Survival Knife Description
Survival knives are knives intended for survival purposes in a wilderness environment, often in an emergency when the user has lost most of his/her main equipment. Military units issue some type of survival knife to pilots in the event their plane may be shot down. Hunters, hikers, and outdoor sport enthusiasts use survival knives. Survival knives are designed for work such as setting traps, cutting branches, carving wood, and skinning animals. The knife can also be used as a weapon for self defense. The capability to mount the knife on a stick to create a spear allows the user to better hunt wildlife at a safer distance.
Prior to the late 19th century, outdoorsmen and military personnel did not use knives that were notably different from the knives used by butchers. Blades were relatively thin and the handles were often no more than two wooden slabs riveted to the tang. Serrations appeared on knives in the 19th century for use as a wood saw or fish scaler. During WWII, survival knives were issued to aircraft crew, as it was a real possibility that these personnel might be shot down over wilderness or behind enemy lines. Lifeboats aboard naval vessels also frequently contained survival kits including knives. These knives varied in design from one branch of the service to another and from one nation to another. The majority of them were simply commercial knives purchased in bulk by the military. From the Vietnam-era and to present, purpose-built survival knives evolved.
Some militaries (including the People's Republic of China, Great Britain, Germany, Soviet Union and United States) have redesigned the bayonet used with their issued rifle to include survival knife features. Historically, bayonets had functioned poorly as field knives, due to being designed primarily to turn a rifle into a thrusting weapon and only secondarily (if at all) to work as a field knife. The newer models function more acceptably for mundane tasks while remaining capable of being attached to the muzzle of a rifle.
Knife Details
Overall Length: 14"
Rockwell Hardness: 55-62 HRC
Sheath: Leather
Blade Material: 3cr13 Stainless Steel
Survival Knife- Outdoor Knife- Camping Knife- Stainless Steel - 14"