What is a Survival knife ..... to you ? :-)

not2sharp

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Jun 29, 1999
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Seldom does a day go by without someone asking something about survival knives on this site. Our typical response is a rather long list of cutting instruments of various sizes depending on understanding of the situation, leading inevitably to the conclusion that whatever knife we have on our person is the best survival knife. So lets discuss survival as a situation.

It's clear from the many posts, that we have had on this site before, that we have several different takes or biases on survival. Some of us view survival primarily as a need for shelter and warmth, others are more concern with mobility and food, while a third point of view tends to focus on personal defense.

So tell us which of the strategies listed below best describes your view and let us know what your ideal knife companion would be.

1) A settler -
An energetic creative type that plans on
building a base camp and living reasonably well until someone finds you. You probably read Robinson Crusoe at some point. We can't even be sure you want to be found.

2) An explorer -
Too practical and impatient, to start a construction project,you plan to find your way back to civilization as quickly as possible. Your goal is to travel light, efficiently and with minimal impact. Perhaps there is a little SERE in your background.

3) A conqueror -

It doesn't matter how you live, or how long, provided you are the dominant creature in the neighborhood. Your primary concern is to make sure you can win a fight with any likely predator. Bears, tigers, and wolves tremble at your presence...

Lets have a little fun.

BTW, I probably fall into catagory 1, and my knife of choice would be a large camp knife. Probably something like a 7 1/2" randall mod 14, or a Busse BM. I hope I have the golf course completed by the time they find me.
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My idea of a survival knife fits all three categories (just like me). It is whatever I happen to have on my person when I find myself in a survival situation.

Having said that, I tend to carry solid using knives like the Busse Lean Mean Street or Bob Dozier's Yukon Pro Skinner or John Greco's Companion. All of them small enough to carry easily and process the most delicate of game. All of them rugged enough to help me with any chores I might ever encounter.

Having taught survival skills at Scout camps for many years I KNOW I can get by very well with any of these knives. The fact that I also always have a CRK Umfaan in one of my pockets is just icing on the cake.
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AJ
 
I was watching the "Ultimate Survival Guide" on the travel channel. The host was Raymond Mears. Here's the blades I saw. For woodland primitive camping, he had a medium sized fixed blade, looked like about 4-5". Looked like a stout blade, flat ground, but not to the spine, with bone handle. He also carried a small axe, looked like a Gransfors Bruks small forest axe. On an island episode, he had a parang he used for opening coconuts. There may have been more blades but that was all I saw (in fact, I think there was a machete in one of the shows, where he chopped up some of the largest bamboo I've ever seen). And with that little tool chest, he did an awful lot.

So, my survival blade list would be a good stout pocket knife (right now, its a BM 720), a medium fixed blade (I'll flip a coin here and pick a Bob Dozier Professional Guide's knife), and something to chop with: I'd go with the 3/4" Gransfors Bruks but since I only have the GB wildlife hatchet, I will settle for my 3/4" Snow and Nealy. If I was going to the jungle, I would pack a machete of some sort.

With all of those tools, I think I could handle 1 and 2, but I'd be lying if didn't say I'd also want include a buck saw and multitool for 2. For #3, ya better give me something that shoots.
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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
did you guys check out the recent Tactical knives mag..?

huge survival article where the D.H. Russell #4 carbon get the number one position.. "jack of all trades, master of none"

which is pretty darn cool with all those 'new fangled' knives out there
wink.gif


cheers, KC
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The Ultimate survival knife would be the one that you would have in your pocket when the **** hits the fan. You never know when you'll need it the most so all you can really do is find a happy medium. One that you could use for daily usage without having to worry about legalities. And pray that you have the skills to survive. Just about any knife would be welcomed when the chips are down.
 
I'll go with the settler. My knife would have to serve as an all around cutting tool. Everything from cleaning small game and fish, to contruction of shelter and traps, to personal defense. My choice is the Cold Steel Bushman. It can be used as is for normal knife functions, or shafts of various lengths can be added as needed. Short for extra chopping force, or long for a spear.
This is a truly great (if under appreciated) design. I would prefer to have my V-nox Rucksack along as a companion piece. The two make an unbeatable package. Especially if carried in Normark's sheaths.

Paul
 
I'd use my cold steel trailmaster bowie, it's been a great camp knife over the years, still works great even with a few stains on it.

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I'll take a stab.

For category 1: Newt Livesay Recon Combat Machete.

For Category 2: Chris Reeve Project I.

For Category 3: Cold Steel Assegai.

Or, for all 3 categories, except possibly for #3, you can use what I just ordered:

5629.jpg


This is the "Puuko and Leukko" combination, made by Iissaki Jarvenpaa and sold by Ragweed Forge for $82. It is high quality, versatile and useful, and has a certain primitive charm that I like. And it will do everything.

BTW, this isn't really my first post. I used to be "D. Epstein"
 
If anyone wants to have some fun at the book stacks go look up Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721). He was the true-life character upon which Robinson Crusoe was based. Yes, people can survive on an island without developing a relationship with their volleyball.

A good example of someone settling down in a productive way.
 
There was a thread which went in to this...

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000739.html

I will excerpt my comments that I beieve apply.

"If we are speaking to the ideal, then I would mention a M.95 Peltonen SissiPuuko, or a Allen Blade MEUK or if you like something bigger, maybe a Modern Barong or Bowie, or an axe and sheath knife. Even a complement of blades that would handle all the different 'survival" needs.

If we are speaking to the practical, then I would mention the Spyderco Military/Starmate or even just a Swiss Tool/Rucksack.

The scenario that I use to define a survival knife is this. I am driving over the pass in winter, I spin out of control and I go over the side, I manage to evacuate the car just in time to see it plummet into the abyss. Now what am I going to have? The contents of my pockets. The sheath knife is probably in the trunk to keep it out of sight, and my travel unimpeeded by negative reactions from police, gas attendants, roadside diner employees, etc. So, if I were thrust into a 'survival' situation this very insant, I would have a Starmate, Delica, Mouse, Goddard ltwt, Swiss Tool, FireSteel metal match with attached striker, a Sterling Systems sharpener, Fox 40 whistle, 25 continuous feet of 550 cord in a braid, a Tri-Seps sharpener and a bunch of wire wrapped around a plastic card. (Two sharpeners because I have not decided which I prefer

That is the basic contents of my pockets, that is what is in my pockets or on my belt all the time. so that is what I have to survive with, period. The stuff I left behind or lost is of no use to me.

Now, if we are speaking of a outdoor adventure, where you have a set of gear (including that 'survival' knife) that is attached to you via LBE in addition to a pack, like infantrymen do, then maybe I would consider my sheath knife a survival knife, only because I have great assurance that even if I lose my pack, I will still have my sheath knife attached very firmly to me via my LBE when the 'survival' phase of an adventure might kick in. But, that is a special case scenario, because my work and city life does not allow me LBE and accompanying gear, I may have them in my trunk/backpack, but then I am hoping/assuming that I can get to that stuff if I need it, and we all know about wishful thinking and/or assumptions.

So to recap. Modern urban life often makes compromises necessary, especially concerning what we can carry to be prepared for emergencies. Given a situation where we are traveling or living in the bush the constraints on our gear becomes fewer and therefor we can more closely approach the ideal of preparedness, only hindered by what we are willing to carry."

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye mdpoff@hotmail.com

My website, guided links, talonite/cobalt alloy info, etc....
http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff

>>--->Bill Siegle Custom Knives<---<<
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"To wait for luck is the same as waiting for death." -Japanese Proverb

"Place you clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark." -Lazarus Long

"We cut things to create things" - James K Mattis
 
Brothers & Sisters,
Okay. You're going to get me to give up one of my best kept secrets.
A diver's knife.
Variable size, (I'll take the extra-chunky, thank you), made for the wear/tear of everyday underwater tasks. Heavy, sharp, more-often-than-not with a saw blade.
Make a lanyard. Go for it.
Heavy handle makes for a reasonable hammer, too!
You want to survive in a hostile environment, carry what the natives carry.
Regards,
Lance Gothic
Shibumi
 
1.A knife with a great sheath
2. Must have a good tough steel
3. Some rust resistance is good
4. Comfortable handle
5. Good balence
6. Some serrations on a 7" blade
7. A lanyard hole
8. A tough but cap for hammering
9. Not to expensive
10. A D2 KA BAR!!!

For under $150 it is the best!

Oh and a Leatherman ST in the pouch! Oh and a Fine DMT pocket stone it as well!

W.A.

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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
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