Best Survial Knife (A Must Have!)

[Wheeler]

I'd love to have a nice USAF survival knife. Do they still carry those or what do they carry now ?

http://www.bestglide.com/AF_Survival_Knife_Info.html

Mine used to look like the one in the picture twenty years ago...

 

[rtross]

I've had my USAF Survival Knife for twenty years now. It has a carbon steel blade that's parkerized, a saw on the back, a pommel designed for beating, a stacked leather washer handle that doesn't slip, a heavy duty leather sheath and a sharpening stone.

Longevity speaks volumes.

Here's a picture of it with a S&W Model 12. The knife has been through a lot more than the pistol.

I still have the one that was on my flight vest when I was a miltary pilot. There are others that are good, but that old knife is still king.

 

[klarktx]

I have this very knife.

I have a Randall Ontario thats really tough.

I have a new knife I am wanting SO BADLY. I will post up once i grab it.

 

[Wheeler]

I still have the one that was on my flight vest when I was a miltary pilot. There are others that are good, but that old knife is still king.

Do you mind if I ask what you rode the left seat in?

 

[kletzenklueffer]

This is my newest knife. It'll be carried more than the RAT-7.

It's a Blackjack Knives Model 5, with a 5" A2 tool steel blade, convex ground.

 

[Flammenwerfer]

This is my newest knife. It'll be carried more than the RAT-7.

It's a Blackjack Knives Model 5, with a 5" A2 tool steel blade, convex ground.

View attachment 128231

Very nice!

 

[MallNinja Team 6]

I'm quite a fan of my Cutco Hunter (Double-D serrated version).

It's very light, and very durable. I like K-bars, but in an actual survival scenario, equipment weight is too critical. The Cutco weighs 6.2 less ounces.

5-3/8" blade
440A High-Carbon, Stainless Steel
4.2 oz

 

[KEEPER6]

I'm quite a fan of my Cutco Hunter (Double-D serrated version).

It's very light, and very durable. I like K-bars, but in an actual survival scenario, equipment weight is too critical. The Cutco weighs 6.2 less ounces.

5-3/8" blade
440A High-Carbon, Stainless Steel
4.2 oz

Man that's nice, very clean.

 

[Wheeler]

I'm quite a fan of my Cutco Hunter (Double-D serrated version).

It's very light, and very durable. I like K-bars, but in an actual survival scenario, equipment weight is too critical. The Cutco weighs 6.2 less ounces.

5-3/8" blade
440A High-Carbon, Stainless Steel
4.2 oz

That sort of depends on the survival situation. Can you split wood with that knife? Use it as a pry-bar or a makeshift machete? I'll take a little extra weight for a knife that will hold up to all the abuse it's going to be put through if one really is in a survival situation. It's more than just a cutting tool.

I'm not knocking your knife or your choice. I expect a lot more out of mine than just to be able to cut something with it.

 

[MallNinja Team 6]

That sort of depends on the survival situation. Can you split wood with that knife? Use it as a pry-bar or a makeshift machete? I'll take a little extra weight for a knife that will hold up to all the abuse it's going to be put through if one really is in a survival situation. It's more than just a cutting tool.

I'm not knocking your knife or your choice. I expect a lot more out of mine than just to be able to cut something with it.

Your point is certainly understood. This knife's blade offers more tensile strength than you would first assume by looking at it. I received it as a gift, and was initially disappointed, expecting the thin blade to feel flimsy and would buckle under pressure ('Cutco, the kitchen knife brand?'). After pressing it up against something, and seeing how much force it was capable of sustaining, I haven't looked back. These aren't just stamped pieces of 440a. They are heat treated, cryogenically frozen, and then tempered. It is more than capable of splitting wood in a survival situation, albeit not as effectively as something with a wider blade. My cheap Cold Steel Spesnatz style shovel excels at these kind of tasks. However, at 26+ ounces, I only bring it along for shorter treks. After a few extended backpacking trips, I've became significantly more focused on equipment weight.