Ya know, I wonder why the cleaver is not the prototype of
many survival knives. It can be razor sharp, has enough heft to chop wood and bone and is realitively compact.......?

People have been discussing that concept on a forum at knifeforums.com, and a knife is currently being designed by a member that is similar to a cleaver.

Do you have a link to that discussion/thread?

I do. Its here.

Cutting tools have been around a long time. If you look at tools there have been no real innovations lately. Yes, we finally hafted those sharp lithic blades to a handle and then went through a copper,bronze and iron age. I have to wonder if they had similar debates over metallurgy or just resolved the dispute with a blow to the head <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />? Tool designs were also in parallel development. Things either worked or got discarded ( or sold at the prehistoric equivelent to EBAY as "rare and unique survival knives with 122 FREE extras in the bamboo handle) <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Cleavers are a food processing tool. They are wonderfull for dismembering animals and dicing up vegetable and roots. But what do they come with? A chopping board or table. That short,heavy tool is the equivelent to a short hatchet. Swinging one is an invitation to self injury. Mors Kochanski discusses the dangers of a short hatchet ( and alternatative safe methods if using one) in his BUSHCRAFT book. The second disadvantage is length. You simply cannot get enough mass and momentum in these shorter cleavers to chop comfortably or efficiently. I used a British MK4 to hack my way out of an old abandoned trailor ( caravan.) I was exausted <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. A small axe easily demolished the remaining 3 panels in under an hour. Cleavers actually are the oldest survival knife. Take a look at the ancient aechulian hand axes. then again, we could try Tom Hank's ice skate <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

survival knives need to be compromises between all of the edged tools needed. You may only have one survival edge in your kit when you need it. A cleaver / ax / machete will be handy for clearing trail, harvesting wood, chopping veggies but relatively useless for drilling holes, digging, splicing rope, - or any other task which benefit from having a point, skinning, carving, whittling or any other task which benefits from the belly of the blade. I find the form of a decent 7" hunting knife such as the Becker CU7 to be a good compromise in all of these tasks and still has the heft and flatbladed section to do some serious chopping. Still doesn't perform well as a fillet knife when fishing tho - compromises are just that.

I have often wondered about something like the KaBar Warthog. Short, thick, flat spot on top for whacking with a log to use it as a splitter. Everything the British Mod4 has, plus a sharp point. Maybe someday I will find the $$$ to buy one and try it...
http://www.ka-bar.com/cgi-bin/product_detail.cgi?product_id=70&cat=2