Survival Spyders

[CWO]

Also I would be interested to know if any of you all are anticipating using the upcoming Hossum models? I am personally looking forward to them. I think their chopping ability and their abilty to take hard punishment would bode well for a survival situation.

If anyone has steel, blade thickness, length and weight specs on these - I'd be interested in seeing it. A search did not turn up this info.

Thanks!

CWO

[denn]

If anyone has steel, blade thickness, length and weight specs on these - I'd be interested in seeing it. A search did not turn up this info.

Thanks!

CWO

from the catalog:

FB16 Forester
FB17 Forager
FB18 Woodlander
FB19 Dayhiker

*N690Co steel
*9", 7.5", 6", 5" blade-lengths, PE, flatground, full tang
*16", 14", 13", 10" overall lengths
*456, 417, 380, 215 grams weight
*Micarta handles
*Kydex-sheaths w/TekLok's
*blade thickness: no idea. guessing 5mm at base, tapering to 2mm at tip

the Forager is on my wishlist. and should i ever be able to afford it, that'd be my first Spyderco fixed blade.....

denn

[gk911]

First and foremost, in any situation is to have a knife with you that you are confident in and proficient with, and sharp of course. Which knife is really secondary.

What is your EDC? Why did you choose it? Mine is a gen3 Endura PS, although there are many other fine choices. Utility rules!

Have you ever taken a knife or survival course? How about a first aid couse for when your buddy gets carless?

Do you carry a back up? A primary knife for SD / utillity, one for finer tasks and / or eating might be a good idea. Saitation can be problematic in widespread disasters. Not good to be doing spinter surgery with pathogens all over.

How do you keep it sharp? Sending it back to Colorado might not be an option.

Need to cut wood? My first choice is Stihl. Then a hand saw or an axe. Maybe a large fixed blade, but this is more general purpose / all in one tool. Not really designed to cut firewood.

I think most of us would more likely need a knife to strip some wires to hook up the generator to the furnace.

Do you have a SHTF bag or bug out bag? Good place for the bigger steel. How many? At work, home, vehicle?

Well, I hope my ramblings have started you thinking, after all, that mellon is your most important survival tool. Keep it sharp too!

[Stevie Ray]

Bug out knives (and stuff) from Spyderco ...

A Military (S30V)
Sharpening stones
A pry bar of some sort
A FB Temperance (black blade)
Yeah .. one Endura too .. :D

If you haven't handled a Military ... you need to.... :spyder:

[Plowboy]

gk911,

You make a good point about using the most efficient tools possible. Hopefully, you will have your stihl if you need to cut wood. In many hard situations you will have modern tools. When I hike I don't make a pratice of carrying my chainsaw....but I do carry a folding saw. It is silly, imho, to attempt to use primitive methods and tools in a survival situation if you have better tools available. Now, I don't have anything against using primitive methods when your life doesn't depend on it and it is good to know these methods in case you do need them in a true survival situation and don't have access to modern tools. In fact, primitive can be fun.

As to the Hossom FBs, I think they are great looking knives. In fact the smallest one of the bunch is very attractive to me. Maybe it's in my future.

As The Deacon pointed out, you need to consider what type of situation(s) you are most likely to face and then prepare with that in mind. I'm sure that most of you are aware of the "laws of three." These must be remembered when putting together your kit.

This thread should remind us that we all may face survival situations these days.

Maybe another thread in "Off Topic" would allow us to discuss the topic more fully.

I'm still depending on the mini-manix and para as my serious knives.
:)

[clovisc]

yea... a saw is useful. and the spydersaw is amazing. i keep one in my manpurse at all times. out in the bush, or around the house/farm, it sure has been is useful!

gk911 does have a lot of good points. in africa i usually had a food-only knife i knew was clean, and used for eating. and even now in america, i usually carry a laser-sharp knife i only use for the most delicate and/or critical cuts.

[denn]

remember though that sawing wood is exhausting in a survival situation, especially when using a folding-saw on a 1' thick log.

chopping with an axe or blade-heavy fixed would be the better choice


denn

[jaislandboy]

...
Only "terrorist threat" worth even considering is an attack on the building where I work by radical "right to lifers", since there is a Planned Parenthood office on one of the lower floors. My way of dealing with that is to carry a 12" Stanley WonderBar in my shoulder bag when going to work, along with my lunch, my checkbook, and some stationery supplies....

Hehehe Paul! sounds like u've got the situation covered!... :p :D

[clovisc]

remember though that sawing wood is exhausting in a survival situation, especially when using a folding-saw on a 1' thick log.

chopping with an axe or blade-heavy fixed would be the better choice


denn

but good luck fitting the axe into your bug-out bag... :D

spydersaw is the best compromise i can find...

[JD Spydo]

Well Stevie Ray I guess you listed something that I was hopeful that someone would have already listed. The sharpening stones and other sharpening tools I feel are as essential for survival as the knives and edged tools themselves. Just like my signature proclaims>> a dull knife is next to useless.

Clovisc I had never even thought of the Spydersaw. But the more I think about it I am about to put one on my list of new stuff to get for my survival kit. That Spydersaw could have many uses the more I think about it. The only thing that turned me off about the Spydersaw when I owned one was that I couldn't figure out a way to sharpen it :confused: But I guess a guy would probably use it a lot before it would even need sharpening.

And GK911 you really hit the nail on the head about your brain being the utmost important survival tool. Only a cool, confident head is going to endure a trying situation for sure.

But I am very pleased with what I'm reading from you guys. I wanted to do a thread where a lot of us could benefit. Some great tips and great strategies for sure

[jaislandboy]

Good topic JD...I meant to throw in...My preference for survival would be a Fixed blade along the lines of the Temperance but something larger with chopping ability like one of the new Hossum fixed offerings...
I have a Fallkniven S1 which is also a little puny for chopping....but I think my Scrapyard Knife Co's Scrapper6 will fill the bill...
The folders I'd want would be somethin' Beefy/ rugged like the Manix, MiniManix, Lil' Temp, Military/PM should suffice....heck even my Assist2 seems built to take punishment.....I wish for an H1 Assist, SE down the road.... :rolleyes:
H1 as offered in the Salt Series are excellent worry free tools, but being that this is Survival....maybe I'll wait on the H-1 Fixed blade coming soon.... :rolleyes:
I've got no Axes or Hatchets...but I can appreciate its utility in a Survival situation...
Oh yeah, my spydersaw takes back seat to my Serrated Temperance.... :)

[denn]

here's a test for the saw-men :)

try this multitest line-up:

- a sharp 10" long hatchet (a proper felling axe, not a splitting axe)
- a sharp 7" blade-heavy fixed blade
- a multi with a saw
- a sak with a saw
- a spydersaw

try them out on some various pieces of wood, and you'll never pack a saw again.......trust me

if you must carry a saw for some reason, just pack a multi or sak that has one implemented already (LM an V'Nox have great saws). at least one multi or sak is a must-have carry anyway

denn

[eastr]

going to do some test with my manix and temprance tommarow ill make a post with pics to show why i think they would be a go pair or one or the other . and on denn's point i would recomend the vic sak muti tool it has large blades one se and one pe the tool is a lock back as well .the blades on the multi tool are longer than standered sak and the saw is larger as well i have one and use it all the time it is a great option to the spyder saw.

[jaislandboy]

Sounds good Eastr....
Now don't anyone get me wrong coz I like my Spydersaw too....
I just prefer fixed stuff for heavy sawing.... :)

[CWO]

Once of the challenges of trying to define the qualities of a "survival knife" is to define what we mean by "survival" - across the definition of people that live in a range of places with differing needs and anticipated uses. One person's definition may be a SAK with 12 implements while anothers may be towards the Rambo 10" blade with fishhooks and piano wire in the handle. Some of us are city folks and others more rural... with others getting out in the wilds on occasion.

Defining the difference between an EDC that can be pressed into action and a "survival knife" may be tough too.

For me its something that I can take with me when I know that I'm outside of a support system - I can't call 911 or pizza delivery and have to make do with what I have. My definition of a survival knife is the one (or one of two) knives that I want to have with me if I'm going to spend a few planned (or unplanned!) days camping. For others the definition will be different.

I'll continue to read with interest your descriptions of what a survival knife means in your life.

[clovisc]

JD Spydo, i tell you what... i put my spydersaw to HARD use, and let a lot of people in my village borrow it for use in constructing houses. (they called it "that certain knife.") even with me and a bunch of zambian bushmen abusing the spydersaw, it kept cutting and cutting and cutting! my father has one, also, which he uses pretty often and has failed to wear out. don't think you'd have to worry so much about sharpening it... :D

[Puyallupknifegu]

What about a Cold Steel Bushman for a fixed blade? It seems pretty small and very versatile. :) Plus you could get a Cold Steel Machete/Kuhkri....and pair w/Spydersaw and a Manix/Salt?


What should someone have in a "bug-out bag"?



Thanks!

Tim

[i.v]

You can never have the best gear for any type of situations and always have to compromise if you're after a "general survival kit".
My experience has taught me that above all, you need to be light weight and comfortable and therefore, as much as I appreciate fixed blades on all their qualities I wouldn't take one unless I'm going some place I know I specifically need it.
For me a good set to keep around is a Salt series knife, a swisstool (would have prefered a spydertool but it doesn't exist yet :D ), and a Spydersaw (which I think I'll get soon).
This combination is lightweight and easy to carry, low maitenance and has most of the tools you'll need IMO.

[carrot]

In my worst-case scenario I'd have only the Caly3, which I know I can rely on for small, precise and delicate tasks (field surgery, anyone?). In my best-case, I'd have the Endura 4 and a small but tough fixed blade...

Speaking of survival, I think it'd be great if Spyderco made a knife similar in style to the Caly3 or Paramilitary but a little thicker and stronger (not as "overbuilt" as the Manix or Mini-Manix, though) and using some kind of DLC coated tool steel, like A2 or D2.

[Jordan]

I keep a pack ready for emergencies in my closet... never heard the phrase bug out bag, but thats sure what I'm gonna be calling it from here on out... contains as follows.

1.) Ka-Bar, retired from normal camping use but given far more vaunted status as the knife I'm betting my life on when SHTF. Also, 1 whet stone.

2.) Army pup tent, 5 dollars at an army surplus store in El Paso, best tent I've ever owned. Retired from my backpacking kit due to the purchase of a much fancier and slightly lighter Coleman... but a trusted friend for a long time.

3.) 4 Pair woolen socks

4.) Bandages, antibiotics, tourniquets, camp soap

5.) Clothing (1 set of long johns, 1 pair blue jeans, 1 sweatshirt, 1 parka, and one Indian blanket)

6.) $100

7.) 1 spool fishing line, 1 small box containing several sizes of fishhooks and sewing needles.

8.) SAK

9.) Large box of strike anywhere matches wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap to protect against moisture.

10.) Mag light and one extra set of batteries.

11.) Small set of binoculars

12.) Iodine tablets

13.) Solar blanket

14.) Small pad of paper and a pencil

15.) 1 MRE (quite old now... I imagine that will have done little to improve the taste)

16.) Quite a bit of para cord wrapped around a sling shot, the cord secures a zip lock bag full of ball bearings to the sling shot... and that stuff is just too freaking useful.

All stuffed into a bulging leather back pack. The above is everything I could think of that I might need to keep me going for a few days, at least, in the greenbelts throughout my town. It I were lucky, I'd also be able to grab my khukri from my car and fill my canteen with clean water (the iodine tablets will kill the bugs that'll kill you... but the taste leaves something to be desired), and I would no doubt have my Spyderco police in my pocket should any hasty escape be necessary.

You know the odd thing, I've never been able to quite figure out why I keep such a pack... the odds of its use are slim to none... but I feel mildly uncomfortable whenever I even remove something from it, much less disassemble it. Hopefully I'm being more paranoid than prescient. :p

PS. This is fun... I'm curious to see what I'm missing.