Bushcraft and Survival Knives: A Guide

A bushcraft knife, or survival knife, is used for various outdoor chores such as cutting rope and other items, cutting tree limbs, carving wood or cleaning wild game. The wide variety of tasks it can accomplish is necessary as most outdoorsmen don't want to be weighed down by multiple tools.

Bushcraft Knives vs. Survival Knives

The words bushcraft knife and survival knife are used interchangeably. Some say a bushcraft knife is created for a situation where the owner has purposefully attempted to accomplish outdoor tasks, whereas a survival knife is created for something like an unintentional, emergency situation. In practice, however, this difference is negligible and most manufacturers do not distinguish between the two.

Further complicating matters is that these tools are also called "wilderness" knives or "camping" knives.

One task which does appear suited for a survival knife but not a bushcraft knife is "batoning". Batoning means utilizing a knife as a tool for cutting mid-sized branches. The knife is put upon the branch to be cut and the owner pounds upon the back of the blade of the knife to drive it into the branch.

Blades

Survival knife blades usually be about four inches in length. People who have a bigger palm might desire a lengthier blade, but a blade in excess of than five inches is not generally recommended.

When looking for a high quality knife, search for one that features a full tang or hidden tang. A full-tang blade runs along the entire length and width of the knife. It is frequently visible on the border of the handle. A hidden tang knife traces the entire span of the knife as well, however it is tapered when it enters the grip. It is also completely hidden by the grip.

Stainless and carbon are the two main kinds of steel used to manufacture a survival knife. One good thing about making it with stainless steel is that it doesn't rust when left wet. Blades made from carbon steel retain a sharp edge over time and are easy to resharpen.

Edges can be serrated or non-serrated. Full-serrated edges are not suggested as they are hard to sharpen, but many blades will have a limited part of the edge that is serrated while most of the blade is non-serrated.

A2 and VG-10 are widely-available, high-end carbon steels, whereas 440C and AUS8 are common high-end stainless steels.

Handles

When shopping for a survival blade, you'll want one that you can hold onto comfortably no matter what the weather is like. Best choices include durable materials like micarta or rubber. You may also wish to evaluate leather, but only if you're not anticipating consistently damp weather.

Blades of this kind typically do not have any type of hand guard, as they are not meant for the forward-and-back movement of sawing, but instead for the rising-and-falling movement of cutting.

It's possible to hide small gear in the tool if it has a hollowed-out grip with a removable cap, such as waterproof matches. This kind of design makes the knife less durable, though, so is not recommended.

Complementary Knives

Survival blades are versatile, but they aren't designed to be multi-use blades. If you want to twist, wrench, or fasten an item with the knife, this type of blade may be predisposed to break. A multi-tool would be a better choice for those kinds of tasks, and it makes an excellent counterpart to a survival knife.

If your task needs a lengthier knife, try a machete or an ax.

Brands

Almost all significant knife makers make a knife of this type. Well-regarded choices include knives from Fallkniven, Bark River Knife and Tool, and Ontario Knife Company.

More Info

For an introduction to survival skills, check out the Wikipedia. It's succinct, but a good starting point. They've also got a good site on survival knives.