Saturday, June 1, 2013

Survival Knives-What Are They?

By Patricia Clark


Survival knives are one of the most widely-used tools especially when camping, hunting, fishing and even when backpacking in the bush. This is an essential tool not to be forgotten when doing outdoor activities and when going to the wilderness. A survival gear is not complete without the presence of a survival knife. The main purpose of bringing along a survival knife is to have something to use in emergency situations. There are 2 types of survival knives.

1. One type of survival knife is the folding blade survival knife which are typically smaller and easy to carry. Compared to the other type of survival knife, this type is weaker and easier to break because of their size. Pocket knives and lock-back folding knives are examples of this type of survival knives.

2. Fixed blade survival knives- compared to the folding blade survival knife, these types of knives are known to be thicker, heavier, more dependable and rugged because of their full tang which is one characteristic that a good survival knife should have. The Bowie knife and the hunting knife are examples of fixed blade survival knives which possesses very good quality steel blades and durable handles. Important thing to remember with this type of knife is to make sure that you know how to store and handle it properly to avoid accidents.

Aside from knowing the types of survival knives, it is also vital to know the factors to be considered when picking up your own survival knife. Here are some of those factors:S

-Type of steel used in making the knife. Knowing the type of steel used in making the knife is important because it is the determining factor of the knife's durability and strength. Aside from that it will determine the level of difficulty you will have in honing the knife. Typically, the best type of steel to choose is one that is not too hard and not too soft. There are two types of steel to choose from for your survival knives: the Carbon steel and the stainless steel.

-The blade's length is also an important factor to consider when picking up a survival knife because it will determine the types of purposes it will serve when you are doing your outdoor activities. Survival guides and experts recommend getting a survival knife with the right length of blade which typically ranges from four to eight inches.

-Straight or serrated blade. You must also decide what type of blade to choose for your survival knife. Knives with straight blades are known for its chopping action, on the other hand, knives with serrated blades are known for its slicing ability. Unlike the knives with straight blade, knives that have serrated blades are hard to sharpen especially that it usually requires a special sharpening tool for blades that are serrated.

-A survival's knife's weight is also an important thing to consider since you need to carry your knife almost anywhere you go when you are going on a wilderness adventure trip. Thus you need to choose a survival knife that is not too heavy and at the same is durable enough to withstand the different purposes that it is made for.

Choosing the right survival knife depends on the activities that you are planning to do outdoors. The important thing to remember when choosing the right survival knife is to choose one that suits you and you can easily use. Also be sure to place your knife in a storage that you can easily get especially when the need arises or if any emergency will happen you will be able to use your survival knife immediately.




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