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DIY survival knife

As already mentioned, now buying a survival knife does not cause big problems, if not for one “but”: a good knife can hit your pocket hard, and a bad knife can fail at the most inopportune moment. As a rule, inexpensive knives are made in China, and we all know the quality of their metal. If you still want to have a good survival knife for almost nothing, then the only way out is to make a knife with your own hands from available materials. And we will help you with this. It is worth noting that professional knifemakers use special tools and tools for their masterpieces, but we will limit ourselves to the minimum set of tools that can be found in any garage. For work we need:

Electric grinder and / or angle grinder (Bulgarian);
Grinder and / or drill attachment;
A set of needle files;
Sandpaper of different grain sizes;

The most important thing in a knife, as everyone knows, is the blade. Blade steel for a survival knife should be hard enough to hold an edge well, but not brittle, and can be edited in the field. The best option would be an alloy tool steel having a hardness after hardening of 57-60 units on the Rockwell scale (HRC). A suitable blank can be purchased at a tool store or at the construction market.
For this workshop on making a survival knife, we purchased a suitable tool made of steel, brand 95X18, 5 mm thick, on the construction market. Since the workpiece was partially hardened, it was released, heated by a gas burner on a brick to about 500 degrees and left to cool on it. After tempering, the metal becomes ductile and easier to process.
After buying the blank, you need to draw a sketch of the future knife. To do this, you can use a graphic editor, but you can simply circle the workpiece with a pencil or make markings directly on the blade. We will use a mounted mount and a combined type-setting handle, therefore, for reliability, we leave the shank about 3/4 of the handle long. The shape, thickness and size of the blade and bolster in our case are determined by the available sheath, so for your survival knife you can choose the shape based on your imagination, limiting it only to the strength characteristics of the selected workpiece and its dimensions.

After the workpiece is marked, we give the shape of the blade on the emery, form the slopes and cut out the shank. After turning, the blade must be sanded with sandpaper. To do this, we fix it to the shank with a clamp on a wooden block and process it with sandpaper, strictly in one direction, moving from coarse to fine, periodically moistening with water. To grind this blade, 3M sandpaper was used with a grain of 120, 240, 400, 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 and 2500 in succession. In principle, at this stage it is not necessary to grind the blade with an abrasive finer than 1200.

Now you can move on to hardening. The required heat treatment modes for each specific steel grade can be found in the table or in reference books. Steel, 9X18, used on our blade, according to the table, is hardened at a temperature of 1050 degrees, followed by cooling in oil. Accordingly, self-hardening of the blade requires oil and a source of high temperature. You can use any mineral oil, which is not a pity. In this case, it was the TNK transmission. A kind of forge was used for heating.
It should be noted important nuances that must be taken into account when heating the blade:
- It is necessary to ensure the uniformity of heating. To do this, it is best to put the blade on the butt and rake up the coals on both sides.
- Supply air from the side, and in no case on the blade.
- The heating temperature of the blade can be determined visually, according to this table, but for better hardening it is necessary to use a pyrometer.

After heating to the required temperature, we remove the blade from the forge with any suitable tool and quickly lower it into oil.

After the blade has completely cooled, we take it out, wipe it off and, after letting it rest for several hours, we proceed to the next important stage - vacation. After hardening, the blade acquires the necessary hardness, but becomes brittle, and if not tempered, the cutting edge may begin to crumble. The tempering mode, as well as the hardening mode, is determined from tables and reference books for each steel grade. For our 9X18, tempering is required at a temperature of 150 degrees: that is, it is enough to keep the blade in a preheated oven for the required time, and then let it cool slowly. The heating temperature can be determined by the color of the tint, in accordance with this table.
After heat treatment, we grind the blade clean and form the cutting edge. In addition, you can decorate the blade by etching, or apply a pattern galvanically. For information on how to do this, read on. Our blade has been etched in vinegar.

When the blade is completely ready, we wrap it with masking tape so as not to cut our hands or scratch it, and proceed to the installation of the handle.
Before making a survival knife handle, you need to decide on the shape and material. The knife that we collect is intended for a girl, so we make the handle not thick and as beautiful as possible, based on the available materials. We used:

Copper plates of different thicknesses for the manufacture of bolster, butt and spacers;
Roe deer horn;
Multi-colored fiber for gaskets (can be replaced with thick craft paper);
Wood for the handle. For the handles of our survival knives, we choose birch burl or burl. This material is very beautiful, durable, and has wonderful energy.

In addition, you will need:

So, the material is selected, the blade is ready - let's start manufacturing.
The first thing you need is a bolster. For it we use a thick copper plate. At the request of the future owner of this survival knife, the bolster and butt plate are finished under mokume (how to do this is described on), here we will tell you how to make a bolster from a simple copper plate. This is not difficult. We draw the alleged bolster on cardboard, cut it out, try it on, cut it, repeat until you like it. Then we translate the resulting shape onto a copper plate and cut it out with a grinder or cut it out with a chisel, grind it on emery. Now you need to make a landing hole. To do this, mark it according to the template and drill several holes:

After that, we cut down the partitions with a chisel and align the shape and size with needle files. We grind. We polish. Bolster is ready.

Now we will make a spacer from the horn. We saw off a piece of the horn of the desired size, mark and form the landing hole - drill and select the excess with a needle file:

We collect everything on the blade:

And we give an approximate shape on an emery or grinder, leaving about 0.5 mm for final processing.

In the same way as the bolster, we make a copper spacer, only we don’t grind the planes, but we coarsen them with a large sandpaper, or some other tool, so that the surface is rough and sticks together better. We cut all the necessary spacers from fiber or paper. We form a landing hole in the burl bar. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest is to drill several parallel holes and remove the jumpers with the same drill. The main thing at the same time is to constantly check the fit, so that in the end the shank enters it completely, but tight enough and without backlash. We seal with masking tape all surfaces ready for finishing, so as not to smear with glue and scratch.

Pour the glue into the mounting hole in the cap, put it on the shank, removing the leaking glue, remove it, grease the shank with more glue, add a little into the hole, and put it on completely, without squeezing it very much. Let the whole structure lie down for 10-15 minutes, so that the glue is absorbed into the wood and paper, and squeeze it with a clamp for a couple of days. Usually the glue is fully cured after 24 hours, but it is better to keep everything under pressure for some more time.

When the shape of the handle is displayed, we make the back. From the copper plate we cut it out according to the template. Solder the pins of thick copper wire. It is best to solder with refractory solder PSR or copper-phosphorus. Drill holes in the handle.

Cut out the required number of spacers and assemble everything together. Don't forget to wrap the handle with masking tape.

Now we glue everything with epoxy and clamp it in a clamp for a day. When the resin hardens, we grind the butt plate, without overheating, on a grinder, or better in the old fashioned way - without a machine - with a file, we derive the final shape.

We proceed to the final processing. Sandpaper P180 - P240 remove large scratches and bumps. Smaller - smooth the surface and reach the grit P600. After processing it, we cover the wooden part of the handle with the Mahogany water stain, using a brush or swab, and let it dry for several hours.

When it dries, we process it with P1000 sandpaper and again cover it with stain. So we repeat with sandpaper P1500 - P 2000 - P2500. After processing P2500, we do not cover it with stain. The surface becomes even and smooth. We polish the metal parts of the handle with GOI paste, trying not to stain the wood and the horn.

Now you need to soak the handle with linseed oil in order to show the texture of the wood and protect it from moisture. This can be done by immersing the handle in a container with oil for some, quite a long time, or with a brush, periodically lubricating it, impregnating it, putting it on polyethylene. It is necessary to impregnate until the oil is no longer absorbed. After impregnation, leave the knife for several days until the oil dries.

After the oil is completely dry, rub the handle thickly with beeswax...

Thus, we get a high-quality and beautiful survival knife with minimal material costs. In addition, you can always be sure of a survival knife made by yourself, since you set all its properties yourself - in the process of manufacturing and selecting materials.

The last step in the process of making a survival knife with your own hands is sharpening. We’ll make a reservation right away: you can sharpen a knife yourself without special tools, but it’s better not to rely on special quality. If you don’t have sharpening tools and a set of bars with different grits at hand, you can do this with the same sandpaper. Tear off a strip of about 40x150 mm, put it on a wooden block and sharpen it. For relatively high-quality sharpening, it is advisable to go through sandpaper P240 - P400 - P600 - P1200 - P200 - P2500.

For a more convenient sharpening procedure, it is recommended to place the stone on a soft and elastic surface, for example, tree bark is suitable. It is necessary to sharpen only one side of the stone, this will further contribute to the safe and convenient operation of the knife. But, even observing the technology for making a knife for survival in the field, you need to remember that it will last not so long, because over time the stone will become dull, and a new device will need to be made. Given all of the above, we can conclude that do-it-yourself survival knives are quite possible and can be done without special skills. By making such a device yourself, you can be sure that it is really of high quality and made in accordance with all the rules.

DIY survival knife

I met the opinion that the guard interferes in everyday life (although this, in my opinion, is complete nonsense, you just need to train more in everyday terms ...), but its protective function is simply necessary, especially if there is no lanyard, and the hand is frozen or weakened from hunger. The upper part of the guard, by the way, can be made in the form of a ring - with a wide hole (like a bayonet-knives) so that a spear shaft can be inserted into it.

5) Blade The steel of the blade and the band in general, since we have a fulltang, should not be too hard. Hardness is brittleness and brittleness. Naturally, the steel must be stainless.
The width of the butt is 4-5 mm. Yes, there must be a thick, load-bearing blade, the knife must endure blows on the butt with stones and sticks. The length of the blade is 18 centimeters (shorter in the picture).

DIY survival knives

When the resin hardens, we grind the butt, without overheating, on a grinder, or better in the old fashioned way - without a machine - with a file, we derive the final shape. We proceed to the final processing. Sandpaper P180 - P240 remove large scratches and bumps.

Smaller - smooth the surface and reach the grit P600. After processing it, we cover the wooden part of the handle with the Mahogany water stain, using a brush or swab, and let it dry for several hours.

When it dries, we process it with P1000 sandpaper and again cover it with stain. So we repeat with sandpaper P1500 - P 2000 - P2500. After processing P2500, we do not cover it with stain.
The surface becomes even and smooth. We polish the metal parts of the handle with GOI paste, trying not to stain the wood and the horn. Now you need to soak the handle with linseed oil in order to show the texture of the wood and protect it from moisture.

survival knife

Manufacturing companies are well aware that they cannot sell knives en masse, the possession of which requires licenses. And for mass sales, they sell various acceptable models, thus undermining the long noble story of survival.

It's good that in Russia we have a lot of recreational places where you can join the survival in a variety of conditions. May God grant you good luck in this difficult task, health, quit smoking, don’t drink too much, take care of yourself and nature. Addition How to make a Finnish puuko knife with your own hands Puukko is one of the main types of universal awkward knives with a thousand-year history. This is a small (short blade, often less than the length of the handle), relatively easy to manufacture Finnish knife, the functionality of which is suitable for many tasks related to hunting and farming.

Homemade survival knife with simple tools

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Info

With the right manufacturing technology, a survival knife will turn out to be reliable and durable. Making a knife for survival in the field Even making a knife for survival in the field from improvised means, you can achieve a very good result, the main thing is to perform this procedure correctly.

The first thing to do in order to make a survival knife is to pick up a suitable piece of stone. A piece of stone for the future knife should be small and conveniently fixed to the hand.

If a fragment of the desired size was not found, you can split a large stone on another stone. The stones with glossy fragments are considered the most ideal, since they are considered the hardest and most reliable. You can sharpen a stone with a bone, for this you need to turn the sharp edge of the bone in the direction of sharpening with pressure.

Homemade knife do it yourself

Just be aware! The manufacture of knives can be classified as the manufacture of edged weapons and punished by an article of the criminal code! I was tired of constantly sharpening my Brazilian stainless steel knives during the cooking process, and I caught fire on New Year's Eve, to arrange a gift for myself in the form of a good knife. I got into tyrnets to look for where I could buy one, found a couple of offers, more or less, but still not quite right. Either the shape or the dimensions did not quite correspond to my wishes. Even the price did not play a special role, in the region of 10 k I could spend it, then a gift to my beloved. Yes, and my wife said, you need, look and order, I don’t mind at all. There was an option to order, with its own sizes and shapes. But at work, two of my colleagues began to master this craft in the same way, though they buy ready-made blades, and there they already conjure with handles, and their blades are too small for me at all.

DIY survival knife

Attention

The required heat treatment modes for each specific steel grade can be found in the table or in reference books. Steel, 9X18, used on our blade, according to the table, is hardened at a temperature of 1050 degrees, followed by cooling in oil.

Accordingly, self-hardening of the blade requires oil and a source of high temperature. You can use any mineral oil, which is not a pity.

In this case, it was the TNK transmission. For heating, a kind of forge was used. It should be noted important nuances that must be taken into account when heating the blade: - It is necessary to ensure uniform heating. To do this, it is best to put the blade on the butt and rake up the coals on both sides. - Air is supplied from the side, and in no case on the blade. - The heating temperature of the blade can be determined visually, according to this table, but for better hardening it is necessary to use a pyrometer.

DIY survival knife

And if you also process it correctly, you get a real do-it-yourself survival knife. Choose a suitable splinter of stone - it should be small so that it is less processed and more or less comfortable in the hand. A suitable shard can be obtained by splitting stone on stone with your own hands. If possible, choose stones with a glossy chip - they are the hardest. Now you will need a piece of bone, which should be made sharp at one end. Processing consists in strong pressing with a twist in the direction of sharpening. Place the stone on something soft and elastic. Thick tree bark works well. For a scraper, only one side of the cutting edge needs to be sharpened. After all, you will wield it like a safety razor. A classic, flat knife can also be made by cold forging. To do this, you will already need a blank in the form of an iron plate.
Then we will make a knife with a wide blade, in the summer, when it will be possible to unforge steel))) We draw either by hand or on a computer, the contours of our future knife and cut out of paper like a pattern. We apply steel to the canvas, and paint over everything that needs to be removed from the canvas with a black marker. We go to the machine and fuck. Here is the finished cutting edge. Here I have already roughly outlined the boundaries of the slopes, and began to draw them out slowly. With the help of such a not tricky device, I made descents.

This is the hardest and longest part. I melted 2 buckets of snow))) you need to cool the metal, otherwise we will overheat. After the painful manufacture of descents, we draw the upper boundaries of the knife, that is, butt.

And we get something that looks like a knife. And with the help of that bar, very rough, we bring the descents and bring the cutting edge to the draft. Well, I walked a bit with the skin, see how it turns out. The next step was preparing the handle.
And here there are two approaches, which we will discuss below. The first is making a knife with your own hands using the necessary tools, taking into account the choice of materials and processing methods, and the second is making a survival knife with your own hands from improvised means, in the wild. Which, you see, is already closer to the real conditions in which any of us may find ourselves. , drill, rivet material (copper bars for example), blank for the handle and sandpaper. As for the workpiece, you can use a car spring or a file as it. Outline the future blade with a pencil and carefully drill a series of holes along the entire length. Also drill the rivet handle.

DIY survival knife- a great practice for any survivalist. And here there are two approaches, which we will discuss below. The first is making a knife with your own hands using the necessary tools, taking into account the choice of materials and processing methods, and the second is making a survival knife with your own hands from improvised means, in the wild. Which, you see, is already closer to the real conditions in which any of us may find ourselves
1ST WAY TO MAKE YOUR SURVIVAL KNIFE
So, in the first case, to make a survival knife, you will need a blank, a file (grinder with a grinding wheel), a hacksaw, a drill, rivet material (copper rods for example), a blank for the handle and sandpaper. As for the workpiece, you can use a car spring or a file as it. Outline the future blade with a pencil and carefully drill a series of holes along the entire length. Also drill the rivet handle. So it will be easier and faster to cut the desired shape. After that, with a file, process the edges, removing irregularities. Now we already have a finished form. Mark the cutting edge and start grinding it with a flat file, securing the workpiece in a vise. Make a fire and while it burns, process the workpiece with sandpaper. Using long blacksmith tongs (or their equivalent), put the knife into the coals. For successful hardening, it will take 10-15 minutes. You can check with an ordinary magnet: if the steel is magnetized, the knife is not yet ready. Be mindful of the temperature and don't touch the knife with your hands. Cool the finished knife in oil. In order to prevent the cutting edge from crumbling, a procedure known as tempering is used. To do this, wipe the knife dry and place it in the oven at a temperature of 350-400 degrees and "bake" for about forty minutes. Let it cool naturally and repeat the procedure. On a fine sand the surface for subsequent bluing to protect your knife from corrosion. It's time for the handle. Attach your knife to the handle blank and trace the outline. Cut out the jigsaw and sand it. Mark, also through the applications of the knife, the holes for the rivets and drill the future handle. Everything, now with the help of epoxy and rivets, connect your knife and handle together. Do-it-yourself hedgehog is ready for survival!

2ND WAY TO MAKE YOUR SURVIVAL KNIFE
The second method will come to your aid in the absence of suitable materials and tools. In other words, in conditions where you have to survive. If you correctly determine the necessary functions that such a knife should perform, then the result will not be much inferior to real knives. In fact, to, for example, skin the carcass of an animal, even a sharp piece of stone can be used. And if you also process it correctly, you get a real do-it-yourself survival knife. Choose a suitable splinter of stone - it should be small so that it is less processed and more or less comfortable in the hand. A suitable shard can be obtained by splitting stone on stone with your own hands. If possible, choose stones with a glossy chip - they are the hardest. Now you will need a piece of bone, which should be made sharp at one end. Processing consists in strong pressing with a twist in the direction of sharpening. Place the stone on something soft and elastic. Thick tree bark works well. For a scraper, only one side of the cutting edge needs to be sharpened. After all, you will wield it like a safety razor. A classic, flat knife can also be made by cold forging. To do this, you will already need a blank in the form of an iron plate. If you are lucky enough to find one, then beat off one side with a hammer (its analogue). The material is compacted and a hard cutting edge appears. If you manage to make a kind of dynamo with sufficient current, then the iron billet can be processed using electrolysis. Parallel to the tip of the blade, in the plane of the plate, we install a wire along the contour and connect the plate to the plus, and the wire to the minus. We lower it all into a 25% salt solution and turn it on. Due to the uneven dissolution of the plate, a small cutting edge is formed. With a shortage of materials, the simplest survival knife can be made with your own hands from wood. Using a sharp stone or scraper as described above, or any other hard object for processing.

If you can’t imagine your life without outings in nature, are fond of hunting or fishing, go rafting or go on long hikes from time to time, then the topic of survival should be interesting for you. After all, any, even seemingly harmless exit into the forest, is inextricably linked with extreme conditions.

You need to be ready for anything, so you should take your equipment more than seriously. In your camping arsenal, you definitely will not interfere with a survival knife. Of course, on a hike you can get by with the usual one, but it’s also worth considering it as an option.

The topic of survival knives is already so well-traveled that it is quite difficult to add something new. But we'll still try. There are both supporters and opponents of this type of knife. Opponents give a bunch of arguments about the actual uselessness of a knife for survival - they say, why do we need all these stray things like a saw on the butt, which you can’t really saw off anything, a compass showing it’s not clear what, a disposable file, NAZ in a hollow handle and much more.

Maybe in some ways they are right, but it should be remembered that this is, first of all, a survival knife. And the maximum benefit of this knife is manifested in the most extreme conditions. When you don’t have an ax or a saw at hand, then this seemingly useless saw will greatly facilitate your survival process.

As for the NAZ, keeping it in the handle is quite justified, because you always keep the knife with you, and stuffing an emergency supply into your pockets is not the best option. Yes, and you still have to manage to lose the knife, it is much easier to lose everything else. You can always find disadvantages, but in fact, survival knives have their advantages.

Let's list their advantages:

• The good thing about a survival knife is that it can do jobs that would be difficult to do with a regular knife. With it, you can easily chop wood chips for kindling a fire, it is ideal for driving stakes and chopping fairly thick branches. A survival knife will come in handy when building shelters (cutting branches for a hut). If desired, it can be used as a spatula for digging.
• Whatever they say, NAZ in the handle or in the sheath can also be attributed to the merits. Putting it in your pockets or storing it in a backpack is unacceptable, and so, wherever you go and whatever you do, you always carry a survival knife with you and in an emergency you will definitely not be left without NAZ. Using NAZ, you can start a fire, fix clothes, provide yourself or someone with minimal medical assistance.
• Thirdly, this knife will fit perfectly as a means of self-defense, you can fight back a wild animal. It is also perfect for hunting and they can easily butcher the carcass of a dead animal.
• With the help of this knife, you can make various tools, tools or weapons from wood - cut a club, sharpen a spear, build an oar.

Well, there are disadvantages, where without them:

• Not suitable for cooking. No, you can peel potatoes with it, but given the size of survival knives, this will be very difficult to do.
• Indeed, the presence of a compass on the handle loses all meaning if the handle itself is not made of a non-magnetic alloy. Yes, and when performing shock work, you need to be careful not to hit this place.
• You can’t cut much on the butt with a saw - as a rule, the teeth are almost not divorced and there is a big risk of injuring your hand when sawing.

survival knife design

In most cases, a survival knife has a hollow handle that serves as a pencil case for NAZ. Although many people think that the strength of a knife with a hollow handle is worse than that of a knife with a shank that passes through the entire handle, we do not agree with this. If the product is made with high quality, then it will be quite durable and reliable.

Sometimes NAZ is placed not in a knife, but in a sheath, in whole or in part, as a rule, these are various auxiliary things such as a sharpening bar, a signal mirror or many other useful gizmos.

The knife blade can be smooth or serrated. In our opinion, it is better to use a standard smooth blade, in which case it is easiest to sharpen it. There are almost always teeth (sawing) on ​​the butt of a knife, with which you can make a small cut in wood, bone or even metal (depending on the pitch and setting of the teeth).

A survival knife can have a very different shape, this is influenced by many factors - the geography and climate of use, the independent choice of the owner and the specifics of survival.

What is usually included in the NAZ survival knife kit:

Compass. It can be placed on the handle or on the scabbard. Fire starter. Usually this is a fire starter, a lighter, a few matches soaked in wax and dry fuel. Threads. From kapron and ordinary. Minimum fishing set(5 meters of fishing line, sinkers and hooks) A set of needles (surgical and regular for sewing clothes), a few pins, tweezers. Water disinfectant- tablets or manganese. medical kit and adhesive tape.

This is an approximate set of NAZ, everyone completes it at their own discretion. Additional elements can be a whistle, a magnifying glass, a grinding stone, a heliograph mirror, a blade, a small knife.

Let's look at the most popular models of survival knives.

Aitor Jungle King II

King of the Jungle 2 is one of the most popular survival knives. Manufactured by the Spanish company Aitor.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Length - 13.5 cm. Steel - stainless chrome-molybdenum-vanadium. The hardness of steel is 54 HRC.
• Lever. Hollow, airtight, NAZ is placed inside.
• NAZ. The kit includes needles and pins, fishing tackle, blade, pencil, adhesive plaster, tweezers, flint, tourniquet, pocket mirror, skinner knife, whetstone.
• Cord wrapped around scabbard, which can be used for various needs, a small skinner-type knife can open cans, skin animals, it can also be used as a screwdriver or steel flint.

Basically a good survival knife. Very versatile, high quality and reliable. A compass is built into the cork of the handle, which will help you navigate in the forest. Sometimes he shows nonsense, but mostly working. A skinner knife can not only open beer bottles - strapped to a stick, it easily turns into a spear. On the scabbard there are folding horns for a slingshot (you can shoot small game).

There is a saw on the butt of the Jungle King II, it cuts pretty well, especially dry wood. There are no comments on the cutting part of the knife either - it cuts pretty well. The only thing is that the guard sometimes interferes with cutting meat, but this is a trifle. The weight of the knife is 460g, this is the weight of the whole set, in principle, it is quite light (this is due to the fact that the handle is hollow).

Some consider the dimensions of the knife to be a drawback, the length of the entire knife is almost 30 cm (27.5), and if you also take into account the sheath, you get a rather impressive unit (inconvenient when worn on a belt). The fastening of the blade in the handle is reliable, the method of fastening is that the blade is recessed into the handle by 35 mm and fixed in it with a transverse sleeve.

Survival knife HB-1-01

This blade came from the army knife "Basurmanin". In terms of characteristics and appearance, it looks like the Jungle King described above.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blued. Length is 16 cm, width 3 cm, thickness 4 mm. Blade steel grade - 8HF.
• Lever. Hollow, with NAZ inside. Material - steel.
• NAZ. The standard set is fishing tackle (hooks, fishing line, sinker), needle + thread (3 meters), set for making fire (3 hunting matches + shirkach for matches), 1 pin, awl, water disinfection tablets.
• Sheath. The scabbard has a hinged device, divided into cavities. A cord is wound on one half. The second cavity contains a saw (10 cm long) and a small skinner knife that can open bottles and cans, it will also replace a screwdriver and a wrench. The sheath also has a wire cutter and a built-in compass.
• Weight and dimensions. The weight of the knife with a complete set is 750 grams, the total length in the sheath is 33 cm.

Well, now the debriefing. In principle, the HB-1-01 knife is quite suitable for hiking trips and small forays into nature, but for extreme conditions you need to look for something more serious. Based on personal experience and feedback from the owners of this knife, the following conclusions can be drawn - the steel is not of very good quality, it sharpens poorly, is susceptible to corrosion, burnishing quickly peels off.

It is advisable to completely change the NAZ to your own, because the quality of the standard kit is also not very good. The handle is inconveniently round. The blade is fixed in the handle quite securely, but the passport says that the load on the break is only 30 kg., Which also makes you think.

But the scabbard is made really well, a very simple and functional suspension system is thought out here. Another plus is the presence of a compass not on a knife, but on a sheath. In general, it is up to you to decide whether you should buy such a knife, there are craftsmen who refine and eliminate some shortcomings themselves during operation, but think for yourself whether you need such hemorrhoids.

FALLKNIVEN S1

FALLKNIVEN S1 is an excellent Swedish survival knife. It was originally designed for US Air Force flight crews.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blade length 130mm, thickness 5mm. Excellent three-layer Japanese steel, the central layer of VG-10 steel, the facings of steel 420. The hardness of the steel is 59 HRC.
• Lever. Material - Thermorun. In the lower part there is a guard. The material is very durable and pleasant to the touch.
• Weight and dimensions. Weight - 190 g. Total length - 247 mm. Pretty compact and lightweight.

The FALLKNIVEN S1 is a survival knife without any extra bells and whistles. It cuts perfectly, almost does not dull, it is easy to sharpen, it is not subject to corrosion, it is not scratched. The small handle gives more freedom to manipulate the knife. Comes with a leather sheath.

This knife + some good multitool is the best option for a real survivalist. Such a knife is good both in everyday life and in extreme conditions.

Wildsteer WX

Wildsteer WX is a survival knife from a well-known French company. The manufacturers themselves call their brainchild a folding tactical survival knife.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blade length - 10 cm, thickness - 4.5 mm. Steel - brand X46Cr13 (our Russian counterpart - steel 40X13).
• Lever. Material - stainless steel, length - 16 cm.
• Weight and dimensions. The weight is only 270 grams, and the total length when unfolded is 26 cm.

The main feature of the Wildsteer WX is the unique patented blade lock - WX lock. This latch is so reliable that when opened, this unit can be safely called a knife with a fixed blade.

SOG D25

Another very interesting option is the SOG D25 survival knife. This knife is more like a dagger, it has a two-sided sharpening and a spear shape. At the base, the blade has a serrated blade on both sides.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blade length - 14 cm, thickness - 4.5 mm. Steel - 440A, hardness is 56-58 HRC.
• Handle. It is made of wood and has a very compact size - 11.5 cm. The plastic guard is quite impressive, it will definitely prevent your hand from slipping onto the blade.
• Weight and dimensions. This dagger hangs 240 grams and has a total length of 27 cm.

Perhaps this knife should be considered not as a survival knife, but as a combat one. Although why not, a good survivalist will find a use for him. But, you see, this instance looks quite exotic.

Mora 2000

And this handsome man from the Morakniv family is Mora 2000. This Swedish-made knife can be used both in extreme tourism and for domestic needs. The main feature of this blade is that from the middle of the blade the thickness of the knife decreases. Mora 2000 is a great option for survivalists, hikers, hunters and fishermen.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blade length - 10.5 cm. Material - Sandvik steel (grade 12C27), steel hardness - 58 HRC.
• Handle. Plastic, molded, zonal rubberized.
• Weight and dimensions. Knife weight - 100 grams, total length - 22.3 cm.
• Sheath. Made of very durable plastic, there is a leather belt for carrying a knife on a belt.

This knife has proven itself among survivalists, it can easily cut meat, chop firewood, it easily opens tin cans and nothing is done to the blade after that, there is not the slightest scratch. Again, this option + multitool and you won't get lost anywhere.

Survivalist X D2 Gray Titanium

Consider another survival knife. Another option with a hollow handle for NAZ. It comes with a very interesting sheath with the MOLLE system.

Knife Features:

• Blade. Blade length - 18.5 cm, width - 3.8 cm, thickness - 4.9 mm. Material - stainless steel grade D2, steel hardness - 59-61 HRC.
• Handle. Duralumin, hollow.
• Weight and dimensions. Knife weight - 385 grams (with sheath 530), total length - 31.5 cm.

An excellent survival knife in its class. Good steel, comfortable sheath, on the butt of the blade there is a special bevel designed for cutting bones. Also, the knife easily turns into a spear, you just need to unscrew the cork of the handle and insert a stick of the appropriate diameter into it. In general, the knife is quite nice, although opponents of hollow handles and similar ramboids will find flaws in this knife. But here, to each his own.

Here, in principle, this is where we will end our review of survival knives. Very soon we will prepare full-fledged tests for specific models of the best survival knives. We have also compiled a good selection of videos on this topic for you. You will see video reviews of specific HB models, blade owners will share their experience with you, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of certain survival knives.

Imagine that you are in an emergency situation where something threatens your life and health. What is the best survival knife to have with you in this case? Honestly, you would love ANY knife. However, if you are reading this article right now, then you have a habit of thinking about the future and planning ahead. And a hypothetical emergency is unlikely to take you by surprise with empty pockets. Moreover, you most likely will not have an old rusty pocket knife with you, but something more serious.

We all have our own personal preferences for what it means to be a "good knife" for camping trips. And in an extreme situation, you certainly would like to get the best possible option. Therefore, in this article we will try to compile a list of the best survival knives so that you can choose the best one for you.

But first, let's talk a little about...

What is a survival knife?

The survival knife is a versatile tool designed for everyday outdoor use as well as for real life survival in the wild (as its name suggests). It should be suitable for most camp activities, including arranging a shelter, making a fire, cooking, making various traps, digging, and much more. In addition, it must be suitable for self-defense and hunting (nominally - for picking up wounded animals and cutting them up).

Generally speaking, a fulltang tang fixed blade knife is a much better choice as a survival knife than a shear tang knife or even more so a folder. Indeed, due to its versatility, a survival knife can experience very serious loads that can disable a folding knife or lead to a break in a thin shank in a light fixed.

How to choose the right survival knife: 8 important points that you should definitely pay attention to.

Below we will look at several important points that you should definitely consider when choosing a survival knife, because they determine its convenience, reliability and versatility in the wild. For your convenience, we have made a list with links for quick access:

1. Blade type - how to choose the right blade for a survival knife?

Recommended types of blade profiles: A - clip point (clip point), B - spear point (spear point), C - drop point (drop-point).

When choosing a survival knife for yourself, it is worth remembering what exactly it is intended for. After all, being one on one with wildlife, you will have to use it to the maximum, and in this case, such a factor as the shape of the blade plays an important role.

Among the currently numerous forms and variations of blades, three should be preferred, namely - clip-point, spear point and drop point. The reason for this is the location of the level of the tip close to the median (conditional) line of the blade, which improves the control of the knife and, as a result, its versatility.

According to these parameters, knives with clip, spear and drop-point are superior to knives with a straight butt, not to mention other types of blade action.

Experienced wilderness survivalists divide all survival knives into three broad categories, depending on their size and purpose: cleavers, camping knives, bushcraft/utility survival knives.

Cleavers

The first category includes knives with a blade length of more than 10 inches (25 cm), with a balance shifted to the blade and (ideally) flat slopes. As steel for these knives, grades 1095, 5160 or 440s are most often chosen. In addition, the handle of the cleaver should be ergonomic, textured and should be well held even in a wet hand.

camp knives

Camp knives are medium-sized knives (their minimum blade size is about 5 inches). The ideal balance for such a knife is in the area of ​​​​the guard, and the descents will suit both straight and concave. The handle should also be ergonomic, fit well in the hand and allow you to perform a variety of actions. This category of knives is the most versatile, and can be used for most jobs - from cutting game and cooking to light chopping.

Utility knives, bushcraft knives

Utility knives, bushcraft knives are small knives (with a blade around 4 inches, and sometimes even a little less) and flat descents. Ideal for small woodwork, traps, etc.

2. Fixed or folder?

Of course, this is an excellent tool for EDC, but its main problem is that it is good only in "peaceful" time, since it is not designed for serious loads. And his main problem is that he can break in a critical situation much easier than a knife with a fixed blade.
You can also cut food or gut fish / small birds with a fold, but using it to prepare a shelter, butcher large prey, or, even more so, try to dig or chop something, it will be much more difficult and with a huge risk to the integrity of the knife.

This, of course, does not mean that the "survivor" should not have a folding knife with him. Quite the opposite - it's worth it, but only as a backup and not as a replacement for the main working fixed.

3. Blade shape - how to choose it depending on the purpose of the knife

The shape of the blade (working / cutting edge, RK) of a survival knife is also one of the fundamental factors when choosing it, since it directly affects the purpose of the knife and the convenience of its use in certain situations.

So, a straight working edge is the most versatile and suitable for most tasks that can be set in a survival environment.

A cutting edge with a recurve is less versatile, and also does not allow you to perform a number of works with high accuracy (for example, it is better to use only knives with a straight knife for accurate skinning). At the same time, the recurve allows you to accurately and with less effort cut various objects with the part of the blade located near the bolster, and also provides a stronger chopping blow with the part of the blade located near the tip (compared to a similar knife, but with a straight working edge).

An example of a recurve cutting edge.

4. Blade length - how long should a survival knife be?

Choosing the right blade length is just as important as all the previous ones, since knives of different sizes are designed to solve different tasks (as discussed above). Speaking of choosing one single survival knife, we can advise the length of the blade in the region of 9 inches (20-22 cm).

Such a length is still not excessive for more or less comfortable butchering of game and performing small jobs (for example, arranging traps). But at the same time, it is already sufficient for tasks such as cutting branches and batoning.

5. Survival knife steel. What to choose?

The next important parameter when choosing a knife is the grade of steel from which it is made. Here it is important to decide whether to choose a knife with a carbon steel blade or opt for a stainless steel one.

So, carbon steels they have a better cut and are easier to correct in the field, but at the same time they rust even with a minimum amount of moisture. In turn, stainless steels they are practically not afraid of dampness and hold sharpening better, but at the same time they have a less aggressive cut, and are also more difficult to sharpen in outdoor conditions.

In addition to the type of steel, its hardness also plays an important role. So, steels with a hardness in the range of 50-54 Rockwell are stronger than knives with high hardness, but at the same time they hold sharpening less. Knives with a hardness of 58 Rockwell and above hold sharpening well, but have increased fragility (besides, such knives will be difficult to sharpen "on the knee"). It is for this reason that the ideal hardness for a survival knife is 54 to 58 Rockwell.

At the same time, it should be noted that if we are talking about powerful cleavers intended mainly for cutting, then low-carbon steel, hardened to 50-54 units, should be preferred.

As good carbon steels for knives, you can recommend grades 1095, 5160, O1, A2, as well as domestic tool steels of the U series and spring steel 65G (especially for chopping tools). Good grades of stainless steel include 440C, AUS8, AUS10, and even 420HC.

6. Descents of the blade - which one to give preference to?

Various types of cutting edge profiles.

How well a survival knife cuts depends not only on good steel, but also on the geometry of its blade, namely the slopes. The most versatile in this case are flat descents. They allow you to easily perform all basic operations, namely cutting, planing, splitting and chopping without the risk of damaging the blade. Similar in performance to flat slopes are slopes with a "reciprocating" profile.

At the same time, choosing a blade with concave slopes as a universal knife for survival is absolutely not worth it. Despite the fact that it can cut products even better than a blade with flat slopes, it is practically not suitable for power work (for example, cutting), because it gets stuck in soft wood, and when cutting hard, there is a real risk of chipping entire pieces of the blade ( and there are plenty of examples.)

If we talk about lenticular descents, then they are less versatile, and sharpening knives with a similar geometry in field conditions is also more difficult. For this reason, you should stop your choice on knives with saber or flat descents.

7. Shank - solid or slip-on?

The shank of the knife is a continuation of the blade, going inside the handle. And it is precisely the point at which the shank enters the handle that is the weakest point of the knife. It is for this reason that a knife designed, among other things, for power work (as, in fact, a survival knife) must have a really strong shank that runs along the entire length of the handle, namely, a fulltang. And there is no point in looking for any compromises here. Firstly, it is almost impossible to break such a knife (except in cases of steel overheating or local fatigue), and secondly, even with a broken handle (or rather, handle linings), such a knife can continue to be used, which cannot be said about knives with other types of shanks .

Close to a fulltang is a hidden shank (that is, running almost the entire volume of the handle, but invisible from the outside). It ranks second in terms of reliability, as well as the ease of use of a knife with a broken handle. Survival knives with a similar shank are also a good option, although it is still better to give preference to a fulltang.

8. Choosing a knife handle

The last important factor when choosing a survival knife is the material of its handle. After all, if it cracks or, moreover, breaks into pieces, then the convenience of using the knife will drop sharply, and in some cases it will not be possible to use it at all.

Currently, in the first place in popularity is the material for the handles called "micarta". It can be linen or hemp, and combines strength, resistance to dirt and virtually immunity to high humidity.

In second place are G-10 and Zytel. They are similar in properties to micarta and are also an excellent material for survival knife handles. As you can see, the list of recommended materials does not include wood. This is due to the fact that it is more dependent on changes in humidity and temperature, and also has greater fragility than composite materials.

As a handle material for large cleavers, rubber and rubber-like plastics can be recommended, damping vibration and reducing the “recoil” acting on the hand when cutting, for example, Krayton or Hypalon. At the same time, relief elements should be applied on the handle itself to improve retention and prevent it from slipping out of a wet hand.

That's all for now. In the next part, wait for the TOP 10 best survival knives, selected based on the above criteria.