OutdoorAdventureSelection and Recommendations for Using Knives
Knives are an indispensable tool in outdoor activities. A sturdy and reliable knife can help you overcome difficulties, escape danger, and even save your life. It can be said that in the wilderness, it is your most loyal friend. Below, the editors of Tanlulu will share their views on selecting outdoor knives and recommend several types suitable for wilderness use.
Knives used in the wilderness must withstand destructive use and various harsh environmental conditions.
First: The blade should not be too thin or too narrow, as thinness and narrowness make it prone to breaking or bending.
Second: The handle should be an extension of the blade, with the blade running through the handle from end to end. That is, the blade, handle, and pommel should form a single unit. This way, when prying or chopping forcefully, the blade is less likely to separate from the handle.
Third: The knife should not be too short or too light. A knife that’s too short is impractical in many situations, and one that’s too light won’t deliver enough force when chopping, making tasks more strenuous. But don’t make it too heavy either, or you won’t be able to wield it at all.
Fourth: The knife is best designed as a single-edged blade. The front half of the spine should be blunt and can be used to break animal bones or extract plant fibers. (It can also easily smash your own fingers!) It’s even better if there’s a hook on the spine for cutting ropes.
Fifth: The handle should be made of wood or rubber, with anti-slip textures and contours that fit the hand. This prevents slipping when wet or oily and ensures a comfortable grip. There must be a guard between the blade and the handle—knives without guards are very dangerous when stabbing. The end of the handle should preferably have a larger metal piece, giving you an extra hammer to crack open hard plant fruits. Also, the handle should be one solid piece, not two halves riveted together, as those can come apart under strong impact, making it as painful as gripping the blade itself when using the knife.
Sixth: The blade’s angle and shape are very important. A very small angle makes it sharp but prone to nicking. A larger angle makes it relatively dull. (If you’re very strong, I believe even the spine will work well for you.) One crucial point: when choosing a knife, carefully observe the blade’s color. If it’s bluish, never buy it—that’s a sign of annealing due to poor cooling during manufacturing. If there’s a saw-like section near the base of the blade, it’ll be very handy for cutting leather or canvas. Blade shapes vary, such as single concave, double concave, slanted, left-handed, round, diamond, etc. Choose whatever suits your preference!!
Seventh: When selecting a knife, it’s better to choose a fixed blade over a folding one, because the joint of a folding knife is weak and can be hard to open if dirt gets in or it rusts. It’s also prone to breaking at the joint when prying. And if one hand is occupied, it’s difficult to open with the other. If you really prefer folding knives, choose ones with a locking blade and one-hand opening feature.
Eighth: Never overlook the sheath when choosing a knife. The sheath must be sturdy, preferably made of leather or engineering plastic—this is very important. Imagine carrying a very sharp knife in a sheath no thicker than paper, strapped to your waist as you climb around in the wilderness... I don’t think you’d want to live like that!!!!!!
Below are several types of knives that are quite suitable for outdoor use.
(1) Swiss Army Knife: Currently, there are two brands on the market: Victorinox and Wenger. Both are made in Switzerland, are very durable, and have multiple functions. They can be purchased at large department stores and are not considered controlled knives. Especially the “Swiss Army Soldier” series (blade length 11cm), whose handle fits the human hand, has a locking blade, and includes a very practical wood saw. It’s quite suitable for outdoor use.
(2) King of the Jungle: Made in Spain. The U.S. also used to manufacture it, but now all production has moved to Spain. It comes in both coated and uncoated blade versions. The spine has a saw, and the hollow metal handle contains survival items. This knife has many functions, and its accessories include: a reflective sheet, fish scaler, slingshot, sharpening stone, thin rope, pencil, matches, fishhooks, fishing line, lead sinker, band-aids, surgical blades, water purification tablets, small medicine bottles, and a compass.
(3) U.S. Military M9 Bayonet: This knife has a thick spine and wide body, with hard steel and a gray coating on the blade. The spine has saw and file functions. Its fierce appearance makes every man’s heart race and blood boil upon seeing it. Its sheath comes with a sharpening stone. The sheath and blade together can function as wire cutters. Inserting a wooden stick into the bayonet’s muzzle ring on the guard and securing it with rope turns it into a spear or fishing spear. This knife is made by several famous U.S. knife companies, but the BUCK brand is the most renowned. Now, China’s Sichuan Pioneer Factory (munitions factory) has also started manufacturing it.
(4) Kukri Knife: Originally a traditional knife from Nepal, also called the Khukuri. It earned the name “Kukri Knife” because its shape resembles a dog’s leg. It was widely issued to the Nepalese army during World War II. It has a front-heavy, back-light design, wider at the front and narrower at the back, with a thick spine and thin blade. When chopping, force is concentrated at the front, giving it axe-like power. After WWII, Americans took a liking to it and issued it to some special forces. The biggest advantage of the Kukri Knife is that it’s excellent for clearing paths in jungles. The prices of these knives in the domestic market are not low, and relatively speaking, domestic knives are more economical. However, their quality is not as good as imported ones. But based on the selection criteria I mentioned earlier, you’ll definitely find a well-suited, handy knife with your keen eye.
Sharing a camper’s knife experience: If I were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one knife besides my clothes, the King of the Jungle would be my first choice. But normally when we go outdoors, a backpack is essential equipment. In terms of functionality, you can easily compare the capacity of a knife handle to that of a backpack. What kind of knife to bring when hiking mainly depends on what you plan to do.
Below are some knives I’ve used and know about—feel free to add or discuss. Folding Knives: When hiking, folding knives are the most frequently used and commonly carried. They’re convenient for peeling fruit, opening cans or packaging, and are easy to carry. I won’t talk much about the regular ones people carry around daily. I think multi-functional Swiss Army Knives are quite practical for outdoor use—even hikers who don’t usually use knives often list them as essential gear. Fixed Blades: When hiking, we usually plan our route in advance, meaning there’s at least a mountain path, even if it’s overgrown with weeds and vines. In such cases, a fixed blade is more useful than a machete. Fixed blades are more convenient, easier to carry, and can be used for both self-defense and practical tasks like cutting watermelon or making walking sticks.
I own two fixed blades: one is the KA-BAR KA1283, and the other is the Pioneer D80. I prefer the KA1283 because it’s sharper and holds its edge better.
I once used just the D80’s serrated spine to successfully cut through two strands of barbed wire, saving my hiking partner a lot of effort. They all agreed it was a great knife. That’s one advantage of the M9 and D80. But when dealing with thorny vines in the mountains, you’ll find that pruning shears used by gardeners work better than any knife.
Machetes: In the mountains, some routes are simply impassable without a machete—you’ll suffer a lot more without one. When reaching the source of a stream during a creek trek, the valley narrows, and it becomes overgrown with dense bushes and brambles. To get through, you’ll want a good machete. If you want to cross from a mountain ridge to a creek valley, or if you want to cut straight through a bushy area instead of taking a detour, not having a machete will make you give up the idea. I once spent an hour chopping through waist-high bushes and didn’t get more than ten meters. I used a Cold Steel Kukri. Some people say Kukris aren’t as good for clearing paths as longer machetes (or camping knives/jungle machetes), claiming the Kukri is too short to reach branches. But if the branches are out of reach, there’s no need to chop them. Longer knives are hard to swing in dense bushes, and are better suited for tropical rainforests. Which type works best really depends on the mountains you’re entering.
Some say the King of the Jungle is better than the Kukri. Let me tell you a true story: A fellow hiker owned a Malaysian machete with seven holes in the blade, which he called the “Seven-Star Machete.” Its shape resembled a Kukri and was also very sharp. We compared them in the mountains, and of course, it was inferior to the Cold Steel Kukri. Once, a group of them were crossing a route and brought the King of the Jungle. In the afternoon, due to heavy fog, they couldn’t find the original trail. After wandering the ridge several times, they still couldn’t find the way down. Based on experience, they chose a direction and prepared to clear a path through a bushy area. They started cutting around 5 p.m. and didn’t finish until after 10 p.m., eventually having to camp in the wild due to exhaustion. When they woke up the next morning, they found the trail was just a dozen meters ahead. Reflecting on this, he said that if he had brought his machete, he wouldn’t have had to camp in the wilderness.
Speaking of camping in the wild, machetes are also very useful. If you can’t find a suitable campsite while marching through the jungle, you can quickly clear a space with a machete. If you’re on a beach or flat ground, you’ll need a shovel more for setting up camp (though few people carry one). Wherever you can make a fire, you’ll need a knife to chop wood for lighting a fire and cooking. Of course, regular axes or hatchets can also do the job. That said, many hikers we know still use axes or sickles to clear paths. They say they’re not sorry to lose them and that they’re easy to use. They don’t understand why I’d bring such a good knife just to chop wood, and I can’t really explain it. But I’d never carry an axe or sickle. It’s like how people prefer using expensive folding knives to peel apples rather than fruit knives.
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