I was recently at one of the major outdoor retailers and picked up a nice fixed blade knife to add to my main survival pack. It got me thinking about the importance of having a good knife when out in the wilderness.

I remember a while back, I made the assumption that a “Survival Knife” had to be something like what Rambo carried with him … a hollow handle that had some basic essentials stored inside. Although a good concept, I soon realized that it was not necessarily the best tool I could have … mainly because of it’s construction.

A Rambo style knife is very dependent on on small locking pin in the handle to keep the blade mounted. Imagine being in a survival situation, you are using your survival knife to either prepare your shelter or dig food from inside of a plant and that little pin breaks. Your knife now has just become a less efficient, and a personally dangerous tool to use.

With that in mind, does that hollow handle provide a strong enough benefit that outweighs the risk of a tool failure?

Back to my recent knife purchase. I picked up a solid full shank 5 1/4″ blade knife with an ergonomic handle. I wanted a tool that was going to hold up to most jobs that I could put to it. I did not want to have to worry about the blade separating from the handle when there was a desperate need that could be the deciding factor between my survival’s success or failure.

I am sure the Rambo style knives have their place. I still have mine … I just don’t put my entire trust in it. Now, I have a nice solid knife, accompanied by my pocket knife, for when I am out.

If you are out looking for the knife you need, keep in mind that the quality of the tool you own is very much Dependant on what you pay for it. If you spend $20 on a tool, don’t expect it to perform like a $60 or $130 tool.

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