What knife would you use in a survival scenario?

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master_nylo

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If you were in a 72 hr+ off grid survival scenario what one knife would you trust to fill the role of a survival knife? To make kindling, to prepare food, make a spear, make a shelter or to battle a zombie (just kidding with that last part). I personally would trust the TOPS silent hero. Looking forward to hearing your feedback!
 
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Houlahound said:
This, depending on what vegetation I expect to find myself in the blade would be heavier or lighter.

I'm convinced a 12" machete is the best all round tool to co we all possible scenarios....also dirt cheap.

.most knife manufacturers and internet knife gurus deny this simple truth.
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THIS!

Some years ago, Jeff Randall said in an interview that 98% of the knife industry was BS, and more real world survival was being done in developing countries with a machete than any other knife.

Almost 20 years ago, our son John was in Costa Rica for 6 months for his company. We flew down for a visit and John, knowing what nature lovers his mom and dad were, had booked us on a rainforest trip. Hiking by day with our binoculars, and camping each night where the guides had set up the tents and dinner. All the guides carried a small machete in a nice leather sheath with a file to touch up the blade. File sharp, no shaving edges there. They also had a pouch on their belt that had a SAK and a Bic lighter. For the four days and three nights we were in the Costa Rican jungle, those guides did near everything with those small 10 to 12 inch machetes. Bu day, walking the trail the guide in front carried a much longer machete for clear any growth on the well used trail. In the evening, kindling was chopped up with the small machetes, extra tent pegs made, dinner prepared.

The last night in the jungle, they did a pig roast for us. The roast pork was sliced up and served with machetes, that also handled bread slicing, veggie slicing, and anything else that needed cutting.

Came home from that trip and got rid of my large fixed blades and just used a 12 inch Ontario machete and pocket knife.

Only obsessed knife nuts go overboard on buy8ng expensive knives. The rest of the world does very well with Mora's, machetes, bolo's, and panga's. Cheap, effective, and reliable.
 
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jackknife said:
THIS!

Some years ago, Jeff Randall said in an interview that 98% of the knife industry was BS, and more real world survival was being done in developing countries with a machete than any other knife.

Almost 20 years ago, our son John was in Costa Rica for 6 months for his company. We flew down for a visit and John, knowing what nature lovers his mom and dad were, had booked us on a rainforest trip. Hiking by day with our binoculars, and camping each night where the guides had set up the tents and dinner. All the guides carried a small machete in a nice leather sheath with a file to touch up the blade. File sharp, no shaving edges there. They also had a pouch on their belt that had a SAK and a Bic lighter. For the four days and three nights we were in the Costa Rican jungle, those guides did near everything with those small 10 to 12 inch machetes. Bu day, walking the trail the guide in front carried a much longer machete for clear any growth on the well used trail. In the evening, kindling was chopped up with the small machetes, extra tent pegs made, dinner prepared.

The last night in the jungle, they did a pig roast for us. The roast pork was sliced up and served with machetes, that also handled bread slicing, veggie slicing, and anything else that needed cutting.

Came home from that trip and got rid of my large fixed blades and just used a 12 inch Ontario machete and pocket knife.

Only obsessed knife nuts go overboard on buy8ng expensive knives. The rest of the world does very well with Mora's, machetes, bolo's, and panga's. Cheap, effective, and reliable.
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I have started reclaiming some overgrown mountain bike trails, removed the tips from my machetes so they are square nosed and carry a small file on the sheath.

Machete + small folder = win
 
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Odds are good that it would end up being my LM surge on a work day, or my Vic compact if we are bugged out over a weekend. Sure I have knives I'd prefer to have in those situations, and those knives are kept so that if I have something happen unexpectedly, I should have at least something decent with me, but I'll take whatever I've got. I've gone through the cycle of skill-gear-skill in several fields, and I think it's relevant. You start learning skills, then hit a point where you see all the places where gear can make the skills less critical, but over time you then find that you can do without, or at least be far more efficient. When it comes to knives, I'd rather have a specialized one than a generalist one, but not always as specified by cutting performance. For example, I can carry specific types of knives daily, I'd rather carry a known knife that fits those parameters, than maybe something that maximized legality, but left other traits aside. A big-ass-bowie replaces a lot of things, it does not replace a scalpel, or bolt cutters. So all that fitting in, I will prioritize a plan and skills over exactly what I'm carrying. Tell me that I've got two hours to be as far from the city as I can get, but all I can take is my Opinel #7, or I can have any knife, but the disaster gives me no warning? I'll take the plan every day of the week. Not as fun, I know.
 
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The 12 inch Ontario Machete looks good to me. I might give on of these a shot. I replied earlier in this thread with fairly expensive knives that I suggested. I’d like to revise my answer with a good, cheap and dependable 12 Machete in a simple carbon steel. Ease of sharpening is a huge factor for me, especially being able to field sharpen. If I had to choose a knife, after all things carefully considered, it’d be one of these three:
View attachment 2036066
View attachment 2036067
 
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Quiet said:
If I had the time to grab something, it'd be one of any number of midsize to larger sized fixed blades I own, probably one of my Carothers knives. If I'm thrown into the situation, I'll still be good to go, since I'll have at minimum a large folder and a smaller knife or SAK. Grab the lighter from my daybag, coat and rain jacket layer I keep in my car, I'm all set.
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Makes the case for a "go Bag" or "Bug-Out Bag", if a surprise $HTF situation develops.

But that topic is much deeper and wider. . . .perhaps for another thread and maybe even a different board.

Checking YouTube, there are dozens of videos on what to include, each with a different set of assumptions and priorities.
 
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If I know I'm going into a survival situation , a gun !
If it's a surprise , then what ever I have on hand ..
If your talking about a situation like ALONE , then a knife that's easy to maintain till I win or break !
 
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I wonder if a Machete would work chopping up the hardwoods where I live and in the USA. the woods like Hickory Maple and Oak ect.ect. it's just something to think about Trying to split these woods with a machete.
 
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d762nato said:
I wonder if a Machete would work chopping up the hardwoods where I live and in the USA. the woods like Hickory Maple and Oak ect.ect. it's just something to think about Trying to split these woods with a machete.
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In what survival situation do you need to split or chop hardwood, you gonna build a house or something??


Please don't reply with "starting a fire" because that's BS.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
You don't get out much, do you? :rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes:
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Apparently survival situations only happen in the jungles of South America, and the rest of us buying tools more appropriate to our own climates are just "obsessed knife nuts". :rolleyes:

Love the complete lack of thought given to the United States, a section of the continent where it's everything from pine forests, to hardwood forests, to swamps, deserts, and everything in between.

"Well, I mean, Jeff Randall said...." Who? Oh, that guy who runs a company that sells fixed blades whose names denote the blade length? That Jeff Randall?

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE, PRECIOUS!!!!
 
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I wonder what is more common in a "survival"/outdoor oriented, heavy edged tool use situation?.....

A. Having a machete and really needing/wanting a smaller blade most of the time?

Or

B. Having a smaller utility knife and really needing/wanting a machete most of the time?

I personally think I'd want a 5"-6" clip or drop point blade with a keen edge and reasonable toughness and have to improvise anything where I might need a machete or large chopper.

I've done a fair bit of wilderness excursions in my day (still do occasionally). I've never needed a machete, granted I've never had hacking through thick jungle as my main priority.

Nowadays, I watch more survival related TV than my own personal experience. Those often take place in jungle settings but it still strikes me that there are ample opportunities for a medium size fixed blade and relatively few instances where a machete is actually needed. I see a lot of unnecessary/wasteful chopping and hacking and a lot of it appears to be a side effect of boredom.

I'm certain there are times when a machete is just the ticket. I just don't think it's the majority.
 
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J. Doyle said:
I wonder what is more common in a "survival"/outdoor oriented, heavy edged tool use situation?.....

A. Having a machete and really needing/wanting a smaller blade most of the time?

Or

B. Having a smaller utility knife and really needing/wanting a machete most of the time?

I personally think I'd want a 5"-6" clip or drop point blade with a keen edge and reasonable toughness and have to improvise anything where I might need a machete or large chopper.

I've done a fair bit of wilderness excursions in my day (still do occasionally). I've never needed a machete, granted I've never had hacking through thick jungle as my main priority.

Nowadays, I watch more survival related TV than my own personal experience. Those often take place in jungle settings but it still strikes me that there are ample opportunities for a medium size fixed blade and relatively few instances where a machete is actually needed. I see a lot of unnecessary/wasteful chopping and hacking and a lot of it appears to be a side effect of boredom.

I'm certain there are times when a machete is just the ticket. I just don't think it's the majority.
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Well that will really hinge on the wilderness you plan to survive in. If you're in a jungle a machete or golock will be perfect. If you're in the desert with no real wood to process or vines to chop it would be less ideal.

Where I am it's warm and wet in the summer but way below zero & deep snow in the winter. In the summer I could work with a 5-6" knife but in the winter I'd be a lot happier with a Silky saw folded up in my bag.
 
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Houlahound said:
This, depending on what vegetation I expect to find myself in the blade would be heavier or lighter.

I'm convinced a 12" machete is the best all round tool to co we all possible scenarios....also dirt cheap.

.most knife manufacturers and internet knife gurus deny this simple truth.
Click to expand...
To play devil's advocate, they are made from very lock hardness 1070 which barely keeps an edge for things like feather sticks or filtering, or skinning.

Sure you can sharpen it on rock or things you find but that's easier said than done and would need to be done constantly. Additionally that's a ton of blade to keep sharp.

Don't get me wrong iv owned about 5 of them, and think they are wonderful.
 
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Danke42 said:
Well that will really hinge on the wilderness you plan to survive in. If you're in a jungle a machete or golock will be perfect. If you're in the desert with no real wood to process or vines to chop it would be less ideal.

Where I am it's warm and wet in the summer but way below zero & deep snow in the winter. In the summer I could work with a 5-6" knife but in the winter I'd be a lot happier with a Silky saw folded up in my bag.
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I don't disagree with any of that. A saw is a great tool much of the time.

I really get a kick out of the team scenarios where people know ahead of time they'll be in a three person group and everyone is allowed a knife of some sort and all three of them show up with a machete.
 
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I've lived off-the-grid for ten+ years and I homesteaded this property myself (built my cabins out of trees I personally felled and milled, dug out the roads, put in the water lines and septic...).

I'd have more than one tool.
I always do.

But instead of gaming the game (a machete is not a knife, nor is a hatchet) I'll answer the OP's question: ESEE Laser Strike. Just not in the dumb sheath they provide.

Frankly I'd rather have a tarp.
And some waterproof matches.
Sharp rocks are everywhere
 
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