So You're Looking For The Best Survival Knife... What Do You Do?
(Decided to make a "what's the best knife" thread that can be stickied to avoid future "what's the best knife" posts. Recommend additions as necessary).
Welcome to the wonderful world of biased opinions, individually personal experience, and advertising gimicks. You can read up on article after article on Knife A on one site, but low and behold another sight recommends Knife B above all others. Likewise you'll see ads throughout your search sporting "the most complete survival knife package!" for only $45. So which one are you going to chose? Are you going to chose by brand? Reviews? Price? Military? Oh your head must be spinning by now like a 1950s cinematic drunk scene.
OK, OK, sit down a second. Here's a cool glass of water. THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL BEST SURVIVAL KNIFE. Sorry. Let this be clear and bold in your mind. It's like the perfect hiking boot. Everyone's tastes are different, everyone's foot shape is different, and everyone's expectations and situations are different. It's just not going to happen. So these recommendations are just that, recommendations. If someone says "this knife is the best knife, hands down, don't look any farther" then for the sake of all that is filled with chocolate mousse, keep looking!
Now let me run you through the things you should be looking for first and foremost:
1 Blade material
2 Tang construction
3 Blade length
4 Point strength
5 Blade thickness
6 Handle construction
7 Guard type
8 Fixed vs Folding?
Now I'm not going to say the perfect type in each of the above 6 categories because, again, everyone has a different preference. I'm in the sub-boreal region near Canada so my needs and expectations are different than someone living in Arizona or Florida. But I'll try to narrow the choices so you can stay on track with what is "expected" of a survival knife.
1. Blade Material
You have two, and only two, choices here. High quality CARBON STEEL and high quality STAINLESS STEEL. The difference between carbon steel and stainless steel is that carbon steel is harder, holds an edge better and works with flint to produce sparks. Stainless steel is generally softer, doesn't hold and edge as well but does not rust easy. So for wet or humid environments, stainless would be your best bet. For heavy work or cutting hard objects (like in bushcrafting), carbon will be your friend. Do not be fooled by knives stamped with "made in China". These are notoriously bad quality steel (most of the time stainless steel) even if the manufacturer is name brand.
2. Tang Construction
Only accept full tang construction. This means the billet of steel that forms the blade extends the length and width of the handle. What does this mean? Solid, rugged construction that will not break under pressure or strain. Most "survival knife packages" that have the hollow handle have a false tang construction meaning the handle and blade are held together by rivets, a bolt or even glue (shudder). At the first whack your blade will break off. DO NOT BUY THESE CHEAP IMITATIONS. There is a middleground tang construction called narrow tang where the tang tapers as it enters the blade. It's almost as strong as full tang and provides adequate durability but it's just not the same.
3. Blade Length
Here is where regionalisms causes differing opinions. Now a person new to survival may look at a Rambo or Bowie and think "wow, I can survive with that" but trust me, you can't. These big knives are made for combat, person vs person, not bushwork and survival. However if you are in a jungle, a machete is a notable exception. A kukri as well, though it may not be able to do smaller jobs. The generally accepted blade length range is between 4 and 6 inches. Mors Kochanski, the premiere Canadian bushcrafter, recommends a knife blade no longer than the width of your palm. Any longer and it becomes cumbersome and heavy, and any shorter it cannot function well. PLEASE AVOID 12" BOWIES AS SURVIVAL KNIVES.
4. Point Strength
You use the point more often than you think so it's important it won't break in the field. Usually based on the thickness of the overall blade, the point does not need to be thin and razor-sharp for it is not made for thrusting into a man like a bayonet. A good test for point strength is to thrust the point into a log or 2x4 with all your strength and pry it out, without pulling. If the tip bends or breaks, you know the knife is not adequate.
5. Blade Thickness
Too thin and the knife will not hold up to the rigors of life in the bush. Too thick and it becomes to cumbersome to do any job effectively. A general range is between 5/23" and 1/4". If your blade is thinner, don't try to pry or do heavy chopping work with it as it's designed for lighter loads such as cutting cordage, carving and skinning. If the blade is thicker, it can be used more easily as a hacking device or for prying. There are pros and cons of each thickness but try to stay within this range.
6. Handle Construction
While the rest of your knife may be solidly build, a cheap plastic handle can break and leave you with just a piece of steel blade. Make sure the handle material is a quality rubber, wood, or synthetic material. If you have any doubt, google the handle material and look for reviews and quality tests.
7. Guard Type
Many people ignore the guard but if you want to fully utilize the knife, the proper guard is important. For fighting and combat, a full guard (top and bottom, even sides) are important as they deflect the opposing blade from your hand but for bushcrafting you may want to move your hand up on the blade for delicate work. No guard, on the other hand, is an accident waiting to happen. A slippery handle can cause your fingers to slip over the blade edge. I've come to recommend an underside guard only (a slight guard that separates your fingers from the blade edge). This protects your hand while maintaining freedom to work with the knife from any hand position.
8. Fixed vs. Folding?
Usually a survival knife is fixed. Why? Because no moving parts means no possibility of part failure. However a good dependable folder can stand toe-to-toe with the best fixed blade. The choice is yours.
Other Thoughts
*The knife sheath protects your knife as well as yourself. A good quality plastic sheath is pretty much the standard nowadays though leather is still a popular choice. Make sure there is a way to secure your knife in the sheath such as by a strap or buckle. If you invert the sheath, the knife should not fall out.
*A lanyard hole in the handle of the knife is a useful addition as you can attach a good quantity of paracord for survival use. It can also work as a wrist strap if you don't want your knife to fall from your hand during work.
*Serrations are useful when you plan to cut fabric and synthetic materials such as climber's rope. If you do not plan to do this type of work in the bush, avoid serrations as they are incredibly difficult to sharpen in the bush.
*"Saw blade" knives, that have teeth on the blade spine (or top of the knife), meant to cut wood usually are not efficient at it. You see these a lot on the "rambo" knives but the history of these notches can be traced to bayonets, ripping the internal organs as they penetrate. So in fact most of these notches can't even cut wood. Try to avoid these effects as much as possible.
*Keep your knife sharp at all times and protect it against the elements. A dull or rusty knife can be the cause of more injuries than a keen, clean blade.
*Rockwell Hardness Factor: Look for steel hardened at least above 57. The higher the number, the harder the steel. However be aware that steel higher than 60 will be more difficult to sharpen so you may need to get a diamond honing stone.
So if the knife you are looking at on Site Y meets the criteria above, you can be sure it'll be a great survival knife. You don't need the "best" and you won't be getting the "worst". All top 10 (if there is a universal rank out there, which there is not) knives have the above properties. So long as the knife you're looking at getting has them, you have a top 10.
Still not convinced or undecided?
Well here is a short (SHORT!) list of recommended, tried and true, survival knives:
- Cold Steel SRK (personal experience has taught me the 6" blade is a little too long for most tasks, though it helps in splitting wood via baton)
- Buck Vanguard
- Becker BK10
- Fallkniven H1
- SOG Seal Pup
- Frosts Mora S-1
- RAT-3 or RAT-5
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Bravo Mitch C.!!!
the best survival knife is the one that you have on you when the survival mode starts....... to do the hourly, daily chores to keep you in the "surviving mode" until you no longer need to practice surviving.
Originally Posted by Scott
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