Survival/General purpose knife

[EdP]

My Kershaw 1650 that is always in my pocket is all I need in the woods. No reason in my mind to be splitting wood with a knife. I can pick up and break by hand any wood I need, and find dry kindling w/o splitting anything. A Silky saw is great to have along for an extended camp, but I wouldn't even carry that if on a backpack where I am travelling every day. I certainly wouldn't carry a 1 lb knife.

 

[Touchdown88]

RAT Model 1 is my go to. It's cheap and takes a beating. Mine has been a daily carrier for the past few years on the farm, in the office, and in the field.

 

[jnawalaniec]

RAT Model 1 is my go to. It's cheap and takes a beating. Mine has been a daily carrier for the past few years on the farm, in the office, and in the field.

Actually just ordered one!

 

[ODB]

I have that same BOB knife. That thing can double as a boat anchor. I wish it had slightly less belly in the blade but it’s a good knife.

 

[CoStick]

Argali serac, light weight and useful in emergencies

 

[Rocsteel]

Montana Knife Company.

 

[49ereric]

My Kershaw 1650 that is always in my pocket is all I need in the woods. No reason in my mind to be splitting wood with a knife. I can pick up and break by hand any wood I need, and find dry kindling w/o splitting anything. A Silky saw is great to have along for an extended camp, but I wouldn't even carry that if on a backpack where I am travelling every day. I certainly wouldn't carry a 1 lb knife.

I think you could need and full tang knife if a rainy periods sets in if you don’t carry a small axe. you might need to split dead wood to get to the dry wood inside a log to make a fire.
full tang knife and rock will get the job done.

 

[tony]

ESEE and Tops are my go to's. Moras are cheap and great as well.

Knife connection is great to deal with as well.

 

[bliner]

Another esee guy. I really like a 4, but the 3’s are a great option and lighter weight than the 4 due to the thinner blade.

 

[mtnbiker208]

just picked up a buck 110 for this purpose.

 

[49ereric]

just picked up a buck 110 for this purpose.

420HC? S30V? 440C? 425M?
my first 110 was 425M.
few years back I bought a few used 110’s with the original 440C steel harder to sharpen.

just picked up a buck 110 for this purpose.

 

[displacedtexan]

I've got an Esse Izula that I carry for such uses. Stainless, no scales.

It wouldn't be good for splitting large wood, but I don't see that as for survival.

Super tough, fairly inexpensive, killer warranty. Plus small and light.

 

[Elkfitness]

I was given a bark river knife for a gift one year and have kept it in my pack as good luck and to have a robust knife. For me it shines with how easy it is to resharpen (it holds an edge fairly well too).


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[bozeman]

I carry a Dawson...

 

[Aeromoto]

I've got an ESEE 4. Has worked great for me on hogs and deer as well as in the mountains with backpacking/camp chores.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I always carry my gransfors bruk small forest axe into the woods with me so my general purpose knife doesn’t really need to split wood. I’ll use it for making tinder bundles but that’s about it for fire making. For that I love the Benchmade Anonimus that just came out early this year. I bought two the day they were released, one for the girlfriend, and we both love the knife. Like it so much that I bought a third to have a spare just in case they discontinue them ever. I could use it for batoning wood if I needed too and it would absolutely do that, but I just choose to use the more proper tool for the job.

If I could only go into the woods with one blade to do everything (no axe) it would be my Busse Team Gemini. It’s a large heavy use knife but it does work pretty well for lighter tasks. I always have my Leatherman charge titanium with me as well so there’s always a small blade on that for small tasks.

 

[Drenalin]

For winter backpacking/general screwing off trips, I take an Esse PR4. Summer trips are usually just the Benchmade Bugout in my pocket.

 

[Anglo-American]

How many of you carry a general purpose/survival knife with you when going in the mountains? Something that can be used for fire building tasks (split/feather wood) along with other general cutting tasks and possibly used to process game as well if needed. Most of the posts on here talk about small skinning knives, recently picked up a TOPS BOB, it’s much bigger/heavier than I imagined it would be. Do you think it’s worth carrying an almost 1lb knife?

Open to suggestions/opinions

Yes, I do.
A Swiss army knife farmer is a great multi tool option if you don't want pliers.

If you want a lighter knife for wood processing for backpack hunting have a look at Mora.
Made in Sweden, cheap as chips and they take a beating.

 

[jnawalaniec]

I carry a Dawson...

beautiful knives, I’ll pick one up some day!

 

[InteriorAKPopsicle]

I was given a bark river knife for a gift one year and have kept it in my pack as good luck and to have a robust knife. For me it shines with how easy it is to resharpen (it holds an edge fairly well too).


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Which Bark River do you carry!? I love their stuff and it has gotten me into a few of their knives and a few other brands as well.