sually, people think knives are all about chopping vegetables or impressing guests. They have no life outside the four walls kitchen walls. Well, blades are more than prepping your lunch.
With the rise in crime, you should always be on your toes. Even during broad daylight, we've seen a significant rise in the number of robbery cases. We need to rely on weapons that are easy to carry and don’t result in any judgemental looks from passerby's.
When going in the wilderness, you have minimum tools at your disposal. You need equipment that can perform multiple tasks. Hence, a knife should not only cut the stems of berries but should go through deer’s skin as though it is made out of butter.
No, you don't need a rambo survival knife, you just need a combat knife. Let's look at some exemplary combat knives and some small fixed blade knives together!
1. Benchmade - Bugout 535 EDC
Crafting knives in Oregon City, Benchmade takes pride in creating the finest quality products to Americans for more than 30 years. They are so confident in their blades that they will service your equipment free of charge.
Benchmade Bugout 535 EDC doesn’t have any different story than their other. Classy built, and the incredible finish does give it an edge over other survival blades.
Benchmade describes it as an everyday carry knife. Still, the knife's functionality has convinced us that it can do more than cutting open cardboard boxes.
What we first look at is a pocket knife's blade. This one is constructed using top-quality CPM-S30 stainless steel. The blade has remarkable resistance against corrosion, which means that your blade doesn't need to be cleaned immediately. It can wait until you find a water source in the forest.
For clean meat, you can rely on its drop point shape. It will give you a nice piece of meat without creating a mess of internal organs. Furthermore, the swedge lets you cut through anything without much effort.
The standard of the locking system cannot be compromised. If a pocket knife opens in your pocket, it will not only tear up your jeans but can also harm you.
We do trust the mechanism of Axis lock. The lock includes sturdy steel liners holding a titanium bar located between the blade and handle. Furthermore, the two springs bring the lock into action and ensure that the blade stays in place.
With such a secure system, the opening and closing of the pocket knife is easy peasy. All you need is a flick of your wrist. Remember how a thug in movies opens his knife. You just have to act like that character.
Known for its heat resistance, the grivory handle has no problem dealing with tough conditions. The handle is available in tough conditions.
The handle is available in blue and tan colors. Choose the blue one as it is easily spotted as compare to the tan one.
Features
• Blade Length: 3.24 inches
• Blade Thickness: 0.090 inches
• Open Length: 7.46 inches
• Closed Length: 4.22 inches
• Handle Thickness: 0.42 inches
• Weight: 1.85 ounce
Pros
• Blade made out of CPM-S30 rust-resistant stainless steel
• Drop point blade shape gives precise result
• Secure Axis lock mechanism
• Durable grivory handle
Cons
• Tan color easily camouflages in surrounding
2. Zero Tolerance (0450)
Like its name, zero-tolerance manufacturers don't compromise on the quality. The first thing they focused on was the safety of its users.
Resultantly, the blade constitutes a reliable finger guard. The finger guard protects your skin when the knife is being used aggressively. Whether you are chopping or scaling, you don’t have to worry about your fingers being sliced off.
The secure locking system supports one-hand deployment. However, we have observed that most pocket knives don’t support left-hand users. This is not the case with this chum. In other words, you don’t have to consider your dominant hand when purchasing the 0450.
You can say that its handle is hard to handle. Constructed from titanium, the handle has significant advantages over other materials. First, it is unfairly light. As a result, it is easy to carry. Secondly, it has a better resistance against rust than other metals.
Lastly, the blade has a satin finish, which improves the slicing ability of the knife and provides impressive resistance against scratches and stains.
Features
• Overall length: 7.4 inches
• Closed length: 4.1 inches
• Blade thickness: 0.121 inches
• Weight: 2.9 ounces
Pros
• Finger guard for safe use
• The locking system allows one-hand deployment
• Convenient for both right and left-hand users
• Lightness and corrosion resistance is appreciable of the titanium handle.
• Satin finish on the blade makes it resistant to scratches and stains.
Cons
• Aesthetic standards are questionable
3. Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife
Well, Gerber has the reputation of every military household name since 1968. Steadily, they moved on to introducing their products to the general public.
Gerber StrongArm can be considered as one of the Best Fixed Blade Knife in the market. Even though its blade is made out of 420 HC steel, the manufacturers have coated it with ceramic.
The ceramic-coated blade has benefits in several areas. First, the knife can retain its sharpness for an extended period. It also prevents the oxidation of fruits and vegetables as it doesn’t transfer ions to them.
However, having a nonporous texture, the ceramic coating also discourages bacteria growth. Another thing we notice about the knife is that it is a full tang. As the bond between blade and handle is exceptional, StrongArm is ready for hardcore activities.
If you think the blade is the only weapon this knife has, you cannot be more wrong. If you love to break nuts, then let its pommel do the job. With one stroke, the pommel will open the shell as though it is made up of butter.
Another noteworthy thing about the knife is that its diamond-textured handle. The texture assists you in having a firmer grip on the handle.
Features
• Dimensions: 3 x 5.5 x 16 inches
• Weight: 7.9 ounces
• Color: Black
Pros
• 420 HC steel used as blade material
• Ceramic coating of blade retains its sharpness
• It also prevents oxidation of food
• Nonporous texture prevents bacteria growth
• Durable pommel can be used for striking
• The diamond-textured handle allows a firmer grip
Cons
• Nylon belt with sheath quality is questionable
4. Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Signature Knife
We have another EDC making its way into our list. Spyderco has experience producing knives since 1976. Their newer model, Para 3, can be considered a better perception of their already perfect models.
The trade-mark leaf shape is hard to miss. The shape helps the blade in accommodating a thumb hole used to open the compression locking system. The leaf shape may make it seem bulky, but it is light as the air.
Weighing only 0.19 pounds doesn’t sprain your wrists when you are holding it. The nitrogen-enriched high-carbon chromium steel blade will cut through anything without putting extra weight on you.
To make it more lightweight, the manufacturers depended on FRN for their handle material. Fiberglass-enforced nylon makes the knife fit and trendy.
Hate it when the pocket knife decides to check out your belongings in your pocket. Well, a pocket clip is there to take care of that problem. Just clamp it up.
Features
• Dimensions: 7.27 x 1 x 0.75 inches
• Weight: 3.04 ounces
• Color: Black
Pros
• Attractive leaf-shaped blade
• Thumbhole located in the blade for opening the lock
• Lightweight
• Sturdy blade
• FRN handle doesn’t increase the weight of the knife
• Comes with a pocket clip
Con
• Gives the impression of bulky
5. Gerber Ghoststrike Fixed Blade Knife
The Gerber Shoststrike is a small fixed blade knife. If you are one of those who love to make an impression, then Gerber Ghoststrike is just for you. The skeletal shape makes the equipment almost invisible in your hand. Your prey won’t know what hit him.
Black ceramic coating also plays a vital role in keeping the knife camouflaged. The reason is that the coating reduces the reflection.
Even though the blade looks small but doesn't go on its size. Manufactured from 420HC steel, the blade can cut through anything without a hitch. Tougher surfaces don't mean that they will damage itself.
Another advantage it has is it comes with a modular sheath. The sheath can be adjusted in any direction when attaching to your pocket or belt.
Features
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 3 x 1 inches
• Weight: 3.6 ounces
• Color: Black
Pros:
• Skeletal shape frame assists in keeping a low profile
• Ceramic coating minimizes reflection
• The material gives it an advantage in facing tougher surfaces
• Includes modular sheath, which can be fixed in any position
Con
• A bit heavy
Final Verdict
Selecting a survival blade is not the same as going through American Made Kitchen Knife. Of course, you want your blade to cut through vegetables, but it also needs to protect you from wild animals. And no, you don't need a rambo survival knife. All you need is a knife with sharp blade. The blade shouldn't lose its sharpness just because it comes in contact with thick skin.
Also, the knife should be comfortable to carry. You don’t want to suffer from blisters just because you were holding them for an extended period. It should be made out of material that prevents slippage. A sweaty hand doesn’t give it an excuse to attack your feet. That's why a small fixed blade knife like the one mentioned in this article is perfect.
The blades that we have mentioned above pass every condition we put them through. So just go to the store. They won’t magically appear on your bedside table.
