Survival Knife

[yourself]

Blackhawk Tatang or one of the RAT series by Ontario knives

[thpethalK]

Originally Posted by Conker

Just saw the Gerber LMF II ASEK. Looks good, comes with a synthetic sheat with integrated sharpener. It's also what I find to be a good size (KaBar seems a bit long at 7'' blade...) so it's incidentally lighter, too. And very affortable.

Any opinions?



http://www.shopholsters.com/gerber-lmf2-asek-knife.html

From what I've read, the Gerber ASEK II was what the US Army Air Force went with after they found an issue with the OKC ASEK. Personally though, I would almost never use the serrated edge for anything aside from cutting metal like a tin can. Seeing as how I use my knives primarily for bushcraft, and I have a survival saw, I would prefer that the serrations was on the spine of the blade so that I have a full length blade for batoning, cutting and shaving things. Considering this, I think that the OKC ASEK is a better knife than the Gerber. This is of course personal preference.

[Tiptoe]

Serrations are awesome for making tinder. I <3 my Seal Pup.

[Conker]

Well I'm looking for a backpacking/hiking/camping knife, not a post-apocalyptic one... So maybe in my case "survival knife" may be pushing it a bit too far? Anyway...

I hadn't thought about it, but yes having the serrations on the top of the blade would be something I'd prefer for the exact same reasons you mentioned.
From your experience, do having serrations on a part of the blade significantly reduces chopping effectiveness?

Also, do you know what was the issue they've had with the ASEK ?

EDIT: Looking at the Ontario ASEK... the wideness of the serrations doesn't seems to be useful at all...

[shadow_matter]

Serrations will not chop as well as a continuous plain edge. Serations are great for cutting cloth or rope, fibrous fabrics etc but that's about it in my experience.

Most of the time (apart from Kershaw's seration pattern) they are VERY difficult to sharpen effectively, that's assuming the design allows you to bring an edge back up in the first place.

Most of the chopping will be done with the front 1/3-1/2 of the blade so you will notice it more when batoning. If you're going to be doing multi-day backpacking I would suggest that you also take weight into consideration. Not so much for the way there than for the way back.

[thpethalK]

Originally Posted by Conker

Well I'm looking for a backpacking/hiking/camping knife, not a post-apocalyptic one... So maybe in my case "survival knife" may be pushing it a bit too far? Anyway...

I hadn't thought about it, but yes having the serrations on the top of the blade would be something I'd prefer for the exact same reasons you mentioned.
From your experience, do having serrations on a part of the blade significantly reduces chopping effectiveness?

Also, do you know what was the issue they've had with the ASEK ?

EDIT: Looking at the Ontario ASEK... the wideness of the serrations doesn't seems to be useful at all...

The OKC was replaced by the Gerber due to the lack of effective electrical insulation on the OKC.

I realize the serrations look ridiculous on the OKC, however, the ASEK is an aircrew survival knife. The military's requirement for the serrations was to provide aircrews with a tool capable of cutting through aircraft aluminum. There's actually a video on YouTube where a guy was comparing an OKC ASEK to an SOG Seal Pup. The ASEK chewed through a nail in a matter of seconds. In addition, it is still capable of cutting open say a tin can, your hole just won't be as refined as it would have been had you used a tool with a thinner blade and smaller profile.

[Conker]

Well, that's exactly why I'm not too convinced. I don't plan on cutting my way out of aircraft (well, actually being a pilot myself it would be a useful thing to keep in my flight bag... but that's for another thread), I'm really looking for an all-around knife I to carry while hiking & backpacking, and to go through emergency situations I might face while doing so.

It means that I'll have to mainly cut wood, rope, fabric, all kinds of food, possibly animals... but not much aluminium in the backcountry, for all I know.

[Rugger_can]

Originally Posted by Conker

Well, that's exactly why I'm not too convinced. I don't plan on cutting my way out of aircraft (well, actually being a pilot myself it would be a useful thing to keep in my flight bag... but that's for another thread), I'm really looking for an all-around knife I to carry while hiking & backpacking, and to go through emergency situations I might face while doing so.

It means that I'll have to mainly cut wood, rope, fabric, all kinds of food, possibly animals... but not much aluminium in the backcountry, for all I know.

If your planning on serious back country exploration take a full tang knife as suggested and a machete or camp axe. This will allow you to save the knife for specific tasks and reduce wear. There are dozens of quality camp axes avaliable just remember to pack a stone with you too keep it sharp. Its also good to note that carrying a multitool along with these options will help you keep everything segregated into its proper roles.

Cheers

[warbird]

Thanks