Survival Knife Features

Survival knives are designed for typical tasks encountered in a survival or emergency situation – cutting branches, setting animal traps or fishing, skinning animals, cutting rope, etc. 

Most survival knives have 10-20cm blades and a full tang. On some knives the back of the blade (spine) is flat, making it a useful hitting platform for tasks like splitting wood. Other knives have a serrated spine. While useful for sawing, serrations in the blade do weaken it. Recently, manufacturers have begun adding tools such as compasses into the cap, or designing knives with hollow handles where small tools like matches. A hollow handle will tend to compromise the overall strength of the knife and may leave it prone to breakage if used for blunt force tasks like splitting wood.

The handle of survival knives can also differ among knives and knife makers. Survival knife handles can be made of hard rubber, bone, wood, metal, or even polymer. Some knife handles are wrapped in cord or some other material that is either useful when removed or lends better and more comfortable grip to the handle. The handle of a survival knife is very much a matter or personal preference and comfort.

Three Types Of Survival Knife

Fixed Blade

Folding Blade

Multi-Tools

Knife Blade Shape

Different blade shapes serve different purposes; therefore the shape of a blade determines its ideal uses. In general, drop point knives and clip point knives are the best for wilderness survival situations. Double-edged spear point knives and tanto-style knives are built for thrusting and stabbing associated with fighting but are unable to perform important survival tasks like batoning to cut wood.