Survival Knives | How to Choose the Best Knife for Survival

A good, reliable knife can save your life in a survival situation. Some would say that the best knife in the world is the one you have with you when you need one – which is true. But you have to make sure that the knife you got with you when you are in a pinch is really the best and wont fail at the critical moment.

There are features that make some survival knives better than others. You have consider these features when choosing your knives.

Folding Knives vs. Fixed Knives

There are generally two kinds of knives to choose from: fixed-blade knives and folding knives.

Folding Knives

Folding blade knives are not as strong as fixed blade knives. However, folding knives are convenient and safe to carry because of their size. The length of these knives is cut in half when you close or fold them, making them smaller and easier to transport. Folding knives are great for camping use, and you don’t have to put them in a large sheath because you can carry them in your pocket.

3 types of folding knives

• Liner Lock

This knife can be opened and closed with one hand. Liner lock is great to use when you are doing something and you only have one hand free. Some knives are designed so that you can use them with your right or left hand.

• Lockback

There are lockbacks that can be opened using both hands and there are also some that can be opened with one hand. This knife has a lock-open safety and is convenient to carry.

• Pocket Knife

Pocket knives are considered old fashioned knives, but a lot of people still prefer them. Some pocket knives have a lot of blades which are helpful for different uses.

Fixed Knives

A fixed knife is made up of a solid piece of steel that is attached to the handle. This knife is very useful for tough jobs like hunting, field dressing, for cutting, and tough camping tasks. One of the best features of fixed knives is they are durable, because they are made up of just one piece of metal.

Fixed knives are great to use for tough tasks but it is obviously not convenient to carry for quick use.

Things to consider when choosing your survival knife

Blade:

• Design

There are some debates going on about which is better: straight blade or serrated blade. Straight blade knives are great chopping wood and they are also easy to sharpen. You can even use a smooth stone to sharpen it if you don’t have a whetstone, while serrated edge needs a special sharpener.

• Length

Another thing to consider when choosing a survival knife is the length of its blade. The best length of blade for a survival knife is 6 to 8 inches. Any knife with smaller sized blade will be difficult to use when chopping wood, cutting sap, making tools, etc. Knives that are bigger than 9 to 10 inches can be an effective tool and can even be used as a weapon but they are hard to carry and they can become a hindrance.

• Metal

There are two types of metal that are used in knives: stainless and carbon.

1.Stainless - Stainless steel is said to be indestructible, can last for a long period of time without rusting, and they can really take a beating. But, stainless blades can lose their sharpness faster than carbon blades.

2. Carbon - Carbon blades can retain their sharpness longer than stainless blades. However, they rust faster than stainless.

Thickness

The most recommended thickness of blade for survival knives is 3/16 to 4/16 of an inch. Knives that have blades like these are extremely solid and can be used for chopping woods and prying.

Avoid knives that have a lot of flex in their blades.

Handle

There are different knife handles, some are hard rubber and some are polymer. When choosing a survival knife you should look at the handle.

Hollow handles should be avoided – a knife that has a hollow handle doesn’t have a full tang.

If the handle has a compass, avoid it also. The knife may have a cool feature, but you could have difficulties holding the knife.

Always opt for grip comfort. Make sure you choose a knife you can wield securely and use even when your hand is sweaty or bloody. It should have a handguard that prevents your hand from slipping on to the blade.

Sheath

The sheath can affect how you carry and draw your knife so you should also consider them carefully. Here are the 3 things you should consider in choosing a sheath:

1. Belt and Lanyard attachment. The sheath should come with a belt loop. The knife should also have a hole for a lanyard.
2. Lower attachment. There should be holes or attachment piece at the tip end so that you can strap your knife around your legs.
3. Strap. The sheath should have a crossover strap right where the handle of the knife meets the sheath.

Some of the best knives out there unfortunately don’t come with well designed sheath. So it is a good thing that you can custom-make your knife’s sheath to your liking.

Tang

The tang is a portion of the blade that extends down into the handle of the knife. For a reliable survival knife (one that doesn’t break when you don’t need it to), opt for a full tang. The tang should go all the way to the base of the handle.

Full-length tang helps give strength to the entire knife. Cheaper knives have blades that are only connected to the top of the handle and they can break off.

When choosing a survival knife, always look for quality not the price. Because you will definitely get what you pay for. Your life is not cheap, so if you are going to spend money on something that your life might rely on one day, get the best you can buy.

And remember, have a backup. You may have the best knife on you but anything can happen in the wild or during a disaster. Always have a second knife in case you lose your main one.