This is the standard swiss army basic pocket knife that has been used and loved for generations. Many boy scouts can proudly say this is one of the first knives they received when starting on their scouting journey.
The benefit of any swiss army knife is they are so much more than a knife, even with this basic model which comes with six total tools. It includes a blade, a nail file, screwdriver, scissors, toothpick and tweezer.
The knife is really compact and can be placed in your pocket or attached to a key chain so it is always ready for use.
You also get Victorinox's lifetime limited warranty to protect against any defects in craftsmanship.
The Elite Forces Survival Bowie Knife is a mean looking all around survival knife. It comes in at around 7.25" blade length and is made from AUS8 steel so it will not rust as AUS8 is stainless steel. The handle is made from Kraton much like the Fallkniven survival knives, which is a molded finish which is durable and very grippy when wet so the knife will not slip out of your hands.
Other names retails refer to this knife as:
Elite Forces Survival Bowie Knife - this is the main product name where you can find it online
Elite Forces Hunting Survival Bowie Knife - this is the same knife but some retailers ad the hunting part into the title to appeal to the hunting/survival niche
Elite Forces Military Survival Bowie Knife - again this is the same knife but retails will modify the title to say military to attract the military/armed forces individuals
Elite Forces Survival Bowie Knife Reviews
The reviews on this knife are for the most part positive on Amazon there are over one hundred 5 star reviews. The main thing people like about the knife is its durability, non slip handle, stainless steel construction so it is easy to keep from rusting even in wet environments.
Another benefit is the Zytel sheath which is durable, and won't let you down. Many higher end knife makers use Zytel for their sheaths as it is tried and true.
Check out this article about the Top 3 Survival Knives Under $150 where you can find out the quality knives that you can depend on without breaking the bank.
The Fallkniven F1 survival knife is a great all around knife. It is a compact, yet robust knife that comes razor sharp from the factory. Many people say if they could only own a single survival knife it would be the Fallkniven F1. One thing to point out is you need to be careful where you purchase one, there are a number of fake Fallkniven F1 that are simply a copy of the real thing. These are listed on Ebay mostly. If you want to see what a fake Fallkniven copy add looks like on Ebay you can click the link below:
Overall my biggest tip is if the price on Ebay looks too good to be true it probably is!
Here is a video review of the F1 that will answer many of your questions about the survival knife:
Common questions about the Fallkniven F1:
1) Question: How do you sharpen the Fallkniven F1?
Answer: The Fallkniven F1 is a convex grind, there are a number of methods you can use to sharpen a convex ground knife. You can sharpen with automotive sandpaper and mouse pad or Fallkniven recommends that you use the Fallkniven DC4 and make small circular motions with the DC4 which will keep the convex shape to the grind as you sharpen.
2) Question: Can you use the Fallkniven F1 to baton?
Answer: Yes you can. Batoning should be a normal function of a survival knife. Unfortunately, Fallkniven considers batoning as "abuse" and will not cover damage from this under warranty. Just something to keep in mind.
3) Is the Fallkniven F1 sharp out of the box?
Answer: Yes it is very sharp out of the box, one of the only convex grind production knife makers out their that ship knives very sharp.
4) Is the Fallkniven F1 too heavy to carry hiking?
Answer: I hike but I am not extreme in going overly light weight. I would say there is a perfect balance of light weight, durability and usability with the F1.
Some Other Knives Your May Be Interested In: ESEE Camp Lore Knives - This is a new line of knives from ESEE which feature the same respected lifetime warranty.
Kabar Becker Machax - This is a great survival knife it is a kukri style knife that you can do a lot with. One of the most versatile blades.
The Buck 55 Folding Hunter knife is based on the timeless design of the Buck Folding 110 Hunter, but smaller in size. Perfect for an everyday carry type of knife. It isn't as large so it is easy to carry and go unnoticed by others.
The blade length is 2 3/8" making it long enough to be useful for most applications, but not too long where it is cumbersome. The blade is made from 420HC stainless steel, which will provide tarnishing resistance and minimize the chance of rusting.
The Folding Hunter has a natural wood grain handle with brass pins and accents that make it a very functional but appealing looking knife.
It is made in the USA and has Buck's legendary warranty.
The Tom Brown Tracker survival knife is the largest knife in the Tom Brown lineup. It is made of 1/4" 1095 high carbon steel and has a 7 inch blade with a 6 inch handle for an overall length of 13 inches.
It comes with a high quality kydex sheath that is extremely tough and durable. The sheath is made to carry in "scout" style which will usually be most comfortable carried across the belt line on the small of your back. There are numerous leather sheath makers that will make other style sheaths as well for you.
Saying this is a unique knife design is an understatement it takes a little while to get used to as it has different functions for different sections of the knife. No fear though Tops provides and instruction book that goes over what the different uses for the design features are.
Sharpening the Tom Brown Tracker can be a little tricky, many people use a combination of a diamond round rod and a diamond/ceramic stone like the DC4 to sharpen a convex grind.
The Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife is a great beginner knife for teens or young adults. Being endorsed by Bear Grylls who is a survival expert and TV personality that teens can identify with and many admire him.
The knife itself is produced by Gerber a well respective knife company that has been around for years. While in recent years they have had a few safety recalls on their machetes and knives it is good to see the company stands behind their product and works hard to make things right. Not to mention ensure the safety of their customers.
The knife comes with an orange and black handle with the Bear Grylls and Gerber logo. It also comes with a fire steel and basic survival booklet. The molded rubber handle is very grippy which ensures a good grip even when wet.
The Kabar-Becker Machax also known as the BK4 is a great survival knife, I recently had a chance to use one and I have to saw I wasn't sure what I thought at first but now I see why so many people rave about the design. It is basically a mini Kukri style knife. The weight is distributed forward by the recurve in the blade. This allows a relatively light knife to be a decent chopper.
1) fixed full tand blade - this allows for a high quality durable knife that can take a beating and still keep going.
2) 1095 Cro-Van Steel - this steel is high quality carbon steel, it is durable yet easy to sharpen
3) Grivory handle scales - Grivory is a durable handle material that Kabar uses on most of it's Becker designed knives, you can buy after market micarta scales as well.
4) 9 3/16" blade that comes in just over 14" in overall length - this makes the knife on the larger side but no so large that it is hard or clumsy to use.
Where Can You Get The Kabar Machax:
You can find good deals on used knives on Ebay as well as both used and new Kabar Machax's on Amazon.com
