
Will Your Survival Knife Fail Under Pressure? 5 Questions to ask before buying.
These hardships can include, using your knife as a hammer, as an awl, as a hatchet, and any other number of uses. Needless to say, that if your knife is cheap and fails to deliver, then your survival status - and your life - are put in jeopardy.
Well, here is the follow up to the post I did some time ago entitled, The Single Most Important Tool to Have in a Survival Situation. I left off that post with a promise to revisit the topic of deciding the degree quality in a knife and also how to tell if your knife is a good one or not.
As mentioned in the previous post, a knife can be the most valuable single tool in your arsenal of preparedness planning. You want to make sure it is a good one and that it will stand up to the hardships* that come with survival situations.
These hardships can include, using your knife as a hammer, as an awl, as a hatchet, and any other number of uses. Needless to say, that if your knife is cheap and fails to deliver, then your survival status - and your life - are put in jeopardy.

It is also very handy to be able to use a forge and become skilled in making knives because, in so doing, you will become familiar with the types of steel that are consistently better for making quality blades. So, here are 5 tests that will determine if your survival knife will fail under pressure.
Test #1: What type of steel is in the blade?
Most quality knives will have markings of the types of steel and sometimes even a “Rockwell Hardness” number. One of the best all-around types of steel for a quality knife blade is 1095. It is high carbon and relatively easy to find. The tang should also run all the way through the handle.
Test #2: Is the knife a fixed blade and not folding?
The folding knives are great for everyday carry but harbor an inherent weakness at the joint where they fold. This weakness needs to be avoided in a survival knife which should be always ready for action.
Test #3: Is the overall blade length between 4 – 7 inches?

In survival situations* the size of your knife definitely matters and you need the length to be between 4 and 7 inches. Anything longer than the 7 inches and the knife just becomes too unwieldy and unsuitable for most survival chores.
The overall length of the knife should be no more than 11 inches. Anything longer than 11 inches becomes a machete for all intents and purposes.
Test #4: Does the knife have a solid synthetic handle?
The strength, durability and grip are the three most important things to look for in your survival knife. Just as the blade needs to be strong and durable, the handle should also be durable and comfortable!
It does no good to have a wicked smooth blade but not be able to hold it for long periods because the handle gouges or cuts your hand.
Test #5: Is the blade thickness between 0.17-0.25 inches?

The thickness of the spine of your knife should be considered because it here that most of the strength lies. The blade will also be used for many things in a survival situation and needs to be hearty enough* to withstand the pressure.
Anything thinner than 0.17 inches and the blade runs the risk of breaking or snapping and having the blade thicker than 0.25 inches means carrying more weight than is truly necessary.
So, there it is in black and white. Remember to choose your survival knife with the thought of using it for many different functions around the campsite. The steel should be high carbon 1095 or better with an overall length of no more than 7 inches.

It should also be no thinner than 0.17 in. and not any thicker than 0.25 in. The blade should be fixed and be ready for action*, the tang full, the handle comfortable, and made of a composite that will not degrade over time.
Also, a word of advice here: It might sound cool to be able to carry matches or fishing line and hooks inside your knife handle, but that lack of density in the handle seriously compromises the strength of the knife. So, Stay away from hollow, plastic or cheap metal handles in your survival knife.
* (This site uses affiliate links and may earn money when clicked on but there is no cost to the viewer)

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