If you are looking to purchase a survival knife then it is a good idea to take some time and research exactly what it is you need.
On the surface buying a knife seems like a simple thing to do, but the fact is that the potential uses that you can put it too are many, and so you first need to really think about how you would mainly be using it.
A Survival Knife can be used for:
Defending yourself
Preparing food
Building a shelter
Making a Fire
Hammering things in
Cutting Things
As a hunting weapon or spear
As a tool to open things
As a tool to turn things
And many more…
So here are three things to consider before buying your blade:
How Big?
The temptation here is to opt for the biggest knife possible!
These undoubtedly look good, and if the main effect you are seeking is to look like Rambo, rather than actually surviving anything, then you should go for it.
But the fact is that bigger is not always better.
Bigger is heavier, usually more cumbersome and not generally necessary for the kinds of uses that you will most likely put it too.
If there is a specific reason to get a machete or a large knife then you should do it.
Reasons might include for example that you want to chop through heavy undergrowth, or have in mind to chop up a lot of branches.
Then it may make sense to get a bigger knife, as these are certainly more practical for those kinds of uses.
However, for most survivalists a smaller knife is actually going to be of more use.
This doesn’t mean to say that you should get a “small” knife! Just that it should be “smaller”. In general I would say that a knife of around 10 inches is going to be ideal for most people. It is a
good compromise between knife that is useful to use for most occasions, and also not so big that it ends up being cumbersome to carry around.
Fixed Blade
Many people get caught up in the “coolness” factor of knives when they are considering their options between a fixed blade knife and a folding knife, because a folding knife is the blade of choice of the movies.
There are some advantages to a folding knife in that they are more portable and can be concealed more easily.
But for a primary knife you are better off going with a fixed blade.
Fixed blade knives are stronger and can take more of a beating.
They can handle jobs, such as log splitting for example, that you simply wouldn’t want to attempt with a folding knife, for fear of the blade splintering.
Thickness of the blade and Quality of the Steel
You will want to get a knife that is considerably thick then most household knives.
This adds greatly to the durability and means that it is unlikely that it will shatter when doing duty for you.
Normally this means that the thickness of your blade could be up to a quarter of an inch thick.
You should also be sure to get a high-quality knife where considerable effort has been expended on the quality of the steel in the blade.
The better this is the more life you can expect from the knife.
If you consider these three tips before you head off to purchase your survival knife then you will end up with one that is better suited to your particular requirements.