Testing Blades In The Great Outdoors

Today I’ve got something extremely important to share…

A Complete Guide On Finding The Best Survival Knife For You

Because today, survival knives come in a nearly infinite number of:

• Shapes
• Sizes
• Designs
• And Styles

But with so many, it’s hard to know which one is the “BEST”… 

And we all know “BEST” is a 4 letter word, right?

Best for WHAT? Best for WHO?

So today, I’ll cut through the confusion and find a survival knife you be proud of…

TOPICS IN THIS GUIDE…    ↓(click to jump)

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Best Survival Knives For Sale Today

↓ ESEE 4 Knife

↓ ESEE-5 Knife

↓ ESEE Izula II

↓ Morakniv Mora Kansbol

↓ Mora of Sweden Garberg

↓ Schrade SCHF9 Knife

↓ Schrade Frontier

↓ Ka-Bar Becker Companion

↓ Gerber LMF II

↓ Fallkniven A1

↓ Fallkniven F1 Survival

↓ Blackbird SK5

↓ Cold Steel SRK

Best Survival Knife Features

Let’s highlight the top features to choose a good survival knife.

1. Size Matters

• Too big, you’ll give up the ability to do detailed carving work.
• Too small, and you’ll be compromising important survival skills like chopping, splitting, and batoning.

You need a knife small enough for precision yet large enough for tougher tasks.

That’s roughly in the 9 to 11-inch overall length.

2. Fixed Blade Only

A fixed-blade survival knife is exactly what it sounds like.

The blade of the knife is in a fixed position.

It does not switch, flip, or fold down.

Fewer moving parts mean a more durable knife.

A tough, quality, constructed fixed-blade knife can handle some serious abuse.

For example:

One of the most abusive techniques is batoning.

↓ How To Baton With A Knife Or Machete

Batoning with a knife is a brutal test.

I tried batoning with a high-quality folding knife once and it destroyed the spring with the 3rd strike!

Since you need your knife to last while performing the most rugged survival skills.

So shop in the “fixed blade survival knife” category.

Don’t get me wrong…

A folder is awesome, and I carry a Kershaw Onion daily.

But they are not advisable for serious survival.

A fixed-blade knife is what you want for survival.

It’s a blade you can stake your life on.

Folder blades have a weakness that fixed blades do not.

They have a pivot joint that makes them foldable, and when you abuse a folding knife, the joint will eventually break.

3. Full Tang Only

The blade’s tang is the metal section wrapped in the knife’s handle.

A true full tang knife profile fills the entire handle with exposed metal around the edges.

While a partial tang knife is where the metal is smaller and inside the handle.

Full tang knives are designed to withstand much more abuse than partial tangs.

If you beat on a partial tang knife, it will eventually come loose and develop play in the handle.

If the handle breaks off, it’s very difficult and dangerous to use a partial tang knife.

While a full tang knife can be wrapped with some 550 paracord and still work nearly as well.

There are also rat-tail tangs and hidden tangs, which are even less durable than partial tangs.

So ideally, you want full tang for survival.

But some partial tangs are decent for survival purposes as well.

The bottom line is:

The more metal in the handle, the better.

Yes, these knives cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

4. Sharp Spear Point Tips (or drop tips)

Many knife designers want to stand out from the crowd…

So they design funky-looking knife blades with insane shapes.

They might look badass or cool.

But they won’t function as well for survival.

Spearpoint or drop points are best for self-defense penetration.

And allow you to perform fine point work.

Unless you’re looking for a blade for your next Halloween custom…

Otherwise, stick with the simple yet effective blade shapes.

Either a spear point or a drop point, and you won’t regret it.

5. Single-Edged Blade

• Single-edged blades have one side of the blade sharpened
• While double-edged blades are sharp on both sides

And in survival, the flat side is as important as the sharp side.

First, it helps with detailed control.

You can slide your thumb safely onto the flat edge.

But this control technique is impossible if the edge is sharp.

Second, a double edge blade works against you when batoning.

You beat down on a sharp blade and lose your striking power.

Third, using fire steel with a flat edge is easier.

A flat 90-degree grind is ideal to generate sparks from a Ferro rod.

6. Flat Handle End

Look for a knife where the butt of the handle can be a makeshift hammer.

So you want the but to be flat and not round.

This allows you to drive tent stakes into the ground.

Or use your knife like a punch.

↓ Top 6 Survival Knife Features

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

A Deep Dive Behind Knife Designs

Let’s dive deep into all the following details, such as:

• Blade Design
• Fixed vs. Folding
• Blade Length
• Blade Steel
• Blade Grind
• Tang Construction
• Blade Coatings
• Grip Techniques

Blade Design: Choosing The Right Blade

Blade shape is one of the most important factors when choosing your knife.

For example:

In survival, you’ll likely use every bit of the blade from the belly to the tip.

There are four main shapes (spear, tonto, clip, or drop point).

For survival, we recommend a spear or drop point.

Because these designs put the tip of the blade close to the centerline.

This results in superior control.

It also lowers the weight at the blade’s tip.

This helps move the knife’s balance point closer to the hilt.

And gives you greater tip control as well.

Plus, you have to decide whether you prefer serrated blades or not…

Here’s an excellent video on blade design options:

↓ Knife Blades 101

Fixed Blade Or Folding? Which Is Best?

Fixed-blade knives are what you want.

• But fixed-blade knives are cumbersome to carry.
• And you can’t carry them around unnoticed.

So for everyday carry get a folder.

They’re better when you’re not trying to build survival shelters or start fires.

You need something durable that won’t break under intense abuse.

Yes, a pocket knife should be in your pocket.

But it should NEVER be your survival knife.

↓ Fixed Blades Vs. Folding Knives

Blade Length: From Short To Long

The length of a knife’s blade determines how useful it is for certain tasks.

• Choppers are your larger machete-like blades.
• For precision bushcraft smaller carver blades are best.

You want a bit of both for survival.

So the best survival blades tend to be in the medium-size range.

↓ Size Matters: Choose The Best Blade Length

Survival Blade Steel: What’s It Make Of?

High carbon steel (i.e., 1095, 5160, 01 or A2) vs. stainless steels (i.e., 420HC, 440C, AUS-8 or AUS-10)

As you can tell, there are a lot of steel options.

In layman’s terms:

High-carbon tool steels are tougher than stainless steel.

This makes them harder to break but less corrosion resistant.

They’re easier to sharpen than stainless.

But their edge retention suffers.

The following video deep dives into all steel options:

↓ How To Choose Steel For Knife Making

Blade Grinds: What’s The Difference?

There are several blade grind options.

Each grind has pros and cons.

However two specific blade grinds stand above the rest.

1. The saber grind
2. And flat grind

Saber Grind

The saber grind has a short primary bevel from cut edge to the back of the blade.

This creates a thicker edge that’s harder to sharpen.

But will hold its edge better when chopping and splitting.

Flat Grind

The flat grind is a compromise between the saber grind and a hollow grind.

A hollow grind concaves inward from the blade edge to the cutting point.

This makes the cutting edge extremely sharp.

But prone to chipping and damage under intense use.

So a flat grind has a bevel that goes from the cutting edge all the way to the back of the blade.

This allows for a much finer edge than the saber grind.

But is not as fragile as the hollow grind.

If this sounds confusing, watch the videos below:

↓ Knives 101 – Talking About Grinds!

↓ Knife Grinds: Comparing Hollow, Convex, and Flat Grinds

Tang Construction: Full Or Partial?

Invest in a full-tangs ONLY for survival situations.

We discussed it previously so I won’t go over it again.

But if you’re a knife enthusiast look intro to partial tangs (rat tail tang, narrow tangs, hidden tangs).

The following video gives such info:

↓ Tangs: Narrow or Hidden But Never Rat Tail

Blade Coating Options

The science of blade coatings is complex.

But it’s interesting chemistry.

Watch to the end to find out which blade coating holds up best.

↓ Knife Coating Showdown!

Handle Material: Understanding Grips

The grip of a survival knife is critical.

You need a tough grip that won’t break under intense forces.

Yet feels comfortable in your hands.

You also want a grip that won’t absorb moisture.

Because THAT can lead to handling rot.

A few of the most popular knife handle materials are:

• Wood
• Micarta
• G-10
• Zytel
• Krayton
• And Hypalon

The following video dives into these handle materials:

↓ Different Knife Handle Materials

Grip Techniques

Finally, I want to talk grip techniques.

A survival knife is only useful in the right hands.

So watch the following video on knife grips:

↓ How To Choose The Right Knife Grip

Final Thoughts

Survival knives come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs.

You must decide for yourself which is best for your needs.

The good news is:

And you don’t HAVE to choose just one.

Invest in multiple knives.

I don’t know anyone serious about survival who owns just one knife.

Over the years, we accumulated many, each serving a specific purpose.

For example:

Here’s an impressive collection of survival knives:

↓ Basics Of Survival Knives

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Our Credentials

Our Mission

& Product Recommendations…

Here are a few highlights of our teams credentials & certifications:

• Certified Member of a Mountain Search & Rescue Organization
• Plant Emergency & Safety Leader for a Major Food Manufacturer
• Member of the 10TH Mountain Division Hut Association
• Certifications: Avalanche 1, WFR, CPR
• Official Gear Tester for Numerous Outdoor Gear Companies
• Countless Multiday Backpacking trips into Remote Wilderness
• Bachelor’s Degree In Mechanical Engineering 
• Bachelor’s Degree In Civil Engineering
• Bachelor’s Degree In Biomedical Engineering

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Prepare, Adapt & Overcome,

Cofounder Of Skilledsurvival.com & TheResilientLife.com

Born & Raised On A Rural Farm In The Midwest

Mechanical Engineering Grad From A Major University

Engineer With A Major Food Manufacturing Company

10+ Years Researching, Writing, & Teaching Preparedness

Mission: Help Folks Stop Living A Life Fragile To The Future

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