| The main tool for surviving an emergency | | | | difficult to sharpen. Carbon Steel blades will never |
| situation in the wilderness environment which is | | | | rust if used regularly or coated. Survival Knives |
| specifically designed for this is your survival knife. | | | | with Carbon Steel usually tend to hold a sharper |
| It can be used for many survival tasks, trapping, | | | | edge longer than stainless steel. The harder the |
| skinning, cutting wood, and others. | | | | material of the blade will hold and edge longer. |
| When Looking to buy a Survival Knife there are 4 | | | | BLADE SHAPE AND DESIGN |
| key aspects to look for: | | | | The choice of a straight blade or a serrated one |
| 1) The Tang of the Blade | | | | is still under debate. When looking at a straight |
| 2)The Blade Material | | | | blade keep in mind the benefits that it is much |
| 3)The Blade Shape/Design | | | | easier to sharpen. A serrated blade can cut rope |
| 4)The Handle | | | | easier, but almost always requires a special type |
| TANG | | | | of sharpener. Some survival knives will come with |
| The tang is the part of the blade that goes into | | | | a straight blade as the main cutting edge with a |
| the handle. The best knife will be constructed of | | | | serrated edge on the back. If you are looking for |
| one piece of metal, that piece will run down | | | | both types of blade design this is a great choice. |
| through the handle. On the sides of the metal will | | | | THE HANDLE |
| be a high quality material that will form the handle. | | | | The type of handle on survival knives can vary |
| This style of tang is known as "full tang" or | | | | widely. Some knives will come with a hollow |
| "narrow tang". Because of the support and | | | | handle, while this can come in handy you are |
| durability of having a "full tang" you should always | | | | sacrifice having a knife with a "full tang." The |
| look for this in a survival knife. Cheap knives will | | | | actual handles can be made from rubber or other |
| have a blade that is separate from a handle | | | | types of polymers. Some handles are metal that |
| severely lowering the durability of the knife. | | | | are wrapped in rubber. The handle should be |
| BLADE MATERIAL | | | | grooved, checkered or knurled to fit your hand. A |
| The two main steels that are used in high quality | | | | smooth handle can get slippery and dangerous to |
| survival blades are Stainless Steel and Carbon | | | | use. |
| Steel. Stainless Steel blades are rust resistant and | | | | Choosing a good survival knife can be a challenge. |
| work well in wet environment. A stainless steel | | | | With a little research and knowledge you can be |
| blade tends to require less care than Carbon Steel. | | | | confident in your choice. |
| A downside with Stainless Steel they are more | | | | |