By Creek Stewart
Your survival knife is without question one of the top three most important items in your bug-out bag. (An ignition device and a metal container are the other top two.)
For many, choosing a survival knife is a very personal decision. With thousands of knives in the marketplace, the choices can be somewhat overwhelming. But remember that the best survival knife is the one that meets your individual needs.
Don’t be fooled by what you see in the movies. The fancy knives seen in survival movies are more for prop collectors than for real survivalists. You don’t know how much you need a good, sharp cutting tool in a survival situation until you don’t have one.
I learned this firsthand on a three-day survival trip in which I was not able to bring a modern knife. I will never take my knife for granted again.
By design, a survival knife should be fairly simple. It should be about function not “flash.” Below is a short list of tasks a survival knife should be able to assist you with:
Here are five features that are essential in a survival knife:
The best survival knife in my opinion should have a fixed blade – not a folding or lockback style.
True, folding knives can be more convenient to carry, but strength is compromised at the folding joint. If the knife breaks during rigorous use, you are SOL.
If you really like folding knives, carry one as a backup, but not as your primary survival knife. I carry a Spyderco Native locking folder as my everyday carry knife and it will be my bug-out bag backup knife as well.
The phrase “full tang” means the metal knife blade and handle are made from one solid piece of metal. The metal handle is then sandwiched with knife scales to form a grip.
The alternative to a full tang is a rat tail tang. A rat tail tang is much smaller and narrow.
A full tang blade is much more robust and stable. It can withstand incredible abuse from demanding tasks, such as splitting wood (often called “batoning” in the survival community).
Your survival knife should be razor sharp. It should shave the hair off your forearm. If it doesn’t, buy a whet stone and hone the blade until it does.
You should take pride in your knife’s razor edge. A dull knife is more difficult and cumbersome to use effectively. It requires more effort and pressure to perform tasks, which leads to erratic carving and cutting.
A sharp knife is actually safer to use and is a more precise cutting tool that requires less energy and time as compared to using a dull knife.
As a rough estimate, the overall length of your knife should be in between 7" and 11". A knife that is much larger that 11" isn’t practical for delicate and detailed tasks.
However, a knife smaller than 7" is less capable of performing tasks that require a larger blade, especially demanding jobs.
Your knife needs to have a pointed blade tip. The point comes in handy for all kinds of chores.
I broke the point off of my favorite survival knife and it drastically impacted the knife’s effectiveness as a useful tool. I eventually had to replace it.
Also, the knife blade should not be double-sided. Choose a single-edged blade only. You won’t have a need for two sharp edges. The flat back ridge of a knife blade can actually serve several functions.
Below are some of the most common:
Blackbird SK-5 Survival Knife
Becker BK2 Knife shown with the black nylon sheath that came with it and a custom Hedgehog Leatherworks leather sheath
Gerber Big Rock Camp Knife
Mora 840MG Camp Knife
“The Famars SRT Survival knife is the perfect everyday-carry piece,” says Nicole Mihailides of Famars USA. “Equipped with different features to accommodate any situation you may encounter, it is built with the best materials available. This survival knife is truly function first.” What are the different features? Besides the knife blade itself, there is an LED light strong enough to provide illumination for small tasks in the dark. There is also a built-in magnesium firestarter which is an improvement over having a firesteel dangling on a lanyard. But where the SRT really shines as an everyday-carry knife is at the butt where there is a glass breaker nub and a razor seat-belt cutter. There are other rescue tools on the market designed specifically for escaping from a car by bashing a window and cutting the seat belt, and typically they are meant to be stored in your car. That is a good thing, but think about when you are in an other person’s car or driving a rental car or a work vehicle. As an everyday-carry knife, the Famars SRT has you covered in those situations, too.
Company: Famars USA
Knife: SRT Survival
Knife Style: Assisted-opening, locking-liner folder
Blade Steel: 154CM stainless
Blade Finish: Black coated
Blade Style: Semi-serrated clip point
Blade Length: 3.5"
Heat Treat: 58 HRC
Overall Open Length: 8.5"
Handle: 6061-T6 aluminum
Special Features: Beryllium copper washers, belt clip, LED detachable light, magnesium fire starter, glass breaker and razor seat-belt cutter
Liners: Stainless steel
Opening Mechanism: Spring assist
Weight: 5.6 ounces
MSRP: $199
Available: famarsusa.com
