As much as I love scandinavian blades, a dedicated survival knife needs to be robust IF it is called upon to perform duties normally carried out with more appropriate tools. Mors Kochanski is probably the greatest exponent of the humble Mora, but Mors also uses an axe in his woodland, resource rich area of expertise. The best course for buying a knife is to sit down and figure out just exactly what it is your going to modify in Nature for your needs. Sometimes a Mora is just fine. Sometimes you want more.

I use several of the different Mora’s as work\survival knives, but I usually call on one of my machetes to do the heavier work. They make a good team when used together. Most things in knife work call for a good small sharp blade, the rest a machete can handle unless you are cutting something really big.

I went for a walk today with a bit of bushcrafting.
Until today I was a firm believer that folder was the best choice for a survival knife - it is always with you and it can do most tasks. And Victorinox Picnicker was my choice for carving and hiking, while SwissChamp was my choice for a universal tool.
Today, I had to make relatively flat piece of wood about 1 inch thick from a pine log about 2,5 inches in diameter. To make it relatilvely flat, I had to baton my knife (I do not have any large blade knife at home at all) through the log twice with 1 inch distance between each cut.
This was the moment when I damaged Picnicker - it went about 1-2 inches inside the log, got stuck, I applied too much pressure and felt the lock became wobbly. Yes, I knew folders were not tough, but I thought such a work was within capability of folders, I used to do a lot of things like this when I was a kid. No, it was not a good idea.
Luckily, I had my Busse BA3. To be truthfull, in recent times I started regretting buying Busse - it was quite expensive (but with excellent steel) and in real live you would not use all capabilities of this knife. Also, because it was quite heavy, I felt it was not good for common delicate tasks and to carry.
But today I felt completely contrast - of course, it was easily batoned through the log. Then I carved the log the way I wanted. I felt very strange thing while I was carving - the heavy weight of the knife actually helped me carving. It was not delicate carving, but more of delicate chopping. The thickness of the blade did not cause any problem. I can even state - Busse BA3 carved better than Victorinox Picnicker even though it was heavier (or because it was heavier) and had thicker blade. The handle on BA3 was much more comfortable than on Victorinox (until now I felt in contrast).
I also used to find that BA3's blade was too short, but now I feel it is just spot on for wood carving and survival tasks - if you have it longer, you won't have enough control of the tip of the blade. And it will be a heavier and bulkier knife.
Today's experience was a good lesson for me: I would not want to have a folder in my PSK as my reserve knife. If I get into a real problem, most likely I will have some folders with me anyway. And if they fail, surely I would have to have something even better as my last line of defence. I do not know if other folders with other locking system do a better job, but now only fixed blade knife will give me 100% confidence it will do anything.

Hi,

check out the Fallkniven A1. It's IMHO one of the best survival knives around. I own it and it's a beauty. With this there's no need to carry a strong folder in the field, a multitool (my favorite is the Leatherman New Wave) will suffice.

In urban areas I exchange the Fallkniven with my CRKT M16-13T(itanium). But I think actually I'm falling in love with some extremely tough folders from Strider and Extrema Ratio.

Personally I have no need for a Kukri or Machete so I can't comment on this.

I took a look at everybody's suggestions. Thanks for that. I took a look at everybody's knives and you guys have some pretty amazing blades. The Nepalese kukris look like serious business. I believe for my gen, purpose knife, you guys have steered me away from the tanto. I was thinking that the chisel point would be better for skinning food. Upon closer inspection and comparing with fillet knives, the drop point seems to be better suited and you guys are right, all around more versatile. The knife that stands out the most and appeals to me seems to be this last suggestion of the BK7. I think a 7" blade will be plenty for general purp. The weight looks decent. The thumb grip on the back looks like it helps with manipulation. I also plan to get the Buck Special as well. For 1 or 2 days camping I think it would be perfect. I know the buck comes with a leather sheath so I'll also get to compare the nylon of the becker to the leather of the buck. As for a folder, I remember that I used to have a Gerber Gator serrated. That knife felt extremly good in my hand because of the all rubber grip. Sharp too. My current Kershaw is a razor as well. I'll probably go back to the gerber though because I just really like it. It left a good impression on me. Thanks for the help in determining this important peice of gear. If you think I still need to look into anything, go ahead and reply all you want.

Something to think about, to increase the cutting effectiveness of the tip of the blade, sharpen the tip in a very small radius (in profile) instead of keepint it needle like (hard to do on clip or tanto points). This radius will keep the tip from grabbing on whatever you are cutting. An example is trying to cut with the tip of an exacto knife.

Regards,
Bill

IMHO, a knife is a tool, just as there are specific tools to accomplish specific tasks, likewise with knives. Yes, you can often use an alternative tool to complete a task, but often the task is accomplished with greater ease if the tool is designed for that function. Knives come in all kinds of blade and handle designs, materials, lengthens, etc. most are either uniquely designed for a specific task or a compromise to accomplish a series of tasks. Using a wood chisel to open a can of pant may work, but in the process, may inflict serious damage to the tool. Likewise using a pry bar to chisel out a wood joint is possible, but the effort and results maybe less then desirable.

Selecting a knife is much like others things in life, a matter of personal choice, and a compromise over carrying several knives for various tasks. What one becomes comfortable with is often a matter of knowledge, training and practice.

Controlled experimentation and practice (especially not during an actual survival situation) are vital and critical efforts for the decision making process. Doing so, allows one to make appropriate choices in selecting tools and skills.

Pete

That, Pete, is a pretty good truism.

I would offer this caveat: Size does matter. While is may be difficult to whittle out a pipe hollow using a machete, it can be done. Conversely, it is impossible to split good firewood using an SAK folder, or some other pocket knife. Where economics of load and budget allow, it is always better and preferable to have a surplus than a deficiency.

In my experience there isn't much in the way of cutting that can't be handled by a 12" machete (Ontario), Frost's Mora Swedish Army Knife and a Vic Rucksack SAK. And BIG PLUS the combo will set you back about $50, JMHO
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