Be Prepared buy a Quality Knife!

Your knife is your best friend when you are in the outdoors and trying to survive. The survival knife is a tool that can be used in so many ways; it is the most invaluable tool you may possess. There are literally hundreds of different knives to choose from but you should be choosing one before you leave for the outdoors.

Buy a Survival Knife that fits YOU!

Choosing a survival knife isn’t easy but you must make the decision based on how suitable the type of knife is for the situations you may be encountering. Survival basically means being prepared and by making informed choices early on, you greatly increase your chances of survival. The things you should be looking for in a knife are as follows:

Size: You want your knife to be small enough to carry but large enough to be used to cut branches from trees, butcher meat and even for digging.

Sharpness: Your survival knife should be sharp at all times especially when you first purchase it, if it isn’t sharp then, then it never will be.

Balance: Your knife should have a good balance to it, meaning the blade and handle will complement each other. When you swing the knife, the weight if the blade should be doing a lot of the work. Try a few knives and you will notice how they differ in balance and pick the one that best suits you.

Good Handle: The handle of the outdoor knife should be comfortable to use and preferably made of wood as this means it won’t slip as much.

If possible try and get a knife that is fixed blade. This means that the blade of the knife doesn’t fold in. A fixed blade knife is more reliable and safer to use as some folding knives don’t lock well or can slip and cause injury. Always make sure your knife has a good sheath, leather is the best kind, and that it is sheathed when not in use.

A Good “Sharpening Stone” is a Must!

The proper care and maintenance of your knife is extremely important and should be a daily ritual when it is in use. Sharpening the blade is essential and the best way to do this is to purchase a sharpening stone. Diamond sharpeners and other type of sharpeners are good but none of these do as good a job as a sharpening stone in the hands of someone who knows how to use one. Your knife’s blade should be sharpened to a point that is not too steep and is still thick enough not to chip.

To properly use a sharpening stone, it is best to dampen it first and then move the blade over the stone in a circular motion on angled so that you are removing the burrs and chips from the cutting edge, you will feel it when you get that perfect angle. When Sharpening the blade it must be simultaneously  flipped to get the best cutting edge possible. A sharpened blade should have no burrs and the angle of the cutting edge should be constant.

Before You set out on Your “Adventure”

Your knife is your best friend when in a survival situation. Choosing the right Survival knife and maintain it by keeping it very sharp knife sharpener are lessons that should be learned before heading to the great outdoors for some Outdoor Survival fun.