What I look for in Knives! 

Because my Canadian dealer is out of stock, I have now opened up shipping to US and Canada again. You can purchase both knives at my website: www.survivallilly.at Shipping time from Europe to USA/Canada takes 6 to 8 weeks. Stock is limited and there will not be new shipments after the knife has sold out. This is because of price increases coming from the knife factory in Taiwan.

Please read before commenting! For clarification: Small Opinel No4 I show in this video does not lock. Bigger Opinels do have a lock tough. I mention this at 6:15 min in this video. Please watch the whole video before commenting.

For 65 years I have used slip joint knives for many tasks in camping, hunting, and fishing. I have never cut myself. As with any tool one must think before using. But, for young or new users you do give some good advice on folding knife. Also, knives should be used for knife tasks (cutting & slicing).

Unfortunately, the exact same thing happened to me 3 years ago when I was just 11 years old. I was trying to make an cut in a pine tree to get resin for glue but my Victorinox huntsmen flipped back onto my finger. I have that exact same scar. I needed to keep my finger straight for a long time and even needs to wear a splint. I actually lost that knife. Now, I only used locking blade folders and my cold steel srk. Been watching since 2016. Awesome video!! 👍👍👍👍

Survival Lily: "That's not a knife. THIS is a knife..." 😆

I have been using a Spyderco as my EDC for near 10 years. I can’t think of a better blade to carry. Solid edge retention, comfortable in the hand, well built. 10/10 solid recommend.

Thank you for the great content Lilly.I spent a lot of time and money to find the right knives.

I've never messed myself up with any folding knives, locking or not. You just have to mind what you're doing and not use the knife for anything beyond the intended purpose

Ahhhh Lilly. The Opinel DOES LOCK! The metal collar rotates to lock the blade in place. That’s the genius of that design!

Felix Immler did a video on how to safely baton with a folding knife, you're not going to baton larger stuff like you can with a fixed blade but his method makes sense. Now, to my question. Have you ever looked at the Puma White Hunter as a survival knife? I really like your videos I find them quite informative on a number of things so please keep them coming.

The best survival knife is the one you have with you when you need one. Better a opinel in the pocket as a machete at home...

Unfortunately in the UK it is illegal to carry a knife with a locking blade and over 3" in length anywhere unless you can prove you have a use for it, which can be extremely difficult to do even when camping or hiking. To be honest, and in my opinion, its a silly law due to the safety issues you've described but we are stuck with the standard Swiss Army Knife for EDC over here.

Thank you my dear friend for all the update, and thank you for sharing, your friend, in the backwoods of Kentucky in the USA, much love❤.

Terava 140, Mora Kansbol, Victorinox SAK, LEATHERMAN P4 Free, Fiskars X7 hatchet axe, pocket saw and large saw. These are economy tools and they are really really good.

Excellent video! HAPPY TO REPORT: while the older Opinel # 8 might open by itself, the latest Opinel # 8 that I bought has the new safety feature that you mentioned: a simple locking notch cut into the metal collar, the blade can’t open up until the locking collar is rotated, perhaps all the Opinel sizes will have that feature eventually. The new feature is no bother at all, very clever.

You are so very articulate in your second language!!!! It is a pleasure to listen to you!

Excellent, lilly, I liked the review! My favourite knife an Opinel #10

Thank Lilly for safety first . Every knife has its limitations. You are a great resource on survival and knives . Great content.

I've learned so much from your videos, Lilly. Love your channel.

Newer Swiss knifes have a lock feature on the main blade . The best knife I own I made out of a truck spring with a solid ash handle !

My main knife now is the nomadic joker. And I also bought the joker erizo for a back up I wear it on my neck. Really great knives. I had the TOPS BOB knife for like 10 years another awesome knife.

Lilly, thank you for caring for us, trying to protect us. We enjoy your commentary and demonstration…with a feeling that you are for us. We are for you and hope you fare well in this world of raising prices and direct threats. Thank you for sharing…from Kentucky.

The greatest danger with a non locking knife is putting your thumb on the blade and cutting through something. As soon as the resistance is gone your thumb will close the blade and cut the fingers. Never cut with your finger or thumb on a non locking blade.

As a lucky fellow that has tried lots of folding knives I can say that I always have in mind the locks, but in time I learned to trust the Cold Steel TriAd lock fully. A fixed blade might break before a triad lock. Even cold steel blades, tough as they are will break long before the lock.

Good, well thought out descriptions. Thank you for sharing your experience so we don't have to learn the hard way ourselves.

Thanks Lilly, good tips and info. I have several types of knives. I usually have two or 3 knives if I am in the woods for two or 3 days. 😊thanks for sharing

I have the tracker, and it is a very good knife. I got it quite sharp with my stones. On pocket knives for self-defense or heavy use always check the lock.

Danke fürs Zeigen!

You're absolutely right about tracker blades. I have the smallest tracker, the tops T4. And I bought it on a whim. I disliked it until I started really using it as instructed in the very few RU-vid videos there are of it. And once practiced, I won't go back. I love trackers now. Even made a few myself.

My absolute favorite locking blade knife is the Buck 503 Prince. It's just the right size for getting work done but it is small enough to never notice it in your pocket. Buck makes knives that lock open and mimic a fixed blade with their tight tolerances and all stainless steel construction. Recently I have been carrying a victorinox swiss army knife with only four main tools. It's great too but you need to know how to use it. We've been using non locking blades for over a hundred years and although accidents can happen, they're pretty safe for most people in appropriate situations.

I just got my apo 1 s And two fire steels. I am very happy the quality is great and the weight and feel is fantastic

I have a number of Swiss Army knives. They are great within their limitations. The main thing I find myself using is their scissors. For heavier work I use a Benchmade Adamas or Mini Adamas. For tougher work, I use a Mora Garberg. But I don't "baton" with a knife--that's a job for an axe or a saw!

Best to carry one heavy duty stainless, and a smaller carbon steel knife for easier sharpening, delicate work, cleaning game, and starting fires.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Thanks for this video Lilly. 😁👍

I've got 2 x SAK in my handbag, along with ferro rod, Fresnel lense, large pencil sharpener and hand sanitiser.

The Mora Garberg is an excellent knife. It is a true full tang knife. Its Scandi grind is easy to sharpen.

Thanks, Lilly!

have been using a slip joint knife sins i was 10, now 59 never have i cut myself, and use it every day. my hole live on a farm. i really use my knife every day. that said like with all knives you have to be carefull , and accidents do happen. one tip, with use of any knife, never be rushed while using a knife. great vid thank you for sharing. greats from the Netherlands. ps love the tracker knife and going to buy one...

I just ordered one of the trackers…no reason other than it looks cool. I personally use a titanium folder with stainless surgical blades & a custom made Viking belt axe for my cutting tools but…the trackers just looks cool and buying from Lilly’s store supports the channel…because why not.

Lily I thought I knew something about knives. You showed me a couple of extra things I'm glad I saw

Lily, I appreciate your comments on safety and durabilty for a "survival" knife. I know you value a chopper functionality for harvesting and processing wood, but such thick heavy blades are terrible for carving or processing fish and small game. Personally I prefer a saw for harvesting firewood, and prefer a thinner blade for fish and game. If I could only carry one cutting tool it would be a short handled axe sharpened for carving.😮

Hello, Lilly . If you want a pretty simple knife project, try an American Civil War file or rasp knife. Some of them already have the dagger shape , and only need some sharpening and to drill holes for a handle. When raw materials became scarce they used whatever they had . Some of them were made in the field.

I have the Lock blade SA, it also has a very good saw. Great for a climbing deer stand. I've had mine for 30+ years. use it Deer season.

Hi Lilly. I usually just learn from your videos but the Swiss army knife gave me cause to say something. Almost 35 years ago my wife gave me a Swiss army knife for our first anniversary. She said I won it but I didn't a clue about that. I believe it's the same one you have there. I still have it to this day, but when I was alone I was opening everything up. The small blade was open already and when I opened the larger blade it snapped open at the end and I cut my thumb on the the smaller blade. All that to say it can be dangerous even when you're not 'using' it. Thank you for all you do.

Great topics you cover Lily....I have always a small Swiss knife for every day use

I absolutely love hearing her speak English!! she's beautiful and smart 🤓 and she's 1000% right bout a folding knife MUST lock open especially for survival/camp use

I guess the Marbles knife that served my Grandfather well hunting, fishing, and camping in the early 20th Century and the stick tang Puukko knife that served my Father well in the mid-20th Century for the same tasks need to be relegated to the collection bin. Mike Stewart of Bark River Knives did a video once where he apologized (in jest) for all the knives they made with skeletonized handles none of which have ever broken. I have owned and used 5 different versions of the Tracker knife, the best I can say is that it is a design that looks good on paper, not so much so in the real world. I’ll stick with my Victorinox Farmer X, late 1990s Marbles Woodcraft, my small Kaltoff hatchet and my Baccho Laplander saw - the right tool for the right job. And, in Grizzly country I’m adding my rifle to the mix as no cutting tool will outperform a Grizzly’s teeth or claws backed up by 800lbs. of mass.

the opinel has a lock once you open it the little round bit under the blade you have to twist it then it locks up the blade the others are press folder besides the spiderco iv been using the swiss Armey knives for years yeah a press folder is unsafe unless you no how to use them there great for fine tasks there not really for heavy stuff great video Lilly love your video

My EDC of choice is the CRKT M16-10KS (tanto style) but I have the spear-point 01KS too and they're not expensive, decent edge retention and they positively lock. They're thin and compact which I like and though not assisted opening, you can easily deploy it with just your thumb. For a cheap EDC I highly recommend them.

It's just my opinion. I do not consider Liner Lock to be a strong locking mechanism. I personally buy only those closing knives that have a Back Lock mechanism or a modified back lock such as the Tri-Ad Lock.

When I was about 8 yrs. old (now 74) I road my bike down to an Army/Navy Surplus Store. It was my favorite store, just full of old military gear. I saw an old broken switch blade behind the glass case. The spring in it was broken and it would not flip out on its own. Therefore it was "considered" legal and I got it for only 50 cents. When I got home I was so proud of it and immediately showed it to my mom who was less than enthusiastic with my purchase & a little upset that the store owner had sold an 8 yr. old a knife.. I found that it was so loose, that if I oiled it really well I could give it a very quick flip of my wrist quickly to open the blade. Had that knife for years, don't ever remember cutting myself, but I guess I was just lucky.

thanks for all the great videos

Very cool video Lilly.

Opined knives will lock. When you open the blade there is a collar you twist to lock blade.

That Opinel is a great knife, but you definitely want the larger knife with the lock ring. One thing about the wood handle: in humid conditions the wood will swell making the knife tough to open when fully closed. When camping, I use the Opinel for cooking tasks and just leave it open until it is time to leave.

The opinel knife has a locking mechanism and with the swiss army knife I have never cut myself... working with it for many years now 🤷‍♂️

Love these videos because your explaining what works best in your experiences. Most of us are not knife experts and its for survival not carving a totem pole! Great content and advice!

Great video!!! With non locking knives I recommend using cut resistant gloves. I do this with camp chores or carving tasks. I also learned that the hard way. Accidents happen and I prefer not to get injured if I can prevent it. BTW you design beautiful knives. Right now my survival knife is the United Cutlery Combat Bowie knife. I can handle chopping, sawing, hammering, batoning, shaving, etc. I am very interested in your knives though.

Excellent vid! I was about to buy the Swiss army utility knife, but I think I would go for the black one, with the blade locking feature, that you showed. THANK YOU!

I like the AUS8 (Apocalypse Survival)- robust, ergonomic and bulletproof. The sheath with its integrated ferro rod and flashlight is outstanding.

Hi Lilly. It's always good to see you and listen to you. Regarding the folders, I have never been fond of any blade where half or more than half of the blade is serrated without leaving much straight edge. To have two or three serrations close to the handle is useful but the first knife you were showing isn't of much interest. Thanks for the presentation. 👍👍👍👍👍👍

Hi Lilly, Excellent knife safety video. I have a Swiss Army Knife but don't like it, blade doesn't lock and hard to grip especially for cleaning fish. Decisions, decisions, hard to choose, APO-1, APO-1T or APO-1S. Oh well, Thanks for the video. 🙂

Hello Lilly 👋🤓 another interesting video... Thanks ! Greetings from Belgium 😉🇧🇪

As usual, a great video.

I like buck knives, case, ka bar, cold steel. Mora is another good knife company. I like hollow grind better than saber grind. I also like full tang. Good video Lilly.

The Alpineer is for the wine, bread and cheese, you've got the Sentinel too (without a cork screw), these knives are for light weight tasks.

After testing many interesting and good knives, the APO models I bought from Lilly are a far superior value in the current marketplace. She is a gem to society in shaky times 🍀

I don't know Lilly at this point you better just carry a small hatchet like the GB Wildlife!

My grandfather has that scar.... he has said the same thing about swiss army knives

Great video, Mahalo for sharing.

I've used the Apo 1 hunter for 3 years now, it is still one of my favorite knives. The sheath is very good and it is a good value.

Been rocking a Spyderco PM2 for a long time now, still my favorite EDC blade.

I love and have learned so much from your videos. I sure do miss you going to your bug out camp. ❤️🇺🇸 Sorry… I miss Amy too 🐶

Great as always my friend still not bought my apo1 s yet but it is on my list lily lol 😊

can tell this video will be popular amongst london residents

Excellent video, Survival Lilly! 🔪 🏕️ 🔥

That "tracker"? knife looks like it came out of Star Trek! Looks like a Klingon knife.

I love my APO knife, used for bushcraft, hunting, skinning, batoning

You should add a compartment for when the handels are taken apart you theres a slot taken out of the metal or the scales to place a small fire rod

Hey , Nice job on video and showing all the different types of knives. Keep up the Awesome work on videos!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🪓🔪👍👍

Good advice thanks Lilly :)

A bit harsh on the Opinel brand, thats the 1st one I have ever seen that doesn't lock. I love Opinel, my no.09 carbon is one of my favoutites. Love your videos ☺

Thank you for the review!👍🏻🇺🇸

Bark River Bravo 1 in Magna-Cut and Dawson Knives Huntsman in Magna-Cut, my top two edc bushcraft knives.

A true full tang is not necessary. That is overkill, considering that the handle scales contribute to the overall robustness of the grip. Not only will it make the knife heavier, but it will also ruin the balance and reduce the chopping power. There is a reason why knife makers take the time and effort for cut-outs.

I have the US made Leatherman which easily locks. Good for farmers or camping.

Yes that Opinel sounds like a good knife, looks like a shepherds knife. Associations with cutting cheese, bread or really using it for mushrooms. So even that small blade would be safe for that kind of tasks, but for nothing serious. I like the larger knives, because when you are fishing you need something to cut lines and gut fish. Today had to cut fishing line that someone threw in the bushes. With a pocket knife you can't really do safely tasks requiring you to cut branches etc. Although the German Army knife is great, the saw on it is sharp enough to cut smaller branches and it is a good tool for survival. My best knife was tramontina fishing knife which disappeared somewhere, cost like 10 Euros (5 Lats back in the day) but it was good for cutting branches and fishes.

Great video for newbies to bushcraft. I'd agree with everything you've said. A full tang will always be better than a folder. Good introduction to prevent buying knives of no use. 👍

I don't trust folders either. Even lockers - So I use a butterfly knife. + I can open it one handed!

I like Grayman fixed blades. I have pried a car door open with mine. Like the chisel grind for ease of sharpening.

Locking knives seem to be a relatively recent innovation, I have used folding knives since I was a nipper and still have all of my fingers, you just have to take care and not abuse your knife. And yes you can baton with an SAK, not that it is really a good idea, but it will not break your blade or the spring.

Lilly I really enjoyed this video ,not a fan of any folding knife in a survival situation but everyday carry OK really like your comments on fixed full tang blades wish I could afford your newest knife its so bad ass lol.

One issue I see with the Opinel and the Jose Da Cruz type 'ring lock' knives is that if you get in a hurry you can forget to turn the ring (or get lazy) and an accident could happen. The auto locking style blades like the Spyderco that Lilly demos came out to prevent that human error.

It would have been nice to see those knives being used to do different things to see the versatility of them. Could you use the fixed blade ones to split firewood for example?

Very informative... Thanks

Thanks for vídeo prepper Lily

Great content Lilly....... Sort of information we would forget to tell new people.

Hey Lil... respect dat je steeds nieuw modellen ontwerpt , zeker voor jezelf .. je hebt een leuk bedrijf ... maar eerlijk is eerlijk ... JOEY X heeft bewezen dan jouw APO - S ook kan breken , welswaar onder extreme omstandigheden, maar toch .. Ik heb je mes ( APO 1 - S ) bijna dagelijks in gebruikt onder NORMALE omstandigheden en voldoet naar mijn mening EXELENT !! wat anderen ervan vinden .. interesseert mij niet .. Ik ben nog steeds blij met de 1- S die gaat dagelijks mee en vooral s'avonds in het bos .. grtz. Janneman uit Nederland ....

I agree with mortimerwatt1766. It’s illegal to carry a locking knife in the uk. Unless you can prove that you are camping or have a “reasonable” reason to use. This can only be interpreted by a court of law. This makes it very difficult to carry.