What knives do you want for survival?

NapalmCheese said:
With all the money in the world I wouldn’t change my answer.
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And that's just fine :thumbsup: So long as you read and understand the question correctly, by all means, choose whatever you like! For all the money in the world, I wouldn't change my answer either :D
 
allenC said:
I stick by my answer.
There's not much you can't do in the kitchen with a machete, an Opinel No.12 Explore, and a Vic SAK.
Heck, the right SAK can even give you a corkscrew, a bottle opener, and a can opener.
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Sure, I can do just about anything I need with the CPK FK2. But, I'd rather use purpose built knives for various tasks. And what about the rest of your group?

The question allows you an unlimited amount and type of knives. Why not throw a kitchen knife on the list?
 
craytab said:
But you can have a folder, many of them, along with any number and type of fixed blades! Sky is the limits!
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folders are great, but for "survival" im going to grab a knife that isn't already broken into 2 main parts.
 
Srtr said:
Yeah, what did I miss? I'll admit I probably just skimmed it while inbetween deadlift sets.
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I'll quote the question here:

not2sharp said:
I would like to know what knives you would want for the family, or better yet an extended group of family, friends and neighbors who are capable of creating and maintaining a stable and self-sustaining community. ...snip.... The wide variety of knives is out there for practical reasons. What would be the ideal mix of knives for us?
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The whole OP:
not2sharp said:
Ok here is a hard one.

First of all, if this question bring to mind Rambo and some hollow handled marvel of cutlery technology, you have got it all wrong. I am not talking about Some loner malcontent social misfit on a suicide quest. I would like to know what knives you would want for the family, or better yet an extended group of family, friends and neighbors who are capable of creating and maintaining a stable and self-sustaining community. Most of us would agree that the Sebenza is a great knife; yet if all we had were a crate full of them we would probably fail. The wide variety of knives is out there for practical reasons. What would be the ideal mix of knives for us?

n2s
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I always carry a BK-14 in a pocket sheath along with an ALOX Victorinox Electrician.

I also always have 1-2 Spyderco Salts on my person at any given time as well.

The BK-14 is a pocket survival knife. It's always there for any serious or hard use job.

The Salts are always serrated for cordage or anything else fibrous / tough.

If I'm heading someplace where I expect to need something bigger or will be deeper in, I take a BK-15 & other gear as well.

I keep a fillet knife in my car at all times, as I do a lot of fishing, etc.

And Mora's, well... Those are by backup blades stashed in every bag and pack I own and I keep buying them to give away to ppl as hard use, inexpensive, blades.

A Mora is all you need.... But the other stuff is more specialized and nicer .
 
If you are talking about a community, that sounds like it's not exactly a survival knife. I picture that as some folks living off the grid in something like log cabins, raising some critters.

I'm assuming you'd have axes and saws for major cutting. You'd need a knife for cooking and butchering food animals maybe. Some other minor tasks. Most of those wouldn't require a big knife I wouldn't think.

I think decent sharpening equipment and the skill to use it would be more important than a specific brand of knife.
 
Norcaldude said:
If you are talking about a community, that sounds like it's not exactly a survival knife. I picture that as some folks living off the grid in something like log cabins, raising some critters.

I'm assuming you'd have axes and saws for major cutting. You'd need a knife for cooking and butchering food animals maybe. Some other minor tasks. Most of those wouldn't require a big knife I wouldn't think.

I think decent sharpening equipment and the skill to use it would be more important than a specific brand of knife.
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That's is all true. Although we never know how or where a situation may arise. For instance, this may be an extended group trying to survive failed institutions in Venezuela, or perhaps a group that had to endure the breakup of Yugoslavia; and, yes it could be a small community trying to deal with a natural disaster. Unfortunately, we never get to pick the scenario; but, the implication is that this going to last longer then a day or two and that it will involve a set of people, some of which you can count on for assistance and others that will be dependent on you. People which will need to be organized and equipped to do their part.

I am limiting the discussion to knives, since that is our area of interest and I would like to keep the discussion focused. Obviously, such a crisis would involve much more than knives.

n2s
 
You said group and hence it depends on how it is all organized and how many people are involved not to mention the situation that caused the community to form. But generally speaking there would be a full range of reasonable choices from the kitchen, to tactical, to outdoor use. I have no idea what I would choose in terms of specific cutting tools but there would be plenty for all concerned that would be functional for years to come.
 
If I had a Fiskars Hatchet or GB Wildlife Hatchet with a Silky Bigboy these would be my picks

a) SRK
b) Case 2 blade large hunter
c) Vic curved boning knife
d) Case muskrat

Geoff
 
In the midst of the bickering, I went back and read the original set of questions. I relate the following for your consideration.

1. Long before the glorified movie with beautiful actresses wearing Hollywood makeup, I read the book about the Bielski brothers survival in WW2. It was so horrific, I had to put it down. Then I read and re-read it for an understanding of group survival. Within the group, people traded and specialized in their joint, survival efforts.

2. I questioned a military unit knife order during the First Gulf War. It was explained to me that the unit wasn't interested in the "best knife", but in having a quantity on hand as they would be used and abused. This caused a change in my thinking.

3. I make these observations about TSA confiscated knives. There are a lot. Most are cheap junk, no name knives . I do not buy them. Nearly every brand name brand folder has been in dire need of a deep cleaning. This suggests that most people don't understand maintenance. Why buy "the best" unless it is for yourself?

4. I have reconditioned/restored/cleaned up TSA seized knives, leatherman tools, low end SAKs, reconstructed axes and hatchets, old hand tools. They are my trading goods. They are for my circle when shtf. They have been gifts to nieces/nephews (in case shtf and I am with them and not at home). A comment on gifts. I have three nieces who are college age on the east coast. When you were college age, did you have a Cold Steel folder in a leather sheath for a belt carry? When, you became a white collar worker like a nephew in a metropolitan area, did you have a low end SAK in a leather sheath stuck in a hidden place in your car?
 
You guys forgot big truck to carry them around 24/7/365 :^)
Or at least solid wheel barrel.
Maybe some guns, long and short + say 2000 rounds for them.
Food and water, drugs and clothing aren't that necessary.
Big bunch of Spydercos are :^D
 
Norcaldude said:
If you are talking about a community, that sounds like it's not exactly a survival knife. I picture that as some folks living off the grid in something like log cabins, raising some critters.

I'm assuming you'd have axes and saws for major cutting. You'd need a knife for cooking and butchering food animals maybe. Some other minor tasks. Most of those wouldn't require a big knife I wouldn't think.

I think decent sharpening equipment and the skill to use it would be more important than a specific brand of knife.
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Reread the OP's original post and his follow up about where a group of people may have a situation come up where they had to leave or it was sprung upon them and staying alive and living for some time were the main objectives. I would think it would be anything they could carry with them and had time to gather from their homes or what they could scrounge from the area like old homesteads or cabins, etc....like one hears about when in Alaska and in the wilderness. To keep it on knives, I would say nothing specialized but old kitchen knives, chef knives, parry knives, hunting knives, and general pocket knives like SA, Buck knives, filet knives yes....maybe a Mora. The point is whatever they could gather or find on a short notice, not a well planned outing, unless someone had made a BOB or get out of Dodge kit. Mostly for food prep, and making the stay easier, and of course I would think they had other tools.
 
Before rereading the OP's comments, I also thought of a community like what the locals would use in small villages or farms. So I immediately though of a parang, machete. Or even a kukri. So if a group find themselves in an area or third world nation, local made items would also be useful, so blacksmith made items. Just my two cents. I sometimes think about downed aviators in WWII, what would be in their survival or bailout kits.
 
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My vision would be essentially a community of people, many family but also neighbors from their original location who gather together to survive in a potentially hopeless situation. A farm comes to mind as typically you have a lot of ready made buildings as well as livestock and equipment. You need a lot of space to grow things. Cutting tools are part of the package.

Added: As far as knives you might carry, I basically fall back on what Horace Kephart carried, essentially a medium sized belt knife and a folding knife. Within the community, you would need an assortment of knives for varying tasks, but not really as many different kinds as one might think. Fixed blades will rule the day as they did 100 years ago.
 
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not2sharp said:
That's is all true. Although we never know how or where a situation may arise. For instance, this may be an extended group trying to survive failed institutions in Venezuela, or perhaps a group that had to endure the breakup of Yugoslavia; and, yes it could be a small community trying to deal with a natural disaster. Unfortunately, we never get to pick the scenario; but, the implication is that this going to last longer then a day or two and that it will involve a set of people, some of which you can count on for assistance and others that will be dependent on you. People which will need to be organized and equipped to do their part.

I am limiting the discussion to knives, since that is our area of interest and I would like to keep the discussion focused. Obviously, such a crisis would involve much more than knives.

n2s
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The scenarios OP has mentioned do require very different skill sets and tools, and in some scenarios, evacuation over a long distance may occur and how many different 'knives' for use/carry will probably be least worries on the list. Historically, if we look at refugee migration because of war or catastrophic event, and see what they take or abandon on the road, that may give some idea on how to be better for that particular situation. One thing is for sure, it is very different to prepare for a refugee evacuation vs wilderness survival.
 
ive watched thousands of hours of youtube videos on this question and I still dont freaking know.

At the moment Id say a bk 9 paired with a smaller bushcraft knife probably a mora and a sak of some sort and a buck knife.

This should be sufficient fot a group of people
 
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