Outdoor Knives
More Articles Related to Blades And KnivesGrowing up I was always proud of the “hunting knives” I carried. Money was hard to come by and I spent every early morning delivering newspapers before school while other boys slept.
With my hard earned dollars I bought a variety of outdoor gear with which I practiced survival skills as I explored the forest and mountains surrounding my home. High on my list of acquisitions was a good outdoor knife.
Knives have always held an extra special place for me. I learned quickly that a good knife is one of the most important survival gear acquisitions. Of all my survival equipment, knives have served me best and longest through the years.
Like trusted old friends the sight of my old outdoor knives conjure up memories of past adventures, and mis-adventures, bringing me back to my youth and young manhood that is fast fading into books written pages. One day these knives will be passed down the chain of life to another who loves the outdoors as I do. Then perhaps another and another so that my memory is lost but the knives remain.
Over the years I have learned a thing or two about what makes a good outdoor knife for me. Everybody is different; everyone has unique experiences and different needs. This is a good thing and is what makes the world what it is. For this reason those with knife experience will likely have a different take than I on what makes a good knife for the outdoors.
The best outdoor knives are not the flashy Rambo knives and swords you see worn by swashbucklers and fantasy action heroes on the big screen. In fact, a good outdoor knife often appears rather plain and unassuming to inexperience eyes.
The best survival knife blades used outdoors remain very sharp even after they have been well used. Naturally you do not want to spend a great deal of time and effort in sharpening the blade because it refuses to keep an edge.
High carbon steel or stainless steal are prefered by experienced outdoorsmen who choose knives based on performance. I tend to prefer high carbon blades because they seem to sharpen better, but again this is a matter of individual taste and experience.
It is important the outdoor knife is not affected by exposure to moisture, salt, or natural acids in fruits and meats. Even when temperatures become low the best outdoor knife blades will not become brittle. The blade should be as up to skinning a moose as it is to whittling a whistle and cutting cord. In my opinion a blood groove is outdated, overated, and only serves to weaken the knife's blade.
Of course good outdoor knives are always full tang, meaning the blade extends down through the handle completely. This greatly improves strength, balance, and knife life over those that lack this feature.
A good outdoor knife blade length is only about four inches. Any shorter and there is not enough to cut sufficiently and more is just exta weight and bulk that the outdoor survivor does not need.
An example modern outdoor blade you cannot go wrong with is the Fallkniven F1 knife. With a blade just under four inches long and .18 inches thick made of laminated VG10 stainless steel, the Fallkniven F1 is dependably strong and durable enough for batoning. I like the feel of the f1’s Thermorun handle and overall balance.
Though stainless knives are not usually my first choice I make an exception with this exceptional Fallkniven F1 knife for the outdoors.
Some of the Becker Knives make for robust survival knives that are well recieved by the wilderness survival community. However in May of 2007 Becker Knives and Tool went out of business, causing these blades to become collectors items.
The Sog Seal Pup knife is a good survival knife made specifically for wet conditions. It is lightweight, reasonably priced, and well tested.
So there you have it, some of my thoughts on what makes the best outdoor knives. Let Survival Topics readers know what you think using the feedback form below.
NC USAF
Love the survival web pages. I like my USAF Survival Knife with a good carbon blade hammer on the back. First thing most of us do is take out the sharpening stones and replace them with Swedish Firesteels or mini multiknives.
outside
Another knice knife is the gerber LMAF II.
NC USAF
Magnesium block fire starter not swedish firesteel. why would you change that on a survival page. I typed what works for me and it wasn't that.
Survival Topics - sometimes when editing a post for spelling and grammar I am not sure what the poster meant. Either magnesium firestarter or firesteel work well and are based on the same principle.
Nicaragua, Central America
In my opinion any knife that will not rust easily and that can hold an edge, has a full tang, has a blade lenght between 3.5 to 5.50 inches made from good steel and has lanyard hole is a good "survival knife".
While I venture in the jungle, I take with me my SCUBA Knife, it is tough it holds an edge pretty good, it never rusts and it was inexpensive. I have taken it in salt water and did not rinse it for weeks and it did not rust which is great for tropical weather. My SCUBA knife will probably outperform most expensive "survival knives" costing twice as much. The blade is high polish 440C stainless steel HRC 56-57. I can use the high gloss polished blade to signal like a mirror if the need arises. Most survival blades have black non-refletor surfaces which is good if you are a soldier in enemy territory, but not for civilian use.
Since I live in a tropical paradise my tool of choice is a MACHETE for almost anything, my SCUBA knife is for small jobs, like butchering small game, fish, tortoises, javelina, deer, snakes, aligators opossums, armadillo monkeys and anything you can catch for food. I carry my machete and my scuba knife while in the jungle. My scuba knife outperforms my Buck 120, my RamboII knife and my Swiss Army knife and several folding blades I own.
The important thing here is to use a knife of your choice(brand and type)keeping in mind the features that I mentioned before.
Oregon
After 8 years in the military and 33 years of being an outdoorsman, my research has lead me to two knives that I would stake my life on. The TOPS Tracker in custom leather with Swedish Firesteel, and a Mission MPK-10Ti knife. Neither have ever failed me, and I am proud to own them both knives
19525
Seeking to replace my old / yet new looking survival knife. 18" with N.S.E.W. direction comp. Well made coverage so one can see and read on top of its black handle. When unscrewed it had fishing string and hook and ect in strong handle. Bland again just like new had jagged edge on top nearer to the handle could of used has a saw! No hole on the blade. I still have knife holder which you could put onto a persons belt. Can you help? I had for about 25-30 years.Possible Smith and Westen iten for I had purchase also a lever action .22 for my son, he is now 40.
pennsylvania
All these knives are good but the best all around knife my father and I have found in our years in the bush is the usmc k bar fighting knife. It's got a 7-8 inch blade and is heavy enough to chop or cut small trees if necessary. I carry a winchester hunting knife which has a 4 inch blade that holds a decent edge for a considerable amount of time. I've done everything with mine from primitive shelters to snares, animal cleaning and fire starting. In my opinion these are the best 2 knives for the jobs to be done. But depending on your needs a good fixed blade knife with a 4 inch blade is my preference.
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TEXAS
"In my opinion a blood groove is outdated, overated, and only serves to weaken the knife's blade." Blood Groove as a term is a recent invention. "Fuller" is the proper name for the groove or grooves on a sword blade. The purpose of the fuller has nothing to do with blood; fullers reduce weight, assist in the proper distribution of mass in a blade, and help make the blade stiffer.
With all due respect the "blood groove" was invented to improve the overall strength of a sword or very large knife blade. However on smaller blades, it is useless. The "blood groove" as many may think was not intended for the user to easily withdraw the blade after it was thrust into a body.
Survival Topics - very good observation and a valuable addition to this discussion!