How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife?
It is a common misconception that survival knives are just for the military. Survival knives have many practical uses and can be used in any situation. when choosing a survival knife, it is essential to consider what you will be using your Survival Knife for and how often you will use it. Survival knives come in all shapes and sizes, so there is one out there that will work best for you! Survival knives are commonly used for camping, hunting, hiking, and other outdoor activities. However, survival knives can also be helpful in survival situations such as being lost or stranded in the woods with few supplies!
Suppose you want a survival knife that is more heavy-duty than average but still easy to carry around your belt when out on an adventure, then a survival knife with a fixed blade is the best option for you. In addition, these survival knives are typically sturdy and long-lasting, which can be helpful in different survival situations!
A Tool with Literally Hundreds of Survival-Related Functions
Despite advances in medical, technology, travel, and communications, millions of people worldwide are affected by disasters and their unforgiving repercussions every year. Unfortunately, thousands of people are also thrown into unforeseeable and unpredictable life-or-death circumstances when survival is dependent on experience, knowledge, and available resources. A quality knife is one of your most critical survival tools.
The cutting blade has carved out an indispensable place in the annals of survival. For thousands of years, man has relied on some form of cutting tool to help meet fundamental survival needs such as food, water, fire, and shelter. As a result, we now refer to this blade as the "survival knife" in our modern world. That moniker is well-deserved. Not all survival knives, however, are created equal.
Important Survival Knife Features
A modern yet high-quality survival knife is a tool that can assist you with activities such as camping, fire-making, self-defense, and a variety of domestic tasks such as food preparation. These include slicing tough meats, fruits, and vegetables, cutting through fabrics, make-shift screwdriver, hammering, and various other jobs. And this is only the tip of the iceberg; the options are virtually unlimited when it comes to the chores you can achieve with a survival knife.
Size
Size matters, but bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to your survival knife. You lose the ability to utilize your blade efficiently for intricate chores like dressing small games or carving precision snare settings if your blade is too broad. On the other hand, it also matters in the blade length. A short edge is inadequate for more demanding activities such as batoning and chopping. Batoning is a technique for driving a knife through thick or recalcitrant wood by striking the back of the blade with a heavy instrument. It enables the edge to split wood as well as cut through huge limbs and trees.
Fixed Blade
A fixed blade knife outlasts a folding knife in terms of durability and dependability. While I enjoy a decent folder for everyday carry (EDC), a fixed blade has the edge when handling the rigors of a survival emergency. A joint, in whatever form, is a flaw. Choose a more suited knife for smashing, chopping, thrusting, prying, and vigorous cutting to reduce the danger of injuring or losing your most valuable survival resource.
Full Tang
Your survival knife should not only have a fixed blade, but it should also be FULL TANG. The term "full tang" refers to the blade and handle is made from a single piece of metal. For a more comfortable grip, scales or grips are affixed to the handle part. A full tang knife is far more durable than a knife with a partial tang, such as a half tang, a push tang, or a rat-tail tang. Partially tang knife blades can loosen and develop "play" in the handle over time. It can be difficult to wield a partial tang blade properly if it comes loose from the handle. An entire tang knife blade, on the other hand, is still quite functional even if the scales break off. For further complication, it can be wrapped with cordage for comfort and grip.
Sharp Pointed Tip
The spear's point The knife can be used as a hunting weapon by itself or by securing it to a pole to produce a longer-reaching spear. The Allen wrench that comes with my knife is always in my knife sheath pocket. It allows to remove the scales and lash the full tang blade to staff as a spear-point nearly flawlessly. On a more practical note, while teaching survival classes and training in the outdoors, people discover that the sharp knife point may be used for various purposes. A sharp-pointed knife tip excels in the following tasks when compared to other styles:
- Precise snooping and picking
- Cleaning and preparing small game like salmon
- Clothing/gear repairs (drilling/notching)
- Splinters
- Pine nuts, acorns, walnuts, and hickory nuts are among the natural delicacies that can be processed.
- Obtaining live bait in difficult-to-reach regions
Single-Edged Blade with Flat Ground Spine
A double-edged dagger-style blade should be avoided in your survival knife isn't required for the great majority (if not all) of survival situations. It could be a disadvantage. Not only does a single-edged blade is recommended, but it prefers a flat 90-degree grind on the reverse side (spine) of my survival knife. For hitting a fire-starting Ferro-rod, a flat ground spine is optimal. It is nearly impossible with rounded or beveled spines.
Solid Pommel
The bottom of the knife's handle, often known as the butt, is the "pommel." Some people use the pommel of my survival knife for light banging and hammering continuously. It's ideal for securing shelter stakes. Also, chipped out rudimentary ice fishing holes with the knifepoint by slamming the pommel with thick wood to push the blade into the ice. Some knives have a rounded or hooked pommel, which is ineffective for hammering. The addition of a well-designed and robust pommel to your arsenal adds to your skills.
Other Survival Knife Features
You are the only one who can select which aspects you are and are not ready to compromise. Apart from that, almost everything else is a matter of personal preference. There are many survival knives on the market with any of these features, but they don't all look the same. Several style options are available, all of which are based on personal preference and have little influence on survival functionality. The following are some of these features:
- Blade steel (carbon or stainless steel – different options, different outcomes)
- Material for the handle (rubber, micarta, bone, antler, etc.
- Finish or color
- Holes for lanyards
- Milling with a decorative finish
- Jimping
- Blades with serrations or without serrations
- Design and style of the sheath
- Designer/manufacturer/brand of knives
- Blade design
- Finger protectors are optional.
- Groove of blood
