Survival guide: All about outdoor knives
23.6.2017
Translation: machine translated
Survival expert Gion Saluz explains to us what requirements an outdoor knife must fulfil, which knives are suitable for use in the great outdoors and how to handle a knife correctly.
Your knife is an essential, if not the most important tool in the great outdoors. With the right outdoor knife, you are equipped for many situations. Be it to carve something, prepare your food or even build yourself an emergency shelter. Gion Saluz is a full-time survival trainer and knows exactly which knives are good for the job.
Outdoor knife overview
Outdoor knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They have different blade shapes and can vary enormously in price. The following three "categories" are the most common types of knives for outdoor use:
Fixed blade
The ultimate knife for outdoor use is a fixed-blade knife. The steel of the knife should protrude as far as possible into the handle. This gives the knife the necessary stability. This knife can be sharpened several times. As a result, its blade remains as sharp as on the first day, even after years of use.
Pocket knife
The classic Swiss Army Knife. A must-have among all outdoor enthusiasts. I certainly don't need to explain its versatility and all its functions to you. The pocket knife can be used for preparing food as well as for small carving jobs. However, the red all-purpose master is not suitable for larger jobs, such as splitting a piece of wood.
Folding knife
Folding knives are often found among outdoor knives. Although they are practical for stowing away, they are not really suitable for use, according to Gion. Because the blade has a joint, the knife loses stability. In the specific case of the Gerber folding knife pictured above, Gion also criticises the serrated edge. According to him, this belongs in the kitchen with bread and tomatoes. In nature, the serrated edge is out of place, as you can't sharpen it like a smooth blade.
How to hold a knife
If you're not careful with your knife, you can quickly suffer serious cuts. As an outdoor knife usually has a fairly sharp blade, even a small cut in the wrong place can lead to considerable blood loss. If you are travelling alone, your leisurely hiking trip can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation. In the following video, Gion gives you tips on how you should hold the knife and demonstrates this by carving a tent peg out of wood.
As you can see in the video, even small knives can be used well for outdoor use. You can carry out all kinds of carving work with this tool without any problems. However, I would not recommend splitting larger pieces of wood with the length of this blade. It would take far too long and damage your knife over a longer period of time.
Which knife should it be now?
I asked Gion which knife he could recommend to you. He replied that you need to make sure that the blade is fixed, extends far into the handle and does not have a serrated edge. In terms of value for money, he particularly recommends knives from the Morakniv brand. He himself is currently using the Morakniv Bushcraft Survival and can highly recommend it.
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