What is an OPTIMAL blade length for a survival knife?

Hi chrisaloia,

I think the folder/short fixed blade argument is one of preference...I hear you....and would never say you were wrong for carrying a fixed blade when given one choice. You have defended your cause well. The best part of these forums is the ability to hear others views on these types of issues.

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Greg Davenport
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OK Ron, I'll bite what did the South Americans use before steel? I would guess that one tool was a piece of wood with teeth or a jaw with teeth, of some sort, e.g. piranha, or shark, mounted to or in it.
 
I have several SAKs but all are Wenger and are older models. I have been thinking of a locking model and I wonder why everyone chooses the Ruk as opposed to one of the others. I don't personally have much use for the corkscrew and would rather have a phillips screwdriver. Is there something really really useful about the corkscrew? Other than dealing harshly with various and sundry bottles of wine that turn up. Please let me know.

John
 
My "survival" knife is the one I happened to have on me when I got into trouble beyond the scope of routine life and camping. Most of the time it would be my 3.25" lock-bladed Adventurer SAK. I always have that on me.

Other times I will carry what I'm going to use, plus what I need for my likeliest extra problem. When hunting I will have about a 4" bladed hunting knife. If I am away from camp or car I may carry a small hatchet. There will be a hatchet in camp at least for making kindling and driving tent stakes. In camp I also keep a folding Swedish camping saw for up to about a 6" log.

In place of a big knife I carry other survival gear. In the wilds I always have one or two butane lighters, a plastic drop cloth, some parachute cord, and a road flare. My biggest concern is usually shelter from rain and cold, so the drop cloth (a thick one) is probably my most important gear. The road flare can sure make it easier for a searcher to find you and has been known to discourage bears. I also throw in a pocket-size plastic rain poncho or 33 gallon trash bag.

My biggest routine camp knife is German. When folded it has a 3.5" blade exposed for skinning purposes, when open it has a guard and about a 7" blade.
 
Don...

Good guess.

The wood is a tough wood "madura dura" that is reddish in color and does not float. The edge is set with sharpened bone.

I understood from the man I got it from that the old ones did not always use bone on the edge, just longish paddle shaped slabs of the wood for slashing and chopping and small pieces of turtle shell or bone for carving and making other items.

They used other woods to splinter off the pieces of hard wood used in the knife.

Ron

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[This message has been edited by Doc Ron (edited 15 December 1999).]
 
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