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I've got a killer deal on a DLT Tuff and wanting to see who would rate this as an emergency (shtf) style knife. Yes a fixed blade is always a standard in these type of situations but if you had one folder to fill this role would you choose the Tuff in Cruwear? I'm open to all opinions. Let me know. I've always heard this knife was one Tuff mother.

No.....For SHTF...fixed blade is your friend.

If you're going to use a folder in that role, I think the Tuff is a great choice.

If I HAVE to pick a folder?

Military, full stop.

It's stainless, long enough blade for protecting yourself if you have too, good shape and grind for all manner of utility, sturdy build quality.

Failing that..... you know the Police SS is a sturdy gal, never failed me yet!

I think that for the weight and heft (and price!) of the Tuff, you're much better off served with a fixed blade knife in survival situations...

Lessee… for SHTF, the Millie, a box of Moras, HK P30, and an M1A with a backpack full of loaded mags…

I'd want a knife good for cutting if it's to be my only knife.

Ha. I do believe for the $$$ I can get a fixed that will endure anything and not have a pivot point at all.

I think the Tuff is the ultimate hard work folder.

But it wouldnt be my shtf folder. That would probably be a pac salt or something.

Even with the DLC coated blade? I'm wondering also about the blade length.

Considering the S rarely if ever actually HTF I’d say yeah, sure. I’d be more than happy to have a Tuff in that type of situation, if it had to be a folder. It’s a very comfortable knife, and seems “tuff enuf”.

It’s a TiCN coating, not DLC, btw.

Shtf, ill take a triad lock like the ad-10

The reality of SHTF isn't going to be stabbing zombie skulls and breaching doors with a pocket knife, at the worst it'll be skinning a neighborhood dog because you're starving to death. Just having a knife at all puts you a step ahead of most people in society, just carry what you like.

No.

For me an emergency folder just has to be serrated, or, if the "emergency situation" will last for a very long time: combo edge.

(Good) SE works better than PE in most cutting tasks anyway, and in brutal "rip sruff apart" tasks even more so.
Plus it will stay sharp a lot longer and still work as a separator even when dull (where PE would be useless already).

Only con: SE will be harder to sharpen with make shift devices, that's why I'd take comboedge if I had to use one knife over month and not having a proper sharpener at hand.

All in all: Endura SE or comboedge in sabre grind would be my choice. Long edge (important for "do it all"), really strong blade and tip, strong, linered handle, safest most universal lock.

2020 should have taught a lot of people a little about what we may have to deal with in these situations, and the "shelter at home" apocalypse is probably the most likely scenario for most of us. Running out of provisions is the real threat, and then potentially people trying to rob you of what you have. In this scenario, I'll be able to sharpen anything since all my sharpening tools are right there with me. For scenarios where you think you'll have to be uprooted from your home, think about adding a diamond or CBN Sharpmaker rod to your BOB. They're small and light enough that there's no excuse not to have one with you. Otherwise Vivi has shown us that even serrations can be sharpened with a piece of sandpaper folded over a sharp edge like a table or even a car window.


The unfortunate truth about some of these apocalypse oriented folders is that they also kinda suck as general cutting tools. If this is really a subject people are concerned about, I would look into whatever knife people gravitate towards for bushcraft, because if you can live off the land in the wilderness with a camp knife, that's the knife you want to have ready for this situation, and I'm sorry to say a Tuff is very far from that type of knife for me. I guess there are worse options, it is a beefy folder at least but I would want something that just cuts better, something that's rust proof and ultra low maintenance because I won't have time for that, and something that's easy enough to sharpen regardless of what tools I have to do so with. Also always remember, two is one one is none.

If I could only take one knife in an emergency and it had to be a folder then it would be my 52100 Military hands down. It's large enough and versatile enough for a variety of cutting tasks and I could find a way to sharpen it without taking along a whole bag of sharpening equipment.

I concur with getting a better slicer. Better to have two tools that you don’t have to fight with rather than one tool that requires more attention and force.

SC_PATRIOT wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 29, 2021 6:41 pm

I've got a killer deal on a DLT Tuff and wanting to see who would rate this as an emergency (shtf) style knife. Yes a fixed blade is always a standard in these type of situations but if you had one folder to fill this role would you choose the Tuff in Cruwear? I'm open to all opinions. Let me know. I've always heard this knife was one Tuff mother.

Lol, are you the one who got it for 220 on Facebook?

If I'm honest, I would choose a CS folder if I needed to fill this need with a folder and not a fixed blade. Certainly not a $300+ folder unless it was the only thing available.

JRinFL wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:47 am

If I'm honest, I would choose a CS folder if I needed to fill this need with a folder and not a fixed blade. Certainly not a $300+ folder unless it was the only thing available.

i typed a post earlier this morning saying the same thing, but deleted it. in my mind, cold steel makes knives for this scenario and spyderco makes knives for edc. of course, your edc should survive getting you out of a tough situation, but if you want a beater that will last you longer than you have to care about it, you want a triad lock and a substantial blade.

if i'm thinking about urban survival, i'm going to grab my voyager tanto xl. i'm sure i could hack and pry my way through a city with that thing.

for wilderness survival, i'm guessing the rajah 2 that's out for delivery right now will be my choice going forward.

for an edc that can do both, the 4max scout can probably handle anything and everything i throw at it.

paired with any of these knives above, i will have a pacific salt se in my waistband as well. gotta have a serrated salt knife in the mix.

if i'm choosing a spyderco folder for a do it all knife, i'm probably going to pick a manix 2 or a caribbean (or both). those two knives are going to be able to handle getting me out of just about any scenario you can expect a pocket knife to get you out of. they're great designs and punch above their well weight and are very capable.