Only one knife to survive

[Cachook]

Opinel No. 8 and an ax would do well.

[LongRider]

Originally Posted by DeltaS

Ka-Bar Cutlass
This thing works as good if not better than a hatchet at chopping. The shape still allows for cutting and puncturing. The price point is very affordable at $44.50. The only drawback is it is high carbon steel so corrosion is a factor.

I've asked this before, how are you going to skin a squirrel or other small game, clean a fish or take that squirrel hide and make ten feet of twine to make some snares with or clean the intestine to make some suture material or thread to patch up your gear or hide. Can you post pics? Maybe I am just a klutz but I just don't see that happening. My attempts to do so with a big blade has always had poor results. I have a hard enough time making feather sticks with a blade that size.

As been said high carbon blades are the preferred steel for a great many woodsmen and guides as it is easy to sharpen without a proper hone holds and excellent edge. Only a moron or complete retard would let his blade rust or corrode. I think Darwin called it natural selection.

[dontbuypotteryfromme]

Originally Posted by LongRider

I've asked this before, how are you going to skin a squirrel or other small game, clean a fish or take that squirrel hide and make ten feet of twine to make some snares with or clean the intestine to make some suture material or thread to patch up your gear or hide. Can you post pics? Maybe I am just a klutz but I just don't see that happening. My attempts to do so with a big blade has always had poor results. I have a have enough time making feather sticks with a blade that size

The other question would be is it easier to knap a big knife or a small one?

Buggered if I know to be honest. But the stuff I can't make I would like to have.

[old corvus 41]

If I had to rely on just one knife..would have to leave all the others at home and take my Rodan by Condor Knife and Tool. It's ugly, inexpensive and doesn't have somebody famous in the name. Yet the Rodan is a real workhorse. Still can't believe how good they are for any price tag.

[DeltaS]

Originally Posted by LongRider

I've asked this before, how are you going to skin a squirrel or other small game, clean a fish or take that squirrel hide and make ten feet of twine to make some snares with or clean the intestine to make some suture material or thread to patch up your gear or hide. Can you post pics? Maybe I am just a klutz but I just don't see that happening. My attempts to do so with a big blade has always had poor results. I have a have enough time making feather sticks with a blade that size.

As been said high carbon blades are the preferred steel for a great many woodsmen and guides as it is easy to sharpen without a proper hone holds and excellent edge. Only a moron or complete retard would let his blade rust or corrode. I think Darwin called it natural selection.

Use the point of the blade and keep it sharp. You can definitely clean a fish with a cutlass. As for corrosion, it really depends on the environment.
Personally I carry a pocket knife, a Skinner, and a large knife not to mention a firearm when in the wild. However a large knife will fill the function of a smaller knife more than vice versa.

[LongRider]

Originally Posted by DeltaS

Use the point of the blade and keep it sharp. You can definitely clean a fish with a cutlass. As for corrosion, it really depends on the environment.
Personally I carry a pocket knife, a Skinner, and a large knife not to mention a firearm when in the wild. However a large knife will fill the function of a smaller knife more than vice versa.

Have you done it? What about the other small detailed tasks? I have, several times. How much meat have you lost or wasted? To all the huge blade advocates, I strongly suggest you try some survival camping with just your survival tin and your cutlass. I did not suggest a small blade, I do suggest that a sword is not what is needed for survival. As far as keeping it sharp I can always sharpen a high carbon blade no matter where I am, that is not true of a stainless and super hard steel. I live in Washington it is pretty humid here, I have camped hiked hunted and fished from Alaska to the Amazon I have NEVER had a carry blade rust on me. So I am curious about what environments that happens in. Yes you can remove a splinter with a cutlass but a reasonable sized blade will not leave a three inch gash to do so.

Yes yes as been said a hundred times I too carry several blades on me every day but that is not the topic is it?

[DeltaS]

Originally Posted by LongRider

Have you done it? What about the other small detailed tasks? I have, several times. How much meat have you lost or wasted? To all the huge blade advocates, I strongly suggest you try some survival camping with just your survival tin and your cutlass. I did not suggest a small blade, I do suggest that a sword is not what is needed for survival. As far as keeping it sharp I can always sharpen a high carbon blade no matter where I am, that is not true of a stainless and super hard steel. I live in Washington it is pretty humid here, I have camped hiked hunted and fished from Alaska to the Amazon I have NEVER had a carry blade rust on me. So I am curious about what environments that happens in. Yes you can remove a splinter with a cutlass but a reasonable sized blade will not leave a three inch gash to do so.

Yes yes as been said a hundred times I too carry several blades on me every day but that is not the topic is it?

Not with the karbar but when I was a young teen I fished and hiked with a no name cheap swap meet bowie because it was $7 and that was the only knife I had at the time. I just braced it between my knees and used one hand on the fish and one on the blade to open the fish and hand scoop the guts. I never lost meat as I recall. Now I an adult I would easily be able to do that with two hands but I can afford to buy more knives.

As far as corrosive environments, well how about the ~75% of the surface of the earth we call the ocean? You think maybe a anti corrosive blade might come in handy when your stuck on a boat diving for food?

[Blokatos]

Stainless steel can be sharpened even in the wood IF you know what to do.
Now, in survival mode you may have to use your blade on a wound on your body? Would you risk it with a carbon blade? Ask any medical trained person what rust not seen with the eye can do to your blood.
For me in survival ONLY stainless or stain proof steel.

[LongRider]

Originally Posted by DeltaS

Not with the karbar but when I was a young teen I fished and hiked with a no name cheap swap meet bowie because it was $7 and that was the only knife I had at the time. I just braced it between my knees and used one hand on the fish and one on the blade to open the fish and hand scoop the guts. I never lost meat as I recall. Now I an adult I would easily be able to do that with two hands but I can afford to buy more knives.

As far as corrosive environments, well how about the ~75% of the surface of the earth we call the ocean? You think maybe a anti corrosive blade might come in handy when your stuck on a boat diving for food?

So you may have the fish covered? You avoided the rest of the question. What about skinning a squirrel, rodent or other small game? Or any of the other myriad of other small detailed tasks that your knife may be called upon in a survival scenario. As I said folks need to do some survival camping use the gear they plan on using BEFORE you life actually depends upon it. Even in the ocean if I can dry it off I can keep a blade clear of corrosion.

That said I do use a stainless blade when diving. Sailing or being out in the open sea is a vastly different set of circumstances than what most will encounter in a survival scenario. You will not survive long in the open sea with just you and your knife regardless of what knife you have.

[LongRider]

Originally Posted by Blokatos

Ask any medical trained person what rust not seen with the eye can do to your blood.

According to my brother who was a combat medic. A Harvard Med school grad chief emergency surgeon of a major hospital and certified to teach at Harvard.

Rust in and of itself does not cause infection. Tetanus is often associated with rust but it is not created or caused by rust. Rather a rusty object is often dirty exposed to a wide variety of bacteria or viruses including tetanus. The bacteria or viruses is the cause of infection not the rust. Minute amounts of sterile rust will not cause any significant infection and of itself.

[DeltaS]

Originally Posted by LongRider

So you may have the fish covered? You avoided the rest of the question. What about skinning a squirrel, rodent or other small game? Or any of the other myriad of other small detailed tasks that your knife may be called upon in a survival scenario. As I said folks need to do some survival camping use the gear they plan on using BEFORE you life actually depends upon it. Even in the ocean if I can dry it off I can keep a blade clear of corrosion.

That said I do use a stainless blade when diving. Sailing or being out in the open sea is a vastly different set of circumstances than what most will encounter in a survival scenario. You will not survive long in the open sea with just you and your knife regardless of what knife you have.

Like I said now I carry a Skinning knife into the wild and as a young teen I was not exactly hunting and trapping; however I have seen allot of survivalist use a larger knife for those tasks.

The idea of one knife means one knife for any situation. I assume that meant that is the single cutting appliance you are allotted that would need to cover any variable to include being lost at sea while it is raining for days, or in a frigid climate during a blizzard or even to fend off a mountain lion.

The best bet would be a large, high end, stainless steel blade. I am not advocating packing a sword... I think a 8-12 inch blade would be plenty and still easily packed in a rucksack/backpack.

If you are unable to wield such a blade effectively, then go with what you are comfortable with.

[Blokatos]

Originally Posted by LongRider

According to my brother who was a combat medic. A Harvard Med school grad chief emergency surgeon of a major hospital and certified to teach at Harvard.
Rust in and of itself does not cause infection. Tetanus is often associated with rust but it is not created or caused by rust. Rather a rusty object is often dirty exposed to a wide variety of bacteria or viruses including tetanus. The bacteria or viruses is the cause of infection not the rust. Minute amounts of sterile rust will not cause any significant infection and of itself.

Exactly. Thanks for sharing this info. That is another very good reason I would rather have a stainless steel.

[LongRider]

Originally Posted by Blokatos

Exactly. Thanks for sharing this info. That is another very good reason I would rather have a stainless steel.

Why because contrary to what you claimed, rust DOES NOT cause infection?

[DeltaS]

Originally Posted by LongRider

Why because contrary to what you claimed, rust DOES NOT cause infection?

The rust would allow a place for bacteria to grow. For food stainless is a much better choice for survival. You don't even know what situation you may end up in. If you are just stuck on the idea of "one knife" high end stainless is the way to go.

[old corvus 41]

Originally Posted by DeltaS

The rust would allow a place for bacteria to grow. For food stainless is a much better choice for survival. You don't even know what situation you may end up in. If you are just stuck on the idea of "one knife" high end stainless is the way to go.

Think I would perfer high-end carbon and just put the effort forward needed to keep it clean. Stainless, even high-end will never have the properties of sharpness and hardness of carbon. While I like and own numerous stainless knives, I would have to go with carbon when things got bad.

[PeterEnergy]

Originally Posted by LongRider

Yes yes as been said a hundred times I too carry several blades on me every day but that is not the topic is it?

But it goes to show the absurdity of the topic of a jack of all trades tool. I prefer a 3 blade system myself; a SAK Champ, mid-size fixed blade knife and a hatchet (or saw).

[SSshane69]

Originally Posted by DeltaS

The rust would allow a place for bacteria to grow. For food stainless is a much better choice for survival. You don't even know what situation you may end up in. If you are just stuck on the idea of "one knife" high end stainless is the way to go.

No offense but in a wilderness survival situation, bacteria is going to be all over everything you have. It doesnt matter if it's stainless steel or not. Unless you have alcohol to sterilize the knife it doesnt matter if it's stainless or not. Also stainless tends to not hold an edge like other steels, it is also harder to sharpen. Now saying that I have a 8cr13mov blade in my Bug out bag (kershaw antelope hunter 2) and that is my main food prep knife. I have a larger Esee 5 for the larger things amongst other knives.

There is no one ultimate knife to carry, that question is stupid. Very arrogant to say that a single knife can and will do it all. Jack of all trades master of none leads you to mishaps and too much expended energy when you need it the most.

[DeltaS]

I prefer a 3 blade system also. I use a 154cm pocket knife, S40V fixed skinning knife, and 1095 ka-bar Bowie. The skinning knife takes care of meat related tasks while the pocket knife is great for whittling and rope cutting, and misc. The large chopper is for chopping fire wood or defense, and ect.

I disagree however with you that you cannot have a "Jack of all trades" knife; however it's just that a Jack. Jack of all trades master of none.

Edit: if you can pack 3 knives you can pack alcohol too (and should).

[PeterEnergy]

The one knife I've gone into the woods with many times is the SAK Champ. My pick for the single greatest knife in the world (non-tactical). The blade may be the least used tool of the bunch.

Now I say this doing backpacking not minimalist bushcrafting. The screw drivers, file, tweezers and scissors kept me and my gear in proper working order countless times. I would not leave home without it and strongly recommend it to all no matter what other blade (if any) tickles your fancy.

If you really want to test your ability to be at one with nature, try going out without a fixed blade.

[Hatchet_Jack]

My one-tool-option would be my cold steel rifleman's tomahawk. If I'm limited to knives, it would be my Ontario RAT-7