Fixed Blade Selections
Some moderate cost production knives to consider include the:
- Becker Knife & Tool "Combat Utility 7" and "Crewman"
- Benchmade Knife Co. "Rant DPT," "Outbounder," and "Model 190 Drop-Point Hunter"
- Buck Knives "Vanguard" (which unfortunately comes
with a lousy sheath)
- Cold Steel "Master Hunter" and "SRK"
- Doug Ritter "RSK Mk3"
- FÄLLKNIVEN "F1" and "S1"
- Grohmann Knives "#1 Original" and "#4 Survival"
- Katz Knives "Black Kat" series
- Ontario Knives "RAT-7," "TAK," "Spec-Plus Parachutist" and "Spec-Plus Navy Mark 1"
- SOG "X-42 Field Knife"
- KJ Eriksson Mora Knife Model 731 (carbon steel balde), Model 748 (stainless steel blade) and Model 2000 (The Mora is favored by a number of survival instructors as a practical and inexpensive fixed blade, though less robust than the blades above.)
You may have to modify the knife you select in order to get all the features you want in a survival knife, especially if you're on a budget. Obviously, you can spend a lot more for a "better knife." But, these knives meet all the minimum criteria for a dependable survival knife at a not unreasonable cost, and in the case of the Mora, truely inexpensive.
For custom, bench made and high end production knives that provide custom knife quality the choices are innumerable. Some readily available high end production knives of outstanding quality include:
- Chris Reeve "Shadow," "Aviator" or "Project I"
- Busse Combat "Steel Heart E" or "Natural Outlaw"
- Randall Model 25 "Trapper" or Model 5 "Camp and Trail Knife"