen said:
Something the survival knife definitely is NOT for me is a folder or a hollow handled fixed blade. Neither are durable solutions, and survival knives need to be durable.

The kind of knife I consider built to be a survival knife (instead of just being some random knife you happen to have with you when you get into a surprising and unexpected survival situation) is always a fixed blade with a strong tang, certainly no hollow handles, and a blade sturdy and thick enough to stand up to things beyond just cutting paper and vegetables in the kitchen. The blade needs to be able to deal with lots of wood working and skinning. It must be small enough to not be unwieldy in precise work and large enough to not be useless as a real tool, so I'd count miniature neck knives and huge machetes both out.
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There is one hollow handle survival knife that superior to other Chris Reeve knives are tops made of A2 and come in different blades shapes and lengths for your needs. My choice would be project 2 plain edge clip point 7 1/2 inches, it would meet most needs.
 
It's not like a good general purpose knife is a mystery. The subject becomes a [fun] source of discussion when someone attempts to narrow the search. By the very nature of it, survival means an unexpected need for utility. A medium blade of sufficient thickness and width to be stout, of good but not extreme hardness, a strong point, with a full grip handle, in a handy sheath or pouch means it can be used for most anything. I think there is a need for an effective single guard unless the handle is shaped to serve the same purpose. The SAK is very handy, but not my idea of the best solution unless carried with a stout sheath knife. My personal choice is based on the premise that two knives, one small and one bigger are twice as useful and dependable as one. :) Regards, ss.
 
BK-7, Yardguard. RAT7 many of the big stout knives around 7' would do but also I gotta love it like the way it feels and fits my hand.
 
For sure, another knife I've personally been looking for is a Gerber Yari, seems that everyone likes them.
 
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