The best
knife for survival will always be the one you have with you at any given
moment. The first thing you should always remember is that a knife is a tool. What
will make a difference are the basic reasons you’ve chosen that particular
knife and how you expect it to perform when needed. Will it increase your
chances of survival when it’s needed? This should be the ultimate goal when
choosing the best knife for survival.
Depending
upon the job you want it to perform, you will want the knife you choose to be
the best tool for the job. Now if you plan to feed a big wood stove, get
yourself a good axe. It’s the right tool for the job. If all you need is to
split a few small pieces of kindling for a small fire, a good knife should be
able to accomplish this basic task without too much trouble. You might even
find a machete quite useful in a rural environment. It would also be rather
obvious to everyone if you were seen carrying a large machete around the
neighborhood. It would probably be easier to walk around the shrubs in the
neighborhood than to try chopping your way through them. When used to chop
vines and brush out on the farm, a machete probably wouldn’t get anything more
than a passing glance if anyone did happen to see you with it.
There are
some basic and fundamental qualities that should be considered when choosing
the best knife for survival. Some are more a matter of personal preference and
others are a basic requirement. Any choice you make should take into consideration
your skill level in maintaining and using a knife.
The best
survival knife will need to be sharp. While some people can hone a knife’s edge
to razor sharpness with ease, there are some that couldn’t buy a sharp edge if
their life depended on it and they had a pocket full of money. Most knives that
are currently made from stainless steel hold an edge a lot better than their
predecessors and a simple pocket sharpener may be all you need to restore the
cutting edge of your knife to a more usable state. Your knife may not be
“razor” sharp but it will probably be sufficient to finish the task.
The best
survival knife will also need to be a simple style. There are numerous styles
of knives on the market but a simple straight knife is the most common type and
is well suited to many types of work. The basic straight knife pattern with its
single edge and straight back is popular because it works and works well for
most tasks. It should also have a style of handle with a comfortable grip that
allows you good control when working with your blade. The last thing you will
need in a survival situation is to lose control of your blade and risk a
possible injury.
The best
survival knife will need to be durable enough to handle the demands you may
place on it. If you plan on pounding on the blade with a rock or a hammer, you
will need a full tang version with a thick blade. Even then your knife may not
hold up very well. Forget about using a folding knife, most folders won’t take
this type of abuse and will fail quickly on you. They are simply not designed
to be pounded on by anything, including a hammer or a rock. If you plan on
using it to dig a lot, you may want to pack a small folding shovel instead.
Although many a hole has been dug with a knife, this is not a purpose for which
they are normally designed.
The best
survival knife will need to be easy to carry and should also be comfortable to
handle. Forget about the “Rambo” sized knives that are a foot long or longer.
This is overkill in most survival situations and amount to little more than
extra weight and an item that may also be illegal for you to carry. If you can’t
carry it with you, it’s probably not going to help you survive anything. A good
folder with a blade in the 3 to 4 inch range and an overall length of 6 to 8
inches will handle most tasks with a minimum of effort quite easily. A full
tang, fixed blade knife in an overall length of 6 to 8 inches (including the
handle or grip) should be sufficient for somewhat heavier use.
The best
survival knife will probably need a good companion. Knifes are great tools but it is
extremely difficult to find a good knife that will fulfill the needs of every
situation that you may encounter. There are two basic types of environments you may
find yourself in where having a good blade handy may make a difference. This is
an urban setting or a rural or wilderness setting.
In an urban
setting, there is one tool that may also serve your needs for survival as well as a good knife.
That item is a good multi-tool. While many multi-tools have a blade as part of
their configuration, the blades are usually more difficult to control when
using and won’t take very much abuse, if any. If you need to cut wire, need to
loosen or tighten a screw, you can save some wear and tear on your knife blade.
This is where the combination of a decent folder along with a good multi-tool
may be the best choice for your survival in an urban setting.
This is my
choice for carry in an urban environment.
Folder + Multi-Tool = Survival in an Urban
Setting.
In a rural
or a wilderness environment, you will probably need a companion for your blade
also. A small axe or a machete may be needed also. The demands for a different
type of cutting tool in a wilderness environment will sometimes be greater than
those in an urban situation. You may simply need a cutting tool designed for
heavier use and a somewhat different purpose.
This is my
choice for carry in a rural or wilderness setting.
Fixed Blade
+ Small Axe = Survival in a Wilderness Environment
A good
folder along with a decent multi-tool will work to cover most of your survival
and daily needs in an urban setting. This combination is easy to carry and won’t
attract a lot of attention. In a wilderness setting, a good fixed blade along
with a small axe (or a machete) will also serve your needs.
The
ultimate choice is yours but you should keep in mind that a knife is a tool and
should be treated with care and respect. It might just possibly save your life
in a survival situation. Is there one knife that can fulfill every need for everyone in a survival situation? Probably not but there are some combinations that do work well for a variety of situations.
Got survival combo?
Got survival combo?
Staying
above the water line!
Riverwalker
9 comments:
I've been out for spring break vacation this past week (well, least that describes the kids, I'm along for the ride lol) so just got a chance to read this. Great post.
Like you, a multi-tool is always with me, I count the Swiss Army knife as a multi-tool. I'd add the short shovel in the machete category, not as scary to sheeple as a machete and in some ways, more versatile. Can act as hatchet, machete and shovel in many cases.
To: anonymous 7:04
The environment you are in plays a large part in what you may need. In an urban environment, a really good multi-tool may be even more useful than a knife in some cases.
On the other hand, in a rural or wilderness setting an axe and a knife may prove to be of more value.
I do keep a machete and a compact shovel in my truck...as a backup.
Great reminder about the shovel! Now all I need to do is see about putting a good edge on my compact shovel.
One more thing for my "to do" list.
Thanks anon.
RW
That axe looks awesome. It looks a lot lighter then other survival axes I've seen. I personally think kabar is the best survival knife.
See this is what I'm talking about - I hear so many people talk about "survival knives" when I'd argue they should be talking about survival hatchets or axes - that's going to get you through so much more, i'd argue, than a knife will - though obviously the best case scenario will be having both.
Does anyone know the name of the first knife at the top? The one with the rope going through the handle
Thank
I wouldn’t have it any other way-the best survival blade is one that increases chances of survival. I like what you have stated about ergonomics, versatility, and resourcefulness. I also found some great products, especially for people who are new to knives here: http://wildernessmastery.com/survival/best-tactical-knives.html
I read your blog frequently and I just thought I’d say keep up the amazing work! SanRenMu Outdoor Knife
Great post.
about.me
Post a Comment