Getting my new survival knife soon!

[Ecopirate]

So, after I "lost" my last knife to "the great outdoors" (In the sense that "lost" means "lent out", and "the great outdoors" means my asshole friend), I decided to go for something a little classier than the 2nd-hand guy I had before. Lo and Behold:



This baby will soon be in my hands. A RAT RC-4, sharp enough to do surgery with. To make this more than mere gloating (HA bitches!), what do ya'll use for your survival/bushcrafting knives?

[ArmsMerchant]

About your RAT--the blade geometry is all wrong for surgery and I think it would be tough to sterilize properly--that said, most so-called survival knives (a la Rambo) I have seen are little more than toys, and crappy toys at that.

What's more, there is a serious "problem" with all gear--some people think it is a substitute for competance. A guide could survive just fine in the wilds with a decent kitchen knife--most soft clueless city kids would be dead in a day or two regardless of what sort of gear they had.

Back to topic--the knife I would recommend for outdoorsy stuff is the Schrade Extreme Survival knife--which some serious knife guys hate because the balance is so odd--it is way handle-heavy, but you can drive a nail with the thing. (I also recommend it because I sell the thing.)

[Ecopirate]

Bah. They can deal with the infection. I just want to cut with it. And, I do agree, many insert-name-here knives are hulking beasts of metal.

That schrade knife looks like one of those old spetsnaz knives I saw a long time ago, with a handle that takes almost all of the weight.

[Stabilo]

I use a Lapin Puukko.

[JREwing]

Isn't a big blade a good thing? You may want to use it as a machete, as a scraper, as a shovel, as a hammer, lots of different things. You want something as big as Crocodile Dundees knife.

I gave my old knife away. It was one of those ones from that company that makes knives for the US military. Can't remember the name. EDIT: it was ka-bar. It is enormous, but even that is too small. I don't have a "survival" knife now. I don't intend on getting into any situations where I might need one.

Also I don't think too sharp is a virtue in a knife. At some stage you are going to cut yourself after all. I don't see the benefit in a sharp knife, especially one that can fall out of its holster and jab you in the side like that little yolk you have.

[Ecopirate]

Large knives have their uses, yes, but they're unwieldy for carving, dressing, trap-setting or any other number of items. Even for hammering or batoning, you don't need a large knife. It's not as much a combat knife, for which a ka-bar or machete would be useful, but 4-5 inches will get just about everything you need in the camp done. And, given that you use the proper control, cutting yourself isn't likely. And in the event that you do cut yourself, it's better to cut yourself on a sharp blade than a dull blade. A sharp blade will cause a cleaner, smaller cut overall, which is easier dressed and disinfected.

As far as holsters go, most knives will be carried upwards on a belt, and often with a strap to hold it in place. The particular knife I carry has a shaped kydex sheathe, which essentially "locks" it in place. It would take a crash or so to dislodge it.

[LostInTheWoods]

Originally Posted by Ecopirate

what do ya'll use for your survival/bushcrafting knives?

Mora 2000 or small Bahco sheath knife on the belt.
Cold Steel kukri machete in my backpack.
Cold Steel pocket bushman and/or swiss army knife in pocket.
When a full size knife would be "out of place" i usualy carry a Becker BKT-11 horizontaly on my belt. No one will ever know its there.

Unfortunetly the law here doesnt allow you to carry a knife in public places, but "Normal carrying of a pocketknife or multitool" is allowed.

Never, ever lend a knife to anyone!

[peyotehawk]

Although I own an array of knives, my favorite come from Mad Dog Knives, because he is an expert at fixed knives. All Mad Dog knives are handmade by himself. I've heard a story that when Mad Dog cuts himself during the process of making a knife he just lets it drop in during the hardening process. He likes to say he's hardening his knives with his own blood. Brutal, check it out:

http://www.maddogknives.net/

Mad Dog also used to train civilians in knife survival. He now strictly teaches on a Federal level.

[Monkmaster]

I used to own a cheap knock off 15 inch Rambo knife (which in it's own right was decently efficient) but I quickly realized that 15 inches was way too much.

I got this little ten-inch Muela a few years ago and it's carried it's wait ever since.

[Son of Liberty]

I have a small K-bar (5 inch blade?) which I bought for "survival purposes" but I find kinda awkward.

I wanna make one of these though:
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/10_Cen...ival_Knife.htm
except slightly larger/rougher teeth and a handle made out of snare wire AND 550 para cord

[Evan123abc]

Tom Brown Tracker Knife.

Google it.

[peyotehawk]

Someone at Tom Brown Tracker School, personally recommended I get my knife from Mad Dog Knives.