Hi, I'm new to this forum and I enjoy reading the ideas on it. I am wondering what you think is the best survival knife excluding multitools and folding knifes. Right now I am thinking about the cold steel SRK Bush Ranger or the Ontario Survival Bola or something like these for under $75.00 range. I would like to hear what you think.<br><br>wwwaaaaaasssssssssuuuuuuppppppp

What are you planning to survive,and what are you planning to cut?There are many knifes geared to specific environments;the machete in jungle,stainless sheepsfoot for marine etc.I have an SRK as my primary knife,and several others for different scenarios. It's relatively inexpensive and you can assemble the basics with the money saved. To paraphrase a carpenter's adage,research twice and buy once.And shop around!Listed retail can be significantly less at some knife sites.<br><br>

I just talked to the owner of cold steel again.Are you looking at the SRK,or the larger 71/2"Bushranger?AndyO is more familiar with this blade.Since your in AZ,I can't see much use for a larger blade.Wacking up a suquaro wont supply water and the only danger from two or four footed threats better handled by a firearm.The bigger blades are clumsier for refined work and very tiring for all this clearcutting and cardoor impaling .Thats a lot of carbohydrates lost in a survival situation!<br><br>

I am looking at both the SRK and the Bush Ranger. And I want it for an all purpose knife. You never know when you might have to impale a cardoor. A good choping knife is good in my area.Their is a lot of scrub oak cottonwood other stuff like that around hear.<br><br>wwwaaaaaasssssssssuuuuuuppppppp

thax 4 the info.<br><br>wwwaaaaaasssssssssuuuuuuppppppp

I've lost matches,metal match,magnifying glass,zippo,and sparklite tool.There is an abundance of flint,chert,quartz.I pull out my knife to create a spark and nothing.Why not?I recently learned that stainless steel will not spark natural flints,and that carbon blades must have a rockwell of 60.My Swedish carbon Moras will spark,as will horseshoes (even on the horse,don't ask).<br><br>

For $75, I would get a Kabar, a pocket hone of choice and a swiss army knife with scissors and saw. Hard to beat the good ole kabar for the money. You could also convert it into a "Karbar" by rasping the leather handle to suit, cutting off the top guard and drilling a hole through the pommel for a lanyard ala Chuck Karwan.<br><br>

I have owned the CS SRK since they first came out and I find the knife very strong and easy to sharpen - a great knife. However I believe you will find the SRK to be either too big or too little for most survival tasks. I suggest you look into getting the CS kukri (or similar). These big blades are great for chopping, clearing, and defense. Also get a good folding hunter knife. My favorite is the Gerber Gator. This combo will allow you to take on a vast range of tasks.<br><br>

Of course the best survival knife is the one you have with you when you have to survive. Will you always have that big "knife" with you? I'd think about spending the bulk of that money on a fallkniven F1 or cold steel master hunter that will be extremely convenient to have with you all the time. <br>Then spend 14$ for an Ontario heavy duty utility machete for chopping, if you must.<br>JB<br><br>Expect poison with the standing water.<br> -William Blake

"Forgive me thy torn and bleeding piece of earth,that I am so meek with thy butchers". Why the emphasis on chopping?A wire saw will secure poles for a shelter.A knife will notch or cut by striking with a wooden billet much more safely and efficiently than recreating Achilles and Hector's duel. A machete is appropriate for blazing a path in jungle vegetation true.But in Alaskan alder or California chaparrel I found GOING AROUND a whole lot easier.Theres also a charming pair of plants associated with brush;poison oak and ivy.I just look for a migration trail used by animals.<br><br>

Gotta agree with the small knife school of thought. Small STURDY knife. Unless you expect to hunt Griz., build a log cabin, or fight a duel. Otherwise, save the weight for something else. Also, hacking about with a large blade (like Heart of Darkness) is more apt to 1) wear you out and burn calories and 2) remove a non-optional body part.<br><br>

Check out the bushcraft knife on www.raymears.com, it's maybe expensive, but you won't get a better knife. <br>Paoul<br><br>

Paoul,The Mears site is refreshing.The Grizzly Adams and Rambo personaes do get wearisome!The crooked knife can be cheaply fabricated out of a farriers hoof knife.The magazine Wilderness Ways vol6#2 has an article on building the birchbark canoe and shows the knife.This is a useful tool for many woodcrafts.www.wwmag.net<br><br>

Hi Chris,<br>I have little use for chopping also. I suggest the ontario only because"lostinthewoods" was suggesting some large knives.<br>the only realistic use for such a knife is splitting a stump to get dry wood for kindling. A cheap machete will do a fine job at that ,<br>otherwise a small decent knife is much more useful. My largest knife is 5"(blade) I typically use a 4" blade.<br>JB<br><br>Expect poison with the standing water.<br> -William Blake

I am going with USMC Ka-bar for $47.99 at my local outdoor shop. Thank you for all info and ideas. A wire saw is a good thing I always have one. But its a good idea to have a back up I have broke two. As for self defense I use base ball size rocks. I have done this on a mountain loin. It works well.<br><br>wwwaaaaaasssssssssuuuuuuppppppp

Are you getting the k-bar k-bar?there are noticeable differences in the tang and edge geometry between the two makers.Andyo's modifications are very popular with K-bar owners.While your throwing rocks at the lions don't let the mice eat the handle or sheath! they go for the body salts from perspiration.I once woke up to a porcupine eating my boots!<br><br>

I just watched a History Channel program called Modern Marvels.This episode covered current survival technology.They displayed a laser signal that was pretty impressive.Naturally my VCR consumed my only recording tape! Does anyone know about this unit and it's availability?<br><br>

go to the first page(10) of threads and hit survival technology.<br>also click on Greatlands profile, he works on that.<br><br>

Hi There I hope this isn't to late, But if you have not bought your ka-bar yet check out http://www.starknives.com/<br>I got my ka-bar (KA1212) for $30.75 and a Kydex Sheath for $13.00 (really, I ask them for the KA1214) BUT they did not have it in stock, so he swapped the leather sheath for the kydex sheath for FREE. I think shipping was about $6.00 <br><br>"Stay Frosty"

Found this searching for Ka-Bar, and wanted to share that for the money the Ka-Bar is def. the cheapest/best knife available!!! Strong, great grip, and useful.

Hmm, I wonder why it is that with all the issue KA-BARs, the SRKs were hot potatoing off the shelves at the PX in Baghdad and Taji so fast. Could it be that the GIs discovered something important about the difference between the two?

Well, whatever you choose, just remember that there is no knife that is ideal for all situations, but the one you have with you at any given time will get the job done usually if you do your part.

I've two SRKs, and they were with me all the time in Iraq. I had my reasons. I don't have them with me all the time now, yet I have to admit that I've been packing a Swamp Rat Desert Battle Rat, which is twice as big as the SRK, in my shoulder bag with me for the past 3 weeks. I also tend to carry a large folder when in Manhattan, the KA-BAR desert Mule to be specific. Of course, I also keep a SAK classic in my pocket every day, and have been known to regularly carry a Leatherman Wave on my belt back in the day when I did a lot more tech work and spent a lot less time at the desk. Variety is the spice of life I guess, or something like that.

I agree it's not the BEST knife but best bang for the buck.

For a lil more$ (ok 2x) I LOVE m Ontario Rat-7.

well I did get the k-bar and it was ok. Latter I got a trail master and an srk. And the truth is I like the trail master the best the facts are that it will do most everything I want rather well. I do tend too throw a wave or a sak rucksack in a pocket for smaller tasks

I have bought and tried a number of fixed blade knives. I like the Cold Steel SRK the best, so far. You can see I filed the top of the blade so I can put pressure on the spine while working on wood. I also made a sheath for it. Here are all the sharp pointy things I carry when I go hiking or camping.

Nice sheath. If you file the coating off farther back of the spine, it will probably throw even better sparks for you.

How do you keep your sharps so pristine? Especially the SRK with the coating. My LTC with the black coating looks different, probably after every use. I thought about sanding the coating off, but was too lazy. I figure it will be gone over time through use.

I found that for my F1, without coating, it cleans right up with some soapy water and a scrub brush.

And I just had to file out a bunch of nicks in my machete. It is definitely a user and doesn't get that much TLC.

Sounds like a euphemism for "that knife looks like it has NOT been used".

That picture was taken soon after I bought the SRK. It doesn't look that good now. There are spots where the epoxy paint is worn off. I have split wood with it, pried out fatwood, and made fire boards with it. The filed top allows me to put thumb pressure on the top of the blade for carving. The bottom (blade edge side) of the coil has a very sharp corner that is great for use with a ferro rod. I have thought that being carbon steel it will work to throw sparks for tinder. I don't want to make the spine rough if I don't have to.

If you look close you can see the Mora has the top of its blade filed near the handle. That makes for a sharp corner to scrape on a ferro rod. I also filed down the top of the plastic handle, near the blade, to get rid of the bump. I see the Mora as a loaner and fine cut knife. I have thrown sparks from the back of the Mora using a piece of quartz. It does rough up the back of the bade doing that. What do you think of using a carabiner to clip the Mora sheath to a belt loop? The Mora is well used and still looks pristine.

Thanks for the compliment on the sheath! I have made one for several of my knives.

Ikea has a scrub brush that cleans my knife like magic. My F1 was all gunked and scuffed up, and to my surprise, when I used that scrubbie thing for cleaning dishes (because that's all we had), the F1 looked like new again.

My LTC has a coating on it and it looks pretty had it. A friend of ours gave us one of those Ikea scrubbie cleaner brushes. I may try it out on the LTC or not.

I always thought the coating on a blade would make for not enough friction for good sparks. Not like I would really know. I never tried using my LTC to make fire, just cut and split wood.

Craig, do you sell sheathes too? Yours looks professional.

Oh you are a nice guy! Thanks! I wonder how much they would be worth.

There are as many best knifes as there are people and situations. It`s also a question of economy. A fixed blade will always be more solid unless you get a Darrel Ralph or, something like that.

The inexperienced(well the experienced too) will mostly do well with more than one knife. A small one for most stuff and a larger chopper where that`s more appropriate. It depends. A medium size one combined with a saw and/or axe might be more appropriate.

The personal thing is huge though. Some do everything with a huge ass bowie or tracker type thing.