What To Look For In A Survival Knife?

[@survivalsolutions5345]

What about the ESEE 5? 5 inch blade, 1095 High Carbon, Kydex sheath, thicker then the ESEE 6 (More durable) has a built in glass breaker ( cause your not always surviving in the woods) and a bow drill divot on the handle.

[@johncrouch8988]

Love mine!👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@acid6urns]

@@johncrouch8988the esee 5 isn’t really a knife. it’s a pry bar with an edge, and it doesn’t hold a great edge at that. it’s way too thick at the edge to be good for actual knife tasks

[@melvinhogberg]

i dont think you should dig with a knife, instead you could sharpen and flat out a stick with the knife and use that to dig

[@truth959]

that's a really smart idea.

[@OOTurok]

Exactly... and don't tie your knife to a stick to make a spear. Use your knife to make other tools.

[@fortcastlevgn2368]

wo0w thx

[@kongandbasses8732]

@First Last People hunted gigant deer and wooly mamoth with wooden spears. They made a point on a stick and hardened it in the fire. This works, but be carefull not burning the point.

[@kongandbasses8732]

@@Strength-in-Union You are wellcome. But make sure to have a backup weapon. Just in case...

[@BushCampingTools]

You key point was the sharpening. So many people avoid this issue and let's face it if you are not skilled at sharpening then the 1095 is going to be better to start with than a higher HRC stainless alloy/s.

[@longrider42]

Okay, Leather does not retain moisture, if you treat it. I use boiled linseed oil to water proof leather knife sheaths. And you can always use something called Snow Seal. As for cutting it or it wearing out. I guess it depends on how you use it. I think Kydex, is usually too bulky and it rattles. Yes, I have had some experience with Kydex and Cold Steel's Secur-Ex. I have since added to my collection a Khukuri with a 12 inch blade, it is the only knife in my collection I would chop and split wood with. Because, that is what it was designed to do. I will soon have a Khukuri with a six inch blade, should be very useful around camp. As for the "Over Molded" tang on some knives. Well, Buck and Kabar both do that with some of thier knives. And they are still great knives.

[@seminolerick6845]

Good info. My take is yes, get “YOUR perfect knife”, AND equally important (imho) is the marriage to a good quality, multi purposed sheath. A sharpen stick AND a fire stick/bar attached onto the sheath. Us “Joe Average” folks have not the skills to sharpen w/ a river rock etc. , & fire is flat out necessary.

[@lastactionmedic5677]

Gerber LMF 2 infantry is my knife of choice. A lot of my buddies used them overseas while I had nothing lol. I know it's not the best, but it's not the worst either in my opinion. Love ur channel brother, both the old and new stuff 👍🇺🇸

[@hoplophobiadoc]

But, but, but.......... Rambo has survived through Washington State, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Burma with his big knife. Hahahahhahaha!

[@eliezervazquez5703]

I love my esse 6. Your video review of the knife made me choose it for my first special blade and i couldn't be happier.

[@gideonstactical]

eliezer vazquez Glad to hear that!

[@I..cast..fireball]

Esee 6 is a solid choice. Bit pricy for me. I like my Bushman.

[@truth959]

totally agree with the choice of Esee 6. it's not even about what it has, but everything it doesn't have. it doesn't have a narrow clip point, jimping everywhere, weirdly shaped handle, gimmicky grind, serrations, etc. it's just a well made, simple survival knife than can do it all.

[@mmbaptist1]

Thanks for your presentation of these knives. I'm 70 and still love nature and the outdoors. Too many people take much longer to present half as much info. Could say much more but for now just keep on doing what you do here. MikeC

[@GetMeTo1kSubs]

You still alive?

[@elcas20012003]

i'm just wondering about "survival" in general and i just don't get it how long are you going to survive for before either being rescued/find your way/ die ? any knife with a decent steel will (if sharp enough at the beginning) hold its edge long enough to attain any of these ends, so if i have to survive for a longer time i'm either prepared not really survival(thus a sharpening kit) or i'll have absolutely no kit and no knives at all (evasion & escape, plane crash boat wreck) maybe i'm shortsighted but i just don't get it my opinion

[@genkiferal7178]

some experts are predicting WW3 and/or a civil war and/or a depression... too bad all of this survival stuff costs so much. that Esee-6 is about $200. I just looked up that affordable $40 knife and some guys are showing pics or videos of it breaking - but that is when they use it to chop. That $30 survival shovel seems a decent way to chop, too. $70 for 2 items or $200 for one? Depends on the person, I guess.

[@LR-rq9wc]

Couldn't agree more about serrations. I've carried and used knives every day for literally 40 of my 45 years and have never liked or seen a need for them for the very reasons you articulated. My father and grandfathers never did either.

[@CommonCentsOutdoorsman]

Nice job! Stainless gets a bum wrap sometimes. Many knife makers say it takes more care and skill to work with but treated properly it can hold an edge and sharpen up easily. I think it's a good low maintenance choice.

[@WarDawg77]

Man, everybody is different. While I don't like the recurve, that SCHF-9 fits me like a glove & is the most balanced & comfortable big knife I have felt in my hand.

[@TimBryan-tt2ty]

I like my esee 6hm. I agree with what you said. Too many people think edge retention is everything.

[@DD556762X51]

I like the ESEE 4 best because of size and weight. I have a pouch on mine for survival gear.

[@kingsoutdoors4379]

I had a 5....I bought a 4 for My Nephew which I absolutely know would be a better survival knife. I have been using knives for 45 years... I find myself doing far more tasks with a 3- 4 inch blade....

[@phillipdelaney3315]

Can you do a video about your preferences for a smaller companion knife? Like an MSK 2.5, bk14, izula, and anything else.

[@jstorer1980]

I have a BK2, I just removed the nylon belt loop and attached a techlock and I'm still trying out different ways to carry it. I'm not so sure wearing anything scout style in the middle of your back is such a great idea. If you end up falling backwards it seems like that would really mess up your back.

[@chriswalker7491]

jstorer1980 I carry mine on the straps of the pack I'm carrying usually the maxpedition jumbo or my usmc molle 2 only good way I could figure to carry my bk2

[@chriswalker7491]

jstorer1980 with the tecloc lol removed the nylon from mine 2

[@thegreyghost2789]

I tend to agree with all your recommendations and recently purchased and esee 6. Thanks for an excellent, well thought out video. Years ago, I had an experience with uncoated 1095, leather sheaths and rain, would have given anything for just a kydex sheath, but that was back in the late 70's, not much of that around then. Love the esee 6, great knife! Keep up the great work you're doing!

[@BushCampingTools]

Hey here is one "survival" knife seldom reviewed but I reckon it's great, The Italian company, Extrema Ratio's Ontos, just had it EDC basically for one whole month in the jungle/bush LOL.

[@thomasjefferson1457]

Knife definitions: Survival knife: A knife you have on you when the need unexpectedly arrives. Bushcraft Knife: A “camp knife” suitable for camp chores such as building a shelter, making a feather stick, fixing a meal or light chopping of firewood. Tactical knife: A knife capable of use as a weapon to defend yourself in case of attack of either animal or human. Pocket knife: A knife you would normally carry in your pocket in a casual way every day. (This knife sometimes becomes your survival knife.) The ideal survival knife is hardly the one you're going to have on you when the need arrives. If you're out hiking and happen to get lost and you have your “stuff” with you then you're in luck. You have the perfect situation just like it was planned, but it's usually not that way in the real world.

[@michaelrutledge7048]

Love my BK7. That and a folding saw satisfy all my camp tasks and bushcraft needs. I’ll add survival to that list, too. No ax, no buck saw.

[@James-ke5sx]

I have 3 survival knives. If I go into our city and travel underground subways etc I bring a Gerber LMF II cause in a disaster I want non full tang insulated with serrations to cut various materials. If I travel towards the country I bring a Ka-Bar Crewman. After a disaster when people are scrounging for food I would carry my Ka-Bar USMC for fighting rather than chopping up wood along with my large tanto serrated TDI for backup. Ok 4.

[@WilliamKister]

Some people knock the ESEE 6's plastic sheath, but it will cover more environmental situations than the Kydex. Here in AZ if you leave Kydex in your vehicle on a hot summer day, the Kydex will will dis-form and the sheath will become loose and open up making the fit loose. Kydex can also become more brittle in the Cold. Now the thickness of the Kydex used makes a huge difference in this regard so if you run a Kydex sheath I would use a minimum thickness of 0.093" or else there will more issues.

[@francisseth28]

I watched so many amazing reviews about knives regardless if it's bush craft or survival knives because I love knives. And I think this is the best review I ever watched so far. You covered almost everything of the most important aspects of what a true survival knife should be. You exolained it well enough. And I totally agree with all of your opinion. You're such a very good observant person just like me. Keep it.

[@gideonstactical]

Seth Ventura Thank you every much. Thank means a lot.

[@johnwest4492]

I recently rewatched this episode and remembered why your channel is Awesome. Thank you for insights, keep up the great work :))

[@yaelflores7052]

where is the esee 5?

[@DrMurdercock]

7:59 as a Tanto blade fanatic, I can confirm this,lol I ruined many blade profiles by not knowing how to sharpen where the two edges meet lol

[@royrivera007]

I'm making my very first knife and this video answered a lot questions I had regarding survival knife design! Great way of explaining the do's and don't s. Many thanks!!!

[@gideonstactical]

Thanks some much!

[@royrivera007]

👍

[@TheGoatMumbler]

Excellent info. What about some budget blade choices say for knives in the sub $50-$60 range?

[@gideonstactical]

TheGoatMumbler The two in the video SCHRADE schf9 or schf37.

[@danzigrulze5211]

Survival knife, I'm going with my Bark River, Bravo 1.25 in 3V steel, with a DLT kydex sheath. I pretty much use it everyday and the set up works great. Wish more people would review Bark River, they are a great company and have lots of great designs too. Great video and great advice, I always recommend my friends to watch your channel if they are interested in getting non biased knife reviews.

[@bossmodus5020]

Great Knive but how u Scharping in the Field 😏 Convex and 3v never ever trust me👈 V grind is better.. And littl Dimond stone from Dmt

[@yoadrian3814]

Great video Aaron! That location at the start of the video... Amazing...

[@Mykford1]

Gideon'stactical where is this video shot? Looks like Utah.

[@Outcaste153]

What pisses me off about every video I see on survival knives or just knives in general is, people keep saying that bushcraft knives are different than survival knives. It's like everyone makes it seem like your planing before hand to go out and have that kind of situation, or I guess we all need to carry both kinds of knives with us you know just in case. You as a woods man need to pick a knife that can do many tasks well so you don't get fucked the day you really have a problem, and the I'm never going to have anything happen to me is foolish, just ask that dude that had to cut off his arm. Shit happens no matter how much you think you know.

[@dwightehowell6062]

I listened to what you have to say holding onto a Dadley. This was a favorite of Mt men during the height of the fur trade in the Rockies. Guys bought these in large numbers at least in part because they did a great job skinning fur bearers but they still over wintered in the Rockies and these blades could do about anything they needed a knife to do and they so don't meet your list. If I were going to pay any attention to your list at all I'd go with a BK-10 rather than a BK-2. They are both tough and robust but once a knife has all the metal it needs adding more just makes it heavy. Heavy means you don't have it with you when you need it.

[@scouttroop291]

i packed a 440c for years not once did fail me tell drug addic stole it it was so good ill be going back to one soon ive looked at lot new knife thay can get close to my old 440c

[@jeremydarkcountrysteckman9496]

I carry multiple blades a terrasaur a rat 7 and an off grid tracker x I just recently bought a skrama

[@genkiferal7178]

I prefer the finger grooves but not the hump on top I used my thumb to press and navigate or balance.

[@rogerhill1792]

The very-best discussion on the subject matter that has ever been presented.

[@soldierofdirt81]

This video definitely helped out with what to look for in my survival knife! Thank you again for a great video and review of the knives. I ultimately ended up with the Schrade SCHF52, it included a nylon sheath, and plastic insert and also a ferro rod and striker as well as a sharpening stone with a pocket on the sheath to store the items! thumbs up!

[@xmeda]

For example 4116 stainless is fine material also. Takes a lot of abuse, does not rust and can be sharpened outside. Like on CS Leatherneck.

[@Shorty_Lickens]

A small sharp blade is better for most bushcraft tasks. Its good to add a 7 dollar Mora to your kit for those tasks. And something tiny in your first aid kit.

[@bryanjaeck4828]

I find that the upper limit for a 'knife' is around 7 inch blade, bigger than that is moving into a chopping tool. I like ESSE knives but they pricey, I can buy the near equivalent Ontario RAT 7, sheath is OK for me.

[@7319dexter]

My knife combo is the bk2 bk16 and my sak.

[@davidwolter5786]

So you would also suggest kydex or molded plastic boots due to that water retention thing?

[@omarcorrea1996]

I agree that plastic/kydex sheaths are better, however, I have found that leather and nylon sheaths are much more quiet than kydex or plastic. Just my experience.

[@Chaplain7GabRiel]

Hi...am sorry, what Schrade you had there, in the point explanation? did you made a video about it?

[@smith951]

I want to get a good knife I'm torn between the tops Bob and the tops tex Creek XL what do u think. i carry a folder, wingman, tops something we will see and a good little ax in the woods

[@kydd666]

how do you feel about piggy back systems? like take a BK7 and strap and eskabar to the the sheath so you have the best of both worlds

[@paulwin9036]

He hates piggyback systems for a unknown reason

[@toddklekotka3340]

Good video and excellent points! However, I think most blade/handle designs are all personal preference. For people looking for a blade, personally seeing and touching it is the best way to know if it fits your hand and if its comfortable. Thats how I picked my Schf9. That handle was made for me! Even if the knife is expensive or cheap, do your research! Sheath is the last thing I worry about. Upgrading is an option and it can be personalized to my liking. Practice using your knife too!

[@razapata666]

but my long time question.. how u can protect the knife against rust in the wilderness? some oily plants, fat or something??

[@jacobbcox1985]

I'm now carrying the Esee Junglas II for my survival knife. I find the few extra oz and still under 20 oz. Make it better at chopping and isn't way too long.

[@TheOgieone]

Possilbly your best video to date. I use the Fallkniven A1 but I can't argue with any of your opinions.

[@gideonstactical]

TheOgieone Thanks for the complement!

[@Roadbikerider79]

Fallkniven A1, S1 and F1 are awsome. Dont know if the convex grind is hard to sharpen in the field? The spines can strike firesteels too and skrape tinder, so thats a pluss. I still would go for the 1095 over the laminated VG-10, because i have chipped my F1 a few times. It does hold an edge better than the 1095, so i guess you have to choose whats important for you. Living in Norway i like the plastic sheats the best. Kydex is not the best in cold klimates, but down to minus 10 degrees celsius its fine. Great video and great comment on the Fallknivens!

[@maxwell2.2]

Hi thanks for this great video. But what do you think of the tops bob. My problem is that in the country i live in you arent allowed to carry a knife with you with a bladelength of over 12cm. (= 4.8 inches). Again thank you for your nice channel. Greetings from germany.

[@gideonstactical]

Max Heimerl The BOB is a great knife, my only thing is for me it is a little thick for it's size. I would have preferred 0.16 or 0.12 inches thick. I would consider also checking out the TOPS Dragonfly and the TOPS HOG 4.5. All three are great.

[@maxwell2.2]

Ok thank you for your opinion :-)

[@StevanOutdoor]

Bushcraft or survival knife are the same concept. So lets say you go bushcrafting for a weekend and you have your bushcraft knife on you. Now shtf and you need to get back in a hurry. What changed? You go back home and get your survival knife? Than go back to where you were located and 'survive'? Suddenly you need to cut down trees? Break open car doors? Or are the tasks you are doing with your knife the same as when bushcrafting?

[@COWBOYJDUB]

You really should check out the Ritter-Becker RSK MK2. It's more or less an esee 6 with on choil (and a thumb ramp) with the Becker handle. It's even a Rowen made blade! It's a gooder

[@rickyhurtt5568]

Only problem with having a knife set only for survival is unless you carry it everytime you leave the house you're more than likely not gonna have it when it's needed

[@pioneerdrv]

Well done Aaron. Excellent execution and perfectly presented. 2 thumbs up!

[@orygunpatriot1342]

Excellent video! Thanks for defining a survival knife and what characteristics to look for. This is a big help.

[@gideonstactical]

OryGun Patriot Glad I could help you out!

[@badagry7647]

ok aron and thanks for your advise. i like too the boker vox rold. i'll not choose the esee 6 because too expensive for me ; i'm french and in France this knife is at 190 eu !!! it will complete my small fixed blade made in corsica (french island in the South of France). i'll show you pics of this knife craft handing... thanks again and let's keep in touch please. thanks again.

[@dalemann398]

is the sheef left handed to

[@nonjaninja4904]

I'd still consider the Ontario Spec Plus line survival knives. Haven't had any problems with mine.

[@machonacho5950]

Sweet I like to go backpacking with your reccommended esee 6, leatherman wave and a fiskars hatchet

[@gideonstactical]

Macho Nacho Glad to hear it, that is a great set up!

[@RollsRoyce1954]

My Esee 6 wasn't 3/16 thick, just between 3/16-1/8 of an inch.

[@frankwoods135]

And with the bk you have to buy handle scales too

[@richd5025]

After six years are you still using the Esee 6 or have you found a better knife?

[@m.kultra4101]

I'm okay with my elmax 5150 field knife. Great all around blade. I make sure I have a stone to keep it sharp in the bug out bag. The idea is to get good at keeping it sharp before shtf.

[@sebbe95m]

I live in Sweden kinda close to the sea, do you think the ESEE 6 could handle the climate or do i have to get an stainless steel knife ?

[@Tobes-88]

awesome video! You put all factors of survival knives into perspective, gave specific examples, covered all facets including weight, thickness, and more importantly the type of metal. Amazing details and execution considerations. I think the ESEE 6 is my next purchase

[@gideonstactical]

Toby Cumbee Thank you very much and you will not be sorry.

[@wpsaints]

A great modification to turn the ESEE 6 into an even better survival knife is to either switch out (if you have both), or buy a set from the esee website ($25!), the scales from your ESEE 6 with those from the ESEE 5. You get the bow drill divot and the (IMHO) better, textured, canvas micarta.

[@CJ-bb2gs]

My sch 38 almost covers all of your criteria. even though its classed as a bushcraft knife. The 38 has a much stronger tip than the 36 and 37. It came with a really bad nylon sheath but I enjoy making kydex sheaths and doing mods to my knives. I cant do anything about the hollow grind though.

[@isaacludlow4683]

Why can't you carry a ESEE 3 and a Bahco Laplander Folding Saw?

[@XxGrantlsuxX]

would the esse 5 work good

[@ernestwalden3894]

I choose the Gerber prodigy. Was that a descent choice or should I go get something else ? And hello from Kentucky land between the lakes and God bless. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦

[@howardvarley8795]

If your knife is 'clacking around' , try grabbing a handful of dry grass and shove it down into the sheath with the knife, end of problem !

[@rlauck]

Great video, Aaron! Thanks for doing this ... lots of good stuff to consider. (But you made my BK16 a little sad ... it came in a little short to qualify).

[@arctodussimus6198]

This video came up in my feed today and, of course, I had to watch it again. 😉 I believe the TOPS Tahoma Field Knife is one of the best all around “survival knives”. One of my Tahoma’s is in my Jeep kit, and the other is my backup knife in my main wilderness bag. But my go-to blades when I’m headed out to the wilds, that I always carry, are the TOPS Armageddon and Brakimo.

[@embee5056]

Hey dude, how about a survival-at-sea situation? You know, you're 1,000 miles from land, your boat is sinking under your feet, you grab your ditch bag and get in the raft. I'd think you would want a stainless knife in your ditch bag rather than 1095 steel. What do you think?

[@matusknives]

Excellent video, thank you. I am going to say the following from the standpoint of someone who has little first hand experience, so bear with me please. I don't mind to be proven wrong: When it comes to steel, 1095 is pretty much the golden standard of outdoor and survival knives and indeed - it appears to be about the most used knives in said knives also in higher price categories. But I have one point that makes me wonder: the toughness. 1095 is - whatever way you look at it - not a particularly tough steel. Even at hardness of say 58 HRC, it offers around 10 ft-lbs of toughness. In comparison, 80CrV2 is at 30+, 5160 at 45+, 51200 at 30+. When it comes to simple (and fairly easy to sharpen) stainless steels - even AEB-L is at 40+ and 12C27 at 25 and I am not even mentioning steels that have higher carbide content and thus also better edge retention (like 3V or Cruwear), as I fully follow and agree with your point that the steel should be easy to sharpen in the field (though I would still think that carrying a 1x4" sharpening stone like for example Spyderco double stuff or some small 400 grit diamond plate would go a long way with little weight penalty). 1095 in fact has toughness very comparable to S35VN, CPM-154, Elmax, Vanax or XHP. Again, nothing wrong with 1095, but when it comes to toughness it would not - to me - look like a first choice of a simple steel for a survival knife. Am I missing something obvious in the above? Just curios, nothing more. Thanks again for the great video. P.S. All the values I have mentioned are of course from Larrin's excellent article "Testing edge retention of 48 knife steels"

[@EDHBry]

Great job! Very informative, you impart a lot of knowledge in an easy to understand communications style. Your passion comes through and holds interest. I have watched a lot of videos on this subject. This is one of the best.

[@Lars1540]

Hey Aaron, Great video brother! I happen to own both the ESEE 6 and the BK2 and I also happen to find both of them to be my preferred go to knives as well. But I did want to mention a couple of things I have _personally_ found to be of interest. Although they are both great knives, I do happen to personally find the BK2 handle to be more comfortable and conform to the hand better than the ESEE 6's rather *blocky* handle. I really wish ESEE would make the handles more *round* in cross-section to help with comfort. The blades themselves however, are a different story. I do prefer the thickness of the ESEE 6 blade over the BK2 simply because the BK2's extremely thick blade can make doing food prep or fine carving rather difficult due to the *very obtuse* saber grind. Whereas the ESEE 6's slimmer, full flat ground blade is more conducive to a wider array of tasks. But at the end of the day, the *only* thing that makes me sometimes go for the BK2 over the ESEE 6 is the handle! The BK2 is just more comfortable _in my opinion_. But I love ESEE's no questions asked warranty policy on their knives! So you can really go into the woods and not worry about your knife! It's really a *big comfort!* Likewise, even thought Kabar doesn't have the warranty policy that ESEE does, I think you would be *VERY* hard pressed to *EVER* break a BK2... Matter of fact, I think I remember reading somewhere that Kabar stated that they have only ever had a *handful* of BK2's _ever_ come back to their factory! As for the sheaths, the BK2 *does* come with 2 optional sheaths from the factory. The original molded plastic drop sheath being more along the lines of what you were recommending. Now, I know that Ka-bar had problems with this sheath dulling the knives a while back, but I believe that issue has since been resolved. I also happen to have the ballistic nylon sheath for the BK2 and don't believe that this would really be much, if _any_, more of a burden than kydex or molded plastic personally. You are right, the ballistic nylon sheaths can rattle, but it's never bothered me nor do I find a reason that I would need to be *that* quiet LOL! If there is any rattle, it certainly is not obnoxious enough to where it would actually begin to bother me or get on my nerves. Also, one advantage that the ballistic nylon sheaths have over kydex, is that they usually have a nice little pouch on the front for a ferro rod and/or sharpener which is nice! If your kydex sheath has attachment points, I'm sure you can add on a pouch similar to how you can purchase the molle back and pouch for the ESEE 6 sheath, but once again, that goes against what your shooting for in this video. Your looking for the *most* you can get *stock* from the factory without any *modifications* or *add-ons* and it's for this reason I think the ballistic nylon's pouch is a nice touch! I think if I had the option to get any style sheath straight from the factory than yes, I would definitely go for Kydex first, then probably molded plastic, then ballistic nylon with the kydex insert. I believe any one of these options are pretty resilient and pretty impervious to weather and moisture. The ballistic nylon may get damp, but will quickly dry out, whereas leather will hold moisture _and rot_ as you mentioned in this video. In conclusion, the point I'm getting at is that handle comfort in my opinion is *as important*, if not *more important* than the knife itself! Because you could have the most well made knife in the world, but if it's uncomfortable to hold and use for extended periods, you're eventually going to stop using it... It's in this area that I think ESEE could be paying a little bit more attention... If only they could make the sides of their handles more rounded and less *flat & blocky*, their knives would be _almost_ perfect! I say _almost_ perfect because I'm still not a fan of blade coatings. They don't allow for ferro rod usage, and they look like crap once the coating starts getting worn off... The textured coatings are also generally *rough* and make it much harder to push cut due to the increased friction and drag created by the rough coating. I would rather a polished blade and deal with keeping it oiled and/or force a patina. Great job Aaron! You did a wonderful job touching upon all very valid points to be concerned with when looking for a good survival knife! I love these videos! =) Keep at it brother! PS- TurtleWolf Pack is right about a few things too. American Tanto blades are not hard to resharpen. As he said, they are merely treated as two separate straight blades - easy! Recurved blades however are a pain in the ass! The Schrade SCHF9 in this video is a recurve pattern, however nothing was mentioned about it's blade shape. The steeper the recurve, the narrower the sharpening stone has to be to get into the recurved belly properly! Most of the time however, you just have to resort to using a sharpening rod of some type. The problem with sharpening rods is that they not only don't allow you to really effectively sharpen the tip of your knife, but also will easily round off and blunt the tip of your knife if your not careful! You really _should_ use a flat stone if you want to keep a well defined, sharp tip on your knife. Personally, I would much rather carry a Tanto blade into the woods rather than a recurve blade. I would just make sure that the Tanto *did not* have a swedge. But in general, I agree with you in that I just prefer a simple standard blade shape.

[@gideonstactical]

***** Right on, thank you for the comment and points you made. I appreciate hearing from your experience.

[@Lars1540]

gideonstactical just edited the post and added to it FYI =)

[@I..cast..fireball]

You don't need so much thickness if its differential heat treated.

[@GamesAndRandomR]

Where did you buy this knife at. And what is your best choice for a bushcraft knife

[@MrCrapheadist]

What were they thinking at Shrade when they designed those handles?😬

[@navigator1372]

I agree with you on the esee 6 only cause of the sheath and micarta but the better knife if you upgrade is the bk7

[@Grxbs]

what if the handle is simple but a design on it for decoration like the schrade schf14?

[@OlympusHeavyCavalry]

I am interested to know if there are knives out there that are 7/32" in thickness? The other issue I have with most knives are the finger grip, choil and finger guard combinations. I notice that most that have this feature and have to blade terminate where the finger choil is and are a part of the finger guard. The esee 6 is what I am talking about and I find this quite an annoying design flaw as I've seen some severe injuries from this type of design. Both the Schrade knives have a way better designed finger grip and not flawed like the esee 6. I want to see more knife makers worry less about aesthetics and more about functionality and durability.

[@gcknives139]

What about D2 tool steel? Is it tough enough for a 5 or 6 inch survival knife? I make knives and I am wondering whether to use D2 instead of 5160.

[@theprophetez1838]

I like your video and agree with most of what you said. I just got some knives shipped today and can hardly wait to u box them. I got a Mora and a Schrade 52. They should take care of most of the tasks I will need. Being on a low/no budget for about $50.00 I am now a HAPPY CAMPER!

[@dicksonanthony1]

Hey Aaron. Great tips. Can I ask: Does the black powder coating detract from a blades firestarting potential???? Specifically asking about 1095/1075 HC steel...

[@SteveAubrey1762]

I've been doing this kind of stuff since 1969, and I have to say, you have impressed me. I have to agree with Literally Melvin, though, digging with a blade is a no-no. You blade is a valuable resource, conserve it at all costs.

[@GreySquirrelly1016]

British Army MOD knife. Great video dude!

[@redbear_70]

+gideonstactical, is your opinion still the same on going with the esee 6 or would you recommend something else, within that price point?

[@Nightknight159]

You ever tried to make a feather stick with an SP51?! It is basically impossible!! Nice call on the feather sticking. Important to be able to help you get that fire started.

[@gideonstactical]

Nate Malone Amen!

[@1B1ueyedwo1f]

I know this is an old video, but this is my first time watching it. Another thing to consider when choosing blade steel is the environment you live in. As someone who lives in the coastal South, I've found 420HC to be my steel of choice for most of my knives, survival or otherwise. 1095 is a great steel, but during the hurricane season (F-you, Irma), it's a PITA to keep rust off of it due to the constant rains and humidity. 420HC will hold up to blatant abuse better than the super stainless', but won't rust up as quick as the full carbons.

[@affinity3281]

I have a BK2 with Micarta and an Izula 2 right now. I think they go well together. Definitely need to mod the BK2 sheath. I'll be getting custom Kydex. Why the Esee 6 over the Esee 5? My guess is more weight makes it a better chopper comparable to the BK2, yet the full flat grind helps with tasks like skinning.

[@gideonstactical]

Christopher W The ESEE5 is very uncomfortable handle compared to the BK2 or ESEE6.

[@那個誰-y1j]

If a survival situation happens, I would carry two knives with me. One is Cold Steel Tanto 3V TL and one is Cold Steel Pendleton mini AUS 10A.

[@oliverjensen4405]

Great video! I'm going to get the Esee 6. Thanks

[@richardbriscoe8563]

What is your opinion about the Becker BK-7, the knife itself, not the sheath?

[@toiletpaper5770]

What’s your opinion on the Esee 6 belt clip?