which survival knife should I get??

GRIM 62 said:
About as much as the BK2, ESEE 5,or the Gerber LMF would be.Don't you think so?
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I agree. They are all chopper/basher/smashers. Great for having a blast chopping/bashing/smashing in the woods, but less than ideal for "general camping/backpacking/survival."

Great knives, nonetheless. Love 'em. Own two custom Rangers, myself.

But hardly great for bushcraft/food prep when out camping/backpacking.
 
What I usually take as a "general camping/backpacking/survival knife is my Buck 119,or my RC6,if I want something stouter.The RC3 and Vic Huntsman make great companion blades as well.I did'nt take it the wrong way marcinek,I hear you.:)
 
For the price? I know it ain't listed but I am all for a Buck 119. Its a great knife that I would stake my life on. If I carry a fixed blade in the woods, its usually a Buck 119 and you can get them almost anywhere. Made in the U.S.A to.
 
I'll toss out a "camping/backpacking/survival" kit.

Bushnell Backtrack GPS...around 50 bucks.

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Vic Alox Farmer...around 30 bucks.

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Now if those two can't get you out of trouble in the woods, then one is on their own.

Now, if you are deliberately staying in the woods I'd go with something else better and more purpose-built. Fallkniven or Barkie for example. But deliberately staying in the woods isn't "survival" in my book.

And if I was bashing the bejeebus outta stuff in the woods, I go with something stouter. But that isn't "survival" either. It's having fun.
 
GRIM 62 said:
What I usually take as a "general camping/backpacking/survival knife is my Buck 119,or my RC6,if I want something stouter.The RC3 and Vic Huntsman make great companion blades as well.I did'nt take it the wrong way marcinek,I hear you.:)
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Hear you right back Grim! :thumbup:
 
Hiking is quite probably bar none, the single greatest reason why people are out in the bush. Second in the running is camping (which often comes with hiking or dayhiking...etc.).

In these types of scenarios, you will never need nor want to be lugging, hauling, or otherwise dragging more weight than necessary. The weight on the BK2 is absolutely unwarranted!

I love the idea of the jack of all trades - master of none... but in the case of the BK2 (or any .25" knife) it simple ain't worth it! If you bring a BK2 with you on a hike or dayhike (hell even a week trip)... you are crazy in my book.

Please don't take what Crocodile Dundee says and apply it to what blade you're packing... Even he would say, "that not a knife... that's a beveled prybar!"
 
Of that list, I own both the Gerber Big Rock and the Becker BK2. The Gerber is ok and seems reasonably sturdy though as many will point out, their steel is a mystery.

The BK2, on the other hand, flat out ROCKS. Get one - you won't be sorry.

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Beckerhead #42
 
Swiss army knife

Leatherman wave

If you want a fixed blade the Becker would be my pick out of your list. The LMF II will get the job done.
 
I'm a little sorry I bought it! I was suckered in by all the great posts and good reviews. When you actually hold it in your hand and strap it to your leg... it hits you, "holy crap this is way too much" ... then it hits you when you're out there, "holy crap, this thing is clumsy" ... And on and on. I would not buy it again, b/c who is honestly going to carry that outlandish thing into the bush?!?! Really!

Give me a Mora or a Wave. Controllable, always able to be on your person, likely to always be on your person, compact, and precision tools that do likely outdoor tasks better!


"That's not a knife... that's a beveled prybar!"
 
+1 for MORA. Out of the ones you listed I have a Gerber Prodigy. The Mora ends up in my pack for hikes 90% of the time. Why? It is the best combination of light weight, utility, sharpness, durability and cost of any knife I've ever come accross. I started my collection with Moras and to be quite honest, I could have stopped right then and there. It sure is a hard knife to beat for what it is. Of course there is no perfect knife for every job, so I have many others, but for general camping, backpacking and hiking, my "go to" knife is a Mora Clipper. There are other excellent knives that have been suggested. I bought the Prodigy because I wanted the sheath system and it is the same steel as my Clipper which I've had very good luck with (Sandvik 12c27). I'm really looking forward to putting it through its paces come spring. I can tell it won't perform the finer tasks that the Mora will, but it is built like a tank and will take a beating, which will make it a better choice for longer treks. A lot of guys here don't like serrations but I find them useful in certain situations. I'd still say the Mora is a better overall choice for your needs. If you want the best and don't mind spending for it try an F1 or ESEE. You do get what you pay for with those knives and that's true most of the time. Mora is an exception to that rule IMO. My Moras have long-since paid for themselves. Good luck with your search!
 
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ESEE RC-3 if weight is an issue (amazing knife). Becker BK2 is heavy but will handle food prep as well as chopping wood. Gerber LMF 2 stays sharp and is great for chores. I own all 3 and would trust my life with any of them. :)
 
I just bought a Mora Bushcraft triflex for $20 plus shipping. With the $40 you save you can buy a good hatchet and maybe some other stuff.
 
I think it all depends on what you expect from the knife. Will you go to the wilderness, build shelter, hunt and fish, and do some real survival training, then I can imagine you get yourself a tough knife. For a general outdoor knife, which you're asking for, the weight and function aspects would be more important to me.

Last year I went for 4 weeks camping in Scandinavia and we spent about 2 weeks of them hiking in probably some of the most remote areas of Europe; Finnmarksvidda and the northern part of Finland. We took tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear with us, so no need to build a shelter, and most of us carried a Mora and a SAK or Leatherman. I took an Opinel too for food preparation.

My philosophy of outdoor gear is that it is better to take a few less expensive but good quality tools than just one very high quality and expensive tool. Unless you have a very big budget, but I don't.
 
Read the reviews on the internet or in the BF review section on the Bear G. knife. Version 1 or Version 2 (the new and improved version...hmmmm) are both laughable IMO. I bough one just for sh@ts and giggles. I "played" with it for about 15 minutes and the edge curled up on me really bad....that crazy mystic Chinease super steel. I say it was laughable because I started laughing while using it. I gave it to a friend's pre-teen son as his first big boy knife....kinda like me and my old hollow handle Rambo knives (which were the shizzznit ;) I did keep the fire steel...so I guess I bough a $65 fire maker
 
Fiction4128 said:
OK so i am just looking for a general camping/backpacking/survival knife but i dont know which one to get. I was hoping for someone who has owned any of these knifes to help me out. These are all fixed blades

Gerber Gator
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-46904-...ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1297392996&sr=1-5
SOG Field Pup
http://www.amazon.com/SOG-Specialty..._1?ie=UTF8&s=industrial&qid=1297393036&sr=8-1
Gerber Big Rock Camp
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-015...4G30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297393080&sr=8-1
Becker BK2 CAMPanion
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker...=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1297393141&sr=1-1
Gerber LMF II
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-016...QUB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297393215&sr=8-1
Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-31-000...LSMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297393257&sr=8-1
Gerber Prodigy
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-411...5H6W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297393335&sr=8-1
Ka-Bar FIN
http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Janda-F...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1297393418&sr=1-1

Thanks
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lol. Leave it to Bladeforums to have the first responses to this be "ESEE!!!! Fallkniven!!!11!" instead of any of the 7 knives the OP listed. :rolleyes:

To the OP; of the ones you have listed I own or have owned the Gator, BK2, Big Rock and LMF. By far my favorite out of the bunch is the BK2. I don't think I've ever fallen immediately in lust with a knife upon holding it for the first time. Its weight is distributed to facilitate some light chopping, it's thick enough to be indestructible, but has edge geometry capable of handling almost any small-knife task you can think of. Especially when you shallow the edge out a bit and convex it. Mmmm..

As to the weight.... really? I mean, it IS a 1/4" thick piece of steel, but the skeletonized handles on the Gen2 and the Grivory scales really mitigate the worst of it. I'm pretty sure the BK2+sheath comes in at lighter than the LMF+sheath.

The Big Rock deserves honorable mention. It's a VERY nicely thought out design. If it was in something decent instead of Chinese mystery steel and came with a quality sheath, I'd pick it every day of the week over my ESEE-4. As it stands though, it'll still put up with whatever you throw at it in the woods, and if for some reason it doesn't, Gerber's warranty/customer service is second to none.

The Gator is.... meh. Narrow, hollow-ground with a short, hidden-tang and a choil that's too big to be just for sharpening and too small to put your finger in comfortably. Pretty nice-feeling grip though. If you were super-concerned about weight I'd say it's a viable option... if Moras didn't exist. But they do, so :p

The LMF is the only one on here that I sold. Not a big fan of serrations at all, and the LMF has a LOT of them (about half the blade). Not only that, but they're facing the wrong way if you're right-handed. The goofy glass-breaking skull-crusher thing on the back makes the balance of the knife way handle-heavy for what it should be. If I was a pilot in need of a good ASEK knife I'd probably grab one, but for general bushcrafting I'd avoid, especially since the model isn't made in Sandvik steel anymore.

Hope that helps! Good luck.
 
Art_Vandeley said:
ESEE 4 or 5 or a Fallkniven F1. I`d buy none of those on your list.
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X2. Art has it right and being an architect he should know. :)

These are much better than the ones on the OP list. I'd add the BRKT Bravo-1 or Gunny to that list, as well as the Fallkniven S1. I prefer a blade around four inches or so for backpacking/woods use, so my F1, RC-4 or Bravo-1 accompany me.
 
As you can see there are many opinions about what you should get. Some have valid points, other seem to be just posting. Take a look at everything that was said and sift through it. Remember you don't know anyone on here so you don't know their credentials, including myself.:) There is no "survival knife", survival lies solely with the knowledge of the person. So don't think of a knife that way.

An all around general purpose knife is very vague but I understand what you are getting at. My all around everyday outdoor activities probably differ a little from yours. Answer these questions, rhetorically.

1. What is you primary activity? If you are a hard core backpacker, you'll need something light. If you don't travel for a great distance or a multi-day trip about any weight will do.
2. Will you'll be wearing the knife on your hip or will it be in a pack? If you wear it on your hip, it'll have to ride comfortably.

Next some points of truth:
1. Carry a field sharpener. If you use the knife a lot, no matter the steel, you'll need to touch the edge up in the field.
2. If you are using the knife a lot and you get it dirty. Rinse it off with water, dry it off with your shirt and sheath the knife. The little rust that may appear will make no difference.
3. If you like your knife, you'll make do. People will adapt to anything they like.
4. If you ever find yourself in a survival situation, you'll need to use your head and not your knife as much as you might think. Survival is making it out your current situation. The last place you want to abuse your knife is in a survival situation.

Last note: Once you pick out your knife and you use it for awhile you'll come up with your own criteria on what you like. You'll form your own opinion on what you think is the "best" all around knife. (size, blade steel, blade shape, weight, serrations or not, etc)

Live, Learn, be happy
cheers
Flatlander:)
 
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