Survival Knife? (1 Viewer)

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My vote goes for Ka Bar USMC. You can put this survival knife in front of any other knife. Besides i also like to use a Swiss Army knife. I always keep it with me after Ka Bar USMC
 
I have a little ESEE Izula that I've carried in my pocket every day for a couple years now. Used it for everything from opening mail to skinning game. When hunting/camping, I use it and a small Estwing hatchet. Never really wanted anything more.
 
I've beat the s*** out of my emerson fixed blade. It's small and light enough to disappear on your belt and easy to maintain.

I used to carry my Chris reeves green beret, but that sucker is too big and heavy.

Buddy turned me onto the black mora knives and I'm pretty happy with them and their price. Supposedly the black ones have thicker beefier blades.

Also a fan of the older ka-bar knives, but only the older ones.

I tried the Winkler belt knives and they kind of suck for the cost. I like some of the bigger blades though.

My everyday folder is an emerson cqc15 and some kind of multitool. Fixed blade stays in the backpack or on a rig most of the time.
 
Devilmans Hand said:
Buddy turned me onto the black mora knives and I'm pretty happy with them and their price. Supposedly the black ones have thicker beefier blades.
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We could have a whole thread about the goodness of Mora Knives. They make a lot of different ones, but you are referring to the Mora Companion series and Companion "Heavy Duty". There is nothing light duty about the regular Companion, and for $12 it is the deal of the century if you like carbon steel knives. The "Heavy Duty" gives you a thicker knife of the same shape, but it's otherwise the same. I got an extra heavy duty with an orange handle so I wouldn't set it down and leave it somewhere. It's my fishing knife. If I loose it somewhere in Alaska, it won't bother me that much. The regular green Companion is the back up.

All the common Mora knives come with a "scandi" grind, which can be improved with a micro bevel at the edge if you have good sharpening gear.

Most Mora's can be had in a carbon steel version, and a stainless version. Both are really excellent as camp knives. I prefer the carbons, but be aware they will rust if not cared for. I put a vinegar patina on them, and oil with gun oil. No rust issues.

Avoid reading non-sense about "bushcraft" and "survival". If your survival comes down to a $12 knife, well, you have way bigger problems than your knife. There is a lot of internet hyperbole regarding this issue!

Spend your knife money on kitchen knives that actually get used, and forget the BS that comes with "survival" and "bushcraft". Remember, kitchen knives you use every day of your life, and survival knives you use once before you die. So be realistic. And...kitchen knives make pretty good "survival" knives. Just sayin'.
 
Cruiserdrew said:
We could have a whole thread about the goodness of Mora Knives. They make a lot of different ones, but you are referring to the Mora Companion series and Companion "Heavy Duty". There is nothing light duty about the regular Companion, and for $12 it is the deal of the century if you like carbon steel knives. The "Heavy Duty" gives you a thicker knife of the same shape, but it's otherwise the same. I got an extra heavy duty with an orange handle so I wouldn't set it down and leave it somewhere. It's my fishing knife. If I loose it somewhere in Alaska, it won't bother me that much. The regular green Companion is the back up.

All the common Mora knives come with a "scandi" grind, which can be improved with a micro bevel at the edge if you have good sharpening gear.

Most Mora's can be had in a carbon steel version, and a stainless version. Both are really excellent as camp knives. I prefer the carbons, but be aware they will rust if not cared for. I put a vinegar patina on them, and oil with gun oil. No rust issues.

Avoid reading non-sense about "bushcraft" and "survival". If your survival comes down to a $12 knife, well, you have way bigger problems than your knife. There is a lot of internet hyperbole regarding this issue!

Spend your knife money on kitchen knives that actually get used, and forget the BS that comes with "survival" and "bushcraft". Remember, kitchen knives you use every day of your life, and survival knives you use once before you die. So be realistic. And...kitchen knives make pretty good "survival" knives. Just sayin'.
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I'd take my Old Hickory Chef knife over most "survival" knives. I've used it for everything from dicing onions to hacking through ham bones.
 
Drew makes lots of good points. And thanks for making the points about Mora. I was gonna tack one or two on last weeks knifeworks.com order but got confused wading through the models. Now I know what to get. Thanks for that.

I did get the Esee Zancudo and Avispa. Too many people speaking well of them to not try. They're both insanely sharp out of the box. AUS-8, which works well for me. We'll see how well it wears and sharpens before long. The larger one, Avispa, gets the nod so far for the heft and easier opening due to size and hand position. I'll swap out the EDC Benchmade Rift for the Avispa and see what happens. Not a huge fan of liner locks but the cost might trump that. The AXIS lock on the Benchmade has me by the short ones. Love it.

Also picked up some more Victorinox paring knives. LOVE these things. Now they have orange handles on some models so I won't leave them behind on group camp trips when other people wash the dishes.
 
Those v-inox parers are great for the $4 they cost. Try the Opinel carbon parers. Old school, extremely sharp thin blade. Stainless version too.
 
I wonder why the Opinel is so overlooked as a survival knife? The first rule of survival is "The tool you use is the one you have." Opinels are cheap enough to stash one in every car and pack you own which helps insure you will always have one, as opposed to the "survival knife" that cost $$$$$ and you may or may not have when you need it.

Actually the first rule of survival is "Don't die." :doh:
 
rusty_tlc said:
I wonder why the Opinel is so overlooked as a survival knife?
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Because it's French and therefore kind of odd and wimpy. Like Citroen cars.

Instead of "survival" which congers lots of doomsday preparedness chatter, think Utility. I too like Opinels as a knife to stow in a car or truck or toolbox or whatever. They are very good food prep knives, fair fishing knives (the hinge swells if wet long and sticks), very easy to sharpen and useful all around. The No. 10 with the cork screw is my favorite. Every trip someone forgets a corkscrew and I can rescue them with the Opinel.

I bought a 3 pack of No. 8 carbons some years ago that are still in various vehicles somewhere with the Moras I stashed there for the same reason.

Opinel also makes highly regarded regular non-folding kitchen knives. I have some of their paring knives and am itching to buy the $44 Chef's knife (which just has to be a killer deal because the French do know a bit about good cooking), but I already have like 6 chef's knives so I've held off. I did read that Opinel buys their steel from Skanvik, so your Mora knives and Opinel knives will have the same steel, either carbon or stainless.

For those of you out there who want a good cheap knife that help you prep dinner and survive the Apocalypse - Tramontina has a 2 pack of Chef's knives at Costco for $15. Made in Brazil. Much better than the usual Chinese garbage knife and about the same price.
 
I'm going to try some boiled linseed oil on one to see if it stops the swelling issue.
 
Update:

The Esee Avispa did great cutting fiberglass insulation on a plywood board yesterday. BUT...this morning I found my T6 driver and switched the pocket clip to the 'proper' tip up position and confirmed my fear. The pocket clip places too much pressure on the liner lock since there is no handle scale on that side. Wouldn't matter for a lefty, but I'm not that. Makes it harder to undo the lock bar. If the lock bar stuck out a little further it might not matter, but my clumsy sausage thumb already has a hard time with most liner locks. Pic shows clip pressing on lock bar.

Deal breaker for me for EDC. This'll just live in my bug out bag or glovebox now.

IMG_2879.jpg
 
Look at some of the new kershaw's, they have a chromium/validum steel that is great...
 
John-that's funny. Don't you have a bottle opener?

PM me your address and I'll send you one of the free ones I picked at the Sierra Nevada Brewery (Nice quality for free)
 
LOL Cruiser I live in city of said brewery and have so many openers its not even funny, they give them away at any event. (It wouldn't surprise me if they handed them out at PTA meetings :beer:)
 
Who uses a bottle opener?? Been using the back of a folding pocket knife for years...
 
RAYJON said:
Who uses a bottle opener?? Been using the back of a folding pocket knife for years...
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Chicago uses his chew can. I use my house key. If you want a beer inside you, you will find a way.:cool:
 
@Cruiserdrew, While I appreciate the thought, and love getting free stuff, I think I'm ok. The 80 and the 40 have plenty of onboard OEM openers, I was just on the opposite side of the campground with a gimpy foot.

To get back on track (crappy survival knives) does anybody remember this??? The spikes unscrew. I can't remember why.

buckmaster184c.jpg
 
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