Survival knife

What task do you expect a survival knife to perform? I am trying to decide on a good size for a survival knife and I need to know what I should expect from it. I am not comfortable with batoning, so I am leaning towards something on the smaller side. Maybe around a 4" blade length. Thanks.

Check out Doug's section on knives here at ETS.

What do you intend to survive?

Survival knives come in all shapes and sizes. I've seen fixed blade knives with 9.5" tool steel blades and folding knives with 3.44" stainless blades called "survival" knives. Since a survival knife is the one you have with you when the time to survive comes upon you, odds are the folder will be your survival knife. Wilderness knives would make great tools in a survival situation, but figure the odds that you'd be so equipped.

Consider a knife between 4 and 5 inch blade. A Frost's Mora is a great field knife. The blade size depends on the model. It can do batoning, sharpen sticks, field dress game, and kitchen chores.
Also really easy to sharpen, no special skills required. Just a good stone and a few minutes time.
They do not look like a "Rambo" knife or a Darth Vadar commando knife, they just do the job and cost under $15!

I live in upstate NY. I am looking for a knife that would be of most use if I was to get lost while hunting or hiking, or end up in some other type of survival situation. I have a good knife right now, I am just researching to see what are some other options. Thanks

I agree with Widget. The Mora knives do most of what you want or need to do. The price is right, and they are lighter than many folding knives. Because of the weight, I have one in the bottom of my day pack all the time. I like them for food preparation, since they are easier to clean than a folding knife. My favorite is the Frosts of Sweden 760 (Orange-Orange) that you can purchase from Ragnar (http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html). I use a file to square the back of the blade so I can use it to strike a spark from a firesteel.

Search reviews on various fourms on the SOG SealPup. I've never read a bad review on one, either from civilians or military. It will perform any function, from cutting to prying. I'm very pleased with mine.

I asked, because a Southeast Asia scenario most likely would see a native parang in use, a tramontina cutting vegetation in Brasil to reach yesterday's sad air disaster and a swedish airforce pilot ejecting from his SAAB with a Fallkiven. Your in the classic, resource rich arboreal forest so you must decide if your going to do woodcraft like Mors Kochanski who favours the Mora, but carries an axe and could build a trapper's line cabin,or rely on your knife alone to do minimal energy expended survival. Moras are fantastic knives, great training knives and backups. But if your planning on one knife that may have to see some abuse a more robust blade is a wise precautionary acquisiton. It need not be the 'sharpened prybar' like my infamous MK4 Adams from the U.K. Read Doug's article, tell us what you have now and watch the posts build up faster than the old Green River Buffalo skinners . <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I know others have had great luck with thier Moras. But I'd never trust my life to something that wasn't a full tang, and I like something with a metal pommel butt for wacking things when precision is a must and you don't want to use your hand. I'm in Vermont, so I get your weather second hand. :P

A four incher is as small as I'd go, but there are a lot of very viable and well made models with 5 to 5.5" blades. Drop points, modified drop points and clips are very good, with spear points OK; tantos and double edged blades, not so good. I suggest a good carbon steel, just becuase while there are higher chromium count alloys on the market, carbon has the best edge taking, holding and recovery properties for the price. Expect to see a price tag around $50.

Most people here know I like the MkII Utility Knife, preferably from Ka-bar, and made famous by the Marines. It IS a bit on the longer side, with a 7" blade, but I like the balance, and the leather washered handle doesn't mind really cold weather. It is a clip point blade, which some don't like, but I like the semi-sharp clip area for scraping. There is a 5.5" bladed version that you might like, although I'd suggest using a straight blade not the one with serrations. Similiar to it is Camillus' and Ontario's copies (Camillus is a little better than Ontario IMHO, the others aren't worth it), and there are similiar Beckers.

Biggest advice: if you can't pick it up and hold it in your hands, read the return policy before you reach for your wallet. I don't care godlike a knive's reputation is, I don't care how fine it's custom pedigree papers are, or how much it costs- if it doesn't feel good in your hand, it isn't worth it. You might find that a thirty dollar butcher's knife feels good in your hand, and it holds up to what you want to do, and if you are planning on having it in your pack and not on your belt, a scabbard is a couple pieces of cardboard and some duct tape. *shrugs*

Asking this question is like asking a guy "why do you love your wife" or "which one of your kids is your favorite". :P

Could we please get responses to this question?

Thanks!

You might want to look at the many very good hunting knives out there. Buy one that will be useful while hunting so you aren't carrying excess weight. Odds are you will never use a survival knife for surviving. It will either never be used while it's waiting to go into action, or you will use it every day for utility/EDC stuff.

I really like Doug's RSK Mk II; it carries easy for EDC and it's a very good slicer. I'm not too fond of Mora's.

O.K. Your standing wet on the shore as the J3 supercub sinks below the waves with all your gear; every match, button compass and MRE. Your in layered woolens, a windbreaker with hood, quality boots, mittens and a balaclava stuffed in the pocket. And HEY! theres a knife in there with them you forgot about. Lets make a fire for warmth and an immediate emergency signal. We gather tinder, kindling and main fuel wood, but find some needs batoning and splitting. So lets forget about sawbacks, as they don't appreciate being beaten on and may even fracture at the tooth gullet ( USAF survival knife) abused sawing and hammering away at the twisted perspex windscreen. We want to create some feather sticks for kindling, so a nice forward curve and relatively thin is a nice feature ( mora.). If we still had our metal match we could create a shower of sparks ( most of the so called 'bushcraft knife' sheaths are set up with companion pockets for a metal match.) Is our knife high carbon and high rockwell? If so, and the spine properly dressed by file a sharp flintlike stone can produce sparks ( Mora again.) It's stainless steel? We better start assembling a friction device; bowdrill,fire piston, plow etc. The( WSI Ranger) has a machined Divot for just this use and nice reverse grip ergonomics on the skeleton handle. So now we have three fires going for warmth and signalling. Dusk came all to soon, so we greatfully curl up inside the ring of fires. Tommorow morning we will consider a shelter before bad weather moves in and some other needs. I'll let another poster build it with assorted blade options and suggest the next priority, again, only one knife. Once completed think of the next task and priority. Since it's almost midnight here, I'll hold onto my knife real tight, perhaps making a lanyard out of some tough surface roots I dug out or from my clothing.I fall asleep secure in the knowledge Bart the Bear would rather have vanilla icecreme than Brad Pitt or Timothy Treadwell anyway.

I live and play in pine forests and rocky high desert. My knife needs to be able to clean a fish, gut and butcher an elk or deer, split wood lengthwise, cut branches for the roof on a lean to, and be sturdy enough for emergency prying. My current blade is a Becker BK10, but I'll bet there are hundreds that would fit the bill nicely.

"I fall asleep secure in the knowledge Bart the Bear would rather have vanilla icecreme than Brad Pitt or Timothy Treadwell anyway."

It will be Bart-the-Bear steaks for me. I mean, why else am I carrying all that snare wire in my knife handle? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Where does this "one knife" thing come from? When I flew I had two knives in addition to the "survival" knife in my vest. One was a little Schade stockman that I used for small stuff and the other was an SAK with lots of useful widgets. BTW, the Air Force survival knife can take a lot of abuse to include batoning. There's a good thread on this very topic at Pawn shop find.

You can also buy a $3 fresh pumpkin and half, peel and cut it into chunks and if you have no blisters when you're done than the knife may be suitable for you.

Frankie

The 'one knife thing' comes from people who do not have the financial resources to buy more than one knife and need to make an informed decision. It comes from real world situations where people make do with one knife. I've used the USAF myself, starting in Arctic Survival School. Extreme sub zero temps, a well used knife, unseen production flaw and a young enlisted man all contributed to it snapping from the 5th saw gullet diagonally down to the edge. I saw several tips snapped off too, a inherent design weakness. We had only one knife, because we were only allowed one knife. My instructor issued me a second knife. Even as a dumb 20 y/o I figured if this happened in the real world there wouldn't be instructors around to hand out replacements. Again, I've used this knife, and knowing it's particular drawbacks, and every knife out there has a few, like it for what it is and can do. If you reread my reply, I am using different examples for each possible task to show their pros and cons.

I noticed the different knives mentioned, but I've seen the "one knife" issue come up in many threads and always wondered why someone would limit themselves. In the real world, I carried more than one knife because I recognized the limitations of the AFSK; and I agree on the poor tip design -- a simple drop point would be much stronger. In my next tour I had the para-riggers swap out the AFSK in my vest for one of my own and I still carried the small folders.

The MORA knives are full tanged knives, i.e. is the metel of the blade is conintuned to the end of the handle.
cheers

Day 2, and while Bart didn't show up some porcupine did and seeking salt chewed on the leather sheath of ( name half the knives available.) A quick reconnoiter and we spot him not far off and have our breakfast. Those quills can be potentially usefull, so lets save a few by whittling a simple wooden tweezer. (Moras and scandi) knives are great woodworking knives. But hey! black knives look cool and tactical and it takes a few minutes to find( Cold steel SRK) dropped among the ashes of our fire. Maybe shiny knives have their advantages. While mr porcupine is roasting in the embers lets build a shelter. Ah yes, the classic pine bow leanto illustrated in geometric perfection in every outdooor and survival book. The old (SHRADE survival knife) has a full on claw hammer, sawback and spearpoint bayonet blade. WE don't have nails, but that sawback, like the (USAF) is nice for making notches that make our rope bindings so much more neater and secure. We could also scribe some bark from suitable species with our ( Swiss Army Knife) just like friend Les Stroud in his video. We just built one of humanities oldest philosophical inventions, the container with which we can organise, collect, store and ultimately seperate ourselves from the natural world. The porcupine smells good, we have a supply of firewood gathered for our three signal fires still warm with coals. Lets have lunch( if you brought a hobo knife,fork,spoon combo this is getting sillly) and ponder a water container next.

Some Moras may be full tang, but several I've seen were not. Forty miles from nowhere and night/rain/snow coming on is no place to find out you have the wrong one.
I wore an AFSK on my LBE for years, but now carry a Grohman RBK #4 Survival knife; full tang, rosewood scales, stainless blade designed for cutting, well made sheath..... when out & about in the bush.
(Carrying a half dozen knives doesn't make up for lack of dirt time.)
As noted several times above, refer to the ETS knives section for sound advice. Stay far away from those "tactical" tanto blades, they brand you as a wannabe novice.

"There is nothing so frightening as ignorance in action."

Chris,

I appreciate your descriptions of how a knife might be used in a survival situation. I know a lot of people read this forum and knowing what the knife needs to do will help them when they are ready to buy a knife to keep in their day pack.

I was thinking of posting a laundry list of knife tasks but I like your approach better. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Can anyone explain the value of a wide blade?

Thanks!

If it needs wacking, use a baton or a rock. Not your knife! Ka-Bar's are robust, (I own one before anyone asks) but not that robust.
One thing that I am seeing this post that I don't like, is the idea of commiting yourself to just a knife(s). That's the sort of macho moronisum that survivalists come out with.
I consider a small folding saw is for shelter building etc as being at least as important as a knife. In fact, of the two, I would grab the saw first. I can improvise an edge from flint etc if I have to.

Let's here it for the steel trio: Multi-tool, fixed blade and folding saw! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

When car camping (with my son's Scout troop) we extend that to multitool, knife (folding or fixed), bow saw, and axe.

I carry a ontario RAT "TAK-1" or sometimes a buck "vangaurd". I also carry a leatherman wave. But I have been thinking about going to something slighty bigger for a knife. The becker "crewman" with a 5.5" blade has caught my eye. Any opinions? Thanks

While I would love to be armed to the hilt with knives everyday, that is just not practical. To be a functioning member of society I have to carry a knife that is legal. A 5" steak knife in my pocket or backpack will draw some interesting looks
from a LEO.

I loved the comment about the knife actually being in your pocket is a folder,that's absolutely the case. My daily carry knife is a CRKT Denali 6613N with a 3.5" blade (the legal limit in CO)

I feel like I have a relationship with my knife because I carry it daily and I'vehad it for so long. I trust it. I think that counts for alot.

Good evening Ladies and Gents; Several schools of thought. one is with enough knowlege and experience a knife that carves and cooks well is all you need because you undoubtedly have the requisite axe and saw with you as they are the appropriate tools for the tasks they were designed for. This is called woods craft and folks like Mors Kochanski don't do survival, they just set up housekeeping. The other school states you need the most robust knife that you can find as it will be called upon to do anything you ask of it without failure, even the work of other tools, will exceed the makers design peramiters and the best guarantee is worthless as failure could mean your demise. Where dose the truth lie? I guess it's dependent on who you ask, their experience and skill level and their view of what "survival" is. Me, I carry a lockback, SA Ranger or Forester, and Leatherman Wave. In my bag I carry a 4" fixed blade, a GB hatchet, a hand chainsaw, and a Greber Exchange Blade saw. In my backpack I have a folding buck saw, a MDK ATAC and a GB small forest axe three seasons, changed up to a GB Scandi forest during the winter. Redundancy is important to me. I want to be able to split wood with my folders using a crudgal and whittle with my axes. I recognise that I may be limited to my EDC and have planned accordingly, but I always hope to have access to the next bag up. Thoughts? thanks Jim

Aligator,
My earlier post was far from complete. I walk where I am going, so I usually know the terrain. Also, I leave a detailed plan of where I am going, and when I am expected back, with two responsible people, so my survival equipment is geared around first aid and making myself comfortable overnight.
I also go for overlap in tool capabilities, and I carry more than just the Mora. The Mora is always in my pack, because I find it so useful. I also carry a UDigIt, which is sharpened to ease digging and permit its use in splitting wood. The UDigIt is very useful for many tasks. I generally carry a One-Handed Trailmaster SAK in my pocket, which has been sharpened to remove most of the serrations. The large screwdriver blade has been sharpened to form a chisel, since I had little use for a large screwdriver blade. (Although I don’t plan to be “lost” so long as to need to trap for food, trap triggers are easier for me to make with a chisel for fine tuning.) The areas I frequent have little woods, so the Gerber folding saw with a spare blade and Fiskars hatchet are rarely carried.

Spud

I think my SAK is my survival knife - if it doesn't live in your pocket, then it is something you have to plan to take. With the UKs draconian knife laws (don't get me started!) this is the most PC carry choice, the one least like to raise an eyebrow. And the good collection of tools often mean I am using something designed for the job (saw, can opener, awl etc) instead of using single bladed lock knife as a improvised substitute.

BUT - when I do carry something larger, it is a sturdy chopper of a blade - because top priority in an emergency is shelter and fire. And for both of those, chopping, splitting etc. is no.1 job.

So for me it is an SAK followed by a chopper. If I carried a third knife it would be a Mora for light work or food prep.