Hey Preepers i'll ramble off a quick list of knives i would trust my life on ! All can be used for survival -hunting -defence-
I am a primitive life skills /wilderness survival instructor/ hunting guide = I use my blades...hard chopping/spitting/digging
All my recomendations are good for the money and hard to beat

: GENERAL ALL AROUND LIGHT CARRY HUNTING/SURVIVAL KNIFE

cold steel =master hunter in aus8 steel $75 or san mai 3 ss $100 a hell of a deal +come with kydex sheath

sog=northwest ranger $60 check nutnfancy youtube video aus 8 steel get the new sheath or get a kydex made

ontario knife co= sk-5 black bird $100 comes with kydex knife of the year

ontario knife co= rat 3 has kydex $60 or rat 5 $80 + kydex sheath for rat 5 $40 =$120

The rat 5 part serrated with a green kydex sheath would be my top pick of any knife on the market .

: LARGE KNIVES
ontario knife co =Gn 2 sp50 $75 + ONTARIO SP50 OD GREEN KYDEX SHEATH $44.99 = $120
A must from chestnut ridge check youtube nutnfancy sp50 video my top pick and next purchase!

cold steel= trail master $132 comes with kydex sheath

Chestnut Ridge knife co sells ontario knives + kydex sheaths another kydex sheath maker is RED HILLS SHEATHS they make killer sheaths and are in northern idaho.
The top blade guru from cold steel left a few years ago to join ontario knife co and designs their blades example all gen 2 series

Evenin' All,

Well on my days off I finally coverted a Christmas gift card into a Gerber Prodigy. It was a good trade, lol.

The Prodigy is the little brother to the Gerber LMF II. The Prodigy is a bit lighter, a little shorter but at first glance seems to be every bit effective as the LMF II. I will try to get a picture posted in the coming weeks.

Mountainman.

Hey Mountainman,

Nice blade /// I love Gerber /// have & heavily use the LMFII myself

Twenty3rdPsalm,

Good to hear from you.

So, far no complaints about the Prodigy, like I said it is very simliar to the LMF II, just a wee bit smaller. The toughest part will be to keep the boy from borrowing it when I am not at home, lol.

Cheers,

Mountainman.

Mornin' All,

Just finished doing a bit of a write-up about the Gerber Prodigy at my blog.

As promised here are a couple pics of the Gerber Prodigy.

Cheers,

Mountainman.

That is the Gerber Prodigy at the top, the Gerber Para-frame I in the middle and a wee Gerber Para-frame Mini at the bottom for size comparison.

The Gerber Prodigy all wrapped up in the sheath.

The Gerber Prodigy and sheath.

Nice knife. I would like to know how it compares to the Cold Steel Leatherneck Tanto in you opinion?

ICRCC,

I will let you know asap. Now I need to actually purchase a CS Leatherneck Tanto. Give me a month or so, okay??

MM.

OK sorry. I thought you had one. I picked one up when I read your post a while ago. Did you get the Gerber from CT?

Howdy ICRCC,

I got my Gerber from Wholesale Sports in Cowtown. Not sure if they had the best price, but I have to convert a Christmas giftcard into a long term investment. I thought about getting some carbon arrows but arrows are consumeables not a long term investment. A good knife on the other hand will last a life-time or two.

Mountainman.

My hunting knives are mostly buck knives...the classic fixed blade one on my belt for moose, but for deer hunting I carry a folding buck alpha with gut hook. I have a couple smaller 3-4" blade folding knives made by spyderco, buck, cold steel, gerber, etc...without looking, off hand Im not sure which is which. My everyday carry knife is a 4" spring assist (cant remember what kind without looking). Its a little on the heavy side, but its a good reminder of what pocket it is in. I really like the spring assist the best though, and my next knife purchase will be another spring assist of about 4", but lighter. None of my knives are worth more than $150, but I don't have no cheap chinese knives either. My cheapest knife is probably in the $50 range, which buys a decent folding buck knife....Except for my home defence knife, which is'nt really a knife. My home defence knife is a Gerber machette. Its the biggest one they make, with the saw teeth on the back. It only cost about
$30-$40, but Ive used it for clearing branches for a treestand, and its very durable, holds a good edge, and has taken serious abuse being used as a axe, and still is straight as a arrow. I leave it hanging behind my headboard on my bed. If I hear a bump in the night, I have alot more confidence with that in my hand instead of a 4" blade. The gerber machette is like having a 2 ft sword, but a nice rubber grip. I might pick up the smaller Gerber machette for one of my grab bags, because the big one I have is too big for a napsack. I'm really impressed with Gerber for the price. IMHO Gerber is the best bang for the buck, as far as knives go. For self defence, I would prefer to hold my Gerber machette, over a baseball bat or steel baton...although, if the threat was known to be life threatening, or if shtf then I would use a firearm over my machette.

The best knife in my opinion , is the Buck Master 184 ! its the real deal, all around everything you need in a knife...

Knives are like long guns. There are four categories. Long knives (like machetes), which can be used for things like brush cutting/chopping or self-defence. Then come the full sized, hunting/skinning knives. After that would be the boning/filleting knives and finally smaller fixed or folding knives for everyday carry and use. As long as you have one quality knife from each of these categories, you pretty much have all the blades you require. Of course, a good Gerber or Leatherman multi-tool would fall into the last group. There is no such thing as the best knife for everyone. There is the best knife for you. The Magnum Kukri doesn't feel good in my hand but my old military machete feels and works great for me. It doesn't have the LCF of the Kukri but I'm more concerned with the useability. In 1974 I bought a four inch, folding Buck. That little knife was on my hip for every deployment and every camping trip I ever went on and it never failed me. Tazweiss Jr. now has it and I haven't heard him complain about it. My recommendation for a knife would be to make sure it's made for the use you have intended, make sure it's good quality and that it feels right in your hand. Beyond that, who cares if Rambo used it or the Hobbit King took it into battle, just make sure that it's the right one for you.

TAZ

if its good enough for the hobbit king, its good enough for ,e

In regards to who cares if Rambo used it, the Buckmaster 184 is far from a prop knife, Although I enjoyed First Blood (the first movie) more than the sequel LOL. BM 184 was designed for the Navy Seals with the classic bowie shape, the blade is forged from 425 mod steel which has superior wear resistance and yields excellent strength. The handle is knurled and grooved for sure grip. Also, the grip is hollow, great for storage for small lifeline items. The knife can also be fitted with anchor pins that can be used for grappling or wedged into rock for climbing that can support up to 600lbs. The sheath is of black ridged fibre glass that has a self locking device to ensure your knife doesnt fall out in an awkward situation. It also has a quick release from your belt which is nice. When I read the original post a knife for hiking, survival,bug out, bug in, was the question and this knife meets all those requirements. P.S. The knife also comes with a compass and knife sharpener which is very handy.

Snowman,

I believe the point TAZ is trying to firmly establish is, the perfect knife for one person is not necessarily the perfect knife for another. Me, I like my Glock M78, when I am in the woods. It is not a fancy or talented knife, but it has worked for me for years. I know there is a website out there with a name like "I Hate Glock Knives". So, I recognize that not everyone is a fan of the Glock knives. Fair enough.

I hear you when you say you like the BM 184. For those looking through these pages they now know that the BM 184 may be an option for them.

I agree with TAZ, the most important characteristic of an edged weapon, tool or firearm is that it feels good to you the user. If you are not comfortable with your gear you will either be afraid to use it or will forget to bring it with you and that will be the time you most need it. There is no right answer.

Knives are light and for the most part affordable. You can usually afford more than one knife. Each knife can have its special purpose. What you do not want to happen is to take too long deciding what to get and end up with nothing when you really, really need a knife.

If you are new to knives, go to a big store like Wholesale Sports or another sports shop that has a knife display with educated staff and knives you can touch. Hold on to the knife. It it fits well in your hand, that may be the one to start with. If after a few months or years of use you do not like it. Go try out another, and another, and another, and another. You will find a knife that works for you. You just have to put in some effort and time.

There are many great recommendations on this thread.

Cheers,

Mountainman.