Knives are an important tool and some may tell you they are the most important tool in a survival situation. Before choosing a knife, you have to know what tasks you expect it to perform. Personal protection is probably not a major consideration, when putting together a hunting or survival kit. Virtually any knife can be used for personal protection but spring-loaded knives that snap open at the push of a button are not suited for wilderness use. There are various styles and lengths from which to choose. If you plan to use the knife for survival and/or hunting, the blade becomes important as well as the handle.
When searching for knives look for all one-piece knives. The handle should be an extension of the blade. Otherwise, there is a weak point where the handle is connected to the blade sometimes by glue. Hollow handles mean the knife is not what is called a full tang knife. Manufactures, sell the concept of a hollow handle by including fish line, matches in the handle or even making the cap for the handle a compass. Wooden handles are not recommended because they will become water damaged and wood will shrink away from the handle and eventually crack.
Leather wrapped and wooden handles look great but they absorb moisture and wear quickly in extreme conditions. Look for hard rubber handles or molded polymer. Avoid blades sharpened on both sides because these knives have a weak tip and are hard to use for cutting or chopping. Additionally you can cut yourself if your thumb slips while applying pressure to cut through material.
Knife blades can be made of high carbon steel and stainless steel. Both are quality materials and the difference is that carbon blades will rust if not treated but because the metal is harder than stainless, they stay sharp longer. Stainless steel is durable and is suited for marine use because saltwater has no effect on stainless whereas saltwater will corrode carbon steel quickly.
Stainless is virtually impervious to water and saltwater but will dull faster but can be sharpened quickly whereas carbon steel being harder requires more time and labor to put the edge back. Typically, stainless steel blades are made either of 440 or 420 stainless with chromium added for corrosion resistance. The 440 stainless has more carbon in the blade making it slightly harder than 420 stainless.
Knives used in the field have to be tough because you cannot have multiples of knives for various jobs so one knife has to do it all. You may have to pry open a can one day and chop small pieces of wood the next and the knife must not suffer from the tasks. A knife that is not full tang will not be up to the job and the handle will break off leaving you in a possibly dire situation.
The knife blade should be at least inch thick when measured from the backside. Obviously, the sharpened edge would not be that thick. A good length is under 12 and over six inches. Having too long of a knife makes smaller jobs difficult, such as when you have to shave wood for tinder or shape small pieces into fish hooks. Longer knives will get in the way when sheathed on your belt as well.
Fancy handles and saw blades on the backside of the knife generally do not do much to enhance the knife's performance. Some people do like serrated edges, however, experts will tell you once the serrations are dulled they stay dull because it requires special tools to sharpen the edges. Serrated blades on either side of the blade do help saw through heavy rope, but do not saw wood well, and if you do have a large rope to cut through use a chopping motion it will be much quicker.
When searching for knives look for all one-piece knives. The handle should be an extension of the blade. Otherwise, there is a weak point where the handle is connected to the blade sometimes by glue. Hollow handles mean the knife is not what is called a full tang knife. Manufactures, sell the concept of a hollow handle by including fish line, matches in the handle or even making the cap for the handle a compass. Wooden handles are not recommended because they will become water damaged and wood will shrink away from the handle and eventually crack.
Leather wrapped and wooden handles look great but they absorb moisture and wear quickly in extreme conditions. Look for hard rubber handles or molded polymer. Avoid blades sharpened on both sides because these knives have a weak tip and are hard to use for cutting or chopping. Additionally you can cut yourself if your thumb slips while applying pressure to cut through material.
Knife blades can be made of high carbon steel and stainless steel. Both are quality materials and the difference is that carbon blades will rust if not treated but because the metal is harder than stainless, they stay sharp longer. Stainless steel is durable and is suited for marine use because saltwater has no effect on stainless whereas saltwater will corrode carbon steel quickly.
Stainless is virtually impervious to water and saltwater but will dull faster but can be sharpened quickly whereas carbon steel being harder requires more time and labor to put the edge back. Typically, stainless steel blades are made either of 440 or 420 stainless with chromium added for corrosion resistance. The 440 stainless has more carbon in the blade making it slightly harder than 420 stainless.
Knives used in the field have to be tough because you cannot have multiples of knives for various jobs so one knife has to do it all. You may have to pry open a can one day and chop small pieces of wood the next and the knife must not suffer from the tasks. A knife that is not full tang will not be up to the job and the handle will break off leaving you in a possibly dire situation.
The knife blade should be at least inch thick when measured from the backside. Obviously, the sharpened edge would not be that thick. A good length is under 12 and over six inches. Having too long of a knife makes smaller jobs difficult, such as when you have to shave wood for tinder or shape small pieces into fish hooks. Longer knives will get in the way when sheathed on your belt as well.
Fancy handles and saw blades on the backside of the knife generally do not do much to enhance the knife's performance. Some people do like serrated edges, however, experts will tell you once the serrations are dulled they stay dull because it requires special tools to sharpen the edges. Serrated blades on either side of the blade do help saw through heavy rope, but do not saw wood well, and if you do have a large rope to cut through use a chopping motion it will be much quicker.
About the Author:
It is vital to have a decent knife in your bug-out bag for disaters. To gain more knowledge more about disaster preparation skills go to The Smart Preppers Website.
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