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