With all the exaggerated hype regarding survival
and survival knives, this article will focus more on survival and less on
knives. But since you likely stumbled across this article while searching for
information about survival knives, I’ll gladly share a tidbit or two. Keep in
mind that what I say reflects my own personal opinion and experiences. In the
end, it’s up to you to figure out what works best; even the best knife article
will never compensate for first-hand experience. Even the best knife article
will never compensate for first-hand experience. Even the best knife article
will never compensate for first-hand experience. Yes—I know I repeated myself
thrice, but I want to make sure you embed that fact within your cerebral
carcass.
Those searching for information on how to select a survival
knife are generally one of two types of individuals:
1-
Green around the Gills: You know very little
about survival and believe that in order to consider yourself a true survivalist,
you must carry a really cool survival knife. (P.S. A survival knife can be
cool, but cool has nothing to do with a good knife)
2-
Cocky Survivalist: You are a survival enthusiast who itches to
read this article with a cocky attitude and then post some braggadocio comment
to show everyone how much you know. Feel free to comment; if your comment holds
merit, I’ll post it.
I’ll take the gander that you are more of a Green around the
Gills and less of a Cocky Survivalist.
And out of pure, heartfelt respect to you, dear reader, I will not blow
steam up your fecal orifice by regurgitating the same useless information found
in the handfuls of “How to Choose a Survival Knife” articles floating around in
cyberspace. I get frustrated beyond all reason when folks post the same boring
knife theory, useless details, and other worthless garbage. Does anyone looking
for information on survival knives really need to know knife history, or the
manganese and carbon content in a piece of 1095 steel? Personally, I could care
less. I’d rather read a no-nonsense article that cuts to the point and provides
practical information based on first-hand experience and less babbling about
useless information and flowery knife theory.
The first thing I’ll point out is this: The best knife in a
wilderness survival situation is any knife you have; however, careful knife
selection will ensure you have a great tool at your side less likely to fail
and that will hopefully increase your chances of survival should you ever find
yourself neck deep in poo-poo creek.
Second, in most wilderness survival situations, conserving
body temperature, hydration, and calories rank at the top of priorities.
Spending energy equals calorie burn and fluid consumption. A durable, sharp
knife sits high atop the list of most valuable and versatile survival items and
will allow you to expend less energy building other survival essentials you may
require, such as shelter and fire-making components.
An old Faroese proverb teaches, “The knifeless man is a
lifeless man.” I find this statement too bold and extreme; however, it does
stress the importance of a knife—that I won’t argue. In many cases, no other
single tool surpasses a knife’s effectiveness at simplifying a variety of
demanding wilderness survival tasks. For this reason you should select a knife
built to endure the heavy demands you might place upon it.
So what survival knife do I recommend? Although I use a few
in particular, I don’t necessarily recommend a particular brand because several
knife manufacturers offer fully functional, high quality knives. When selecting
a knife, focus less on the brand and more on the following important core
features:
1- Durable
full-tang construction
2- High
quality steel
3- Optimal
blade length
4- Edge
design
5- Comfortable
grip.
“But, but, but. . .” you may say. “But what about other
details?” I’ve chosen not to discuss other nitty-gritty knife details outside
of the five items I’ve mentioned. The nitty-gritty is far less important and
not worth mentioning. Think of selecting a knife like selecting a vehicle. The
purpose of a vehicle is to get you from point A to point B. Leather interior,
rear air control, DVD player, and a premium sound system are nice features and
preferences, but in reality are worthless. How do these features add to the
vehicle’s functionality? If the vehicle’s guts/engine components fail and the
vehicle won’t roll, how useful are luxury options? The same holds true for
nitty-gritty knife details. The purpose of a knife is to accomplish task A and
task B. I’m choosing not to blabber about blade grinds, blade styles, spine
jimping, finger choil, exposed pommel, and bla bla bla. Why? Because the five
core features I’ve mentioned comprise the important guts of a functional
survival knife. Everything else is mostly luxury fluff and preference. Just
give me a comfortable, durable knife less likely to fail under hard use; that’s
all I care about.
Full-Tang
Construction
In many survival situations, having a knife designed to
endure and accompanied with practical and working knife use know-how will
increase your chances of survival. If a knife is your most valuable asset and
you break it, then what? Minimize the risk of knife failure by selecting a
full-tang knife (a full-tang knife is made from a solid piece of steel from
point to pommel). I won’t dispute a folding knife’s cutsie-wootsiness and value
for simplifying general purpose tasks, but I would never recommend any folding
knife as your main survival knife. Stick with a knife built to tackle the heavy
duty, non-general purpose tasks you’d likely face in a survival situation. A
folding knife’s hinged-blade design and two-piece (or 85 pieces if a Swiss Army
Knife) construction will never rival the strength and durability of a
one-piece, full-tang blade. The same holds true for most partial-tangs.
Partial-tang knives generally lack durability under extended or hard use.
High Quality Steel
High Carbon or Stainless? Potauto or potato? Tomauto or
tomato? Arguing blade steel is like arguing politics and religion. High Carbon
and Stainless steel have advantages and disadvantages, but at the end of the
day blade steel preference comes down to personal choice and opinion.
As a general rule of thumb:
-
High carbon steel sharpens easier, holds an
excellent edge, but requires higher maintenance; carbon steel more easily
tarnishes and rusts.
-
Stainless steel is more difficult to sharpen,
holds an excellent edge, and offers lower maintenance; stainless steel does not
easily corrode.
I own both high carbon and stainless blades and love each
for different reasons. But very little affection is tied to the steel itself;
what I love about each knife has more to do with knife functionality and less
to do with the stainless vs. high carbon debate. I will say this: In a survival
situation where a sharp knife is required, I’d much rather have the
easy-sharpen qualities of high carbon steel and take my chances with a little
rust or tarnish.
Regardless which side of the stainless vs. high carbon fence
you sit, concern yourself more with steel quality and strength. A good blade
should sharpen easily, yet hold enough hardness to allow for excellent edge
retention and durability without chipping. I’d recommend a blade with an HRC
(Rockwell Count scale) of 57-60. A variety of knife steels exist—both carbon
and stainless--that offer a 57-60 HRC and will provide you with an excellent
blade. Before you buy a knife, make sure you know the knife’s HRC.
Optimal Blade Length
Choose a survival knife big enough to accomplish more
demanding survival tasks, but not too big as to lose functionality for smaller
projects. What’s the ideal blade length? Only you can determine the blade
length that works best for you. I’ve used a variety of knives and I prefer a
blade length anywhere from 4 to 4.5 inches, and recommend no more than 6 to 6.5
inches. In my opinion, a blade longer than 6.5 inches crosses the line of too
big (unless you are in the jungle as a machete would prove extremely useful) although
I’m sure there are those that would argue against this. Personally, I’ve found that a 4 to 4.5-inch
blade is a perfect length. A blade up to 6.5 inches will generally work well
for tackling most survival tasks like shelter building, fire prep, light chopping,
batoning, and carving, but a blade that long is just too much knife for me. You,
however, may feel differently.
Edge Design
Serrated, straight, and combo edges comprise blade edges.
Unless you plan on eating a lot of steak and slicing bagels in a survival
situation, I’d recommend to stay away from serrated edges. Serrated blades
overall make poor survival knives, are difficult to sharpen, and don’t perform
well outside of culinary use. I also don’t care for combo edges. A combo-edge
blade has both straight and serrated sections. Again, as I find serrations useless
for the majority of survival tasks, I’d rather have a knife with a full
straight edge. A lot of survival knife hype claims that “serrations are useful
for cutting through synthetics.” Useful? Perhaps, but I’ve cut through rope,
webbing, and cord with no trouble using the full length of a sharp straight
edge as I have using an inch-worth of serrations. Combo edges may have some
advantages, but in my opinion the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.
Personally, any time I’ve used a combo edge, I’ve found myself thinking, Blast it all to the infernal pit! I wish I
had more straight edge to work with!
Comfortable and Safe
Grip
If you must rely on a knife to increase survivability,
you’ll likely use your knife a lot. If the knife ends up more in your hand than
in its sheath, comfort is key and safety required. Choose a knife with a
comfortable grip made from material sufficiently grippy to safely control the
knife, especially during inclement weather. The last thing you want to deal
with is hands blistered to pieces, or dangerously losing control of the knife
during use. Honestly, hotspots or blisters will almost always develop from
continuous rigorous knife use over extended periods of time, even with the most
comfortable of knives. What you don’t want is a knife that causes immediate discomfort
within minutes of use.
A variety of handle designs and materials help offer a
higher level of comfort and safety. Such materials include Micarta, Kraton,
Zytel, textured rubber, and woods. Personally and overall, I prefer the
comforts of canvas/linen Micarta in rain or shine, but also use and appreciate
other handle materials. Remember, only you can determine what feels most
comfortable and safe for you! The fact is you may not determine what you most
prefer until after experimenting with a several handle materials.
What Knives Do I Use?
I use the following knives; however, the following comprise
only a few of many great survival knives available. Again, it’s a matter of
preference and what works best for you:
-
Fallkniven F1: This little beauty is an
exceptional, all-around excellent survival/bushcraft knife. I love my
Fallkniven F1!
-
TOPS Fieldcraft/B.O.B: Another great
knife that I love, adore, and frequently use for survival/bushcraft. This knife is one of
my personal favorites.
-
EnZo Trapper: Made in Finland, this
strong and stout knife is built for bushcraft. Its exceptional O1 tool steel
and Scandi grind is super durable and holds a great edge. Another of my
favorites.
-
** Mora 911 Carbon Steel: No longer
available for purchase, but equivalent design found in the Mora Bushcraft
series. Solid performer, excellent Scandi grind, great steel, and edge
retention.
-
** Mora (previously the 860) MG Companion
Carbon Steel: Solid performer, love the Scandi grind, steel, and superb
edge.
**NOTE:
There are some great partial-tang knives out there, but also some real garbage. Mora produces an excellent, well built partial-tang knife in both
stainless and high-carbon. With the help of a baton, I’ve used my Moras to
knock out some fairly rigorous tasks; however, the Mora is best suited for
light bushcraft and fine tasks because of the lightweight design and thin
spine. In my opinion, they do not perform at the same level as a
thicker-spined, heftier, full-tang counterpart. Although I often carry a Mora, I
don’t venture out without a full-tang beauty.
Other knives I
own/have owned/have used:
-
ESEE 6: If your knife preference is more
along the lines of a 6-inch blade, this is a great knife! ESEE puts out some
great knives. This knife is a solid chopper and batons well. It holds a great
edge and is an excellent performer, but is heavy and too much blade based on my
preferences and likes. The ESEE 4, which would be a better option based on my
knife preferences.
-
Full-size Black Ka-Bar, Straight Edge: Ka-bar
puts out some great blades, but this 7-inch blade is just too much knife, and the
design is better suited for combat and slashing. Great knife, but just not a
personal favorite and not a great option as a go-to survival knife.
-
SOG Seal PUP Elite Straight Edge: Solid,
well-built knife, but I’m not a fan of the hollow grind and clip point. Great tactical/deployment blade that holds a razor edge,
but in my opinion not an overall good choice for survival/bushcraft.
-
Ka-Bar BK7: Again, Ka-Bar puts out great
knives, but this knife is large, bulky, and the sheath it comes with is a piece
of garbage. Great knife, durable, but just too big. In my opinion, if you go
with a Ka-Bar from the Becker series, the BK16 Drop Point is a better choice
for bushcraft/survival.
The last thing I’ll mention is this: even a great knife can
be a poor knife depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, and personal
preference highly determines what one considers the best survival knife. It’s
up to you to figure out what works best.
More About Survival
I now wish to draw your attention to the topic of survival.
First things first: I’ve never found myself in what many may view as a true
life-threatening survival situation. I’ve never gotten lost in the Amazon a
hundred miles away from civilization and had to use my knife to chop my way
through the jungle, eat bugs to survive, and gut a python to use for a sleeping
bag. I’ve never been shipwrecked on an island and my car has never broken down
in the middle of the desert where I’ve been forced to drink my own urine and
survive until rescued. Sorry to burst your bubble, but such experiences are few
and far between and do not constitute the majority of legitimate survival
experiences. And many highly-claimed survivalists have never been caught in
such experiences outside of their own making.
Exaggerated “what if” TV survival scenarios frustrate me.
For example,
“What if you’re traveling by
yourself at 3:30am with your headlights turned off to visit your grandmother
who lives 150 miles away from civilization in the middle of the desert and you
attempt to take a shortcut on an undeveloped road at 85MPH and run over a
cactus that pops your tires and causes your car to spin out of control and bounce
down a ravine? Let me show you how to survive off of scorpions, rattlesnakes,
and hydrate yourself by drinking your own urine.”
Or how about,
“What if you plan to venture deep
within the African bush without telling anyone else where you’re going, no map
and compass, unknown territory, and only knife strapped to your side? Let me
show you how to survive on grubs, a half-eaten, vulturized Zebra, and how to
use lion crap as effective repellant against spitting cobras all while
squeezing water from elephant crap to keep yourself hydrated.”
Such scenarios are great for entertainment and the survival
techniques demonstrated don’t fail to amaze. But with effective preparation,
careful planning, and using your brain, the chances of facing such a situation
are next to none. I’m not discouraging preparedness by any means, just trying
to point out how survival reality has become grossly distorted.
As far as my personal survival experiences, the three most
threatening survival situations that come to mind have nothing to do with
surviving the untamed wilderness, but everything to do with injury and medical
need. As you venture out into the boonies, you are more likely to face a
survival situation as a result of injury than you are to find yourself in a
hyped-up TV wilderness survival situation out of shear dumb luck or stupidity.
Injury and other medical issues constitute the majority of life threatening
survival situations. Remember in the beginning of this article when I said that
even a survival knife may prove worthless depending on the situation? How
useful is a survival knife for treating a poisonous snake bite, controlling an asthma
attack, helping a choking victim, managing hypoglycemic shock, or heat stroke?
Second, what constitutes a survival situation is based
entirely on individual outlook and experience (or lack thereof). For example,
take a city slicker who’s never camped a day in their life. Drop them off in a
remote wilderness location for a week without a bath and a Starbucks and
they’ll surely feel they’re walking on the edge of death; however, take a
Swahili bushman who’s grown up living in the bush and drop them off in the same
location. They’ll look at you and say, “Tlac loc waclic noctluc” which likely
translates to “What’s the big deal? I’ve lived like this my entire life.” What
one may view as a grim survival situation may be viewed to another as nothing
more as a way of life. True survivability encompasses only two factors:
know-how and mental strength; I can’t stress this enough.
Countless experiences exist where individuals have
perished—even in the presence of life-saving gear and resources—only because
they lacked survival know-how and the mental strength to endure. Now I’m not
trying to disrespect those who have perished under dire circumstances; rather
I’m pointing out that survival knowledge and practical experience are the
greatest survival tools you can possess.
Lacking adequate know-how and mental strength in a true
survival situation is a recipe for disaster; you’ll find yourself finished
before you begin. If you want to become an expert survivalist, understand right
now that this journey has very little to do with an awesome survival knife.
Take the time to research, read, learn, practice, and gain as much working knowledge
as possible about survival, well beyond the scope of survival knives and knife
techniques. Consider taking a survival course or two from professional
survivalists, and make sure they teach the value of injury treatment and
prevention and not just how to build a snare and lean-to. Make friends with a
Swahili bushman, or Outback aborigine. Learn their way of life. Learn, learn,
learn, and then practice, practice, practice. Make time to spend time in the
field and practice, practice, practice some more. Allow your knowledge to
evolve into first-hand experience. If you’re not willing to do this, then even
the coolest, most awesome survival knife won’t do you a bit of good except to
perhaps impress your friends around the campfire.
No comments:
Post a Comment