# Long-Term Knife



## BLG

I've never really been a knife person so I just have a couple which I got as a kid, but now I'm looking for a knife or knives I can invest in which will last a long time! What should I be looking at? What material etc? I'm a novice, I just know the important of a good solid knife when the SHTF.


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## sparkyprep

For prepper uses, I would suggest the Leatherman Wave. Leatherman makes top quality tools, and the Wave is one of the few models that you can open the main cutting blade with one hand. For combat/ personal protection, I am partial to the "Aires" by Spartan blades. A lot of money, but the quality and design is there to make it worth it. Most others like the Ka-Bar, but I like to be different. When it comes to kitchen knives, I like Henkell (sp?), although I do still have and use an old school carbon steel, wooden handled 8" butcher knife.


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## pheniox17

well you get what you pay for.. 
outside that, someone will have a you tube link or something better to help you out


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## dannydefense

pheniox17 said:


> well you get what you pay for..
> outside that, someone will have a you tube link or something better to help you out


Usually. Sometimes you get something else, and then you have to return it.

However you don't always have to buy super expensive to get high quality. Mora has proven this; their knives aren't the prettiest or tacticool enough for some people, but they'll survive almost any day in the bush you throw at them.

If you want to spend money just for the sake of spending money, check out Bark River, Esee, OKC and Kabar knives. It really depends on what you want to do with the knife.


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## Montana Rancher

BLG said:


> I've never really been a knife person so I just have a couple which I got as a kid, but now I'm looking for a knife or knives I can invest in which will last a long time! What should I be looking at? What material etc? I'm a novice, I just know the important of a good solid knife when the SHTF.


My long term knife is my wife, she can cut the shit out of almost any material without any lubrication or motive.

Other than that besides a good skinning knife I think they are way overrated!


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## Go2ndAmend

Falkniven F1. If I had to own one fixed blade knife for all situations, this is it.


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## Arizona Infidel

Way to many great knives out there to answer that. Do you like a fixed blade? Folder? Assisted folder? It's my belief you need more than one knife, but if you only want one a decent quality stainless fixed drop point blade with a 4 to 5 inch or so blade with G10 scales and an exposed protruding butt tang with a lanyard hole would be my recommendation. When you get one you'll get more anyway.


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## Inor

Arizona Infidel said:


> Way to many great knives out there to answer that. Do you like a fixed blade? Folder? Assisted folder? It's my belief you need more than one knife, but if you only want one a decent quality stainless fixed drop point blade with a 4 to 5 inch or so blade with G10 scales and an exposed protruding butt tang with a lanyard hole would be my recommendation. When you get one you'll get more anyway.


HE HE! He said "exposed protruding butt tang"! HE HE! :lol: Is that what gay astronauts drink?


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## Arizona Infidel

Inor said:


> HE HE! He said "exposed protruding butt tang"! HE HE! :lol: Is that what gay astronauts drink?


I didn't know how else to say it. I know you'd have gone crazy if I'd have said tang protruding from the butt with a hole in it.


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## pheniox17

Inor said:


> HE HE! He said "exposed protruding butt tang"! HE HE! :lol: Is that what gay astronauts drink?


words not pictures, words not pictures... dang it!!!


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## Inor

Arizona Infidel said:


> I didn't know how else to say it. I know you'd have gone crazy if I'd have said tang protruding from the butt with a hole in it.


You did well Sir. Had you said "tang protruding from the butt with a hole in it", I would have gone on for five paragraphs! :lol:

BWHAHAHA!


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## BamaBoy101

As a knife maker I can say this, its all about the steel and how its treated. There are some great knives for less and some shit knives for a lot. You want to know the steel in the blade first and foremost.


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## Slippy

Inor said:


> HE HE! He said "exposed protruding butt tang"! HE HE! :lol: Is that what gay astronauts drink?


Only on missions to Uranus!


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## Meangreen

Inor said:


> HE HE! He said "exposed protruding butt tang"! HE HE! :lol: Is that what gay astronauts drink?


I believe that would be a Gay Chinese astronaut!


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## Arizona Infidel

Slippy said:


> Only on missions to Uranus!





Meangreen said:


> I believe that would be a Gay Chinese astronaut!


He doesn't need any help from you two.


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## Slippy

I've said it before and I'll say it again...never pass up a chance to use the word Uranus in a sentence! :razz:


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## Gunner's Mate

For a fighting knife a Ka Bar D2 Extreme (made from D2 tool Steel) Wont break the bank. For Skinning ANZA knives cant be beat


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## BLG

Thanks everyone!


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## jandor123

BLG said:


> I've never really been a knife person so I just have a couple which I got as a kid, but now I'm looking for a knife or knives I can invest in which will last a long time! What should I be looking at? What material etc? I'm a novice, I just know the important of a good solid knife when the SHTF.


I bought a Buck Model 119 when i was 13 years old. I am now 53 years old and I still have it and I still use it often. I always have it with me if I go into the woods.
I have never had any problems, its worn, but any cosmetic damage is can be attributed directly to me abusing over the years. 
Those knife sharpener's you get to sharpen them for you sometimes at guns shows always complained about how hard the steel was. It holds an edge very well.
All im saying ;-)


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## Fuzzee

BamaBoy101 said:


> As a knife maker I can say this, its all about the steel and how its treated. There are some great knives for less and some shit knives for a lot. You want to know the steel in the blade first and foremost.


This and than the design and handle materials. Without a quality steel and heat treated properly pretty much everything means crap. There are very good steel choices out there and micarta, G10 or aluminum for the handle are basically your toughest handle materials. A knife is probably the most important survival tool. If I had to choose only one thing to have and be dropped into a forest 100's of miles from anything it would be a good knife. My preference is a combo edged fixed blade about or around 5 inches, but it comes down to one's use. I pack a Benchmade Nimravus these days and have used it for quite some time now. With as important for so many task as a knife is, spend the money on a good one. It will be worth it in the long run.

Knife Blade Steels - KnifeCenter

Fixed Blade Knives - KnifeCenter


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## Notsoyoung

I have a Leatherman Wave on my belt, a Swiss Army knife in my pocket, and a Buck fixed blade hunting knife for gutting animals. I also have a K-Bar that I have had for decades. Frankly I wouldn't spend allot of money on a fighting knife, since I plan on taking a gun to any knife fights that I think I might get involved in.


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## dannydefense

I've seen a few people mention "fighting knives". Don't buy your knife with the plan to fight with it. If you're down to the wire and you have to fight with an edged instrument, anything will work and having those little blood letting grooves or some other such fanciness isn't going to change the outcome one tiny little bit. If all you have is a steak knife you're going to be nearly as well off.

A good sturdy fixed blade or folding knife can do a plethora of things that a gun will never be able to substitute for. For me, it's one of my most important preps. If I bug in, I can guarantee you I will need a knife. If I'm displaced and need to move, I 300% guarantee you I will run into a use for a knife on regular occasion. The last thing you want to be is on the move without a blade, or with one that failed on you.

If you don't have one, but you're tight on funds, buy a Mora now. They're amazing for the money. When you have the money, get another. Then buy a third. Then break them in. The worst piece of equipment anyone has in their kits is the piece that they've never used.



Gunner's Mate said:


> For a fighting knife a Ka Bar D2 Extreme (made from D2 tool Steel) Wont break the bank. For Skinning ANZA knives cant be beat


Anza reconditioned files are some of the sharpest blades out of the box you can find. Amazing work on tempering those little baddies.



jandor123 said:


> I bought a Buck Model 119 when i was 13 years old. I am now 53 years old and I still have it and I still use it often. I always have it with me if I go into the woods.


Only problem with that, is that you've had it since they were made in the USA. Buck has sold out to the Made in China market, and their knives are now just a mediocre step above Frost Cutlery. If you want something Buck-like but still made here, Case is a great company.


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## jandor123

dannydefense said:


> I've seen a few people mention "fighting knives". Don't buy your knife with the plan to fight with it. If you're down to the wire and you have to fight with an edged instrument, anything will work and having those little blood letting grooves or some other such fanciness isn't going to change the outcome one tiny little bit. If all you have is a steak knife you're going to be nearly as well off.
> 
> A good sturdy fixed blade or folding knife can do a plethora of things that a gun will never be able to substitute for. For me, it's one of my most important preps. If I bug in, I can guarantee you I will need a knife. If I'm displaced and need to move, I 300% guarantee you I will run into a use for a knife on regular occasion. The last thing you want to be is on the move without a blade, or with one that failed on you.
> 
> If you don't have one, but you're tight on funds, buy a Mora now. They're amazing for the money. When you have the money, get another. Then buy a third. Then break them in. The worst piece of equipment anyone has in their kits is the piece that they've never used.
> 
> Anza reconditioned files are some of the sharpest blades out of the box you can find. Amazing work on tempering those little baddies.
> 
> Only problem with that, is that you've had it since they were made in the USA. Buck has sold out to the Made in China market, and their knives are now just a mediocre step above Frost Cutlery. If you want something Buck-like but still made here, Case is a great company.


Good Point, I guess blades made today from almost any good knife company wouldnt compare to the craftmanship and steel of 40 years ago.


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## solardon

I bought both my sons Busse knives 14 years ago and they are by far the best knife made in America (Ohio). I was hoping I would get one for Christmas thisyear but no such luck. The swamp rat and scrap yard knives are part of the Busse group and probably where I will spend my $170. Ya get what you pay for and these knifes sharpen and hold an edge like no other. look for demos on youtube or just go to their web site. I was first introduced to them at a Columbus Ohio prepardness expo in 1998 while getting ready for Y2K. I am ready and just went through an ice storm in Mi while putting up my unprepared children.
BUSSE KNIFE GROUP


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## dannydefense

jandor123 said:


> Good Point, I guess blades made today from almost any good knife company wouldnt compare to the craftmanship and steel of 40 years ago.


I wouldn't go that far. There's some excellent smithies here in the US, a couple up in Canada and a handful more over in Europe that make unbelievably outstanding knives. Those who commercially produce them in large numbers by way of overseas factories, not so much.


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## Purkeypilot

I currently have a Benchmade Adamas (BK275) with a plain edge and black G10 handles. The blade material is D2 tool steel. Really good stuff. My next (survival) knife is going to be the Fixed Blade Adamas. Same knife, only fixed blade, obviously. I also have a Benchmade 155 Fixed Presidio. It is a single piece, full tang blade, made with 154CM and has Foliage colored 6061T6 aluminum grip panels. The blade is 6.2" long, which is a LITTLE long in my opinion, but still plenty useable. I'm a big fan of Benchmade, though have been wanting to check out Esee as well.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide on.


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## pheniox17

general rule of thumb, for your first knife go to a disposal/hunting/firearm store (ma and pa owned if possible) and have a chat, privately own businesses will bend over backwards to help you out (chances are it will cost a little more) and actually purchase what's suggested.. that's when they see you as a real deal, and will feed you with more invaluable experience...

if you were closer I know the perfect store, but I bet someone here will have a store in their database they will be willing to recommend...


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## jandor123

dannydefense said:


> I wouldn't go that far. There's some excellent smithies here in the US, a couple up in Canada and a handful more over in Europe that make unbelievably outstanding knives. Those who commercially produce them in large numbers by way of overseas factories, not so much.


I agree that there are, however the prices demanded for custom steel these days is out of many peoples price range. I am pretty sure for over $100(and much more), i can get a fine blade. 
I think I paid like 20 bucks, probably worth 60-75 bucks these days, in perfect condition of course.

I guess what i am trying to say is that the best long term knife would be the best quailty you can find within the budget you can afford. Just Like everything else you get in life. ;-)
I got lucky with mine, its been a great knife. Take care of it, it will take care of you.


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## Infidel

I'm of the opinion that no one knife is perfect and that for the most part no one knife will handle every chore. I like knives that sharpen easily and will hold and edge well. For folding knives I like the Kershaw assisted openers, I carry a Scallion at work where I'm limited to a smaller blade and carried a Blur at home for a number of years. I now carry a SOG Flash II which I like but has a couple of quirks that irritate me from time to time, certainly not a deal breaker and I still like the knife enough to carry it everyday. 

For a fixed blade camp type knife I like a 5-6" blade for most chores, just don't try to do any fine carving with it. Generally I like thick heavy bladed knives since I have a tendency to abuse them and full tang construction is a must for a camp knife as far as I'm concerned.

A good Multi-tool is a must, I never carried one until a year or so ago and now I have one on my belt every day. I use it all the time, you'd be amazed how often you reach for the multi-tool once you get used to it being there. I generally don't use the knife blade unless I need a smaller blade than my Flash II but just about every other tool gets used regularly (even the file which I thought might be useless).

-Infidel


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## Fuzzee

You don't have to have just one knife. I really recommend you don't with how important a good knife for so many tasks. It's the most important to me for bushcraft and survival in the wilderness. It's the last thing I'd want to be without and the one thing I'd want if I could only have one thing. Just the same, there is no do all knife. People choose many different knives if you look at what people have and plan to use when shtf. It's smart to look at what you use a knife for and what you may have others for. I pack a machete on my BOB heavy chopping. It's excellent at the job and it's a very useable defensive weapon from humans to snakes and animals if needs be. I of course have guns though, but it's still there and ammo needs to conserved.

I've constantly over the years have been on the search for a do it all knife and found there just isn't one. A big knife makes a good chopper and batoning knife for instance, but sucks for cleaning game compared to a smaller, razor sharp knife with a good blade shape. Nothing beats a filet knife for fileting fish and slicing through meat cleanly. A filet knife is no chopper by far and no fighting knife either whether with a human or animal. For me a good general knife is around 4 inches starting and to 6 inches max. I like combo edges, but if you have other combo edges than you can always vary them for better varying use. I pack a Benchmade Nimravus now for instance with a combo edge and it's been an excellent general knife, but I also pack a Spyderco Catcherman combo edge and should have my Spyderco Manix in my pocket that combo edge too if something didn't happen to change that. So I'm considering changing the Nimravus out to a Spyderco Temperance 2, because it will give me more straight edge when I need it. But I will not be giving up my combo edges. A serrated edge cuts through rope, branches and bone much faster and I've found invaluable. You simply need to look at what you're going to do with them and by what you can afford that you think will serve you best.

Spyderco Temperance 2


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## jandor123

Your are right. I have several blades i use. I have a nice little folding buck i wear everyday, various "no name" blades i use in the garage and shop. I even have one specificaly for digging in the dirt.
Multiple tools for multiple occasions. ;-)


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## Gunner's Mate

When you find a knife you like purchase a Japanese Water stone, for sharpening duties


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## dannydefense

Gunner's Mate said:


> When you find a knife you like purchase a Japanese Water stone, for sharpening duties


Just try and find one that isn't made in China!


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## sarge1967

I am a big fan of ESEE knives. I use them all the time. I also have some Mora blades. They really cannot be beat if you are on a tight budget. Use them but take care of them as well. Carbon steel blades hold an edge longer and are easier to sharpen but they will rust if you don't keep some oil on them.


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