Which is the BEST Survival Knife?

Longer video about knives. The short version is that in today’s world most of us just don’t carry a fixed blade on daily basis. A pocket knife is simply more realistic and in that category a multitool such as the Leatherman Wave or the fancier Charge is likely the best overall tool a typical person can carry all day.

Having said that, if you have a fixed blade, which one is the best? Not an easy question to answer but I take a shot at it in the video.

My conclusion is that while small scandi grind knives are great and larger machetes are fantastic tools, likely something in between is the right answer. Even then, larger blades, when realistically capable of carrying, can do more and are just better for most taks.

FerFAL

Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

What makes a BAD Knife?

Quick and Easy Improvised Stove!

15 Items to Carry in your EDC Bag

Bags:
Wenger backpack https://amzn.to/2S2MxKk
Saddleback Leather Briefcase https://amzn.to/2tu1HOH
Polare Leather Briefcase (similar to the Saddleback Briefcase, but cheaper) https://amzn.to/2toa8ed

Items Listed:
1)Multitool (Leatherman Wave)https://amzn.to/2tnThs0
2)Knife (Glock Survival Knife) https://amzn.to/2rYm5a9
3)Flashlight (Zebralight H53W AA) https://amzn.to/38Ot1Hx
4)Water Bottle (Klean Kanteen) https://amzn.to/35za5e2
5)Small First Aid Kit (Protect Life) https://amzn.to/2Q1t7Dk
6)Tourniquet (Recon-Milspec)https://amzn.to/2YW8rRb
7)Celox Gauze https://amzn.to/34rA5GR
8)Sabre Red Pepper Gel https://amzn.to/2LZMJq7
9)Power bank (Anker)https://amzn.to/2EowG0T
10)Notebook and Pen https://amzn.to/2Z27neC https://amzn.to/2qXXsKe
11)Spare magazine/speedloader
12)Lighter (Bic) https://amzn.to/34s6zR7
13)Kleanex
14)Hand Sanitizer (Purell) https://amzn.to/2EoBSlo
15)Paracord 550 https://amzn.to/2PUU4bz
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Joe Wolek replies to post: "American tourist stabbed 10 times in La Boca, Buenos Aires"

Police officer Luis Chocobar

Joe Wolek, the American tourist stabbed in Buenos Aires replied to my post "American tourist stabbed 10 times in La Boca, Buenos Aires"

Message from Joe Wolek:

I just came across this upon looking for info on the event that changed my life as I prepare to head back to Argentina for the court case against my surviving attacker and the officer who came to my rescue. I am Frank Joe Wolek who was stabbed in La Boca. I just want to clarify a few things. Yes, La Boca can be dangerous, but so can any place. This could have happened to me in just about any city in the world if I had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is still many great places and people in La Boca. Second, and most important, it really angers me that immediately people think that I was threatened. That is not the case. I was attacked, immediately. There was not threat with the knife as in saying, “Give us your stuff or we’ll stab you!” It was immediate and from behind. In that situation there is nothing to do but try and fight back. It is instinctual. All of this happened in 10 seconds or less. It was only when I actually saw the blade coming out of my body and blood spurting did I totally realize what was happening, and at that point the shock made me freeze and release. For some reason people always think there is an initial threat at a robbery. Even the police and the courts in Argentina still fall back on this belief in my case as if that is how a robbery always takes place. I am certain if there had been an initial threat, and therefore a decision to be made, I would have done the correct thing. Here there was not, and when one is surprised attacked from behind there is nothing else to do but fight back, it is the bodies instinct pure and simple and takes a moment for logic to come into play…
-

Hello Joe,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

I’m sorry you had to go through such a terrible situation. I remember reading about it when it happened, how the doctors miraculously saved your life. As you may probably be aware of, Matthew Gibbard, a British tourist, was recently killed in Puerto Madero during a robbery attempt outside his hotel. In January this year Swedish tourist Christoffer Persson was shot in the leg during another robbery. He survived thanks to a woman that was passing by that applied a tourniquet using her tshirt but due to the severity of the wound his right leg was amputated below his knee.

About my post regarding your attack, I didn’t mean to offend you in any way. I’ve seen similar situations happen right in front of me several times in Buenos Aires. As you well explain, there’s no warning, no interaction of any kind, they just snatch and if they don’t get it in their first attempt they simply attack the victim. Sometimes even if they do, they attack you still out of pure cruelty.
I’m sorry to hear that that the police and courts in Argentina are acting this way but unfortunately I am not surprised. They always try to blame the victim, or at least imply it partially. “He resisted…” is one of their tricks so as to make it sound that way. In reality its people being attacked and caught completely by surprise, as you well say, not resisting but “freezing” due to the complete shock and surprise of the attack.

Things are not looking good at all in Argentina, especially now with the “new” old people back in power who are well known for being “garantistas”, always blaming the victim. I’m sure you’re aware of the ordeal and persecution suffered by the police officer that shot your attacker, Luis Chocobar, accused of murder, for shooting the man that stabbed you. In any other normal country Chocobar would receive a medal and considered a hero, but Argentina is just hopeless and keeps embarrassing us.

Again, I’m sorry for what you had to go through and please accept my apologies if anything I said sounded in any way offensive, it certainly wasn’t my intention. In this website we try to learn from these situations, see what could have been done better or at least try to learn to avoid these situations to some extent, but we also know very well that its easy to look at these cases from the comfort of our homes while sipping tea and not caught by surprise by a vicious criminal in the middle of the day.
Kind regards,

-Fernando

Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

TMS Podcast #1 - Matt Bracken

For my Podcast #1 I had the great pleasure of talking to retired United States Navy SEAL, novelist and overall awesome guy, Matt Bracken. Matt is the author of "The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun", "Castigo Cay", the "Enemies" trilogy.

You can buy Matt Bracken's books and check out his work at:
http://enemiesforeignanddomestic.com/
Or on Amazon:
The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun https://amzn.to/34dmra4
Castigo Cay https://amzn.to/2RNIMsj
Enemies Foreign and Domestic https://amzn.to/2RModfF

10 Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Preppers and Survivalists

Street Survival Skills $21.95
Pretty confident about this one, my latest book “Street Survival Skills”. It explains in detail plenty of valuable, practical real-world skills. Even those that have been into preparedness for a long time will find useful information, no doubt. It also covers the basics for newbies and gets them started in the right direction. Check my video review.

LEATHERMAN - Charge Plus $139.95
The Leatherman Charge is in my opinion the best multitool money can buy and I haven’t found anything better yet even if some favor the Surge. Anyway, fantastic multitool and the Wave is basically the same thing but more budget friendly. Even more affordable and still great Leatheman multool, go with the Sidekick or the tiny PS4.

Victorinox Manager $29.16
I’ve been using this little guy for about a year now and even though I keep proper multiool and folder in my pocket this tiny tool always comes in handy. Great tool for someone that isnt much into preparedness and doesn’t see themselves carrying anything, yet its there in the keychain, always ready.

Olight S1R II 1000 Lumens $69.95
The S1R II is compact, fits in the pocket and recharges with a magnetic contact which is pretty convenient.

Cold Steel SRK Fixed 6" Blade Knife $51.41

The SRK is as solid as knife designs go. Used by the Navy SEALS and soldiers around the world, you can’t go wrong with Cold Steel’s Survival Rescue Knife. The size hits that ideal not too big not too small. Somewhat similar to a short Kabar blade geometry but with a tougher construction.

Taser Pulse with Laser, LED, 2 Live Cartridges $334.95

The Taser Pulse uses the same Taser technology used for law enforcement, but in a concealed carry weapon format. Works just like the old Taser, meaning that besides shootings the darts and automatically discharging for 30 seconds, it also works as a stun gun pressing the muzzle against an attacker. The safety on the side activates a laser and LED light and it has a low battery indicator. These are now also legal in New York.

SABRE RED Pepper Gel - Police Strength $12.99

Pepper Spray is cheap, its compact and what’s most important, it WORKS. In my experience it also makes a highly appreciated gift that doesn’t break the bank and it may one day safe a friend or loved one.

Glock OEM Field Knife 6.5" $24.99
In my opinion the best survival knife for the money. 1095 steel at 55 HRC, 6.5” of combat/survival steel, Made in Austria. Get one if you don’t have one already, also a great gift for any outdoors, survivalist or firearms enthusiast.

SOS Food Labs SOScin1pk S.O.S. Rations Emergency 3600 Calorie $7.82

These rations work well for BOB, 72hs Kits, Get Home Bags, etc. They last for several years, a lot less bulky and cheaper than MRE. Not much in terms of food, think of it as fuel to keep you going. No need to cook or any other type of food preparation.

Glock 19X CO2 Blowback .177 $99.99
Not the real thing but close enough. Glock licensed BB made by Umarex, 18 shot magazine. Glock just came up with the Glock 44 in 22LR, says its for fun and plinking… bet it’s a nice gun but you know what? 1)BB is MUCH cheaper than 22LR 2) You can use it for plinking and practice in your back yard 3) Still capable of killing rats and other tiny pests with a fresh CO2 cartridge.  I have a Glock 19 BB and absolutely love that thing. Would make a hell of a gift for a kid too (as long as he wears eye protection and doesnt “shoot his eye out”)
I’ll keep an eye out and post any deals worth mentioning that I come across. These are of course all from Amazon, and we earn a small percentage on some of the sales made through Amazon Affiliate links, which is much appreciated and helps with the channel.
Thake care!
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Mora vs Glock: Which one is the Best Survival Knife?

Mora Bushcraft Black: The Premium Version of the Mora Companion

6 Things to Look for in a Survival Knife

With so many options available, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of choices when looking for a good survival knife. Every company out there swears by their own product and the commonly used marketing tricks don’t help in making an objective, practical decision.

So what do you want to take into consideration when buying a survival knife?

1) Design. Is the shape of the tool adequate for the purpose it is intended for? The blade geometry, how long, thin and narrow blade is, how thick is the stock used, the bevels, it all should make sense in relation to the intended use of the knife. Is it a carving tool, a piercing weapon, a utilitarian sharp prybar?  In my experience this is the hardest thing to achieve: An overall sound design with a blade geometry that is well suited for its intended purpose. The more broad that intended purpose is, and that’s often the case with survival knives, the harder it is to nail it with a blade shape that will perform well for most potential applications.

2) Quality. A Knife may be of sound design but if the materials used are of poor quality or if the execution is mediocre it won’t be of much use.  People new to knives often obsess over what steel the blade is made of. In reality, with modern steel this is for the most part an academic discussion and for most practical uses, even the more affordable steels, both stainless and carbon steels, will perform adequately as long as they are properly heat treated. Having said that, the difference between steels does exist and in some cases the extra toughness, edge retention and ease of sharpening is worth the higher price of premium steels for some people.

3) Handle. The knife may be well designed, well-crafted out of the finest materials but if the handle just doesn’t “fit” you then it will perform poorly in your hands. The handle is an extremely personal part of the knife. Some handles just work well for most people’s hands. The swell in the handle of a Glock knife, the typical machete handle, these are time proven designs. But still, either because your hand is too big, or too small, or it just so happens to close around a handle a bit different, it just may not fit you as well. In general you want comfortable, grippy yet durable materials and you don’t want any aggressive patterns that chaff the skin or cause hot spots.

ESEE Knives 4P Fixed Blade Knife w/Handle and Molded Polymer Sheath

 

4)Sheath. A knife without a sheath cant be carried around safely, can barely be used at all without having a safe method of carrying. There’s no need for anything fancy but the sheath must be functional. Hold the blade safely in place, be easy to access, remove and return the knife. Just like with gun holsters, hard polymer sheaths are a solid choice, especially if they have different attachment points to adjust the way you carry it.

5)Finish. Often overlooked, not all finishes perform the same. The current typical textured paint finish commonly used in tactical knives is a rather poor choice. Not only does it wear off easily, leaving the steel naked unless it has a phosphate finish of some kind underneath, these finishes also attract dirt and grime, making it harder to keep clean. The textured finish also increases traction when cutting through materials, which you definitely don’t want. You want the surface of the cutting tool to be smooth like glass with minimal friction. A mirror polished surface would be ideal, even if some treatment had to be added on carbon steel to avoid rusting. This is something to consider but not a deal breaker since finshes do wear, become smoother with use even if they originally were textured, and with a bit of oil rust shouldn’t be a problem.

6)Price. Although you often pay for what you get, in the knife world you sometimes have knives that are hyped beyond their logical price point just as you have some wonderful bargains, a ton of knife for very little money. This means you save money for other preps or it allows you to buy multiple blades for all your kits and bags or for backups and spares.
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”