My favorite pair is the Leatherman Wave+ and the Becker BK22. Gets a lot done, and the diamond file on the Wave gets a nice edge on the BK22 if it’s needing some field maintenance.

I think most people especially those who are just getting into woods crafting or preparing for a just in case scenario, need to know the differences and the types of knives and what they are designed for. 1095 is definitely a good steel to start, I generally stay away from stainless unless it has a good heat treatment and from a reliable source. Also, I think its important to carry more than one knife. Offers more options and a back up if necessary.

Thanks for making this video. I get asked a lot about survival knives and the like. I hope people watch this video and understand the terminology and differences between "survival" tools and "regular", intended forest tools. Yes, a Mora can help you survive if need be, but it's intended to be a wood carving blade. And each person's tool set is dependent on their preference, activity, and environment. There isn't a one size fits all. At least not for me. -Krik

ESEE junglas MORA companion Bahco Laplander 3 tool system

*Picks fanciest knife. Grows old suddenly, turns into skeleton and explodes.* He chose... poorly.

The BK2 handle design in my opinion is the most comfortable of any knife I have ever tried and that's the reason why I chose it over any other, price wasn't an issue! Great video,2 thumb and 2 toes up!

Great video, this was the best distinction in application as to a survival knifes use (getting out of the wild) vs. a bush craft knife use (going into the wild - sustainability). Short and straight to the point.

I purchased my first and only fixed blade knife this week. It came with a leather sheath and I think it will suit it's purpose for our anticipated situation. I still find that our situations appears to be significantly different than how the survivalists see their future unfolding. I am more surprised every time I look at your videos as we sort of tailor our packs, tools, tents, knives, etc. We are finding the videos thought provoking.

Great review. I agree on the difference between a bushcraft knife and a survival knife. I love camping and outdoors. Mora is my choice for simple family camping outings.

Thanks for making this video! Now i can improve on my bug out bag survival knife selection process!

Good info, Bark River gets my money. Bravo 1.25 is my fav. I have most of the blades you show here as well. peace

"Buy at once." Sold my Ontario RAK and BK 17 and bought a First Edge 5150(Elmax). Sold my cheap folders and bought a MIL-TAC MTF-3(N690co) made by Fox Knives of Italy. Now I carry confident because I know I can trust my gear with my life. Good Stuff Guys.

Best channel out there hands down. Especially for new people to learn about most everything outdoors

Esee 6, Tops Silent Hero, and Tops Brakimo are great all around knives! Winter time I carry 6" blades! Summer probably 4" to 5" blades! Great video! Thanks for sharing!

Very good description of the difference between survival and bushcraft knives, I had never thought of it that way!

I run a Bark River Bravo 2 (A2) and a DPx HEST original (1095) for my big and small fixed [survival] knives. For me, they're multi-purpose (obviously), but primarily camp knives.

I agree with you about the 3 knife system. I have a BK2 as my survival knife and a Marine Corp KaBar for tactical (and as a backup to my BK2 if I lose it). I plan to buy a Mora for processing fish and game and other smaller bushcraft tasks. And if I include a hatchet and a folding saw, that should be all I will need unless I am north of Ohio in the dead of winter in which case I will need an ax.

At present am a beginner, learning about knives. Watched your channel and enjoyed listening. Nice collection. Thank you.

Thank you my friend for sharing another fine, unbiased, video. I reallly appreciate your candid reviews. Take care out there and be safe. 🤗

I like your thought process on Bushcraft vs Survival.

This video is great because you cover such a wide range of knives and uses. Thanks man!

Another useful video. Thanks ! I am in the process of field testing a SOG Jungle Primitive ( small machete/large bowie style with good sawtooth spine) as the large blade and a Gerber LMF II as the medium teamed up with a folder. So far, all have met the demands of normal field/survival tasks. My goal is to determine dependable function not abuse to failure. Any idiot can destroy the best of tools. In any real scenario the objective is to utilize the proper tools and skills to "improvise, adapt and overcome" This combination has proven to be reliable at a reasonable cost.

great review mate , I have two knifes a 6" and 9" heavy blade for chopping some say its over kill but both knifes come in less then a axe and have more then one use, and my mentality is any time in the wilderness is a survival situation as you don't gamble with nature

Ontario Rat 7 is my great allround go-to. My esee 5 (with esee altoid kit, external firestel in esee sheath- pouch ) stays stowed in car, though I practice with it often. as always, great discussion here.

Becker BK2 best knife of the bunch...period!

Ive been at this for years. It will always be 3. Ive tried for years. #1 SOG super bowie. Big money.#2 Combat folder. #3 swiss army knife. Cant get around it. Good vid.

Thank you , this video cleared up a few questions I had. I have been looking at a Grayman knife in a 6". Maybe I will look a bit longer.

Been watching vids on prep for years and finally pulled the pin after this virus, have got myself air rifles (uk so no firearms) ordered an axe and a schrade full tang knife, also been looking into some affordable food storage. Great video

I love the Buck 650 Nighthawk it's super dependable

Great video Jack. I agree with our explanation of he difference between "survival" knives and "bushcraft" knives. I also have a hard time with the one knife idea, my problem is I wind up with a 6 or 7 knife system if I'm not careful ;-)

I still prefer the Becker! Bone stock with a bit of locktite on the bolts. It has never failed me!

Good round up. My 3 knife system. Survive! Knives GSO 10, 5.1 & 3.5. Depending on what I'm doing/going they are not always carried together.

I am surprised that you did not mention the K-Bar, being a US Marine. I have the K-Bar as my survival knife and I love it!

good video, i'm going with a kephart, i like the ontario black bird also

just wanted to say that I love your videos. Great job!

IMHO, a larger fixxer blade in combination with a quality folder gets the job done every time and more expensive isn't always better

Thanks for taking your time for us

Very helpful. Thanks Black Scout Survival!

I was Army, but since the early 1970's, I've allowed the Airforce to pick the knife I still use today. Its backed by lots of thought, reseach and goverment mony. The only adaptation I made was having the handle and leather scabbard submerged in tung furniture oil for a week and sharpening it. With it, i've dressed contles deers and hogs over the years. I do sharpen and oil it before puting it away. It serve me well and I purchased another one for my son. Today Ontari Knife makes them. The only other modification I make was to change the corse sharpenin stone for a finer one. If I go camping, I also take a 16 in machete.

Great videos!!! I've spent the last couple of days watching a bunch of your videos...

ESEE or Survive! every time!

Great video, my favorite blades not mentioned are Busse ERGO battlemistress, Pathfinder 1 and Habilis Bushtool SRT.. They are very expensive but as you said, save your pennies and get something you can bet your life on .. Again great video and thanks for sharing .. God speed ..

Very good points. Myself i love the GSO`s. Personally i am a 2 knife guy, so i carry the GSO-10 and the GSO-4.1. Everything i will ever need.

I really enjoyed your video. After almost a year of looking at knife videos I've decided on purchasing a husqvarna axe and the battle horse knives bushcrafter for camping/bug out/ survival. My reasoning is that I believe a giant knife just can't compete with an axe. Takes too much time and energy to chop wood with a knife.

great video bro thank you for showing us some options so we're not throwing money out on knifes without some knowledge first

Nice knives. Totally agree with full tang for heavy duty, but wouldn't consider a short 4-6" blade up to the task. Moras are perfect for light work(if you have a real chopper as well). Paying much more for that category would be a waste, since you could pay ten or twenty times as much and be lucky to get something 10% better in practical terms, vs something that looks pretty. The seven survival knives in the vid are all too expensive and too small for me lol. In that category, a heavier machete, dirt cheap like the Ontarios and the Martindales, would probably be my first choice. For a knife(as opposed to a much longer heavy machete) to be a do-everything survival knife, I want it to: Cut, chop, baton, pry, dig, hammer, be a demolition tool, blunt trauma tool, draw knife, scraper, throw good sparks if my lighters failed. So I'd want a beast like the 7" blade, 1/4" thick M.O.D. survival knife. You have to sharpen it, and probably convex the edge, but then it is hard to beat no matter how much you pay.. The softer temper means very tough and easy to maintain in the field. You wouldn't buy replacement grips(probably cost more than the knife lol). They are deliberately made oversize for most(fit my broad palms fine). So you'd sand, fill gaps with silicon, or wrap with inner tube to suit. Soak them in boiled linseed oil until they were perfectly weather resistant. I do go on lol. Stay safe:).

Best survival knife? Easy. One that you have on you when you're in survival situation. For most of us simple folks who don't haul the entire assortment of Cabelas knife section with us, it will probably be a pocket knife... And guess what, it will do just fine, as long as you know how to use it...

Strolling in and struggling out are very different lol. Good point

I like the Cold Steele brand they make very strong if not the strongest knives. So I would suggest a Cold Steele Bowie for the 2 knife job.

Excellent video! Thank you.

At the moment, my INCH bag tools consist of: Cold Steel Trail Boss Axe, Silky Big Boy 2000 XL folding saw, Ontario Knife Company SP10 Raider Bowie for my chopper/survival knife, Mora Bushcraft Black as my companion knife for smaller fine detailed tasks, Gerber Suspension multi tool, and a SOG folding shovel. I'm looking around to upgrade my Raider Bowie and finding it difficult to choose exactly what i want. My picks are: Tops Operator 7, Tops Silent Hero, ESEE 5, and ESEE 6. I prefer sabre grinds to flat grinds and i prefer 6 or 7 inches to 5. But i dunno, it's way too hard to choose lol.

Spot on vid mate. Had to resub for some reason but ya got a great channel. Keep up the great work.

My first choice is a TOPS B.O.B., but I also have a Mora Black to backup my TOPS which is too damn nice to bang up.

I have a bk7 and a bk11 I think it makes a reliable and affordable combo I prefer the bk7 blade design over the bk2

Just got my first Esee 5 omg freaking awesome knife. Can’t wait for the Hedgehog Sheath.

Nice vid on selections for survival and bushcraft! Would love to see a vid on "how to choose an URBAN survival knife" and the need for a partial serrated edges ;)

I've never seen the "ONE" perfect knife, it does not exist but there are GREAT knives out there, and by buying the ones that are high quality and fill a certain criteria, you can have a few great tools that can handle whatever you throw at them. Ka-bar, Morakniv, Ontario, ESSE, SURVIVE,are a few examples of some well known knife companies that offer a quality blade.

So you showed us your costly knives but you forgot to tell us how to choose a survival knife. I did not find that content anywhere :(

I'm going to buy my 1st knife for my Everyday gag!!! Thanks for your service and Info!

I agree with you about flat grind knives. I think they work best. I also have heard very good things about the Ontario Blackbird. Many of these knives are very expensive. Have you ever thought about doing a budget survival knifes overview? There are plenty out there. Thanks for the video.

i'm currently experimenting with EDC the TFK. the Tahoma Field Knife :-)

I have the Mora on The far right and it is wonderful but like you said its more for going in with the intention of surviving than a life or death sichuation

I enjoy your video on survival knifes. Keep the videos coming and I will wstvhing. I am new to Bushcraft survival prepping.

I carry a tops bob on my hip and a Tom Brown tracker full-size in my pack in case I need to do heavy work. My question is what is the pack your carrying?

Great video. Like the way you broke them down makes it easier to understand purpose. Thanks.

I always keep mora somewhere near ;) ,but for heavy tasks im using either cheap CS Gi tanto(slightly modified) or becker BK2. Maybe those knives arent the best, but i've put all of them through some heavy and nasty work and they have passed so i can assume they arent so bad at all. That and machete or thawk :D .

What LT Wright is that? Genesis? Great video, Jack. Thanks for breaking down this information.

I prefer different bladesteels depending on the knife's size. For a big survival knife I prefer carbon steel because a big knife is meant to do heavy duty stuff so a tuff steel is required. For a medium sized knife I prefer modern tool steels like CPM 3V or Sleipner. For small/backup knifes I prefer high quality stainless steels S30V, M390 etc. Besides, the quality of the blade steel depends also on blade geometry and heat treatment.

The Green Berets follow a rule of 3 when it comes to knives and wilderness. Some kind of Multitool, a medium fixed blade like the ESEE5, and a machete type option.

Thanks for the video, it made choosing knife a lot easier.

Definitely learned from that video, thanks

Great video! Thank you!

I am still saving up for an Esee 6 or 5, I do have the Gerber StrongArm, Mora Bushcraft Black and my Leatherman TTI as my Trifecta at the moment (also The Mora Eldris as my Necker and the Leatherman Raptor as part of my firstaid),... all in my Bugout bag. The Esee is just too expensive... but it's in my wish list

Another knife reviewer described the Becker bk2 as a jack of all trades but a master if none I think that's a fair description

Great review and suggestions. Subbed.

I love my fallkniven A1 as a survival blade. Esee's 1095 is to soft and too rusty for me as a survival knife.

awesome vid. I could here the clacking of a red belly golden bottomed spruce warbler in the background. or maybe it was just a sparrow.

Likota123 You can strike a ferro rod with most stainless blades including Mora stainless (providing you have sharp corners on the spine. Even the Chinese steel 8cr13MoV does well at striking a ferro rod. But the stainless on the Helle Harding and other Helle line of knives just doesn't work. I have heard the stainless cover over the carbon steel is too soft. There are several bids on YT showing Helle knives and failures with a ferro rod. The easiest way would be search for "Helle Harding ferro rod" that is how I found them. Of course you could file the stainless coating off the spine and strike a ferro rod but you would be damaging the corrosion protection.

Thanks for making this video and sharing your knowledge... New subscriber

Tom Brown Tracker knife is my first choice, but Gerber Bear Gryil is my fav.

down here in west virginia, i carry a condor dundee or tops sxb. Honestly, for me i carry what i need an ive been put in survival situations an i always carry a fixed blade of sorts on my person or near at all times

a stiff machete is a hard tool to beat....they are the jack of all trades of the tool world. they can do all jobs. they may not do them all perfectly but they can do all jobs.

Good points; thank you for sharing. What you said is very true. There is no "one blade fits all - best survival knife". It depends on what you are doing and where you are. Also it depends on what you can afford. I own a whole gamut of blades; from an American made Leatherman Squirt that is permanently on my key-ring to a 1 meter Salvadorian Imacasa machete that lives in my Jeep. All are tools. None are in exhibition shape. They are used, cared for and loved. If however I had to choose only one tool whilst stranded in the wilderness, I would take a Becker BK7. It is not the best in anything; but it is the best at everything you need doing with no other choice. A "Jack of all trades" if you will, that is affordable. In my humble opinion, this is the first blade one should buy. Save up for a while and buy this. Upgrade later; but get this as your "one knife".

Great info thanks.

I always enjoy your thoughtful and informative videos. I am really attracted to either the LTWright Genesis (Scandi Grind) or the SOSPES - do you have any experience with them? If so, what are your thoughts?

All of us have favourite knives. The best knife is the one you like and that you're comfortable using.

As usual ... Blacksout does excellent reviews

I'd love to see a new Knife video with some of the newer profucts out there.

Gso 4.1 always in my bag. Small forest axe always close by. And I now always keep a fixed blade on my person. I have found it to not be so bad to carry in pocket, especially since some of these folders can be large and heavy, why not just carry something way more reliable.

I enjoyed your vid thank you. Here in the UK, survival in the 'wilds' is not so relevant but I like alternating between my esee 6 ( with full flat) and the survive knives 5.1 ( saber grind) , backed up by my spyderco tenacious in my pocket and my esee izula 1 in my backpack. That pretty much covers me for all my wood and food preps when out camping/walking. Quick question, re the survive knives 5.1 ( sabre) do you find has a better blade geometry than the 4.1 ( sabre?), maybe its me, but the 5.1 seems 'bite' better than the 4.1? Thanks again a.t.b. vee

My edc is also my camping knife my bushcraft knife and my survival knife and thats the condor otzi neck knife its such an amazing little knife

Very good. For me, I come at it in a similar way as I do a bug out bag. That is identify a likely scenario and choose the tool based on that scenario. For me, it's fire, flood, car crash. For others it may earthquake or tsunami. Also, for me, I also think in terms of timescale. Immediate action plan (eg escape the burning building). Extended action plan (e.g find or build another shelter). Personally, considering this, in addition to a knife I like to have a big axe nearby as an additional option.

Good explaination between survival and bushcraft knives. Can I request a segment on what the specific features are and what you can do with them?

Great presentation mate. Got yourself a new sub. Greetings from Australia.

I have Daniel winklers , belt knife , blue ridge hunter, and the spike , to me they are very well made and tough !. They do cost more but u get what what u pay for you can use them for anything , my edc is the belt knife

I own a blackbird sk5 great knife

Il like the collection -- Thanks for your views +blackscoutsurvival

I have a Schrade 26 which is a great knife in my opinion and I keep it with my backpack and carry it on my utility belt. I have other knives, but this one is the one I chose after reviewing some videos on this and other models, and brands. Some of those knives look nice, but I would be careful about the brand I purchased.

Still like the becker bk2 ,the jordan is nice an ontario esse etc. But couldn't agree more with multi knives, knives are like shoes ,work boot ,cross trainer , hiking,bowling or golf shoes ...fishing knife is awesome for fishing but wouldn't be my go to for skinning an God forbid if I had to depend on it to chop or split wood ,... Anyway great video love selections

Your video covers all of the main bases, and what surprised me, was that you even mentioned that the knife you choose, also depends upon what other gear you carry. Obviously, if you have an axe, a hatchet, a saw, and a folding knife, you do not need a survival knife which is also supposed to perform the same function. Good video.