Here is my humble opinion on the definition of an average person's "survival" knife..
You know, from my experience, I couldn't agree with you more about the definition of a 'survival knife' as being the one you have on you at the time of the crisis...
In my opinion there are also a lot of hype and even BS bordering on mass hysteria surrounding the catchword 'survival' today.
Though I agree that you must be prepared and master as many of these skills as possible,--what are the odds that you must "survive”?
Once you willingly go off the beaten track, you have the opportunity and responsibility to plan for your specific environment and challenges and the necessary tools to take with you.
It's then not 'SURVIVAL" any more' but merely 'rough-' or 'substance' camping [Bush crafting sound more mucho lol] with a lot of appropriate and chosen tools.
· Your car broke down in a remote area?
For the sensible traveler there ought to be a lot of emergency goodies available.
· Airplane crash?
If you are still alive afterwards you will probably not even have the luxury of a pocket knife, what with the tight security at most airports these days.
· Small plane crash or boat trip without such tight security?
Again a sensible and prepared traveler will have packed some [pocket- and other?] goodies.
I do carry a multi-tool and a good pocket knife with a lighter EDC with me for more than 30 years now, and have NEVER used it for ‘survival’, but a lot for rough camping while hunting. [And I do a lot of 'primitive' and other hunting and camping, sometimes in some very remote areas.]
For remote rough camping I only rarely use my EDC blades, because then one or the other of my (bigger) sharp and pointy tools are with me on the planned trip to do the different jobs required. (My EDC blades would also be capable to do it in a pinch, but being prepared doesn’t mean to see how much you can suffer out there....)
I do own a lot of bigger hunting/ camping/ bush crafting /bush knives/skinning tools, and I love them all, but really , the times I'm allowed to have them on me I'm merely 'hunting/camping' and not "surviving".
Yes, they all could be used as 'survival' knives if need be, but then I would most probably not be in a situation where it's the only tool that I have with me.
I would 100% agree that a 'survival' knife is the one the average person [like 99% of the people reading this now ?] daily have on your person, and it would mostly probably fall in the category of a smaller pocket/multi-tool/neck knife for most of us with a day job where we mingle with a lot of other people.
Your secondary bigger belt/hunting /bush craft/ camp/skinning knife would be for 99.9% of the time be on you only in the category of a planned or beforehand known excursion/hunt and not an EDC, due to your job or local laws etc.
(The lucky few can carry it EDC though--like PH)
I love all of my sharp, pointed tools, but this multi-million dollar 'survival' industry is also playing mind games with a lot of inexperienced well-meaning people's minds [fears?] .This topic of "best survival knife" send the focus away from the more important discussions like maybe ‘which secondary knife is best for what job or circumstances’ -and even maybe when your secondary belt knife become your primary EDC??’
There is no magic or ideal knife for all terrains, tasks, jobs etc. , and I maintain that your skills are more important than your blade...and your blade is crucial to the average person out in the back woods!
To be honest, for most of the time while "rough camping" /hunting, I could get away with only a good pocket knife......
Yep, in my opinion when the chips are down in a real unexpected, crises 'survival' situation, your 'survival' knife would be your EDC on your person and not your bigger fixed blade that would probably be the better tool for the situation, but it is at home due to your working circumstances or local laws etc....
Again, the media hype of the 'best survival knife' is most of the time a sales gimmick and very misleading, especially to the not so experienced, as I think it refer mostly to rough camping...!
Learn to use and 'survive' with your primary EDC first!!
You know, from my experience, I couldn't agree with you more about the definition of a 'survival knife' as being the one you have on you at the time of the crisis...
In my opinion there are also a lot of hype and even BS bordering on mass hysteria surrounding the catchword 'survival' today.
Though I agree that you must be prepared and master as many of these skills as possible,--what are the odds that you must "survive”?
Once you willingly go off the beaten track, you have the opportunity and responsibility to plan for your specific environment and challenges and the necessary tools to take with you.
It's then not 'SURVIVAL" any more' but merely 'rough-' or 'substance' camping [Bush crafting sound more mucho lol] with a lot of appropriate and chosen tools.
· Your car broke down in a remote area?
For the sensible traveler there ought to be a lot of emergency goodies available.
· Airplane crash?
If you are still alive afterwards you will probably not even have the luxury of a pocket knife, what with the tight security at most airports these days.
· Small plane crash or boat trip without such tight security?
Again a sensible and prepared traveler will have packed some [pocket- and other?] goodies.
I do carry a multi-tool and a good pocket knife with a lighter EDC with me for more than 30 years now, and have NEVER used it for ‘survival’, but a lot for rough camping while hunting. [And I do a lot of 'primitive' and other hunting and camping, sometimes in some very remote areas.]
For remote rough camping I only rarely use my EDC blades, because then one or the other of my (bigger) sharp and pointy tools are with me on the planned trip to do the different jobs required. (My EDC blades would also be capable to do it in a pinch, but being prepared doesn’t mean to see how much you can suffer out there....)
I do own a lot of bigger hunting/ camping/ bush crafting /bush knives/skinning tools, and I love them all, but really , the times I'm allowed to have them on me I'm merely 'hunting/camping' and not "surviving".
Yes, they all could be used as 'survival' knives if need be, but then I would most probably not be in a situation where it's the only tool that I have with me.
I would 100% agree that a 'survival' knife is the one the average person [like 99% of the people reading this now ?] daily have on your person, and it would mostly probably fall in the category of a smaller pocket/multi-tool/neck knife for most of us with a day job where we mingle with a lot of other people.
Your secondary bigger belt/hunting /bush craft/ camp/skinning knife would be for 99.9% of the time be on you only in the category of a planned or beforehand known excursion/hunt and not an EDC, due to your job or local laws etc.
(The lucky few can carry it EDC though--like PH)
I love all of my sharp, pointed tools, but this multi-million dollar 'survival' industry is also playing mind games with a lot of inexperienced well-meaning people's minds [fears?] .This topic of "best survival knife" send the focus away from the more important discussions like maybe ‘which secondary knife is best for what job or circumstances’ -and even maybe when your secondary belt knife become your primary EDC??’
There is no magic or ideal knife for all terrains, tasks, jobs etc. , and I maintain that your skills are more important than your blade...and your blade is crucial to the average person out in the back woods!
To be honest, for most of the time while "rough camping" /hunting, I could get away with only a good pocket knife......
Yep, in my opinion when the chips are down in a real unexpected, crises 'survival' situation, your 'survival' knife would be your EDC on your person and not your bigger fixed blade that would probably be the better tool for the situation, but it is at home due to your working circumstances or local laws etc....
Again, the media hype of the 'best survival knife' is most of the time a sales gimmick and very misleading, especially to the not so experienced, as I think it refer mostly to rough camping...!
Learn to use and 'survive' with your primary EDC first!!