Survival Knife: How do you define it?
How do you personally define a "survival knife"? A friend of mine defines a survival knife as, "any knife which you have on your person that you can use to survive any given situation, regardless as to whether it is a small everyday carry pocket folder, a bushcraft knife designed for outdoor survival, or, a machete for use in the jungle." On the other hand, there are categories of knives called "survival knives" or "survival/combat knives." And the issue grows more complex when you involve the fact that many companies will market their knives as "survival knives", especially if they look "militarized", with sawbacks, serrated edges, and darkened coatings. One person's survival knife may also be another person's "everyday tool".
For example, would you consider the Benchmade Bug Out to be worthy of being classed as a survival knife, if that is what you had with you in the wilderness, or urban enviroment, or, would you only consider knives such as the Adamas and Bushcraft by Benchmade to be true survival knives?
Someone in a Latin American or Asian jungle enviroment who has been using a carbon-steel cane-knife since youth for everyday survival and bush-clearing may look at some of the knives we have called "survival knives" with a skeptical look. Their knife will stand up to the rigors of jungle survival, whereas some of the lower quality (not Benchmade, which is very high quality steel) "survival knives" made from cheap versions of 420 stainless steel with a dark coating on it would snap if exposed to those same conditions.
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/|\ benchmade154, stirring the pot again😀. OK it is always a fun topic.
I agree with everything you said. Like your friend said, your emergency knife going to be the knife you have on you.
A Rambo knife strapped to your cummerbund isn’t a typical site at a black tie affair. Most folks wouldn’t even carry a knife to an event like that, but I had hidden pockets ( like in my dress suits) designed to hold a Terzoula Microstar. Now that Microstar wouldn’t be as good as a Rambo knife in emergency/ survival situation but better than nothing. I had a bigger 4” folder in my briefcase & a K-bar in trunk of my car along with waterproof hiking boots, extra hat & heavy gloves when I commuted into NYC as my train station in NJ was 6 miles from home through woods & farmland.I saw two cars ahead of me blown off an ice covered road into a 6’ ditch. So the gear is what I figured I need to walk out of that ditch 4 miles from home ( prior to cell phones).
So it’s what you have on you, but you can prepare for something a little worse then the normal day.
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You can look at this two ways. A knife you survive with, or a knife marketed or made for the purpose.
You can use a lot of knives to survive with if you have to, however if you were going to make a knife to be a "survival knife" then it should have certain attributes.
A fixed blade over a folder would be preferable, around 5-7 inches would be nice. It should be able to process wood for fires, and to build wooden tools, traps, and utensils. It should also be able to process wood for shelter. They normally are pretty thick blade stock, as they will need to take the place of an axe, hatchet, or saw and will have to chop and baton. It should also be full tang. For the purest, carbon steel is preferred (so it will throw sparks with flint) and makes field sharpening easier, and should have a squared spine to use for a fire rod. No saw teeth, and they are pretty much useless, and really mess up batoning. The knife should be thick with a tough tip as it maybe used to demo materials and used to remove oneself from the wreckage of a vehicle (aircraft). It maybe pressed into use to process game, and could be used as a weapon.
In the end, a purpose built survival knife is a jack of all trades and a master of none. For any given task there is a better knife, it can just do it all, but not everything well.
Now to throw the debate off...
What happens if you have to survive in an urban environment?
In that case a multi-tool maybe better for survival. You will be using man made items for scraps and supplies, so pliers and screwdrivers, wire cutters, and can/bottle openers will rule the day.
In the end, survival is about mindset and skills, use whatever knife you have within its limits and improvise the rest.
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Just thinking out loud... I wonder if it would be better to consider it a marketing tactic. I tend to think that the "survival" part is like saying "sniper rifle." Maybe it's more about the user than the tool relating to the nomenclature. Similarly, things like survival food, survival shelter, survival blanket, survival compass, etc. might be 10% related to function and 90% to marketing.
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