Choosing the right knife for the job. So the zombie apocalypse has started, and you grab your bug out bag and if your like me, you have a knife collection. Which one should you take? Survival knife. A “survival knife” is just as it sounds–a knife that can help you survive. It is a tool with literally hundreds of survival-related functions. Below is a short list: Cutting/Slicing Digging Splitting Self-Defense First Aid Tool Food Prep Shelter Building Fire Making Hunting Weapon Prying Tool Signaling Hammering Make-Shift Screwdriver When it comes to your survival knife, less is typically more–despite what you may see on TV. Hang the cool movie prop knife on a wall and embrace the simplicity of a skillfully designed survival knife. Function trumps styling–always. Your first priority is performance and that will depend on a variety of time-tested key features. Size. When it comes to your survival knife, bigger is not always better. If your blade is too big, you sacrifice the ability to effectively use it for detailed tasks such as dressing small game or carving precision snare sets. However, On the flip-side, a small blade does not perform well with more rugged tasks such as batoning and chopping. Batoning is when you strike the back of your knife blade with a heavy object to drive the knife through thick or stubborn wood. This allows the blade to be used for splitting wood and cutting through large limbs and trees. I’ve found the ideal size to be around 9-11 inches in length. A FIXED blade. A joint is a weakness. Period. No folder should ever be your survival knife. Full Tang Not only should your survival knife be a fixed blade, but it should also be FULL TANG. “Full tang” indicates that the blade and handle are constructed from one continuous piece of metal. Scales or grips are typically attached to the handle portion for a more comfortable grip. A full tang knife is much more robust than partial tang styles such as the half tang, push tang, or rat-tail tang. Sharp Pointed Tip This may seem obvious, but I’ve seen many “survival knives” with angled, rounded, hooked, or straight cut flat tips. Despite any contrary argument, there are many compelling reasons why your survival knife should have a sharp pointed tip. The first is self-defense–against man or beast. Anything other than a sharp spear point tip compromises your ability to effectively thrust or stab your knife as a weapon–especially through thick fur/hide or layered clothing. You can also lash this kind of knife to a pole to create a sort of spear. Single-Edged Blade with Flat Ground Spine Your survival knife should not have a double-edged dagger style blade. A double-edged blade is just not necessary for the vast majority of (if not all) survival uses. Actually, it can be a disadvantage. Not only do I recommend a single-edged blade, but I prefer for the back side (spine) of my survival knife to have a flat 90 degree grind. A flat ground spine is ideal for striking a fire-starting rod. Rounded or beveled spines make this almost impossible. There are countless styling options that come down to personal preference and have little bearing on survival functionality. Some of these features include: Blade Steel (Carbon or Stainless – varying options with varying results) Handle Material (Rubber, Bone, Antler, etc…) Color or Finish Lanyard Holes Decorative Milling Serrated or Non-serrated Blade (For zombies make it no serrations) Sheath Design and Style Knife Designer/Manufacturer/Brand Blade Style With or Without Finger Guards This is alot to look out for but its worth it. Trust me. **Doug
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 11:18:53 +0000
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