Best SERE survival blade?

[lew272]

Hello BF! First post here. I know there are a lot of knowledgable people on here and I'm relatively new to the scene, so I was hoping to get some insight.

I'm a helicopter pilot in Canada and fly in some of the most remote locations up north. The climate can vary from bog, forest, to ice flows as far as the eye can see. When we fly we wear a vest that has various survival items, but it doesn't contain a decent fixed blade. I was hoping to get recommendations on a decent blade that I could attach to my vest, that won't break the bank as I likely won't be using it regularly. The likely times I would be using it, would involve survival situations, building shelters, fire making and wood processing and perhaps even defense against wildlife. We have survival items on board but in case I get separated from the aircraft I was looking for something that could handle most tasks, a sort of a one tool option with some reliability. It can't be too big, probably 6" would be the limit.

Looking forward to hearing from the community! Thanks guys!

 

[cricketdave]

The Esee5 was designed pretty much for that, get the molle back and pouch and you can put a pretty good kit with needful or at least useful things in it. Pretty close to your price and size needs.

 

[spikebot587]

I'd reccomend the becker bk10, one of my all time favorite knives. It's even called the crewman because it was designed to replace the traditional pilots survival knife

 

[collim1]

BK16 would be my choice, but honestly I wouldn't feel under knifed with a Mora Bushcraft Black.

A BK7 or BK9 would be a good chopper and is a surprisingly easy to use knife as well, but may be too big.

 

[bdmicarta]

Just about everybody makes a knife in this range- Becker BK2 or BK7, ESEE 5, ESEE 6, Bark Rivers, Tops, Cold Steel SRK, Swamp Rat, Scrapyard, ...

I have an older SRK and it seems like it would work well enough.

 

[Danke42]

Where in Canada do you fly out of?

 

[jfk1110]

Fallkniven A1, S1, PHK, and others as well. Bark river makes a lot of different models to suit your needs. Cold Steel has some really solid ones too. Many can be found for sale rite here on the exchange at a considerably lower price yet still in top shape. Good luck with the search

 

[Sonnydaze]

I have had four knives of the GSO series of SurviveKnives. I've gifted one or two to my kids and sold one and still have a GSO 3.5 in CPM-3V. 3V is a very tough blade-steel which still holds an edge. Of course, he also makes these in other steels like M390 and CPM-20CP...all good choices.
These are $200 or so, but you only need to buy one a lifetime, and the quality is real. You can see plenty of YT videos by Guy Seiferd, the CEO and maker.
I suspect I'd reco either the GSO 4.1 or the GSO 5.1 (blade-length). You can outfit this knife for fire-making with a divot, and some storage capability.

 

[Eric@DLT]

We just launched the third knife in the Ambush line this afternoon. It features a 3.75" blade, CPM 3v steel, comes in a variety of handle materials, and starts at just over $200. We do have a few of the Brute's big brother, the Alpha, left in stock as well. They have the same handle but have a blade just over 5".

 

[Hard Knocks]

Swamprat RMD or Survive GSO 5.1 or 5 depending on whether you like choils or not. Also Guy said that the 4.7 that is coming out later this year will replace the 5 and is his take on a SERE blade.

 

[Moosez45]

I gotta go with spike on this one.

KA-BAR/ BKT BK10.

Moose

 

[abbydaddy]

Do you have a specific price range you are looking for? This is Blade Forums after all, it is good to be clear on what you think is "breaking the bank." My idea of an affordable knife is pretty different from a lot of people's, and my idea of affordable is a lot more affordable than a lot of folks on Blade Forums.

That said, when I read your original post I get a pretty specific set of ideas about what you are looking for. You are pretty clear that the knife would not be seeing a lot of use, so I would guess that how well it handles in the kitchen is of less interest to you than absolute toughness. So what you are looking for is something tough, not too heavy, long enough to use as a last ditch weapon against an animal. Fortunately there are a number of options available at a range of prices.

The BK 15 is being discontinued, so it is available at a good price.

A little more expensive, but still available well under $100 is the Ka-Bar Dogshead. It might not be quite as robust as some of the other suggestions, but it is a pretty classic looking knife, and as you can see in this ongoing review it manages a wide variety of duties quite well. It is a really entertaining review.

And as previously mentioned, if the $200 mark isn't breaking the bank, the Ambush Alpha is a very nice knife. MOLLE compatible sheath, super robust construction, and very capable. One thing that I particularly like about it is that it comes with a convexed grind right out of the box. The convex grind gives a lot of metal really close to the edge, but still minimizes shouldering. It's not really a slicer, because the convex grind kind of maximizes strength, which is a plus in a survival situation. You can read my review of the Ambush Alpha here.

And of course, as also mentioned, you can always go with a Mora. I'm in the process of checking out one of their really low cost ones right now, and I am really kind of loving it. It doesn't feel as massively indestructible as some of these other knives, but it does feel very capable, and I picked it up at the local cutlery shop for $15. Maybe not your ideal survival knife, but it sure is a good whittler.

 

[Mistwalker]

Hello BF! First post here. I know there are a lot of knowledgable people on here and I'm relatively new to the scene, so I was hoping to get some insight.

I'm a helicopter pilot in Canada and fly in some of the most remote locations up north. The climate can vary from bog, forest, to ice flows as far as the eye can see. When we fly we wear a vest that has various survival items, but it doesn't contain a decent fixed blade. I was hoping to get recommendations on a decent blade that I could attach to my vest, that won't break the bank as I likely won't be using it regularly. The likely times I would be using it, would involve survival situations...

Looking forward to hearing from the community! Thanks guys!

Lots of good knives have been suggested. As people have mentioned the BK-2, the ESEE-5/6 (I like the 6 better, but it is sort of a large-ish knife for a vest maybe. How you plan to carry it could also be a factor, say you want to carry it inverted, ESEE sheaths have a lot of mounting options, the BK-2 is pretty versatile. Your description of the likely times you would be using it, and the terrain you're operating in paints a picture that says this could be a pretty big decision, so I would advise not making the decision on price alone. There are other factors as well. Are you working inland or coastal? Would long term storage between uses in a salt water / salt air environment be a factor? If so a good quality stainless my be a good idea.

I like S35VN and I tend to go with Ed Martin on hard use survival knives in that steel and in the size you mentioned. He has a pretty strong international following with guys who work in some harsh environments. I was turned on to his work by friends in the Army that have used his knives in various environments and were very pleased with them. I've worked several of his knives pretty hard myself. I really like this T3 SERE model with a 5 inch blade. I just got it.

Fallkniven makes a really tough stainless survival knife, I've worked a couple of theirs pretty hard to.

Considering your job and location, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Stewart Mitchell's Secare model favored by a friend who is no longer with us, who was also a bush pilot in the cold north, just because I miss him being around. There is a thread on it here, but most of the pics are gone now.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...e-quot-Prototype-(Pic-Heavy)?highlight=secare

However it's even more expensive than the Martin and with Stewart being one of the Master Cutlers at Sheffield he is pretty busy these days.

But there are other things to be considered also. Such as winter temps. You may need to carry the knife under your clothing in the really cold months if out for long at a time. At extreme temps some steels get brittle. It may be worth while getting one of the BK-2s or similar for now and then working with a good maker, maybe like Bill Siegle, who likes making hard use knives, to make you something in a steel like S-7, which tends to do well in cold temps. And having a lower optimum RC it's pretty easy to maintain in the field. You just became a member of what is likely the world's biggest data bank on knives and the various aspects of them. Use the search function and do some research and have fun. Lots of info to dig through on here

 

[lew272]

I fly out of Newfoundland and Labrador. Anywhere we fly typically involves flying over the ocean.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Keep em coming! I am enjoying reading them and researching them immediately after haha.

Price wise, I know I don't want to be in the woods wishing I had spent more money after having bent or broken my blade.

That said, I might find it hard to justify spending $300 on a blade that sits on my vest and (sadly enough) wish I never have to use for its intended purpose. However, I would likely carry it with me for various camping/hiking trips just to get a feel for it though.

I am really liking everything that I am hearing about Survive! knives and the look doesn't hurt either. I am thinking I'll pull the trigger on a 5.1 for myself, but have to wait until all of the pre-orders have been filled...

 

[craytab]

The Esee5 was designed pretty much for that, get the molle back and pouch and you can put a pretty good kit with needful or at least useful things in it. Pretty close to your price and size needs.

Yup. It is a rare damn day here at BFC when we can actually recommend an Esee 5 for its intended purpose. Usually we discourage folks from buying it because it was made to cut yourself out of a downed chopper. Your situation was exactly what it was made for! And do get the molle back. It makes it fully capable of rigging it anywhere you want. The kydex sheath is also well worth the price. With your purpose you want that level of adjustable retention and the durability. If you can't swing the price on the Esee 5 a BK 2 is a great alternative.

All that said, It still wouldn't be my choice for a survival knife. It is damn thick and heavy! And not all that long for how heavy it is. I would go with something more along the line of a BRKT Bravo 1 with the kydex sheath. Or even another offering from Esee, like the 6 or Laser strike. The survives you are looking at are very good options as well, just a little tough to get. The 3v steel is amazing but again, hopefully you won't be using this knife much. My favorite medium fixed blade right now is the SwampRat Ratmandu. Fits the hand perfectly. Steel is great. I've pounded it through a lot of wood but it is just as adept at detail stuff. Check the busse subforum in the exchange. These knives come up often for very good prices.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Fallkniven F1 is made for situations like yours. Flew a lot in northern BC and packed mine in my daypack or briefcase. Still carry one in daypack when hiking in Alberta.

 

[KenHash]

The 3.8" blade Fallkniven F1 is in current use by the Swedish Air Force.
The F1 and the 5" blade S1 have been approved for USN and USMC Pilots.
I would think that they would have considered the same scenarios as you.
The larger A1 model with a 6.2" blade is also available.
These knives are made by Hattori Seki Japan using a VG10 core with 420j2 sides as a laminate, and are made to the specificaions of Fallkniven
Sweden who tests their quality. There are few knife enthusiasts who do not praise these knives.

TOP S1, Bottom F1.

 

[Gavin S.]

The Esee5 was designed pretty much for that, get the molle back and pouch and you can put a pretty good kit with needful or at least useful things in it. Pretty close to your price and size needs.

Here's mine after I stripped it and had Big Chris thin it out a bit. Still prybar-ish but a little better cutter.

 

[sideways]

Fällkniven f1 or s1. I forget which of their models is which. You want the 4_ish to 5_ish inch one.

JP peltonen / fiskars ranger knife m05. The m05 would be the newer model. The older model had a longer blade more suited to batoning through wood and poking russians.

Both are made for heavy use in northern climates where rubber handles with no exposed metal is a VERY good thing to have.

Still... I would not want to have a forced landing without a proper 2-3 week survival kit in the frozen north. Rolling your own is tough.

Honestly something like a mora 2000 would be perfectly adequate for survival vest carry. With the money you save pick up a personal locator beacon. The goal is to be found, not to make smores with the grizzlies.

 

[craytab]

Here's mine after I stripped it and had Big Chris thin it out a bit. Still prybar-ish but a little better cutter.

That grind looks great!

Mine after a strip, fun patina, and dyed scales:

Size comparison with a 6 and Tigershark: