What knives for a survival situation?

[TK]

Hello,

I wanted to know what knives you would take in a survival situation. I would take a Glock Military Field Knife Model 81 (w/ saw) for the rough tasks like digging, chopping, building a shelter and so on. Then a Opinel with carbon blade (No 9,10 or 12) for fine cutting tasks like food preparation, carving,... . I think I also take a Spyderco Military, razor sharp, maybe SE for other tasks, when I need a stronger knife than the Opinel (the Glock may be too clumsy for that), that holds an edge forever. And last but not least a SAK, maybe a Victorinox SwissChamp, as a first aid knife. The magnifying glass can be used to start a fire and it's helpful for fishing.

These four knives weigh less than 600g, so heavy gear is no issue.

Why the Glock and the Opinel? I don't want to take my sharpening equipment with me. The Glock and the Opinel both have soft but tough steels, so I can sharpen them easily in the field on a stone or a pebble found near a river.

Now it's your turn.

Thomas

[The Deacon]

I'd cheat a bit, :D

- Gränsfors Bruks Mini Belt Hatchet for the chopping 350 grams

- Spyderco Temperance FB for general camp duties 160 grams

- Stag Kiwi for the fine detail work, first aid, and to
remind me that I'm still a civilized person 50 grams

Total weight under 600 grams, possibly a bit over with a leather sheath for the Temperance.

[cheez]

no folders. they attract dirt.

A small fixed that cuts. Spyderco Temperance or Perrin come to my mind. I'd take my custom Perrin, carbon steel, easy to sharpen.

A khukuri, likely a 18" sirupate. Will take down trees, and people. Light and quick.

[yablanowitz]

Whatever I have in my pockets at the time. If I know it is coming, it is an outing, not a survival situation :D

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: "what are you doing today, honey?"
"today I'm getting into a 'survival situation'! "

Only spec-ops troops have this fore-knowledge. the rest of us will have what we have in the "pocket dump" EDC thread. guess that means I'll have 3 knives, a sure-fire e2d and a bic lighter. Could be worse for me. :cool: On a related note I became committed to always having a knife and lighter on my person after seeing the movie "cast away". :o :spyder:

[TK]

Maybe I chose the wrong name. Which knives would you take to the wilderness :D

[rickh]

:spyder: "what are you doing today, honey?"
"today I'm getting into a 'survival situation'! "

Only spec-ops troops have this fore-knowledge. the rest of us will have what we have in the "pocket dump" EDC thread. guess that means I'll have 3 knives, a sure-fire e2d and a bic lighter. Could be worse for me. :cool: On a related note I became committed to always having a knife and lighter on my person after seeing the movie "cast away". :o :spyder:

I agree. Its going to be what ever you have with you at the time. Myself, I always have one or two Spydercos, a lighter and a small mini maglite on my keychain. If I was heading out into the wilderness, and weight was an issue, I would want a small hatchet, a 4-5 inch fixed blade and a small folder, pretty much what Deacon chose.

[Jimmy_Dean]

I'd say Vic Camper, Endura and a Puukko.
As much as I love Opinel knives, a good puukko also uses soft but good carbon steel that's easy to sharpen, with a perfect grind for food prep and carving. Also stronger and easier to clean than an opinel. The Sak is for finer cutting and for the saw and the Endura "just cuz". Just like the Deacon, I'd probably add a GB hatchet and I'd be good to go for a little while.

[Chucula]

I would take a bk7 and assuming there is running water nearby (to clean tools), i would take manix, kiwi, and ladybug. If it was more of a pocket dump, most likely all id have is the ladybug and some other little tools. better than nothing :cool:

EDIT a victorinox swisstool might be useful too

[Mr Blonde]

I'm not an experienced woodsman, but for cutlery I'd probably try out my Temperance, Spydersaw and Manix.

Wouter

[JD Spydo]

no folders. they attract dirt.

A small fixed that cuts. Spyderco Temperance or Perrin come to my mind. I'd take my custom Perrin, carbon steel, easy to sharpen.

A khukuri, likely a 18" sirupate. Will take down trees, and people. Light and quick.

I REST MY CASE>> another great blade user who has discovered the fabulous ergos and masterful cutting ability of the FB Temperance. But in this situation I will add that you need a set of them>> on plain edged, one serrated.

I do have a carbon steel tool to add to this recipe. A Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri HTC Carbon V with a 15 inch blade. And I do like the Deacon's suggestion of the Grandfors Bruks hatchet. They make about the best axes and hatchets available.

Now I do respectfully disagree on the folder issue because if you keep them in a good sheath you can get around the lint and dust problem I've discovered. Don't forget a good firestarting device. My good friend David Lowry started a thread on that and then he dropped the ball :D Get it goinng again David :rolleyes:

[catamount]

You didn't say how many we were allowed :D

FB:
Busse **** Razor
Temperance PE

Folders:
Grey FRN Wayne Goddard CE
Orange 79 mm Rescue
ZDP Caly Jr.
ZDP Jess Horn

Like Deacon, I'd also cheat with the following:

Spydersaw
Bark River Mini Axe
Gerber Legend Multitool

All of the above are items I have, except for the Busse.

[Pete1977]

I'd have a PE atlantic salt, and a PE s30v native. sometimes I have a recruit or tinker. occasionally a SE endura is in there. The atlantic salt would be the most used, because if I were in a survival situation, I'd be in a ten foot rubber life raft with a tent on top, and I'd hate to punch a hole in the only thing keeping me dry :)

all kidding aside. every day can turn into a survival situation. One of the worst feelings is to watch a boat burning 12 miles away, and knowing that even if you started to get to them, by the time you did an hour will have passed, and the other crew would be rescued or dead by then.

if you get a chance, a great book to read about a survivor is "Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea" by Steven Callahan. another is "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" by Nathaniel Philbrick. they eventually drew lots and sacrificed members of the crew to feed the rest.

A knife or hatchet was a must for the mariner cast away on a deserted island, whether from shipwreck or put ashore for some crime committed aboard ship. woodcuts of Alexander Selkirk, the sailor on whom Robinson Crusoe was based, show him on an improvised raft with several edged tools.

Pete

[zenheretic]

Maybe I chose the wrong name. Which knives would you take to the wilderness :D

Ok, under these conditions (which tell me I'm going backpacking) I would take two bladed items only. One SAK (camper model seems appropriate) with lanyard affixed to belt. One Endura or Pacific Salt. Any Clipit would work very well in the wilderness, but I want something light weight and strong. FRN it is then. Less weight for gear means more weight available for food. I like food. :D

This is a similar to the gear I took on a back packing trip into the wilderness when I was 14. 80 mile journey, just 3x17 year olds, one blue healer mutt, and me. You don't need all that other crap. If you were really worried about needing something bigger, I'd go with a hatchet.

[Joe Talmadge]

Minimum would be a small fixed blade capable of batoning for basic shelter, fire, and food prep needs. If I get to supplement that, I'd pick a big fixed blade like a machete, golok, or hatchet, the choice of which depending on the terrain.

[spydermdz]

chinook or manix...

[Dr. Snubnose]

Glock Military Field Knife Model 81 (great knife for the wilderness...so that is going with me) after that would probably be the Smatchet by Boker and a Simple Endura SE FRN, and a Columbia River Bear Claw ( and I'd probably have like a few others in pants pockets etc. with the spyder logo)....Doc :D
BTW: I try to stay out of the wilderness as all the animals have knives and scare me :eek:

[Spydieopath]

Maybe I chose the wrong name. Which knives would you take to the wilderness :D

What do you want to do in the wilderness? Hunt, fish, hike, camp, backpack, climb, cut timber, pan for gold, hunt mushrooms, pretend you are a comando?

[TK]

What do you want to do in the wilderness? Hunt, fish, hike, camp, backpack, climb, cut timber, pan for gold, hunt mushrooms, pretend you are a comando?

I never was in the wilderness yet and it seems that I won't have the chance to see the untouched nature soon by myself, 'cause there simply is no wilderness where I live . I've only seen it in TV shows and movies like Lost, Rambo, Cliffhanger and a few more and I must admit that I like it. I just wanted to know what the appropiate knife equipment would be, and what other knife knuts would take for such a situation, so I started this thread :rolleyes: .

[dete]

I guess folders are best for modern-urban use :D