The humble knife. In any incarnation, it is almost mandatory to have to survive. It can cut, chop, create fire, make things around camp, etc. There’s not many times I can think of when I wouldn’t want a knife close by.
Here are a few of mine. These are the ones I use most often for one reason or another.
- Whiskey Corvid
- Schrade SCH104L
- Schrade SCH37
- Harbor Freight Survival Knife
- Mora
- CIMA
Whiskey Corvid
The Whiskey Corvid is a kukri style knife forged by Hank at Reptile Tool Works. I have found zero flaws with this knife, its design, heat treat, or ability to hold its edge. I have owned this knife for about 5 years now and I am extremely impressed with its construction and performance. Though at the time when I bought mine, for the price ($125) that I paid, I expected a little more from the sheath it came with. While it does come with 2 sheaths, which most knives don’t, they both felt like an after thought just tossed together so the knife could come with them.
This knife is one in a line of “Whisky” knives and tools that was conceived by survival instructor, Creek Stewart. It has been given “Whiskey” in its name due to the upcycled whiskey barrel staves used to construct the handle scales. My buddy bought his same time as I bought mine and he didn’t like how it felt in his hands, but the one I bought was more comfortable for him. So since I personally felt no difference between the 2, I kept his and gave him mine. I relay this story to remind you that this knife is hand made, so every one produced will have a slightly different feel to it than the one before or after it. It’s not just you, it’s the knife too.
In the 4-5 years I have owned my Corvid, I have yet to have to touch up the edge. I have chopped, carved, split wood, etc. with it, and it is still just as sharp as the day I bought it.
Overall Length: 12
Reptile Tool Works
Blade Length: 6.75
Weight: 13 ounces
Blade thickness: .187 inches
Material: Carbon Steel
Handle: Upcycled White Oak Whiskey Barrel Stave (Hot Waxed)
Rivets: Aluminum
Special Features: Full Tang, Kukri Design, Ferro Rod Notch
Origin: Hand Forged in Kentucky, USA
SCHRADE SCH104L
The Schrade SCH104L folding pocket knife is a great little knife. It was a gift from my best friend, Andrew. It has become my everyday carry knife.
It’s without a doubt, a stout little knife. For it’s size, it’s on the weightier side, but that is not a bad thing. It has great balance and feels good in my hand while using it.
Brand Schrade
From Amazon.com
Handle Material Fiberglass
Color Steel
Product Dimensions 1 x 2 x 2 inches; 3.2 Ounces
Blade Shape Drop Point
9Cr18Mov Satin Finish Drop Point Blade
Ambidextrous Thumb Knobs
G-10 & Steel Handle w/Lanyard Hole & Pocket Clip
3-inch blade
Slim frame-lock design
SCHRADE SCH37
The Schrade SCH37 is a great full Tang, fixed blade knife. I used this knife extensively until I got my Corvid. At first it was ok in the hand but had room for improvement. The sheath it came with was ok at best. My solution was a set of custom made scales for the handle and Ferro rod from Carey Customs out of England and a custom made kydex sheath from
Overall this has been a great knife to own and use. I’ve seen on internet people who’ve had problems with cracking and failure. So far with the abuse I’ve put mine through, mostly chopping and splitting wood, it’s held up just fine and I have no worries about failure at this point. Edge retention could be a hair better, but with regular maintenance it’ll perform as I’d expect it to.
Brand Schrade
From Amazon.com
Model Name SCHF37
Handle Material Thermoplastic Elastomers
Color Multi
Blade Material High Carbon Steel
Hand Orientation Left/Right
Product Dimensions 16 x 4 x 3 inches; 1 Pounds
Blade Shape Drop Point
Blade Edge Compound Bevel
HARBOR FREIGHT SURVIVAL KNIFE
Oh boy, this one is a budget friendly throw away knife. In all honesty, I bought this one as a starter knife to teach my kids with. I didn’t want to ruin an expensive knife teaching the kids knife safety. This is the perfect knife if you want something that you’re not gonna cry in the corner of the edge takes damage.
Being a “survival” knife, it has the saw back on the spine, out of the box it’s actually decently sharp, and comes with some survival stuff in the hollow handle. My biggest worry was with the overall construction of the knife. I knew not to expect anything of quality with this one. I was not disappointed. The “tang” of the blade is held in the handle by a set screw, which will come loose. I suggest taking out the screw and adding red locktight to the threads to prevent the screw from loosening up on its own. Much to my surprise despite the handle being threaded together and having 3 separate pieces, it did fell solid.
I would not buy this knife as my main life dependent knife. It would make a good knife to throw under the seat of your car or in a trunk or even as I have, a cheap option to teach younglings with.
SKU(s) 61733, 90714, 61501
Brand GORDON
Accessories Included
sewing kit, safety pin, buttons, fishing line with hook, matches with flint paper, compass and carrying sheath
Blade length (in.) 8 in.
Blade material Stainless steel
Handle material Aluminum handle
Product Length 14 in.From Harbor Freight
Shipping Weight 1.20 lb.
Mora
Mora knives are a fantabulous budget knife. I have beat the hell out of one of the couple I own. To date, it hasn’t complained or given me any issues. It’s quality far exceeds what you’d expect for a knife at it’s price point.
This knife is very comfortable in the hand.
Brand Morakniv
From Amazon.com
Model Name FT10258
Special Feature Manual
Color Military Green
Blade Material Alloy Steel
Style Fixed Blade Knives
Product Dimensions 9.1 x 1.9 x 1.4 inches; 4 Ounces
Blade Shape Clip Point
Blade Edge Clip Point
CIMA
As nice as this knife is, it is unfortunate that it’s no longer made at this time. I have no idea why the company stopped production, but at the time of this writing, it is currently discontinued. It is, from what I can tell, an exact clone of the Ontario Knife Company’s RAT-3.
I enjoy using this knife so much that I ended up buying one as a Christmas gift for my youngest son a few years ago. While the knife itself is fantastic and extremely sharp out of the box, I personally have a couple issues with the sheath itself.
The construction of the sheath is great, it’s hard plastic and protects the blade very well. However, the retention of the knife in the sheath is a double edged sword. On one hand it snaps in very securely, which is fabulous, however on the other hand, it’s also one of my issues, removing the knife from the sheath, I’m expecting to slice my hand open because of that super tight and strong retention. Issue number 2 is with the belt attachment piece. I, personally, don’t think of it as being secure enough. The spring clip seems strong enough, but I just don’t trust it.
To combat my personal issues with the sheath, I’ve removed the spring clip and replaced it with paracord that I laced through the holes along the sides. Outside of making myself or commissioning someone to make me a sheath for it, there’s little I can do about the retention issue other than being extra careful when drawing the knife.
CIMA-1 Upgraded version, which is made of 7CR17MOV steel.Blade surface black oxidation. It is a whole Tang outdoor hunting knife. It should have 0.5 pounds or so, this kind of flax textured micarta handles, non-slip, wear-resistant. Six six-star screw firmly to the blade and the handle fixed together, feel is very good.
From Amazon.com
Brand: CIMA-1 Upgraded version
For: Adventure,Camping,Climbing,Hiking,Home use,Mountaineering,Other Outdoor
Handle Material: Flax textured micarta
Blade Material: 7Cr17MOV Steel
Hardness: 58 HRC
Blade Length: 8.5 cm
Package weight: 0.530 kg
Package Dimension: 23.00 x 8.00 x 3.50 cm / 9.06 x 3.15 x 1.38 inches
Package Package Contents: 1 x CIMA-1 Regular Version , 1 x K Sheath
Each knife engraved with name, logo and unique serial number
Product details
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
Package Dimensions : 9.21 x 2.99 x 1.5 inches; 14.39 Ounces
Date First Available : April 19, 2017
Manufacturer : Chuang Song
ASIN : B071H8JCZD
Final Thoughts
A knife generally speaking, has one single function, to cut. As long as it’s capable of cutting, it’s a good knife. Certain knives are better for certain tasks, it comes down to the knife’s design.
The knife is a wonderful tool that can perform a variety of tasks. I’ve used mine to split wood, carve, cut, spread butter, as a flat head screwdriver, spatula, etc.
Of the knives I have listed here that I own, carry, and use regularly, they all perform well in their role. When buying your knife or deciding what one to take on your trip, it’s shape, it’s edge profile, the metallurgy, etc all play their part in what knife will be the best one for the task.
My Corvid or SCH37 are great for larger jobs around camp when I need to split wood or chop kindling. My folder, Mora, and CIMA come in great when I need to smaller tasks or some carving. Outside of looking bad ass the Harbor Freight knife servers no purpose for me, it’s mostly a throw away knife.
While there are some exceptions to the rule, for the most part you get what you pay for. However you DON’T have to buy the most expensive knife out there to have a good quality knife.
LINKS
The following links may not be to the EXACT gear pictured, however, will be to what I could find comparable to what I have and use. Some are a generalized search so you can pick exactly what you want or give you an idea what might be found at that retail store if it applies.
The Wandering Leatherneck 