Best Survival Knife in 2021 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

The knife is one of the most creative and useful tools. People have been relying on knives for thousands of years for countless tasks. Most of us carry knives for cutting food, opening packages, self-defense, etc.

The Best Survival Knife is the most important tool that humans use when they find themselves in an unexpected survival situation. Tell me one thing when you find yourself in life and death situation, what kind of knife would you want at your side? I think, at that time you would be happy to have any kind knife with you. Indeed, a survival knife can help you in desperate situations. It helps you in cutting bandages, cutting kindling and firewood, cleaning fish, opening cans, building a rudimentary shelter, Dressing Wounds, and helping you start a fire. Therefore, it is essential to choose the right survival knife; after all, it is a matter of life and death. Every person has different preferences when choosing the correct survival knife. In this article, I am going to analyze the top the best survival knife 2021 for you. So that you can easily choose the best knife that meets your needs. Let’s begin the journey of review.

Quick Comparison of Best Survival Knife in 2021:

Detail Reviews of Best Survival Knife in 2021:

1. KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife:

The Ka-Bar is making knives innovative and high-quality knives since 1898. They follow unique manufacturing processes and testing standards that ensure corrosion, edge holding ability, strength, and razor-sharp cutting edge, etc. The Ka-Bar USMC fighting knife is one of the legendary blades that stand against any challenging situation, made in the USA.

You can rely on a USMC fighting knife because it comes with a 1095 carbon steel blade that is epoxy powder coated and a stacked leather handle. It is ideal to consider for gift-giving, celebrating a military anniversary or retirement to showcase the pride. The blade is durable and sharp. Therefore, it is an icon in the world of knives.

The USMC fighting knife also comes with a durable, rugged, sturdy, and protective leather Sheath. That means you can easily carry the knife and keep the blade sharp. Due to its super fantastic features, the USMC fighting knife gains popularity around the world. It comes with an 11.875-inch overall length with a 7-inch straight-edge blade and 0.7 oz weight.

Its stacked leather handle perfectly fits in the user’s hand and does not slip when it is wet. The handle also gives excellent control and a balanced grip over the knife. In short, it is the first choice of many people who carry it as their knife. The Ka-Bar offers a manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty on defective products. The price of this item is around 90$.

2. Schrade SCHF9 12.1in High Carbon Steel Fixed Blade Knife:

The Schrade SCHF9 Fixed Blade Knife is the best survival knife that mostly used for camping, hunting, fishing, and self-defense. The features of the SCHF9 knife make cutting tasks easier. Its sharp blade is made of reliable 1095 high carbon steel. It is full tang design knife that gives full confidence to the user when holding it.

One of the great features of this knife is that the blade will not slip when the handle is wet. It is a secure and safe knife because of its front quillon, thumb jimping, and finger choil. It comes with a black, ring textured thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) handle with a lanyard hole.

It will never disappoint you in a challenging situation. It has 12.1-inch (30.7 cm) overall length, 6.4-inch (16.3 cm) blade length, and 15.7 oz weight. It also comes with a convenient ballistic belt sheath with a removable storage pouch that makes it ideal for everyday carry. In the journey, having an easy and quick accessible knife is one of the blessings.

You can rely on this knife because the Schrade introduces dependable, high quality, and fine craftmanship knives. Their professional series of products manufactured with premium materials and built for a lifetime. They offer the manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty against defective products. The price of this item is around 49$.

3. Condor Tool & Knife, Bushlore Camp Knife:

The Condor Tool & Knife is proudly introducing trustworthy knives that are perfect for any outdoor adventures. They have an amazing history back to 1787, the year Gerb Weyesburg Company was found in Solingen, Germany. Whether you are camping, hiking, fishing, executing bushcraft, or any other activities, the Bushslore survival knife is the strong performing companion you need.

It is the most demanding knife in the market. Its features justify its value. It is complete with a blasted satin finish that is achieved by sand or bead blasting the exposed metal portion of the blade. Its blade is made of 1075 high carbon steel that is built for performance and durability. You can rely on this knife.

The CTK232-4.3HC Bushsloer Survival Knife’s hardwood handle provides a classic look, and the scales are held securely by two brass rivets. It comes with a 100% leather sheath that gives easy accessibility, and the user can easily carry the knife. It has 4.3125 inches’ blade length, 5 inches handle length, and 0.80 lbs weight. One thing you should keep in mind before purchasing CTK232-4HC Bushslorer kindly familiarizes yourself with the accurate state and local regulation by contacting your local police dept, legal counsel, or attorney general’s office.

As a buyer, you are responsible for understanding local, state, and federal laws before placing an order. The Condor Tool & Knife offer a limited lifetime warranty on their every product. It does not put a hole in your wallet, which means it is the best budget survival knife. The price of this item is around 100$.

4. Kershaw Blur Black (1670BLK) Everyday Carry Pocketknife:

Kershaw is one of the dominating manufacturers in the folding pocket knife market. They produce high-quality, high performance, incredible working tools, and knives at a reasonable rate. The company patent and expertly design award-winning technologies and uses premium quality materials to creative craft and engineer fast action, durable, and trustworthy knife. You can rely on this brand. If you are looking for great quality and best performer survival knife, then you need to check out the features of the Kershaw Blur Black 1670BLK folding knife.

It is the best folding survival knife because its drop point blade is made with Sandvik 14C28N Steel with increased nitrogen in the formula for incredible corrosion resistance and hardness. You know what? With a big and slightly recurved blade ideal for multitasking. It provides astonishing slicing and piercing capabilities. That means it can tackle tough jobs.

The 14C28N steel blade ensures edge sharpness, edge stability, and edge retention. One of the great features of this knife is its SpeedSafe Assisted Opening mechanism that makes for easy, safe, and ambidextrous one-handed opening. Its reversible pocket clip makes storing the pocketknife a breeze and makes it easy to pull from the pocket. It comes with a durable handle that made with anodized aluminum that provides the knife attractive, unique color, nice, solid feel to the knife without making the knife heavy.

The Trac-Tec Inserts that provide outstanding friction for a non-slip on a Kershaw Knife’s handle scales. Therefore, its handle comes with extreme gripping capabilities, and texture is soft enough that securely fits in the user’s hand. Its Thumbstud perfectly placed for accessibility and easy opening with just the push of a thumb. The Kershaw offers a limited lifetime warranty on defective products. The price of this knife is around 63$.

5. KA-BAR BKR7-BRK Combat Utility:

The KA-BAR BKR7-BRK Combat Utility is the best survival knife due to its enhanced features. It is an outstanding package for travelers, field soldiers, and people who go for the outdoor for adventures. Its drop point blade is made of 1095 Cro-Van Steel that can deal with various jobs without trouble or hesitation.

It is a lightweight and super strong knife that is mainly designed for rough activities. The blade is easy to sharpen and coated to prevent rusting. It has a wide handle that perfectly fits in hand and allows a user to exert plenty of pressure while cutting the material. Its handle is made of durable material Grivory that ensures the handle is non-slippery, even when it is wet.

The KA-BAR BKR7-BRK Combat Knife’s blade can be used for splitting, cutting, or piercing. It has 12-3/4-inch overall length, 20® shape edge angles, 0.188 blade thickness, 16.1-inch length, 4.8-inch width, 2.6-inch height, and 0.85-pound weight. It is ideal for battles.

It is a perfect companion if you are in a challenging situation; a survival knife is one tool that helps you to overcome such situations. It comes with a nylon sheath for easy to carry knife. The KA-BAR offers a limited lifetime warranty on defective products. Investing in this survival knife model will save you from to carry multiple knives. The price of this survival knife is around 84$.

6. Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife, Serrated Edge:

The Gerber uses high-quality material and produces sturdy, reliable, and durable knives. The Gerber Prodigy survival knife [22-41121] is one of the best performer knives that never disappoint a user in any situation. Due to its useful features, it is the most demanding knife in the market. It is ideal for hunting, camping, fishing, and self-defense.

It comes with a 420HC stainless steel blade with a black oxide finish that prevents the blade from rust. Its textured over-molded soft-grip ensures a secure grip. That means the handle of the knife is comfortable, and the user does not experience fatigue while using it. Its leg strap and two additional attachment straps for added security.

It has a serrated edge that can be the difference between surviving and succumbing to the elements. It is an exceptionally well-balanced and compatible knife designed to handle many different situations. When you are in a challenging situation in the camping, hunting, or outdoor activities, it can hasten the harvesting of materials for creating an emergency shelter.

It has a 9.75-inch overall length, 4.7-inch-long blade, and 7.2 Oz weight. Its Tanto blade designed for piercing and serrated edge designed for quick sawing. It also comes with a versatile sheath that provides multiple carry methods to the user. Gerber offers a manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty on defective products. The price of this item is around 54$.

7. Gerber Freeman Guide Folding Knife, Fine Edge:

Gerber is a reliable company founded in 1939 and based in Portland, Oregon, USA. It is an American brand whose products globally supplied. They dedicatedly introduce innovative knives and tools that fulfill users’ needs. Geber Freeman [31-000591] is the best folding survival knife extensively used hunters, soldiers, tradesmen, etc.

It comes with great quality, reliability, innovative design that provide confidence to a user while holding it in hand and solve the problem of cutting material. Its drop point blade is made of high-quality stainless steel material that stands against many tasks.

Its lightweight handle gives incredible control over the knife. The large Finger Grooves provide comfort and security to the user while cutting the material, and the TacHide Overmold gives a secure grip in any environment. It has a full fine edge blade or Gut hook, and liner lock provides safe and secure cutting activities. Its features make the Freeman Guide Folder knife smartest choice of the hunters.

It comes with a high-quality nylon sheath with wear-resistant provides easy to carry methods. It has an 8.1-inch open length, 4.5-inch closed length, 3.6-inch blade length, and 6.6 oz weight. People who want a reliable knife that is lightweight, Gerber Freeman Folding knife is the best consideration for them. The Gerber offers a limited lifetime warranty on their every product. The price of this item is around 22$.

8. Gerber LMF II Survival Knife, Black [22-01629]:

The Gerber LMF II Survival Knife [22-01629] was engineered by former military man Jeff Freeman. It was field-tested with troops that ensure it can stand up to rigorous emergencies. It is one of the top-rated survival knives that comes with great features. It is originally designed to free an aircrew from a downed aircraft. It is tough enough to cut through the fuselage of an aircraft. It has a purposeful break the tang and the butt cap that provide protection against stray wires and absorb any shock from hammering.

Its sharp blade is made of 420HC stainless steel that makes the knife durable and rust-resistant. It comes with a comfortable and balanced handle that is made of Glass-filled nylon with TPV overmold. The handle provides a strong and secure grip to the user and gets control over the knife.

It is one of resilience, resourceful, and versatile knife that can withstand sticky situations and life-saving applications. It has a 10.59-inch overall length, 4.84-inch blade length, and 11.67 oz weight. It also comes with a sheath that is made of ballistic nylon with a fire retardant coating. It is specially designed for survival during even the worst conditions.

It is the perfect companion that always with you when you need it the most. Its sharp serrated blade can be used in all situations, whether you want to cut firewood, preparation of food, or build a shelter. The Gerber offers a limited lifetime warranty on every product. The price of this item is around 72$.

9. Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife:

The Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife is the best survival knife that comes with various features. It is an iconic survival knife that can resist any challenging situation. It has been accompanying members of the US Armed Forced for Generations. It is designed to save lives. Its blade is made of 1095 carbon steel with a rust-proof zinc phosphate wrap up.

It comes with a leather handle that gives a comfortable and secure grip, so you do not need to worry about safety, even using it in heavy-duty applications. The 5-inch sharp Parkerized blade with a serrated top edge has enough capability to deal with any survival situation. It is an excellent option for those people who carry a knack for hunting, camping, and any other survival adventure.

One of the greatest benefits of having Ontario 499 Air Force survival knife is its sharp edges can cut through more or less anything. A user can cut the wood for shelter with its sharp blade. It has a 9.5-inch overall length, 5-inch blade length, 0.18-inch blade thickness, and 9.9-ounce weight.

The interesting thing is it has two holes in the cross guard of the blade that allows the user to tie the knife with a rope to make some cordage. For more convenience, it comes with a sheath that is made with premium quality leather with a splendid and eye-catching design that keeps the fixed-blade knife and provides a pocket for securing it. Ontario offers a limited lifetime warranty on their defective products. It is the best budget survival knife. The price of this item is around 50$.

10. Gerber LMF II Survival Knife, Black [22-01629]:

The Gerber introduces military-inspired, rugged, fixed survival knives. The Gerber LMF II Survival Knife is the best survival knives of all time and any situation. Its features attract a person to add it in their survival knife collection. It is originally designed to free an aircrew from a downed aircraft. The Gerber LMS II knife is field-tested that ensures it meets all safety standards.

Its 10-inch serrated knife constructed with 420HC stainless steel that makes it sturdy and durable. The blade is tough enough to cut through the fuselage of an aircraft. For safety, it has purposefully break between the tang and the butt cap, providing isolated protection against stray wires and absorbing any shock from hammering.

The design of the knife makes it perfect for camping, hunting, self-defense, fishing, and survival. Its Glass-filled nylon with TPV overmold handle provides comfortable, balance, and stable grip. It has two holes to convert it into a spear, and a hole at the end for a lanyard. It also comes with Ballistic nylon with fire retardant coating.

The sheath smartly designed that keeps its edge for a long time. When you are on a budget, it is the best option for you. Gerber offers a limited lifetime warranty on every product. The price of this item is around 73$.

Buyer’s Guide for Best Survival Knife:

Hunters, campers, and backpackers love to carry a survival knife. Most people keep the knife for self-defense and survival. The best survival knife helps a person in life and death situations. A knife comes with multiple unique features, and every blade has a different purpose. They are different from each other. Therefore, the purpose of a knife matters a lot when you are buying a knife. In the market, you have a lot of options to choose from. Some people get confused when it comes to choosing a perfect survival knife because they do not gather proper information before selecting a knife. There are essential factors that need to consider buying a durable survival knife. In this segment, I am going to share the best survival knife guide that will inform you of what you must check in the knife before buying it. Without wasting time, let’s start the review about what factors define the best survival knife or what factors need to take into consideration.

Your Intended use:

It is a first and foremost factor that people should clear themselves before buying a survival knife. One thing keeps in mind the choice of survival knife depends on what is the purpose that you are going to use it for. Different blades perform best on specific tasks. Therefore, it is essential to make sure how you will be using your blade so you can select a knife that perfectly suitable and satisfy you. If you do not want to end up buying a useless knife, then you should wisely decide your intended use.

Decide types of the knife:

It is another factor that you should clear yourself before buying a survival knife. You should decide what kind of knife do you want. In the market, the survival knife comes in different types of knives. You have multiple options include a Fixed blade knife, an Assisted opening knife, or a multi-tool knife. Each type of knife comes with different features like a folding knife that is easy to carry due to its folding feature. In an emergency, a firm-fixed blade knife mostly prefers because it is hassle-free to deploy, and it can save you immediately. For multiple purposes, you also have a multi-tool knife that comes with various tools in a single knife. Now, it is up to your preferences and needs.

Blade material:

It is one of the essential factors that need extra attention while buying a survival knife. Keep in mind the blade material determines the knife durability, resistibility, and versatility. Survival knives are constructed with different materials. The blade which is made of steel consider durable, but you know what? There are two types of steel used to manufacture blade include stainless steel and carbon steel.
Remember one thing; carbon steel contains few amounts of carbon in it that make the knife stronger and more durable. Carbon steel blades are easy to sharpen, and these come with better edge retention. One of the disadvantages of carbon steel material is it can rust quickly, and the rusty blade does not use for cutting food, but the blade still cut through stuff.
On the other hand, stainless steel material is rust or corrosion-resistant. The blade that is made of stainless steel, it will work perfectly in dirty and wet conditions. The stainless steel blade is the best consider for preparing food in the wild. One of the disadvantages of a stainless steel blade is it will get dull too quickly and tough to sharpen. So, think wisely and choose the best material blade knife that withstands last longer and incredibly perform the cutting tasks.

Length of blade:

It is another factor that you should keep in mind when buying a survival knife. For your better understanding, an optimal knife range between 3 and 5 inches. If you choose a blade length between these ranges, then you can enjoy your task and handle tougher tasks without any trouble, but it is not possible with a shorter blade. Keep in mind; a long blade knife can be challenging to handle for some people. The expert suggested that choose a blade that is around 4-inch-long, which is perfect considering for camping.

Design of Blade:

It is the most crucial factor that needs extra attention when buying a survival knife. Keep in mind, whenever you choose a knife based on design, then you will need to consider the type of the edge. Either you can choose a fine edge or serrated edge. It is totally up to you. Always remember one thing, a fine edge blade is highly versatile. Before selecting a fine edge blade, you should make sure that it is sharp enough to handle hard situations. On the other hand, a serrated edge is the best option considered for cutting rope, wood, and bones, and many other hard materials. One of the drawbacks of the serrated edge blade is that it is difficult to sharpen. You should check the blade point. It can be a drop point, needlepoint, and clip point. So, according to your task requirement, choose a blade design.

Material & design of the handle:

It is one of the essential points that cannot be ignored at any cost. Before buying a survival knife, you should adequately check the material & design of the handle. One thing keeps in mind; a good handle should be ergonomic and comfortable to use. You have a lot of options you can choose from include rubber, wood, metal, plastic. Before selecting a knife, you should ensure that the handle comes with a crossguard or a handguard. By this, your hand will not slip while using a knife. You need to choose a survival knife that has a comfortable handle that perfectly fits in your hand and gives better control over the knife.

Important FAQs:

Conclusion:

Indeed, to get the right survival knife, people need to think wisely and read the best survival knife 2021 review articles, then they will able to make a good choice. This review article has captured a lot of essential details that will help you to find the perfect survival knife for your camping, hunting, fishing, self-defense, or survival situations. I have comprehensive analyze the top of the best survival knives that are most demanding in the market and have positive reviews. Above mention, survival knife models are the best; you will also find the best survival knife according to your budget and need.