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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Shorttime said:
I like these threads because they make me think. I was five tabs deep comparing various knives when I remembered that usually means I'm overthinking, and that's usually because I don't have enough information.

So, it's gonna be the Ontario Air Force Survival knife.

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I know jack diddly about "survival', so it's sure that I would do something stupid. Doing something stupid with this knife would roll the edge or maybe bend the tip, leaving me with still a single functioning tool, instead of two pieces of cutting tool, which might or might not be useful.
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That's actually a pretty robust little knife. The grind is pretty steep, the edge pretty obtuse, and the tip pretty tough. So, if you got overly horsey with it, and did a sizeable amount of damage to it (*edge, tip, or otherwise), I'd think you might be possibly nursing an injury, too. Just my humble opinion.

If you're drawn to the size of a "Pilot's Knife", I'd HIGHLY recommend you look into something like a Becker BK-10, BK-2, or an ESEE-5...all damn-near indestructible, and much better "cutters" than the 499. Beyond that, I trust the fit & finish and heat-treat consistencies of Becker/Ka-Bar and ESEE/Rowen head & shoulders above Ontario. (*and I own quite a few Ontario knives) Again, in my humble opinion, and for a few dollars more, the two Beckers and ESEE would be the better investments...by a mile.

At the end of the day, ANYTHING can be broken. And, when you're tired/cold/dehydrated/impatient/anxious, I think something along the lines of the three that I mentioned would have the strength and quality to see you through any moments of stupidity. Again, just my humble opinion. Your mileage may vary.
 
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Alone said:
That's actually a pretty robust little knife. The grind is pretty steep, the edge pretty obtuse, and the tip pretty tough. So, if you got overly horsey with it, and did a sizeable amount of damage to it (*edge, tip, or otherwise), I'd think you might be possibly nursing an injury, too. Just my humble opinion.

If you're drawn to the size of a "Pilot's Knife", I'd HIGHLY recommend you look into something like a Becker BK-10, BK-2, or an ESEE-5...all damn-near indestructible, and much better "cutters" than the 499. Beyond that, I trust the fit & finish and heat-treat consistencies of Becker/Ka-Bar and ESEE/Rowen head & shoulders above Ontario. (*and I own quite a few Ontario knives) Again, in my humble opinion, and for a few dollars more, the two Beckers and ESEE would be the better investments...by a mile.

At the end of the day, ANYTHING can be broken. And, when you're tired/cold/dehydrated/impatient/anxious, I think something along the lines of the three that I mentioned would have the strength and quality to see you through any moments of stupidity. Again, just my humble opinion. Your mileage may vary.
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Oh yeah, Becker and ESEE make good knives for gorillas, no doubt! They all have features that my limited experience doesn't like: Becker's handles look like they would get pretty slick if you had to work in the snow, and ESEE puts the blade tips up pretty far, wandering into drop point territory, when I like spear points. All personal preference, and possibly a result of me not knowing much about what I'm talking about. But then, I'm a town boy who likes a hot coffee to start the day, and a hot shower to end it. If I traveled in places where I might have to shelter in place or hike out, I would want to practice with my knife, first.

Edit: I kinda wanted to go with a knife that looked acceptable in "OEM" shape, to make it easier for myself. I'm aware that there are micarta scales for Beckers, which I've heard help a lot.
 
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jackknife said:
What if you had a legendary Jarbenza with a blade made from the equally legendary Rostafree steel forged in the mountains of Jamaica, by Rastafarian monks using the secret herbal process?
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The world isn't ready for that kind of power. Nobody alive today could use that blade, and not be corrupted by it's influence. You would win at the survival scenario, but you would surely lose your soul. Seek not the Rostafree Jarbenza! That path leads to the Dark Side.

Then, a hero, wielding a Richmade, would rise up to destroy you. And this thread would get moved to Prac/Tac, to spiral down the endless well of "what if" scenarios.
 
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Alone said:
You'd love it.

It's like sharpening a jar of mayonnaise...or a bowling ball.
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AbjectTestament said:
I ended up giving up in sharpening one I picked up and gave it away. I've heard of legends able to sharpen it but have never seen em.
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I think youse are setting your expectations too high, for one thing. I have a three dollar "sharpening" stone from Sevierville, Tennessee that says it's 240 on one side and 320 grit on the other side. I bet I can get all of the sharpness out of that knife that "320 grit" will do!
 
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I realized that while I can post my ideal hard use “survival” knives, the only knife I have that works is the Cold Steel AD-10. This is the knife I carry at all times and probably the only knife I’d have if I was ever in a situation that required a knife for survival.
 
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Shorttime said:
Oh yeah, Becker and ESEE make good knives for gorillas, no doubt! They all have features that my limited experience doesn't like: Becker's handles look like they would get pretty slick if you had to work in the snow, and ESEE puts the blade tips up pretty far, wandering into drop point territory, when I like spear points. All personal preference, and possibly a result of me not knowing much about what I'm talking about. But then, I'm a town boy who likes a hot coffee to start the day, and a hot shower to end it. If I traveled in places where I might have to shelter in place or hike out, I would want to practice with my knife, first.

Edit: I kinda wanted to go with a knife that looked acceptable in "OEM" shape, to make it easier for myself. I'm aware that there are micarta scales for Beckers, which I've heard help a lot.
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If you are in the snow. Any of those exposed tangs should start getting very uncomfortable. (I assume. I live tropical)
 
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I'm not a winter camper, but living in Canada, knowing people here and from other cold places. The important feature that they want for winter is finger guard, or something to stop the hand from sliding around. When you have mitts and gloves, and your hands are numb, you don't accidentally throw the knife off or fingers sliding up the blade.

It was that explanation that clicked on half guard and some designs for me.
 
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One of the reasons my every day carry knife is a Jerry Fisk designed Sendero Classic, from White River. Enclosed tang, half-guard, and a thin slicy blade. But that doesn't answer the OP's question.

For a planned 3 day adventure, a Cold Steel Rifleman's Hawk, a Drop Forged Hunter, and a Drop Forged Survivalist, would cover any job you're likely to see. The knives aren't exactly light, but they
are pretty damn tough, and 52100 holds a decent edge while still being easy enough to sharpen in the field. You WILL want gloves if it's cold. The knives are practically indestructible, one solid
piece of steel from tip to butt. The hawk isn't cool looking, but it has a hammer, and a decent working profile to the edge. If you needed it for self-defense, you could do far worse. Same with the
Survivalist. For defensive use, it's as good as any other single edged Bowie out there, and better than a great many. And less than $200, all in.

It's also a good idea to practice with your tools before you head out. Better to be familiar with your traveling companions before the journey. Don't know about you, but I like to know if my newest
friends are gonna turn into serial killers when I'm not expecting it....
 
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Russell Green River 6" hunter. Won the West, still does so many things well that I can't imagine anything more versatile. I have at least one in each of my rigs, and on my belt when I'm hunting, fishing, or camping. Got one in my kitchen drawer, too, along with a 4" butcher (the "camp knife")with checkered scales that Mama swiped off my muzzleloader shooting bag.
Dutchwind
 
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My go camping outdoors set up for years was a Gerber Parabellum carried as a fixed blade with SAK Champion (older one) in the pouch. If I had to get rid of one those for this discussion it would be the Parabellum. Tough decision but the SAK has more versatility.
 
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Equipped with your knife of choice = emergency situation
Not equipped with anything = survival situation
Try using your favorite knife all day in your non dominant hand.
For extra credit, do this on “talk like a pirate day” and use all your brain.
Then try building a fire blindfolded. Road flares don’t count.
 
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Survival! And I get a choice :cool:;)
72 hours is getting thirsty and hungry time.

Skrama, as a few have chosen. Light enough, big enough, and tough enough to get a whole lot of work done. Most importantly I've used mine enough to be familiar with it.
Skrama: thinking man's golok.

My SAK Huntsman or Letherman Charge TTi would be a result for me in a survival situation. Heck, a pocket penknife would be a bonus enough. Why I carry something everyday. Wopper choppers you can't.
 
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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!
Click to expand...
I have owned and used my Silent Hero for some time and in a variety of outdoor scenarios. I was so enamored with it that I purchased a custom leather sheath from Sagewood for it. The sheath is THE best sheath available if you want a high end leather sheath. It addresses the issue with the original Tops sheath that affords no way to protect the strap on the sheath from being accidentally cut…and the Sagewood sheath is a much higher quality sheath. I have nothing but praise for the Silent Hero in the “survival knife” category. That said, it has a carbon blade so attention to maintenance is required to avoid rust (but I love carbon blades). I own an array of knives that would fall in the survival knife category and the Silent Hero has remained my favorite…hands down. My background? I am a retired law enforcement officer from California (EX SWAT), avid outdoorsman and guide and a lover of knives. If you own a Silent Hero, consider the custom Sagewood knife sheath.
 
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