Fortunately, KA-BAR includes a solid polymer sheath to help wrangle this beast of a blade. Its low-ish ride lets you carry the Tac Toolat or below your beltline, which keeps the exposed tang from poking you in the ribs. There are also the ubiquitous MOLLE attachment points, as well as a snap to hold the handle in place. No, what you should be looking for is a single piece of high-quality steel, stretching from the tip of the blade to the base of the pommel. We cover a few of the well-known metals below, but you must be able to identify the type of steel used in your knife. If the maker doesn’t list a name, you don’t want it. Comfort D-101 Longbow DMR • D-2 Double Take • Triple Take • Kraber-AP Sniper • Sentinel ESR • Valkyrie Sniper Rifle

GearJunkie knows a thing or two about knives. We’ve sorted through dozens of blades to bring you the best survival knives of 2023. Bottom line: The Spyderco Waterway is a great light- to medium-duty blade, with a technological and design pedigree far ahead of your standard fishing knife. And while it may not be the best for Schwarzenegger-style survival, it would make a great addition to Tom Hanks’ kit from “Castaway.” Specs:The secret ingredient here is LC200N: An intriguing “high-nitrogen alloyed tool steel specifically formulated to offer superior corrosion resistance and extreme toughness, even at high levels of hardness.” Arc Grenade • Arc Star • Electric Smoke Grenade • Firestar • Gravity Star • Firestar • Frag Grenade • Satchel Charge • Thermite Grenade And while we’ve talked about the steel, let’s take a second to consider the blade itself. At just under 4.5 inches long and 0.12 inches wide, this is a precision tool reminiscent of a fillet knife. Its fine edge and nimble nature make it perfect for cutting up fish. In Titanfall 2 the data knife seen is a different model and is likely the newer model, boasting a sharper blade and more durability. No discussion of Morakniv would be complete without a few words on their handles. Like the Companion, the Sparkemploys a rubberized friction grip, with a gentle swell for the palm. These knives are renowned for their comfort and stability in the hand. Its rounded shape and subtle finger guard make for a secure experience, even when wearing winter gloves.

The thermoplastic elastomer handle is beautifully textured, with a hooked pommel and finger guard keeping your hand in place. There’s also a nice patch of thumb jimping up top, and a generous forward finger choil. All of these features result in a wealth of possible grips, making the SCHF52 a surprisingly versatile tool.Still, you’re getting a lot of value for your dollar here. Beyond the knife itself, the SCHF52 comes with a comfortable sheath, complete with a pouch containing a ferro rod, striker, and sharpening stone. That essentially makes this a complete survival knife kit for less than half of the price of some of the more premium models on this list. B3 Wingman ( Elite • V2) • Hammond ( P2011 • P2016 • P2020) • RE-45 Autopistol • Smart Pistol ( MK5 • MK6) On the most basic level, there’s simply more of it. You’re looking at 6 inches of sharpened edge, with a total span of around 11 inches. You’ll also see an upgrade in steel — laminated VG-10 stainless instead of 1095 high-carbon. This makes for a longer-lasting edge while still maintaining some of the softness and shatter resistance found in softer steels.

But as impressive as the specs are, they don’t do justice to the BK2’s ethos. In hand, this is one of the most rugged, ready, and unbreakable blades in the survival market. It has a broad-shouldered heft that instills confidence in the user, allowing you to power through tasks that would cause hesitation with other knives. Just pull up YouTube and watch what some people put these knives through, and you’ll have a good sense of what I mean. Excellent question! Like all tools, survival knives need to be cared for to maintain their readiness for action. The biggest factors to consider are edge maintenance and rust prevention. As the name would indicate, this is the second version of the Izula. The initial offering had the same blade but was shorter in the handle department. Both are still available, but I’d highly recommend the added length of the Izula-II. If you’re looking for downsides, the only real dings come from the basic (but comfortable) plastic sheath and the partial-tang construction. The polymer sheath attaches to the belt via a standard belt clip, riding comfortably and low on the hip. It’s essentially molded plastic, but at least it’s high-quality molded plastic.What this means, essentially, is that the Waterway won’t rust. Like, ever. And where other corrosion-resistant steels such as H1 do exist, LC200N’s edge retention is in a league of its own. Despite what cheerful reviewers and YouTube personalities may lead you to believe, survival isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s not like bushcraft or camping, where you’re out enjoying yourself in the wilderness. Those pursuits are all well and good. But survival is just that — getting out of a precarious or life-threatening situation with nothing but your wits and the tools you have. In the world of outdoor gear, knives get slapped with the “survival” tag more than almost any other product. But with all the static out there, how do you determine which one deserves the title of “best survival knife”? That’s where we come in. Let’s start with the blade. At just under 4 inches, this 12C27N stainless model comes with Mora’s trademark Scandi grind, perfect for carving and kindling prep. But where the Companion models have a smooth and rounded spine, the Spark leaves its upper edge angled and unpolished. Used in combination with the included fire steel, this is where the knife gets its name. It’s an impressive all-in-one system, especially for a knife in the budget category.