Foo - Advice from the military\outdoorsman on here

I'm looking for a good survival knife. I myself was never in the military, so I have no experience with the k-bar. I want a quality knife, and have no problems paying for it, although I would rather not spend 300+ on it if I don't have too. The k-bars seem pretty reasonably priced, but is the quality there I wonder....any help would be greatly appreciated.....

Look no further

http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/rambo/knife.jpg

Seriously though, it depends on what kind of environment you will be in. A good bolo knife is good for most condition. Its good for hacking tree limbs, grass, vines, etc. Something like these

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/P1000318e.jpg/400px-P1000318e.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P1000318e.jpg)

check

I want to get that new survival knife that has a small canister of co2 in the handle. When you stab an animal it injects co2=death.

The quality of the K-Bar is outstanding. They are simply designed and made of reliable materials. Nothing really fancy about them, although they do produce ceremonial versions. I personally like the leather handles, they feel good and don't get slippery.

Gerber also makes some really nice knifes at a very reasonable cost. Go check out some of the knives they offer and you might find something there. They hold an edge good also. I'd recommend a knife that has a full tang (i.e. the blade material runs all the way through to the butt/rear portion of the handle. These type of designs are generally stronger and the balance is generally better. Might I recommend something like the Gerber Silver Trident. But there are plenty of other nice Gerbers to chose from as well.

Good luck Lodi!

Gerber also makes some really nice knifes at a very reasonable cost. Go check out some of the knives they offer and you might find something there. They hold an edge good also. I'd recommend a knife that has a full tang (i.e. the blade material runs all the way through to the butt/rear portion of the handle. These type of designs are generally stronger and the balance is generally better. Might I recommend something like the Gerber Silver Trident. But there are plenty of other nice Gerbers to chose from as well.

Good luck Lodi!

As in Gerber baby food :eek:

For the money, Ka bars are hard to beat. They amount to sharpened pry bars. If you get a big ass one, it will do most anything you need. On the off chance you bust it, you can get another one cheap. Buck knives are a similar thing.

If you want something to fill a certain need in very specific situations, such as a fighting knife that you can hide easily, or a stainless knife for diving, then you might want to read into it and get something fancy. But in this case, you don't need to give it much thought. Just get a 6" or longer tanto or Bowie blade, and make sure it's pretty thick all the way to the tip.

Thanks all. I'm not looking for anything fancy here. I want a solid knife for camping\hunting that I won't have to worry about breaking. I'm not diving with it. Hopefully NEVER fighting with it. I just want a solid, reliable knife that will be with me for the rest of my life. Ever since my trip, I have been thinking about doing more camping and such, so, that is where the need for a good knife came up.

Then go with a machete. K-bar has one. This should be great for an all around camping knife.
http://www.thompsonoutdoors.com/images/kabarcutlassmachette.jpg

Then go with a machete. K-bar has one. This should be great for an all around camping knife.Not to mention the inevitable zombie uprising.

Not to mention the inevitable zombie uprising.

I'm pretty sure Donna has one of those on her garage wall.

The K BAr is a fine knife...no doubt...I was a marine, I used one often.

I have two Gerbers... this one that I carry every day in my pocket. Without a doubt one of the best pocket knifes ever made. Holds and edge andis light yet rugged. http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=8443

And this one...which I bought as a camping/oudoors gift for my sister but ended up back with it because she wanted something bigger and more intimidating. http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=1795

Both excellent knives for their intended purposes.

X, you my friend, have one of the funniest senses of humor of anyone I have ever met. It's that, zinger\double take humor that keeps you laughing for a good long time:):D:roflmao:

The K BAr is a fine knife...no doubt...I was a marine, I used one often.

I have two Gerbers... this one that I carry every day in my pocket. Without a doubt one of the best pocket knifes ever made. Holds and edge andis light yet rugged. http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=8443

And this one...which I bought as a camping/oudoors gift for my sister but ended up back with it because she wanted something bigger and more intimidating. http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=1795

Both excellent knives for their intended purposes.

I do like the gerbers. I think i'm going to look further into them, the ka-bars and buck. Thanks for the good info cycle....

You're welcome! I also have a one of a kind, custom made "Rambo" type knife that was custom made for me by this gentleman: http://www.richardswright.com/

His knifes are amazing. My knife is one of his earliest ones and bares no number just his initials. He sent it to me just before I went over for the first Gulf War. It's a fine combat knife and worth quite a lot but I'd never sell it. It has too much sentimental value to me. But check out some of the stuff this guy has crafted just for the sheer entertainment of looking. He's a brilliant knife maker.

P.S. Check out the LMF by Gerber while you're there. They are about $125 but if I were to buy another all around outdoor/camping/survival knife....that would probably be the one.

Look no further

http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/rambo/knife.jpg

Seriously though, it depends on what kind of environment you will be in. A good bolo knife is good for most condition. Its good for hacking tree limbs, grass, vines, etc. Something like these

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/P1000318e.jpg/400px-P1000318e.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P1000318e.jpg)

Nice bolos...they look Filipino to my eye. :)

My daily survival tool:

http://www.parktool.com/images/products/productimages/spr_UK-1_003_200729_59352.jpg

Go to this site http://www.uswings.com/knives.asp and scroll down to Pilot's Survival Knife. It's smaller than a K-bar (5" versus 7" blade) and has the benefit of having a pocket on the sheath to carry a whet stone (included with the knife). I wouldn't recommend buying from this site as you can get a better deal other places. Google 'US Navy Survival Knife' and check out some of the sites.

Personally, I like the high end stuff...I have a Mad Dog ATAK2, one of the last with Kalguard and matching serial numbers.

I also have a pair of custom 6" bowies patterned after original Vietnam War era SOG knives. If anything , they are too good. A former coworker of mine made them I ended up being able to purchase them for $275 each. The leather sheaths are outstanding.

http://www.nikonians-images.org/galleries/data/3589/medium/DSCN6953a.jpg

Randall Made #18 is nice (I want a Randall Model 1); Chris Reeves Shadow series; Ontario Knives are okay from what I recall. A nice short 7"-9" Khukri (Nepalese knife, popular with the Ghurka soldiers) was popular with one of my friends in the USMC - his company all bought them before being depoyed to Iraq in Desert Storm.

The reality is almost any knife is a good knife. Just make sure that it is comfortable in the hand when chopping, doesn't dig into your palm when gripped tightly; holds an edge and is easy to sharpen when needed. Make sure it comes with a usable sheath.

I have a custom made knife from one of the rare weapon shops in Texas that actually, if you pay enough, will make their own alloys (although the one I had made was a standard American steel). So far, its done everything I've wanted to, and doesn't grind on any part of the hand after a long part of use, which a lot of knives do. Of course, the sheath is good as well.

I am sure I will be drummed out of the Corps for this.. but the Marine version of the Kabar pretty much sucks. It is made with very soft carbon steel. It will take an amazing edge,, and hold it to open exactly one (1) MRE. They also have a nasty habit of snapping in half and rusting if not cared for diligently. They have a newer version in a more modern steel as seen here https://www.kabar.com/product_detail.jsp?productNumber=1221&mode=category&categoryId=1,2,3,7,9&categoryName=Military/Tactical
but it still would not be my first choice for an all around utility knife. It is a fighting knife and it does a decent job of that, but I have carried fixed blade knives from SOG, Cold Steel, and Randall on my deployments to Iraq. I also own great folders from SOG, Gerber, Spyderco, Cold Steel and 15 or so custom makers.

The key is buying a knife big enough to do what you want.. and no bigger. A knife that is too large will get left at home, in the car, in the backpack too often.

The most important factor is the type of steel you choose. Read about them here http://www.wise4living.com/olknives/steel.htm
I am a big fan of ATS34 and AUS-8. Others are not. IMHO find a modern steel knife from any of the names mentioned above.. for the best price you can.. just dont buy a KABAR original.

edit: if you decide on one let me know I might be able to get you a good deal.

The question is if you are looking for a big knife that has a few extra things with it for survival or a knife/tool that will give you the best utility while in a survival situation? I personally would take a Gerber or Leatherman multi-tool/knife in a survival situation before a k-bar any day. There are a lot of different variations of the Leatherman and Gerber tools out there so shop around and see if a certain one has the tools you think you will need in a survival situation. Depending on the location of the survival situation different knifes/tools will work better than others.

I'm partial to the Cold Steel Voyagers for a knife.
http://www.coldsteel.com/folding-knives-voyager-series.html

For typical knife work anything bigger than 4" is unwieldy. Unless it's a specialized knife for a certain task, and then a knife like this is often lacking in other departments.

If it's a chopping tool you need you'll be better off to go right to a machete.
http://csstoreonline.stores.yahoo.net/97am.html

For tools like this I have found that plain-Jane, nothing fancy, nothing exotic, works the best.

Thanks to everyone for all the help. Although I haven't decided yet, your input has helped a great deal. My problem with a machete is the size....see, in CT you can't have a knife that big. To be honest, I think even a ka-bar is to big. I have to look up the laws on that. This isn't something I would carry day to day, just when i'm camping or hunting ( don't do much hunting to be honest). But the gerbers seem to be the way i'm leaning.......I do have two leatherman waves. I carry them on my gear at work. Perfect for when I need pliers or a screwdriver quick. I took one with me on my trip and used it when I was camping, but a few times wished I had something more sturdy. anyway, just wanted to say thanks for all the help..

I want to get that new survival knife that has a small canister of co2 in the handle. When you stab an animal it injects co2=death.

CO2 is very rapidly absorbed. In fact, for people who are allergic to iodine-based contrast, you can inject CO2 directly into arteries to image them. :)

CO2 is very rapidly absorbed. In fact, for people who are allergic to iodine-based contrast, you can inject CO2 directly into arteries to image them. :)

I'm not sure what gas it was. :) It might be oxygen, I know the description said it would kill the animal soon after the injection.

Here's the Wasp Injection knife: http://www.waspinjection.com/about.php

And a thread about them.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum62/8503.html

If you want a really good jack of all trades knife for general use, I'd suggest a folder. I carry a 6" bladed Cold Steel Voyager X2 with me all day every day. It's small enough to fit in your pocket, but big enough to do the chores of a fixed blade. There isn't much it can't do. I got mine for 53 bucks shipped if I remember right. Only thing is the tip isn't as strong as I'd like, but that doesn't matter if you don't do something real stupid and try to use it as a pry bar. Aside from the funny looks I get, it's probably the most functional pocket knife I've ever had.

http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/coldsteel1.JPG

I think Kbar would be the best survival knife in most environments. Simple+strong=survive.

If you want to have something you will actually use....
get a Swiss Army knife.
http://www.swissarmy.com/multitools/Pages/Category.aspx?category=sportsandleisure&

I own a SAK, and I've had it for 12 years. I just don't like the slip lock blades, nor the size of the blades. If you want a desk jockey tool, they work. You can drive the occasional screw, trim your nails, and slice open packages. No doubt the blades are good enough to cut a lot of smaller stuff, but I find the tiny slip lock blades to be dangerous and too small.

If you want to have a knife ready to do things along the lines of shave a fuzz stick out of a wet branch, gut a deer, stab a bad guy, or even cut hard wire, you want something bigger and better than an SAK.

Last time I used a Swiss Army knife I tried to use it to put alot of pressure on something, it folded in and put a deep cut into my finger. Bled like crazy. I'm a fan of strong locking mechanism on knives. The locking mechanism on my boker magnum is weak, that folded in on me as well.

Make sure you get a knife that has a very sturdy locking mechanism, that is if you get a folder.

I want a fixed blade knike. I have leathermans, i don't need any more. The next knife I buy will be a good fixed blade.

http://www.knivesplus.com/media/BK-BO2200.jpg

Boker EFK

440c steel. Double edged.

You do not want 2 sides for anything other than a purpose built killing knife. They don't slice well, and laws often become a problem. Only thing they are good for is preventing someone from grabbing it in a fight, and since they are very sturdy, so they don't snap when the going gets tough. As an everyday tool, they are anything but optimal.

So you are telling me that I can't use that knife as a screwdriver??

Pheard lives in California, he needs a good killing knife.

Pheard lives in California, he needs a good killing knife.

Only reason I carry a knife on me is for self defense. Paranoid, but meh. It comforts me. :D

Pheard lives in California, he needs a good killing knife.

For what? Cockroaches?

I carry my TOPS when I go to the PRK.

Why? Hobos, drug dealers, muggers, crack heads, the yakuza. Granted I'm an idiot taking a knife to a potential gun fight, but it's kind of like a Kevlar vest. A false but comforting sense of security.

I carry my TOPS when I go to the PRK.

Why? Hobos, drug dealers, muggers, crack heads, the yakuza. Granted I'm an idiot taking a knife to a potential gun fight, but it's kind of like a Kevlar vest. A false but comforting sense of security.

I have a little bitty .45 cal for comfort. It even doubles as a pillow.:)

Don't play around when it comes to knives. Get a puukko, they are made to be used in the wilderness and the design has been around for a very long time because they work really well. Check out http://www.ragweedforge.com/ for a really nice selection of puukkos and other knives. The bonus part is that the Scandinavian grind is the easiest to sharpen, and can be made scary sharp very easily.

There are also plenty of decent custom makers that make some very high quality knives that are suited to you, for a decent price.

I have a little bitty .45 cal for comfort. It even doubles as a pillow.:)

I carried my full size Sig .45 with me today. :)

I carry my TOPS when I go to the PRK.
.

Was this that really big knife that scared me?

Was this that really big knife that scared me?

I think so. I do remember that you didn't like my inside the waistband sheath for it.

That's because it seemed the blade was up against your skin...

I have an original Ka-Bar from WWII and it is awesome. The new Ka-Bar are made overseas and aren't as nice. You can get an original on Ebay real cheap.

Could you give me a little info on WHY you want to cary a knife, and WHERE you plan on carrying it?

If you are going to be around town, look up what Massab Ayoob (sory if I mispelled his name) has to say.

There have been plenty of things written on what kind of knife to carry. BTW, if you are carying in leu of a firearm (due to restrictions or what not) you need to go to school and learn how to fight with a knife... Its an art, and much more difficult than fighting with a firearm.

JMHO
Billy

BTW. Gerber makes some KA Knives (life time waranty too!)

Columbia River Knife and Tool makes good outdoor knives for reasonable prices.

Check out the M16-14 Series; these are big knives that fold to a reasonably small package, and are tough as hell.

I chopped down two 4" diameter trees with my M16-14ZSF to construct a shelter during a field problem, and it never loosened up or developed blade play. Held it's edge pretty well afterwards as well.

You can find these knives for as little as $30.00 to $40.00 if you beat the bushes a bit.

http://www.knivesplus.com/crkt-knife-m16-cr-m1614zsf.html