by Jon E. Lewis
The wrong choice could be fatal, as a knife is literally a lifeline in the wilderness, upon which you must be able to rely completely. It’s too late to find out your knife is not strong enough when you are trying to cut yourself free from a capsized white water raft heading for a waterfall!
Selecting the knife
When choosing your knife, find a reputable dealer with a large range of quality knives. Often the best shops stock custom knifemaker ranges.
Do not limit your choice of knife to those described as “Survival Knives”; there are many hunting knives eminently suited to survival use. Try also to be practical. There are many beautiful knives for sale, well made and by top-class manufacturers; but they are not all practical for the specialized use you will be demanding.
You must always carry your knife with you; you never know when you’ll need it. This means that your knife must be a convenient size to be carried without becoming a drag, and must also be capable of carrying out all those basic camp chores such as opening tins, hammering tent pegs, cutting string and so on. And if you become stranded or have to go to ground it will have to do the job of a small axe as well, so it must be strong. Generally speaking, a fixed blade is the better option as it is stronger and more rugged, but most professionals carry two knives: a large fixed blade and a small folding blade.
The metal
There are really only two basic choices: carbon steel or stainless steel. Carbon steel will rust (generally speaking) unless cared for, whereas stainless steel should not. It is widely recognized that carbon steel takes a keener edge than stainless, although in some modern aircraft and cutlery, stainless steels are challenging this traditional concept. Stainless steel should hold its edge longer than carbon steel, but is in many cases harder to sharpen.
In most cases, stainless steel would be the best choice. Take the advice of a reputable dealer, as there are many varieties in use, in many cases alloyed with other metals such as vanadium, molybdenum and chromium to change their qualities. In general, avoid divers’ knives (unless made by a reputable manufacturer), as the steel is usually very poor.
When you are finding out about the type of steel used, try also to find out about the temper. If a knife is under-tempered it will be strong but will not take an edge; if it is over-tempered, it could shatter in use. There is a tendency for manufacturers to over-temper blades!
Size, weight and balance
The wise traveller tries to reduce the weight of his pack, but when travelling far off the beaten track don’t try to economize on the weight of your knife. You need a knife with a weighty blade, as this reduces the force you need to apply and allows more control and efficiency. But if you choose a blade that is too heavy, it will cause fatigue in your fingers, wrist and arm, and this can lead to dangerous accidents.
The length and weight of your knife are critical factors, but no real formula exists to help you choose. In jungles, machetes and long, light knives are the norm, but for more general use these are really too long. As a rough guide, don’t choose a knife that is more than two and a half times the length of your hand, and no less than one and a half times long.
Leverage principle
To illustrate the principle, imagine that you are striking a nail into a piece of wood with a one-metre steel bar. If you want to achieve the same result with a bar 50 centimetres long, you must either use a lot more force or a heavier bar. The shorter, heavier bar is more controllable as it exerts less leverage on the wrist, and can be used in more confined space. The same is true of knife lengths.
Once you have chosen the length and weight of your blade, try to decide where the point of balance lies. Ideally it should be just in front of the guard. This means that the knife is slightly blade-heavy, yet easily controlled by adjusting your grip.
If the point of balance is too far forward it will cause muscle strain, which makes the knife slip from your grasp. The more common fault is that the knife is too handle-heavy. Excess weight in the grip is a burden, as it does not contribute to the blade’s cutting ability.
THE PARTS OF A SURVIVAL KNIFE
In war, there is no room for the amateur. You must have the right knife for the job and be skilled in its use: you won’t have time to start thinking about it if you’re on the brink of a war zone.
Try to find a knife with a full-length tang; this makes the knife considerably stronger.
Features and fittings
The most important fitting to your knife is the grip; probably the commonest fault in most survival knives is the way by which the grip is attached. The part of the blade that goes to make up the handle is called the “tang”.
In many knives, this narrows at the join of the guard and grip. This is an inherent weakness, at the point of greatest strain. The ideal attachment is what is called “full tang”, where the blade remains the width of the grip throughout.
Hollow handles often mean that the tang not only narrows but shortens as well. While not all hollow handles are weak, take great care in your choice.
The guard is an important feature of any survival knife. Its purpose is to prevent your fingers slipping forward onto the sharp edge while using the knife. Remember: even the smallest cut can fester and prove fatal under survival conditions.
The point of your knife is another important feature. It needs to be sharp, and strong enough to pry with. It is an advantage if it falls below the horizontal mid-line of your knife: this is a “true drop point”, and prevents the point snagging the flesh of an animal’s stomach wall during skinning and gutting.
Saws and hollow handles
Saws are a regular feature of survival knives. Do not expect them to saw through wood. They will, however, cut grooves in wood and cut ropes, making them a useful additional feature although not essential.
Gristle saws are sometimes found in front of the guard. These again are a useful additional feature that will find many uses.
Hollow handles are designed to accommodate useful survival tools such as fishing lines or firelighting aids, and as long as they do not weaken the grip are an excellent addition.
Sheaths
Sheaths are an important feature of any knife. As well as protecting the knife, they must be strong enough to protect you from injury if you fall on the encased blade. Good-quality leather sheaths are almost as good as the very strong scabbards being made from modern plastics, but beware of cheap leather. If you find a good knife that has a poor sheath you may be able to have a better sheath made for it.
The method of carrying the sheath is entirely up to you, and you may want to make some modifications. You may also consider taping additional survival gear to the outside of your scabbard, as long as you don’t end up looking like a Christmas tree.
Having carefully selected your knife, work it in, personalise it, practise using it and, above all, look after it. Your life may one day depend on it.
Personalising your knife
Your choice of survival knife speaks of your knowledge of survival; the state it is in and the way in which you use it speak of your experience. To a survivor, a knife is the most versatile life-saving aid. To a survival expert it is a craftsman’s tool, treated with the same care and attention as a master carpenter’s chisels. It is not toyed with: it remains in its sheath until it is needed, and is then used with great dexterity and ease for a multitude of tasks before being returned to its resting place.
The grip
The grip is the best place to begin your personalisation. It is an essential feature of your knife, and must allow for exact and secure control of the blade in many differing uses and environments.
1 If a grip is too large you will not be able to hold onto it for heavy cutting.
2 If a grip is too small you will have to clench it tightly for heavy cutting; this is very tiring and dangerous. Blisters and severe hand cramps can result.
3 If a grip is too long it may pull out from your hand.
4 If a grip is too short you will not be able t
o hold onto the knife correctly, which may be dangerous.
As a general rule, it is better to have a grip that is slightly too big, as it is less tiring to use than a too-small grip – and when your hand tires you will have accidents. A large grip is easier to hold when wearing gloves. Your grip should be easy to hold in a variety of different ways, with no sharp edges or protuberances that will impede its use. It should be the correct shape in cross section, which is a blunt oval shape.
GRIP CROSS-SECTIONS
Altering the grip may seem a drastic thing to do, but once the knife fits your hand, there will be a vast improvement in its effectiveness as it will take less effort to use.
Improving the shape
1 If your grip is too round you may be able to build it up using Gaffa tape or nylon webbing and a strong resin. Very often round grips are all-metal: these are best covered, as metal is a “non-friendly” material, hot in the desert, dangerously freezing in the Arctic and always hard. Remember that whatever you use as a grip covering must be resilient to a variety of temperatures and environmental conditions.
2 If your grip is too square you may (if the grip material is soft or man-made) be able to file or sand it to the correct shape. This is preferable to covering because the performance of the grip will not be impaired by changing climates.
3 If your grip is of bone it may feel as though it is more comfortable when gripped as for hammering. In this case there is usually little that can be done other than replacing the grip entirely.
The blade
Having set up the grip, give your knife a “road test”: there should be an immediate and definite improvement in its performance. But the blade is where the major transformation will occur. You will have to alter the angle of the edge to improve its cutting ability, which in most cases means a long session of filing. Avoid using a high-speed grinding wheel, unless you are very expert in its use, and back-street knife sharpeners, as the risk of the blade overheating and losing its temper is high.
To help you, some of the better established knife manufacturers will supply a knife with a “professional edge”, but only on request. Once the edge has been altered you should never have to regrind the edge, because you will now “parallel sharpen”.
Sharpening
To sharpen your knife you will need a stone. The best type of stone is still a natural stone such as a Washita or Soft Arkansas stone, although there is much to be said for the strength of a diamond whetstone for field use.
PARALLEL SHARPENING
Once you have a professional edge, make sure you do not destroy it while honing. A common failing is to tilt the edge too sharply; this gradually blunts the knife. These cross-sections of the blade show the right and wrong methods, and the results of each.
WRONG: Pressure is greatest near the edge. Sharpening with too much pressure on the edge of the blade progressively changes the cutting angle, blunting the knife. The only remedy is to have the whole edge reground: an expensive business. In the field, the knife will become blunter and more difficult to sharpen.
RIGHT: Pressure is exerted at a shallower angle. Maintaining the pressure in the correct way retains the cutting edge. Patience is the essential ingredient: remember that a blunt knife is not just an inefficient tool, but is also dangerous.
At home base you should have a large stone. This makes sharpening an easy task, using six long strokes on the left of the blade, six on the right, and six alternately.
In the field you will need a small pocket stone, or failing this a suitable local stone or large pebble. Hold the knife steady and move the stone: the opposite to home sharpening.
Whenever you sharpen your blade, maintain an even pressure across the full width of the edge. If you place too much pressure on the edge itself you will not be sharpening parallel to the edge angle you originally laboured to achieve, but will be gradually blunting the knife.
Honing
Having sharpened your knife, a really razor-like edge can be achieved by lightly honing with a ceramic rod. Use this before all major cutting to help maintain the edge.
Common uses for your knife
Slashing: Grip the knife as far back as possible. Use long, sweeping motions with a straight arm.
Chopping: Grip the knife further forward, with your cutting action more from the elbow than the shoulder.
Stake pointing: Hold the grip even further forward and, using mainly wrist action, cut away from you.
Hammering: Use the flat of the blade, keeping the edge aimed away from your body.
Draw knife: Fit a makeshift split stick-handle to the point end of your knife to create a second handle.
Sawing: Sawing is not designed to cut through wood but is mainly for grooving wood and cutting ropes. Cut on the draw stroke.
Rasping: If your knife has a saw back, you can set it into a log and work bone on it.
Whittling: Control is the name of the game. If you can lever with the thumb of your free hand, on the back of the blade, do so. Otherwise take your time with many small, shallow cuts.
Splitting: This is an important operation. Strike the blade through the work piece with a wooden baton (not stone or metal).
Professional use
In the hands of a professional a survival knife takes on jobs that seem impossible. This is because he has learned to use the correct cutting techniques and angles. Experience and practice will be your best guide here, although the most basic principles are:
1 Safety first.
2 Cut with the grain in your favour.
3 Always follow through.
4 Use smooth, steady cuts, the fewer the better.
Making other tools
A professional’s knife is a tool to make other tools. Wherever possible he avoids any use of the knife which may result in its damage or loss. If a root needs to be dug up, make a digging stick; if a spear point is needed, whittle one.
Safety first
1 When you carry your knife, carry a first aid kit.
2 Plan every cut before you make it.
3 Keep all limbs away from the arc of your cut.
4 Always cut away from the body.
5 Be aware of what is going on around you.
6 Replace the knife in its scabbard immediately after use.
7 Never lend your knife; you may never see it again.
IMPORTANT: The privilege of owning a survival knife is one that all survival students must uphold and defend. Be professional in your approach and your use of your knife, and be seen to be professional.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE
Bows can kill! Treat them like a firearm. Never point your bow and arrow at something you do not intend to shoot. When practising, check your backdrop: if you can’t see that it is safe to shoot, don’t. Never shoot at anything on the skyline.
BOWS
One surprising omission from most survival training and survival literature (including Special Forces) is a weapon that has been used by millions of men and women, and all young boys, from the stone age to the present – the bow and arrow. This may be because the skills of bow-maker, arrowsmith, fletcher and archer are not perfected overnight, and you don’t learn them best in a survival situation.
The bow and arrow have been ignored in survival training because some knowledge of tree types is necessary, and professional bow-makers insist that wood must be seasoned for three years to make a bow.
Neither of these notions will hold water. A soldier should be knowledgeable about nature, especially if he is trained in survival techniques. But, yes, a longbow must be seasoned for three years – if you want one that will last for years and can drive an arrow-head through the breastplate of a knight at 400 metres. But that’s rather unlikely on the modern battlefield.
Most survivors or evaders, if offered a weapon that would get their dinner and kill an enemy at a range of up to 150 metres, would say, “That’ll do nicely, thank you.” That weapon can be made in as little as four hours, and not more than a couple of days depen
ding on materials available, and the power required.
Bows and the Law
Game hunting with bows is illegal almost everywhere so don’t do it. Target shooting can teach you the basics of archery but it cannot prepare you for survival archery. The nearest you can get is to try the sport of Field Archery in which you shoot different shaped targets at unknown ranges deployed in woods and fields. This enables you to practice instinctive shooting without getting jailed for poaching.
Shooting tips
A strong upper body is both necessary for, and developed by, archery. You need this strength to draw the bow and to hold your aim. In a survival situation your strength may be reduced, perhaps greatly, by hunger, fatigue, illness or injury.
If so, do not try ambitious shots. Use a shorter “draw length” – the distance the arrow is drawn – and engage your target from as close a range as possible. A quick, instinctive shot is less likely to be wrong because of fatigue. In fact, this is often the best way to shoot in any case. Field archery is mostly snap shots, perhaps at moving targets, and target archery bears as much resemblance to it as shooting on the range does to field-firing or combat shooting. Some archers are always more accurate with an instinctive shot than an aimed shot. Use the style that suits you best.
What to wear
Note the dress of the bowman. Do not wear headgear with a peak – a fatigue cap for example – even when shooting into the sun, as it will foul your draw.
Gloves are one of the most under-emphasized survival items. After a few days of using fires, building or collecting and using sharp or toxic materials, your hands will get rather painful. For the archer, gloves prevent your holding arm being painfully bruised by the string. Pressure on the fingers on your drawing hand can be very painful without gloves, and is distracting in the aim. But you can make a “shooting tab” and a bracer from hide.
If the skirt of your jacket is hanging, or if the sleeves are bulky, remove the jacket, or it will foul the string when you release it, causing loss of speed, range and accuracy.
