Choosing a Survival Knife

[mountain mama]

By god for all the crap she puts me through I will get my money's worth out of that knife

sooooo, you're getting her a new car for her birthday, right?

[WillDeerborn]

I got a no name hunting knife from one of those low-end joints on the By Pass for Xmas a few years back...It's Hollow handled so the only issue I got with it is that the blade needs tightened regularly...other than that I love the thing..Sometimes Cheap is just as good as high dollar...Or maybe it's because I'm Poor White Trash...Either way I got what I need...I do however need to get the supplies to put in it again... It'll happen soon...I got everything I need layin' around...Just need to find it all.

[doren]

sooooo, you're getting her a new car for her birthday, right?

I'm poor, and she can't drive, nope not this year.

I used to buy her clothes, and various practical items that she would get a lot of use out of. Nope, Something was always wrong with what I bought her. Then one day I bought some trivial items with no meaning, will probably wear out in a week. She loved it. So from now on, when I buy her a gift I ask myself one question, "Is it practical?" If the answer is yes, put it down and find something else.

[vthompson]

doren, if you like Ontario Knives that well, check out their RAT-7. It is one nice knife.

[Rick]

There is a sticky on survival knives. Just sayin'...

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=1297

[Canadian-guerilla]

fixed blade, full tang
wouldn't trust a folding knife, whatever the brand
unless it's the only knife available

Canadian Tire ( all purpose hardware store ) recently had the discontinued Buck 471 knife on sale at $20 each, i picked up two

[crashdive123]

It's just like chewing gum in class.......unless you got one for everybody....

[Blood Groove]

First of all I want a pretty beeft spine. But I like a sharpened false Bowie edge ( because I can strike sparks with it, withough dinging up my main cutting blade) I'd like the blade to be 7 inches, that seems likea good comprosime between heavy cutting (which the thick spine would help with) and smaller stuff like skinning. I'd like a big belly for skinning. I also wouldn't mind having soem small serrations, becuase they really can come in handy sometimes especially when skinninf trees. I'd like a 1095 carbon steel with a teflon coating to give it some rust resistence. I'd want a solid stainless steel quillion with only one fingure guard (not a double guard likethe Ka-bar) I'd also want a Kraton handle, just because they're comfortable. Finally I'd like a steel buttcap with an integrated tang, like the Ka-bar. Than really does come in handy for hammering. That's about it. And the more I describe this, the more it sounds like the Next Gen D-2 Ka-bar, hahaha.

[Rick]

I'd like a big belly for skinning.

Keep eatin'. You'll get there.

[Ken]

I have dozens of knives, including several Victorinox Swiss Army versions, Leathermans, Gerbers, a Ka-bar, and two no-name hollow tube handle designs.

My favorite "survival knife" is the Ontario Spec Plus Marine (SP1-95) with the 5 1/2' blade at a cost of about $40.00. I carry the Swiss Army everyday, and carry a Leatherman in the woods as well.

I just picked up a Mora from you-know-who. http://safezonellc.com/mora.html I'm impressed. Great knife for the price. I'll be getting several more of different designs.

[chiye tanka]

As I've mentioned, I've got a LOT of knives. No one knife is perfect, to thick a spine and it won't slice as well, to thin and you're gonna break it sooner or later.
I always carry at least three on me at all times, depending on where I'm going. The standards are a Cold Steel 3-blade stockman, Spyderco Tenacious, and an Emerson Commander. Now that's just around town and such. If I'm in the woods the Emerson is replaced by my C.S. SRK and a Leatherman is added at the very least.
Just my 2 cents from your resident knife nut.

[oldsoldier]

hoosierarcher I'm not quite sure I agree with you on the knife deal. I'd hate to think I'd have to skin a squirrel with a 12 or 14" bowie. But that's just my opinion

[Goloth]

I'm still trying to decide on a fixed blade. The woman is buying me a knife for my birthday. By god for all the crap she puts me through I will get my money's worth out of that knife

I can't decide between this Ka Bar,
https://www.kabar.com/product_detail...arch%20Results

Or this Ontario knife,
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce...fault&SKU=SP13

I prefer the robustness of the Ka Bar blade, but the Ontario feels so good in my hand. I can't decide which one...

random and off-topic for you to post on this, however it's not about comfort in your hand man, it's about what will stand up to the most harsh wilderness conditions, so go with the ka-bar

[Goloth]

I know that most people carry more than one knife with them whenever they take to the woods, I know that I do. But, whenever you are choosing a survival knife, what features do you look for in a knife?

Okay man, what you're gonna want to look for in a knife to start is the size, too big = bad and too small = bad, second, the tang, full-tang knives are what you want for long-term survival. Third, the difference in steels is important, stainless steel for most knives either comes in 420 steel, or 440. 440 IS BETTER, it performs better, is more durable, holds an edge longer, and will work much better overall, a 420 steel blade does the opposite of this and shatters if overused. Now, stainless steel is not the best kind of material you can get for a knife, however it works the best ON WEAPONS <b>UNDER 13 INCHES</b> if you get anything longer than 12-13 inches in stainless steel the metal gets very brittle toward the end most of the time (depending on the thickness of the steel) what you wanna look for in a knife 12 inches and over is a new type of steel called "carbon steel" most websites won't give you a description on if it's been heat tempered or not, but most knives don't need to be, even if it is carbon steel. When you buy a sword, always get a heat tempered carbon steel blade, if it's stainless, it will do you no good. Now, if I were to choose a combination of blades for survival this is what I personally would choose -

http://kultofathena.com/product~item~1-120.htm

now that kukri is a great price and it's a carbon steel forged blade, (the miniature one's don't help much but they don't hurt you either)

http://www.trueswords.com/bushmaster...ath-p-933.html

the bushmaster survival would be more for the kit - which I know you can store all that in a pack, but if you were to have to leave your pack somewhere, or run out of materials it never hurts to carry more, and on top of that, the knife is not the worst knife you could ever have - the sawback is a good function for different survival techniques, but the size is a definite downfall of that blade, as an alternative to it I would say this one is the only one better that I can think of off the top of my head would be this bayonet, which is full-tang and a solid sturdy knife

http://www.trueswords.com/ak47-bayon...th-p-2750.html

Hope this helped.

[sgtdraino]

SOG SEAL 2000. The End.

[Rick]

You all know we have a sticky on survival knives that runs over 50 posts, right?

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=1297

[Goloth]

lolll...what the hell are those ?



After that really nice lesson on steel...that's what you suggest ? A kukri, a "thing" and a bayonet ?
Weird.

It's because you want the kukri for the heavy duty cutting, and the other two knives are blades that will last you without busting dude. It's not about the comfort ability of the knives, it's about the durability and how well YOU know how to use them.

[chiye tanka]

Okay man, what you're gonna want to look for in a knife to start is the size, too big = bad and too small = bad, second, the tang, full-tang knives are what you want for long-term survival. Third, the difference in steels is important, stainless steel for most knives either comes in 420 steel, or 440. 440 IS BETTER, it performs better, is more durable, holds an edge longer, and will work much better overall, a 420 steel blade does the opposite of this and shatters if overused. Now, stainless steel is not the best kind of material you can get for a knife, however it works the best ON WEAPONS <b>UNDER 13 INCHES</b> if you get anything longer than 12-13 inches in stainless steel the metal gets very brittle toward the end most of the time (depending on the thickness of the steel) what you wanna look for in a knife 12 inches and over is a new type of steel called "carbon steel" most websites won't give you a description on if it's been heat tempered or not, but most knives don't need to be, even if it is carbon steel. When you buy a sword, always get a heat tempered carbon steel blade, if it's stainless, it will do you no good. Now, if I were to choose a combination of blades for survival this is what I personally would choose -

http://kultofathena.com/product~item~1-120.htm

now that kukri is a great price and it's a carbon steel forged blade, (the miniature one's don't help much but they don't hurt you either)

http://www.trueswords.com/bushmaster...ath-p-933.html

the bushmaster survival would be more for the kit - which I know you can store all that in a pack, but if you were to have to leave your pack somewhere, or run out of materials it never hurts to carry more, and on top of that, the knife is not the worst knife you could ever have - the sawback is a good function for different survival techniques, but the size is a definite downfall of that blade, as an alternative to it I would say this one is the only one better that I can think of off the top of my head would be this bayonet, which is full-tang and a solid sturdy knife

http://www.trueswords.com/ak47-bayon...th-p-2750.html

Hope this helped.

Goloth, you're showing your age.
Comfort is important, you don't want a knife that's going to create hot spots on your hand turning into blisters. Most quality knives made in stainless are now using steels like 154CM, CPM S30V, AUS 8A, just to name a few. You're right about full tang and that carbon steel is better at taking and holding an edge, but it sounds like most of what you're saying is opinion. Nothing wrong with that but you know what people say about opinions.
I'm a true knife nut but I'm no expert, and at 17 years old, I don't see how you could be.

[Ole WV Coot]

Goloth, you're showing your age.
Comfort is important, you don't want a knife that's going to create hot spots on your hand turning into blisters. Most quality knives made in stainless are now using steels like 154CM, CPM S30V, AUS 8A, just to name a few. You're right about full tang and that carbon steel is better at taking and holding an edge, but it sounds like most of what you're saying is opinion. Nothing wrong with that but you know what people say about opinions.
I'm a true knife nut but I'm no expert, and at 17 years old, I don't see how you could be.

Thanks, one more "expert" that's still wet behind the ears and I have only carried a couple for close to 60yrs myself. I sold all my Case collection back when I was financially embarrassed. Wish I could have held onto them.

[Goloth]

Thanks, one more "expert" that's still wet behind the ears and I have only carried a couple for close to 60yrs myself. I sold all my Case collection back when I was financially embarrassed. Wish I could have held onto them.

Did I say I was an expert? Cause if I did I do apologize, I'm no expert and there is always more to learn when it comes to knives, survival, and things of that nature. I just threw in what I knew for sure to be true. Sorry for defending my post, I normally just take what's said and learn for it, but I felt defensive today, hell, I have no idea why.