WOW! Best Survival Knife Under $50 Schrade SCHF26 vs SCHF9 Review. Who Will Win?

Best survival knife under $50?
tinyurl.com/schf26deal (Discount Link)
Check out our head to head review of the Schrade SCHF9 vs Schrade SCHF26
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[@TrueBladeOH]

I have had my SCHF26 for a couple of months, and I agree it is a fantastic knife! Very comfortable and grippy, solid construction and very good blade geometry for chopping, bataoning, and the most excellent feather stick knife I have seen. I use mine for various yard and woods tasks all the time. The thing I love about my F26 is that it has the capabilities of a larger knife. However, all that being said, there is one serious design flaw in this knife, and all the 2015 knives that use this handle, the aggressive gimping on the bottom of the handle. The gimping is raised above the handle scales and gives me hot spots on the first and last groove when I'm chopping which is very uncomfortable. Also the bump in front of the gimping is harsh on my hand and needs to be smoothed. I put the knife on my grinder, ground down the gimping and smoothed the bump, now my F26 is the most comfortable knife I have and it only took 10 minutes.

[@southshelby02]

I recently purchased the SCHF26 and have been very pleased (almost) with it. As stated in the video, it came razor sharp with a very impressive fit & finish. I have used mine to throw sparks from my ferro rod, baton some wood and cut/chop some smaller limbs from a tree. All very impressive. Some folks say that a recurve blade is difficult to sharpen - not so. There are several good videos on KZbin that show you how. After resharpening, I was able to hold an 81/2" x 11" piece of paper in one hand and 'shave' off slivers of paper. My only complaint is the sheath. I have replaced the Velcro with snaps & made it better. Really a good buy at $40.00 +/-.

[@jaybarr3307]

I think you made terrific point while comparing these knives. I have the SCHF26 and 10 (same knife different handles) for our emergency car bags. I do wish the sheath was a little better, but for an emergency use/occasional camp knife, it'll do fine. Had 'em about a year, worked great for every task I've put to 'em. Again, I thought this was a well thought out comparison, and I do love this knife, no reason to spend big money for essentially no more functionality. It's a great value.

[@blaze556922]

Great review! Exactly what I was looking for. I hate velcro but you convinced me that the other features of the 26 sheath make it superior despite not have a snap.

[@southshelby02]

In addition to my earlier comment, the rivet at the bottom of the sheath had pulled through the material. I took it out and replaced it with a stainless steel bolt, 2 washers (1 front, 1 back) and a locking nut (nylon insert).

[@BrenticusMaximus1]

Awesome comparison, great pointers, thank you

[@semco72057]

I purchased the SCHF26 because of reviews on KZbin and so far I find it to be great for what I am going to be using it for. That knife is to be used with my backpack as my primary knife and a Gerber Freeman Guide Folder in my pack as a backup, and to help when cooking.

[@dongarrett6228]

This caught my eye, mostly because the only schade knifes I own are the 9 & 26 👍👍

[@theozarkbushman5140]

I own both...I like the 26 better than the 9. The thinner handle and the shorter blade is more practical for finer tasks like carving and widdling

[@MrWeb49]

I agree with you I owned both The 26 is the perect knife you can cut a small tree down if need be ... just a all around knife for any task

[@michalzvonicek3074]

Realy nice review. Greeting, from Czech republic.

[@idrisomarmorris]

Hi there. Thank you! you helped me to make the decision to order the SCHF26 over the F9/F10. It costs about USD$64 over here in Singapore.

[@billycarpenter4740]

I own 4 schf26's. They are exactly like the schf10 but the schf26 has a rubber ,more grippy, handle. Would it save you money to have someone in the US or Hawaii purchase for you then mail it to You. $ 64.00 is alot. I purchased mine on Amazon for $ 34.00 each. A very good knife, you will enjoy !!

[@jaybarr3307]

+Idris Morris Even at $64 this knife is good value and will work as well as any you'd pay $100+ for here in the US. Probably cost you an arm and a leg there. I doubt very much you have regretted it.

[@jusfuknwidya]

I have owned my Schf26 for about 6 months now and it is a beast. I wasn't sure about the Schf9 or the Schf10 so I spit the difference and went for the Schf26. A mate of mine bought the Schf9 and once I held it I was even happier with my choice. Roughly 2 months ago he was using his and it hit the ground resulting in the blade snapping. I have dropped mine several times and not even scratched the coating. Another big difference between the 2 is the pummel. On the Schf26 it is more pronounced and good for breaking rocks or even opening some nuts.

[@billycarpenter4740]

I agree. I own both the schf 10 & the schf 26. Both are great. The handles on the schf26 are more rubber like ( grippier) so I believe its a bit better choice. Purchased mine on Amazon for $ 34.00 each. Theses are great knives a a very good price.

[@jaybarr3307]

+Billy Carpenter Agree with you on the handles. The SCHF10 micarta scales look cooler, but the SCHF26 handles feel better and have better ergos, wet or dry . And, the 26, with the TPE handles, is about ten bucks cheaper. They all look the same covered in dirt/mud anyway, go with the TPE. When not in use, these knives reside on emergency packs in our cars. I bought both of them for less than my BK22 and like 'em better. Do wish for a better sheath, but so far, they have done the job. I beat on these knives and even used the handle of the 26 as a lashing pin to winch an ATV out of a 4' deep mud hole. One scale had a tiny split in the rubber that isn't even noticeable and doesn't warrant replacing. My friends brag about their very expensive, even custom, knives. As if the price point on the Schrade is some kind of negative, but when it came time to bury one in the mud and winch out that ATV, they snapped theirs in the sheath and looked for some wood, while mine did the job while their backs were still turned. What the heck good is a knife that's so "good" or so costly, one wouldn't just use it?! All that money don't make 'em any better. Just makes 'em cost more. If you broke one, which would be a miracle, you could get another and still be waaay ahead.

[@TrueBladeOH]

Interesting review, Several things I take issue with in your comparison. 1. I DO have large hands so I really love the F9 because it's handles are very grippy and solidly built. Also I like the multiple hand hold positions that the F9 offers. Choking back on the pommel makes chopping much more effective, and the choil in front of the handle is quite useful. 2. Though you have a point with using stainless steel for survival use, I still think 1095 is a better steel than 8cr13mov. For one thing 1095 is a standard steel for better quality survival knives like the beckers, while 8cr13mov is usually a steel used in lower quality folders. 3. This should have gone under one: The handle scales for the F26 are thinner than the F9, and are not as durable, and I have heard of the TPE handles chipping and breaking on the F26. While I agree the F26 is comfortable in hand, it does have a hot spot with the gimping on the bottom of the handle. 4. You have a point about the sheath for the F9, it is very flimsy. But the sheath on the F26 also has a flaw - the velcro fastening. Any knife this size and weight ought to have a snap fastener. Other than the velcro I could live with the F26 sheath, but I have ordered a Spec-Ops sheath to replace it, as I did for my F9. All this being said, I own both knives and love using them. I do not regret buying either of them and would do so again.

[@afonsoalves7432]

Nice video bro, I was decided to buy the SCHF9 because it was the cheapest knife I found but the SCHF26 is way cooler e better! Thanks!

[@richardvisneski506]

I'm sorry but this is a terrible review, you talked about and rated these knives based on all the wrong qualifying characteristics. Yes they are both "survival knives", so you need to rate them based on situational issues that would arise when that knife is your only knife & the knife is asked to preform beyond the expeditions of something you would take on a small camping trip in a state park. Here are the things I found incorrect with your review: 1. Your criticism of the 1095 steel is not realistic, yes stainless will not rust as fast as 1095, but stainless is much less flexible and is prone to breakage when being used as a prying tool or when being used as a baton. 2. Your choice of hollow ground blades over saber ground: while hollow ground blades are much easier to sharpen, the hollow ground blade profile thins the edge to a point where the chopping of wood, or batoning of a log could easily cause a catastrophic breakage in the knife edge. The saber grind is better

[@jaybarr3307]

+Richard Visneski I've chopped and split all day with my SCHF26 while thinning out trees and brush on my property and have no complaints at all. Works just great and I just sharpened it just once at the end of the day. No chips or rolls, and I beat the heck out of it before bringing it right back to a fine edge. I've also used this knife while heading off on ATV's and camping in forests in South America, where we get wet and muddy beyond words. I think a stainless steel blade is a must in such an environment. Any additional corrosion resistance, even if minimal - which I'm not sure I agree with, is a plus (for me). I have similar sized similar function knives that set me back more than $100 and they haven't worked any better and even feel less ergonomic in the hand, gloved or otherwise (medium sized hands). I do think 1095 would hold an edge a little longer. but again, for my needs, I feel stainless is a must.

[@silvercabin5130]

Do you own any Spec-Ops Combat Master sheaths? If you have any could you do a review? I have the Spec-Ops C.M. short sheath for my SCHF10.

[@DougFLA123]

The SCHF26 looks very similar to the SCHF10. Do you have a preference between those two knives? What are the main differences?

[@MrKelso159]

I have both and they are both winners. No losers here unless you get picky ! Good video though !

[@TXLionHeart]

I love my schf26, but it did not come sharp out of the box...

[@alexyu6928]

I totally disagree with your review. I have the SCHF9 and loved it very much. First, the 9 is longer than the 26 and makes batoning easier. Second, the beefier handle on the 9 help spread out the shock or impact when chopping. Third, the saber grind on the 9 helps split wood easier than the hollow grind on the 26. Forth, I don't see the more flexible sheath for the 9 as a bad thing, once you wear the knife on your belt the knife is flat against your thigh and the snap holds the handle down securely. If you really want an outdoor knife for survival, bushcraft, or WTSHTF you will be sorry to pick the 26 instead of the 9. You sounded so sissy might be the 26 is for you. Real men use the 9.

[@654597601]

I hate to say this, as much as i like schrade. mainly because i love budget. but they have yet to hit a home run with any of their budget knives. they are coming closer with some of the newer runs. still too far off though. Velcro should not exsist on any sheath. too noisy and will fail fast with regular use. molle is b.s. unless you have a fighting knife. the retention strap should be in the middle of the handle, not high or low. coupled with a sheath the has adjustable high or low carry. and the plastic insert should grasp onto the knife. with light to medium force. the sheath should provide semi flexable mounting options, for extra pouches (jerry rigged or bought) not force you to suffer the one you can't remove. the handle shapes are, too finger grooved with a lack of rear slip prevention. also the jimping is too recessed and wide. if it were exposed, i could at least grind it down to what felt right for me. with out creating another low spot on the handle. plus you don't need to store anything in them either. that's where second compartments for smaller stainless steel folding knive (w/hollow grind & maybe even a pocket clip) comes in handy. I Entirely Hate Recurve Knives. I would much rather have a straight blade with an inch of serrations. and i certainly don't need the extra inch of steel, adding weight just for a choil. Hollow grind should be used on knives 4" and under. i also dont need weird wanna be saw teeth on a hump back knife. Exposed pommels (even small ones) can smash without damage to the main blade or you. great for car windows when children are concerned. or even the window of a plane if the doors are stuck. or just crack a nut :-) i wish they would let me have a crack at making a few knives. and the cost shouldn't change but by a few dollars too. Sorry for the late & long reply.

[@jonny8688]

Pretty dumb thing to say that you hate recurve blades. Then dont buy it. There are alot of ppl that like it touche

[@654597601]

I owned a Kershaw with a recurve, that's why I know I don't like them. They serve a purpose but not enough for me.

[@ronachanka]

The SCHF26 or 10, which is the same knife, is the worst knife I have, and I have many. Here's why. Sheath is crap. It's ugly, cheap materials, and poorly constructed. The knife itself is too thick, too heavy, and awkward to use for skinning or fine tasks. It's also a recurve blade which is awkward to sharpen and cut certain things with. The steal is not impressive and doesn't hold a good edge. The pommel is not really designed to smash with and is just a lanyard hole. The only thing it has going for it is that it looks cool.