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You should always have the necessary tools on your person to react to a disaster or

survival situation, but if you are like most Americans, it’s impossible to walk around

with a backpack full of gear and a well equipped utility belt. Packing that sort of gear

just doesn’t work around the office very well. Still, most people will find that they

can easily and comfortably carry a knife on them just about everywhere, and a knife

makes a great multi purpose tool. In fact, if you don’t at least carry a knife, you’re

really shorting yourself of a tool that can:

Act as a defensive weapon in a pinch

Cut a multitude of things from cordage, packaging, fire starting materials, and

even lifesaving tasks like cutting through seatbelts and clothing

Pry and unscrew things and generally help out with most everything

At Family Survival Society, we’re not ashamed to say that we love big, fixed blade

knives. They’re strong, versatile, can do anything a small knife can do, and they are by

far better than folding knives for serious work. There are some problems with fixed

blade knives, however:

Fixed blade knives have a bad perception in most states from a law

enforcement standpoint and will usually get you extra scrutiny.

Fixed blade knives are more regulated overall through a multitude of city and

county ordinances than folders.

It’s tough to carry a fixed blade knife in some environments like offices.

 

 

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Overwhelmingly, we have arrived at the conclusion that

your everyday carry knife will most likely be a folder,

since you are apt to have it with you at all times due to its

portability, and at the end of the day, the knife you have

on you is the knife you will use. Yes, fixed blade knives are

superior in every way to folders since folders are

inherently a compromise, but you can’t carry fixed blade

knives everywhere. Therefore, we will look at folders first, and then in a future

buyer’s guide, we will look at fixed blade knives. Both types of knives have a

purpose, and you should have both, so let’s take a look at them in a two part series.

FOLDING KNIFE BASICS

Folding knives (also known as folders) come in a variety of shapes and sizes. On the

one extreme end you have assisted opening tactical knives, while on the other, you

have such benign folders as Swiss Army knives. The

simple fact that the knife folds doesn’t necessarily make

it suitable for our purposes. We want folders that will do

the job for us; we want multitasking knives that can do

lots of things, so we will therefore need to eliminate

some of the knives that have undesirable features.

Therefore, do not look at knives that have:

 

   

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Corkscrews, nail files, scissors, etc. We don’t want gadgets, we want a reliable

blade that opens with the minimum of fuss. Swiss Army style knives have their

place, but your every day carry knife is not one of them. In a future guide, we

will review multitools, which is the category where gadgets really belong.

Lack of a locking mechanism. If it doesn’t have a way to lock the blade open, a

robust, positive and easy to use locking mechanism, don’t buy it. Most tactical

knives are lock blades, but many are not. A locking blade is essential for doing

serious work or using the knife as a weapon.

Assisted or automatic opening. If you push a button and it pops open, or you

lightly tap a lever and it opens, move on. Let’s clear the air on assisted openers

first and foremost – they are perfectly legal in many states – but they are also

illegal in about just as many states. Also, in some locales where they are

perfectly legal, uninformed police officers may still think they are illegal.

Remember, the way the American justice system works, for better or for worse,

is that if an officer merely thinks your knife is illegal, you will be arrested, the

knife will be seized, and you will need to go to court to prove your innocence. It

doesn’t matter if the charges will ultimately be dropped or if there is no case

against you – the simple fact is that assisted openers are a headache you don’t

want any part of. A conventional tactical lock blade knife opens fast enough

once it’s broken in, so fast that it’s practically an assisted opener, so leave it at

that. Remember, as preppers and survivalists, you want little to no attention or

scrutiny.

 

 

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So what features do we want in an every day carry quality knife? What you want is:

A knife from a quality manufacturer, knowing full well that spending money up

front will net you a knife that will net you years of service.

Quality tool steel, not cheap pot metal (discussed later)

A blade of at least 3” in length, preferably, as big as you can buy. Big knives can

do everything small knives can – and more.

A blade that has at least some serrations. Serrations make short work of

cordage, tough fibers, seatbelts, and much more. Sure, a blade will do the same, but it

takes longer and wears down the blade.

A knife that has a stout and foolproof locking mechanism.

A knife that is just as much weapon as it is tool. There has to be a 50/50

balance here; on the one hand, you don’t want an ice pick or stiletto, on the other

hand, you don’t want a blunt headed cordage knife or other tool. Make sure your

knife is good at multitasking.

A knife that has a solid pocket or belt clip so you can keep it handy.

KNIFE STEEL PRIMER

Most knives are made of tool steel. Tool steel is simply hardened steel that has a

balance of properties such as strength, flexibility, ability to hold an edge, and other

such qualities. As with everything, the various steels out there represent a

 

   

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compromise. Steel that is overly flexible might not hold an edge very well. Steel that

is very hard might also be next to impossible to sharpen. Steel that has great

corrosion resistance might be brittle. You get the idea. Here is a sampling on some

common knife steels:

420 Stainless: A common blade making material, 420 stainless is hard, strong, and

cheap, while offering a decent ability to hold an edge. It’s relatively easy for a novice

to resharpen, and is a good compromise of alloy mixtures.

420 HC: The HC stands for high carbon, which is added to the normal 420 stainless

mixture to increase the hardness of the metal, improve its corrosion resistance, and

better hold an edge. The trade off is that this metal is harder to resharpen.

440A: A high carbon stainless steel that’s pretty common in blades. Much harder than

420 stainless, 440A holds an edge and won’t corrode.

1095: 1095 makes a wicked sharp blade that’s easy to resharpen for the novice. On

the upside, it’s cheap -on the downside, it’s corrosion prone. Some manufacturers,

such as KA-BAR have mixed Chromium and Vanadium into 1095 calling it 1095

CroVan, which makes it more corrosion resistant.

 

 

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CPM-S30V®: This alloy was created especially for use in cutlery. It’s tough, holds a

sharp edge under the worst conditions, and is corrosion resistant. Found in some of

the more expensive knives out there, but worth it.

 

   

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SOME KNIVES WE LIKE

We have no affiliation to any of the knives presented here; they are just really good

knives from great manufacturers. It’s tough to order a knife online without seeing it,

touching it, and seeing how it fits in your hand. Order any of the knives below with

confidence, but realize that you really ought to go to a retailer and try them out.

Many sporting goods stores carry a wide selection of knives, as do big box stores like

Wal Mart, where you can try them on for size. Remember, a good knife doesn’t need

to cost an arm and a leg. While it’s true that big fixed blade knives from top tier

manufacturers can cost hundreds of dollars, the very same manufacturer’s folding

knives might be quite a bit less. Often, really good knives cost $50 or less, and what

that means is that you can buy several for your family or retreat members without

breaking the bank.

CRKT M16 Combat Knife

Model Number: M16-14DSFG

Blade Length: 3.88”

Steel: 8Cr14MoV

Price: $50 street

About: The CRKT M16 combat knife is just one in the M16 series of knives made by

Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT), a quality manufacturer. We like this knife for a

couple of reasons; firstly, it has a tanto style point, which is excellent both as a

 

 

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weapon and as a tool. Secondly, the serrations are extra aggressive on this knife, and

it has a no glare desert tan finish. Due to it’s innovate design, it features some hand

guards, which are rare on a folder but very welcome. The steel it’s made of is a

Chinese blade steel that’s similar in characteristics to AUS8 Japanese cutlery steel,

and while it’s not top of the line, it will do the job at a budget price.

Kershaw BLUR Glass Breaker

Model Number: 1670GBBLKST

Blade Length: 3.375”

Steel: Sandvik 14C28N

Price: $70 street

About: We like the Blur Glass Breaker because like all Kershaw knives, it’s made in

America. As its name implies, it has a glass breaker tip embedded in the hilt; this is a

piece of hardened steel which when impacted onto a piece of safety glass, should

cause it to shatter. It features scalloped serrations which should make short work of

any seatbelt or webbing to boot. We also like this knife because it doesn’t look too

tactical or menacing; looking mean can be a benefit at times, but it can also be a

hindrance when you work or operate in an environment where the authorities or your

employers are hostile to such knives.

 

   

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SOG Pentagon Elite II

Model Number: PE18-ARC

Blade Length: 5”

Steel: VG-10

Price: $150 street

About: This is the folding knife you buy when you don’t care about the fact that

people think your knife looks scary. The Pentagon Elite II is a massive knife with a full

5” blade, making its blade length longer than most fixed blade knives. It’s got a super

stout locking mechanism and is made of VG-10 steel, which is a high end Japanese

cutlery steel. A series of serrations means it will cut through most anything, while its

spear point makes it a fantastic weapon as well as a tool. Sure, you pay for all this

quality, but realistically, if treated right, this is a lifetime tool.

 

 

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Spyderco Ladybug 3

Model Number: FRN-LFG3

Blade Length: 1.938”

Steel: VG-10

Price: $35 street

About: While Spyderco is known for all sorts of knives, they are primarily known for

their micro sized folders, all featuring that distinctive Spyderco “look” – they are very

easy to spot. The Ladybug 3 falls more on the tool side of folding knives, which could

be very advantageous for blending in where more tactical knives would be a

hindrance. The blade is mostly serrated and like all Spyderco knives, wicked sharp. At

just 2 ½” long when closed, there’s no reason why you couldn’t keep several of these

knives on your person, and the price is right as well. This particular model has a

foliage green handle and non reflective bead blasted blade.

Benchmade 810 Contego

Model Number: 810 Contego

Blade Length: 3.98”

Steel: CPM-M4

Price: $150 street

 

   

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About: Benchmade is easily one of America’s premier knife makers, and the Contego

is a quality knife that won’t let you down. Featuring a modified tanto point and

wicked serrations, Benchmade knives are known for locking mechanisms so tight

they almost feel like fixed blade knives. The Contego also features a glass breaker

tip for extra security. Sure, it is $150, but then again, it is a Benchmade.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

If you have one piece of gear on you at all times, it should be a quality folding knife,

and it should be very possible to carry one unless your employment is firmly against

it. Even in that case, a little folder is easy to conceal, and unless you work in a place

like the sterile area of an airport or some other sensitive spot, you should be okay.

Remember, that big 9” combat knife you have in the trunk of your car is great, and

will probably exceed the capabilities of a folder in just about every regard, but it

doesn’t help you if you aren’t carrying it!