I`m new so bear with me please, I`m just after some opinions on the Jungle Survival knife made by sheffield in the U.K. Tell me your thoughts and personal experiences.

Hi Sladey,

First of all, do you mean the MOD Survival Knife (which can be old style or new style) or the Jungle Knife (Golok No. 4).
See them both here:

http://www.sass-kit.fsbusiness.co.uk/

The MOD Survival Knife is a classic, extremely tough, but it weighs a ton. Hardly anyone has a bad word to say about it apart from the weight.

The new British Army Jungle knife is more problematical. It is made by a company called Martindale in the UK.

See them here:

http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ralphmartindale/europe1.html

The Jungle Knife is sometimes called a Golok 4, it is the new British army tool and 'replaced ' the golok 2.

The thing is loads of troops still prefer the golok 2. I think the difference may be because the golok 2 excels as a chopping tool. The balance / heft of the golok 4 seems to suit it more to being a slashing tool.

Really you need to try both and see which suits you. You could of course buy both dependent on the type of terrain you're in!

I have the extreme bonus of living not too far from the factory so I buy mine new as Martindale tools, not the military surplus ones. Interestingly, they are much less expensive as new 'farm tools' than they are as military tools.

Hope this helps.

Scott

It was the MOD knife I was referring to It looks pretty sturdy I can`t imagine to much breaking on it except maybe the sheath.
Thankyou Scott for your input

The MOD4 is currently produced by J.Adams. Earlier ( and much nicer) versions were made by Sheffield. If you buy one get the wooden handled version. It is a very crude grip and will wear you out. At least the wooden handle can be sanded somewhat. The sheath is junk. The knife is descended from the ww2 brit paratroopers survival machete, which Martindale still makes. It is 1/4"thick and will require MAJOR reprofiling to get a useable edge. It is a relatively soft Rockwell which makes for easy sharpening ( and easy dulling.) I managed to hack my way out of an abandoned trailor ( caravan) with it in @ an hour of exausting work. I personally wouldn't buy another one, but it is a virtually indestructable .

What do you recomend for an all purpose survival knife?

This subject must be the alltime favourite. You have to consider budget and intended use. WIll this be your sole tool, or will you have a bowsaw and/or axe in your kit? How much ( or little) maintenance are you prepared to perform? Can you sharpen a knife? Do you understand the different edge geometries? Where will the knife be used? A blade suitable for northern arboreal forest in winter may be found lacking on a south pacific sailing trip. What will the knife actually be called upon to do in these environs? Sometimes a knife never leaves the sheath in a survival episode. Then again it may have to split wood for a fire, generate sparks for that fire and then help resew your sleeping bag when the fire melts a large hole in it. <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Finally, there is the intangible quality of personal preference. This is also known as marketing by the makers. Think about these issues and lets start another knife thread. I wish I had a lifeboat match for every one I've heard and shared <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

read the EMERGENCY DEVICES GROUP on this site: http://www.equipped.org/toc.htm

I guess something general purpose, cutting,chopping and fine work, even digging. I was thinking of the MOD 1 knife but from all accounts it is excellent at chopping and splitting but lacks the delicate and fine edge required at times. Surely there must be a knife that combines all the elements needed in a survival situation. obvisiously everyone has their warry`s in regards to what knife is best and what to use, so lets hear them. Give me your knowledge.

what the right size is for both chopping and light duty work is very personal.
i got a fallkniven S1 and like it, because of the good grip, quite heavy for it size ( feels strong, so you will have confidence doing hard jobs ) and good edge holding. Its not to big nor to small for mosts tasks, but it's not for a lot of splitting and hacking ( to small for that ). i suggest to borrow "survival" knife from friends and test them out ( if they let you ) or go to the store and feel how the knifes feels in the hands before getting one your self.

note that i carry more knife's with me wenn going somewhere than just the S1

Hi sladey!

I'd suggest to not seddle on just one knife (despite the weight issue). I carry a Folder (Al Mar S2K) or the F1 along with the Becker CU7 or A 1 along with a SAK Huntsman. Depends on the environment I'll aimed to and the mood I'm in at the time I prepare.

If you're looking for just one Knife as kind of allround-tool I'd suggest something like the TAK, S1 or similar. There are a lot of very good medium sized fixed blades around.

Adding a sharpenig device won't be a bad idea either IMHO.

Take care
harald

I personally rely on a Fallkniven for my core blade. These are very robust knives. They are also decent cutters because of the Moran edge ( think of an apple seed.) I also make it a habit to distribute inexpensive, but excellent Mora knives throughout my kit. A good source is www.ragweedforge.com ( Ragnar's site has a wealth of information on knives and other fun subjects.) I would start out with something simple and inexpensive. People have used rather humble blades for millenia with good results. With experience you will know what works and appeals to you.

digging? not sure that any knife will stand up to digging and keep a fine enough edge unless you intend to spend all your time sharpening the thing. ray mears uses a digging stick to good effect, get a hard bit of wood and sharpen a cold chisel type point on the end and then hold it near to the fire or embers to dry it out, try not to burn it. i've used one and they are useful, i'm 6ft, so a 5 foot pole about 2" in diamater worked well. just a thought <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

One very succesful "digging with a knife" was Heinrich Schliemann, when he found that treasure in Troy...

The heck with the knife then......

YMMV.... <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Since no one else has asked, I will....

How did you end up having to cut your way out of a trailer, if you don't mind me asking?

Just curious,
Chris.

I would like to think outside the box here, or, outside the sheath <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. A knife is a top survival item true. But, I would rather have proper clothing and as box of matches over a knife anyday,anywhere. I suppose knives are a 'guy thing' as my G/F likes to say. We all dilate our pupils and breath a bit faster looking at a knife catalog. Sleeping bags, wicking underwear and whistles just don't evoke the same response. Just keep things in perspective and buy what you need first. Getting the best isn't always as important as what works and what is truly needed <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Further to the "digging stick" idea. In his videos, I notice a metal tip on Ron Hood's staff that makes a good digging tool. It looks pretty simple. Here's what I'd do...

Take three or four inches of steel pipe and hammer it halfway onto the end of the staff. Flatten the bottom part of the pipe until it's closed.

Bear

The MOD knife is a pretty good piece of kit. Very simple but strong. Nothing to break off.
Yeah the sheaf isn't the best but some expensive brands of knives have pretty shabby sheafs themselves.
I highly recomend the Mod knife as a survival tool. It has enough weight in the blade to assist in chopping as well as digging for bush tucker. Doing a bit of work to the lower end of the blade will give you a highly sharp cutting edge useful for pairing and some fine cutting. Most people will carry a pocket knife or leatherman style knife as a second blade anyway.
I use a Mod knife, and have also used a cut down machette as well.Prefer the Mod knife.
Cheers.