How to Find the Best Survival Knife

[Miker12]

What will you use your knife for?

First we should talk about what you need a knife for. The answer to that is simple, isn’t it? Knives have a million and one uses. From cutting shavings off a stick to make tinder for a fire to cutting paracord or other cordage to lash your survival shelter together, you just can’t really match the utility of a good knife. Most days my knives only see action opening packages that my wife gets from Amazon, but frequently my trusty knife is called to do some really serious work like whittling sharp points on sticks for my kids’ marshmallows over the fire or opening up something sealed in plastic like that new coat hook my wife wanted me to hang last weekend. All kidding aside, knives are extremely useful tools and no self-respecting Prepper would be caught without one. A sharp instrument and the knowledge of how to use it are one thing separating us from animals, right?

http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/09/17/find-best-survival-knife/

 

[Tenring]

Good read, thanks for posting.

 

[shooter444]

"What will you use your knife for?"

_____________________________________________

Cutting baling twine
cutting plastic tarps to size
pruning mesquite branches
Prying fence wire
picking horse hooves
cleaning up PVC cut edges
trimming goat hooves
opening dog food sacks and feed sacks when the string breaks
picking goat, horse and chicken shit out of my boot lugs

Hmmm,...that's about it, probably more,... oh yah,... opening Amazon packages!!!

I think my most pleasant experiences over the years, have been with Cold Steel and Victorinox, bladed products.

p.s.,...I have tried many fine sharpening stones and tools over the decades,... I found that a metal plate impregnated with diamond powder is by far the best portable, non breakable sharpener,... ever!!!

 

[XJThrottle]

The best survival knife for me is the one on me. 95% of the time that is a Benchmade Rift (950). Weekend "around town" duty is split, but typically falls on a 940-2.

It could be a 2750BK, 15085-2, 860, 486, or an 810.

 

[underw0rld]

Ka-Bar with a partial serration for light work. Gurkha for heavy work

 

[Boriqua]

I think its one of those questions that come up like what handgun or whats in your bug out bag. So much of it boils down to how you see yourself coming to use that knife. Meaning are you going to have it strapped to a backpack for bug out to ??, is it for bugging in, is it just something you want to have around because it may be brought to bear .. " I have this in my glove box"

I watched one of the earlier episodes and what one gentleman was able to do with a Kukri was amazing. He was able to get it sharp enough to truly be a really versatile tool from cleaning fish to chopping limbs and creating shelter. I read on another forum how a hatchet will usually be a better tool than a Kukri but I like that the kukri has a point which means you can open cans and do things a point can do that a hatchet cant.

If I planned to take shelter someplace and have only one knife .. Kukri. I have one I have put a very nice edge on.
If you are planning to be mobile then weight may play a role and a kukri can get heavy. I also have an Ontario rat 7. Man is that thing a cutter. I have been able to hack through 2 inch branches with little effort and it can be battoned easily for heavy cutting but it takes a wicked edge. While carbon steel requires more effort in upkeep it can be sharpened readily. Its a good deal light than my Kukri.

So my survival knife needs a point, it needs to be carbon steel and it needs some belly.

Lastly .. I keep in my motorcycle bag a good stout 4 inch. Now its a tops Trail lite or some such name. Since survival can have a way of sneaking up on you having a 4 in around is a nice compromise. You can always have it around where a bigger knife might be a problem but its still big enough to get most things done ...

You just never know when an Amazon package will jump out of the bushes and need your attention!!

 

[billyd]

Bring me the knife of Rambo

 

[Flash]

Don't you guys clean your fingernails with your knife?

 

[Dangerruss]

I picked up a cold steel bushman a while back and it's a great multipurpose tool!

 

[Kingjoey]

Got an Al Mar Sidekick, a couple Glock knives, but I'd probably pick the Gerber MkII if I had to pick one knife

 

[knockonit]

aw the first thing one must remember when having specialty equipment is 'where did i leave it', and why don't i have it with me when i need it. and .................wtf, it doesn't do what i thought it would, hehehe
murphy is always on your shoulder, imo best to just know how to keep one sharp, and have one, first order of biz, cause when you plan something, it never goes as planned and you are never really prepared, hence the reason to not get into the rut of "being totally prepared for one scenario) and remember don't bring a knife to a gun fight, rumor is its bad for ones longevity
Rj

 

[Dangerruss]

aw the first thing one must remember when having specialty equipment is 'where did i leave it', and why don't i have it with me when i need it. and .................wtf, it doesn't do what i thought it would, hehehe
murphy is always on your shoulder, imo best to just know how to keep one sharp, and have one, first order of biz, cause when you plan something, it never goes as planned and you are never really prepared, hence the reason to not get into the rut of "being totally prepared for one scenario) and remember don't bring a knife to a gun fight, rumor is its bad for ones longevity
Rj

This is true. This is also why I have multiple Mora's stashed everywhere. Glove box's, first aid kits, backpacks, several drawers. They are inexpensive and perform way out of their weight class.