I imagine if people tossed out at least one of the SAKs, big folder, fixed beltknife, spare Moras , multi tool, hatchet,survival rifle bayonet, Kukhri, ATAX, Spetsnaz survival machete, swedish bow saw, wire saw and razor blades in the PSK, sharpening kits they could maybe find space and wieght reduction enough to justify a few fistfulls of Fatwood and not worry about batoning a knife with a brick and breaking it in the first place. I am starting my own testing website. We will be subjecting signal mirrors to drop tests, putting them in a hip pocket and sitting down and flashing them in the eyes of oncoming big rig tuck drivers.

But Chris, the example you give is just excellent to proof the point. Signal mirrors will be
dropped in the field! They just will be dropped. Why is Keri Kliemann from Ultimate Survival
so proud to present the new StarFlash Ultra in the interview with Doug Ritter? It reflects more
sunlight and still is unbreakable! You know Murphy’s law!
In defense of knifetests.com, I think it’s not “animal cruelty”, but just the curiousness of boys
and men. Raise your hands if you never wanted to know what was inside the radio and then
when you found out were not able to put it back together again! See! No hands, so we are all guilty.
Who never wondered about what exactly your favorite knife could handle? Who did not think
about doing the Mors Kochanski test but did not do it because you just spend to much for the
knife? I for sure wanted to, but did not take the risk. Well the boys from knifetests take it to
that limit. You are right that in the end everything can be broken but it is nice to know just
when an item breaks.
I do not completely agree with tossing some steel and replacing it with several fistfulls of
fatwood. I do carry tinder but in the end you will run out and than it’s better to have some tool
so you can gather it yourself. Additionally if you are tossing out the heavy stuff: SAKs, big
folder, fixed beltknife, spare Moras , multi tool, hatchet,survival rifle bayonet, Kukhri,
ATAX, Spetsnaz survival machete, swedish bow saw, wire saw and razor blades in the PSK -
you will have to choose someting that can do most of the tasks all the other stuff can do. And
that is going to have to be one hell of a rugged blade!
For Homer. I own several knives but the one i like most now is the CS San Mai Master
Hunter. I tend to go for smaller knives now. I like the flat ground and the handle is very
comfortable ( but not as durable as micarta). It is razor sharp and again: I can sharpen it
myself. The steel should perform as the Fallkniven did in the test, since it is also laminated
steel . As a bonus it is modestly priced. Not the cheapest but a long way from CRK. Should it
ever be tested and performs badly, it will have to go!

You can test things to the extreme and you can test to realistic scenario's. Dropping a signal mirror happens all the time, but putting a knife in a vice and hit it, well i haven't seen that happening anytime soon.

Designs and materials used for a tool are made to do a specific task. Thats why a prybar is better at prying, a shovel better at digging, etc. Expecting a tool can do everything well, even though it's not designed to do so, is not really realistic.

All you have to know, is what the limits are of the tools you are carring with you at the time you really need them. It doesn't have to be able to pry or dig. Thats why you are carring a tool, so you can make something to do that

BINGO!

Adam

So you saying you gonna baton THAT with your survival/hunting knife? :-)

-john

Yes I do quite regularly batton wood of that size with a knife. 6”-8” rounds can easily be batton into sections leaving a dry center piece of wood. Go slowly and carefully enough and you can batton almost and knife through any wood. I remember a post on blade forums where someone battoned wood with an opinel folder. That would be interesting to find again.

Adam

IMO, if you are in a survival situation then you need to be EXTRA careful about technique. A glancing blow while chopping could suddenly change your situation from just a few rough days to one of immediate assistance required. Search the website for Chris K's island adventure where one of the party steps on a stingray. Focused and deliberate is what you need to be.

Storms, earthquakes etc. these are all things that can be prep’d for. Search for Schwert’s EDC article he has been through an earthquake and has taking steps to prepare for possible future event. BTW, yes he has a prybar available and so I.

Adam

A interesting article on batoning
http://www.barkriverknives.com/docs/batoning.pdf

I watched the video clips yesterday on knifetests.com in which the Rough Use Knife sold by cheaperthandirt.com was put through the wringer. Now, I never seem myself taking a 3 pound sledge hammer and pounding it into a block of concrete. I doubt I'd let anyone do that with any knife I owned. But seeing that $10 knife take being chopped and pounded into both wood and concrete left an impression.

I've got relatives with two children, one almost 5 and one just over a year, for whom I've been thinking about putting together a bug-out kit, or at lest the start of one. I know there will be a Mora in any such kit, but one of these might find it's way in there too.

I cannot see myself changing my mind about a knife I wanted because pounding it into concrete or metal plate broke it. But, the fact that something can take abuse and still be ok is not a negative.

OK, that's the point I wanted to make! How can it possibly be that a 10 dollar knife can take more abuse than one that sells for 350. I thought a lot about it. What is this magical quality that is missing in a cheaper knive? Would it not be great to buy a couple of those cheaperthandirt knives ( I can't because they don't ship over the pond) and use one to to some tests you find appropriate for your task. If you're satisfied then carry it with the confidence no marketing can provide!