How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife

[Argonaut]

Argonaut: I got one of this sort of collector item, that needs TLC sharpening job really bad. Got a link for such?

I really don't. You don't want to do too much, maby a little fine stone work and a light cleaning/polish. Really light. I have a commercial saw sharpener here in town. He sharpens all the big band saws for the mills around and if the blade on one of my using knives needs recontoured or some heavy work, I use him. My eyes are not great any more and he likes what I bring in, he is also overly reasonable. I think sometimes people start with too coarse a stone or grit and do damage. You can do everything with a very fine grit or stone, it just takes longer. I have a large 18 inch set of stones and diamond sharpeners that I use for touch up and fine sharpening. The key with a valuable old blade is less is better and be careful with the blade geometry.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

View attachment 398642
Those look like the knives my Norwegian Blacksmith great grandfather used to make. My mother used them every day until she died a couple of years ago. My brother has them now. Is that middle one a Green River? (They are still being made) I have both an original and a new version of that. They were common western trade knives, the Blades are a great size and shape but thin. I have an old Puma boatmans knife that is a similar size and shape but the blank tapers from the spine tho the sharp edge.....even through the tang. It lives in my wife's car and is used for everything from dressing road kill to picnics. This is a photo of one like it.

I really like that knife you pictured...I'll have to keep my eyes open for one.
In my picture the knives are from top to bottom:
Universal Brand ...Its a re-worked kitchen knife I won at a shoot a few years ago circa 1900 , 5 1/2 blade.
Christopher & Johnson , Sheffield England "butcher knife" 5 1/2 inch blade , homemade horn handle circa 1890. Won at a shoot as well.
Russel Green River "butcher knife" 7 inch blade , tapered full tang circa 1890.
Andy

 

[etrain16]

Come on, people. How on earth can anyone choose a knife without watching the 800 hours (probably literally) of Nutnfancy knife "reviews"?













lol

800 hours - that's just one of his videos, right?

 

[etrain16]

Everyone needs the Wenger 16999 for survival. There is no comparison.

 

[etrain16]

Okay, on a more serious note, I'm with those that say a knife is very subjective to each person's needs. I don't think any one knife can do all things. My daily carry includes two different knives, one of which resides in a multi tool, the other is a Benchmade folder. I don't have a K-Bar or M9 bayonet, but do intend to add something like that at some point, though not for everyday carry.

 

[The Heretic]

An observation.

Survival is about surviving.

Half the things I see the guy in the article doing with a knife seems like good ways to cut/poke yourself, especially your hands. Using the pommel as a hammer? Prying something with the point of the knife while holding the item in your off hand?

Cutting/stabbing yourself is not a good thing in any circumstance. In a SHTF situation, it can lead to being unable to use your hand for some period of time, or worse, the wound getting infected and you getting sick or even dying. In SHTF situations more people die from sickness and infections than any other cause. Misusing a knife seems like a bad idea.

 

[Argonaut]

I really like that knife you pictured...I'll have to keep my eyes open for one.
In my picture the knives are from top to bottom:
Universal Brand ...Its a re-worked kitchen knife I won at a shoot a few years ago circa 1900 , 5 1/2 blade.
Christopher & Johnson , Sheffield England "butcher knife" 5 1/2 inch blade , homemade horn handle circa 1890. Won at a shoot as well.
Russel Green River "butcher knife" 7 inch blade , tapered full tang circa 1890.
Andy

Look at Linder......they are making that boat knife now they are another high quality Solingen company that frequently shares designs with Puma. They are not that expensive .........(now I have to look them up) they are at German knife DE for 75.00 and include a Marlin spike for working with lines. That is even a real endangered rain forest wood handle.

 

[Joe13]

Esee has a lifetime warranty.

Look at knifeworks.com - many very nice brands at around 30% off Amazons prices.

I got my Esee 6 for $86.

 

[thorborg]

Unless you are willing to walk around with a fully loaded back pack 24-7, Survival equipment is a joke. All the fancy equipment in the world will not help you if it is somewhere else when needed. Even if you have it, most folk still wouldn't last a week without basic skills to use them.
Of coarse, I would buy that fancy knife just because, but hear this...
Serious folk intent upon survival of the unknown will place all their eggs in only one basket, their brain. Experience and knowledge will provide you with a better chance to survive over fancy tools which may or may not be available when the time comes. Go beyond reading by actually practicing basic skills until they are set firm within you.
Learn how; to stay warm and dry without tents and bags, make snares and where to place them, thaw frozen appendages, cook and boil without utensils, find food without a pantry, clean and care for wounds avoiding infections. Rudimentary skills such as the early trappers and explorers acquired, mostly from native's, are what kept many not just alive, but to thrive, and not their tools or equipment. Green birch will burn freely, it's bark stripped and folded will light your way in the dark, animal fat is your caloric friend. White ash from some hardwoods can substitute for baking powder. Learn what nutrients and calories are in available flora and fauna and what your body needs to stay alive, what will keep you from getting scurvy and / or recognizing the symptoms in order to correct it.. build a fire in a wet world with cold stiff fingers, preserve the food you find, render fat make rawhide or tan hides.
Look for and study books from the 1900's up to the 30's maybe as much as 50"s by those with actual wilderness experience like, Bradford Angier and his wife, Warren page, Col. Townsend Whelan, Stewart Edward White, and the preeminent Horace Kephardt just to name a few.
These are hands on folk that could be dropped in any environment naked and likely come out alive, well and fully clothed.
(well, maybe not Page but still a good read)
Or,
you can buy that fancy knife and ask it what to do when the chips are down..

 

[Joe13]

Unless you are willing to walk around with a fully loaded back pack 24-7, Survival equipment is a joke. All the fancy equipment in the world will not help you if it is somewhere else when needed. Even if you have it, most folk still wouldn't last a week without basic skills to use them.
Of coarse, I would buy that fancy knife just because, but hear this...
Serious folk intent upon survival of the unknown will place all their eggs in only one basket, their brain. Experience and knowledge will provide you with a better chance to survive over fancy tools which may or may not be available when the time comes. Go beyond reading by actually practicing basic skills until they are set firm within you.
Learn how; to stay warm and dry without tents and bags, make snares and where to place them, thaw frozen appendages, cook and boil without utensils, find food without a pantry, clean and care for wounds avoiding infections. Rudimentary skills such as the early trappers and explorers acquired, mostly from native's, are what kept many not just alive, but to thrive, and not their tools or equipment. Green birch will burn freely, it's bark stripped and folded will light your way in the dark, animal fat is your caloric friend. White ash from some hardwoods can substitute for baking powder. Learn what nutrients and calories are in available flora and fauna and what your body needs to stay alive, what will keep you from getting scurvy and / or recognizing the symptoms in order to correct it.. build a fire in a wet world with cold stiff fingers, preserve the food you find, render fat make rawhide or tan hides.
Look for and study books from the 1900's up to the 30's maybe as much as 50"s by those with actual wilderness experience like, Bradford Angier and his wife, Warren page, Col. Townsend Whelan, Stewart Edward White, and the preeminent Horace Kephardt just to name a few.
These are hands on folk that could be dropped in any environment naked and likely come out alive, well and fully clothed.
(well, maybe not Page but still a good read)
Or,
you can buy that fancy knife and ask it what to do when the chips are down..

I have all those skills but I still want a fancy knife

 

[Argonaut]

Ok......now I had to dig out some of my favorite using knives and equipment. Survival requirements are very personal and constantly change with age, the season, the area you find yourself in. These are some of my personal items. The basic act of survival is different than pioneering (long term existence) even my fellow high school alumni Scott O'Grady only had to survive a week (only?) while being chased by serious bad guys. I think the most practical kit would be designed for survival after something like a major snow event, auto crash in a remote area or getting lost while hunting/hiking. Here are a few of my items. I nearly always have my green daypack with me that usually included my S&W 629 with a box of regular shells and a box of birdshot, multiple fire making tools including wood matches in a waterproof pill bottle. Waterproof poncho, a few space blankets and some extra GI camflage jackets. Some specialty knives, a signaling mirror, some leather gloves. The drugs are a part of being old and sick. I really like my BKT knives, the smaller one is an old original with a full 1/4 inch thick blade, they are not expensive but tough as nails.

 

[ikemay]

Whatever anyone decides, be like Dick Proenneke.

The Story of Dick Proenneke and how he built a cabin by hand in the wilderness, DVD and VHS

Proenneke's Cabin - Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[HB of CJ]

K Bar. Charlie's Surplus sells a left hand sheaf.

 

[thorborg]

I have all those skills but I still want a fancy knife

Me to! Like having a car, once you acquire the skills, then you reward yourself with the toys and trinkets.

 

[41mag]

Using the pommel as a hammer? Prying something with the point of the knife while holding the item in your off hand?

that part was more like a tenderfoot mistake

 

[DeanMk]

I'm not really a knife guy, so I'm curious what others think of the recommendations in this article.

How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife: 6 Features to Look For | The Art of Manliness

He makes some good points, albeit a wee bit melodramatically.
Make life simple for yourself - keep what he had to say in mind, go to the Buck Knives Website and pick what you think you'll need, from what they offer.
I've got a Woodsman and a Skinner (in fact, I got two Skinners, mine and my father's) and swear by them.
Amazingly well made knives with a good warranty to back them up.
They also make a Selkirk knife, but for "survival" purposes, considering what he had to say, I'd probably do either that Selkirk, or the Vanguard.
Of course, if you REALLY wanna play Crocodile Dundee, there's nothing like the 120 General.
You could probably kill an elephant with that sword!

 

[ATCclears]

Found the Selkirk knife on Amazon for a great price.
https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Knives-...508380968&sr=8-1&keywords=buck+knives+selkirk

 

[Argonaut]

Bucks are excellent knives, modestly priced and lifetime warranty. I had a large Frontiersman (?) that I used a lot 50 years ago. The blade was very hard, took a great edge after a lot of work, but the cutting edge did chip. There are so many good knives today, I received a Cold Steel Pendleton as a bonus with a knife order several years ago. Just a super little knife that is very inexpensive. My preferred brand is Puma, my little Jagernicker has been with me for 45 years. One year it skinned and dressed 6 deer and 2 elk without needing resharpening. This is a photo of the Pendleton and a fun knife I have. It is a loose copy of a Roman Gladuis done in Damascus steel from Pakistan.......probably made by the Taliban (?) the workmanship is very good. A double edge knife is pretty useless in fieldcraft. A lot of chores are done by pressing a blade with your hand from the spine.

 

[AK0perator47]

There is some ok advice in the article. I look at it like this... do you think one firearm can do it all? Wouldn't you want more than one? Does one wrench do it all? How about one screwdriver, one socket? Like others have said survival is a catch phrase. Skills are more important.

I make my own and buy some as well. I am not at home so I cannot show pictures of a couple. I will update with pictures when I can.

 

[AK0perator47]

Some of my pokey and shiny things.
Ontario Knife Company machete on top.
Schrade schf 36 below and left. To the right of that is Morakniv Companion HD knife.

Anginstar Scorpion Talon on top.
Anginstar Outdoor Survival Ghost right below. Another Anginstar Karambit style on bottom just don't know the name.

The top three are my own creations. Each one has a different reason and never named them. The black skeletonized one is a cheap Big5 knife but it is an EDC. The bottom is an old timer.


I have a bunch more... just not digging them out. The Morakniv is the only non full tang.