What component of your gear is the most crucial? Your survival knife should be the first thing that come to mind. Let’s face it, you need a tool that is adaptable, powerful, and capable when you’re in a S.H.T.F. circumstance.
That screams survival knife. Whether you’re carrying it as part of your EDC. Or you’re packing it in your best survival kit…getting the best survival knife for your situation is crucial.
| Image | Verdict | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Top | Best High-End | Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife | Buy Now | |
 Top | Best All Around | StatGear Surviv-All Fixed-Blade Bowie Knife | Buy Now | |
 Top | Best Hunting | KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife, Straight | Buy Now | |
 Top | Best Army-Issue | Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife | Buy Now | |
 Top | Best Value | Mossy Oak Survival Knife, 15-inch Fixed Blade | Buy Now |
How can you tell what information about knives is accurate and what is untrue? glad you inquired. Here, we’ll discuss the top five knives we could find on the market.
But first, let’s take a closer look at what, exactly, survival knives are for.
What is a survival knife used for?
A survival knife is a versatile instrument with numerous uses. It can be used to pare, slice, chop, and cut. It can also be a weapon used for self-defense. There are numerous distinct varieties of survival knives. Size, weight, the type of metal used in the blade, total length, and price can all vary.
Imagine what would occur if all that was left of the world was you. How will you proceed? Here is a summary of each:
Whittling: No, we’re not talking about making pipes out of corncobs; instead, we’re talking about things like spears, supports, and any other kind of necessary structural item.
Shaving: Okay, so you might not care, but some guys dislike the beard trend. A survival knife can be used to shave, but use caution.
Prying: Between a rock and a hard place, you might find something you need. Fortunately for you, a good survival knife can open most things.
Starting a car: You can get by without your keys in a pinch if you have a survival knife and some basic information. It’s a thing; check it out on YouTube.
Kindling: Okay, you’ll need to prepare food and stay warm. You therefore require fire. No fire can be started without kindling. Get the knife out and chop some wood.
Tent stake: Although it wouldn’t be the first usage for a survival knife, burying that long blade well into the earth will hold down whatever has to be held down.
Self-defense: This is an obvious choice. Don’t just bring your knuckles to a fist battle, whether it’s with an animal or an enemy. an excellent survival knife with you.
Fire Starting: Some survival knives include a striker and flint. Set it up next to some dried marijuana and start a fire. You can utilise the knife’s blade to construct a fire starter that spins a dowel against a piece of dry wood even if it doesn’t have a proper flint and striker.
Gutting fish and animals: Everything you kill needs to be cleaned, therefore you’ll need a sharp knife for that. You might also need to butcher your dinner in addition to cleaning.
How about knife construction?
Before making your selection of a survival knife, there are a few questions you need to consider. Knives are not all created equal, and how they are constructed can significantly affect how they are utilised.
Bushcraft knife: Bushcraft is not to be confused with a particular brand of knife. A bushcraft knife is a real knife.
Bushcrafts are designed to be more durable than usual. To survive frequent and intense use, they often contain stronger grade steel and are larger in size. A bushcraft can be defeated without fear of damaging it.
Instead of being made for general usage, their sharper blades are more suited to cleaning and hunting. A bushcraft knife and a utility-based survival knife make sense to include in your kit due to their distinct designs.
Should survival knives be serrated?
Because the serrations improve the knife’s ability to cut through resistant materials, survival blades frequently have them. A serrated blade does, however, have significant drawbacks.
The difficulty of sharpening the blade is the main drawback. This is because it’s impossible to sharpen a serrated blade using a flat stone. Due to their inability to utilise their fingers on the blade’s rear and their difficulty gripping a non-serrated blade, people with arthritis or other hand conditions find it harder to sharpen their blades.
Additionally, a serrated blade is less effective at slicing through delicate foods like fruits and vegetables.
BUT the serrations on the survival knife are what make it the all-purpose instrument that it is. You couldn’t cut line, rope, snares, or perform simple medical procedures like removing diseased or dead skin if there were no serrations.
Even though it is termed a survival knife, it is not limited to use in S.H.T.F. scenarios. Serrations on survival knives are used to increase their level of functionality. The blade’s cutting edge is used to sever any necessary flesh.
However, they shouldn’t extend the entire length of the blade. In fact, the ratio of straight to serrated edges should be 2:1.
Survival knife maintenance and sharpening
dull knives are completely useless. They will likely cause you more harm than anything else you come across under sketchy circumstances. Here is a brief tutorial on how to sharpen a survival knife. Remember that you should do this ahead of time and that you’ll need certain supplies.
Holding the blade at a 23-degree angle, draw it 10 times from the stone’s base to its tip with a #400 grit stone. (More on blades made of high carbon steel.)
Next, pull the knife shank to tip five to seven times at a 20-degree angle using a #2000 grit stone. This results in a sharp edge that is durable enough to survive frequent use.
The blade needs to be honed once the last edge has been stoned. You are wasting your time if you don’t sharpen the blade. Draw the blade a couple times from shank to blade with an honing stone.
Your blade is ready to cut after being honed.
Our five favorite survival knives
Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Knife:
- ½ Serrated High Carbon Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade – Ideal for edge retention and cutting rope
- Ergonomic Textured Rubber Grip – Maximizes comfort and reduces slippage
- Stainless Steel Pommel – At base of handle for hammering
- Fire Starter – Ferrocerium rod locks into sheath, striker notch incorporated into back of knife blade
- Nylon Sheath – Lightweight, military-grade, mildew resistant
You can always trust that something is the greatest when Bear Grylls endorses it. This knife absolutely works in every way. The firestarter is positioned perfectly so that it won’t tumble all over the place when you need it, and the weight and grip feel exactly right in your hand. It is simply amazing.
StatGear Survive-All:
- StatGear survival outdoor knife is a stainless steel full tang knife. This durable knife can handle anything especially the tough outdoors.
- Features a drop point blade equipped with a blade sharpening stone in rear of sheath so your knife is sharp & sturdy consistently.
- Fire starter and cord cutter in sheath. The cord cutter works well for minor cuts so you don’t have to take out your knife.
- If you enjoy hunting and all other outdoor activities, youll find the StatGear Surviv-All Outdoor Knife a convenient and practical choice for your go-to knife.
StatGear is the runner-up. It feels fantastic in the hand, and the handle weight is perfect. We’re not certain if the firestarter protrudes at all. However, the knife as a kit’s general usability and 440 stainless blade make it a top pick.
KA-Bar:
- 1095 Cro-van steel. Edge Angles – 20 Degrees
- 7 Straight Edge Blade
- The most famous fixed blade knife design in the world
- Overall length 11.875 inches
- The most famous fixed blade knife design in the world
- 1095 Cro-van steel
- Leather Handle, USMC Fightning Knife
- 7 Straight Edge Blade
- Knife Made in USA, Leather Sheath made in Mexico
The KA-BAR knife is the one most associated with survival, and with good reason. The leather grip is sturdy and provides superb traction, while the blade is made of stronger 1095 Cro-Van steel. With this strong knife, you can survive in the wild.
Ontario 499 Survival Knife:
- ✅ Iconic 499 survival knife carried by pilots for generations for survival in any environment
- ✅ 1095 carbon steel blade – 0. 1875 thickness.
- ✅ 9. 5 overall length – 5 blade length
- ✅ Sawteeth on spine
- ✅ Natural leather handle
- ✅ Made In USA
- U.S. Army- and Air Force-issue survival knife
- 5-inch Parkerized blade with serrated top edge
- Comfortable leather handle and sheath
- Includes sharpening stone with pouch
- GSA-compliant
The Ontario 499 is a cost-effective survival knife that shares several features with the KA-BAR. It’s a strong knife that has everything you require. The sheath fits the full blade and has a nice fit, and the leather provides decent traction. On its bottom, there is a sharpening stone as well.
Mossy Oak Survival Knife
- ✅ KNIFE DIMENSIONS: Overall Length: 15 inch; Blade Length: 10 inch; Thickness: 5/32 inch (3.8 mm); Weight: 16.8 oz
- ✅ RAZOR SHARP CLIP POINT BLADE: Made of 440C stainless steel for excellent hardness, improved edge retention and rust resistance.Clip Point Blade features saw back, black anodize, ideal for camping expeditions or survival training
- ✅ FULL-TANG RUBBER HANDLE: Classic designed handle with soft rubber, provides high friction and comfortable non-slip grip for use
- ✅ NYLON SHEATH with SHARPENER & FIRE STARTER: Durable heavy duty nylon sheath for easy and safe carry, packaged with a fire starter (black) and a sharpener (sliver)
- ✅ APPLICABLE OCCASIONS: As a perfect camping and hunting knife, it’s suitable for hunter, camper, survivalist or outdoor sports enthusiast so that you can enjoy your adventure
The Mossy Oak is spectacular and economical, with a full 15″ of blade. It appears that Mossy Oak employees wanted to provide you a lot of value for your money, and they succeeded admirably. Although it comes with a firestarter and a sharpener, the serrated edge may be better. The Mossy Oak, however, offers a wide range of options.
Survival knives
You now have it. a brief summary of the characteristics of survival knives and our top five choices. Send us a mail if you think we missed something. Please tell us about it.
