Survival Knives: Hard to live without them.

The Woodman’s Pal fixed blade knife is one of those great survival knives which fulfills multiple roles. Originally designated LC-14-B, this knife has also been labeled by the U.S. military as “Survival Tool – type IV” which should say much about what a great survival knife the Woodman’s Pal is. This knife has proved its worth being standard GI issue from WWI through Desert Storm, and used as part of air crew survival kits.

The 10.5 inch high-quality carbon steel blade of this knife is ideal for clearing land when used as a machete and ax combo. With the Woodman’s Pal you’ll be chopping through branches, shrubs and small trees up to 1.5 inches in diameter with a single swing. The sickle edge also makes it easy to hack your way through dense vines and get to where you’re going, all while the knuckle-guard protects you hands. This is the survival knife to allow you blaze a trail, and clear out your campsite. You could even use this knife to help build a survival shelter if need be, preparing small trees up to 3 inches in diameter.

One look at the Woodman’s Pal also testifies to this knife as being a potential weapon. With the pointed sickle on one side and a cutting blade on the other a swing to either direction is going to inflict some serious damage. Using this knife in your blocking hand and a stabbing knife in your other would make for a formidable line-up.

One of the best things about this knife is that it is made in the good ole’ USA. Since 1941 Pro Tools Industries has been creating this survival knife out of their shop in Pennsylvania. Not only will getting the Woodman’s Pal help you flush out your survival gear, you’ll be keeping Americans working!

The best survival knife in the world has to be the Swiss Army knife.

So popular are these types of knives, that they have become a household name. And everyone knows to expect a bunch of useful blades and tools, in this one pocket knife. Although you might be able to find specialty knives that perform exceptionally well at one job, nowhere else do you find so much utility in one small package. That makes the Swiss Army knife the best survival knife for the money, and for the weight.

This particular pocket knife from Victorinox contains multiple blades of different sizes, both Phillips and Flat screwdrivers, scissors, a can opener, a bottle opener, tweezers, toothpick, wire-stripper and multi-purpose hook. The Super Tinker model Swiss Army knife is a fantastic, down to basics survival knife without a bunch of the cheesy add-ons that other brands may slap on their knives. The Super Tinker may not be able to saw through trees like some survival knives. But even the best survival knives have a hard time cutting through trees that could easily just be bent and broken.

At 3 1/2 inches this top survival knive is perfectly legal, and makes an excellent addition to your keyring. Victorinox is confident in this stainless steel product, they provide a lifetime warranty.

Moving up in size, this fixed blade survival knife from Maxam is over 14" long, and with a 7 3/4" blade is one of the longest of this type on the market. This multipurpose survival knife has some of the same features you'd find in a good Swiss Army knife, and some you won't. Two main features are the saw-back (large enough for small trees) and the mini-compass. It also comes with a slingshot, fishing line and hooks, and many other trinkets which can be carried in the hollow handle. As is, this knife could easily be placed in the trunk of your and do a good job at helping you survive in the event of an emergency.

Let's face it, all the survival knives I've run across seem to skimp on handle contents. Many of the items that come included with this Maxam knife are OK, but I don't see myself actually using the included pencil for example. Am I going to be writing many Post-It notes when the TSHF?

But the real advantage of this Maxam survival knife is the knife itself. It is a hefty size, very sturdy, and has that water-proof hollow metal handle. First of all, the hollow metal handle is great for shoving a stick into and making a spear. Beyond that, imagine all the highly useful survival items you can place in the handle for quick access. Firerods come foremost to my mind as a no-brainer prepper item to store in the handle. You could store more fishing hooks and line, water purification tabs, small tube of sanitizer for wounds, maybe some asprin, the usefulness of the hollow handle go on and on. So spending a few bucks more for your own handle contents, takes an already great knife and makes it even better!