Glock Survival Knife Review - Survival On A Shoestring 

just a tip; dont view this knife as special or "holy" as you would high price knifes. this is a tool knife, extremely sturdy. if you feel like throwing it toward a tree and see if it stick, just do it, feel like using the blade as a makeshift "step" when climbing a tree, you can do it. the blade is thick and the spring steel hard to break. if you slam it 1 or 1 1/2 inch into a tree you can step on it. my dad got me one when i was still a kid and boyscout, like 15 years ago, a sawback version, it is banged up, the finish is compleatly gone, edge resharpened countless times, but the knife is still strong like on day one. and it cost the equivalent of 15 bucks. ~200 schilling back in the day here in austria. to summ it up, get this is you want a rock solid, nothing fancy blade with great sheet for small money. if you happen to ruin it while splitting bricks or the like :D , you just buy a new one for cheap. good day

Bought one for 30 bucks one day. From years of experience it has become my favorite blade. People say it's one of the best for the price. I can't think of a better all around knife.

Just picked one of these up, the 81 with the sawback. 30-40 USD in 2023. I have wanted one to add to my collection since I first saw them in gun magazines in the 90's. I don't know why but I assumed at this point it was going to feel dated with all the shiny new options out there, but this knife has more charm than I expected. The steeper than average blade grind makes feather stick - making so easy anyone can do it, and the wedge shape splits wood well when batoning. Good piercing power if it comes to that, but the version without the saw would be better it combat was your primary focus. All in all knife is very well balanced, very light weight, tough simple steel, tough simple sheath (Just have to learn how to draw the knife)... Just like a glock pistol it's beauty is in its simplicity. Great option for a bugout bag etc. And goes great with your glock 19 👍

For the money, this may be the best hard use knife ever made. It's not perfect but you can beat the crap out of it and it keeps on kickin. I seem to use this more than my ESEEs these days. My Gerber Strongarm gets the 2nd most use and I have a 4,5,6 and a Junglas.

Hello! Nice Vid. A few things about this knife. It´s steel is made of Carbonsteel in HRC55. The blade is dull, because it´s an combat knife, which should not be too sharp. Because when you are penetrating an enemy bodyarmour it should not cut but pierce. I used this knife in the austrian army a lot. The L-shape on the bottom of the handle is an bayonet holder / beercap opener. I only used it for beer. so long have a nice one.

This knife is the "Feldmesser" of the austrian army. Made in austria is high quality. Nice video

I've always been interested in this knife's performance. Thanks for sharing.

Price quality considered this is the best knife known to man.

John Hufnagel Not sure why I couldn't just reply to your comment. Anyway, I don't think I reviewed the SCHF9, but the SCHF26 is very similar if maybe a little smaller. I would probably go with the SCHF9 or SCHF26, but I don't mind the recurve blade shape. Some folks don't like it. I am also planning a review soon of the SCHF1 and SCHF2SM. These are two different versions of the one-piece, all carbon steel, hollow handle survival knives. It will probably be about a month before the video gets done, edited and posted but I have the knives in hand and I really like what I see so far.

This is the best knife I have seen you review on your channel. I had to get one myself and I really like this knife, I have the Glock 81 with the saw back and I love this model. very light, easy to carry, and can double as a survival knife. I live in Canada so I had to pay $67 dollars and had it shipped to me first thing Monday morning when I ordered it on Friday. i am very happy with this knife. When several countries use this in their military, that has to account for something!!

Made me dig out my Glock 81, I have had for years. It has the sawback and sooo , I gave the firesteel a try and through sparks like crazy.

LoL. I really enjoy your reviews. you keep things moving and get to the point. thanks for your common sense approach.

"Both knives have clip point blades made of SAE 1095 spring steel with a hardness of 55 HRC and are phosphate-treated. Spring steel offers a high yield strength for good impact resistance and flexibility but low corrosion resistance." (Wikipedia -- Glock knife)

i lust wanted to say that you have great commentary and it really helps for a beginner like me

it has an beer bottle opener included, what do you need more in an survival situation?!

I have used this same knife and like it a lot ... I don't love it like my Kabar , but it is an exceptional combat knife and has been carried by Special Forces / Particularly Navy Seals . The guard geometry aids in blade orientation in a combat capacity . The steel is the equivalent to AUS 8 - A . You can remove the butt cap and there is a hollow space . The tang does not extend to the butt cap . I rarely baton - I use an axe and use a small length of hacksaw blade with a ferro rod .These are very good blades and worth the 30 - 50 bucks one can expect to pay . Your review was fair and honest . Thanks for an excellent video . Lefty

Great video based on a great Knife I'm a proud owner of a G81 since 1986. A heavy duty essential piece of a survival kit, a real all purpose cutting tool I've used for almost anything

Have to say you have my favorite intro. You should bring back the longer version of it in my opinion. Simple, but warm, inviting, and adventurous.

Very good review. As you point out the spine requires some work to use a ferro rod. However many Mora knives do as well. My Glock has taken a good edge and holds it well. I actually think the tang is stronger then the Kabar stick tang. For a 30$ knife it's a great value.

Greetings from Austria :) I like your decent, straightforward way of presentation, without the theatrics and gung-ho attitude of some other channels. There's a British guy whose channel you may also like 'MCQ Bushcraft'.

Thanks for steering me over to this video Bryan. Another solid review. Fairly easy to fix the spine for sparking (unless, like me, you have the root saw back) and refine the edge. My understanding is that the little bend in the top hand guard is for prying (like a bottle opener) of containers.

I have used my glock 78 field knife for the last two years of hard camp use. I striped the coating from the blade and filed the spine flat, It must be some form of carbon steel for it will rust .not a perfect knife, but still a great knife IMO. Great video.

Great video, thanks for your work!

*Yes. GLOCK KNIVES are typically made with 1095 Carbon Spring steel. When the black coating wears off, these can rust. Light oiling with "food grade oil" HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I prefer OLIVE OIL or UNSALTED Crisco. IF your knife will not touch your food...any oil will do. I believe theses are hardened to about Rockwell 55 to allow blade "some spring or flex qualities". GLOCK intended to avoid over hardening, which can cause a blade to break or shatter from impact. Works well, easy to re-sharpen, can rust. BLADE QUALITY IS VERY SIMILAR TO US ARMY CARBON STEEL FIELD KNIFE. The plastic handle and sheath might actually be better than the US version.*

There was a RU-vidr who did destruction tests on many well known knives. This knife survived everything. I have 2 and the sheath is one of the best features. You can draw the knife quickly but someone reaching for your knife will not be able to withdraw it unless they know exactly how to. The sheath has no glass fiber to dull the edge, is acceptable for airborne use. Easy to sharpen carbon steel blade and I keep my razor sharp with little effort. The guard is bent because it is used as a bayonet on several European military weapons. File or grind a 90 degree on the edge if you want to use it for ferro rods. A great knife for almost any use which you would expect from Glock.

Yes, many survival "experts" recommend having a knife with a 90 degree spine. Many do this especially to sell their or their friends knives. Is this a negative? *Yes* to the experts. *No* to 98% of people who actually get into survival situations. Why doesn't it matter, i.e. not having a squared 90 degree spine on a survival knife? 1. The big obvious one is all knives can strike a fire steel/ferrocerium rod with their edge near the guard/handle. Since this is an emergency survival situation it doesn't matter if 1/4" of your blade is dulled for fire. 2. Also noted in the video by S on P, almost every fire steel today comes with it's own striker negating the need to use your knife's spine. 3. In nature you can find flint to strike a ferrocerium rod. So I think the Glock Field knife's spine is fine and if you really what a 90 degree spine just square it off yourself with a file. Happy Holidays!

Such a great knife, I recently bought a second one. Thanks for the video.

Thanks Brian... Good review of the Glock knife that I carried in my pack for some years. I have taken it out based upon your observations and leaning towards the Schrade either SCH9 or the 27 that you recently reviewed. Do you have a preference between the latter two?

That looks like a good, solid, no nonsense field knife and you certainly can't argue about the price. I'd be interested to see a follow up after you finish reworking the edge.

Hi - I like the channel! Subscribed! Good review - I also have a 78 and it sharpens up really well - worth doing. I added a lanyard to the scabbard and it now doesn't wobble around when I'm walking. I didn't try batonning but it's good to know it works! The knife and sheath are currently on the side MOLLE of my rucksack. Best, Rob

Picked up an olive green 81 OEM off amazon (because prime shipping) and its a great piece, cant wait to get my hands on a 78 with the non serrated but theyre hard to find. Recently picked up a couple Opinel knives that i hear are sharp & easy to sharpen so im excited to compare them towards this glock knife. (obviously 2 totally different types of knives, but i still like to see the comparison as i am a fan of both brands)

One thing when batoning larger pieces of wood, no matter what knife you use, it is always easier to split closer to the edge than straight down the center. It puts less strain on the tip of the knife, it also gives you more tip to baton, and you will usually be processing the split pieces smaller anyway, so saves some work to make them smaller to start with. My son-in-law has a Glock knife and I was impressed with it, never got to test it, so appreciate you doing so.

Dear Brian. In the meantime I have seen some videos of you, but I have never seen you without glasses, sometimes with different glasses but never without glasses, a pair of glasses looks great on you. The first thing I would do with this knife is to further sharpen the blade to the handle, then there is more room to hammer on the blade if you have to cleave wood. Furthermore, on the back of the knife, I would file the blade close to the handle at a sharp angle for the fire bar. I would attach a small compass to the holder.

hello, I have had a great deal of experience with the Glock "field-knife" and I can tell you a few things that could help you in your 'care & feeding' of this very good knife (quality for cost). first thing I'd like to say is that we must remember that this is a knife, not a ferro rod scraper...however there are two ways to implement this knife as a 'scraper' first the 90° angle does exist in place on the blade. at the last 1/2 inch of the blade right on the other side of the grip & handle, where the blade has not been shaped into its edge yet. this set of four 90° angle is coated very heavily with the blackpaint and merely requires the coating to be removed in whatever way you see fit to expose the sharp corner (file, chemical, sand...). personally, every ferro rod I've ever received has a scraping device on the same cord or somehow incorporated into the same "kit", and usually if you get a quality rod, the scraper is ergonomically designed to work with the rod it came with, so I will simply keep the rod & scraper seperate. I recommend the "light my fire" Swedish fire tool. it's the army 2.0 model I speak of. SO easy to use. one other option that can do in a pinch is the serrated edge on the back of the blade, once the coating is worn off the teeth, it will make spark for you. Probably the most useful advice I can add to your review and helpful experience I can offer concerns your " dull blade" situation... you're absolutely right, it is not very sharp right out of the box. I was even a bit discouraged after trying to sharpen mine, until one day I saw where someone commented that it took them a very long time to achieve a good sharp edge. So I decided to have another go at it. sure enough, after about an hour with my "smith's 2 stage sharpener...I found to my surprise that I had basically re-shaped the blade to a razor sharp edge. now that it's been reconfigured, it only takes a handful of drags through the sharpener on both the 'coarse' and the 'fine' slots and it's back to being wicked sharp. it's easy to sharpen due to the carbon steel. So don't give up everyone. also, if you don't like the scabbard that comes with this knife, there is a new, more traditional holster. you may have to look around a bit...Midway possibly? hope I was able to help people consider saving a fortune by purchasing the Glock for 32$ and having a better knife than many 100+$ competitors.

You can gently use the blade closer to the handle.. or put a 90° edge on the spine, near the handle

Looking forward to it.

Great review

Say Heah Brian, just about the time I wanted to buy that military knife, I walked in my neighborhood pawn shop, there was this tan knife in a bag that was never opened, I didn't pay much for it since even those guys didn't know what it was so I got it at a good price, I still don't have much info on it, but I was able to find out it was made by General Cutlery, this is the company that made the M-7 version for the Canadians, they used a stainless steel instead of the carbon steel, anyhow after I bought it and looked it over, I also found out the knife was made for the Desert Storm War, and since the war didn't last long there was alot of surplus to put it mildly, anyhow the blade came very sharp, but also the tang is a full tang on my knife and it extends a little past tge pommel that is very solid metal and some small hand gaurds made of the same steel, and you can tell it's very well made, I know it is because I like knives and know a little about them, the only writing was in the package on a little piece of paper that said Desert Tan, the sheath is made by a American company that made military sheath's just because there was little info on it I got a super good knife for basically peanuts, as soon as you pick it up you can tell it was for military use, probably for the Canadians that were going to help us, it's a beaut and looks like a good military dagger sort of like the M-3 trench knife, it's just a coincidence but last night before I went to sleep, I picked it up and checked it out again, it made me thankful I got a real good knife at a great price and your video reminded me of that, anyhow Brian have a Safe and a Happy 4th of July

The piece of an old hacksaw blade works very well for a nice shower of sparks even a rocks works. Like your vids very much, they are honest regards Fred

Brian! Guess who was your 1001st sub? Proud to tip the scales! I've watched a ton of your vids, including the exclusive on the SCHF27! I'll be back in town in two weeks, and maybe we can figure out some trade for my SCHF01 for you to try out!

Very good, Thank you very much

man I am never going to sneak up on you in the woods. you are getting really good at throwing tomahawks and knifes. great review bud. especially for the price

I've got the Schrade schf 37 and it's an excellent knife for under $50!

Brian! Guess who was your 1001st sub? Proud to tip the scales!

Awesome review.... But, it don't strike a ferro rod & it aint got much mass for a chopper....nope not the knife for me. Thanks for all the information, your saving folks like me money. 🤝👍💯

El Glock es un excelente cuchillo, considerando además la relación calidad y costo. Muy buen video amigo.

Nice video, i particularly like the fact that you just didn't stuck to the spine for stripping a ferro rod. Obviously any 90* edge will do. On m'y schrade Schf 9 the finger choil do throw a very Nice spark. Keep up the good work.

Glock did change the rounded back. It now has a very nice serrated edge. Definitely love this knife.

Thanks Brian for this review. You answered one of my questions regarding using this knife as a striker for a ferro rod. Now, after reading the comments on this thread, I believe i can answer some questions about this knife after much research on RU-vid which I think you will find interesting. I recommend two videos. First, RU-vid video: Feldmesser 78 Glock Rifle Bayonet for Steyr Aug by the KGB65 He actually shows photos of this knife mounted on the Austrian Steyr Aug. It explains the purpose for the rear hole and the "beer bottle opener" It is how it mounts on the rifle. BTW I have no idea why this guy uses that chanel name, he sounds very American to me. The second video will validate the strenght of this knife. The video is called: Glock 78 Field review by Gear Nut. It runs 8:58 . He lives in Nebraska and claims he has been processing 6-7 logs a week for his Dad's firewood for the last 3 years and this knife is still going strong. He has beaten it with a concrete hammer and it still works fine. I hope these videos answer some questions for your viewers.

The tang on the Glock 78 and 81 is very short, I think it goes through the first two "sections" of the handle grooves and is secured with a nut, and the handle has a hollow compartment with a plastic cap. Normally this is not good news but, due to the plastic used, as with Glock handguns, the knives are very durable. They are in a very small group of knives where not having a full tang is not a weakness. Normally such construction is best avoided. The straight back 78 model is genuine military issue. The 81 model has the saw-back, for notching - not cutting through material, and is for the civilian market only. It amazes me how many dodgy suppliers state saw-back knives as military issue. Only as a war crime! The Hague Convention prohibits armed forces using serrated blades. Remember also that the Glock 78 is a military field knife intended for general use and it is, as intended, an effective weapon. Then you can appreciate the great design.

Good Vid Brian.From what I could find on the Knife; "A spring steel blade with a Rockwell Hardness of 50 to 55"Most militaries now view knives as a utility and not as a primary fighting weapon. Even the US Army is getting away from the Bayonet. Thats a mistake in my opinion. CQB with a bayonet adds to the psycholgical advantage of the soldier against the enemy. The Glock Field knife appears to be the utility knife in that the saw is for cutting roots when digging a fighting position and as afighting knife second.

thanks! i like the fact you batoned on the handle--a move i would make if wasn't afraid of breaking it!

It also has a removable end cap with a small storage compartment

I was looking at one at a gun show last week, Looks pretty nice.

Hey Brian, do you have a small kit like an Altoids kit or something similar? Something that you carry fire starting in or small EDC? And I see that you're about to hit 1000 subs, if you haven't already, awesome sir, it's well deserved. Hope that you get 1000 more.

I have one its a good knife nice review

very nice knife/review!

You like just like him. Not saying it's a bad thing. I am a fan of both of ya.

I have a AES Solingen German field knife. It looks just like the Glock but is the German version. I have never seen another one!

Brian, this seems to be a good knife for the price point. I know one thing folks do with their mora knives is mod the spine to strike a fire steel so your right, that should work here

Great knife, would absolutely have this with your gear.

COOL VIDEO ✌️

how about grinding a tiny v-shaped slot on the back of the blade? It would create a rough opening for the fire steel, and could be also sharpened to act as a rope-cutting slot?

Quick tip : the hole in the scabbard can also be used to blow more efficiently on a fire... ;) Love that knife, it's extremely resilient ! And it's a decent throwing knife as well. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the belt loop cannot rotate (to move out of the way when you wanna blog on your fire for example). But it's really one of the best cost/quality knife ever made !

'mornin, Bryan;Congrat's on the sud 's 'splosion;Great Job.The Glock sure was up 2 the test.As U said a few mod's & she's good 2 go ! Hoping all's well there. Happy Trails From The Maritimes In Canada ATB Terry " GOD BLESS "

I like that Glock knife. It is comparable to a Ka Bar as its designed for soldiers to use in the field and as back up weapon. A fair test and good conclusion.

if you point the blade towards the ground and use the divit found at the end of the bottle opener, or the right angle part of the guard, you can easily throw sparks.

*It is possible to re-grind the back or spine of the knife to have a hard and square edge. Re-bluing with Blue Wonder Gun Black might be a wise choice.*

I have one and brought a few home with me from overseas - $4 Cdn each ;) back in 1986.

Spring steel HRC55 Phosphate treated blade material (440c SS)

Bryan, just FYI the saw back model will strike a ferro rod withoutn a problem. It's the paint on the blade that keeps it from working as a striker. Thanks for the videos.

I like mine. It took me a while to put an edge on it,but it seems to hold the edge fairly well. The knife seems to really be built pretty stout. I haven't beat on mine much to test it's limits though.

looks just like my cold steel SRK in SAN MAI a few minor changes to the handle shape and the SRK has a double edge at the end of the blade but the same shape and size and the AUS8 steel just like the SRK so I am not sure I can give her a original design award but it looks like a rely great knife

Hi Brian i have tried to purchase one of these knives in the uk and cannot get one anywhere i can get a ka bar but i cannot justify the cost so i will have to keep on looking for a decent knife . Good trial for the knife thanks chum.

A Dremel tool and some good carbide bits can open up many possibilities for knife modification . I think it's a great knife for the money and a good knife to practice that Dremel tool on without losing a lot of money . A lot of people buy these high end knives and then act like they're afraid to use them because of the high price they paid for them . A knife is a tool so use it . Thanks for the video 👍

A Glock knife is a spin-off of Amaura night Isaac but a lot more heavy duty because the handle does not go through the whole knife handle it's good but does have its drawbacks

Two words: Bic lighter.

love the hat-where did you buy it?

Apparently some come very sharp from the factory, some not so much, for whatever reason. Mine was razor sharp. In any case it's easy to sharpen to your liking

Great throwing knife. I like the knife but because it is spring steal it is hard to get to hold an edge. Thanks for the tip on getting it out of the sheath by pulling the little tang knob.

I cant believe you didnt throw this one!

I don't see the ability to strike a firesteel a huge draw back on a knife. Most firesteels come with their own striker anyway. Many people take a file to the back of mora knives to get that 90 degree spine, not sure if that would work as well with this knife depending on the steel.

im looking for a solid outdoor knife that doesnt cost more than 80, i guess a military type knife would be best right, i mean behind a knife design is a story right?

Like the Mora, you need to sand or file a 90 degree edge on the back of the blade in order to use with a fire steel. It takes all of 30 seconds with a 2x72 grinder, or a couple of minutes with a file.

5 years later and I make some observations as a former knife dealer. 1. I have 3 units. 2. If you want "flexibility" in carry, buy a Spec Ops sheath. My glocks fit perfectly. If not, then warm up the removable plastic insert in hot water and mold it to the glock knife. 3. yes, you can wrap any sheath with paracord, giving you more options. 4. Yes, you can reprofile and sharpen the blade without expensive equipment, if you have the skills. 5. buy the tool for the application. This means if you want an inexpensive "camp knife" that is not capable of batoning logs or digging trenches and it is intended to be used by your kitchen warrior on a campout (not combat) buy an Ontario Old Hickory butcher knife and put it in a $12 Mexican leather sheath designed for the ka-bar and you have a camp knife for under $30. 6. For the armchair critics - remember, if you can design and produce a "better knife" for the price of a Glock knife, I will buy it.

The knife has no rattail tang that goes through till the endcap. It has only a 5cm (about 2 inches) long tang which is attached to the handle.

Glock Federstahl is the material. I have a friend who works there.

It is NOT a Bottle opener. It is made to tighten the Insert for the Flash hider (for blanks) at the austrian service Rifle ;) Made out of Spring Steel. Have mine for 20 Jears now.

I was waiting for you to throw it at the tree to see how balanced it is.

Hi sir if you must to pick up, betwen glock 87, ka bar usmc family, gerber SA, what ur best choise??? For survival and thougness

Instead of grinding the blade try to file a flat edge on the back hilt that's what I did with mine and it worked beautifully

Which knife would you recommend for general outdoor use and work, Mora Companion heavy duty or Glock?

I have a Glock knife just like the one in the video. I got mine directly from Glock for $30. I had to take a rough stone to reset the edge to sharpen the knife. The edge put on the knife by Glock is more suitable for a machete or for rough use. The knife is made of spring steel and the hardness is somewhere between 50 and 55 using the Rockwell scale of hardness. Mine must be closer to 55. It took several sessions with a rough and medium stone before I would even consider getting a good edge on the knife with a ceramic rod. The Glock knife is no comparison to my usual belt knife a Buck 110 as far as sharpness but the Glock knife is one of the stronger knives I have ever owned. I would have complete confidence in the Glock knife as a step to climb a rock or tree. For self defense I would not worry about breaking the Glock knife on bones. I cannot say that about the Buck. In a survival situation I would use the Glock knife for rough work to save the edge on my Buck for fine caping and other work that requires a very sharp knife. If I could only pack one knife it would be the Buck 110.

The blade is made of SAE 1095 spring steel with a hardness of 55 HRC and are phosphate-treated. Has relatively low corrosion resistance tho but still durable

Does hitting the knife with a log, when splitting wood, damage the blade in any way? or is it impossible for wood to damage metal in this case?

Ok, I have not read all the comments, but the reason, that this knife looks a little funny, with the hole in the back of the handle and the bend upper finger guard is, that it is a bayonet knife for the army of Austria. It is ment to put on to a riffle and fight, and that is what the mentioned things are for to attach it to the riffle.

That is nice looking knife and it looks like it is well built also. It is too bad that you can't start a fire using it, but that isn't a deal breaker since my fire steel have a striker with it anyway and I can use my knife as a working tool.

i am too... i'm gonna have several ferro rods on me, but the knife's gotta have that spine edge you speak of and i don't wanna buy a new knife and have to file that spine down. it should come that way for what kind of knife this is. disappointing to say the least of somebody of quality like the glock name. makes you say, "what are they thinking?". brian, how's your cardio? you sound exhausted! another VG review - up thumbed it - thx!

The knife has a hollow handle so you might be able to put a little striker in there if you really want to. Regards, Arno. BTW love ur vids keep it up!

The sawback model works well with the fire steel.