Survival knives: Five things to avoid when choosing a survival/hunting knife 

In college, I studied journalism and part of the requirements included radio and television announcing. I participate in Toastmasters to stay practiced. Thanks for the kind words.

I owned a Schrade folder years ago and liked it very much. It was the one that looked like the Buck 110, and it was EDC for me for several months when I worked construction. It ended up doing what a utility knife does, and worked really well. I have not done much with Schrade since. No particular reason - that's just how it worked out.

KA-Bar BK2 (Becker Companion). Full tang, 1/4" thick, holds edge very well. Tang extends beyond the grip to brake glass, use as a wedge with mallet and wood splitting. Made in the USA and not expensive. Check it out- just my opinion.

Your words of wisdom and clarity are like a breath of fresh air. Thanks for the insight.

With regard to celebrity endorsement of products, there are some people who are celebrities who will not endorse a product unless they feel it is a quality item. So if a celebrity is endorsing a product and you know they are knowledgeable in that field and are selective about what they will and will not endorse, it is probably going to be a good item. Otherwise you may end up paying a premium price for junk endorsed by a celebrity and if it is something that is critical in a survival situation you could end up dead. So Mr Pantenburg's caution on celebrity endorsement of commercial products is well grounded.

I've carried a Leatherman Wave for about 10 years. It works well for anything I've needed it for, and I highly recommend it. I would also recommend you get a Mora to start with. They're cheap and reliable, and you can always buy a better knife when you decide what you want. The Mora can then become a spare.

I recomend the ka-bar classic. The blade is full tang, and made of high resistance carbon steel. You can split rocks, and fillet fish right after. The edge holds true, and if you know how to truly sharpen a knife, you will never go wrong. Great video, priceless info

Thank you sir for very sound and sage advice. Keep these informative videos coming. A very hearty thumbs up.

I would agree with everything but the length. You can't process wood with a 4" blade. Unless you carry an ax or hatchet, you will need a large blade to process wood (chop, baton, shave) for a shelter or a fire. A 4" blade will wear you out.

I've got the Gerber bear grylls knife with the serrated edge I find the serrated edge brilliant and it doesn't cut down the whittling with the straight blade part and sharpening the serrated edge is a piece of cake .

For me, it's the ambush tundra! It's well designed and easy to handle, I like it so much I would buy two if only I could afford it!!!

For folders there are a few companies that make unbelievably good folding mechanism. Mainly Cold Steel, Spyderco, and Zero Tolerance. They put them through incredible tests to show the durability. Folders also are meant as an EDC and not a survival. Walking around the city with a bowie knife would scare anyone who sees you. Great video sir.

The serrated edge on a pocket knife has become popular. Let me tell you from experience, that nothing will slip and lay your hand open faster than a scalloped edge blade. I have a SAK that I will NEVER carry again after that incident. The scalloped edge is bad for just about anything you might use a pocket or survival knife for. As I said though, if your trying to lay the flesh of your hand open, it's great. Forget tight or precision work. It WILL slip, and you WILL cut the pad or some other part of your finger with it. OH WAIT! It does cut bread really well :) I have an old Swiss Army Huntsman that Ive carried since scouts and it performs in almost every way I need it to. I have a k-bar for everything else.

I have added compartments onto my Buck knife's sheath to handle the compass, line, hooks, and ferro rod. Without the hollow handle I can still take advantage of the full strength of my blade. Having the ferro rod alone with me give me the comfort I need as opposed to a cheap BudK hollow-handle wannabe Rambo knife.

Great video. I appreciate your insight.

About the Gerber BG knife, the steel is of decent quality. It is a little more into the stainless range than carbon so your weekend Rambo doesn't have to take care of it but it is a good steel. I don't want a hollow ground blade if it is going to be my only knife. Normally I have several knives in my survival kit ranging from tree chopping to skinning. If I had to limit myself to only one knife it would be either the SRK in Carbon 5 or the Outdoorsman in San Mai steel. Both are Cold Steel. The Outdoorsman has the advantage of a secondary blade on the spine for cutting through bone. Of course the SRK can do that with a little help. So, all things considered I would go with the SRK also.

Cold Steel, Master Hunter I think is about the best all around for carry for hunting / survival , tuff, great steel and comfortable to use even when my hands are cold. I have two one from the 80's and a new one, which is better ??? , the carbon V . I think holds an edge a bit longer. but let me use the new one for 20 years and i'll tell you then

The best knife is the one you have with you when you need it. :-)

I have personally fallen in love with the Tanto style, two straight edges make sharpening easy and you kind of have two points. The Cold Steel one kind of is the right size for me though if I was planning on needing to actually survive it would have to be a classic Ka-Bar but with the new Poly handles they put on them now.

Excellent common sense and information.

I agree with every part of that except I like an about 5-6 inch blade for chopping and batoning. Those also work surprisingly well small tasks aswell

honestly? an opinel? dont get me wrong, I love my opinel no 8, but opinels are picnic knives for bread and cheese. No way should you ever reccomend an opinel for a survival situation. even if you dont want to carry a fixed blade, a sturdy knife with a rock solid lock back mechanism is almost equal. the Buck 110 is the best folding knife for this description, and it wont be flimsy and snap like an opinel

totally agree with you. I have learned the same lesson about survival knife in 40+ years of outdoor life. Incredibile how many people forgot few, simple rules and found themself without knife (and other gear) in the middle of wood with half meter of snow sorrounding them

some good points, but mainly preferences. I like Gerber's serrations, they work awesome to make feather sticks. Mike from Blue Mountain Bushcraft and Outdoors demonstrates that. I will say if a Gerber knife is desired, the American ones like the LMF II, the prodigy, or the Strongarm are the ones to get. The cheap Bear Grylls knives will not handle hard tasks. Whenever I go to state land to hunt or practice woodcraft, my Gerber Strongarm is always my #1 pick. I do sometimes bring my Tops Condor Alert or my Schf9, but the Strongarm does most tasks really well. I do hope Gerber will make a knife similar to the Strongarm but with a longer blade, that be an interesting knife to check out!

You are lucky that thoughts cannot be copyrighted, as your thoughts and mine coincide almost word for word. Remember what Samuel Clemens said, "Common sense is the most uncommon sense of all."

Liked the video but had two issues with a couple of statements you made. My first issue is with the folding knives. I agree that in most cases, a folder is not the way to go for a survival knife but... The Cold Steel Recon 1 (several models available, I have the 4.5 in Tanto point) uses a new patented locking mechanism called Triad Lock. It will not fail and is considered to be the new tactical folder for this century. The second issue is with the hollow handled knife. In the 70's when the "Rambo" knife come out, these were pieces of crap and not worth anything, although a good idea, they were not made good at all, most of the time, the blades wee pinned or even bolted to the grip, disaster waiting to happen. That being said, I own a Schrade SCHF2 (check it out on RU-vid) and I think anyone will agree, this is a very good knife made with 1070 carbon steel, tried and true. It is a one piece, from point to hilt, solid metal. So other than that, liked the video and would agree with most that was said :)

Great video! I wholeheartedly agree! Blessings!

very informative and helpful. nice job leon. I'll definitely use this when buying my next knife.

The the gerber knife "bear grills" is awesome. I have one and I've used it in the harshest of environments and the still hold very well. Just the right amount of carbon to steel ratio makes it a tough knife. Especially for chopping down wood, which happens often when trying to make spears or firewood/shelter. Don't hate on it.

How I wish, people would stop referring to the Cold Steel SRK and Master Hunter as "full tang" when they are nothing more than a typical stick tang, and a poorly designed one at that! They could at least add some flare to the tang, where it meets the blade, for far more strength.

Thanks again for a great set of information. ATB. Nigel

Schrade knives are a great budget friendly option... I have put my knife through the ringer, hot summers, winter snow. I tried breaking it after purchasing a little more expensive knife, I don't even use the Ontario knife anymore...

Becker BK7. Without a doubt. Strip the black coating off and you have a winner.

I can't stand serrated edges and I'm struggling to find a suitable knife without one.

cool vid bro, I totally dig your approach, style and even most of your opinions, just found ya, just subbed.

At last someone whose thoughts I echo! Nice video - subscribed!

IMHO...

Have you ever even used a good folding knife? Even without a lock, you'd have to be a complete idiot to have one close up on your hand, and they do not fail unless you're dumb enough to try batoning with one. Of course, if yu have to baton with any blade, yu went into the woods unprepared. There is no such thing as one knife that can do everything, and as real frontiersmen learned long, long ago, without a good folding knife, a Stockman or Congress style, you can;t do numerous suvival tasks easily, nor any one of a dozen fireside tasks. You can get by with one knife for a hunting trip, but real survival means carrying a fixed blade, and a folding pocket knife. There are too darned many survival "experts" out there, and too darned few woodsmen.

I have the Cold Steel Master Hunter as well. I finally used it on a couple of deer and I like it. I also used my German Made Pohl Force Alpha 3 this season on a deer. It is the sharpest knife I have ever seen. It is a folder, but it is a brute. Made large enough for wearing gloves. I barely had to touch the pelt and it sliced through it like butter.

Solid advice and common sense. I need to get a Cold Steel SRK.

Mora knives, although great, are NOT full tang.

Good video. Ignore all the haters. They're just mad because they wasted money on the BG toy knives

very informative. plus I like the style of presentation. thank you and all the best in 2017.

Very practical. Really depends on the needs of the user. Always getting better, I'm glade we have choices.

One of the most useful videos about survival knifes out there. Liked.

Great and well done video! Thanks for posting.

I like your excellent points I use the Esse 4.

I received the same Bear Grylls knife for Chrismas a few years ago (except mine had the serrated portion on the blade) and I love it. It's been a great knife so far. But by far the best knife I own is my grandpa's old military issue Cattaraugus 225Q. Excellent knife, still cuts like a dream.

I agree. My choice lately is the Mora Bushcraft Black. Good all around knife. Also my everyday carry knife. Living in the woods offgrid the last few years my knives get a lot of use. Function and good steel are what matter.

I couldn't agree with you more, i have been using a cold steel master hunter for 20 years without fail all across Australia. Great review. :-)

Good video totally agree thanks for sharing

good solid vid, and I agree with your 5 dislikes for a hunting/bushcraft knife. The problem I have is the perceived cross over between hunting (and bushcrafting) knives and survival knives. IMHO a true 'survival knife should be on the larger size (so as you can effectively chop with it) and look at a minimum blade length of 8", my Cold Steel san maiIII Trail Master is a perfect example of a 'survival' knife, capable of ALL survival based tasks. I totally agree that hunting/bushcraft knives can be on the smaller side. With that being said I believe no one knife can be expected to be capable of doing all tasks and hence I am a tool heavy advocate and look at a two knife load out as standard (a large knife and a small knife on your belt, and I suggest having at least a multi tool in one pocket and a quality folder in the other, so my current bush knife set up features a CS Trail Master SMIII, CS Master Hunter SMIII, a Leatherman Wingman and a CS Ti-Lite [aus-8/zytel handle] with those 4 tools I can expect to cover every eventuality, and it gives me redundancy in case of loss or catastrophic damage). I also live by the adage 'there are many things a small knife cannot do, and few thing a large knife cannot do'

Just some simple input on one of the knives you researched...one of my go to survival knives, and of course I have an assortment par the the area and condition...is the Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro Knife. I have carved two pipes with it, carved three walking sticks, cut logs right down to feather sticking...I even slammed it through a car door!!! I glued the whistle to the tip of the sheath...put bike inner tube on the handle, and placed a survival mirror and magnifying glass in the top pocket opening and sealed that as well. On the problem with the fire striker pull out...I placed two, two meter squares of electrical tape on the base and solved the pull out issue! All in all with all the beating I have gave this knife....it only took 4 minutes to bring the blade back!!!! So, just saying and sticking up for an excellent product in the field. John

Very smart choices. I used to think that for camping I needed the biggest knife I could afford. Twenty-five years later, I've learned that you don't need to carry that much knife around with you just to go camping.

Thank you for the good advice. I went and bought a new survival knife and knew what to look for and got a great knife and a great deal and avoided all the pit falls the locals here fall into. I got a Gerber Moment Fixed Blade, full tang, nice handle and good price. Thanks again.

Good information people can stand by. This just my opinion but when more than one party (that has no affiliation) gives similar advice, about the same subject you can take it as pretty solid intel’.

Thanks man. This video was really helpful. Nice video:) i subbed

This was very informative and useful.

I've been using my Camillus USAF Pilot's Survival Knife for over 20 years. It's the one I keep coming back to. Great chopper, easy to handle, and although the sawback is not designed for wood, it is great for notching. I also like the Moras that I have.

I would go with my esse 6 from knife connection. Upgraded every part. Awesome knife.

Great work on video mate

I enjoyed those tips thanks! :)

“That can cause a very serious survival situation” lmfao. Good video

I got the gerber lmf ii coyote tan it is so much better than any other knife I have had it works amazingly and it has partial serration but it helps me a lot when needing to cut thought thing and helps me with availability because the leg strap helps me not notice it . I love my knife!!

thanks for your quick response. as you say ya best tool is your common sense. I think the choice boils down to purpose and how long your away for. I will say sap will dull a blade like a machete but an axe as stated in the link you sent me works using velocity and sap wouldn't make a difference. also an axe has a heavy blunt edge which can prove useful. your a wise man thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Good info. I don't like serrated edges either but I do have one or two. Some like them for cutting rope and such but a really sharp plain edge should do that job just fine.

thanks for posting, great video

Certainly I agree with you about celeb endorsed/branded knives etc. These are only for people who almost never go into the wilds, very inexperienced in the wilds. Ok everyone doesn't start out as experienced so maybe as a beginner you might end up with one of these types of knives. Well made serrations I see no problems with and will not stop you whittling if you know what you are doing. Also it depends on the environment you plan to do your camping/hunting in will play a role in the type of knife you take with you. For example, I don't take my 35 year plus PUMA Hunters Friend on my coastal camping trips, it's gets taken on my hunting trips away from salt spray etc. Yes, despite the presence of heavy duty folders now available in 2015, any folding mechanism is just another place for a knife to fail. Good video!

Thanks, well presented.

Good video. Great points. My favorite is my Esee 5.

You have same views as me and am looking into getting a srk as it just ticked all my box's and you have topped it off thanks Alex

While this is a great common sense review, I'm still confused by all the people hating on the BG ultimate survival knife. The concern I hear most is the steel quality, which I haven't had any issues with. I also use my equipment hard, and have never broken, or had any issues of any kind with mine. The part I find most humorous is people saying "saving a few bucks" isn't worth it and then compare the BG to knives 2.5 to 5.5 times as expensive as that knife ($123.54 for the BK2 and $265 for the CT Fischer, and for the higher quality steel, thats $318!!!). $47-$50 for a solid, good sized knife, that includes a sharpener and a fire steel, is a hell of a bargain. I've used mine for whittling, feather stick making, baton work, and in fact processed all the needed hardwood, tinder, and fat wood with mine without any issue. Probably my only two complaints are the nearly useless belt loops on the sheath, and the non removable grip. Do I prefer made in America, absolutely, my camp axe is a Hardcore Hammers zombie apocalypse axe, and I love it. But it seems like all the knives that I'd carry into the bush, that are made in America, have astronomical price tags. Are they worth it? most likely, but for those of us on a budget, being able to walk into wally world, and pick up a quality, well thought out knife like the BG ultimate survival knife, for less than $55 bucks, is a damn good option.

I've heard good things about the bk2, from people whose opinions I respect. I have not personally had a chance to try one.

good video no nonsense views While I like and do use big knives with 7 inch blades, those knives have never been useful to me on extended hunting trips and the one time I attempted to use a large clip point as a test for dressing out a mountain goat, I ended up switching to my trusty Puma Hunters friend that's seen tonnes of real dressing action. I subbed too.

thanks for the great video. I'm making my first knife. using an old edger blade. was going to add a gut hook till I watched this and now share your caution.

I viewed this video; another informative video. Stay the course with these; so much valuable information and opinion. Bob

Extremely informative video and comment section as well. Awesome vid.

ok.. so i looked around for a good while and finally ended up purchasing the bear grylls ultimate pro knife. unlike the previous ultimate knife, its full tang, premium steel, it also has a good size and weight,carbine sharpener,firesteel, sheath that takes the knife in both directions..can do it all. I did not buy it because it was a bear grylls knife, i bought it because i couldnt find a better knife in its price range. enjoying it so far. Bear grylls by the way did use the old ultimate knife in one if his episodes in new zealand in season of man vs wild..as a person who has watched every episode of his shows, i can say he has encouraged me as an indoor computer rat to love the outdoors. His advice to me is great and I admire his can do attitude.. Ofcourse his shows are over exaggerated at times, duh its tv, but still alot of good info there and its fun to watch.

I like the fact that you come to the point right off. Simple and direct. While I disagree with the length. I prefer a 5 to 6 inch blade for a more versatile bushcraft/survivial. Think a 3/4 inch knife serves better in general hunting, which is the examples you used to illustrate your choice.

Nice vid, I'm a knife lover, from Iowa.

I agree on the Bear Grylls knife. I bought one a few years ago with the serrated edge and both the serration and straight edge portions bent as well as the tip and I wasn't even using it for anything I would call intensive. I agree with you on the knife length too.

The les stroud article is great. It holds up against a kabar Becker B2, gerber lmf 2, and many more top of the line knives.

I have owned and used many knives over many years including monster 10" bladed Bowies, but the two that I fall back on for everything is a Pat Mitchell knife from Sheffield which has about a 4" blade, and a MOD survival knife with a 7" blade and is indestructable, these two knives have served me well for decades, one is for light/medium general work the other is for medium/heavy duty work

this gave me knowledge i didnt know

Very nice tutorial.

Good information. Thanks.

Great vid thanks

I've used my LTWK Genesis for almost three years now. The Kephart design and A2 steel has served me very well in all tasks.ease of sharpening and general maintenance afield is important to me .With the DWX kydex sheath, the Genesis is my go to blade. Good info ,Leon. ~Jon Adams

You're totally right, sir (actually i hoped to be the same ones that i was thinking). I used to like big bowie knives because they look cool, but now i preffer the little portable and strong knives.

Very well put together!.. and I agree on so many points, my preference is the Ghurka Khukri with the burnishing tool and small blade "chakma" great for gathering firewood and quartering out an Elk, practically indestructible and quite easy to keep razor sharp. some of the best new examples I have purchased are from "Tora Blades in Devon, U.K." provided by Simon Hengle trainer to the Ghurka's.

Thank you for posting. From buffalo NY

i have a carbon steel Condor Bushcrafter, nice drop point and a K-bar 1440 stainless blank I equipped with a chunk of broom handle shaped, oiled and riveted on... the condor is almost 4" and the k bar is almost half that. each are sturdy, do great work, and have lasted. there's such a thing as too much knife. good vid! btw, the gut hook thing scares the daylights outta me - too easy to hook it onto me.

i have to agree with the simple one-piece-full-tang-blade advice. the simplest tools always works the best in the worst of times.

Enjoyed your video. Thank you for posting it. I agree with you about the serrations and about folding knives. I got a nasty cut when I was a kid from a folding knife that collapsed. I don't agree with your assessment of the BG knife. I've been using it from some time now and it is simply fantastic. They've missed nothing on that one! If the same knife didn't have BG on it I bet you might feel differently about it. Thoughts?Again, great video and thank you for posting it!

great video. i just got in the mail today my 1st survival/camping knife from the knife connection, an esee 5, black plain knife with black g10 scales, and a kydex sheath. it is an absolutely gorgeous knife. i am looking forward to testing it. again, thank you for the video, it was awesome.

The moras look great. Very good video. Never understood the allure of the hollow handle knife either

You made some very good points. It is good to hear opinions based on experience. I agree with you about hollow handles, folders, serrated edges and celebrity endorsed knives. Those are all deal breakers for me, but I'd have to add stainless steel to my list.

Hello from Kentucky land between the lakes. Thank you for an Awsome video review on knives. I agree 100 % on likes and dislikes on survival knives. My favorite survival knife I carry in the woods is a Gerber prodigy and a buck 110 folder for backup knife. Thank you for sharing and God bless 🇺🇸 may God wach over you and your family and free from covid 19. Crazy times were living in today.

Good solid advice.

A knife i would think that you might like is the danish "senior" knife from erling vangedal, its a knife used allot by the danish scouts and is a very practical knife, been using mine for almost a decade now and its still going strong. a good knife to a good price. i liked your advices.