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:
So you admit it can be done albeit there are other tools and methods that make the process more convenient and efficient.....looks like we are in full agreement.
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So you admit that "convenient and efficient" are not things you want to excel at in a survival situation?

You will die on that mountain, son.

Looks like we are in full agreement.
 
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Houlahound said:
So you admit it can be done albeit there are other tools and methods that make the process more convenient and efficient.....looks like we are in full agreement.
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I just go with what I know. I’m very proficient with a large fixed blade knife. I know for a fact that a hatchet/axe and saws are more effective and/or efficient. It doesn’t make me any less knowledgeable, or less of a “true woodsman” if I choose not to use them. Not everyone needs the Mora/Silky saw combo.
 
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master_nylo said:
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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Probably one of these. Obviously the incurved one would not be good for food prep and skinning, but it would chop trees and whatnot like a boss. I think three of these are my favorite blades, and two of them were free.

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Pic 1 on the left - very sharp chopper/slicer. Mien/Yao hilltribe knife from Thailand. $5 , 40+ years ago. Beautifully made. I have a second one quite like it.
Pic 2 on the right, a little more of a sword. I have another just like it that was made for me as a gift by a blacksmith I knew, 40 years ago. This one is much older. Got it free from my sis-in-law, a junk dealer.
Pic 2 on the left with the deluxe blue drain pipe sheath - was maybe $2-$3 twenty years ago. Nice octagonal tropical hardwood handle that has not had finish applied.

3of the four would do. Of course I'd like a little carving/paring knife to accompany a chopper.
 
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USMCPOP said:
Probably one of these. Obviously the incurved one would not be good for food prep and skinning, but it would chop trees and whatnot like a boss. I think three of these are my favorite blades, and two of them were free.
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While they are nice examples of "native" tools, I would not even consider them for a true survival situation. Unknown heat treatment, questionable handle securement and really skinny tangs are the last things I want if there is a chance I may need a knife for some heavy duty use in a survival situation.
 
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Houlahound said:
So you admit it can be done albeit there are other tools and methods that make the process more convenient and efficient.....looks like we are in full agreement.
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Your claim was that a machete was the best tool, remember?
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 is patently absurd for most conditions that aren't deep rainforest jungle. This is an actual fact, which is why most people who camp in other environments tend not to carry them. In fact, there are guys in one of the subs on this board who state that a really sharp hatchet would do everything they need to do, and honestly that makes more sense than a friggin' machete.

Also, please stop using the word "truth" until you've looked up what it means, thanks!
 
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shane45-1911 said:
While they are nice examples of "native" tools, I would not even consider them for a true survival situation. Unknown heat treatment, questionable handle securement and really skinny tangs are the last things I want if there is a chance I may need a knife for some heavy duty use in a survival situation.
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"Native tools" ? The people who make and use these knives have used them daily for survival fo hundreds of years, if not thousands, yet they have survived and prospered. I have seen them forge blades and harden/temper them with great care. As for tangs, some are much larger than commercial knives that I see these days, and I don't see shapes which are stress raisers. And tangs are not hardened so you don't have them snapping off if you baton a blade. The blades are edge hardened, like Japanese swords.

Yes, they don't have the advantage of current top-notch metallurgy, but they make stuff that works. I'm willing to bet that they can do more with a knife than you can on a day-to-day basis. Don't dis "natives". They will surprise you.
 
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It's not difficult to adjust your cutting technique for the tool being used, using a big knife to do little knife jobs, etc. If I knew I was going to be out for three days, I'd take my Livesay RTAK(a Jeff Randall design, btw), a TwoHawks Warbeast, and a folder in 14C28N. That's in addition to my edc Sendero Classic.
 
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I grew up in Latin America and have used a machete since I was about 6 yrs old. I love them, and still use them up here in Alaska. I have also batoned with one just to see if it would take it (10” diam dead spruce). One thing I admit to love about using a machete is that I don’t hesitate to use it in situations that are not ideal. If you roll or chip a machete, it doesn’t take much work with a file or work-sharp yo get it back to work (and it doesn’t make you cringe like nicking an expensive blade🤣). have started fires with wet wood by cutting chips/strips from the dry areas of large branches (not needing to baton). Spruce pitch and dried moose poop are great fire starters as well as so many other things.

A thread like this should not bring out animosity, as we are all on the forum because we like sharp steel. A ‘survival scenario’ can be so many things (from an earthquake to a flipped fishing boat, etc). My first post was that my first choice would depend on the hypothetical location/scenario, which I think is true for most of us. That said, we could be in a bad situation almost any time so we should be prepared.

Carry what you trust, like, and can keep sharp!
I hope everyone has a good 2023 and that the only survival scenarios you face are ones you choose to partake in😀
 
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How many people are in real honest to goodness survival situations these days through no fault of their own? A few a year? If you're going out there without a GPS/cell phone that's silly. Those are probably the most important survival tools you can carry. The problem is you get a bunch of people that get a notion they can just go out into the sticks and do what they saw on one of the "survival" tv shows and the next thing you know the national guard is searching the woods. Like that McCandless kid who decided he'd go live off the land in Alaska and wound up croaking from bad berries.
No hatchet, knife or machete makes up for common sense.
Bushcrafting, etc. is fun to do and useful to know how to do but if you've managed to get yourself into a fix where you're actually required to survive by it your trip planning left a lot to be desired.
 
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USMCPOP said:
"Native tools" ? The people who make and use these knives have used them daily for survival fo hundreds of years, if not thousands, yet they have survived and prospered. I have seen them forge blades and harden/temper them with great care. As for tangs, some are much larger than commercial knives that I see these days, and I don't see shapes which are stress raisers. And tangs are not hardened so you don't have them snapping off if you baton a blade. The blades are edge hardened, like Japanese swords.

Yes, they don't have the advantage of current top-notch metallurgy, but they make stuff that works. I'm willing to bet that they can do more with a knife than you can on a day-to-day basis. Don't dis "natives". They will surprise you.
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Don't over-react. :)

I am "dissing" no one. I am simply saying there are domestic tools I trust far more than the examples you have shown.
 
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A blade, again and again, is just a tool, among so many other things. If the situation is demand for it, you might have to use ice skates as blade.

If you have time to prepare, then you need to know the intels about the region, the environment and everything, make a list then look for the tools that fit. Then your skill, you know what work for you and what you avoid. There will always be something that better than the other, made to be more specilized, there is always a compromise.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
I am simply saying there are domestic tools I trust far more than the examples you have shown.
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I dunno, so far these guys with only native tools have managed to convince most people that leaving them alone is a pretty good idea. There have been a few guys over the years who tried to go talk to them and haven't been seen since.
Sentinelese.jpg
 
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