What To Look For
A survival knife has several purposes including the ability to cut animals or plants for food, use as a fork and to cut wood for cooking. Fordable, pocket survival knives are beneficial for travel. Look for knives that offer a sharp blade, sturdy handle and knife and are constructed of strong metals such as steel, tungsten and titanium. The knives come with both a straight and serrated cutting edge. Galt Tech recommends the Leatherman Steens foldable survival knife because it performs well in survival situations. This blade has a rotating head for safety reasons and a stainless steel blade. Survival Gear Guide.com recommends several brands of knives for their superior performance and quality construction including the Benchmade Griptilian, the Kershaw Boa and the SOG Tomcat 3.0.
Common Pitfalls
One problem with foldable survival knives is that they do not perform as well as larger knives. Most foldable pocket knives have blades less than 3 inches long. The blade is useful in camping situations. Typically, survival pocket knives do not have to be expensive to perform well in survival or camping situations.
Where To Buy
Because of the nature of the knife, some retailers cannot sell the knives online because they can be considered weapons. However, most pocket knives are small enough to be legally shipped through the mail. Sporting goods store REI offers several brands and models of survival pocket knives designed with features for a variety of uses. Sports Authority also has a large selection of survival knives. These retailers sell well-known brands of knives including Swiss Army, Leatherman, Smith's, Benchmade, Columbia River and Kershaw.
Cost
Expect to pay somewhere from $50 to $200 for a quality pocket survival knife as of 2010. The type of material for the blade and handle, the size of the knife and any additional features will affect the price. The Leatherman Steens pocket knife costs about $120. The Benchmade Griptilian costs about $80. The Kershaw Boa costs between $70 and $80. The SOG Tomcat 3.0. costs between $150 to $200, depending on the retailer.
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