Survival Knife
Generally speaking, if a knife is in good working condition, it can be considered a survival knife. After all, if you have knife during your efforts to survive the outdoors, your chances of surviving are greatly improved.
Notwithstanding, knife manufacturers have designed a knife style that most people are referring to when they use the term "survival knife." As a general rule, this knife type features the hunting blade of a Bowie knife resting a top a hollow handle constructed to store any number of emergency and/or life saving items.
Survival knives have additional characteristics worth discussing.
First, the blade of a survival knife is typically smooth. This is helpful when using on wild animals, whether in personal defense, in hunting, and even preparing the food once the the hunt is over. The edge of a survival knife blade is usually serrated, which is great for sawing tree limbs and other natural, wood items.
Second, many survival knife blade are hooked so as to permit the openining of cans or the slicing of ropes.
Third, some survival knives have blades that are not stainless steel blades. The reason for this is that stainless steel survival knives will not create a spark when struck against a piece of flint. Obviously, the ability to create a fire in the wilderness is crucial to the ability to survive. However, because stainless steel stands up better against the elements, many survival knives are constructed with stainless steel blades. If so, it is important to store a fire starting kit in the blades handle.
Fourth, the survival knife handle is usually knurled to as to provide a steady grip. This only makes sense in that if your blade is too slippery to hold when needed the most, how can it really be considered a survival blade?
Fifth, as depicted in most mainstream movies where the main character is lost in the woods, a survival knife usually has a floating compass worked into the knife handle.
Finally, as stated in the introduction, a survival knife handle is generally hollow, allowing for the storage of emergency goods, items and supplies. While most will "store" the survival supplies that best meets their specific needs, typical survivalist supplies include fishing supplies such as fishing line and fishing hooks, sewing supplies such as a needle and thread, fire starting supplies such as pieces of flint (or other fire starting kit if the blade is stainless steel), as well as water purification tablets, and small first aid supplies.
If you are looking for a great survival knife, you should consider one from Gerber, the 31-000751 Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Knife. Touted as specifically designed to help one endure the toughest environments Mother Nature as to offer, it has all of the features set forth above: (a) an ergonomically designed, slip resistant handle, (b) a stainless steel blade with a serrate edge; and (c) a hollow handle packed with a fire starter, a diamond blade sharpener, an emergency whistle, and a pommel.
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Comments
The hollow tang survival knives, made popular by the original Rambo movies, are not the first choice. By hollowing out the tang, you have compromised the integrity of the entire knife. It is better to have a full tang knife, and a small survival tin, similar to the size of a chewing tobacco tin, to store some additional necessities.
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