What Survival Knife

L

lyon504

Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Messages
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Can anyone recommend to good survival knife. I was looking at the Wilkinson Sword Survival Knife however, after looking on this site I see that it has not had good reviews. I have been out of the link in regards to the latest knifes on the market for about 12 years now so I would appreciate any input that people have.

So come on in your opinion what is the best survival knife at present

Cheers

Richie
 
lyon504,
how much are you willing to spend ? What use are you going to put it to? lot's of good kit out there.If you are keen to spend more than £150 then Chris Reeve or Randall would be well worth a look, several models in both ranges to suit any application.
Paul
 
Lyon 504, welcome to the forums.

So long you are not in a hurry spend some time here and you can pick up a lot. There are some real "football team" dedicated followers of certain brands on the forum so take it all with a pinch of salt. Knives have improved no end over the years and there is a knife for every pocket.

Stay clear of that Wilkinson Sword Survival knife; its not good. Frankly it sucks.

For comparison look at Chris Reeve Projects, Busse Battle Mistress and the Himalayan Import kukris. They are the top end. Then look at everything else. Somewhere there will be the knife for you. Its your decision of what you need the blade for. If all fails there are the custom makers that can make anything. Remember the best survival knife is the knife thats on you; which is probably going be a Swiss Army Knife.

Frank Kay of Framar, found advertising in Gunmark magazine, is the longest and most established "best" knife retailer in the UK. He is a good bloke too. Sadly price has to be £=$ , so swollow hard or get over the water.
 
What do you call a "survival knife"? Does it have to be one of those with a hollow handle, or is it just a big slab of steel with an edge that can do anything from dressing game to building a shelter? How much are you looking to pay? Prices for decent knives(in US) can range from $25 (a Cold Steel Bushman) to hundreds, e.g. Busse, Reeve, or Dozier.

There is a lot to be learned here, but you've got to try and narrow it down a bit.
 
Take a look at the ne Becker Combat/Utility 7. Costs about $50 on the net. Nice nylon sheath. Highly regarded by many forumites.
 
Mors Kochanski, in his book Northern Bushcraft, recommends an axe as the #1 bush tool. He carries a laminated Mora knife as a knfie for the woods. A Mora and the use fo a baton can do you LOTS of things.

It really epends on what you do, as far as which survival knife would suit you best. If you are going on day hikes in the woods or long treks or urban walks, etc. you really have differing cutlery needs.
 
Hello Lyon, take a gander at the Tsuge TS 1, its full tang and the survival extras (fishing line/hooks, sig mirror,multi-tool-card,...etc) fitted into a matching leather pouch that can either be worn separately on belt or clipped to the sheath.

Regards Bernard
 
Hi Lyon, you're biggest problem will be getting hold of your eventual choice over on this island.
Heinnie Haynes in Cardiff can usually order anything you require, I've found them very good and their stock extends way beyond what they show on the Web.
http://heinnie.com/
 
If you don't need a hollow-handled "survival knife", then you might want to take a look at the SOG Seal 2000. That is a very good, sturdy knife that won't cost a large pile of money to buy.:).
 
Here's a few good picks to look at:

Fallkniven A1 or S1;

Grohmann Survival(flat ground);

Benchmade Nimravus or Outbounder;

Gerber Yari;

Ontario SP5 Bowie, Marine Combat, or Pilot Survival, and, if you can wait until the end of next month, their RTAK or mini RTAK;

Livesay Air Assault or RCM;

Martindale #2 Golok.

Dependent upon your needs and budget, there's something in that group above that will serve with distinction.

Mike
 
Generally, a good fixed blade will do most tasks in the outdoors, and a good folder will suffice for urban survival.

I can recommend a few good brands, but I could narrow down the list even more if I knew what type of blade you are looking for, and how much money you are willing to spend.

To me, the best survival knife is one that you will have on you should you ever find yourself in a survival situation. For me that means a medium sized Swiss Army knife that I always carry, whether in a urban or wilderness environment. For the great outdoors that means a good fixed blade. The size will depend on the terrain and what I am doing.

For under $20 you will find Swedish Mora knives to be absolutely awesome. Generally speaking, I'd stick with a fixed blade knife with a carbon steel blade, for ease of sharpening, and for taking and holding a good edge in the field.

Look at the offerings by these great manufacturers and makers:
- Becker Knife and Tool
- Cold Steel
- Busse Combat
- TOPS
- Martindale
- Newt Livesay
- Marble Arms
- Bob Dozier

If you want a rust resistant blade and don't mind the increased difficulty in sharpening, definitely consider the knives by:
- Fallkniven

A good friend of mine has done some recent extensive testing on a bunch of outdoor type knives, and the overall best performing knife was The Busse Combat Natural Outlaw, followed by the Cold Steel Recon Scout.

If you don't mind the extra weight, definitely consider a good kukri.

Personally, my favorite survival knife would have to be a fixed blade knife with a full tang, and a carbon steel blade about 4-5 inches in length.

A good small fixed blade paired with a large chopper such as a bolo, kukri, machete, small axe, hatchet or such, is a combination that's hard to beat. Of course don't forget to have the Swedish army Knife in your pocket. ;)

Happy hunting...
 
lyon,

Do a search in the Wilderness and Survival Forum here in the tactics and training section -- you'll get plenty of ideas and answers!

Best,

Brian.
 
This is the Wilkinson Survival knife. Retail in the US was around $350-400. Certainly not cheap. Fortunately there are alot of great knives in that price range.

n2s
 

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Not sure if I would use that Wilkinson....looks gimicky to me..

I have been using a Busse NO (Natural Outlaw) and it has been the best 51/2" - 6" blade I have ever used as a 'survival knife'. Maybe a bit heavy for most but thats how I like em, tuff and dependable. I cant find anything to discredit it's usefullness and at around $230-$250.00 USD, price is good. I like their warranty too!;)

Good luck in your search!

A pic for comparison (the one on the left);

attachment.php
 
Hi again all

Thanks for the advice, having been out of the system for so long I didn't realise how much there was to look at.

The Busse NO seems good, does anyone know of any stockest in the UK where I would be able to have a look at one?

I suppose my needs are varied really so no one knife will do. I do a lot of climbing and mountaining. So a folder which can be open with one hand would be nessary should I be climbing when I needed to use a knife, jammed ropes etc. I would also require a fixed blade that I could carry in the sack should a survival situation arise when I am out in the hills etc.

So thanks again you have all given me a lot to think about.

Regards

Lyon
:D
 
Its more accident and emegency survival in the UK than outright wilderness survival. For that you don't need that much knife. As you are trecking/climbing then weight is a real issue. Buy too much/heavy a knife and it will soon end up left back home.

A SAK should be standard. The Spyderco's are great climbing companions as they do cut rope brilliantly and have one handed opening, but they are not so good at spreading marmite/jam. Fixed, go for a medium utility/hunting knife, 5-6inches. I carry a Chris Reeve Project, 71/2 inches, which is probably too much. A tool for your base vehicle could be small forest axe as Scandinavians carry, plus a small spade. A machete is light weight and is useful in the UK, but don't expect it to last very long if you start doing real work. Then again we are talking the UK and not lost in the Canadian wilderness.

Busse knives are heavy duty in every sence of the word. The Battle Mistress is top class but hard work to carry on the hill. The rest of the range in my opinion are made from too thick stock which makes them less flexible for cutting chores. The handles are full sized and the blades dence so you really do need to have large hands to control the knives. They lean too much towards chopping rather than cutting so, though great blades, they are not to everybody's taste. Handle one first.
 
Hi. I'd go with a Buck "Buckmaster" Model 184. It was originally designed for the Navy SeALs, and was actually issued to them at one time. It was designed to cut through AIRCRAFT SKINS, ice, Buicks, anything really.:D I have one, and it is completely indestructible. It's a FULL 1/4in. thick blade, 12.5 in. long, and weighs about 2 lbs! I'd definitely feel safe if I was lost in the woods with that thing! Trees practically split themselves when they see it! :D It also has a hollow, watertight handle compartment for storing matches or other survival equipment. (Fishooks, etc.)

Anyway, IMO, anything that was designed for, and actually issued to the Seals, is more than good enough for me!

Plus, it just looks SOOOOO cool with the sawback teeth, and removable spikes in the handguard. There isn't a dull or non-pointy surface to be found on the knife! BOTH sides of the blade are SHARP (The blade, and the ENTIRE spine is sharp as well), and the spikes. There are always several on ebay for under $200, and I'd recommend getting one, as they have been out of production for over a decade. Mine actually was issued to a Seal!
Best $200 I've EVER spent!:D

Regards,
Strati
 
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