Top Best Survival Knives When the SHTF
Survivalist Protocol knows a thing or two about knives. We bring you everything survival and that includes the top selling best knives you need when the SHTF. Above is the CRKT Provoke Kinematic EDC Folding Low Profile Pocket Knife with Safety Lock
In the world of survival and outdoor gear, survival knives are first to mind when it comes to picking survival gear! But with all the knives and blades out there, how do you determine which one stand up on the top list for the “best survival knife”? With this said we take a look at the top survival knives to add to your arsenal.
Unlike bushcraft or camping, where you’re out in nature we are talking about serious situations when you may need to deal with life-threatening situations. You will need your wits, know how and some reliable survival tools like a must have survival knife!
Best Overall ESEE Laser Strike Survival Knife
ESEE LS-P-E Laser Strike
The Laser Strike ($137) is top on the list when it comes to the best overall survival knives. It has a powder-coated 4.75-inch blade measuring 0.188 inches across the shoulders. This medium-size knife is capable of outshining some fixed blade knives twice its size.
Featuring a 10″ Laser Strike (LS-P) knife with a skeletonized full tang made with a 1095 high carbon steel construction, and a black powder finished 4.75″ blade features jimping on the lower spine, and an index choil on the front. The handle consists of gray canvas Micarta scales that can be easily removed with the included washer piece.
Inside the handles are a magnesium/ferro rod and tinder tabs. The Kydex sheath has an adjustable sheath tensioner, paracord lanyard with lock and ambidextrous clip plate.
These ESEE carbon steel knives are made from SAE 1095 steel which is a designed for hard use. Be sure to care for it well to avoid rust and staining.
It weighs just over half a pound (9.5 ounces), and incredible chopping power, and it easy enough to handle drilling tasks while also coming to a fine point for detailed work or scraping.
In short, the ESEE Laser Strike is a terrific knife. It cuts, it chops, it drills, and it sparks. And should your particular situation be enough to break this blade, ESEE will replace it free of charge. But take it from me — this is one of the best survival knives that is guaranteed to last too.
Fallkniven F1xb Fixed-Blade-Tool-Knives (102 mm, Black)
Fixed Blade Knife on Amazon <<
The F1xb all black knife is 8.74 x 3 x 2 inches and designed to withstand all the stresses applied by the human hand, which means that it is virtually indestructible. A knife of this kind is of course not a throwing knife, nor is it particularly good at splitting wood – for those functions, you’ll find an axe to be both better and cheaper.
Specs:
- Blade length: 4.02 in
- Overall length: 8.74 in
- Blade material: Lam CoS
- Thermorun
- Zytel Sheath
Best Fixed Blade Knife Gerber 420HC StrongArm (G1059)
GERBER StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife with Serrated Edge – Coyote Brown on Amazon <
The StrongArm is one of Gerber’s USA-made knives. It’s forged with a proven 420HC steel. With nearly 5 inches of ceramic-coated 420HC steel, full-tang construction, and a solid grip, theStromgarm survival knife makes it one of the best survival knives available in this price point
This survival knife – Gerber StrongArm is ideal for camping, cooking and carving. And it is an excellent blade to pack in a go bag for survival and most general needs.
- StrongArm tactical knife features a coyote brown handle and a serrated edge, full tang steel blade
- Durable survival knife has ceramic blade coating and rubberized diamond texture grip
- Break through hard surfaces in emergencies with the tactical knife’s striking pommel
- Four mounting pieces and sheath can be used for mounting on MOLLE, belt, or in drop-leg fashion
- Gerber gear is proudly made in USA at Gerber’s Portland, Oregon factory
Best Folding Survival Knives 4 Max Scout
Cold Steel 4-Max Scout (cold steel 4-max scout)
The Scout is a budget-friendly model with a 4-inch blade that incorporates a drop-point style. Beautifully finished and measures 10 inches, and weighing in at 10.19 ounces.
It features a textured Grivory handle on the outside, with full titanium liners to amplify the knife’s rigidity and is less likely to shatter in a survival situation. Features an extra wide, drop point blade and stone wash finish, which is identical to the original 4-Max
The blade is made from 5mm thick AUS 10A steel, which gives it strength, toughness and edge holding potential with tough and durable Griv-Ex stainless steel and a back spacer.
In addition it’s quipped with Andrew Demko’s ground breaking Tri-Ad locking mechanism to withhold rigorous shock and impact tests.
All in all the 4-Max Scout has you covered and is one of the top best to pack in your survival gear.
Best Small Survival Knife: ESEE Izula-II
ESEE Knives Izula II Fixed Blade Knife w/Survival Kit, Sheath, Clip Plate, & Micarta Handle (Black) <
Named after a vicious South American insect, this is one of the top offerings in ESEE’s USA-made line. It’s a short, thick chunk of 1095 high-carbon steel, with a thickly coated blade and removable Micarta handle scales. The drop-point blade features a flat grind, with just over 2.5 inches of sharpened edge.
As the name would indicate, this is the second version of the Izula. Some users like to remove the scales and replace them with paracord, while others find it a great fit for medium to large hands.
ESEE carbon steel knives are made from 1095 steel. 1095 is a top choice for professional cutlery designed for hard use, it will rust and stain if not properly cared for – especially on the cutting edge and around the laser engraving. It is the user’s responsibility to keep the blades properly lubricated and cleaned. We suggest using a dry film rust inhibitor such as TUF-GLIDE or TUF-CLOTH.
Check Price at Amazon
Best Survival Knife for Water: Spyderco Serrata
Spyderco Serrata Fixed Blade Knife Features 4.63″ Cast 440C Stainless Steel Blade and Premium Custom-Molded Boltaron Sheath – PlainEdge – FB32GP on Amazon <
Spyderco fixed blade knives offer the same performance you expect from their ground-breaking folding knives. Proudly Crafted for Life with highly evolved Ergonomics to minimize fatigue and increase cutting power.
Superior Blade Steel – Its thick, leaf-shaped blade is made by casting 440C stainless steel-a process that creates dendritic (“Tree-like”) crystalline structures that gives it exceptional strength, ductility, and cutting ability to the steel
Ergonomic – Its contoured handle scales are black G-10, shaped to fill the hand and eliminate pressure spots during extended use, Ready for Anything – The Serrata has a custom-molded Boltaron sheath with G-Clip attachment
Visit the Waterway Store on Amazon!
According to Spyderco’s website, “Waterway designer Lance Clinton is a lifelong knife enthusiast and professional kayak fisherman who has spent literally thousands of hours on the water. His vision for the Waterway was to create an ultra-corrosion-resistant knife that would excel at fishing tasks while remaining well-suited to general utility and outdoor use.”
Best Beginner Survival Knife: Schrade SCHF52 Frontier
When it comes to bang for your buck, few survival knives offer as much as the Schrade SCHF52 Frontier.
Much of the credit here goes to the simplicity of Schrade’s design. The entire knife is composed of a single piece of 1095 high-carbon steel, with 7 inches dedicated to the blade. The thermoplastic elastomer handle is beautifully textured, with a hooked pommel and finger guard keeping your hand in place. There’s also a nice patch of thumb jimping up top, and a generous forward finger choil. All of these features result in a wealth of possible grips, making the SCHF52 a surprisingly versatile tool.
Whether you’re looking for a knife to tackle backyard chores or to keep in your wilderness pack, don’t sleep on this low-cost, high-value offering from Schrade.
Check Price at Amazon
Utility Serrated Survival Knife
Ka-Bar 1259 KA bar, Short Fighting/Utility Knife, 1 1/4″ Serrated Edge with Kydex Sheath, black <
Versatile serrated survival knife is made in the USA. Model: 1259; Weight: 0.38 lbs. With a Blade Length of 5-1/4″ and overall length of 9-1/4″.
The perfectly sized fixed blade knife, the short Ka-Bar performs as well as the larger original (#1217), but is a more practical size for camping, carrying and general utility. The American legend, now in a smaller knife with Oval-Shaped Kraton G handle. It has a serrated edge, U.S.A. Tang stamp – Kraton G thermoplastic elastomer handle. With a epoxy powder coated, high carbon steel (1095) blade (HRc 56-58) – buff polished edges – powdered metal butt caps, carbon steel guards, both powder coated – comes with black Kydex sheath.
How to Pick the Best Survival Knives
Dependability and Durability
Those all-in-one knives they sell at the big-box store may seem like a good idea, with their partially serrated blades and survival kits tucked inside the handle. But wait — if you can store something inside the grip, that means the entire back half of the knife is hollow. How long do you think it would hold up if you needed to clear brush or pry open a can of beans?
No, what you should be looking for is a single piece of high-quality steel, stretching from the tip of the blade to the base of the pommel. We cover a few of the well-known metals below, but you must be able to identify the type of steel used in your knife. If the maker doesn’t list a name, you don’t want it.
Comfort and Grip of a Knife for Survival
The feel of the knife is crucial when it comes to picking the best survival knives. You may be using this tool in extended, high-stress circumstances. So get something that won’t give you blisters after the first 5 minutes. Contoured grips — whether in rubber, hard plastic, or Micarta — can all provide a much warmer feeling than bare steel.
Use of the Knife
Do you spend a lot of time on or near the water? Go with something rust-resistant. Live in the middle of the woods? You want something with some weight that can chew through downed limbs and prepare shelters or campfires. We’ve also included several great all-around blades for the weekend warrior crew. Take a look above, shop around, and pick the one that best suits your situation.
Survival Knives FAQ’s
What’s the best knife for survival. In a survival situation any knife you have with you will help. But when you have a choice you’ll want to pick a knife that is strong enough to tackle chores. You may need to split wood, forage, prep fish and other tasks related to survival. This includes self defense if called for.
While personal taste does come into play with the exact size and shape of a good survival knife needs to aid you in your ability to get out of a difficult situation.
When choosing a new survival knife, it’s important to consider you actual needs. Is it something you will use everyday or a knife that to pack in a go bag in the event of a survival crisis. One of the best survival knives will be rugged and durable and lend itself as well-rounded tool for non-tactical situations. Like the best selling Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops folding knife on Amazon.
Care for Your Survival Knife
All tools require care and maintenance so they are ready to do their job when required. Taking care of your knife will help to maintain its edge and to prevent rust.
To help you pick the best knives most of the blades we chose have coating to prevent oxidization. To maintain its cutting edge carefully wipe down the blade before returning the knife to its sheath.
In addition you can sharpen the knife by apply motion as you angle and slide the blade across a leather belt. Just angle the blade and pull the edge backward across the surface. And when it come time to sharpen your survival knife, you can use anything from a system like the KME, angle rods from Spyderco or other traditional sharpening stones.
