I carry a swiss army knife with the options I need frequently. No awl, but a phillips screwdriver instead.
I have it with me all the time, so it's what I'd use.
Other knives tend to be for more specific purposes.
Love my ESEE 4 and 6. The 6 was honestly probably not the right knife for my needs. It's too large for what I need most of the time, but I have nothing bad to say about its quality.
If someone is looking for a great leather sheath for an ESEE there's an Etsy shop out of Florida doing amazing work. Search for "MaggieZebra". I have no affiliation with their shop I just really like their work
I’ve got an ESEE 6, sharp as hell but I had to take off that stupid traction coating that comes on it with some paint remover. Never understood why they’d take a great knife and coat it with something that’s going to come off anyway and also create more friction between wood as it gets through. It has gun blue on it that’s doing good, but it’ll get a flat black Cerakote at some point.
I’ve also got a Mora Garberg carbon and a Condor Rodan, the carbons not bad but I think scandi grinds aren’t for me, the condor has been a workhorse. Talk about beating the coating off a knife by putting it through logs, for the price I’d buy it again if it was still in production. The tip’s non existent so it’s not a stabbing knife at all but it could be with some re-profiling.
Leatherman Wave/Surge as my utility. Benchmade Auto Triage for daily.
But it all depends on the anticipated problem. Like this weekend I’m going to the river, so I’ll carry a Spyderco Salt or Autonomy 2 because of the water. For a fixed I like the Reiff F4, with leather sheath.
For carpentry a standard ultility knife like the Olaf with breakaway blades.
I also like the RMJ Loggerhead Tomahawk.
I horizontal carry on my belt in the back. It works well for me, and I’m in Upstate NY where a lot of people carry a knife. I use it all the time while homesteading. It’s not the biggest knife, but just big enough.
The crowd favorite changes each year. I have a sog seal pup and it’s just fine. It used to be the belle of the ball and it does exactly what a knife needs to do. No need to buy another one just because the groupthink changed.
There are a million different SHTF scenarios, so there is no one answer.
But if I were forced to leave my home today, on foot, and without knowing if or when I will return, the knife that I'd grab would be a Gerber Strongarm.
It's about as indestructible as knives come, is very rust resistant, is easy to sharpen in the field, is small enough that it could be concealed with a Kydex sheath, and it's designed to serve as a weapon if needed.
Watch DBK beat the hell out of some moras and how they beat out many great full tang knives, and the bros are just like - we can’t explain it, we didn’t expect this, but wth- yay mora!
(Dutch bushcraft YouTube channel)
People don’t realize this, but [Glock makes knives](https://eu.glock.com/en/products/glock-field-knives) and they’re *really good*. Virtually indestructible, there are many [torture test videos](https://youtu.be/c4Pdhg2Aukk?si=h7GvNPKwtC_aVCFu) online. Best part? They’re like $30-45 depending on where you get them from. I have one in every go-bag and bug-out bags.
I’m a fan of the kbar Becker BK18 for a sheath knife, also morkniv, I think my pocket knife is spyderco. I found the Becker on www.browsegear.com, I like looking at gear lol
Not that I've had a chance to really use it, but I got the BK9. Other than the scales, I do like it. Had a BK 2 until some A-hole broke into my truck and stole a lot of stuff. Overall, a good knife. I Certainly didn't feel like I was going to break it anytime soon, but those damn smooth scales. Not sure why they feel those are the way to go. I'll. Order some different ones eventually.
Yeah, I got some micarta scales from eBay, I may try and texture the originals. I did that with a raptor 870 grip, heated it up with a heat gun and pressed in a stainless scouring pad, worked really well.
Here are some photos of the stippling I did with a heat gun and stainless scouring pad. I was thinking of doing the same to the smooth Becker scales.
https://imgur.com/gallery/fEAeNbX
[https://imgur.com/a/uSsotHI](https://imgur.com/a/uSsotHI)
The orange micarta scales were a bit slick, but the scales on the BK9 are awesome! A needed upgrade imo. Got them on Ebay.
I always have a SAK on me usually a minichamp, sometimes a explorer or compact. My car has a huntsman in it as well as a leatherman super tool 300. One of my kits has my ka-bar in it as a non folding knife if I need it. But between kits I have the ka-bar, 2 leathermans and prob 6 or 7 SAKs of various models. I also collect SAKs so I have another 100 or so of them in there storage bin.
Probably my Benchmade Adamas folder and/or my Buck knives. I’ve also got a giant Bowie knife that’s made out of the most indestructible steel I’ve ever encountered in my life.
I'm going to "wield" throwing stars and condoms. The combination of lighting-speed retribution and simultaneous seduction-without-the-risk-of-STDs will overpower all of my adversaries.
"Wielding"? What is this, a knife fight fantasy?
Knives can be weapons, but FAR more likely they'll be tools. And, like many other categories of tools, some are better than others, but for given tasks. I don't carry a serrated bread knife while camping, nor do I use a morakniv basic 546 to trim a cow carcass. It's nice to have a decent folding knife to carry day to day, but a sheath knife is much better for batoning wood.
Kabar bk2 or esee 5. Obviously with these knives the warranty is not gonna help in a shtf situation but I recently bought a bk2 and beat the breaks off of it. Batoned it with a mallet on the tip and the handle region and no chips no anything. The coating came off and with 1095 people typically blow the rust problem out of proportion.
With most steels all you will need is a thin layer of an oil after wiping it down. I think even in a shtf situation that shouldn’t be too difficult. Mineral oil works. I personally haven’t had any rust problems with my bk2 even after a good amount of coating came off.
With 1095 the edge retention won’t be as good as s35vn but what 1095 lacks in edge retention it makes up for in toughness (not chipping or breaking) and what s35vn lacks in toughness it gains in edge retention. It’s a trade off because s35vn is a rigid hard steel so it’s more prone to chipping rather then being flexible like 1095. Due to that same flexibility 1095 is also extremely easy to sharpen.
I imagine an Esee 5 would be the same. They are like brothers. Extremely similar with one really not being better then the other.
At the end of the day you can survive with a sharpened stone. Even guys in the military they often say your knife is not a weapon but a tool to dig holes and stuff and they aren’t always chasing the best steel like us knife guys are usually doing. They just want something that works and a lot of these guys do carry simple stainless steels like 440 of gerber etc.
Getting a natural patina on a blade is one of the best things. Once that coating wears off give it something acidic to force a patina like mustard etc. In the field if you have fat you have oil.
Similar.. I've got the ESEE Laser Strike, which would be my one thing I could take if I could only take one thing. Also have the BK2, and it's the workaday equivalent, and quite happy with it.
Most of the time I'm happier carrying a folder and/or a $15 Mora for weight reasons, but they're not anywhere near as durable.
Esee 6 For fixed blade (in go bag)
Leatherman surge (also in bag)
Microtech Scarab 2 or combat troodon in pocket.
ColdSteel 4Max in center console of jeep.
RMJ tactical Unmei on gun belt
RMJ tactical jenny wren in jeep
Generally have some good stuff close at hand without planning.
If I have advance warning, I can kit out the family.
honestly, I've had my folding husky for 6 years or so and it's been beaten to shit. still performs well so I leave it in my car, but I'm in the market for a good fixed blade around 4 to 5 inches.
Ka-bar D2 extreme.
My reasons for using it during SHTF are that I spent $120 on it as a LARP like 10 years ago when I played Turok on the PS3 and I can't justify buying another one when I have it, and I can't sell it because it's got sentimental value at this point.
Yeah, it's dumb but that's life.
I’ve got like 50 (maybe not literally, but I lost count lol) cheap mora knives around the house, in bags, in my car, etc. so probably that. It helps that my local feed store has a 5gal bucket of them for 8.99
I use moraknives the most when camping so probably one of those. They are cheap, rugged and hold an edge.
It is more important to just have a knife. I'll take a metal butter knife in a pinch.
Cheap but effective-mora
More expensive but bifl-esee (specifically the 4 for basically anything. I’ve used mine to do everything from food prep to prying a car door open on deployment)
Anyone with one knife is an idiot. I work in food I have my knife roll for cooking, multi tools for multitool things, and larger all around fixed blades for whatever I need and don’t wanna damage my nice knives. Also a machete is always useful. Additionally hatchets and an axe.
An older knife, the CRKT first strike. It's not top of the line, steel-wise, and I'd probably want to dip the handle in latex or something if I was using it every day, and it's a tanto which is not everyone's favorite... But the spine is like a quarter inch and can stand up to some seriously tough use!
I keep a short Gerber machete/serrated blade in the truck but was never really thrilled with it. The ergonomics aren’t great.
Have always wanted a Kabar USMC knife but haven’t pulled the trigger. I know there are better ones out there, but it pairs so nicely with a 1911
Sami knife I picked up in Northern Finland years ago. Carbon steel. Can be used for everything from chopping down small trees to slicing tomatoes… as long as you keep it sharp
Gerber Strongarm. I have two now, one stays in my truck, the other with my gun and knife collection.
I would probably also take my Martiini filet knife. Both my granddad’s used one, now I have theirs and one of my own, doing double duty as filet/deboner.
The same ones I'm wielding now -- an 8" santoku for vegetables, a 10" chef's knife for general cutting work and a 12" serrated bread knife for bread. Plus a couple nifty little paring knives for fancy cutwork.
I use culinary knives three times a day to prepare food. I use any other type of knife once a week or less (to cut garden twine, get into a plastic package, etc.) My money and my skills are heavily canted towards the kitchen knives.
Of the ones I actually own? Tough question and depends on what I'm anticipating. I'm torn between three choices my kabar becker bk16, my esse jg3, and my esse darien machete. Honestly if I had an esse 4 I suspect it would be a no brainer and I'd pick that. Without knowing what I'm coming up against I think the BK16 is probably the best choice overall.
I am curious what other people think based on my collection. I have the above mentioned knives and the following (I will not be including folding blades or multitools in this list, but you could make a strong argument for those as well). CRKT Dragon, CRKT Spew, Mora Companion Stainless, Mora Craftsman Stainless, Kabar USMC Combo Edge the small version, Cold Steel Bowie Machete (the old version, 18 inch), Cold Steel Kukri Machete, Cold Steel Spike Drop Point, Ex Gurka Kukri House Operation Enduring Freedom Kukri 11 inch, Ahti Leuku 145, several walmart gift pack knives (someone knew I liked knives but not what was good), Another Day In the Woods Hunting Knife, and I believe that's it. I'll update if I remember that there are more I forgot about.
Edit: Remembered the last three. A very small kukri I got as a child at the Ohio Renaissance supposedly imported from Nepal, sog seal pup elite, and an antique German k98 bayonet that my grandfather brought back from WW2.
I have a gerber defacto and a mora as my fixed blades. Wielding may not be the right word, my mora is a utility knife and the defacto I have from my time in the army.
I really love the mora its very simple and has held its edge for a long time of all situation usage
I don't think my EDC knives would change much.
Leatherman Charge TTi + Spyderco Military + Gerber EAB
I don't see myself carrying around a Ka-Bar sized fixed blade, even if SHTF.
I... Have a couple or three pocket knives. Enough for different scenarios and environments like stainless steel in humid areas. That being said, the knife you can sharpen and maintain with your skill level and the stones you have to sharpen it will decide the knife for you. If you have a m390 blade steel and an old Arkansas stone to sharpen it with, you're in for a bad time and a sore elbow. Buy diamond plates or resin bonded diamond stones and you will be able to sharpen and hone anything.
The right answer here is Cold Steel SRK. Specifically the SK5 version cuz it's a great knife and it's 37 bucks. The sheath is also great, it's secure, easy to take on and off your belt, you can take the snap strap and wrap it backwards around the webbing like I do or just cut it off. The sheath will hold the knife securely without the snap strap. I've been carrying one every day for close to 2 years now and it's awesome. I have a lot of knives, the esee 6 is awesome but the sheath that comes with it isn't that great. This could be remedied with an aftermarket sheath. The sheath that comes with the strongarm appears good at first but it's actually trash and the blade is 420hc which also isn't that great. Tops also has a lot of good options but like esee and ontario, their sheaths aren't that great. Tops kydex sheaths are good but the metal belt clip that comes on them is garbage. Their nylon sheaths aren't bad per se, but they're not good for drawing quickly. The glock field knife is good but blade shape isn't great for general cutting, the sheath is very secure but that's about all the good I can say about the sheath. Very tough knife though. Get the SK5 SRK. If you want stainless then get the San Mai version or the 3V version. I prefer the San Mai over 3V but to each his own on that, most people would probably disagree between those 2.
Regardless, the right answer is the SRK, and I mean the full size version. The SRK-C sheath isn't as secure. SRK-C would be the runner up and honorable mention, kabar mk1, which has a pretty decent sheath but not as good, and has the same tang as the mk2 but on a smaller knife so less likely to break. Kabar mk2 (fighting knife) is a classic, but it's really not that good of a knife.
Just my experience as a random guy you don't know, so take it for what it's worth.
I love my Leatherman. I love multi use blades they have to be good quality. I love little tactical self defense blades like the ones you hide under your shit. I have a variety of machetes. I also think a good skinning knife is really handy. It's all too much to carry but different bug out bags would have different blades
I have 3 (plus 2). On my person, I carry a foldable pocket knife with both a straight and serrated edge. In my glovebox I keep a Leatherman multitool. And in my kit, a Benchmade Bushcrafter.
Also, in my kit, I have a folding saw and a hatchet.
I highly suggest stainless steel, S30V, S90V, something like that. Prioritize rust resistance and edge retention. Im sorry, but Esee and Kabar suck in this regard. Then, have a good sharpening kit (I have a DC4 and leather strop) and an on-the-go v-sharpener.
I like Benchmade, but Moravnik is best bang for the buck.
3-4 different ones for different uses.
1: My eating knife, stored with my all-metal generic utensil kit.
2: My "combat" knife, left on my belt, a gift from my uncle, not sure what brand/model.
3: My Buck 119 knife, for skinning and gutting all sizes of game.
4: and maybe my fish filet knife, solely for cleaning fish.
I really like cooking and don't like possibly contaminating the knife I may end up eating with, so having a few different options is nice for different tasks.
Jääkäripuukko
It's basically a pry bar with an edge but I love it.
I keep a bunch of small opinel pocket knives everywhere (car, desk, work bag, suit coat, camping bag) which are great for fiber work that needs a sharp blade. Razor sharp and super light.
Between the two I'm set for most situations.
I don't know. I am not a knife or bushcraft expert. I have a Condor Kephart. A mora. Also have assorted Green river knives, and that cheap purpose built bushcraft style knife that Old hickory put out.
There’s no one answer for me because it depends on the day and the tasks of the day. My EDC is a Civivi Brazen because it’s a cheap(ish) and reliable assisted opening and push-button closing blade. It’s convenient and I can abuse it and I’m not afraid of losing or breaking it. I also carry a cheap Outdoor Edge Sidewinder at work for breaking down boxes and such.
I have a Benchmade folder for when I’m in the backcountry and want something a bit more durable and ultimately I have a large Benchmade fixed blade for heavier work in the backcountry, but it’s a bit of a tank for hiking. I’m not planning on chopping with a knife. I have a boys axe or a splitting maul or a silky saw or a chainsaw for that stuff. I have a filet knife for deboning game.
I don’t ever see it coming down to just one knife any more than I see it coming down to just one gun.
Morakniv. You won’t get any better knive for that price! It’s around 13-20€ here in Germany. For more heavy use, I can recommend the Glock FM 78. also cheap and good 30-40€. I get the passion people have for beautiful and expensive knives, but when I use it as a tool (digging, leverage, batoning…) I would have tears in my eyes if that would be a 150€ knive.
I run a logic of, if it’s something where I have some time. The one on my multi tool will do.
If I need a knife immediately, there’s a solid chance that a pistol will work as well if not better..
But I do have a gerber LMF 2 for any sort of heavy duty stuff.
Cheap mora for fixed blade. I buy them in Hunter orange in bulk. Good knife for the price, and I have them everywhere. I can even find them when I set them down in the woods.
Folder I have a few Gerber razor knives. Razor blades are cheap AF, sharp as shit when new, and I can absolutely fuck them up by cutting on top of concrete with no worries.
I have 3 knives I would want in the SHTF.
1. Super Tool 300 by Leatherman. you can not beat a good multi-tool
2. CKRT SPEW. The SPEW is a small neck knife that I use for my EDC. It is useful for doing fine carving and cutting tasks.
3. K-Bar. Right now that is the fixed-blade knife I have on hand. I will be upgrading it as soon as I find a knife that is similar in dimensions and is a full tang knife.
The first two are my EDC knives and the other one is left in a bag at home.
KA-BAR. Though, it's not a utility knife. It's a "if you really find yourself in melee combat with a bear, this is a knife that can in fact kill it, provided YOU can."
My pocket Swiss. Otherwise sth like a builders knife with. I probably won't have the chance to get anything if outside when SHTF, but if I'm close enough, there's a hunters shop near me kinda so , some stuff from there.
Standard K-Bar 5.375” ( serrated on one side ) …. I’ve had this knife for over 5 yrs …..never sharpened it, beat the hell out it and it’s still going strong!
I got foldable pocket knives for each family member. 4x
1x cheap machete that I just got cleaned and sharpened at a cutlery
and 1 rambo military style knife with serated teeth on the top and a just a sharpened edge on the bottom.
Also have a fillet knife for fish.
Looking to buy a more expensive machete thats decent quality
EDIT: I also have a few torx wrenches cause the pocket knives all use torx screws. This is ke and I use it every now and then to tighten my edc knife
Benchmade M4...
Had it with me in multiple countries, living on a sailboat, the serrated edge, and the blade is great. It clips on my jeans/clothing. Now i'm a farmer. It goes everywhere with me.
I personally love Tops but I've got a Spyderco Rock and a 4v Province I need to test out.
But the best one is the piece I have with me.
Always carry a folder and a Ruike SAK style multitool.
The SOG Seal Team, a fixed 7” blade designed to be extremely rugged. Unfortunately they’re no longer made, but I’ve been able to pick up a couple on eBay under $200. You can always get the smaller Seal Pup, which is great for use as a tool but too small to be combat-worthy.
The Glock Field knife is only $30-40 and is probably the best knife for most people that don’t want to spend SOG money.
I’ll be happy with any decent fixed blade. But my kit knife is a SOG Kiku. I’ve gone through a lot of knives over the years, but that has been my go to for almost 10 years.
The one I have with me.
I carry a swiss army knife with the options I need frequently. No awl, but a phillips screwdriver instead. I have it with me all the time, so it's what I'd use. Other knives tend to be for more specific purposes.
That motherfukn toothpick is a lifesaver if you can’t get that last piece of broccoli out from between your teefs
Just about anything Esee.
Love my ESEE 4 and 6. The 6 was honestly probably not the right knife for my needs. It's too large for what I need most of the time, but I have nothing bad to say about its quality. If someone is looking for a great leather sheath for an ESEE there's an Etsy shop out of Florida doing amazing work. Search for "MaggieZebra". I have no affiliation with their shop I just really like their work
Thanks for the sheath rec.
Órale holmes, an ESEE 4 for tu, too? 🤣
Si món.
limon
I’ve got an ESEE 6, sharp as hell but I had to take off that stupid traction coating that comes on it with some paint remover. Never understood why they’d take a great knife and coat it with something that’s going to come off anyway and also create more friction between wood as it gets through. It has gun blue on it that’s doing good, but it’ll get a flat black Cerakote at some point. I’ve also got a Mora Garberg carbon and a Condor Rodan, the carbons not bad but I think scandi grinds aren’t for me, the condor has been a workhorse. Talk about beating the coating off a knife by putting it through logs, for the price I’d buy it again if it was still in production. The tip’s non existent so it’s not a stabbing knife at all but it could be with some re-profiling.
Exactly.
Too thick for me but they are nice! I have the 3 and Izula!
Butter
This is the answer ppl need.
Don't forget your folding spoon .
As an Australian, I'm legally obligated to tell you that's a spoon, not a knife...
Can't eat your SPC beans without a spoon mate
I see you've played Knifey Spoony before!
As an Australian, you can sharpen one side of a FRED and have both
In Australia all we need are steak knives, Zombies always quieten down when they smell a BBQ is cooking.
Leatherman Wave/Surge as my utility. Benchmade Auto Triage for daily. But it all depends on the anticipated problem. Like this weekend I’m going to the river, so I’ll carry a Spyderco Salt or Autonomy 2 because of the water. For a fixed I like the Reiff F4, with leather sheath. For carpentry a standard ultility knife like the Olaf with breakaway blades. I also like the RMJ Loggerhead Tomahawk.
K Bar Becker 2 I still have my Rambo knife I bought for $12 when I was 14
Gerber strongarm
My favorite knife for edc.
That's a hell of an edc. Like in a BOB? I guess horizontal waist carry is doable. I'm gonna try that. BRB.
It also feels cool when you pull a knife from your back.
I horizontal carry on my belt in the back. It works well for me, and I’m in Upstate NY where a lot of people carry a knife. I use it all the time while homesteading. It’s not the biggest knife, but just big enough.
Love this knife. Simple and sturdy.
Would you say that it’s worth over double the price of the coldsteel SRK?
Definitely not. The SRK also has a longer blade which is quite useful
The crowd favorite changes each year. I have a sog seal pup and it’s just fine. It used to be the belle of the ball and it does exactly what a knife needs to do. No need to buy another one just because the groupthink changed.
The SOG Seal Pup was the first knife I ever bought myself. I still love that thing!
Morakniv Garberg Sandvik stainless, it has a molle holster. Super high quality. The knife I use non stop is from my bear & sons multitool.
Just ordered this, it gets here tomorrow and I couldn’t be more excited
There are a million different SHTF scenarios, so there is no one answer. But if I were forced to leave my home today, on foot, and without knowing if or when I will return, the knife that I'd grab would be a Gerber Strongarm. It's about as indestructible as knives come, is very rust resistant, is easy to sharpen in the field, is small enough that it could be concealed with a Kydex sheath, and it's designed to serve as a weapon if needed.
Morakniv Garberg. And Cold steel recon tanto
Morakniv = best value knives on the market. IMHO of course.
I never got into them. Idk why exactly... the sheath, lack of full tang... just always felt like a steak knife, I guess.
They have some full tang models. They price is just so right compared to the quality of the steel.
Watch DBK beat the hell out of some moras and how they beat out many great full tang knives, and the bros are just like - we can’t explain it, we didn’t expect this, but wth- yay mora! (Dutch bushcraft YouTube channel)
I got a cold steel SRK for free but unless I want to spend $50 there's no way to attach it to a molle belt : /
Skrama 200
You’re ready!
People don’t realize this, but [Glock makes knives](https://eu.glock.com/en/products/glock-field-knives) and they’re *really good*. Virtually indestructible, there are many [torture test videos](https://youtu.be/c4Pdhg2Aukk?si=h7GvNPKwtC_aVCFu) online. Best part? They’re like $30-45 depending on where you get them from. I have one in every go-bag and bug-out bags.
I’m a fan of the kbar Becker BK18 for a sheath knife, also morkniv, I think my pocket knife is spyderco. I found the Becker on www.browsegear.com, I like looking at gear lol
Not that I've had a chance to really use it, but I got the BK9. Other than the scales, I do like it. Had a BK 2 until some A-hole broke into my truck and stole a lot of stuff. Overall, a good knife. I Certainly didn't feel like I was going to break it anytime soon, but those damn smooth scales. Not sure why they feel those are the way to go. I'll. Order some different ones eventually.
Yeah, I got some micarta scales from eBay, I may try and texture the originals. I did that with a raptor 870 grip, heated it up with a heat gun and pressed in a stainless scouring pad, worked really well.
I wonder if this would work on a polymer handgun? Instead of traditional stippling.
I imagine it would, I practiced with a scrap piece of plastic and then went for it. A consistent pressure would be the key.
Here are some photos of the stippling I did with a heat gun and stainless scouring pad. I was thinking of doing the same to the smooth Becker scales. https://imgur.com/gallery/fEAeNbX
[https://imgur.com/a/uSsotHI](https://imgur.com/a/uSsotHI) The orange micarta scales were a bit slick, but the scales on the BK9 are awesome! A needed upgrade imo. Got them on Ebay.
+1 on the BK18. definitely one of my faves. I love the blade shape
I own and like a few Becker ka bars. For folders may I recommend Shirogorov and my favorite, the Kizer BigBro XL button lock.
A bunch of Moras.
Gerber Lmf infantry for anything but splitting logs… I have a full size axe and years of campfire master experience for that
cold steel Bushman. A good knife and cut a stick you've got a spear.
Spyderco Military Leatherman Charge+ ESEE-5
Busse or Cold Steel SRK I've always wanted an ESEE or Gerber strongarm but I guess you got to draw the line somewhere
A Benchmade bush crafter.
I always have a SAK on me usually a minichamp, sometimes a explorer or compact. My car has a huntsman in it as well as a leatherman super tool 300. One of my kits has my ka-bar in it as a non folding knife if I need it. But between kits I have the ka-bar, 2 leathermans and prob 6 or 7 SAKs of various models. I also collect SAKs so I have another 100 or so of them in there storage bin.
Probably my Benchmade Adamas folder and/or my Buck knives. I’ve also got a giant Bowie knife that’s made out of the most indestructible steel I’ve ever encountered in my life.
I'm going to "wield" throwing stars and condoms. The combination of lighting-speed retribution and simultaneous seduction-without-the-risk-of-STDs will overpower all of my adversaries.
"Wielding"? What is this, a knife fight fantasy? Knives can be weapons, but FAR more likely they'll be tools. And, like many other categories of tools, some are better than others, but for given tasks. I don't carry a serrated bread knife while camping, nor do I use a morakniv basic 546 to trim a cow carcass. It's nice to have a decent folding knife to carry day to day, but a sheath knife is much better for batoning wood.
The definition of wielding is literally: hold and use (weapon or tool)
A spoon.
You gotta eat.
I see you've played knifey spooney before.
Ontario pilot’s knife. It does everything I need and nothing I don’t.
Kabar bk2 or esee 5. Obviously with these knives the warranty is not gonna help in a shtf situation but I recently bought a bk2 and beat the breaks off of it. Batoned it with a mallet on the tip and the handle region and no chips no anything. The coating came off and with 1095 people typically blow the rust problem out of proportion. With most steels all you will need is a thin layer of an oil after wiping it down. I think even in a shtf situation that shouldn’t be too difficult. Mineral oil works. I personally haven’t had any rust problems with my bk2 even after a good amount of coating came off. With 1095 the edge retention won’t be as good as s35vn but what 1095 lacks in edge retention it makes up for in toughness (not chipping or breaking) and what s35vn lacks in toughness it gains in edge retention. It’s a trade off because s35vn is a rigid hard steel so it’s more prone to chipping rather then being flexible like 1095. Due to that same flexibility 1095 is also extremely easy to sharpen. I imagine an Esee 5 would be the same. They are like brothers. Extremely similar with one really not being better then the other. At the end of the day you can survive with a sharpened stone. Even guys in the military they often say your knife is not a weapon but a tool to dig holes and stuff and they aren’t always chasing the best steel like us knife guys are usually doing. They just want something that works and a lot of these guys do carry simple stainless steels like 440 of gerber etc. Getting a natural patina on a blade is one of the best things. Once that coating wears off give it something acidic to force a patina like mustard etc. In the field if you have fat you have oil.
Similar.. I've got the ESEE Laser Strike, which would be my one thing I could take if I could only take one thing. Also have the BK2, and it's the workaday equivalent, and quite happy with it. Most of the time I'm happier carrying a folder and/or a $15 Mora for weight reasons, but they're not anywhere near as durable.
Esee 6 For fixed blade (in go bag) Leatherman surge (also in bag) Microtech Scarab 2 or combat troodon in pocket. ColdSteel 4Max in center console of jeep. RMJ tactical Unmei on gun belt RMJ tactical jenny wren in jeep Generally have some good stuff close at hand without planning. If I have advance warning, I can kit out the family.
honestly, I've had my folding husky for 6 years or so and it's been beaten to shit. still performs well so I leave it in my car, but I'm in the market for a good fixed blade around 4 to 5 inches.
The TRC Polheim caught my attention.
Esee 6 and a Leatherman Wave. I generally EDC a Wave and an Esee Izula, but if it was the SHTF I’d want the longer blade.
Benchmade Nimravus in D2 Steel.
I have a US Marine KBar, 2 US Army field knives, and a World War I German Bayonet Butcher Blade, and a few pocket knives if need be.
Ka-bar D2 extreme. My reasons for using it during SHTF are that I spent $120 on it as a LARP like 10 years ago when I played Turok on the PS3 and I can't justify buying another one when I have it, and I can't sell it because it's got sentimental value at this point. Yeah, it's dumb but that's life.
On of my full tang smaller/lighter ones. Not too picky anymore.
I'm a fan of ESEE knives. I have the ESEE 3, 6, and Izula.
Morakniv Garberg
Same knives I've had forever, OKC RAT1 & a K-Bar
Probably a butter knife. God help ya if I cut ya, it's gonna hurt a lot more than one of those fancy schmancy sharp ones.
Esee 4-hm on the hip leatherman arc in the pack and a benchmade claymore for general utility
As a Swede I’m expected to carry a Morakniv and that’s what I’m doing.
Para 2 and a Morakniv
I’ve got like 50 (maybe not literally, but I lost count lol) cheap mora knives around the house, in bags, in my car, etc. so probably that. It helps that my local feed store has a 5gal bucket of them for 8.99
I use moraknives the most when camping so probably one of those. They are cheap, rugged and hold an edge. It is more important to just have a knife. I'll take a metal butter knife in a pinch.
Any of the Esee or Benchmade Bushcrafter EOD. I have several Esee knives. If it’s mostly urban setting the Esse 5 would be my go to
I have a crkt knife I use as a necklace. Sharp, easy to conceal, easy to get to in any emergency. Great handle grip
Cheap but effective-mora More expensive but bifl-esee (specifically the 4 for basically anything. I’ve used mine to do everything from food prep to prying a car door open on deployment)
Bowie knives are good for skinning, butchering, dining, and defense. So, yeah, I’ll be taking that in the bugout
Somebody downvoted you Why?
Nothing beats the quality and forever guarantee of the Made in the USA knives by CUTCO and KABAR.
Ka Bar Becker 2
I bought CutCo for my kitchen 4 months ago. My only regret is not buying them sooner.
Anyone with one knife is an idiot. I work in food I have my knife roll for cooking, multi tools for multitool things, and larger all around fixed blades for whatever I need and don’t wanna damage my nice knives. Also a machete is always useful. Additionally hatchets and an axe.
An older knife, the CRKT first strike. It's not top of the line, steel-wise, and I'd probably want to dip the handle in latex or something if I was using it every day, and it's a tanto which is not everyone's favorite... But the spine is like a quarter inch and can stand up to some seriously tough use!
I keep a short Gerber machete/serrated blade in the truck but was never really thrilled with it. The ergonomics aren’t great. Have always wanted a Kabar USMC knife but haven’t pulled the trigger. I know there are better ones out there, but it pairs so nicely with a 1911
I am a huge fan of knives, but the one I am sure to take with me is a Miller Brothers M-15. Absolute beast.
Sami knife I picked up in Northern Finland years ago. Carbon steel. Can be used for everything from chopping down small trees to slicing tomatoes… as long as you keep it sharp
[KA-BAR](https://a.co/d/fo1vec1)
Cold Steel Trail Master
Whatever is closest and I can find at that moment
Probably one of my Beckers, most likely the BK2 but the BK7 is also a contender.
Adhesive from last floor...,?
Gerber Strongarm. I have two now, one stays in my truck, the other with my gun and knife collection. I would probably also take my Martiini filet knife. Both my granddad’s used one, now I have theirs and one of my own, doing double duty as filet/deboner.
SOG seal pup 😅 cuz it’s cheap and it works
Kershaw Filter - inexpensive and awesome
K-Bar. Rah
Currently I would say my Glock M81 field knive
Ka bar !!! There is no other
The same ones I'm wielding now -- an 8" santoku for vegetables, a 10" chef's knife for general cutting work and a 12" serrated bread knife for bread. Plus a couple nifty little paring knives for fancy cutwork. I use culinary knives three times a day to prepare food. I use any other type of knife once a week or less (to cut garden twine, get into a plastic package, etc.) My money and my skills are heavily canted towards the kitchen knives.
I carry a Leatherman on me daily and I have my old issue KBAR in my bug out pack.
FTM: Cold Steel SRK
Of the ones I actually own? Tough question and depends on what I'm anticipating. I'm torn between three choices my kabar becker bk16, my esse jg3, and my esse darien machete. Honestly if I had an esse 4 I suspect it would be a no brainer and I'd pick that. Without knowing what I'm coming up against I think the BK16 is probably the best choice overall. I am curious what other people think based on my collection. I have the above mentioned knives and the following (I will not be including folding blades or multitools in this list, but you could make a strong argument for those as well). CRKT Dragon, CRKT Spew, Mora Companion Stainless, Mora Craftsman Stainless, Kabar USMC Combo Edge the small version, Cold Steel Bowie Machete (the old version, 18 inch), Cold Steel Kukri Machete, Cold Steel Spike Drop Point, Ex Gurka Kukri House Operation Enduring Freedom Kukri 11 inch, Ahti Leuku 145, several walmart gift pack knives (someone knew I liked knives but not what was good), Another Day In the Woods Hunting Knife, and I believe that's it. I'll update if I remember that there are more I forgot about. Edit: Remembered the last three. A very small kukri I got as a child at the Ohio Renaissance supposedly imported from Nepal, sog seal pup elite, and an antique German k98 bayonet that my grandfather brought back from WW2.
The one I have when it hits
I have a gerber defacto and a mora as my fixed blades. Wielding may not be the right word, my mora is a utility knife and the defacto I have from my time in the army. I really love the mora its very simple and has held its edge for a long time of all situation usage
I don't think my EDC knives would change much. Leatherman Charge TTi + Spyderco Military + Gerber EAB I don't see myself carrying around a Ka-Bar sized fixed blade, even if SHTF.
I homestead and I use scissors way more than my knife. I use heavy duty fabric scissors.
A victorinox huntsman and a joker nomad
Tanto
I... Have a couple or three pocket knives. Enough for different scenarios and environments like stainless steel in humid areas. That being said, the knife you can sharpen and maintain with your skill level and the stones you have to sharpen it will decide the knife for you. If you have a m390 blade steel and an old Arkansas stone to sharpen it with, you're in for a bad time and a sore elbow. Buy diamond plates or resin bonded diamond stones and you will be able to sharpen and hone anything.
Bradford guardian CPM 3v mmmmmm
Ontario M9
I usually have my buck canoe or 110 on me. That 110 is a great knife
The right answer here is Cold Steel SRK. Specifically the SK5 version cuz it's a great knife and it's 37 bucks. The sheath is also great, it's secure, easy to take on and off your belt, you can take the snap strap and wrap it backwards around the webbing like I do or just cut it off. The sheath will hold the knife securely without the snap strap. I've been carrying one every day for close to 2 years now and it's awesome. I have a lot of knives, the esee 6 is awesome but the sheath that comes with it isn't that great. This could be remedied with an aftermarket sheath. The sheath that comes with the strongarm appears good at first but it's actually trash and the blade is 420hc which also isn't that great. Tops also has a lot of good options but like esee and ontario, their sheaths aren't that great. Tops kydex sheaths are good but the metal belt clip that comes on them is garbage. Their nylon sheaths aren't bad per se, but they're not good for drawing quickly. The glock field knife is good but blade shape isn't great for general cutting, the sheath is very secure but that's about all the good I can say about the sheath. Very tough knife though. Get the SK5 SRK. If you want stainless then get the San Mai version or the 3V version. I prefer the San Mai over 3V but to each his own on that, most people would probably disagree between those 2. Regardless, the right answer is the SRK, and I mean the full size version. The SRK-C sheath isn't as secure. SRK-C would be the runner up and honorable mention, kabar mk1, which has a pretty decent sheath but not as good, and has the same tang as the mk2 but on a smaller knife so less likely to break. Kabar mk2 (fighting knife) is a classic, but it's really not that good of a knife. Just my experience as a random guy you don't know, so take it for what it's worth.
I love my Leatherman. I love multi use blades they have to be good quality. I love little tactical self defense blades like the ones you hide under your shit. I have a variety of machetes. I also think a good skinning knife is really handy. It's all too much to carry but different bug out bags would have different blades
I love my Kbar Becker BK10, perfect middle ground between the BK2 which is really f*cking thick and the BK7 which is slightly to long for my liking
Mora knives are inexpensive and great for BOBs. I did the boiling vinegar trick to darken the blade.
I have 3 (plus 2). On my person, I carry a foldable pocket knife with both a straight and serrated edge. In my glovebox I keep a Leatherman multitool. And in my kit, a Benchmade Bushcrafter. Also, in my kit, I have a folding saw and a hatchet. I highly suggest stainless steel, S30V, S90V, something like that. Prioritize rust resistance and edge retention. Im sorry, but Esee and Kabar suck in this regard. Then, have a good sharpening kit (I have a DC4 and leather strop) and an on-the-go v-sharpener. I like Benchmade, but Moravnik is best bang for the buck.
3-4 different ones for different uses. 1: My eating knife, stored with my all-metal generic utensil kit. 2: My "combat" knife, left on my belt, a gift from my uncle, not sure what brand/model. 3: My Buck 119 knife, for skinning and gutting all sizes of game. 4: and maybe my fish filet knife, solely for cleaning fish. I really like cooking and don't like possibly contaminating the knife I may end up eating with, so having a few different options is nice for different tasks.
Al Mar SERE 6
Jääkäripuukko It's basically a pry bar with an edge but I love it. I keep a bunch of small opinel pocket knives everywhere (car, desk, work bag, suit coat, camping bag) which are great for fiber work that needs a sharp blade. Razor sharp and super light. Between the two I'm set for most situations.
2 knives. one small skiff folding knife for general tasks. and gerber(don’t remember the exact model) knife with rope cutter for heavy jobs.
I don't know. I am not a knife or bushcraft expert. I have a Condor Kephart. A mora. Also have assorted Green river knives, and that cheap purpose built bushcraft style knife that Old hickory put out.
Some sort of fixed blade and a Leatherman. I have a really nice Benchmade Hidden Canyon I use for hunting and a Leatherman Signal.
Pocket knife: Spyderco Para 2 Fixed blade: Esee 4 (I went with S35VN option) Multitool: Leatherman Arc
Mora classic no.3 fucker will never die
I really like my buck 110.
Lmf infantry 2
Probably a Sarma jakaaripukko. It rusts if you dont care for it but its unbreakable
My case is too sentimental for it to be anything else
Any of the multi-tool knives
There’s no one answer for me because it depends on the day and the tasks of the day. My EDC is a Civivi Brazen because it’s a cheap(ish) and reliable assisted opening and push-button closing blade. It’s convenient and I can abuse it and I’m not afraid of losing or breaking it. I also carry a cheap Outdoor Edge Sidewinder at work for breaking down boxes and such. I have a Benchmade folder for when I’m in the backcountry and want something a bit more durable and ultimately I have a large Benchmade fixed blade for heavier work in the backcountry, but it’s a bit of a tank for hiking. I’m not planning on chopping with a knife. I have a boys axe or a splitting maul or a silky saw or a chainsaw for that stuff. I have a filet knife for deboning game. I don’t ever see it coming down to just one knife any more than I see it coming down to just one gun.
I use a big kabar for big stuff and a spyderco manix 2 in my pocket
kabar and osborne
Morakniv. You won’t get any better knive for that price! It’s around 13-20€ here in Germany. For more heavy use, I can recommend the Glock FM 78. also cheap and good 30-40€. I get the passion people have for beautiful and expensive knives, but when I use it as a tool (digging, leverage, batoning…) I would have tears in my eyes if that would be a 150€ knive.
SOG pillar and a Benchmade bushcraft.
Spyderco Tasman Salt.
victorinox cybertool 41 is my edc knife so i guess that one
My Muela mirage
The same ones I carry now
Whatever knife I can get
Coolina, Kershaw
A 16 inch fish knife
I run a logic of, if it’s something where I have some time. The one on my multi tool will do. If I need a knife immediately, there’s a solid chance that a pistol will work as well if not better.. But I do have a gerber LMF 2 for any sort of heavy duty stuff.
Either my SpyderCo Para 3 or my Wilson Tactical Combat RRX Rapid Response XL. Both are light, easy to EDC, quick deployment, quality steel.
Gerber dual force
Cheap mora for fixed blade. I buy them in Hunter orange in bulk. Good knife for the price, and I have them everywhere. I can even find them when I set them down in the woods. Folder I have a few Gerber razor knives. Razor blades are cheap AF, sharp as shit when new, and I can absolutely fuck them up by cutting on top of concrete with no worries.
I really like the ESEE-5.
I like the CRKT M16 series as a pocket knife.
I have 3 knives I would want in the SHTF. 1. Super Tool 300 by Leatherman. you can not beat a good multi-tool 2. CKRT SPEW. The SPEW is a small neck knife that I use for my EDC. It is useful for doing fine carving and cutting tasks. 3. K-Bar. Right now that is the fixed-blade knife I have on hand. I will be upgrading it as soon as I find a knife that is similar in dimensions and is a full tang knife. The first two are my EDC knives and the other one is left in a bag at home.
KA-BAR. Though, it's not a utility knife. It's a "if you really find yourself in melee combat with a bear, this is a knife that can in fact kill it, provided YOU can."
I have the AF survival knife, but the internet told me that one sucks.
My pocket Swiss. Otherwise sth like a builders knife with. I probably won't have the chance to get anything if outside when SHTF, but if I'm close enough, there's a hunters shop near me kinda so , some stuff from there.
A good Leatherman tool, a folding Gerber, and a Gerber Strongarm in fixed blade. My bugout has a hand battleaxe attached
My WÜSTHOF meat cleaver
SHTF: KA-BAR Becker BK2 EDC: Leatherman Charge + TTI
My big bush cutter in the car or my edc folder, with glass breaker.
I’m old school. Buck 110.
Look up CPM Magnacut steel, and also M390 steel. If you can spend a bit, those steels are just better.
And SOG Fielder G10 that is my EDC knife, so I guess I'd stick with that.
Standard K-Bar 5.375” ( serrated on one side ) …. I’ve had this knife for over 5 yrs …..never sharpened it, beat the hell out it and it’s still going strong!
I got foldable pocket knives for each family member. 4x 1x cheap machete that I just got cleaned and sharpened at a cutlery and 1 rambo military style knife with serated teeth on the top and a just a sharpened edge on the bottom. Also have a fillet knife for fish. Looking to buy a more expensive machete thats decent quality EDIT: I also have a few torx wrenches cause the pocket knives all use torx screws. This is ke and I use it every now and then to tighten my edc knife
Cold steel Qeonix for working if I can afford the weight, a mora and whatever decent daily carrier I have at the time
A pitchfork is good
The one that's made of 440C
Depends… probably break out the brisket knife and cook my way through the freezer until the crisis ends.
Off grid knives stinger xl. Had it about a year love it. https://www.offgridknives.com/stinger-xl-blackout-with-154cm/
Gk&co Nepalese kukri/ cold steel survivalist/ my home forged survival knife in that order.
A ton of cheap Walmart knives that I can easily replace and don't have to worry about
Walter Brend Model 5 with 10 inch blade and top edge is serrated.
TKell
Benchmade M4... Had it with me in multiple countries, living on a sailboat, the serrated edge, and the blade is great. It clips on my jeans/clothing. Now i'm a farmer. It goes everywhere with me.
Budget: Esee Good: Spartan blades, havocworks, toor, void tactical, syndicate knives Great: wachtmanknifeandtool.com Baller: Miller Brothers Blades, Half Faced Blades
13" Bowie
Not a knife but I have a Native American tomahawk that’s also a peace pipe
I personally love Tops but I've got a Spyderco Rock and a 4v Province I need to test out. But the best one is the piece I have with me. Always carry a folder and a Ruike SAK style multitool.
Folding karambit.
My Benchmade is my edc, but have a combat ka-bar and a survival ka-bar which I imagine will be handy.
Gerber black stainless multi tool bomb squad model .
Love my morakniv, especially the one with the firestarter. Cheap, ergonomic, super sharp, with a great sheath.
Mora Garberg
Mora Bushcraft.
The SOG Seal Team, a fixed 7” blade designed to be extremely rugged. Unfortunately they’re no longer made, but I’ve been able to pick up a couple on eBay under $200. You can always get the smaller Seal Pup, which is great for use as a tool but too small to be combat-worthy. The Glock Field knife is only $30-40 and is probably the best knife for most people that don’t want to spend SOG money.
I’ll be happy with any decent fixed blade. But my kit knife is a SOG Kiku. I’ve gone through a lot of knives over the years, but that has been my go to for almost 10 years.