Survival knives

SURVIVAL KNIVES

Survival knives are essential equipment for every lover of hiking, survival, bushcraft and other outdoor activities. However, they are also useful for camping activities or in everyday life.  Any knife can be a survival knife, regardless of whether it is fixed or folding, whether it is small or large, whether it has a smooth or serrated blade, or whether it has other ancillary equipment (so-called multifunctional knives). You may be wondering what would you need a knife for in your normal everyday life. Even a small pocket knife can help you cut your seatbelt in a car accident in a case of emergency and cut through your clothing in case of injury. In the outdoors, a survival knife can come in handy for cutting, slicing, working branches to start a fire or make skewers, building an improvised shelter in an emergency, cutting ropes or cords, cutting clothing in case of injury, and making an improvised tourniquet to stop bleeding. There are many situations for which a survival knife could be useful in everyday life or during outdoor activities. When it comes to the possibility of using a survival knife in the outdoors, each type of knife has its advantages and disadvantages. Manufacturers of survival knives include Walther, Glock, Elite Force, Steel Claw Knives, Euro Security Products and other brands.

FIXED BLADE SURVIVAL KNIVES

Fixed blade survival knives are characterized by a fixed blade, which is why their dimensions are usually considerably larger than those of a pocket-sized folding survival knife. A synonym for a fixed blade knife is a dagger. However, not every survival dagger needs to be structurally stronger than a folding knife. Good quality fixed blade survival knives are called Full Tang knives because the blade and the base of the handle are made of one piece. For the outdoors, fixed blade knives the ones that only have one side of the blade are best, as there may be a situation where you may need to use one hand to push on the other side of the blade to cut something sturdy off. Combination blades that feature serrations can also be a plus, which can help you cut through synthetic materials such as clothing, cords and ropes more quickly. It can also be an advantage if the other side of the blade is equipped with at least a short saw blade, which can help when sawing branches. Some models of fixed blade survival knives also have additional equipment concealed in the handle, such as a compass, paracord cords, a fire starter, matches, and other equipment. Fixed blade survival knives are more suitable for more challenging longer stays in the outdoors.

FOLDING KNIVES FOR SURVIVAL

Folding survival knives, especially when closed, have a more compact size than fixed blade survival knives, so they are in most cases also suitable for everyday carry in everyday life. Thanks to their compact size, they can be stored in a carry-on bag, handbag, or in a jacket or trouser pocket. However, they may not be as durable as fixed blade knives when handled roughly. Some models of folding knives are also equipped with a combination edge, and some have ancillary equipment such as a saw, scissors, and file, which is why they are also commonly referred to as multi-function knives.

QUALITY OF SURVIVAL KNIVES

The quality of a survival knife is mainly determined by the material from which the blade is made, as it is the main and most important part of the knife itself. The types of blade markings that you can most often encounter:

• 420 - basically a complete base used in knives of the lowest price ranges, it is characterized by resistance to corrosion, however, it loses its sharpness quite quickly
• 440 - compared to the type 420, it is characterized by greater strength and a more durable edge
• 440C - contains high carbon content, strong but less flexible, low maintenance type
• 1095 - high quality carbon steel, characterized by high strength (around 60 HRC), retains its edge well and is simple and easy to sharpen, but also requires care as it is less corrosion resistant than stainless steel
• AUS8 - Japanese stainless steel, which is comparable in properties to type 440

In addition to a quality survival knife, the outdoor enthusiast should not forget about other equipment from the fire starters category, paracord category and water filters category.