First things first MACHETE
every discussion about survival begins with the indespensable survival item the BLADE. not only that but the subject usually results in heated discussion.
if you are putting together your first survival kit the first blade you want is a MACHETE. this is the most versatile blade available. you can imagine that as the bladerunner i have an extensive blade collection. including at least five different patterns of machete. living the survivalist lifestyle for many years i have had the opportunity to use many of them. the one that has gotten the most use is my african pattern machete. but lets not take just my opinion for it. lets look at others.
the pre-emminent survivors are the indigenous peoples of the world. from the tribes of the south pacific to the tribes of the amazon to the tribes of africa they all have ONE BLADE IN COMMON..... THE MACHETE. pay attention to the TV programs like tribal life or the pbs programs or the travel logs etc. about these primitive stone age peoples. they survive day in and day out sometimes naked..... but ALL carry MACHETES.
it's small enough to process food, cut veggies, wack melons and coconuts etc. large enough for hunting and butchering, killing wild pigs with one stroke, cutting off a snakes head safely etc. as well as cutting down trees, brush or bamboo for shelter and CARVING wood implements such as bows/arrows, wood bowls, bamboo water carriers,even canoes/rafts etc. and can be used as a shovel. plus it makes a formidable weapon to boot. not only all that but they are usually made of soft steel so they can be sharpened with a rock. or as i once saw a ubangi do it with sand on a log. NO OTHER BLADE can do ALL these things. THATS WHY it's the preferred blade of true survivalists. i can also throw in the preferences of the worlds MILITARIES. MAKE YOUR FIRST BLADE A MACHETE!
WHICH PATTERN? i've found the african pattern suitable. but the LONGER the blade and the HEAVIER the blade the BETTER. even machetes with the end wider that the rest will do. the idea is INERTIA CUTS.
i once posted this on one of the phony ass survival groups. the so-called EXPERTS took issue with me. they allowed as how they took kids out on weekend survival hikes they knew best and they liked thier six inch fixed bladed BLaBLA knife ( insert boutique, name brand, expensive bragging knife) and besides they preferred to push the brush aside rather than cut it. frikken asshole thought thats all a machetes for. but hey... they are EXPERTS!
you don't have to spend a fortune on your first blade either. i paid $5 for my favorite one. if you can't find a brazillian or chinese made one cheaply theres ones like COLD STEEL which are very high quality and reasonable price
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/prodlist.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default
what i call african pattern they call the panga, which is my favorite
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97PM
i also have latin pattern ( blade too long and thin and lightweight. flexes and has little heavy chopping factor)
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97AM24
the BOLO pattern ( good but too short)
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97BM
thier HEAVY MACHETE looks like it would be good but i never tried one.
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97HM
the TRAMONTINO line looks good too. it's more akin to the brazillian machetes i have. especially the cane machete which looks like it would function as a good shovel too.
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?PriceEnd=&order=Default&CatalogName=&range=51&list=50&Feature=&SearchText=machete&Mode=Text&Brand=&PriceStart=&SKU=TR2620
IMHO the ultimate in machetes is the RUSSIAN military issue. It's a purpose designed machete whic is HOLLOW HANDLE to hold a survival kit.
possibly the ultimate in survival machetes. the SPETZNATZ tool. although i would have made the blade six inches longer it is probably the best ONE BLADE MADE. they ain't cheap though. will cost you way over a hundred bucks if you can find one.
whatever machete you opt for DO NOT buy the u.s. issue camillus machete. it's a piece of CRAP!
Second blade AX/Tomahawk/hatchet
the one blade discussion is mostly academic. because most everyone will have more than one blade. in that case the 2nd blade is second to the third blade. so to speak.
if we look at those same indigenous peoples we find thier second blade is an axe. for the american indians it was a tomahawk. i keep my tomahawk in my carpenters toolbox. i keep it sharp as a razor.... literaly. i don't WHACK with it i CARVE with it. it's ground like a chisel. i use it a lot for timber framing. but when it comes time to butcher a deer it's the tomahawk that surpasses everything else. over the years i have tried every knife and combination of knives available to dress deer. NOTHING works as well as the tomahawk. and it does it all ALONE. i use nothing else but it to completely dress out a deer. from slitting to cutting steaks. all done with EASE.the head slips off the handle and can be used like the eskimo ulu. but it has no provision for hammering. there are viking designed axes that are like tomahawks with a hammerhead. but i've never owned one.
for general camping use i prefer a long handle camp axe. a hatchet is a compromise. it's not big/long/heavy enough to do many jobs with ease. it can do them but not with ease. my favorite camp axe is the ESTWING. the handles are literaly indestructible. i have a couple estwing hammers that i've used for over 20 years. most building. i routinely use the handles as splitting wedges without harm. i keep my estwing axe in my vehicle. the ESTWING FIRESIDE looks like a great compromise. nothing beats a splitting maul head for cutting wood and the heavy head is also a great maul. compactness too. if i ever build another timber frame i'll definitely get one of these. two tools in one hand will simplify my work.
Third blade: Fixed blade knife
this is where things get sticky. when most people ask about what
blade they really mean what knife. my first knife,when i was a
preteen was my fathers KABAR which he carried through WW2. although
KABAR is a brand name it has also come to be a generic term.
although KABAR made MOST of the issue knives in WW2 CAMILLIUS also
made them to the government specs too. while KABAR still makes
knives the latest one are nothing like the original spec. the blades
are much smaller/thinner and have powder coated epoxy finish. on the
other hand CAMILLUS still makes the current military issue knife to
the original specs. same size and PARKERIZED finish.
the bowie design has been the hands down favorite design ever since
it's origin. i have numerous ones. but there are a couple others
worthy of mention. one is the u.s. issue aircrew survival knife.
it's a modified bowie with parkerized finish, sawblade back, sheath
holds a whetstone,bolster hole for fastening it to a staff as a
spear. it's made to the same construction methods as the
issue "kabar". laminated leather handle etc. both are favorites of
mine. but the knife that is attached to my bugout gear is a u.s.
issue BAYONET. i have a few. one for the m-16 one for m1 carbine but
the one i like best is the one for the m1 garand. i have a shortened
one made by s.korea who shortened the issue long ones we gave them
and refurbished them so they would fit in a m-16 bayonet sheath. i
like it's parkerized finish and the fact that the sheaths are SELF-
SHARPENING sheaths. it sharpens the blade everytime you withdraw it.
when you use it a lot all you have to do is pump the knife in and
out of the sheath rapidly a few times to sharpen the blade. i also
favor the m1 over the m16 because of the large hole in the bolster
that fitts over the barrel. it makes it very easy to mount on a
staff to make a spear.
many "survivalists" insist that you have to pay a lot of money for a
fancy wierd shaped knife to get a good survival knife. it ain't so.
the "designer" blades are just GIMMICKS! they have to come up with
something UNIQUE in order to have something to market. after all how
can they compete otherwise. as for quality you can't get any higher
quality than MILSURP. who has more money to pay for quality than the
military. and what designs have been more tested/proven?
Fourth blade: Multi-tool
now the choices really get prolific. for 20 years i carried a swiss
army knife on my belt. as an electrician/builder i literally wore out
the screwdriver and saw blades. so i relagated it to pocketknife (5th
blade) status and got a leatherman.i won't expound on the virtues of
these two as they are well known. but when KERSHAW came out with thier
multi-tool, the first to have locking pliers ( needlenose) i just had
to have one. i only carried it for awhile because soon afterwards
leatherman came out with the CRUNCH. it's a working persons dream
knife. especially if they are an electrician. it has ONLY a
electrician blade, phillips, three flatheads, a file ( perfect for
cleaning electrical contacts) a pair of locking vise grips and a HEX
BIT driver.with a ruler etched on it's side and a bottle opener notch
in frame thrown in. everything you could want in a portable working
multi-tool WITHOUT all the other nonsense. i have carried it and used
it daily since. it has saved me many hours trekking to the toolbox.
but i wouldn't call it a survival knife.
Fifth Blade Pocket knife
now the choices are waaaay to numerous to cover. so i'll just say that
i carry the swiss army knife as a pocket knife now. after all it is
small enough and smooth enough to rank as such. but i also carry a
conventional pocket for sentimental reasons. even though i do use it
often. it's pointed blade is good for digging out splinters ( unlike
any of the previously mentioned blades) and it's flat end blade is
great for sheet cutting like a sheetrock knife. i prefer a 6 inch
three blade stockman. .everyone makes good ones.
Sixth blade: Shovel
Most people forget about this 6th blade. but it is very importatnt. it allows you to dig without using your other blades. some even have a cutting edge on one side so it can be used like a machete. some have a sawblade on one edge too. milsurp is best for shovel. no one else makes them as well.
Seventh blade: SAW
There are many different saw available. some machetes have a sawback. many of them are for looks only. you can tell the difference by looking at the saw teeth. a real saw teeth will be OFFSET like a real saw. Not many machetes have a real sawback.
you can also get folding saws. make sure you get one with multiple blades for wood, ceramic, metal etc.
Sharpening trick : I'll not expound on sharpening techniquess. there are many books devoted to the subject. but I do want to tell you a trick. you can sharpen blades using the UNGLAZED bottom of ceramic cups/dishes/pots.
every discussion about survival begins with the indespensable survival item the BLADE. not only that but the subject usually results in heated discussion.
if you are putting together your first survival kit the first blade you want is a MACHETE. this is the most versatile blade available. you can imagine that as the bladerunner i have an extensive blade collection. including at least five different patterns of machete. living the survivalist lifestyle for many years i have had the opportunity to use many of them. the one that has gotten the most use is my african pattern machete. but lets not take just my opinion for it. lets look at others.
the pre-emminent survivors are the indigenous peoples of the world. from the tribes of the south pacific to the tribes of the amazon to the tribes of africa they all have ONE BLADE IN COMMON..... THE MACHETE. pay attention to the TV programs like tribal life or the pbs programs or the travel logs etc. about these primitive stone age peoples. they survive day in and day out sometimes naked..... but ALL carry MACHETES.
it's small enough to process food, cut veggies, wack melons and coconuts etc. large enough for hunting and butchering, killing wild pigs with one stroke, cutting off a snakes head safely etc. as well as cutting down trees, brush or bamboo for shelter and CARVING wood implements such as bows/arrows, wood bowls, bamboo water carriers,even canoes/rafts etc. and can be used as a shovel. plus it makes a formidable weapon to boot. not only all that but they are usually made of soft steel so they can be sharpened with a rock. or as i once saw a ubangi do it with sand on a log. NO OTHER BLADE can do ALL these things. THATS WHY it's the preferred blade of true survivalists. i can also throw in the preferences of the worlds MILITARIES. MAKE YOUR FIRST BLADE A MACHETE!
WHICH PATTERN? i've found the african pattern suitable. but the LONGER the blade and the HEAVIER the blade the BETTER. even machetes with the end wider that the rest will do. the idea is INERTIA CUTS.
i once posted this on one of the phony ass survival groups. the so-called EXPERTS took issue with me. they allowed as how they took kids out on weekend survival hikes they knew best and they liked thier six inch fixed bladed BLaBLA knife ( insert boutique, name brand, expensive bragging knife) and besides they preferred to push the brush aside rather than cut it. frikken asshole thought thats all a machetes for. but hey... they are EXPERTS!
you don't have to spend a fortune on your first blade either. i paid $5 for my favorite one. if you can't find a brazillian or chinese made one cheaply theres ones like COLD STEEL which are very high quality and reasonable price
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/prodlist.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default
what i call african pattern they call the panga, which is my favorite
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97PM
i also have latin pattern ( blade too long and thin and lightweight. flexes and has little heavy chopping factor)
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97AM24
the BOLO pattern ( good but too short)
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97BM
thier HEAVY MACHETE looks like it would be good but i never tried one.
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Text&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&SearchText=machete&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=CS97HM
the TRAMONTINO line looks good too. it's more akin to the brazillian machetes i have. especially the cane machete which looks like it would function as a good shovel too.
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?PriceEnd=&order=Default&CatalogName=&range=51&list=50&Feature=&SearchText=machete&Mode=Text&Brand=&PriceStart=&SKU=TR2620
IMHO the ultimate in machetes is the RUSSIAN military issue. It's a purpose designed machete whic is HOLLOW HANDLE to hold a survival kit.
possibly the ultimate in survival machetes. the SPETZNATZ tool. although i would have made the blade six inches longer it is probably the best ONE BLADE MADE. they ain't cheap though. will cost you way over a hundred bucks if you can find one.
whatever machete you opt for DO NOT buy the u.s. issue camillus machete. it's a piece of CRAP!
Second blade AX/Tomahawk/hatchet
the one blade discussion is mostly academic. because most everyone will have more than one blade. in that case the 2nd blade is second to the third blade. so to speak.
if we look at those same indigenous peoples we find thier second blade is an axe. for the american indians it was a tomahawk. i keep my tomahawk in my carpenters toolbox. i keep it sharp as a razor.... literaly. i don't WHACK with it i CARVE with it. it's ground like a chisel. i use it a lot for timber framing. but when it comes time to butcher a deer it's the tomahawk that surpasses everything else. over the years i have tried every knife and combination of knives available to dress deer. NOTHING works as well as the tomahawk. and it does it all ALONE. i use nothing else but it to completely dress out a deer. from slitting to cutting steaks. all done with EASE.the head slips off the handle and can be used like the eskimo ulu. but it has no provision for hammering. there are viking designed axes that are like tomahawks with a hammerhead. but i've never owned one.
for general camping use i prefer a long handle camp axe. a hatchet is a compromise. it's not big/long/heavy enough to do many jobs with ease. it can do them but not with ease. my favorite camp axe is the ESTWING. the handles are literaly indestructible. i have a couple estwing hammers that i've used for over 20 years. most building. i routinely use the handles as splitting wedges without harm. i keep my estwing axe in my vehicle. the ESTWING FIRESIDE looks like a great compromise. nothing beats a splitting maul head for cutting wood and the heavy head is also a great maul. compactness too. if i ever build another timber frame i'll definitely get one of these. two tools in one hand will simplify my work.
Third blade: Fixed blade knife
this is where things get sticky. when most people ask about what
blade they really mean what knife. my first knife,when i was a
preteen was my fathers KABAR which he carried through WW2. although
KABAR is a brand name it has also come to be a generic term.
although KABAR made MOST of the issue knives in WW2 CAMILLIUS also
made them to the government specs too. while KABAR still makes
knives the latest one are nothing like the original spec. the blades
are much smaller/thinner and have powder coated epoxy finish. on the
other hand CAMILLUS still makes the current military issue knife to
the original specs. same size and PARKERIZED finish.
the bowie design has been the hands down favorite design ever since
it's origin. i have numerous ones. but there are a couple others
worthy of mention. one is the u.s. issue aircrew survival knife.
it's a modified bowie with parkerized finish, sawblade back, sheath
holds a whetstone,bolster hole for fastening it to a staff as a
spear. it's made to the same construction methods as the
issue "kabar". laminated leather handle etc. both are favorites of
mine. but the knife that is attached to my bugout gear is a u.s.
issue BAYONET. i have a few. one for the m-16 one for m1 carbine but
the one i like best is the one for the m1 garand. i have a shortened
one made by s.korea who shortened the issue long ones we gave them
and refurbished them so they would fit in a m-16 bayonet sheath. i
like it's parkerized finish and the fact that the sheaths are SELF-
SHARPENING sheaths. it sharpens the blade everytime you withdraw it.
when you use it a lot all you have to do is pump the knife in and
out of the sheath rapidly a few times to sharpen the blade. i also
favor the m1 over the m16 because of the large hole in the bolster
that fitts over the barrel. it makes it very easy to mount on a
staff to make a spear.
many "survivalists" insist that you have to pay a lot of money for a
fancy wierd shaped knife to get a good survival knife. it ain't so.
the "designer" blades are just GIMMICKS! they have to come up with
something UNIQUE in order to have something to market. after all how
can they compete otherwise. as for quality you can't get any higher
quality than MILSURP. who has more money to pay for quality than the
military. and what designs have been more tested/proven?
Fourth blade: Multi-tool
now the choices really get prolific. for 20 years i carried a swiss
army knife on my belt. as an electrician/builder i literally wore out
the screwdriver and saw blades. so i relagated it to pocketknife (5th
blade) status and got a leatherman.i won't expound on the virtues of
these two as they are well known. but when KERSHAW came out with thier
multi-tool, the first to have locking pliers ( needlenose) i just had
to have one. i only carried it for awhile because soon afterwards
leatherman came out with the CRUNCH. it's a working persons dream
knife. especially if they are an electrician. it has ONLY a
electrician blade, phillips, three flatheads, a file ( perfect for
cleaning electrical contacts) a pair of locking vise grips and a HEX
BIT driver.with a ruler etched on it's side and a bottle opener notch
in frame thrown in. everything you could want in a portable working
multi-tool WITHOUT all the other nonsense. i have carried it and used
it daily since. it has saved me many hours trekking to the toolbox.
but i wouldn't call it a survival knife.
Fifth Blade Pocket knife
now the choices are waaaay to numerous to cover. so i'll just say that
i carry the swiss army knife as a pocket knife now. after all it is
small enough and smooth enough to rank as such. but i also carry a
conventional pocket for sentimental reasons. even though i do use it
often. it's pointed blade is good for digging out splinters ( unlike
any of the previously mentioned blades) and it's flat end blade is
great for sheet cutting like a sheetrock knife. i prefer a 6 inch
three blade stockman. .everyone makes good ones.
Sixth blade: Shovel
Most people forget about this 6th blade. but it is very importatnt. it allows you to dig without using your other blades. some even have a cutting edge on one side so it can be used like a machete. some have a sawblade on one edge too. milsurp is best for shovel. no one else makes them as well.
Seventh blade: SAW
There are many different saw available. some machetes have a sawback. many of them are for looks only. you can tell the difference by looking at the saw teeth. a real saw teeth will be OFFSET like a real saw. Not many machetes have a real sawback.
you can also get folding saws. make sure you get one with multiple blades for wood, ceramic, metal etc.
Sharpening trick : I'll not expound on sharpening techniquess. there are many books devoted to the subject. but I do want to tell you a trick. you can sharpen blades using the UNGLAZED bottom of ceramic cups/dishes/pots.
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