I. The World of Knives
On the top of all new “prepper”
lists is a good survival knife. The knife is a low-tech, multipurpose tool that
has served humankind since before the dawn of civilization. To these early men,
the side of a chipped flint could butcher an animal carcass for food and
clothing. To the modern man, however, there is a dizzying array of choices when
it comes to knife selection. This article documents my ongoing journey of knife
selection, with my own frugal, low budget perspective.
Now, when talking “low budget”, I do
not mean cheap. When I first started looking at knives, I came across a pawn
shop bin of cheaply made Chinese knives for $2 each. They were small folders
with plastic handles. At that price, I grabbed a few to experiment. I found
that not only were they cheaply made and subject to breakage but they were
dangerous, since they could fail without warning when you are utilizing them.
After one such failure and a close call with my hands, all of those knives
ended up in the garbage can. Instead, low budget means having a good cost to
value ratio, which is more frequently the case with production line knives than
custom collector knives. When you are considering a survival tool that may not
be subject to easy replacement, such a tool must be able to withstand heavy
use.
When starting your search for a
knife, examine the various intended uses that you have for the knife. Stated
differently, you should understand what you will use your knife for and that
the knife you buy should be fit into that role. Youtube reviewer nutnfancy
likes to use the term “philosophy of use”; I think that captures the concept
well. In my previous entry, Low Budget Firearms Selection for a Novice, I
examined different firearms uses under the concept of rule of law, partial rule
of law, and without rule of law. Looking at knives, I found that these concepts
do not have as much of an impact on knife usage as it does for firearms.
Instead, the intended use would govern regardless of the surrounding survival
situation. These uses could be roughly broken down into every day carry (EDC)
knives, survival knives, and specialty knives.
The first object of my study was the
every day carry or EDC knife. When we speak of EDC knives, we are usually
referring to a small, folding knife. The more I thought about possible uses for
my EDC knife, the more dizzying the choices became. I tried to visualize when I
might need a knife on my person and available for immediate use. These would be
traditional EDC uses. A concealed pocket knife can be a useful self defense
item, secondary to your concealed carry firearm. For close combat, a knife is
in some ways superior to a gun in that it does not require reloading and is
quiet and reusable. More mundane and common tasks also avail themselves to the
every day carry knife. For example, they’re useful for opening cardboard boxes
and other packaging. At Christmas, I always sit with a box of assorted
batteries, my favorite EDC knife, and a multi-tool while the kids open
presents. As the presents are opened, I get to free those over-packaged toys
from their containers and load them with batteries to quickly get them working
for the kids. An EDC knife is useful for cutting boxes, cardboard, paper, and
other utilitarian cutting tasks where a blade is needed at the ready.
An important situation that I
imagine would require immediate access to the EDC knife is having to aid
someone in a vehicular accident. Like a self defense situation, this situation
may never arise in your lifetime. However, if it does, you want immediate
access to the right tool. I have personally witnessed several car accidents,
but these thankfully did not require passenger extraction. A friend of mine
recently conveyed that as a teenager, he was involved in a very serious car
accident where he had to be cut free from the car’s seatbelt and pulled away
from the burning vehicle. It is easy to visualize a person trapped in a wrecked
car. A specialized tool to break tempered glass, cut a seatbelt, or, God
forbid, remove a crushed limb to extract a trapped soul as a car burns or
sinks, would need to be everyday carried in order to be there when you need it.
An EDC knife might be a lifesaving emergency item for cutting a car accident
victim out of their seat belt, or breaking tempered glass in a rescue situation.
Note that there is a specialized blade for this– the $85 American made Buck Knives TOPS
Responder CSAR-T folder. I found
this knife to be rather heavy for EDC carry, but it’s fine for placing in your
car for emergencies and was reviewed on SurvivalBlog. If the price or weight of the Buck is a deal breaker, a
much cheaper and lighter Chinese substitute can be had: the $10 MTECH USA
MT-424 Series Tactical Folding Knife. Everyone should have one of these knives
in their car in the event of roadside emergency.
An EDC knife can also be carried
when hiking or traveling in remote, rural areas. In a worst case scenario, an
EDC knife might be used for emergency surgery or some other unforeseeable
emergency situation. See Aron Ralston and the movie 127 Hours. My personal favorite “EDC” knife is the $40 Columbia River Knife and
Tool K415KXP Ken Onion Ripple-Aluminum Razor
Edge Knife. This is a lightweight assisted opening knife that is just the
perfect size (and price) for me.
Before purchasing an EDC knife, you
should also be aware of the legal aspects of knife ownership and carry in your
state. In Florida, where I am from, a knife blade must be under 4″ and folding
in order to be defined as a “common pocketknife” and exempt from certain laws.
See Section 790.001(13) Florida Statutes; Bunkley v. Florida, 538 U.S. 835, 837
(2003) citing L.B. v. State, 700 So. 2d 370, 372 (Fla. 1997) (Under Florida
law, a blade of 3 ¾ inches “plainly falls within the statutory exception to the
definition of weapon”.) Thus, in Florida, you should aim for your folder to
have a shorter-than-4” blade. You should familiarize yourself with state laws
before selecting your concealed carry knife.
A knife has many outdoor and camping
uses. For these uses, one thinks of the classic “survival knife”, which is
usually a non-folding, full tang blade. “Full tang” means that the blade and
the handle are one piece of metal– tip to tip steel. This aids in durability
and strength. An outdoor survival knife can be used for woodcraft and wood tool
making. It can be used for emergency shelter making. It is useful for skinning
and cleaning small or large game or for cleaning fish. As a baton, some of
these knives can substitute for an axe when splitting firewood or simply for
cutting wood in the outdoors. The survival knife is used for cutting cord/rope.
While more in the realm of Crocodile Dundee, a survival knife could be used for
shaving and hair cutting or hunting, or it can be crafted into a spear tip. The
uses for a quality survival knife are endless. The $70 American made KA-BAR Becker BK2 is a beast of a blade that could handle just about anything
in the wild. My personal favorite, in this class, is the classic American made Buck 119BKS Spec Hunting 6″ knife; at $45, this is a steal.
There are many applications for
specialty knives. These knives are not required to be on my person at all
times, but they have a particular function for which the EDC knife or survival
knife would not be the best choice. For example, I have a hobby of leather
working. For this, I found a particular blade: the $30 Cold Steel Tuff Lite
Plain Edge Folder Knife. Although
it is a Taiwan blade, it fulfills the function of cleanly cutting leather
perfectly. It’s much better than a cheap razor blade carpet cutter that is
often utilized for this job. At home, knives are essential for food
preparation. Do not overlook the ceramic blades for food prep! One of my wife’s
favorite gifts was the $80 Japanese made Kyocera Revolution ceramic three knife set I bought her for Christmas. Those blades are the sharpest
things I have ever seen. Their ability to cut a tomato into paper thin slices
is unbelievable. The big disadvantage of the ceramic bladed knife is that they
are brittle and thus not appropriate for “survival” use. Additionally, they are
very hard, if not impossible, to sharpen, but for sharpness and indoor food
prep they cannot be beat, and we have had no problems with them even after
years of indoor service. Of course, a knife also has common cutlery and utensil
uses: cutting food such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. Multi-tools or
machetes might also be categorized here, but those items are a bit outside of
what this article contemplates.
Once I identified the intended uses
for the knife, I began to browse different web sites. This search confirmed
that there are practically an infinite number of choices, when it comes to
knives. I also am biased towards American made products, and so I began by
looking at some of the more popular American knife companies. This wasn’t a
deciding factor, but if two blades rank equally, why not go for the American
version? Unfortunately, so much manufacturing has been transferred to China
that it is hard to find an affordable blade that is not manufactured there.
Even if the knife is actually assembled in the United States, the blade steel
is often of foreign manufacture. I am sure I am leaving many great
manufacturers out, but here is the list I came up with.
American made only:
Buck Knives – All knives made in
Post Falls, Idaho
Benchmade – All knives made in
Oregon City, Oregon
Bear OPS – All knives made in
Jacksonville, Alabama
Case Knives – All knives made in
Pennsylvania
Microtech Knives – All knives made
in the USA
Many models American made:
Cold Steel – certain knives made in
Ventura, California
Gerber Knives – certain knives made
in Tigard, Oregon, Finnish company
Ka-Bar – certain knives made in
upstate New York.
Kershaw Knives – certain knives made
in Tualatin, Oregon, Japanese company
Ontario Knife Company – certain
knives made in upstate New York
Once I identified some
possibilities, I looked for local stores that carried these brands. This is
important, because the reality of the knife may be way different from the
advertisement. Knives can be different than they appear in a photograph. How
the handle feels is just impossible to gauge from a picture. There is no
substitute for actually trying out the knife you ultimately select. Further,
just like supporting American knife manufacturers, you should support local
dealers whenever possible. Here is the checklist I came up with for examining
the knife at the store.
I am a big believer in the “two is
one, one is none” philosophy of redundancy. Lower cost means you are more
likely to double up on your purchase. Further, a less expensive blade will
allow you to devote your scare resources to other items that may not be as
“cool” as a knife but are as essential as your weapons collection. Like gun
owners, knife purchases can be clouded by the look and image over the substance
of the purchase. I find that a quality knife will usually cost you at least
$20. Thus, as a budget conscious consumer, I limited my choices to those blades
between $20 and $100.
Obviously, the knife’s primary
function is to cut. A knife should be sharp right out of the box. If they are
dull new, then that is a finish issue and you should not consider that model.
There are too many choices for you to overlook this first, most important
attribute. I found Case and Buck knives to be generally the sharpest right out
of the box. I am no expert on blade steels or types, but you should just
realize that there are many different types of blades. There are serrated
edges, non-serrated edges, a mixed edge. The tips can be pointed for stabbing,
or angled for cutting. The back of the blade can have place to hold your thumb
to better control the blade. While there is a lot of terminology and jargon
surrounding this area, what is important is that you visualize the intended use
for your knife, and apply this to the blade you are looking at. Is the form
suited to your intended function?
Is the knife easily concealed? This
applies mainly to your EDC knife. When thinking about an EDC knife, you should
think about how it will be carried. EDC knives can be carried in a sheath, on a
clip in the pocket, on a neck lanyard, or in some other concealed place, such
as in a boot or under the belt. When shopping for your EDC knife, place that
knife in the location where you would expect it to be carried. If it is
uncomfortable in that position, then rethink that knife choice.
Is the knife durable? Durability is
a must, especially in a survival situation. This is a hard question to answer
when looking at a new knife. This is where quality really shows itself. There
are the obvious aesthetic judgements, such as does it feel “cheap”, but whether
a blade will hold up over time must be regarded as subject to error. This is a
good place to focus your research. Look for long-term reviews from people who
have used the knife over time in high stress environments.
This, of course, depends on the
immediacy of need. There are fancy, automatic knives that open and close at the
touch of a button. Some of the best are manufactured in the United States by
Benchmade. These “switchblades” are not legal in all states, and they also
carry a hefty price tag. My thinking is that quick, one-handed deployment is
the more desired feature. Being able to deploy the blade with one hand makes
sense when you are in the middle of something. After you are finished with the
job, it is more likely that I would have both hands free to close it. Many
folding knives have a lug on the side of the blade that you work with your
thumb that is combined with a wrist flip to open the knife. My favorites,
though, have an assisted opening feature that does not require the wrist flip.
Both the $40, Chinese bladed CRKT K415KXP Ken Onion Ripple – Aluminum Knife and the $30, Chinese bladed
Kershaw 1605 Clash Folding Knife with SpeedSafe are examples of affordable,
assisted opening knives.
For example, Case knives are not
only razor sharp but collectable and beautiful. Are you paying a premium for
this? On the one hand, your investment will be more likely to retain its value over
time, and it could even become an heirloom object for your family. On the other
hand, paying extra for beauty or collectability is something you need to
seriously ponder before parting with limited cash. Ultimately, this is an
ephemeral factor that each individual must consider and place into their
hierarchy of importance.
Weight should not be a deciding
factor on some categories of knife selection, but that can have an impact on
EDC “everyday carry” knives and backpacking where weight is a factor. For
example, I found that while I love the opening mechanism of the $30 Chinese
bladed Kershaw 1605 Clash knife, I found that it was a little too wide and
heavy for my pocket. Similarly, the $30 Taiwan bladed Ontario 8848 RAT Folding Knife is just a tad too big, and it’s not as spry
as the assisted opening Ripple in deployment. My $40 Ken Onion Ripple was hardly felt in my pocket, thus I always defaulted to
the Ripple.
The purpose of a handle is to be
able to grip and control the blade. The handle must be comfortable in your hand
rather than some other reviewer’s. This is why it is invaluable to visit a store
that sells quality knives, so that you can evaluate them in relation to your
physical attributes. Some questions when evaluating the handle are as follows:
- Does the handle feel comfortable in your hand, size wise?
- Does knife feel balanced in your hand?
- Do you have fears when using knife, such as knife slippage?
- Is it “grippy” when sweat, blood, or moisture is in hand?
I have always liked the American
made KA-BAR Becker BK Series knives for their handles, not to mention their full tang
durability, but some critics say that the smooth handles loose grip when your
hands sweat. The $70, Chinese bladed CRKT 2125KV Ultima Knife is an interesting design that greatly improves grip
in muddy and wet situations.
I am in no way a knife expert,
rather I am simply a consumer attempting to understand the myriad of choices
when confronting a knife purchasing decision. There are just so many options
out there that there is really no way for one person to say that this is “the
best knife” made. I am sure that the long-time readers of Survivalblog will
have their own opinions and advice. In fact, this very website is a great
information source for knife reviews; just search the archives. There are lots
of good articles on the subject of knife selection. When you identify what you
want, it is always good to look for critical reviews that pinpoint weaknesses
and impartially assess what you are thinking about purchasing. Ultimately
though, it is your choice, and you must be happy with your final purchase. I
hope that my experience will help you in finding the perfect knife for your
application.
From the Survival Blog
Poster’s comment: Always remember most have a kitchen full
of various kinds of knives already.
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