

Of course, this all comes at price in the weight of the knife but 9 times out of 10 I would stick with the full tang. The full tang knife is going to be much more effective for prying or digging. It’s essential for the providing the strength you’ll need in many survival situations.Ī partial tang is simply too flimsy in situations where you need to force the blade against a hard object, or use the knife as a prying tool. Rule #2: Full tang is the way to goĪ “ full tang” means that the blade extends the entire length of the knife, from the tip to the very end of the handle. When speed and safety are essential, a fixed blade knife is much better than a folder. In an emergency situation, you want a knife that is ready to go the minute you pull it out of its sheath.

With a folding blade, you have to open the knife and ensure it is properly locked before you can use it. Yes, I know that there are folding knives advertised as survival knives and many of the best folding knives are damn solid, so why do I insist on a fixed blade? Look, many folders are indeed tough but they’ll never take a beating like a solid fixed blade. Hence for survival, folding knives just don’t…well…cut it. In a survival knife, you want something that will be readily available for chopping, thrusting, prying, pounding, and rigorous cutting. Part of the reason for this is that the joint (or pivot) of a folding knife is a weakness when it comes to the rough abuse your survival knife will endure. A good folding knife is perfect for everyday carry, but in a survival situation you want a fixed blade. My passion in life is folding knives but I stand by this statement when it comes to survival knives. The 6 Rules of Buying a Survival Knife Rule #1: Fixed blade, not folding I discuss the general rules of buying a good survival knife below and then share my own list of the top survival knives currently on the market. Now, before you shell out you’re hard earned coins it’s important to know what to look for. When you’re caught out in the wild and things are getting serious, a quality survival knife is a crucial tool to have with you and can be used for a wide variety of survivalist tasks from building a shelter, skinning game, splitting firewood, cutting rope, opening cans, and much more. A well-priced all-round knife and deserving of our top pick. In a hurry? We love all the knives recommended here but if you asked us to recommend one survival knife we usually lean towards the ESEE 6P.
