Harbour Frieght Survival Knife

**xjosh40x** · 10-21-2014, 05:21 PM

A few weeks ago I was at Harbour Frieght. Just looking at some welding gloves and I spotted this knife in the outdoor section for about 10 dollars. So I said why not. Bought the knife and when I got home i noticed the knife a medium heavy seemed well made. The blade is pretty sharp and has a small serrated saw on the backside on the blade. I opened the handle to see what it came with. It had some cheap matches, sewing kit and fishing line. And cap of the handle has a compass. I got rid of the matches and seeing string. Kept the fishing kit. The compass is pretty cheap but works. The handle was a gold color and didn't like that so a painted it. I then stung 3 1/2 feet of snare wire around the handle followed with 8ft of Paracord. I used one of my magnesium fire starers and cut it to fit. And added some acohol wipes and cotten. The blade cuts well and the saw worked a lot better than expected. All together a good purchase.image.jpg image.jpg

**hunter63** · 10-21-2014, 05:50 PM

I think everyone has had one at one time or another.....hard to pass up a $10 buck "deal".
Carry another knife with you, though.

**Rick** · 10-21-2014, 05:59 PM

Uh oh. The dreaded Harbor Freight Knife is back. You, too, huh? Join the club. We've all bit bitten. What Hunter said. Carry another knife.

**ace_maveric** · 10-21-2014, 06:05 PM

yea for a real knife guy. If you had to do any whacking with this blade it would probably break, nice and sharp now but how long. I love the idea of the wrapping the snare wire and then paracord around the tang. I think i will try a handle like that on my next knife I make.

**crashdive123** · 10-21-2014, 06:55 PM

There really is no tang on these knives. The blade is tack welded to the handle. If you keep in mind that that is the weak point of the knife that you will be fine, but yeah.......have a back-up.

**xjosh40x** · 10-22-2014, 06:41 AM

Well if I feel the weld start to give I'll run another weld pass around it. I also always have a folding knife on me and when hiking or camping I usually have at least four blades. But this was a deal. And I don't have a knife with a compartment inside the handle so I thought this would be a good addition to my gear. I have a universal sheath that attaches to my vest and will most likely switch my Gerber fixed blade to my vest and carry this on my belt so I'll always have that small kit on me. Even though I have an Altoids Kit in my vest but I have a habit of having several small Emergency Kits on me when in the woods.

**Rick** · 10-22-2014, 07:03 AM

May I suggest you go with the preform soda bottles TJ posted in another thread for the additional survival kits and leave that bad boy at home? The preforms would be lighter. A $10 knife is no loss but if it failed you at the wrong time then it's not really a deal.

**xjosh40x** · 10-22-2014, 08:07 AM

True. I had a system similar to that. I keep it in my hiking pack. And I've used it often. But even if I always take this knife if never soley depend on it. As with most small kits, it's designed for the "oh S&$/ I'm screwed" situations not to depend on. At least with this knife kit I can make a signalling fire which was its main purpose. The snare wire and Paracord is just added luxuries.

**Grizz123** · 10-22-2014, 09:18 AM

I got mine back in the late 80's, I was cool back then

**hunter63** · 10-22-2014, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Grizz123

I got mine back in the late 80's, I was cool back then

This is true.....I have one from that era...and appears to be a collectors item these days.

I found one at a flea market last week, ..had the black and white cameo sheath,..... I think that version is rare(?)
They wanted $15 bucks for it....so has gone up in value by $5 bucks or %50 percent (I think?)

**finallyME** · 10-22-2014, 09:59 AM

hunter...when I was younger, it was $5 in the Boy's Life magazine catalog.

**Rick** · 10-22-2014, 10:39 AM

Sheesh. They had paper back then?

**hunter63** · 10-22-2014, 12:43 PM

This is like the antique I just saw.....(is 80's considered antique?)

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

**kyratshooter** · 10-22-2014, 02:37 PM

I have a very deep seated problem with these knives.

In order to know all the flaws in each system one must admit to having taken money from their pocket and actually purchasing one, even though he knew better. (Yes I have owned both)

There is also a definite separation on the forum of treatment of the proverbial "Oh $&!t" situation.

That is the point in time when I want to have the very best equipment in my employ at hand, not some POS that is going to snap off at the handle. And we all know that is exactly where they fail.

If you need a good cheap big survival blade get the 5 pack from Tromontina and be blessed. I bought this bargin a few years back and keep the 12" model, reground to a spear point, in the Escape an I chopped one of the full sized units down to 12" and put it in the Jeep, where they live alongside the hatchets an Moras.

http://www.machetespecialists.com/trma5pa.html

Do not let the price fool you, they are high carbon steel and made in Brazil where folks still depend on a good bush knife to stay alive and make a living.

All the extemporaneous gear goes into a 1 pound coffee can, which holds more and doubles as a cook pot.

As for size of the coffee can, well if I am going to be carrying a knife that big I am going to be kitted out anyway and will have a pack of some kind.

**finallyME** · 10-22-2014, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Sheesh. They had paper back then?

Well....they called it papyrus. Same difference.

**ElevenBravo** · 10-22-2014, 09:24 PM

hqdefault.jpg

There is no tang. The blade is welded to the hallow handle, and not welded very well from what I can tell.

I see people on YT chopping with them, a lot! I value my face and eyesight too much to try that.

IMHO, Ive seen them for years.. but always pass them up.

Mora knives on the other hand, are great knives for the money... not top tier knives, but damn nice knives for the money!
EB

**hunter63** · 10-22-2014, 10:21 PM

Like I said, most of use have bought one, seen one had a friend that had one....seen them broken, mostly doing stuff that a knife shouldn't be used for....but it still one of those things that has a guilty little cool factor.

If some one asked me which knife to buy.......this and the many others like them that are sold....would be the last knife I would recommend.

That said....it's up to everyone to make up their own mind........

Just carry a spare.

**xjosh40x** · 10-23-2014, 07:06 AM

Even the best knife break. I had a bench made folding knife that the tip snapped off and then the blade feel out while cutting cardboard. But my Kabar is my first go to fixed blade. I love the thing. It has always been a little more difficult to put a sharp edge on it but one you get that razor edge it stays. This knife would never be my primary tool but having as a backup for the backup is nice.