Recommend a survival knife under $50...

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For a larger knife look at the Becker Combat-Utility 7. Beats the pants off a K-Bar or USAF Survival Knife, IMHO.

For a smaller knife, the Swedish Mora knives cannot be beat, and the aforementioned Ragweed Forge is a good source.
 
There are a lot of very experienced people taking very different knives into the bush. Some of the difference can be explained by differences in terrain -- there are differences in what you need between a northern pine forest, a desert, a rainforest, etc. But even that doesn't explain everything. You can find two experts going into the same terrain, one with a 4" fixed blade and one with a hatchet or big bowie, and both have their points.

That said, if you're a beginner, I'd suggest starting with a 4"-ish fixed blade. It will handle all your small jobs (food prep, whittling, etc) more easily than a big knife. And, to the extent you need to do bigger work, for example building a shelter or splitting wood, if you learn how to baton and use wedges, the little knife can handle that, also, provided it's got good quality.

Once you get the basic idea, then by all means branch out and start looking at big bowies, kukris, and hatchets. But a small knife is all you need to start out with to develop your skills at first. In addition, you might find that once you're good with the little knife, you don't even want to bother with lugging around a bigger knife. Just don't decide beforehand, there are plenty of situations for which a big knife works better and I'd rather have one. I'm just proposing you start small and concentrate on fundamental skills, then go from there.

For me personally, the worst-of-all-worlds is the 6"-ish sharpened prybars like the SRK. Doesn't chop like a big blade, more awkward to use than a small blade, etc. Even here, there is room for disagreement and lots of people like this class of blade, for me it just doesn't work.

The Fallkniven F-1, BRKT Fox River, etc. are high quality examples of the type of small knife I'd favor. I'd be looking at the Moras and the like for less-expensive-but-still-quality knives in this class.
 
I carry two. I carry a large Mora knife, carbon steel blade, wood handle, plastic sheath, as a heavy work knife. I get more use out of my Swiss Army Tool, Atlas model. The Swiss Army "tool" is a knife with a blade that locks. The Atlas model has a saw and a pair of pliers, as well as several other small tools. Both knives can be kept extremely sharp. I also carry on treks a small tomahawk, sometimes called a "mouse hawk". There was a reason why they were so popular on the frontier more than two centuries ago, and when I've needed it, it was for chores that no knife could've really done. The Colonial standard was a decent sized butcher knife, and a tomahawk. You should be able to find both for a combined price under $60.00.

LD
 
I've had medium and larger blades for years and as a solitary tool they are the ideal compromise. The ideal outfit though IMO is a medium sized knife of roughly 4" to 6" with a relatively fine blade paired with a short 12" or 14" machete or ax. Another option or addition is a small folding pruning saw, as is a small pocket knife or SAK. Genuine SAK sawblades cut like blazes for their size.

The nice thing about a machete is that it can be used to cut brush. An ax is a significantly more efficient chopper - machetes tend to "stick" making them potentially more fatiguing.

For an excellent yet cheap basic knife I would consider the Army version by Frosts in Mora, Sweden. I've seen them for under $15 a piece; there is a seller on the evilbay with a couple right now at $10.99 a piece.

------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org
 
I'll throw another one into the mix, a 12" Ontario machete. Cheap, but very useful. You can use it for just about any knife-chore if you really want to. A bit clumsy on the detail stuff, so I'll keep a good SAK with me for that and you are probably just at about the $50 price tag for everything.
 
I would have to go with either a Camilus or K-Bar Marine Corps survivor knife.
However Brian Williams' idea of an Old Hickory knife is a darn good one.
The most used knives in our home kitchen are of course Old Hickory.
Easy to maintain with a ceramic "steel", the downside is that they are not diswasher safe.
Zeke
 
From a younger age I used to carry a Ka-Bar that my uncle gave me.

I still have it but found that for camping/backpacking I really prefer a plain blade (non-serrated) Kershaw Vapor.

I also have a (old) Kershaw Deer Hunter with a pachmyr (spelling?) handle but that handle is getting pretty ratty after almost 15 years so I'm considering either sending it back to Kershaw or just buying a new one.
 
John - those deals are HARD to get before others get to them! I'll keep trying, but I'm amazed how fast they go. It's nice to know that they're held in such high regard, I know that whenever I can actually get one I'll be pleased. :)
 
From the bottom and going clockwise:
Gerber "Pixie". A fish knife for trout or small bass
old PAL knife (I think a Remington make?) Good camp knife; OK fish knife. fragile leather disk handle. used since 1969 or so. Probably last another 20-30years.
Collins Herradura machete with a 12" blade. used mostly as a shovel but good to clear a spot to set up a tent or hammock. Not as good as a shovel for shoveling or as good as an hatchet for chopping, but it does both half a$$ for 18 oz. Looks like the Ontario machete is about the same.
DH Russell Canadan Belt knife. from AG Russell.com. I see it's now $69 so out of your price range. I just buchered 2 goats with it this week without sharpening with other than a steel. A straight blade is better for some cutting jobs but this is good for boning and skinning.
I usually carry any two of these and a medium stock knife when camping or hunting.
 
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Get a leatherman or gerber multitool and a locking blade 3-4" folding knife, You can get both for about $50 and these will sever you better than any larger survival type knife.
 
To survive you need food, shelter and water, this dosent necesarily include a rambo sized "survival knife".

Fire makeing- Hatchet, hands down
Shelter makeing-Hatchet Hands down

Add a drop point skinning knife and a small capeing knife

Trust me, I've spent enough time outside to know what I'm talking about.

If you plan on surviving for long,
cord, metal cup/pot for cooking, boiling to sterilize water
water purification tablets
warm cloths/rain gear, appropiate for location
food and/ or gun
topo map/ compass
matches/lighter, dry tinder, its VERY difficult to make a fire without these
tarp/tent, unless your certain you can create a weather worthy shelter to keep yourself warm and dry with only a hatchet and knife

I peronaly use a gerber hatchet, with capeing knife in the handle. I also have a gerber gater, drop point, half serated. Its made from 154cm steel. Please read these articles before you make your selection: http://www.agrussell.com/knife_information/knife_encyclopedia/articles.html I also recomend a book called "Complete Guide to Hunting knives" It covers axes, saws, knives, field dressing, blade design, and steel choice in great detail and accuracy.
Happy Backpacking
 
Davo, I think you're on the right track. The swedish-style knives you linked to should work out alright, but I would suggest moving up to something a little higher in price, and therefore hopefully in quality. Look for a knife with a continuous grind all the way from spine to the edge. This provides a better edge with a blade of the same thickness. Such as the following: http://www.ltspecpro.com/fixed-blades-master-hunter.html A bit expensive and also a bit thick at 3/16, but you get the idea. Stainless is probably going to work better for you, but carbon steels have their good points. If nothing else, you will likely get a better sheath with such a knife, although if it will just be carried in a rucksack, that is not an issue.

The 4-5 inch survival knife IS full-size for its intended use, and is best had without serrations that impair the functionality of the knife. (Unless you're cutting seatbelts every day.) The KABARs and other military knives, in my experience, are poorly designed and made from softer steel. I think you would regret such a purchase.
 
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Getting on eof these for the holidays.

yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/garudangkhola.html


It is called the Garud (dragon) Ang Khola. The knife is 19 inchesoverall length. Blade is about 2&1/2 inches wide, 9/16 thick. The knife weighs 2 & 3/4 pounds. Fit and finish excellent. Hardening excellent. Bolster and scabbard chape are silver. Carving is very well done. The wood, I believe, is saatisal. Karda and chakma are exceptional. Scabbard is excellent and is equipped with superfrog.
 
Due to the ornate handle, the Garud is more a display piece than the other HI kukuris...even though the Ang Khola in general is one of the sturdiest knives of its size in the world.

J
 
The Mora you posted Davo

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb...5&kwtid=200417


Is about the best $10 you could ever spend. If you want a Mora style knife it's a hard critter to beat.

Then again I like my Ka-Bar too. :)

and at the same time... In the woods I can get everything done I need to with a Cold Steel AK-47 folder.

Still and all I will usally take a Mora as well as the AK-47. The Mora has a thinner blade and works much better for cleaning fish and things than the AK folder.
 
Exellent knives. Personally, i say go with something from cold steel. watch their DVD, it speaks for them. I have an ODA i have yet to trod about nordland with. oh i caint wait :).
 
You might want to look at these:
Doug Ritter (www.equipped.org) reviews "survival knives" at his website. His own design, the RSK drop-point in fixed blade and folder, is made by Benchmade.
Mors Kochanski, author of "Bushcraft," uses a carbon-steel hard grip Mora, modified by some grinding on the handle and the blade (modified tanto point).
The Helle Symfoni recently got good reviews in an article in Field and Stream.
No, haven't tried any of the above, but the Mora is dirt-cheap, the Benchmades are pricey, and the Helle is somewhere in the middle--just depends on what type best fits your purposes.
Personally, I would carry:
1. A multi-tool--a Leatherman Charge XTi or Victorinox Swiss Army Work Champ. The Leatherman has the major blades (including one with a guthook) on the outside. They all lock, as do the blades on the inside of the handles--a nice feature for boneheads like me. The Work Champ doesn't have a guthook, but does have a corkscrew for those bottles of Syrah you might encounter.
2. A small (3-4" blade) fixed-blade--Benchmade Model 180 (Outbounder) or a Knives of Alaska Cub Bear.
3. Something larger and heavier, like the Knives of Alaska Brown Bear Skinner Cleaver or Bush Camp Knife.
 
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