Types of survival knives
There are several types of survival knives you may need to carry while outdoor.
When fending for yourself, knives are an important utility.
They’re easy to carry, and they perform many functions. From self-defense and cutting food to fixing other equipment.
Below, we’ll discuss 5 types of survival knives you can carry around. Study each type carefully, and pick what suits your needs!
(1) Pocket Knives.
It’s probably the first knife you’ve ever seen in life.
Pocket knives are used for self-defense, specifically street fights. They’re excellent cutting weapons, and they give you a little extra reach over your opponent.
They’re easy to store. As implied from the name, you can tuck them neatly into your pocket.
And you can get them virtually anywhere.
When buying a pocket knife, make sure you focus on a durable blade. Also, an assisted release helps, as you don’t want to waste seconds manually unfolding the blade.
Army Pocket Knife
- Compact design makes this the perfect knife for any outdoor activity including camping, fishing, or hiking, as well as handy for everyday uses around the house or office
(2) Assisted Release Knives.
Also called “switchblade knives.” Consider this the evolution of a pocket knife.
Pocket knives are always folded by nature. But with an assisted knife, you unfold the weapon with the click of a button.
This activates a spring mechanism that shoots the blade open.
Assisted opening mechanisms are easy to use. As such, you’ll find them on bigger knives too, including those that are 5 inches or bigger.
When buying an assisted open knife, look for spring durability. With such knives, if the spring mechanism goes wrong, the knife is ruined…
The blade will wobble after opening. And even worse, it may not open at all!
Assisted-opening knife with “quick-firing” ASAP technology. This advanced design with dual springs provides an easy and safe blade release
This knife is proudly made in the USA
(3) Swiss Army Knife.
A multi-purpose knife, suitable in remote outdoor environments.
It saves you space carrying around items you don’t need. With a Swiss army knife, you have a handful of gadgets, compacted in a pocket knife.
Swiss army knives contain anything from a self-defense blade to a multi-cross screwdriver. Many will even contain a corkscrew, nail clippers, scissors, and a toothpick!
So it’s not just a tool of self-defense and fixing. But it’s also a tool of outdoors hygiene!
- Not too big, not too small; at 85mm this knife is the perfect addition to your everyday carry
(4) Bowie Knives.
A classical knife, whose utility is loved to this day.
Bowies are large sheathed knives. They’re slightly larger (and heavier) than the average dagger. So consider them a cross-point between a knife and a sword.
They’re designed for durability and quick use. They’re a self-defense weapon, outdoing most pocketknife wielders.
Blade thickness is enough for this weapon to hack soft targets. And it’s an excellent slashing weapon.
Not to mention, it’s a designed with a cross-guard. This ensures a comfortable grip while using the blade.
- Tough, stable full tang blade
(5) Daggers.
The best self-defense knife you can own. But also the most conspicuous.
Daggers are hard to hide in public. You don’t have a sheath to slip them into. Nor can you nimbly put them in your pocket.
They’re too sizable for easy storage.
A dagger is the type of weapon you hide in your boot when you’re out in the wild. It’s an excellent sub-weapon, perfect for natural survival situations.
And when it comes to fighting, daggers are designed for a full use of motion.
They’re double-edged knives, with a central spine for blade stability. This allows you more slash motions than possible with the average “1-edged knives.”
Also, daggers have a large blade to handle ratios. So they give you a better reach than say… a pocket knife.
You can buy a dagger for knife self-defense practice. Or you can get it as part of a personal knife collection!
- DEPENDABLE: Quick and easy access with the convenient belt or boot sheath
(6) Machetes.
For the main melee weapon, get a machete.
Machetes are used in many different countries as a utility tool. They’re used for agriculture, cutting and moving through bushes, and self-defense.
They’re also effective at chopping wood for a fire and building shelters.
In a survival situation, you want to have a machete on hand. This should be your main melee weapon, with anything smaller being second.
The Elk Ridge Machete is equally well-suited for protection from the zombies, or for clearing brush in the yard.
Advantages.
Even though they’re large, machetes are quite thin.
They’re like swords, only that they’re better at hacking targets. Blades are long and thick enough to ensure the distance between you and a threat…
Also, the blades of a machete last a long time. They don’t break, except for excess use.
That’s all?
Well, there are many more knife types on the market. But the previous list gave you the major categories.
Here, we presented each knife in order of size and ease of carrying, which are 2 important requirements for outdoors survival.
From there, it’s time you look further into each knife. Be sure to research different manufacturers, and buy what suits your needs!
Next: The Best Outdoor Equipment For Survival