Survival Knives Discussion with Recommendations

Dear Shadow Tribe,

Here is my personal definition of a survival knife.

Survival Knife: a good-quality, rugged, full-tang, fixed-blade knife that can be used for multiple purposes, including self-defense.

Good-quality means a well-made knife with a sharp, easy-to-maintain blade. This excludes the super-cheap $10 "survival" knives you sometimes find at places like Walmart. It also doesn't mean you need to spend hundreds of dollars.

Rugged means a knife that is tough and sturdy, and will hold up to heavy use. For the purposes of a survival knife, this means full-tang and a thick blade. It also means a sharp, but not razor sharp, edge. Razor sharp edges are hard to maintain, and nick and fold too easily under heavy use (razor sharp edges are best for detailed work, such as leather work).

Full-tang means the blade and handle are one piece, not separate pieces joined together in some way (welding, screws, rivets, etc.). Separate pieces joined together creates weak points in the knife, which is okay for some uses, but not the heavy use of a survival knife. 

Fixed blade means the knife does not fold-up like a pocket knife, but rather is permanently rigid. Typically, a fixed blade is carried in a sheath. 

Multiple purposes means that the knife's design allows for many different uses. All knives are meant for cutting, but there are many different ways knives can be used — cutting plants, cutting flesh (skinning), cutting other materials, chopping, making finely detailed cuts, fighting, throwing, and so forth. A good survival knife won't do everything perfectly (no knife will), but it will do many things well-enough. 

Self-defense is an important function of a survival knife. Hopefully, you will never need to defend yourself with a knife, but if you do, you are going to need a a few things from the knife. Size matters. Toughness of the blade matters. And it needs to have some good finger guards. Why? In a knife fight, you are likely to hit something hard (armor, bone, a buckle, whatever). The knife will come to a jarring halt. You want the knife's finger guards to prevent your fingers and hand from slipping forward causing you to slice open your own hand. If you do that, you will likely lose the fight. Which probably means you die. So, a good grip and finger guards are a necessity in a survival knife.  

What about straight-edge versus serrations? Many survival knifes come in two variations, straight-edge and serrated-edge (like is found on many steak knives). This is a matter of personal preference. 

My Recommendations:

1) GERBER Prodigy Survival Knife - This is my main survival knife (I have the partially serrated edge version). I've used it for over 10 years. Very good quality, rugged and tough. It has a rubberized no-slip grip with finger guards. Tip of the handle is formed into a glass-breaker, which is a nice addition (wear gloves or wrap your hand and wrist in a shirt or jacket before using the glass breaker). On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OOwCLS

2) KA-BAR US Marine Corps Fighting Knife - The classic warrior's knife, and possibly the most famous fixed-blade knife in the world. Bigger than the GERBER Prodigy, this knife has a leather-wrapped handle with metal finger guards. Technically it is a rat-tail tang (meaning full length but not full width) rather than a true full-tang, but this is a technicality in my opinion. On Amazon: https://amzn.to/4g5eqKa

3) Ontario Knife Company Air Force Survival Knife - I've had this one for a few years, and it quickly became one of my favorites. This is the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army issued survival knife. Leather wrapped handle with blood grooves and metal finger guards. Like the KA-BAR, it is technically a rat-tail tang. The leather sheath comes with a pouch and sharpening stone. On Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0caktXjR

Past Recommendations From My Readers:

4) Gerber Strongarm Knife (Amazon link)

5) Condor Bushlore Knife (Amazon link)

6) Morakniv Garberg Survival Knife (Amazon link) 

7) Glock Field Knife (Amazon link)

   

Between Shadows and Light, 

   Cade Shadowlight ☠