Machete, or any other blade?

[I am Groot]

OK, this is hypothetical, so bear with me ... if you were moving fast to bug out...and you only had one opportunity to grab a blade, would it be a machete, folding SAK, full tang, multi tool, axe, sharpe shovel etc? No two sharp objects... just one.

I know it should depend on the terrane, but without knowing where you end up? What is the best all around tool for survival?

[natertot]

OK, this is hypothetical, so bear with me ... if you where moving fast to bug out...and you only had one opportunity to grab a blade, would it be a machete, folding SAK, full tang, multi tool, axe, sharpe shovel etc? No two sharp objects... just one.

I know it should depend on the terrane, but without knowing where you end up? What is the best all around tool for survival?

Only one? I'm disqualified off the bat. I always have at least three on my person all the time. A really small pocket knife, I 3 1/2" folder, and a gerber multi tool. To grab another one on the fly, it would probably be a camp axe.

[hunter63]

Around here in Wisconsin, I think would pick an ax.
I do carry a SAK always, unless metal isn't allowed...planes, court house,......etc.

I can see where a machete may be chosen in your area.

Why do you ask...?

If something happens you have what you have....at the time.....so maybe a better question may be to relate a scenario... ...
Hurricane?
Fire?
Asleep?
Flood?

What condition are you in at that moment?........Car wreak? Trapped?...Hot/cold?....Where are you?.....
Why when given a choice as you have stated, would you only pick one?....Are they in big pile?....(Yeah I know your rules)

PS I'm playing along as we haven't done this in a while. ....So sticking with an ax.... at this point.

[canid]

It's going to have to be a medium small fixed blade knife, given those criteria.

[SARKY]

If I have to run out of the house, I am grabbing my bag, and attached to that is my BenchMade Bushmaster. It is tried and true. It has been around the world with me (literally) twice. and has been part of my kit for more than 30 years. I've tried other blades but always come back to it.

[Graf]

My BK2 medium fixed blade, full tang, bush proven. Smaller edge tools can be made from rocks/stones. The BK2 can baton, skin,and perform daily camp and bush chores and holds an edge nicely.

[pete lynch]

I have blades everywhere, all the time.
All my kits have knives, some have machetes, some have saws and hatchets and some have all 4.

[xjosh40x]

I think I'd grab my SOG machete. It has a shorter blade. 16 inches total length and a saw blade on the backside if the blade. I've also drill a small 1/2 inch indention on the handle to use as a pivot for a bow and drill method and the handle has a small compartment enough for some weatherproof matches. Sturdy as stays sharp. Easily to carry and can cut, slice, split and in worst case kill a threat.

[Walter2]

Leatherman wave

[ElevenBravo]

I could not take one, its outside the realm of sensible.

I would take my Mora for smaller, finer stuff.. Gutting, dressing, etc.. and my Condor Golok for shelter, etc.. etc.. The Golok is pretty heavy but I can attest that the last thing you want in a large swinging blade is light weight! A light machete will work you to death! A swinging blade with some weight is much more effective and efficient.

If your a gram hiker than none is this applies, if your a realist then a Golok would be one of the many very practical options.

EB

[Billy13426]

I would probably bring my leatherman sidekick because it has a saw and good knife built in

[I am Groot]

LOL! I guess I was trying to ask the question; what is (in your opinion) considered the best all around tool for survival? The hypothetical "choose one" stipulation was to get us to really think about it..(I guess). I realize that everybody on this forum has a EDC and a bug out bag loaded for their own needs/occasions. If I asked what three tools would you carry, I am sure we would get some repetition. Place yourself in worst case scenario and ask what if only one tool (blade) was available what would I want with me (protection, hunt/skin, chop, etc).

[tundrabadger]

I might take the machete...specifically, if I had a choice, there's one at my mother's cottage that I've used to clear out a lot of underbrush. Probably not the best choice all told, but I'm used to it, I know precisely what I can do with it and what I can't, so for me it's a decent blade to have with me, and any wilderness I'm likely to have to survive in these days isn't far off from that sort of terrain.

Of course, I'm cheating in my mind, because I USUALLY have either my opinel or a swiss army knife on my person, so I'm anticipating having one with me even so. That being said, I really like that machete. My brother in law bought a new one a few years ago. Contemplating taking the original one.

[kyratshooter]

When I woke up this morning, and pulled on my pants, there were already 2 knives in the pockets.

Walking through the kitchen I passed a dozen more.

Leaving the house I picked up my wallet, which contains a metal survival card with two sharp edges.

My keys are attached to another knife that had been their companion for more than 10 years.

Then I got to the vehicle. You do not really want to know what is in the vehicle.

I am sorry, but it is positively impossible for me to play the game.

Even Otzi, the iceman mummy from 5,000 years ago, pursued by murderers, chased through the primal wilderness, wounded and alone, out of arrows and with an unfinished bow, with his dying breath clutched both knife and axe.

See, even a caveman knows there is no one single best blade.

[hunter63]

LOL! I guess I was trying to ask the question; what is (in your opinion) considered the best all around tool for survival? The hypothetical "choose one" stipulation was to get us to really think about it..(I guess). I realize that everybody on this forum has a EDC and a bug out bag loaded for their own needs/occasions. If I asked what three tools would you carry, I am sure we would get some repetition. Place yourself in worst case scenario and ask what if only one tool (blade) was available what would I want with me (protection, hunt/skin, chop, etc).

Your scenario is still seriously flawed....If you had to "Pick" that means you have a choice, that means that there is still more than one available....so why not, two, or three etc.

That's why these questions although are meant to make you think is really not valid.

If something drastic happened .....whatever....then had one of "whatever"....the question becomes how could you use a "whatever" to do (pick an activity)...the idea being to adapt, make do, learn different uses....etc.
Example" Les Shroud "had " a salvaged boat propeller....digging, chopping, prying....but didn't "pick it"....(most likely did because of it being a TV show......

Now that make more sense than the old "if you only had one" of what ever.....

BYW N&A successful couples seems to favor a machete and fire starter....FWIW.

I'm done,.... so back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Seniorman]

One wouldn't do for me, either, because I always have my old tried-'n-true Camillus Stockman folder in my pocket. Given that I'm in Idaho and the terrain, I'd take one of my good axes, probably my old Plumb. What I could not do with my Camillus Stockman, I could surely do with my Plumb axe. I believe I'd do okay in my area.

S.M.

[canid]

LOL! I guess I was trying to ask the question; what is (in your opinion) considered the best all around tool for survival?

The problem with this is that there isn't one. There are places and circumstances where a full sized axe is as near to essential for survival as one can get. That axe when traveling on foot in an urban emergency could be a huge liability; could get you arrested or worse for presumption of rioting. There are places where a machete is indispensable and those where it would be useless.

[randyt]

I'm gonna be odd man out. I'll grab my SKS bayonet (not the spike style) because there is a SKS attached to the other end.

[canid]

Hahaha. Good call.

[I am Groot]

10242

I see there are flaws in the question, although I had not thought the question itself (wording) would be so heavily scrutinized...but thats a good thing!

I personally would take a machete, which to me is essentially a big knife with some flex...maybe a 16 inch. I am sure it coud be used to build a small shelter, possibly a defensive weapon, and if I choked up on the blade, used to gut/butcher an animal. Other uses might be skinning bark off tree limbs, splitting small firewood, not to mention clear brush, etc. No not the best case scenario, but pushed to it's limits I think is the most effective survival blade tool.

Thanks for the input!

[hunter63]

10242

I see there are flaws in the question, although I had not thought the question itself (wording) would be so heavily scrutinized.

I personally would take a machete, which to me is essentially a big knife with some flex...maybe a 16 inch. I am sure it coud be used to build a small shelter, possibly a defensive weapon, and if I choked up on the blade, used to gut/butcher an animal. Other uses might be skinning bark off tree limbs, splitting small firewood, not to mention clear brush, etc. No not the best case scenario, but pushed to it's limits I think is the most effective survival blade tool.

Thanks for the input!

Why did I think that you would favor a machete?.....Way the question was worded?....Your location? ...and Terrain?

Anyway, yeah we get the idea of the "Only one of"....scenarios....but when you think about it does make the decision difficult....given the variables.....but hey, we try to play fair.......

[canid]

Not me. I play a guitar, I play the devils advocate, I play hard after I work hard and I play the hand I'm dealt. I'll have to try this fair some time. :D

[I am Groot]

I thought the question would provoke a response, one way or another. I guess the question was "loaded" and there are always variables (terrane, changes in weather) and the object of this forum is to be prepared and not settle for one tool or another. Watching some of these new series, Naked and Afraid etc, where a choice is made between fire starter, machete, pot container etc, but not all three, is a similar predicament. Will we find ourself in that situation, probably not, just entertaining the thought, as unrealistic as it is...

Peace!


:serenade:.

[Batch]

I am sure that most would try and make any edged tool work if that was all we had.

But, consider this. I used 3 different knives just to make my breakfast this morning. A large chef's knife for slicing bacon and tomato. A paring knife for cutting the meat of the tomato out of the center. And a serrated knife to cut an English muffin in half. I could have performed all of those tasks with one knife. But, I was more comfortable with using three different knives that I had near by.

I'll bet there isn't a single person who only has one type of knife in their kitchen. Yet, what you do in your kitchen has no where near the diversity of tasks you'll perform with edged tools in the woods.

If you asked me to get by with one knife out of the ones I use the most in the kitchen. It wouldn't even be one of the ones I use the most. It would probably be my boning knife. Just because I "think" I could make it work okay in place of the others. I have never tried though.

A scalpel should not be used in place of and axe and vise versa.

[hunter63]

10242
..............
I personally would take a machete, which to me is essentially a big knife with some flex...maybe a 16 inch. I am sure it coud be used to build a small shelter, possibly a defensive weapon, and if I choked up on the blade, used to gut/butcher an animal. Other uses might be skinning bark off tree limbs, splitting small firewood, not to mention clear brush, etc. No not the best case scenario, but pushed to it's limits I think is the most effective survival blade tool.

Thanks for the input!

Now those optional uses are interesting...and begs to the question....Have you ever tried these other uses of a machete?

I chose an ax for the mixed forest/ marsh/plains in Wisconsin...machete not really useful....although I do have one in the truck(s).
Used for brush clearing....but does leave "sign" when passing thru hacking away a stuff.....not what I care to do.
The ax hasn't been used to clean and dress animals, nor do I eat with it......might be a "lets see what happens," activity.

An interesting thread may be....Hey, I did only have a machete, for all my activities and this is what happened.

Was kind of interesting that the TV program, "Mountain Men" most all the cutting work done by the trappers, all seemed to favor the small cruiser ax for many of the activities.

Just a thought.

[canid]

An interesting thread may be....Hey, I did only have a machete, for all my activities and this is what happened.

Now that could be fun.

[randyt]

I would take any fixed blade knife of at least 4 inches long. Something like a mora, old hickory or some such. For large firewood other than squaw wood a saw is what I would prefer. Large dia firewood can be laid up fast with a saw as compared to axe.

[Tokwan]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e20/fazharris/2014909134352_zps5bf5b217.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/user/fazharris/media/2014909134352_zps5bf5b217.jpg.html)

Back to the question, this is what I would grab..a Duku Chandung Parang. I made the sheath with Kydex.

[I am Groot]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e20/fazharris/2014909134352_zps5bf5b217.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/user/fazharris/media/2014909134352_zps5bf5b217.jpg.html)

Back to the question, this is what I would grab..a Duku Chandung Parang. I made the sheath with Kydex.

Man that is nice!

The Golok (on the top in my above picture) is one of my personal fav's. It has no flex but has many uses in the field.

[I am Groot]

Was kind of interesting that the TV program, "Mountain Men" most all the cutting work done by the trappers, all seemed to favor the small cruiser ax for many of the activities.

Just a thought.

Yes, I did notice that...The axe is part of our history and for a reason. They are essential to those guys. I have several axes and respect those men for what they do. That is not an easy life and a lot of them die living that lifestyle.

[hunter63]

Actually the bottom blade in your pic looks like the Military version machete
....have a couple of those, and have used them for clearing brush.....and have a scar on my ankle for my first hatchet (birthday present at age 10 or so).....from clearing brush with that, ....glancing blow thru high top leather boots.

I do find the machete have "glancing blow" problems....or maybe it's just me?.....So don't use them much....but then again, not in any jungle.

[geartow]

Any stout fixed blade made of quality metal.

[Phaedrus]

Where I live there's no point to a machete.

[MrFixIt]

Ok, I'll play.

My modified Tramontina cane knife.
I've removed the original handle and installed a shortened boy's axe handle, ground the hook down to a triangular shape and sharpened only one side of the hook.
I've used this tool for a long time in the area I live in, and am quite comfortable using it for many tasks.

Having said that...I'm in agreement with many others, I usually have a multi-tool and a folding knife on my person most of the time.

[Power Giant]

Bow saw or crosscut saw

[finallyME]

If I had a choice, I would just grab them all. It is not like there is some guy with a gun standing there saying "sorry, you can only take one!"

I have a machete and a small axe in the back of the Tahoe. I have used the machete once, but that was just to see how it worked at hacking up sagebrush, something I never need to do. The axe gets used all the time though.

[Tokwan]

Where I live, either the Golok or the Duku Chandung (Ray Myers favorite tool), will make it. I have two Brazilian Machetes and a few other parangs but I still prefer the Duku Chandung. A big banana tree, just 2 slashes. A bamboo, 2 or 3 slashes. 3 " diameter trres for shelter..3 or 4 slashes...You need a tool that is powerful enough to help you save energy. The duku chandung also can be used to do other bush craft chores...its an all purpose tool..I have 2 Braziian Machetes too but I only used them for clearing my path...not that good for cutting or bush crafting...

[DomC]

My 14" Tram is in the trunk of my vehicle along with a CS Bushman and an old Bridgeport BSA hatchet. I'd grab my box of knives instead...

DomC

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk