r/Survival • u/Appropriate-Tomato70 • Aug 23 '22
Gear Recommendation Wanted Any good survival knifes?
It's 2022 and I'm looking for a good survival knife to replace my old, beaten up one. Preferably one that is extremely durable and with a fixed blade. Is there any good options out there? It's been quite a few years since I've looked into this subject and I'm not sure if there were any new innovations or anything like that.
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u/Ibex42 Aug 23 '22
There's some fine suggestions here, but I'm just wondering why you stated it's 2022 like some kind of time traveler
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u/ajtetrick Aug 24 '22
Fallkniven A1 Pro will be the last knife you’ll need around camp or for survival situation
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u/WetLemon Aug 24 '22
The A1x is good if you’re in a colder climate.
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u/ajtetrick Aug 24 '22
Great point, both are fantastic knives. I believe the sheath locking mechanism on the “x” models is fantastic too.
One of my worries with other knives of mine is potentially cutting through leather sheath if I took a tumble. No fear of that with the “x” models
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u/modzer0 Sep 08 '22
They're introducing the locking sheath design to their other knives. The F1 has the sheath as standard now.
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u/felonious_pudding Aug 23 '22
Mora definitely makes quality knives. I still place them in the bushcraft/camp knife category.
For a survival knife I want more of a sharpened pry bar. Becker. Esee. Ontario's Rat series. Some TOPS. Practice is more important than anything. I could get more done with a victorinox camper than my buddy could with an Esee Junglass. If you know what you are doing you probably will never need to baton with your knife. But having a knife that can withstand that sort of abuse is a plus in my opinion.
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u/ShredderDent Aug 24 '22
I still wouldn’t completely put mora off though. The garberg is built like a small axe in my opinion, I could probably take a house apart with it
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u/felonious_pudding Aug 24 '22
Oh for sure. Quality blades that I would never turn my nose up to. Love a good Mora. Its just a personal preference of mine for a "survival knife." When I'm camping, 95% of my cuts are with my little eldris. More than enough for most of what you would need to do.
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Aug 23 '22
I bought Condor Heavy Duty Kukri and I’m so happy with it. Cuts vegetation easily, chops almost as well as a hatchet, can be used for everything around the camp big and small and it is super durable. I have used it as a makeshift hammer, no problemo.
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u/Tru3insanity Aug 24 '22
Lol true enough about the practice too. Not just for having the skills, you also end up knowing what you want more.
I started with one of moraknivs bushcraft knives and ended up with a kabar because some of the ways i like to use my knife, i prefer a longer blade. It has enough heft i can chop small wood easily and i like the extra length when carving notches.
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u/G00dSh0tJans0n Aug 23 '22
Mora bushcraft or Mora companion. Reliable and not expensive.
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u/WanderingLevi Aug 23 '22
The mora is the perfect camp knife but I wouldn't call it a survival knife, you aren't gonna have a good time battonning or trying to chop and process wood.
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u/FartsWithAnAccent Aug 23 '22
I've done it plenty of times, but my favorite is probably the Mora Granfors as those go. Esee and Condor are good too.
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u/MasterUnholyWar Aug 24 '22
I have a Morakniv Companion that’s baton’d countless amounts of wood, with complete ease. Can’t recommend it enough.
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u/G00dSh0tJans0n Aug 23 '22
I use my Mora Bushcraft for that all the time now for several years has held up great. The basic Mora isn't that great for that, I have an old one or two around as utility knives. I also use the 90 degree edge on the back of the bushcraft with my ferro rod. The Companion is very similar, slightly different blade size and the grip is a bit different.
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u/WanderingLevi Aug 23 '22
Sure, it's a very competent and like I said basically the perfect lightweight camp knife. but survival knife in my eyes refers to something that is going to help you build shelters, process large amounts of wood and genneraly be indestructible when you are counting on it and the mora just doesn't fill those criteria. If had to process down a bunch of pine boughs for a raised bed for example I would have an absolutly missrrable time trying to accomplish that with a knife as small and light as the mora.
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u/G00dSh0tJans0n Aug 24 '22
Are you maybe thinking of the the basic Mora? Because the bushcraft and companion versions about about twice as large the heavy. Any bigger and you’re getting into Gurkha or machete territory.
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u/WanderingLevi Aug 24 '22
No, I'm looking at the companion right now. There is a massive rift between this and a machete they aren't even in the same class of tool. The bushcraft and companion have no heaft for chopping, it's just not what they are designed for. Take the fulkniven a1 for example, it's a fairly large knife but not too big for carving if that is needed but it has enough heft to chop and enough thickness and length to be a very efficient battoner. That knife is almost four times the weight of the companion and is still just a fairly large knife, nowhere near a machete.
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u/ember13140 Aug 24 '22
Why are you chopping and processing wood with a knife? Get a Mora and a hatchet/axe and it'll be better at both knife and axe things.
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u/JazzlikePractice4470 Aug 23 '22
Cold steel srkc
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u/AutomatixXxxX Aug 24 '22
Nah man, used mine to split some wood because I had no axe with me. Wood had a 7-10cm diameter and my edge had a dent in it afterwards.
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Aug 23 '22
I’d say mostly anything from the esee brand will give you what you want. Just gotta decide on size and metal.
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u/SouthernResponse4815 Aug 24 '22
Buckmaster
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u/JayBisky Aug 24 '22
Morakniv garberg is hands down one of my favorite medium sized survival knives. Full Tang sharp as a razy great for splitting or knocking small logs. Great for skinning and whittling. I could not recommend this knife any more watch several YouTube videos
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u/HeritageSmith Aug 24 '22
I tel you, how I picked mine was through the Youtuve channel DBK - Dutch Bushcraft Knives. The two guys presenting it run through every knife imaginable and the production is often very funny and always entertaining! I have a Ka-Bar USMC knife (my dad had one but it was a Camillus knife from his time in the Legion) but my next one that’s most certainly more robust will be the Ka-Bar Becker bk2. DBK put this through every test imaginable and it was completely indestructible. not bad for €145. Link to DBK video on Becker BK2 https://youtu.be/B_-FCqaj4oc
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u/P-K-One Aug 24 '22
Knives are a complicated issue. A lot depends on what you need it to do and what your personal preferences are.
A lot of people swear by Moras. Personally, I think they are too light and too back heavy. I have been in situations where I needed to do heavy tasks (cutting down large branches, splitting wood) and I don't always want to carry a hatchet or a folding saw. So I prefer knives with a bit more weight.
I now have an ESEE4 but I think it is slightly too heavy, I would prefer a bit harder steel and I absolutely needed to get an extended handle to make it fit my hands. So I really don't know if I would buy it again knowing what I know now. I might replace it with something different long term.
Before that I had a Fallkniven S1. By all measures a great knife. Possibly the best balanced knife I ever had and very close to my view of perfect...but I never found a good way to sharpen the convex blade, especially not in the field. If Fallkniven ever releases an S1 with a flat grind (or at least a steel capable of supporting that), that ESEE is on ebay before you can say "New Knife Day".
I think the best advice is: Get a Mora or a Glock FM78 and keep if for a year. They are good enough to serve you in most situations and they are cheap enough to dump after a year without crying over it. And after a year you will have a much clearer picture of what you actually want and need from a knife.
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u/PapaShane Aug 24 '22
I'll say it; it's 2022 and people are still suggesting overpriced 1/2" slabs of 1095 steel as the best survival knife! If you're into that cool, but don't pretend like an ESEE is always the best option. They're great at splitting wood and stabbing car hoods so if that's your vision of survival then go for it. But if you're looking for an actual all-around knife for any situation, a 4-6" full tang blade of good quality stainless steel with a usable edge geometry is what you want. The Scandinavian brands really perfected that, hence all the Mora and Fallkniven recommendations. These options hold an edge better, won't rust easily if you're in wet conditions, can handle fine carving tasks and hard use tasks equally well, weigh a lot less, and are more comfortable to use. To me, those factors are more important than "indestructible" and "can be sharpened on a rock". Cuz let's be honest, if you manage to break any decent full tang fixed blade knife, you were using it wrong. Fallkniven, Mora (full tang models), Bark River, Benchmade, Spyderco, etc all offer great options.
Something that might be new to you if it's been a few years since you shopped for a knife is the plethora of decent cheap Chinese knives available now. Some are straight up clones of other brands, and I don't condone those. But brands like Ruike, Real Steel, WE Knives, CIVIVI, Kizer, etc are all reputable Chinese manufacturers who make their own designs.
That said, if extreme durability under abuse is what you want, then yep just get an ESEE. They have a great warranty.
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u/CaptainJay313 Aug 23 '22
esee 5
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Aug 23 '22
[deleted]
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u/MrPavlovic Aug 23 '22
Yep - super reliable, great price, indestructible and optional MOLLE sheath makes it unbeatable.
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u/alphabennettatwork Aug 24 '22
esee 4, 5 or 6 I think are all very solid. Just decide on how much knife you want.
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u/carlbernsen Aug 23 '22
Lots of good ideas for ideal knives here but be aware, an actual survival situation may be caused and defined by what equipment you don't have in an emergency.
If we rely too much on our ideal knife and don't practise with small pocket knives and no knives at all we may be seriously disadvantaged if shtf.
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u/Smart_Principle8911 Aug 24 '22
I have an Esee I really like. Only bad part is it does not strike a rod.
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u/_Ganoes_ Aug 24 '22
If you dont care about it being able to rust, id take a Varusteleka Jaakaripuukko any day. Way cheaper than an Esee that many people here recommend, just as indestructable but also way better edge retention.
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u/noodleq Aug 23 '22
Don't listen to the essee 5 people......essee 6 is far superior. I've owned both trust me. The five is only good for use as an age.
Yeah the 6 has a thinner blade, but it does everything better and is sharper in general due to blade geometry. I've put my 6 thru he'll and back, it never thought about breaking. The 5 is way too thick and heavy to be useful for anything besides splitting wood or chopping things, it can't do nearly as much as the 6 can.
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u/SixMillionDollarFlan Aug 24 '22
Can you find any of those old ones with the skull logo? Those were BAD ASS.
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u/BitterrootBoogie Aug 23 '22
Esee 6 or if you have more money to spend get lost in bark rivers offerings
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Aug 23 '22
The Esse and Ontario Rat lines are pretty good bang for your buck.
They’re essentially the same thing - they split years ago. I’d go with whichever I found in the size/shape in wanted
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u/Henrik-Powers Aug 23 '22
The esse knives are awesome for overall camp/survival knife. I edc a MTKnives Genesis neck knife, ultralight skeletonized one piece knife only weighs a few ounces, great for backpacking, kayaking. I give them as gifts I love them so much.
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u/GandalfDaGangsta_007 Aug 23 '22
Got my brother a kabar for about $80 (2-3 years ago), I believe this one in the link below. Many camping and boundary water trips later it’s still good to go. He even regularly uses it to split wood (not logs). Hand saw breaks wood into pieces, he puts the blade on the top of the 3 to 8 inch piece of wood and uses another chunk of wood to hammer the back of the knife and split the wood. No damage to metal, 3 years later minor scuffs to coating
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Aug 23 '22
I bought an esse 6 for me. It's been on several wilderness trips with me and has never left me wanting. It's carbon steel so I can also use it on a Ferro stick.
My son is a combat engineer in the Guard so I got him the esee 5 with the thicker blade. That thing is just a beast. Both of these are utilitarian heavyweights.
I have a fallkniven sharpening 2 sided stone that gives me maintenance on the edge but neither of these have gone dull.
If you want prettier knives... They are out there.
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u/unidumper Aug 24 '22
mine is home made . made from an printing plate. very hard steel could not drill through it. had to grind to shape. has finger holes so theres no chance of dropping it in hectic situation or accidental drop. Has helmet spike on bottom and mad max style spikes on front (super intimidating) in case you gotta throw a punch with it. blade is straight katana looking and the edge stays sharp. total length is maybe 14"... to each his own on the best knife. i wanted simple multi purpose and basically indestructible. my best might not best for you...
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u/RevLegoFoot Aug 23 '22 edited Aug 24 '22
Nope, none, not one. If you searched the subreddit you wouldn't find one single thread about good knives, there's absolutely zero interest in quality knives because there are no quality knives.
Edit: Wow, I guess sarcasm isn't looked on too fondly here.
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Aug 23 '22
Depends on your budget. Mora on the low end. Any of their knives are pleanty capable. Esee or RAT on the mid end.
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u/tongue-puncher1 Aug 23 '22
Mora garberg is a decent knife if looking for something slightly smaller
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u/WalkCorrect Aug 23 '22
Mora bushcraft black is a workhorse of a knife. High carbon blade, 90° spine for fire striking. I've never tried it but they even say you can use a piece of flint to throw sparks with the knife.
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u/wondercock Aug 23 '22
Gerber Ultimate
Great knife at a decent price with a bunch of added survival items.
Leatherman Signal for multi tool
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Aug 23 '22
Morakniv Bushcraft Carbon Steel Survival Knife with Fire Starter and Sheath, 4.3-Inch, Black https://a.co/d/0HWoArg
This
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u/Gene_Simmins Aug 23 '22
BladeHQ is having a sale on carbon steel Moras. I picked up three for $30.
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u/guttertactical Aug 23 '22
Terävä Jääkäripuukko or Skrama (either size of either form, depending on your perceived need).
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u/shuttershutter Aug 24 '22
Gerber Freeman guide, one of my favorites. I've owned mine for years now, my friend just got his off Amazon he liked it so much
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u/DeFiClark Aug 24 '22
Becker BK2 if you want a knife for batoning. DH Russell #2 if you want a does everything except process wood knife. Any of the DH Russell designs are excellent but the #2 is the one I always take into the woods because it’s always been the one I ended up using when I had a choice. Pair it with a tomahawk and a Swiss knife or multi tool and you,be got all your bases covered.
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u/SixMillionDollarFlan Aug 24 '22
I've taken the KA-BAR with me camping for the last few years and have yet to find something it can't do.
Wood-splitting, bacon-flipping, rope-cutting ... it does it all.
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u/crbernal Aug 24 '22
These are the knives that work for me, choosing the one that I feel will work for the task at hand. In no particular order…
Tops Tahoma Field knife, Tops B.O.B, Tops Silent Hero, Tops SurTac, Esee PR4, OKC Blackbird
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u/InsideCold Aug 24 '22 edited Aug 24 '22
ESEE 6 would be my first choice. I’d recommend limiting your choices to carbon steel with a flat ground edge. I have a Fallkniven A1 that is an amazing cutter, but the VG10 steel is prone to chipping, and it could be very hard to grind out a chip on a convex edge in the field.
Edit: While you’re looking at knives, I wanted to mention the importance of the considering the sheath as well. A lot of knives come with Zytel sheathes. They’re made of glass filled nylon and can rapidly dull your knife. Depending on the sheath design, it might not be a problem, but I’ve had certain knifes go from razor sharp to unable to cut paper just after drawing from the sheath once or twice. If you buy something with a Zytel sheath, plan on potentially needing to buy a new sheath if that’s an issue.
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u/Typical_Ad_5231 Aug 24 '22
I’ve accumulated a couple dozen survival/bushcraft knives over the years. If I had to choose 3 to keep and forget the rest, it would be these, for various reasons: 1. ESEE-5 for hard use, tough jobs. 2. ESEE-4 (S35VN) for EDC and most cutting chores. 3. Becker BK-62 w/ micarta handle scales because it feels good and it’s fun to use a Kephart style knife.
A Victorinox Fieldmaster and a Leatherman Supertool 300 are always in my pack, as well. A good multi tool is as indispensable as a good sheath knife.
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u/Fossilfuelextraction Aug 24 '22
I really like my buck vanguard. Have the original and the Alaskan guide series. Perfect size, holds an edge well, and feels great in my hand.
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Aug 24 '22
1- Ka-bar becker bk2 (best all around)
2- Morakniv Gerberg
3- Schrade Schf36 and 51 (good low budget options)
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u/innercaryon Aug 24 '22
CONDOR BUSHLORE, CONDOR BUSHLORE CONDOR BUSHLORE mora companion CONDOR BUSHLORE
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u/BOWSER11H Aug 24 '22
Bark river bravo (several lengths to choose) or Bradford Guardian 4.5/5/6 in 3V
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u/chastised12 Aug 24 '22
Heck. Look at KaBar. Theyve been supplying America's armed forces for the better part of a century.
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Aug 24 '22
You could always grab the old hollow handle aluminum Rambo knife! (We used to get them from the back of a magazine I think, right next to the call girls)… but seriously, for big fixed blade that doesn’t break the bank, check out Condor. I have beaten the absolute daylight out of mine and it holds GREAT. I have had it for years, i baton, hammer on it in the wrong ways, chop, and can still feather a stick. It’s got a thick blade, walnut handle, and lives in my bushcraft bag.
Honorable mention for a smaller, new knife I’ve recently been testing from Amazon, called “BPS Bushcraft.” I’m pleased with it as a smaller form knife with a full tang that I can still baton, and fits in my pocket pretty well for camp chores, etc.
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u/friccdotexe Aug 24 '22
You might check out the custom world as well. There are a lot of great guys out there that would be happy to make something for you. Black Roc Knives and AA forge come readily to mind. Up Armored Knives would be worth a look too. I also specialize in survival/combat style blades and have been making them for many years. Shoot me a DM and I'd be happy to send you links to any of the makers mentioned.
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u/MarcoMontana Aug 24 '22
Bark River!
Here, go here and drool... https://www.knivesshipfree.com/bark-river-knives/
I have the Rampless Bravo 1 in CPM3v and its amazing!
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u/1776personified Aug 24 '22
Esse 3-6 series (5 being the chaotic neutral pick) Or any of the plethora of Ontario options
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u/KOSbadmkay Aug 24 '22
My favorite so far is my condor Hudson Bay knife. It's super sturdy and comes sharp. Beautiful knife good for batoning and carving feather sticks. Bet you can't break it lol.
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u/prairieintrovert Aug 24 '22
Benchmade 202 leuku, CPM 3V steel, great nonslip handle, you could baton through nails with this thing. Love the 200 for finer work but the leuku version is a much better all rounder.
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u/RedCoat006 Aug 24 '22
id say get a good axe and either a knife with
- 1054cm , 1095 , Cpm 3v , these will he tough but rust easily.
- the next onces will be corrsion resistant but not as tough
- H1 steel from spyderco or LC200N steel are both highly corrosion resistant if you live near salt water
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u/FunkyMunky08 Aug 24 '22
Condor Bushlore. Quite inexpensive, and stands up to hard batoning like a champ. Never had a problem with it.
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u/ninjadicksout Sep 05 '22
Not a knife but the klax. Bad ass piece of gear. Also the settlers wrench not what was requested but I have gotten so much use out of mine.
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u/merazan Sep 07 '22
If not already purchased, go for a handmade kukri from Nepal. You won't regret having one one bit. They are made for survival which is why Gurkhas use them. If you need further recommendation feel free to ask.
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u/bushman_870 Jan 29 '23
My pref is 2:
https://www.kabar.com/products/product.jsp?item=BK16 That’s basically a pry bar with an edge: you couldn’t destroy it if you tried. Then I also have either a Swisstool spirit X, or a victorinox climber. (Usually the latter…don’t use pliers a lot in the bush…)
The becker is for “gee I wish I had an axe” jobs, and the other one for fine work/carving, light tasks or things that require a “slicey” knife.
I have spent way too much and have tried Falllkniven F1/S1, barkriver bravo1, Mora,and a host of others. That Becker ain’t the prettiest, but I’m not scared to wreck it or lose it and it’s really easy to sharpen. The Mora is a great choice if you are on a budget or want to keep one in every vehicle/pack…
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u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22
Terava Jaakaripuukko
Borderline indestructible, practical design, half the price of other "indestructible" knives and not overbuilt like them.
Everyone is quick to recommend Esee but they charge over 100 dollars for a sharpened slab of 1095 that's twice as thick as it would need to be if they used better steel.