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"Survival" knife?

Anybody have one?
Anybody have this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Grohmann-Survival-Knife-R4S-/281817689984?hash=item419da4af80

$grohmann.jpg

Opinions? Tips? What would/did you get instead?
 
No offense, but that one looks like strictly a skinner and not really up to much of anything else.

For a survival knife, I would pick something like an ESEE-5. More robust and useful as a hammer, to split small wood, etc.

One of my good friends who is an active duty SEAL carries this as one of his three knives and that is all I need to know.

Link to ESEE-5 - http://www.eseeknives.com/esee-5.htm

$esee.jpg
 
I do like the Esee, I just picked this Gerber prodigy. More on a lark and it was a good price as I'd prefer the spear point versus the tanto, but $25 for a very good quality knife, I couldn't turn it down. Some day I'd love to look at getting an Esee, but again I find it hard to justify spending over $100 for a knife, as to me has to have some disposability built into it as they are 1. darned easy to lose, 2. Are abused heavily and even good ones break and 3. You have to be willing to abandon it in certain situations.

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It all depends upon whether you mean a "survival" knife in the modern vernacular, or an outdoorsman's knife. The Canadian-pattern knife such as you were looking at has for decades been a favorite among people who actually lived in the woods, who carried a knife for fine work like slicing meat, skinning, etc. and a hatchet for splitting wood or rib cages, and for hammering, instead of lugging around a huge toad sticker that did nothing particularly well. The old timers considered a big knife a sure sign of a wannabe.
 

Legion

Staff member
Actually, that Grohmann would be a good survival knife, and is basically just a modern version of a Nessmuk (google that, if you don't know what I mean.)
 
I have a Morakniv Companion because I use my knife to cut, for chopping wood you use a saw or a Axe.
$mora.jpg

other good knife is the Old Hickory Butcher Knife.

$Old_Hickory .jpg
But generally you just have to find the knife that works for you.
 

Legion

Staff member
I have a Morakniv Companion because I use my knife to cut, for chopping wood you use a saw or a Axe.


other good knife is the Old Hickory Butcher Knife.

View attachment 605459
But generally you just have to find the knife that works for you.

I have one of those Old Hickory knives in the kitchen, and it is the only carbon knife I will let SWMBO use.

"You made that one really sharp. Is that good to use?"

"You can pry a rock out of a horses hoof with that, if you want."
 
For the money, a Mora is hard to beat, and much more practical than most knives advertised as 'survival knives.'

If I'm in a survival situation, I don't need a 'Rambo' knife. That's what my rifle and pistol is for. I'll need a quality general purpose knife with a good tang, that is lightweight, and small enough to do fine work, like making snares.

The little Swiss army knife with the blade, scissors, toothpick and tweezers have always gotten more use on the trails and camping than any of my other dedicated hunting or survival knives, so I guess that would be a candidate as well.
 
No offense, but that one looks like strictly a skinner and not really up to much of anything else.

For a survival knife, I would pick something like an ESEE-5. More robust and useful as a hammer, to split small wood, etc.

One of my good friends who is an active duty SEAL carries this as one of his three knives and that is all I need to know.

Link to ESEE-5 - http://www.eseeknives.com/esee-5.htm

View attachment 605424

I do like the Esee, I just picked this Gerber prodigy. More on a lark and it was a good price as I'd prefer the spear point versus the tanto, but $25 for a very good quality knife, I couldn't turn it down. Some day I'd love to look at getting an Esee, but again I find it hard to justify spending over $100 for a knife, as to me has to have some disposability built into it as they are 1. darned easy to lose, 2. Are abused heavily and even good ones break and 3. You have to be willing to abandon it in certain situations.

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Similar to the ESEE, I've carried a RAT-3 for years. (Precursor to ESEE company, I believe)

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It hangs securely upside down on my backpack shoulder strap, always within reach when I go backpacking. For Jeep adventures, I attach it to my rollbar, again within easy reach. I've used the knife quite a bit and it has served it's purpose well over the years. Even used it EDC for a while.

I also have the Gerber (spear point) - that's one seriously heavy duty knife. A little cumbersome to carry around IMO, but very handy to keep as an in camp knife or let it live in your emergency kit. You would very easily be able to break through a window with it in case of emergency. Or else, invoke some serious damage as a defense tool.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Some good thoughts here.

The knife pictured top, a pointy version of the Nessmuk, actually is a good spin on a classic utility.


AA

EDIT: same on Amazon, $91, review/purchaser angry with sheath "fail."
 
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I keep one of these guys in my car, although my tip and colorations are different. It's a cheap Chinese $8 assisted open knife with seatbelt cutter and window smasher. Call it urban survival, and you won't mind if you misplace it at that price.

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I have both of these
$BKTrailMastercsbk.jpg

and a few of these (wish I had bought more)
$blue mora s-0125.jpg

also a Condor Nessmuk, so was looking for something "in between"
$condor_nessmuk.jpg
 
Some good thoughts here.

The knife pictured top, a pointy version of the Nessmuk, actually is a good spin on a classic utility.


AA

EDIT: same on Amazon, $91, review/purchaser angry with sheath "fail."

the offer the seller accepted represented a pretty decent discount in my opinion, so....

ETA: forgot to say thanks for all the great info and input
 
It all depends upon whether you mean a "survival" knife in the modern vernacular, or an outdoorsman's knife. The Canadian-pattern knife such as you were looking at has for decades been a favorite among people who actually lived in the woods, who carried a knife for fine work like slicing meat, skinning, etc. and a hatchet for splitting wood or rib cages, and for hammering, instead of lugging around a huge toad sticker that did nothing particularly well. The old timers considered a big knife a sure sign of a wannabe.

That's where my thoughts were.
An old timer once told me if someone has a huge knife "he either ain't got a clue, or knows exactly how to use it". I, sadly, fall into the former category.
 
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