Knives & blades for survival

[Gamez235]

The one knife and 3 knives question for a family in a SHTF.... Hmmmm..

Well firstly, I'd look at my skill set. Do you kids and spouse have a good understanding of using these tools? Do your boy whittle on sticks or ever knock of limbs with a hatchet? Daughter ever helped carve a pumpkin or maybe clean a fish. Is your wife handy with tools? if the answer is now to most of these, then it's time to get them some experience. Granted kids may be young and this might prevent some of this from being taught, but make plans to teach them. Me personally I don't clean fish, my wife is way better at it, but I can run circles around here when butchering a deer.

Kitchen Knives, have a high quality set. Period. I know dudes that carry a 600.00 folders and own Busse's, but often see a Faberware 34.00 set of knives on the counter at their house. When I finally sprung for a better quality kitchen set, it was crazy.. Start there. They get used the most. Food prep will always happen.


The Mora... In recent months at our house, these get used a lot. Inexpensive, super easy to keep sharp, and very handy. For deer I freshen up the edges on two of them and they get me from field dressing to freezer no problems. Own several of these. Even in the kitchen, there get used a lot in our house now as well.

Bushcrafting... This one is the tricky part. I've owned and still do, several Esee Knives. For the money they are an excellent choice. The 4 and 5 are my favs. I still own a few others, but the whole knife making thing has made me partial to my own for most outdoor excursions. I beat the life out of a Bradshaw I have as well..

A good hatchet is paramount. I prefer the H&B Forge medium. I had a 2Hawks, but that thing was all but useless for me. The head was always loose and it just didn't have any umph behind it. The H&B is worlds better from my experience. A little fiskars/gerber came axe also is a handy little tool as well.

I don't know man. Knives are like golf clubs, there is one made for every cut. Sure you could use the same for many tasks, but you risk injury and putting in much more effort than needed.

So for me..For everyone... I'd say a small to medium maybe a bit stout 3-3.5" blade. Easy to handle, thick enough to take a mild beating on the spine if needed but not so big it would be awkward. Blade shape for me would be a wharncliffe or little drop point.

The 3.... A small to medium bushcraft-y type knife, a Mora and a Med H&B Camp Axe...

Morakniv Mora of Sweden Military Green Companion Knife 4.1" Carbon Steel Blade, Black Rubber Handle - KnifeCenter

Medium Polled Axes-Hand Forged Camp Axe-Medium Camp Hawks-Camp Tomahawk

 

[Knife Lady]

If you do come to the Indy 1500 or even this weekend to the Greenfield show at the Hancock County Fairgrounds you will be able to handle lots of different Mora models, Benchmades, KaBar, ESEE, Striders, Becker. Most of them within your $100 budget. I sell the fixed blades and Brad sells the folders.

 

[Gamez235]

^^ knifelady should be able to square you away.

 

[grunt soldier]

No love for the Fallkniven F1, BRKT Gunny or Bravo 1?

bark river I said was great. My 2 favorite models are the gunny and bravo 1. no question about it. both amazing knives.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I have a sturdy folder, a pocket-tool (usually a Leatherman of some sort, sometimes a SOG) and a sturdy fixed blade knife in each of my survival kits. I used to carry a Swiss Army Knife for the tools, but had one break on me at a very bad time. Leatherman, Gerber, and SOG seem to do the pocket-tool meme very well. I like the KaBar BK-6 and the Ontario Knives ASEK (5") for fixed blade goodness, although I have a couple others that I pack as well. Unlike some of these folks, I'm not a particularly adept outdoorsman, but I've carried a wide assortment of blades over 40+ years of military and civilian outdoor activities and, aside from the fact that I believe you can't have too many knives in an emergency, I think I've gotten a fairly good feel for what works for me. I've come to like the one-piece forged tomahawks and I definitely like the Khukri. While a 'hawk may not be idea for wood chopping, it works adequately for emergency shelter construction needs, as does a medium-sized khukri.

After all that, though, I'm sort of surprised that no one else mentioned a sturdy pocket-tool, since they are handy to have for emergency repairs of all types.

 

[Slawburger]

1) Swiss Army Knife (many variations) or Leatherman type tool. Discreet for everyday carry and comes in handy even before SHTF.

2) Fixed blade of your choice. The Kabar is inexpensive if you are buying multiples. If it is just for you then I might look at one of the higher grade knives.

3) Large tool suitable for your situation: Machete (Harbor Freight), Scout Axe (between hatchet and axe), Pry Bar (Stanley FUBAR, Innovation Factory Truckers Friend, Ralston Crovel, Dead On Annihilator).

 

[1861navy]

Budget, function, and skill of user are big things to consider when choosing a blade. On summer camping trips I carry a leatherman multi-tool, a bear and sons skinning knife, and a folding saw. Multi tool, for cutting cordage and things like that, skinning knife for food, and skinning if need be, folding saw for firewood. In the winter I add an old Kent style axe with a large flat hammer poll on the back, this makes chopping down standing dead a little easier, I think. But overall do some research, and thinking, you will find what you need.

 

[flatlander]

I was just sitting here thinking. When I was in high school, think stone tablets, I would spend 1 week out in the woods during Christmas break every year by myself. I would run a trap line and basically live off the land, build shelter etc. This was in NW Indiana btw. Anyway, I was thinking what sharp pointy things I used. It was a Western fixed blade about 5-6", some kind of Barlow folder and a Ace Hardware (Western?) hatchet. That was it. No Randalls, Gerbers, multi tools etc. Kept them sharp with a file a cheap pocket stone.
Just a few thoughts of days gone by. I'll go back to my mindless muttering now

Bob

 

[Zoub]

When I was 10 my Dad gave me a hatchet with a modified pistol holster to hold it and a Buck 116 Caper (think standard Swiss army blade but fixed). I wanted something appropriate for a 10 year old, like a knife at least as long as my arm. He seemed to think ruining Christmas and forcing me to learn to use a hatchet and small fixed blade was a good way to develop my skills. This was coming from a guy who won a gun fight with knife. Large fixed blades have their place but so does skill development.

At 50 IMHO I can rebuild society from the ground up with a good 7" knife but I prefer filet knives for cleaning fish. Many of the "kits" I carry and use today are based on knives I bought 20-30 years ago. I still buy more knives, but less and less to be sure. More out of want then need or when a knife is just too good to ignore. I will recreate some of my favorite combos or kits based on my old knives but upgrade to newer versions.

 

[jsharmon7]

I was just sitting here thinking. When I was in high school, think stone tablets, I would spend 1 week out in the woods during Christmas break every year by myself. I would run a trap line and basically live off the land, build shelter etc. This was in NW Indiana btw. Anyway, I was thinking what sharp pointy things I used. It was a Western fixed blade about 5-6", some kind of Barlow folder and a Ace Hardware (Western?) hatchet. That was it. No Randalls, Gerbers, multi tools etc. Kept them sharp with a file a cheap pocket stone.
Just a few thoughts of days gone by. I'll go back to my mindless muttering now

Bob

And people used to ride horses and hunt with sharpened sticks. Just because something used to be done a certain way, or certain tools did the job, doesn't mean there isn't something much better out there. That sounds like a lot of fun though, just roughing it alone in the middle of winter. How would kids today keep their cell phone and PSP charged?

 

[teddy12b]

My first question: If you were going to supply every family member (say 4-6 people) with the same type of knife for survival, what kind of knife would it be? I'm guessing a fixed blade would be best, but what length of blade, type of blade, etc.?


Second question, if you could have three types of knives/blades total for the entire family (one of each), what would they be? (i.e. small fixed blade, hatchet, machete)
As always, links and/or pics would be appreciated.
TIA

1.) Get them a leatherman like a wingman (if you want scissors) or a sidekick (if you'd rather have a saw). It's really easy to let manly man pride and ego get in the way of buying an actually useful tool instead of buying some big macho knife. You're talking about survival, and more times than not you're going to need a screw driver or set of pliers to fix something than you're going to need some great big evil man killing fixed blade. You can look up "used leatherman" on ebay and find all kinds of great tools that are lightly scratched or barely used for dirt cheap. If I'm handing out tools to the unprepared, they aren't getting some new shiny tool as a present to thank them for being a burden on me and my family. They'll learn to be grateful for the beat up leatherman I just threw at their face. If I can't talk you into a multiool, then I'd go with the Mora "Light my fire". It's $30 and is sharp, pointy, and can make a fire very easily. I keep one in each vehicles kit because they are so handy. The fire steel in the handle is secure and does the job. If you can't get by with a mora light my fire, then you need to worry more about skills then gear.

2.) Disregarding the handout knives/tools my three picks for myself and my family would be these; an esee junglas, a small fixed blade like either the mora light my fire or I recently picked up a Tops Knives Cheetah, and a multitool that's a comfortable pocket carry knife. The Junglas is a great big knife I've used to clear out paths through trees and brush. I've split firewood with it more times than I can count and it's held up to all the use and abuse I've thrown at it. When you need to chop things it's a great tool, but there's plenty of tools out there that can do the same thing as well. The small fixed blades are because just like in the kitchen you're going to use a small knife a lot more that you're going to use a great big butcher knife. The multitools are explain themselves.

[video=youtube;v_45TSRy0jE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_45TSRy0jE[/video]

 

[Blackhawk2001]

And people used to ride horses and hunt with sharpened sticks. Just because something used to be done a certain way, or certain tools did the job, doesn't mean there isn't something much better out there. That sounds like a lot of fun though, just roughing it alone in the middle of winter. How would kids today keep their cell phone and PSP charged?

When I was flatlander's age I was carrying an assortment of cheap boyscout knives and a M1 bayonet or a machete as my "fixed blade" because that was all that was available to me. I switched from the Swiss Army knife to Leatherman's first PocketTool because the Leatherman was so much stronger (and not as thick) and haven't looked back.

As for modern kids and their electronic aids: that's why God invented solar panel chargers and rechargable batteries.

 

[flatlander]

And people used to ride horses and hunt with sharpened sticks. Just because something used to be done a certain way, or certain tools did the job, doesn't mean there isn't something much better out there. That sounds like a lot of fun though, just roughing it alone in the middle of winter. How would kids today keep their cell phone and PSP charged?

Those were the days there sonny..............lol
I've always said to buy the best tool you can afford. Today I use Busse etc because I can. Didn't really suffer to much with the others though.
At 56 years old, I'm amazed at what our current teens/ 20's generation have issues with doing without.
Life really was simplier then. People have made it complicated.

Bob

 

[abuckle]

I know others have mentioned Kaabar, but what I have always been told to consider:
steel grade is important
Something big enough to split small wood (you want your blade to have a decent wedge to it and some weight)
Big enough to defend with (not a sword by any means, but 10" range is good)
Handle with T like covering (forgot the actual name of this part of the knife) so you can use the butt of the knife to pound/hammer with.
Good sheath is important too.

 

[teddy12b]

steel grade is important

Along the lines of what steel grade I'll share a brief story. Way back in the day when I was working for Uncle Sam the writing was on the wall that we were going to be deployed and I knew I'd need to get myself a good solid fixed blade. I went round and round about "what's the best knife" and all that stuff and finally just decided the Kabar has been working fine for forever and I'd just buy one of those, but I'd buy "the best" one they had. I ended up buying the D2 steel model of the kabar and didn't realize at the time the special sharpening tools like diamond stones it'd take to keep it sharp. I took a nice big old school sharpening stone with and the best I could get after tedious hours was a mediocre edge.

Years later I got that same knife out and used my spyderco sharpener with the diamond rods and I was amazed at how sharp that got that D2 Kabar. I'm not trying to talk anyone into or out of something, but it's something to consider when buying a knife. It's easy to get all wrapped up on what's the new fancy wiz bang doo hicky on the market, but there's a point where you don't really need to get too fancy with your sharp pointy things for practical purposes.

 

[Justus]

It's easy to get all wrapped up on what's the new fancy wiz bang doo hicky on the market, but there's a point where you don't really need to get too fancy with your sharp pointy things for practical purposes.

Yes ^^^^

 

[TippecanoeSportsman]

1. I'd choose a fixed blade, full tang knife. Most "survival" knives I would choose all have a drop point design roughly 4-5 inches long. Several here have already suggested stainless steel for it's rust resistance, but I prefer 1095 carbon steel. While 1095 is not at all rust resistant, IMO it is much easier to maintain the blade edge in terms of durability and ease of sharpening versus stainless. Rust concerns can easily be mitigated with a small amount of food grade mineral oil or some other rust preventative. I choose to use an ESEE-4, and it suits my purposes for everything from camp chores to field dressing deer. YMMV.

2. For a 3 blade combo I'd choose a fixed blade knife, folding saw (the Bahco Laplander is excellent), and a machete.

 

[jagee]

One word: Morakniv

I like stainless for survival purposes. At < $15 each they are a phenomenal buy. Sharpest knives I have ever seen right out of the box. I have, quite literally, shaved my face with one of these as an experiment, and while it doesn't do as good a job as real razor, it does the job. The edge is durable, too. For the price, you won't find anything else remotely close to this quality.

They're so inexpensive that I have them everywhere - my truck, wife's car, the bike, the BOB, bedside table, garage, my hunting backpack (in blaze orange, no less), camping kit. I build little survival kits for my (adult) kids' cars and always include one of these as well. For $15 I just add one to an Amazon cart occasionally when I'm buying something else.

Necro post.

I put one of these on my Amazon wish list for Christmas last year and got one from the in-laws. Tossed it in my hunting bag and forgot about it til this year when I was heading out to hunt. Decided if I got a deer I'd give it a shot. Boom. Deer down, knife out. It did great fresh out of the package, sharp and did a great job on the field dressing.

I've added 2 more to my wish list for this year just to toss in various places like you listed...car, bike...

 

[1861navy]

Necro post.

I put one of these on my Amazon wish list for Christmas last year and got one from the in-laws. Tossed it in my hunting bag and forgot about it til this year when I was heading out to hunt. Decided if I got a deer I'd give it a shot. Boom. Deer down, knife out. It did great fresh out of the package, sharp and did a great job on the field dressing.

I've added 2 more to my wish list for this year just to toss in various places like you listed...car, bike...

Mora's are awesome knives. I used mine this year to deflesh an entire deer hide. It did it like a champ too, and for the price you can't go wrong. I've used it for carving things like seasoned oak and sassafras as well, and again no problems.

 

[teddy12b]

Holy thread resurrection......... I'll answer again just for the fun of seeing how much my answers have changed.

Here's a video that pretty sums up everything you should likely look for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNQS6CX7FA

I took Dave Canterbury's Basic survival weekend class and it was incredible. His knowledge and understanding of working with knives doing bushcraft work is second to none in my opinion.

Dave's criteria he developed:
1.) 5" - 6" blade length, not too short, not too long.
* High carbon steel, easy to sharpen.
* Full Tang, ideally so it won't snap.
* 90 degree spine on back of blade, scraping wood into fine shavings, scrape a ferro rod for fire.
* Non coated blade so you can drive a spark off the back of it with flint.
* Strike with flint and get a spark that can be used with char cloth.

Personally, I got through his basic survival course with a Condor Kephart. It worked and you can order as many as you'd like from amazon for $35 to your door. Another great budget option is the Jeff White bush knife for around $50 to your door on ebay/amazon/selfrelianceoutfitters.com. Another cheapo option is the Mora Light My Fire. It's super lightweight, sharp, pointy and has a ferro rod. Nice little package you won't notice in your pack. Having said that, my go to knife is a JG custom JG Knives & Tools Handmade Knives and Tools made in South Carolina from INGO's very own. I've clubbed lumber with that blade all the way to field dressing deer with it. Indestructible and sharp, just the way I like it.