I've been wondering if I should buy what appears to be a nice knife with handy survival equipment stashed in the handle & sheath--the Aitor Jungle King II ($85). As a kid I got a neat looking $10 survival knife with stuff in the handle and a whetstone, but the blade was junk. The Aitor appears to be of a much better quality, and I was intrigued by the recommendation on
http://www.donrearic.com/slingshots.html

So, should I get a "survival knife" with survival equipment, or a quality folding knife (Benchmade?) and a small survival kit (altoids container) with necessary essentials? That's what I'm hoping to get your advice on.

A solid folding knife would be more around type of the blade that you would take with you almost everywhere, plus it comes handy since due to its size you will have it on you most of the time. Fixed blade even if bit stronger may not be welcomed in certain areas.

Get a good Benchmade blade like Griptilian 551 which are not that expensive. Supplement that with nicely stocked tin and you are in shape. I think that most of the guys here started with a folder and a PSK.

Matt

Could you please tell us where you found an Aitor Jungle King II at 85$. Because I've been looking to replace mine (lost it in the woods <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> ). Because when I was looking for a new one, I found them at around 150$us and more. The one under 100$us where cheap knockoff. Be careful they are not "Gaitor" knife see the following thread for advices on survival knife:
http://www.equipped.org/scripts/showflat...amp;amp;fpart=1
or search for "Gaitor" in the last few weeks.


Stefan

The cheapest I've found is $84.95, from http://www.landrysguns.com/Pages/Aitor/Aitor.htm

Thanks for the link.

But the more I read on the this site, the more I think I'll go with a fixed blade and a PSK instead of an all-in-one survival knife. This way you don't have all your eggs in the same basket.

But the kid in me still dreams of this Aitor knife. The goodies that came with it (ferorod, slingshot, cord, etc) where of good quality. The skinner knife that comes with it is nice.

If you buy it, I recommend that put an extra attachement between the handle and the sheath (maybe a ranger band). That is how I lost it. I was bushwacking and the wrist cord got tangled in some branches, when I pushed through, the knife snapped out of the sheath without me noticing <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> . So I still have the sheath with the skinner, but no knife <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.

Stefan

I agree completely. Gimmicks are just that and nothing beats a good folder and a PSK...except perhaps a good fixed blade and a PSK...haha I had one of those knives with the hollow handle inspired by Rambo and it was junk...looked impressive but I wouldn't have trusted it to save me. For the money, you good buy a good becker and have money left over to buy all sorts of goodies.

I would ask how much experience you have with field knives? When people become interested in our endeavor, the first priority is a knife. Nothing wrong with that, it is an essential item, perhaps the most essential. But there is another aspect we all succumb to; the salivating, ego filled, subconscious reptilian brain twitch to get one Oetzi, King Arthur, D'Artagnan and James Bowie would lust after. Cutting a steak or baling string is one thing. Using a knife your life may someday depend on quite another. I would pick up an Opinel and a Mora. Practise fieldcraft, sharpening and maybe most important the mindset of carrying a knife 24/7 safely and discretely. If you make a mistake your only out a small sum. Read our forum and others online. Profit from all of our mistakes and don't repeat them. Thats called education and progress. Then, and only then, with a nice basic kit assembled with all that money you've saved go out and buy something that tickles that reptilian brain <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Go with a Mora and put the other $75 into a nice PSK. If you don?t have much experience with a knife in the woods go with a small sheath knife, something under 5 inches (the one I?m wearing right now is 3.25?) if you have lots of experience using a knife in the woods you will already know that most of the things you will need a knife for a small knife will do better. If you want a big knife get a hatchet or a machete. Now you must excuse me while I slip into my Nomex coveralls so the big knife Rambo types can flame me. Hope they don?t cut off any thing that they will miss later trying to strike a spark with that really BIG Knife!! [color:"red"] [/color] [color:"green"] [/color] <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

The main problem with the hollow handle knives is blade strength. Without a full or partial tang you are likely to break that blade off the handle. Do you really need a knife with minimal survival equipment in the handle? If so, get a Randall #18, it is sturdy. Cost is very high and you could wait about 40+ months to get one! I prefer a nice solid, fuill tang knife with about a 4 to 5 in blade. Survival gear is in a small pouch and/or the pocket. Just my thoughts. Cheers

No reply over a few days from the source I cited, so maybe it's not authentic. I made sure to ask if what they were selling was the authentic Aitor or a reproduction Gaitor.