Why a modified 'Santoku' blade on an "outdoor" or "Survival" knife?

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chambelona59

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May 4, 2012
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Last week I came very close to purchasing a Pohl Force Kilo One, it comes in two different models:
The fixed blade "Outdoor" model (Stone-wash) and the fixed blade "Survival" model (all black PVD coating).
The knives have great reviews on more than just one site that I viewed it on.
http://www.edgeobserver.com/pohl-force-kilo-one/

Both knife models of the Force Kilo One are designed with a modified 'Santoku' blade shape.
I know that a Santoku blade/shape is best known for/associated with food cutting/preparation (kitchen knives).
I didn't purchase one as I thought how would a modified 'Santoku' blade perform if in a bush/forest/hiking/personal defense situation...be it defending against an animal or human?
Any thoughts on why a modified 'Santoku' on a so called Outdoor and additionally a Survival knife?
 
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chambelona59 said:
Both knife models of the Force Kilo One are designed with a modified 'Santoku' blade shape.
I know that a Santoku blade/shape is best known for/associated with food cutting/preparation.
I didn't purchase one as I thought how would a modified 'Santoku' blade perform if in a bush/forest/hiking/personal defense situation...be it defending against an animal or human?
Any thoughts on why a modified 'Santoku' on a so called Outdoor and additionally a Survival knife?
Click to expand...

"Modified" is an understatement. I suppose a sheepsfoot blade is a modified santoku too. But santokus are "sexy" so a clever marketer would want to get that word thrown in a knife's name somewhere (just like "survival").

Since most people who want a "survival" knife are looking for a outdoors knife, saying the same knife could be "outdoors" and "survival" makes perfect sense. (I do like how the coating makes it "survival")

Is a modified santoku a good outdoors knife? Why not? If you are worried about getting attacked by wild animals...then any knife if going work equally well for that (i.e., poorly). I don't know of too many bad guys running around the woods, so that that isn't an issue. Could a santoku do bushcraft? Sure. Baton (if you are into that kind of thing)? Sure? Food prep? Of course.

So. It sounds like a perfectly adequate outdoors knife style. It'll do what you do outdoors. Which makes it a perfectly good survival knife style. Because they are the same thing.
 
marcinek said:
"Modified" is an understatement. I suppose a sheepsfoot blade is a modified santoku too. But santokus are "sexy" so a clever marketer would want to get that word thrown in a knife's name somewhere (just like "survival").

Since most people who want a "survival" knife are looking for a outdoors knife, saying the same knife could be "outdoors" and "survival" makes perfect sense. (I do like how the coating makes it "survival")

Is a modified santoku a good outdoors knife? Why not? If you are worried about getting attacked by wild animals...then any knife if going work equally well for that (i.e., poorly). I don't know of too many bad guys running around the woods, so that that isn't an issue. Could a santoku do bushcraft? Sure. Baton (if you are into that kind of thing)? Sure? Food prep? Of course.

So. It sounds like a perfectly adequate outdoors knife style. It'll do what you do outdoors. Which makes it a perfectly good survival knife style. Because they are the same thing.
Click to expand...

What he said. And add that the blade style doesn't matter so much as geometry. A thin blade can slice like a demon, but break for chopping. A thick blade can chop all day long, but slice like a brick. Call a knife "survival" or "outdoors" is pretty much all marketing. I have seen some kitchen knives that would perform excellent at bushcraft because they have geometry that supports it. I have also seen "survival" knives that would need to be stacked 3 deep to stand a chance of not breaking for chopping. Remember that a knife is a specific tool. An axe will chop better every day of the week. A machete will clear brush better. A knife will handle detail work and food prep better.

Tl;dr Get a smatchet. Best of both worlds. Don't like that answer? Learn to read a paragraph.
 
That knife looks like it was designed for someone to baton with it all day and night. There are plenty who think that's all that's needed for "survival".

Exposed tang and chunky scales look like they'd do a number to my hands if I needed that for real chore work.

Not my idea of an outdoors knife. I'm sure it will sell well.
 
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