SURVIVAL OF THE SHARPEST: EDC GUIDE TO SURVIVAL KNIVES

EDC Legend Chuck Norris Rocks a Ka-Bar
in Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988).

THE SURVIVAL KNIFE: WHAT’S THE DEAL?

Survival knives are awesome. Thing is, a lot of knives out there are rocking a “survival” tag (because it sounds cool) these days - even if they’re not, you know, actual top-tier survival knives.

A survival knife is one that appeals to your inner-survivalist instincts. And when we say “survival”, we don’t mean roasting marshmallows and singing “Kumbaya" around the campfire with a bunch of your friends, either.

Survival is about SURVIVING, plain and simple. Getting out of dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations with nothing but your EDC and wits about you.

When it comes to crossing the survival knife box off your must-have EDC checklist, you’ll want a blade that’s versatile and tough-as-nails. You’ll want one with not only a well-constructed handle that fits comfortably in your hand, but one with a rugged blade that would divide your typical cheap, flimsy blade into two.

If you’re lost in the wilderness, having a great survival knife on you can quite literally be a lifesaver. Whether you need to split firewood, start a fire, hunt, skin, and prepare your next meal, clear a path, build temporary shelter, open a can, or dig, a solid survival knife has your back.

THE THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF SURVIVAL KNIFE

“People keep asking if I got my old Ka-Bar survival knife back.
Yeah. I’m thinking it’s back!” - John Wick (2014)

Right off the bat, any advanced survivalist that you meet is going to tell you that survival knives fall into one of the three categories (as determined by a knife’s blade length as well as its blade design). These categories include heavy duty choppers (seriously long knives, robustly constructed from tough steel like 1095, 5160, or 440C, with ergonomic handle design, a 10”-14” weight-forward blade, and a saber grind), camp knives (medium-sized knives with an ergonomic handle, a 5”-8” blade with a balance point near the hilt, and a flat or hollow grind), and bushcraft/utility knives (short knives with an ergonomic handle, 3.5”-5” blade with a clip point, drop point, or spear point design, and a flat or hollow grind).

FINDING THE RIGHT SURVIVAL KNIFE FOR YOU

Cpl. Merriell “Snafu” Shelton (Rami Malek)
wields his KA-BAR in The Pacific.

With no shortage of options out there when it comes to EDC survival knives, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? We’re glad you asked.

First and foremost, consider how likely you are to actually use your new everyday carry survival knife, well, every day. Once you’ve done a proper self-assessment in this area, you’ll be in a much better position to decide what factors are most important to you. If you don’t think you’re always going to have your EDC survival knife with you, you can definitely get away with one that is likely softer and easier to sharpen.

Once you have a solid usage estimate, consider your ideal price point and/or budget neighborhood. Got it? Great!

Enough pregaming. Let’s hit the bar and get into those features that you’ll be able to further evaluate in order select the perfect survival knife. For YOU.

BLADE DESIGN

The survival knife x-factor, blade design helps determine whether or not the survival knife you’re inspecting is the real deal or not. Your three best options are the clip point, the drop point, and the spear point, each designed to position the blade’s tip closer to the center line as a means of providing you with superior control.

STEEL TYPE

What your survival knife is made of. Right up there with blade design in terms of important factors to consider when finding the right EDC survival knife for you. While you can’t go wrong with some nice, low-maintenance stainless steel, carbon steel is also an option. While carbon steel is less ideal for everyday carry (it requires significantly more maintenance than stainless), it is also easier to sharpen and less likely to break.

The relative toughness and edge-holding ability of any blade steel is largely dependent on its Rockwell Hardness. Blades with a RH of 50-54 are tough (more likely to be found on long, heavy-duty survival knives constructed from high-carbon steel). Blades with a RH of 58-62 hold an edge. Finally, blades with a RH of 54-58 lie somewhere in the middle in terms of edge-holding ability and sheer toughness. Any blade with a RH above 54 is more likely to be found on short bush utility knives constructed from either stainless or high-carbon steel.

BLADE TYPE

Since we are talking about everyday carry survival knives, an all-purpose folding blade is definitely more convenient to everyday carry around with you.

However, if survival is really the name of the game you’re looking to play, a fixed blade is the superior speed and safety choice, mostly because it can endure more when you’re cutting, prying, or chopping (a fixed blade is not only better at taking a beating, but it also can be deployed easier since there is no need to unlock or unfold). Just pull a fixed blade from its sheath and you’ll be off to the races in the nick of time.

BLADE EDGE

The design of your new survival knife cutting edge matters because different types of cutting are required for various knife uses.

A straight cutting edge is general purpose and can feature (as measured from the bolster) a positive rake angle (extends from bolster at downward angle in order to increase cutting and slicing angle of attack), a neutral rake angle (an angle that extends at a right angle from the bolster), or a negative rank angle (extends at an upward angle in order to decrease pressure placed on cutting edge during slicing and cutting).

A recurved edge features a straight section extending from the ricasso (the unsharpened length of blade just above the guard or handle on a knife) that eventually springs a positive angle towards the center of the blade before curving upward to the tip as it reaches the edge’s belly, in turn balancing the blade forward of the hilt. This type of edge works great for cutting and carving (near the bolster) as well as for chopping (as it is tip heavy).

BLADE LENGTH

The shortest utility blades, those within the 3.5”-5” range, are all you need for less heavy-duty tasks like cutting notches in stakes in order to build traps, skinning smaller game, gutting fish, or slicing up some turnip roots. Medium blades, those within the 6”-7.5” range, are blades that are capable of the tasks required by both short and long blade designs. And, finally, heavy-duty long blades, those within the 8”-10” range, are superb for chopping and splitting (however, their tips are harder to control when conducting more detailed, precise cutting activities).

BLADE GRIND

There are three grinds to know when it comes to survival knives. These are saber (a grind with a bevel that reaches just a short way from the cutting edge to blade’s back in order to create a thick, axe-esque edge that is tougher to sharpen to a fine edge, but great for holding an edge when splitting and chopping), hollow (a grind that gets the job done when it comes to chopping, cutting, and slicing, falls somewhere on the spectrum between a saber grind and a flat grind in terms of holding an edge), and flat (a grind with a bevel that reaches the entire distance from the cutting edge to the blade’s back in order to create a finer edge than a saber, but hold an edge better than a hollow).

Ain’t nothin’ but a G-tang, baby (no, but really, not this “Tang”)…

TANG

A survival knife’s tang is the portion of its blade that extends into the handle wherein the knife’s handle is fixed. Full tang blades, those that extend the entire length of a knife, are also the most popular, as they unequivocally provide the strength needed in even the most testing survival scenario. Stick tang and partial tang blades, while lightweight, are less capable in the most severe of scenarios, particularly should you have to force your blade against a tough object or use your knife as a tool to pry (this is because their tangs extend the entire length of the handle but only extend a small part of the width). Hidden tang blades, like full tangs, extend nearly the full length and width of the handle, but they are constructed in such a manner that it allows the handle to be hollowed and slid onto the tang where it is affixed with epoxy.

HANDLE

Strength, durability, and of course a nice, contoured grip (i.e., not just bare steel) – these are all important considerations when it comes to making your survival knife handle work for you. The material of your EDC survival knife’s grip is no joke. It should be tough enough to prevent cracking and breaking. Moisture-resistance (weather can be unpredictable) in order to prevent rot is not a bad detail, either.

Go-to handle materials for a survival knife are definitely those made from solid, modern synthetics (due to their almost indestructible makeup) like canvas or linen Micarta. G-GRN/FRN (glass/fiber reinforced nylon with brands like Zytel or Valox, money but also less-than-stellar at providing your hand with the level of ideal cushioning you want when chopping due to a decreased ability to absorb shock), G-10, Krayton (synthetic rubber polymer), and Hypalon (like Krayton, this textured rubber handle material is a solid choice for heavy-duty choppers) are good picks, too.

Different textures and scales on your grip can also make the fit of your grip more comfortable. After all, who needs blisters when you’re just trying to survive? Not us.

DEPENDABILITY

Look, we love the all-in-one gizmos that we offer at Gallantry. Like, a lot. However, there’s a time and a place, and when it comes to your survival knife, it is neither. No matter how neat the idea of having a survival kit tucked inside your survivor knife handle may seem in theory, its plausibility factor goes right out the window the second you realize that no “survival” product should potentially come at the cost of you, you know, surviving.

CARE FACTOR

Like any tool worth its salt, a survival knife requires proper maintenance to stay in tip-top shape. That means considering edge maintenance and rust prevention.

THICKNESS

As a general rule of thumb, you’re going to want a survival knife that has a blade thickness between 0.17” and 0.25”. A little girth won’t hurt you here. The last thing you need when trying to survive is a blade that is highly susceptible to bending.

SERRATION

For a knife to really be a survival knife, it must be able to make both slicing cuts and pushing cuts. As such, a partially serrated blade is a nice move. Look out for any blades with a serration portion shorter than 1.5” as these blades simply won’t make the final “cut”.

“What do you say we cut the chitchat, a-hole?”
- Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, The Rock (1996)

We hear ya. Loud and clear. Time to check out the goodies.

First up we’ve got some sweet KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knives to tell you about. Both varieties, brand new products, come with sheaths and make the perfect gift for the Marine in your life (or in you).

Frank Castle aka “The Punisher” (Jon Bernthal) sheaths up his Ka-Bar USMC black serrated combat knife before punishing some bad dudes in The Punisher.

THE 9140 USMC COMMEMORATIVE VIETNAM FIGHTING KNIFE FROM KA-BAR

This survival fighting knife, with its sweet 7” blade with a clip point tip, has been a USMC icon since it began serving with the United States Marine Corps and the US Navy in 1942. In other words, with this knife, you have the comfort of knowing that you’re using exactly what U.S. Marines used to bring home the bacon in WWII.

Though originally crafted to slice and dice America’s enemies (with a long blade that is perfect for penetrating freedom-haters from all angles), this knife works just as well as a EDC tool, excellent for chopping and cutting through branches, small trees, and animal limbs (is it dinnertime yet?), digging holes, breaking ice, prying, hammering through brush (don’t want to let that protruding blade at the end of the hand go to waste), and driving tent stakes with its straight-up fire pommel.

The chef’s kiss is the gold-colored paint that KA-BAR applies to this beauty, an intricately detailed work of art designed to honor and commemorate those men and women in uniform who serve our country.

If you’re looking for a great gift for any active-duty and retired military personnel, look no further. We can guarantee you the recipient will thoroughly appreciate the thought and care that goes into each one of these sentimental value-packed collectible gems.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Blade Steel: 1095 Cro-Van High Carbon Steel
• HRC: 56-58
• Grind: Flat
• Blade Length: 7"
• Overall Length: 11.875"
• Blade Thickness: 0.165"
• Blade Shape: Clip Point Bowie
• USMC Stamp / Vietnam War Veterans Memoriam
• Handle Material: Leather
• Butt Cap / Guard: Powdered Metal
• Sheath: Leather (USMC)
• Made in USA

KA-BAR 9140 USMC Fighting Knife - Vietnam Commemorative

$139.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] Iconic for decades, the KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife is exactly the knife you automatically think of when you hear the words "fighting knife". This edition, the 9140 USMC Fighting Knife, features a full-sized 7" blade made… read more

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“Frank. It’s okay. We can get you a new KA-BAR survival knife. I promise.”
- Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll)

THE 1252 USMC SHORT FIGHTING KNIFE 5-1/4 FROM KA-BAR

If you’re looking for a KA-BAR fighting knife that’s “right-sized” for everyday carry, the 1252 “Short” USMC fighting knife is the way to go. With a powder-coated, high carbon steel blade and powder-coated carbon steel, this partially-serrated American legend, with an oval-shaped handle optimized for comfort, is the one you’ve been waiting for. In other words, depending on your needs, this one may just be a more practical EDC survival knife option for the Gallantry Man (especially if general utility and camping are more likely to appear on the menu), delivering U.S. Marine-level performance in an even more everyday carry-friendly vessel. It’s what EDC enthusiasts everywhere have come to expect from any classic KA-BAR.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Blade Steel: 1095 Cro-Van High Carbon Steel
• HRC: 56-58
• Grind: Hollow
• Blade Length: 5-1/4"
• Overall Length: 9-1/4”
• Blade Thickness: 0.17”
• Blade Shape: Clip Point Bowie / Partially Serrated
• USMC Stamp
• Handle Material: Leather
• Butt Cap / Guard: Powdered Metal
• Sheath: Leather (USMC)
• Made in USA

KA-BAR 1252 Short USMC Serrated Fighting Knife

$129.95

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] Iconic for decades, the KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife is exactly the knife you automatically think of when you hear the words "fighting knife". This edition, the 1252 Short USMC Serrated Fighting Knife, is right-sized at… read more

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“I told you pendejos not to touch my Fallkniven!
Thankfully, however, I’ve got backups.”
- Navajas (Danny Trejo), Desperado (1995)

THE A1XB SURVIVAL KNIFE W/BLACK CLIP FROM FALLKNIVEN

If you’re prepping for what you to know is going to be a wilderness adventure for the record books, and you know that you want an EDC survival knife that you can easily carry during hikes or excursions to and from campsites, it’s safe to say that you’ve met your extremely sleek (not to mention safe) match.

This all-purpose, ergonomically-designed heavy-duty knife is the real McCoy, ideal for preparing food, cutting branches and animals, defending yourself from potential predators, or just as a sharp precision tool that you can use to dig and make arrows or spears with.

Black ops operators don’t just keep these bad boys (the strongest, sharpest, and safest stainless steel knife you can get your hands on) in their sheaths because they look cool. No, no, no. These survival knives walk the walk, too. The VG10 steel that composes the powerful blade is remarkable for its ability to help the knife withstand the stresses of heavy use, making it ideal for daily tasks like chopping. Here, here!

SPECIFICATIONS

• Blade Steel: Black Tungsten DLC-Coated Laminate Cobalt Steel Blade
• HRC: 60 (Blade) / 83 (Tungsten Carbide Coating)
• Grind: Convex
• Blade Length: 6.34”
• Overall Length: 11.18”
• Blade Thickness: 0.28”
• Blade Shape: Drop Point
• Handle Material: Black Textured Thermorun
• Sheath: Black Zytel
• Full, Extended Tang
• Lanyard Hole

Available in Black

Fallkniven A1x Survival Knife - Black / Black Clip

$299.00 $499.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The Fallkniven A1x is thought by many to be the best performing, most durable survival knife on the planet. If you're looking for something lightweight, look elsewhere.  The Fallkniven A1x thinks toughness is a virtue… read more

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It’s often said you should save the best for last. In that case, boy oh boy have we been saving. How will you know? Because the 4-Max Scout from Cold Steel is our pick for the best folding survival knife of all-time. Here comes the BOOM!

“Dude. Don’t you know I only mess with Cold Steel knives? C’mon.”
- Tool (Mickey Rourke), The Expendables (2010)

THE 4-MAX SCOUT FROM COLD STEEL

The original 4-Max was a standout for Cold Steel, but they needed an easier to produce, far more affordable alternative. Enter the 4-Max Scout. Identical to the original 4 Max (the handle’s silhouette even mirrors the original, though the original G-10 handle has here been replaced with one made of Griv-Ex™ with stainless steel liners and a Griv-Ex™ back spacer) and crafted from 5mm thick AUS 10A steel with an extra wide drop point blade and a pristine stone wash finish, this update has been maximized for strength, toughness and unmatched edge-holding capability. To top it all off, it even comes equipped with Andrew Demko’s groundbreaking Tri-Ad locking mechanism.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Blade Steel: AUS10A
• Blade Shape: Drop Point
• Blade Length: 4"
• Blade Thickness: 0.2”
• Handle: 6" Griv-Ex
• Ambidextrous Pocket / Belt Clip

Available in Black

“BINGO! Now that’s Cold Steel, baby!”

A FINAL WORD ON SURVIVAL KNIVES

The most important factor to consider when selecting your perfect survival knife from Gallantry is whether or not the knife you’ve decided on carries a survival instinct as fierce as yours. After all, a Gallantry Man is nothing if not a man with a killer survival instinct.

The survival knives we’ve highlighted here are the best of the best. With the proper maintenance, your selection is sure to stand the test of time and return on your investment…and then some.

If you’re still having a hard time pulling the trigger on which survival knife to get, it may be helpful to think of your new survival knife as part of a larger EDC system, as a purpose-specific combination of tools that can include a combination of heavy-duty choppers, camp knives, and utility/bush craft knives. As a matter of fact, we like to think of our own everyday carry survival knives as systems rather than as single, all-purpose tools. Doing so helps us remove the burden associated with having to worry about only having a small or large survival knife to choose from should a worst-case scenario present itself. Why not have on of each?!

Think you’ve unlocked the perfect system with your newest EDC survival knife purchase? Please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We’d love to hear from you!

STREAMING THE EDC SURVIVAL KNIFE

“Since name is literally ‘The Punisher’, you shouldn’t have a look of surprise stamped across your face when I reach for my sweet new Ka-Bar from Gallantry to punish you.”

Truth be told, we’re not the most avid comic book/superhero content enthusiasts on the planet. However, there are the occasional exceptions to this rule and The Punisher is definitely one of them.

From the campy but fun 1989 take starring Dolph Lundgren, to the incredibly badass 2004 take starring Thomas Jane, and even the underrated 2008 spin-off starring Ray Stevenson, the brutal, no bullshit character of Francis "Frank" Castle, a U.S. Marine Corp Scout/Sniper Force Recon veteran-turned-vigilante, has always fascinated us. There’s no mystery as to why, either. Unlike most characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s nothing supernatural about Castle. He’s just a badass (not to mention a huge fan of everyday carry) who’s really good at taking out lowlife scum and sporting a black skull-and-crossbones shirt. Since we’re also big Jon Bernthal (The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, The Accountant, Shot Caller, and The Many Saints of Newark are just a few of his best flicks) fans, checking out his turn as Castle was a no-brainer for us.

“Do you even lift with your Gallantry EDC on you, bro?”

If a gritty saga of furious vengeance is what you’re looking for, go right on ahead and stream the first two seasons on Netflix right here.

“Bro. I’m wearing a KA-BAR. Like, are you being serious right now?”
- Tug Speedman (Ben Stiller), Tropic Thunder