Many if not most of those who assemble, deploy, or market survival equipment agree that a survival knife may well be the single most important non-food item you include in a well-arrayed survival kit. The right survival knife means making or getting almost anything you might require living outdoors. Survival experts say it is one of the fifteen most important items you need in any basic survival kit.
Two things to avoid when picking your survival knife are the oversized knives and the double-edge blades. The former are hard to control and almost too bulky to carry safely, while the latter have weaker tips and can break readily enough while offering a second edge that may cause you an injury. The best survival knife is nondescript and easy to control and carry.
For maximum control the best blade length is between four and six inches and the best thickness is anywhere between 5/32 and 8/32, according to several equipment and survival guide resources. A thinner blade increases flexibility too greatly, and a thicker blade may mean the job at hand is harder for you in the field.
For durability, the single-piece-metal with slabs attached for a comfortable handle-known as tang construction-probably remains the best-regarded construction. Narrow tang involves shrinking the blade material size as it meets the handle construction; full tang involves the blade merging into the handle at full size.
As for the cutting edge, survival knives normally come in smooth or serrated edges, but the drawbacks to the latter include difficult re-sharpening in the field and greater inefficiency when carving or chopping wood or cutting away debris and obstacles. The smooth blade may not be quite as efficient as a serrated edge for getting through some materials but it still does the job swiftly enough. In addition, you can sharpen it on just about any stone or concrete piece you find should you lose your sharpening stone.
In searching for outdoor or survival knives that tend to get the best ratings among analysts and customers alike, the best recommended include just about any knife made by Fallkniven, Becker, and SOG. However, SouthwestGuideBooks.com makes a strong recommendation for the survival knife used by the Air Force. Despite its comparative heaviness, this knife got the site’s applause for its polymer handle, cordura sheath with a very secure snap, and a sheath pocket for a small sharpening stone, and back-of-blade saw teeth, not to mention its affordability, with some knives selling as low as $35. The site also recommended the Swedish-made Frosts 760-MG, or Military Survival Knife, weighing four ounces between knife and sheath with a four and a quarter-inch blade length and easy to pack and use.
Price should not be an overwhelming factor, however, because the better the knife, the better and longer the service you get from it-including lifesaving service: your own.
