There are a lot of things to take into consideration when you are looking for the best survival knife to fit your needs. The first thing that you have to think about is the general intended use for the knife. Do you want a large knife that will be used for batoning firewood, cutting down branches and making a shelter or something that is great for cleaning game and general carry?
Large Survival Knives
The best survival knife for you may be a large carry survival blade. This type of knife is usually anywhere from 12 - 18 inches and is great for cutting down trees and branches. The appeal to these knives are that they can cut down on the amount of kit that you carry with you. If you often carry a hatchet this type of knife can replace it, cutting down on weight and items on your belt. Large survival knives are great for building shelters, and personally, I would much rather be caught in the wild in a survival scenario with a large survival knife then a small one. The types of chores that you will need it for in true survival, lend to the heft you get from a big blade. Here are my favorite large knives.
Great Large Survival Knives:
The Ontario RTAK II
Ka-Bar Becker BK9 Combat Bowie
Columbia River Knife and Tool's 2013 Razel SS7
The Tom Brown Tracker Knife
Large survival knives however are not always the best survival knife option.
Medium Size Survival Knives.
Many people find that the best survival knife in their kit is a medium size knife. These knives are usually about 9-12 inches and weigh a lot less then their bigger brothers. The medium size survival blade is easy to carry on your belt and realistic to take with you just about everywhere you go. These knives excel at regular cutting chores, light batoning, and light chopping. They are easier to handle for whittling, cutting rope, cleaning game etc. Overall it is a less bulky knife to carry but unless you have all day, you better bring hatchet with you for heavy cutting chores.
Great Medium Survival Knives
The Gerber LMF II ASEK
Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion
SOG Specialty Knives & Tools Seal Pup Elite
The best survival knife to fit your needs comes down to your intended use for the knife. There are tons of fantastic blades on market and often times having a couple of these knives in your kit is important so that you can take the best survival knife for the job with you every time.
