Blade steels that are good for survival knives

There are tons of options out there, but there are some proven blade steels that are commonly used in survival knives:

1095 - This is a high carbon steel that is quite cheap, easy to sharpen and hard enough, but it can not reach a very high hardness, does not take too long and can rust at the slightest drop. It's a decent budget option if you can not afford better steel, but it's by no means the first choice for survival knives.

AUS 8 - A cheap soft stainless steel that can be relatively resilient and has good corrosion resistance, however, it quickly loses its sharpness and the tip of the knife can roll during indiscreet or stabbing tasks. Again, it does not matter if you can not afford to do better, but it's not very good.

A2 - A high carbon steel that sells at a moderate price and can have a high hardness, but is best known for its incredible hardness that makes it very tough, even if it is abused, but it rustles quite easily. It's a decent option, but since it rusts easily, it's not the best choice.

VG-10 - This is a fairly expensive rolled stainless steel, which means that there is a high hardness steel, used to get good edge retention, sandwiched between more layers of steel flexible that offer extra strength. It retains a decent advantage when used intensively, but the main problem is that the tip is likely to break during more demanding tasks because that is where the high hardness steel is exposed, which makes the fragile tip.

CPM 3V - An excellent steel that combines high tenacity and high retention of edges. It will not rust easily, and it is up for most tasks, although it is a slightly more expensive option.

Elmax - Another super-steel with excellent edge retention, high hardness and corrosion resistance, and good strength. It's a bit more expensive than the first steels on the list, but you can still find a relatively affordable Elmax knife if you look around.

CPM S30V - A modern powder-coated steel that offers incredible resistance to corrosion, making it perfect for wet climates and long rainy days, as well as high wear resistance, that is to say, endure an incredibly sharp edge. The main disadvantages are that it can be expensive and difficult to sharpen.

I strongly recommend you to save money and opt for one of the best, but the most expensive, steels on the list, because a good knife will last you for life, and you do not want to pinch them when your safety and your survival are on the line.

Good hardness

In general, you do not want to go below 58 HRC on the Rockwell scale, and some steels may have their peak chip when they hit bones or other hard materials if they have 60 HRC and more, So the 58-60 HRC The range is a good rule, especially for longer knives.

Robust construction

For a survival knife to be sturdy and robust, it must have several important features:

Full silk construction - the silk is as long and wide as the handle and is glued and pinned for optimal fit.

Wide, thick and comfortable handle - the handle is made of robust synthetic materials such as micarta or G10, some using a rubber overmold, and must hold your hand and allow you to keep a firm grip, without feeling sick 'easy. Wrapped handles look like tactics, but are very unreliable and should be avoided.

Lots of thickness - the back of the blade should be about 6mm thick, about ¼ inch, to ensure maximum strength, especially on longer blades.

With all these cutlery, we can move on.

Size and shape

This tends to be a hotly debated topic, but if you have to have one knife with you (and that's the assumption in a survival situation), it's better to have one bigger - a big knife can do all the little knife things can do, only with less precision and a little clumsily, but a small knife cannot do most things that a long knife can.

A 5-inch blade is a good total length for most tasks, but you can also go 6 to 7 inches if you prefer and have space to carry a bigger and heavier knife. A survival knife should also have a good pointed tip, and a relatively wide blade, so that the traditional drop point shape works best here. You want the back edge to be dull and flat, with relatively sharp edges so you can hit a Ferro rod and use your thumb on the back for stability during certain tasks.

A convex grinding wheel provides the strongest cutting edge, splitting wood and making feathers incredibly easy. It is also easy to sharpen. That being said, a complete flat grind and Scandi grind work very well too.

Durable sheath

People often forget the sheath, but you want to look for a thick and sturdy sheath, preferably Kydex, but the leather will work very well, although it may be affected by moisture. It is better if the sheath has pockets for a small whetstone and a Ferro rod.