i carry an old crappy wakizashi. i like it. it works.
i carry an old crappy wakizashi. i like it. it works.
The whole subject of "one survival knife" seems a bit strange to me. After years of reading this particular topic on forums, to me, like so many regurgitated 'survivalist' topics, it is one which has been created as a fantasy soley to create an online topic and not much more.
It's like saying, "In a survival situation, you can only have one pair of underpants, so which brand and style would you choose, and why".
Bloody rubbish.
What is stopping people carrying 2 knives? I do, all the time. Knives are a tool only, so if you need a particular tool, then carry it. If I hunt, I take 4 knives. If I dont hunt, I take 2 knives and a bush saw.
Just like any other piece of equipment out there.
For me, thye whole "one knife only' thing, is like saying what clothing shall I take for all four seasons?
Online crap, created for discussion only, by people who hardly set foot outdoors.
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Some of the tools I use.
Top to Bottom. left to right.
Tramontina short blade Machete, $10 (Brazil)
Green River skinner and utility carbon blade. (Gifted to me 2004) U.S.A
Victorinox 7inch Skinner stainless steel (Switzerland, Gifted to me 2004)
Dexter Russell boner stainless steel (USA. another gift from 2004)
BK2 USA, $70
Opinel Carbone France (Carbon steel) variety utility blade (used in classes to show pyrophoricity) France $18
Last edited by Enigma; 03-30-2015 at 04:22 AM.
I think you'll find most folks on here view knives as tools. Each one designed for a particular job. Most carry different kinds when they are out. They have different kinds in their vehicles and different kinds in their packs. Some even have different kinds for every day carry.
Oh good. Sanity.
hallelujah!
As far as knives go, I truly believe for me, the best thing I ever learned, was how to properly sharpen one. But don't get me wrong, I love me some nice knives!
"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
Having said that, if someone wants to carry only one that's certainly their privilege and if they believe a single knife is all that's needed it's hardly for me to judge. If it works for them all the better.
I want me one of those tactical knives! They are more gooder and cost more too!
I know little about "survival" knives, but I have had the privilege of living and working with Samoans in the tropical rain forest. An inexpensive 18 inch carbon steel machete is the survival Jack of All Trades - survival, brush clearing. planting crops, food preparation - anything and everything. I suspect that other indigenous people have similar "survival knives".Originally Posted by Rick
i love it ! Lol
Last edited by crashdive123; 05-30-2015 at 08:54 PM.
I probably have somewhere near 300 knives in my collection. Some large, some small, and a lot in between. But most times when I venture out into the woods for a short walk, I grab a "woods knife" which is usually something with a 3 to 4 inch blade, sometimes maybe a 5 incher, and at the same time I have my SAK Camper in my pocket.
If I'm going to be in the woods overnight or for a few days, I also have either a good chopper in my pack or a hatchet. I'm kind of the Nesmuk type when staying in the woods, a small belt knife, pocket knife, and a chopping tool such as a large chopper knife or hatchet. If I'm going out for a few days minimalist style, I grab only my Esee Lasertrike. Its a good all arounder being not too big or too small with enough weight to chop if need be, but being a full flat grind the edge is thin enough for carving and slicing. But my favorite go to for just woods walking is my Condor Woodlaw with 3 7/8 inch scandi grind blade.
.....(trudge, trudge)....(Pant, pant)
Neighbor: "Hey where y'all goin'?"
Survivalist, "I buggin' out man......SHTF, ya know?"
Neighbor, "What in the big sack?"
Survivalist, "Knives.....one for every occasion...Lot of knives".
Neighbor, "Ya didn't get too far....."
Survivalist, "Yeah, I know about 200 pounds of knives....can't carry them far,....but by God I am ready...couldn't stand to leave them.....never know, right....one for everything".
Neighbor, "Yeah, well, I'm heading down to the saloon, and watch TSHTF on cable TV......have some brewski's...everyone knows all things can be decided at saloons...besides there is a bottle opener on my SAK...all I need, today."
Last edited by hunter63; 05-19-2015 at 02:09 PM.
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
HEY QUIT MAKIN' FUN OF ME! I am going to need all these knives and all the rest of the stuff in this pack...(Panting)
I always have my Buck 110 folder, best pocket knife I have ever seen, and a Buck fixed blade with about a 4" blade. Also carry a hatchet if going out far into the woods. I cant see the need for more than that because I also carry a sharpener!
just put some mountain bike tires on that pack ya that's the ticket.
good ideas all around
I've been thinking about this lately.
I put a travel "in case" scenario together if I was ever poor and begging for money and at the same time, traveling for unknown number of days through wilderness at any given point.
Pretty much when I go backpacking or fishing I bring my Leatherman multitool which I've learned I can easily saw over one inch branches with amongst other things.
Like the OP said..real quality knives are big and heavy for short trips unless you know you'll need it.
So I went out and price checked a local sports store for useful and inexpensive knives. I was surprised to find quite a few options for cheap hunting style knives, spear tips, sling shots and blades, even axes. At least for this location, I know that it wouldn't be much effort to panhandle near by if I really had to, in order to afford something useful. With a little care and luck, an inexpensive blade could help out in a pinch if you faced a trek from one location through a wilderness area, in order to get to the other side. The inexpensive yet bulky tool can be given away at the next town, easily affordable the next time it's needed.
Of course if I had only moments to grab my best knives, it would have to be during the day because I keep them in storage. I have a few 8 inch blades and swords.
I don't believe in guns..I believe in stealth
One knife reminds me of my least favorite feature of Alone; who determines their kit by item count? Size, weight, even cost, sure, but in what realistic situation will I have the choice between one heavy canvas tarp or one butane lighter?
In my pocket, Benchmade Griptilian plain edge. Under the car seat, Mora Classic (#2, I think - the one with a single guard) to go on my belt if I'm hiking in the woods. In the trunk, Cold Steel kukri and "camp axe" size hatchet that can easily be hung on the straps of my bug-out-bag daypack. In the pack, a decent Schrade skinner and a Dollar Tree paring knife for any task that will damage whatever knife is used. (Sharpened pretty well with a Lansky kit to be useful. Might grab a few more of those as trade items and/or loaners. Beats the heck out of nothing for the people who didn't prepare right.) In the door pocket, a #3 handle and a few #15 scalpel blades for digging deep splinters. (Just used one this morning at work and was very glad I had it because nothing else would have done the job with so little damage.) As long as I'm within a sprint of the car (which is most of the time, unless I'm intentionally hiking in which case I'll be carrying at least some of that gear) when something goes wrong, I can rethink it all for the current situation.
I believe in guns....and night vision.
I think most in the hobby or game of bushcraft and or survival are by nature confident people. One would have to have a level of confidence to take their lives in their hands and seek to earn skills to carry on even if alone so its no surprise to me to see how divided we can be on simple subjects like knives. Geography, personal knowledge or lack of it, skill in use or lack of it, financial means, media hype, hero worship, ego/ fan boys, personal taste and our desire to keep up with the jones or do them a one better drives the debate. The truth is that there does not exist a perfect knife steel nor a knife that can out preform every knife out there in every category.
Now that said I tend to build hard use knives with lifetime warranty's and with Wilderness Living in mind. Yup that pretty much covers survival since living is surviving. Does this knife do everything better than another? No It will do most everything pretty well but a knife that is a good craver may not do so well at rougher task and a knife with a thick spine may not be the best cutter without having to be excessively wide to get the proper geometry. carbon steel. 5.5 to 6" blade, 4.5 to 5" handle, between .140 and .156 spine ( just a little under 5/32 or 5/32) flat saber grind, full tang, unbreakable tip, thumb ramp, spear point with not too much belly for good carving, tapered tang, squared spine, cerakoated except on the squared portion of the spine and mechanical screws or Ti tubes to hold the G10 or micarta handle scales on. I have such a knife called the dark horse and when paired with a low belly scandi ground blade say a hair over 3/32 .116 I can handle any task that I would reasonably need to do. Emphases on the need to preform REASONABLE task.
Last edited by Erratus Animus; 08-08-2015 at 08:50 AM.
Its the bits between birth and death that define a life well lived.
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I'm torn...
Aside from the fact that I have no money to buy the best quality knife..I cant just carry another heavy item on top of another heavy item so on and so on... so getting around that would be a mental challenge. If I ever became homeless (when I become homeless rather) I wouldn't stay in one city..I would travel according to the route I've chosen. I'm always researching some part of America I intend to travel to.
The problem with the knives I do have is the quality of the steel, and I don't want them snapping in the field or breaking..sending sharp pieces into my head or something. I don't want ****ty knife steel stuck in my head... that's a no no on productivity.
I wouldn't travel with a gun, but if I knew I was gonna go live in the woods with bears I'd conform to bullets real quick..and bring a huge machete
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