Ready to survive whatever the wild can dish out?
Natural disasters affect an average of 60,000 people across the globe every year.
Don’t let it happen to you.
The best survival cutting tools can mean the difference between life and death out there in the wild. After all, your cutting tools are the foundation of survival.
Building shelter, starting a fire, and preparing food all start with a blade.
The problem:
Most folks don’t know what survival cutting tools they actually need. They end up buying all the fancy stuff that looks cool but fails when they need it most.
Without proper cutting tools, you’re just camping with extra steps.
Sales of survival tools are exploding. The market was valued at $1.4 billion in 2023, and it’s projected to more than double to $2.8 billion by 2033.
In other words, a lot of people are finally taking survival seriously.
This guide tells you exactly which outdoor cutting tools you need and why. No fluff. No nonsense. Just the tools that work.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Discover:
- Why Your Cutting Tools Are More Important Than You Realize
- The Must-Have Outdoor Cutting Tool Collection
- Selecting The Right Steel For Survival
- Blade Geometry That Works For Real Life Tasks
Why Your Cutting Tools Are More Important Than You Realize
Let’s get one thing straight right up front…
Your cutting tools are the most important gear you will ever own. Everything else is dependent on your tools working at a moment’s notice.
Building shelter, processing firewood, preparing food, creating other tools, and emergency situations all require cutting tools. Without good cutting tools, you’re not just limited to the wilderness. You’re helpless.
The hiking segment dominates the survival cutting tools market, and there is a good reason for that. The savvy survivalist knows quality blades are the lifeline in the wild.
Carbon steel is the traditional go-to material for survival knives.
But most people don’t understand one thing…
Not all cutting tools are created equal. Certain blades excel at specific tasks while others try to be all things to all tasks and are just poor at everything.
The Must-Have Outdoor Cutting Tool Collection
Okay. You’ve finally had enough of all the nonsense out there. You’re ready to take the bull by the horns and make it happen. Here are the absolute must-have cutting tools for any serious survivalist.
Fixed Blade Knife
Let’s start with the most obvious…
If you can only carry one cutting tool, it needs to be a quality fixed blade knife. Simple as that. No folding mechanisms that can break. No moving parts that fail when they need to perform.
A good fixed blade should be 4-6 inches long with full tang construction and made from high carbon steel.
Hatchet or Small Axe
Want to process firewood like a pro?
A hatchet is a blade for splitting and chopping. It’s the happy medium between knife and full-sized tools.
A small hatchet or one-man axe is the perfect tool for processing firewood and other camping tasks. Perfect for splitting kindling, chopping branches, and driving tent stakes.
Folding Saw
Wait. What? A saw?
Yes. A folding saw is one of those tools most people completely overlook. It is lightweight, packable, and surprisingly efficient for cutting firewood to length, building shelter frames, and so much more.
Don’t make the same mistake everyone else does. Add a good folding saw to your survival collection.
Multi-tool
All multi-tools are not junk survival gear.
A good quality multi-tool gives you backup cutting options, plus a whole bunch of other useful tools that are way more than fluff.
Look for locking blades, good quality steel, and comfortable ergonomics.
Selecting The Right Steel For Survival
This is where most people get lost in a cloud of hot air and nonsense…
Steel choice is important. Believe it or not, some steels are better than others in different environments.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is the traditional go-to material for survival knives. It is very easy to sharpen in the field, will throw sparks to help start fires, and can get seriously sharp. The con? It rusts if not maintained.
Stainless Steel
Better modern stainless steels provide fantastic performance with much less maintenance. Corrosion resistant and edge holding capabilities are much better. The con? Harder to sharpen in the wild.
For most survivalists, high quality carbon steel is the best choice.
Blade Geometry That Works For Real Life Tasks
Want a secret?
Blade geometry is more important than steel type in most situations.
Scandi Grind
The scandi grind is the big favorite among bushcrafters. Excellent for wood carving, food prep, and making all those precise cuts.
Convex Grind
Convex grind is the absolute best when it comes to heavy use, abuse like chopping and batoning wood.
This grind is simply tougher than anything else. It can take a beating that would chip or break other blade types.
Full Flat Grind
Jack of all trades option. Full flat grind offers great slicing power and good penetration capabilities. Most survivalists like either the scandi or convex grind over the full flat grind.
Keeping Your Survival Tools In Top Condition In The Field
Want to know the difference between the experts and amateurs?
Field maintenance is what separates them.
Daily Care
Cleaning blades after each use, drying them completely, and adding a light oil coating for carbon steel blades are what experts do.
Sharpening
Experts know how to sharpen their knives in the field. A dull knife is just dangerous and annoying to use. You’ll need a sharpening stone, technique, and practice.
Pro tip: A few light strokes a day is better than one big sharpening session.
Storage
Transport your tools properly to keep them in top shape. Use sheaths, separate the cutting edges, and keep them from moisture.
Advanced Cutting Techniques
Take your skills to the next level…
These advanced cutting techniques are the real difference between the beginner and the expert.
Batoning
Batoning means splitting wood using your knife and a piece of wood. Batoning is great for making kindling when you don’t have an axe or hatchet.
Start with the knife on the wood and strike the spine of the knife with the wooden baton. Drive the blade through with successive strikes.
Important: Only use full tang knives for batoning. Period. Anything else will break.
Feather Sticks
Feather sticks catch fire easily, even when damp. Use some dry wood, make shallow cuts along the grain of the wood. Create thin curls of wood that stay attached to the rest of the wood.
Carving Joints
Good joints hold your shelters together without nails and screws. Master notches for crossing timbers, wedges to split, and tenons for all those other connections.
Deadly Mistakes That Get People Killed
Don’t be a dumbass…
Don’t use your knife as a pry bar, hammer, or screwdriver. It will only ruin your tool for its primary purpose. A rusty, dull knife is far worse than no knife at all. Cheap budget knives are one you always need and will break when you need them most.
Building A Collection The Smart Way
Start with the essentials and add tools as you build your skills and experience.
Buy a good fixed blade knife, small folding saw, and a sharpening stone. Then add a hatchet and a quality multi-tool to your collection.
Buy it once. Buy it quality. Don’t keep replacing the cheap tools you made the mistake of buying to begin with.
Putting It All Together
Your outdoor cutting tools collection should be matched to your environment and your skills.
A weekend camper requires a different cutting tool collection than a survivalist spending weeks in the wild.
Day trips only require a folding knife and a multi-tool. Weekend trips call for a fixed blade knife and a folding saw. Extended wilderness expeditions demand the full collection with backups of every tool.
Remember: The best tool is the one you have with you and know how to use correctly.
Wrapping It All Up
Your outdoor cutting tools are your lifeline in the wilderness. Pick quality over quantity, maintain them well, and use them regularly.
Start with a quality fixed blade knife, then work your way up your cutting tool collection. Master the basics before moving on to advanced skills.
Your life may depend on these tools one day. Pick carefully, maintain them well, and use them regularly.
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