Looking for Knife advice - Sonoran Desert

Originally posted by semperfortis
In all my years in the Marines, and on the farm and teaching survival, I have NEVER needed a smaller knife

I have however found myself needing a larger knife MANY times

May just be personal experience but I have carved traps, tent stakes and even a wooden flute with that Becker

I have also cut firewood, built shelter and cleared brush; things I can NOT do with a smaller knife

Just my personal experience.. Take from it what you will

Point taken, and I agree with certain survivalist mindsets, a larger machete length blade may be more multifunctional.
However humans all over the world, for millenia, have efficiently done said duties without a steel blade all together.

I'm sure you've heard of Cody Lundin who uses a Mora (small 4 inch blade) to accomplish his "sharps" duties.
Personally I use a variety of tools for different climes and seasons. I have sharps from pocket size through choppers and machetes and a nice variety of axes, from hatchet, to small forest axe, up to 4 pound heads. While I don't have all the survival experience you have, which sounds very impressive btw, I am comfortable, relaxed, and quite at home in the woods making shelters and tools, fly fishing and hunting with my Ash self made bow. Along with my dollar store bamboo shafted arrows, with duplex nail heads for points, fletched with dental floss and wild turkey. Just saying some common folks can have shrafty skills too. But you do sound badass though.

I would suggest that if one is finding themselves needing a larger chopper knife more and more, you may want to consider a hatchet or small forest axe; which are safer to use and a more effective use of the weight to kit ratio.

reply to post by Gazrok


Very high quality

There was some worry when KaBar took over Becker that the quality would suffer..

No worries..

I have the BK2
BK7 and BK9

Love them all

reply to post by ATSmediaPRO


I believe any of the two knives you posted would be a good investment. I'm not a big fan of big knives in general, even though I own many. But there's one knife I've taken to hell and back and then back again. One that's ALWAYS been with me (exceptions for traveling), one that's served me better than many other knives I currently own or have previously owned.

That knife is my Gerber Guardian Backup. It's small (3.41 inches at blade) with an almost full tang. It fits anywhere, in a bag, under a coat, on your belt or backpack straps. I've had it in sand, been often submerged for longer periods of time, been in freezing temperatures, have hit metal and brick with it (accidents do happen), cut wires, rope, wood with it and have yet to sharpen it. I know this sounds like a tall order for a little knife, but honestly it's all I've ever needed.

Here's a link: www.amazon.com...

Bigger isn't always better.

1. full tang blade - better able to withstand the stress of use

2. quality steel - will hold an edge properly tempered

3. NO serrations - serrated blade near useless on a combat / survival knife

have a randall thats served me well for over 40 years now .

you might take a look at what randall offers also they make custom knives to your specifications .

a couple other makers to look at - al mar and gerber

The S&W Search And Rescue is a knock off of the Kabar, only a little smaller and at just $20.

www.amazon.com...=pd_sim_sg_1


I think a Leatherman,like the Wave and a tomahawk like the Trail Hawk would make the perfect combo concerning weight and just how multi-tool they really are. On the Leatherman you got all your basic multi-tool needs,but also has good enough blades to do the everyday job.And the tomahawk for chopping and hammering.

reply to post by ATSmediaPRO

Being an ex Marine, I like K- bar out of tradition but I carry my Sog seal tech 2000 on my hunting pack every trip. But I also have a small Shrade cape knife for cleaning small game

Alright, I think I have it narrowed down to something more practical based off everyones, must appreciated, suggestions.

I'm currently looking at: Ka-bar BK 16


Tomars has them listed for $64.49. Probably will pull the trigger tonight.

The SOF magazine article was written by Bill Bagwell

Today Bagwell focuses his knife energies on his "Hell's Belle" fighting Bowies. The Hell's Belle is acknowledged by many to be the finest fighting Bowie knife ever made, and those examples hand-forged and made by Bagwell himself are, without a doubt, in a class by themselves. Bagwell's research and studies into tactics and application of the fighting Bowie knife in a combat environment have not gone unnoticed, and he currently serves as an instructor to selected units of the U.S. Army's Special Forces at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

www.defensivecarry.com...

reply to post by Auricom


that looks very much like a dive knife i bought and sold a year or so back.

picked it up from a local auction house for less than $10, sold it for $65 or so a few days later.

can't for the life of me remember the brand/type but the company is no longer in business [from the 70s/80s] and their products are still some of the most sought after on the market.

it was a 'skeleton knife', of sorts. full-on titanium build. 3 1/2" double-edged blade. black anodized/ powder-coated, etc. - nice knife, and strikingly similar to the image you've posted.


[Edit to Add:]

It was a Tekna just like the top one - Nice Knife.

solid, balanced, nice grip

reply to post by ATSmediaPRO


Good choice

That will last you, your kids and your kids kids

Small is the new big when it comes to knives. Stick to something small. Trust me those big ones are a complete waste of your time. Especially when your camping you want something light weight not some massive thing that's awkward to use, is way way way overkill, plus is not practical at all. I'd just buy a mora for like 10 bucks. Most practical and strong knife you'll find anywhere.


knife

or a mora knife.

mora

reply to post by ATSmediaPRO


Are you planning on skinning while you are out? If so choose that Buck Hoodlum semp was talking about that "notch" you see on the balde is for skinning. (i think..lol)

Or you can get one where the notch is at the top. of the blade just behind the tip


I would also choose something heavy, that can stand a strike for splitting wood. I would actually have about two to three knives if I were going to be out for long periods of time.

reply to post by Tylerdurden1


Good advice

For those advocating only a small knife.. While I love, I mean LOVE my Mora, that advice is simply NOT good advice



Watch the video and then send me a video doing ANY of those survival techniques with a Mora..

Betcha Can't

In survival.. Bigger is Better

I have used knives for years, and there are plus and minus points. You really haven't said what you will be needing the knife for so with that in mind, I would take two, one for utility purposes and one for using in cutting game etc. Bigger knives make it hard to manage and more people get injured because of that long blade.

I really like the hacking and utility uses of this kind which is a cross knife /machete

www.swordsknivesanddaggers.com...

I like heavy machetes because in the long run they just cut better and dont get stuck, but if bush is not the issue in the desert not likely one, this might not be a good choice.

I also have this one which is very nice and useful

www.blowgun.com...

And always have something like this... yes, I have a rather nice collection

guymanningham.com...


I also love hatchets because they can take a lot of abuse.

It really depends on why you need it. For self defense I prefer a shotgun.

That BK is all you need. A 4" blade is the perfect length period. You said Sonoran Dessert, you will not need a machete or anything big... Its all about learning to use the knife. You cant clean a rabbit worth a damn with a 6" quarter thick blade, it will be butchered. You can watch videos on methods to use a smaller knife to cut bigger limbs and trees with less effort than trying to hack away with a big knife.

Look what real survival people use, unless they are military and they have it drilled into their head that they need a huge do all knife, and it works in a pinch for sure, but find those that grew up in the woods and outdoors their whole lives and its about precision.

You dont sound like the type that wants to go out to be Rambo, but want to hang in the outdoors and be able to carve and skin. You need a good 4" carbon blade, and if you want the perfect combo, throw in a small Swiss Army knife or Leatherman and you will be able to do anything imaginable in the outdoors with those. Machete is for the jungle, and small axe for the colder forest setting.

www.desertmuseum.org...

Well here are a few animals that live in that desert, so a good skinning knife is not a must, but a good addition!
Bring a machete, just in case of trouble, thats my advice.