I’ve been thinking about knives lately. I really don’t know much about them, myself. Kitchen knives, a good utility knife for projects around the house, and an X-acto knife for craft projects are about the extent of my experience.
So when I decided to buy a knife for my survival gear, I wasn't really sure what to look for. I wasn’t at work when I made the decision, so I had to rely on my own devices to get the information I needed (otherwise I would have just asked my coworkers, since they’re preparedness experts).
I found several helpful articles, but
this one from The Art of Manliness, written by Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor, was my favorite.
Stewart focuses on six features of a good survival knife:
- Size
- Fixed Blade
- Full Tang
- Sharp Pointed Tip
- Single-Edge Blade with Flat-Ground Spine
- Solid Pommel
For more detail on each of these tips, go check out
the original article.
Based on his recommendations, I bought two CRKT knives:
The CRKT Onion Shenanigan Tanto
And the CRKT Ultima 5” – Black Blade, Veff Como Edge
I wanted the flexibility of having a folder and a fixed blade, so I’m using the Shenanigan as my EDC blade, and the Ultima is going in my emergency survival kit. One of our product experts, Joel, has this to say about Emergency Essentials carrying CRKT knives and tools:
"CRKT has the best selection of every day carry (EDC), tactical, and survival knives. I love the variety and ingenious design of their tools and knives. CRKT is built on innovation from the best designers and quality forged from the finest material."
Check out my knife selections by clicking the links or images above, or take a look at Emergency Essentials’ full selection of survival knives
here.
Do you have any other features to add to Stewart's list? What knife or knives do you use in your bug-out bag or everyday carry?
Have you ever had to rely on your knife to save your life? Share your stories and your favorite knives in the comments.
14 comments
Crystal Minnick
Thank you Zikin, we’re happy to hear that you find this article informative and the safe & proper way to have tools safely “on hand”. Remember to stay tuned for frequent updates on our blog!
zikin
This useful article. Folding knives are a versatile tool for me or maybe for all these folding knife lovers. It is said to be versatile because folding knives can be used to cut fruit, cut ropes, open envelopes, to defend themselves. This knife is practically stored in a bag and carried everywhere. So I have a few folding knives that are very useful for me everywhere. have share with meesterslijpers.nl Thanks you
George
My preference is tge esee 6, i couldn’t ask for anything more from a survival knife.
Jaeger Meister
I chose the ESEE 4 for a small, handy fixed blade, and SOG Flash w/ half serration as my EDC. Don’t forget about varying local laws concerning blade length.
Helen
I couldn’t agree more,a serrated edge for Bushcraft is a long standing no no
Joe
I’ll stick to the Swiss Army Knife in my pocket and the Buck on my belt.
Tracy
The CRKT Ultima 5" looks like the perfect knife. What is the width/thickness of the blade?
Rick
You’re going to find that a tanto style blade sucks for skinning.
Robert Coleman
Personally I chose the Gerber LMF II for the fixed blade and the SOG Flash for my EDC folder. The LMF is short bladed, but built like a tank with very good metal, sharp edge and thick, flat ground spine. The Flash is a fast assisted opening folder with a partially serrated blade of a good length. Just personal preference.
911grunt
For my EDC I have a Leatherman Wave since it has 2 different 4in blades, a working saw, 2 files (wood and diamond) along with pliers, scissors and different size screw drivers. For smaller stuff I also have a Mica tool, scissors, eye glasses size screwdriver, tweezes, file, and bottle opener. For my Emergency Bag I have a Cold Steel Survival Knife (6 in fix blade)/
Illinois Bob
The article referenced is an excellent article and a good place to start but it left out two important factors that will stop me from buying one knife over another. There are two features a survival knife should never have.
The first is a serrated blade (as the two you have pictured have). They can offer some cutting advantages when they are new but they are difficult to sharpen. They also make functions like making wood shavings more difficult. You can’t whittle using the serrations. A well sharpened straight blade will perform just as well, if not better, and is far easier to maintain. For this reason I will never buy a knife with a serrated blade.
The second feature is a serrated spine or saw back. They look cool and it would seem wise to have a saw as well as a knife. Truth be told a well sharpened knife of the right size will chop through an equivalent branch faster than trying to saw through it with a serrated spine. The serrations make the overall knife a little weaker and much more difficult to use for batoning.
Everyone has their opinion and I know many who would disagree with these two points. Lucky we live in an age where there is a knife for every opinion.
Vic303
My edc knives are all Spyderco blades. A PM2 folder, and the Street Beat for a fixed blade.
Dick
i prefer the Bear Gryllis survival knife myself. Have one in my vehicle’s emergency kit and one in my backpack.
beprepared
Hi, Tracy. I agree! Let me know what you think if you end up buying one.
The blade thickness is .18 inches. I’ll have our web content manager add that, and some other product specifications, to the page.
Thanks for your question.
Sarah