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2 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY AND WARRANTY This publication describes the author s opinions regarding the subject matter herein. The author and publisher are not rendering advice or services pertaining to specific individuals or situations. For specific advice, or if expert assistance is required, the services of a qualified professional should be obtained. The author and publisher assume no responsibility whatsoever for the use of the information in this publication or for decisions made or actions taken based, in whole or in part, on the information in this publication. The author and publisher make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the information. Without limiting the foregoing, the author and publisher specifically disclaim and will not be responsible for any liability, loss, or risk incurred directly, indirectly or incidentally as a consequence of the use or misuse of any advice or information presented herein. Use this publication and information with good judgment and do the best you can in your particular situation. You agree to indemnify and hold the author and publisher, and their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, contractors and suppliers, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys fees, related to your use or misuse of this publication or the information contained therein. You further agree that you will cooperate fully in the defense of any such claims. Notice: As the purchaser of this electronic document you are permitted to store it and print it for your own personal use only. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. It is illegal to make a copy of all or part of this publication for someone else, even if you do not charge for the copy. If you have purchased this book from anywhere other than FamilySurvivalSociety.com, including ebay, please report it to admin@familysurvivalsociety.com immediately. COPYRIGHT Those who have received or purchased the guide are neither authorized nor permitted to transmit copies of this guide to anyone without written permission. Giving away copies to people who haven t paid for them is illegal under international copyright laws and will submit you to possible legal action. Therefore, the utilization of this file is limited to personal use only. TERMS AND DISCLAIMER By using, viewing, and interacting with this guide or the FamilySurvivalSociety.com website, you agree to all terms of engagement, thus assuming complete responsibility for your own actions. The authors and publishers will not be held liable or claim accountability for any loss or injuries. Use, view, and interact with these resources at your own risk. All products from FamilySurvivalSociety.com and its related companies are strictly for informational purposes only. While all attempts have been made to verify the accuracy of information provided on our website and within the publications, neither the authors nor the publishers are responsible for assuming liability for possible inaccuracies.

3 You should always have the necessary tools on your person to react to a disaster or survival situation, but if you are like most Americans, it s impossible to walk around with a backpack full of gear and a well equipped utility belt. Packing that sort of gear just doesn t work around the office very well. Still, most people will find that they can easily and comfortably carry a knife on them just about everywhere, and a knife makes a great multi purpose tool. In fact, if you don t at least carry a knife, you re really shorting yourself of a tool that can: Act as a defensive weapon in a pinch Cut a multitude of things from cordage, packaging, fire starting materials, and even lifesaving tasks like cutting through seatbelts and clothing Pry and unscrew things and generally help out with most everything At Family Survival Society, we re not ashamed to say that we love big, fixed blade knives. They re strong, versatile, can do anything a small knife can do, and they are by far better than folding knives for serious work. There are some problems with fixed blade knives, however: Fixed blade knives have a bad perception in most states from a law enforcement standpoint and will usually get you extra scrutiny. Fixed blade knives are more regulated overall through a multitude of city and county ordinances than folders. It s tough to carry a fixed blade knife in some environments like offices. 3

4 Overwhelmingly, we have arrived at the conclusion that your everyday carry knife will most likely be a folder, since you are apt to have it with you at all times due to its portability, and at the end of the day, the knife you have on you is the knife you will use. Yes, fixed blade knives are superior in every way to folders since folders are inherently a compromise, but you can t carry fixed blade knives everywhere. Therefore, we will look at folders first, and then in a future buyer s guide, we will look at fixed blade knives. Both types of knives have a purpose, and you should have both, so let s take a look at them in a two part series. FOLDING KNIFE BASICS Folding knives (also known as folders) come in a variety of shapes and sizes. On the one extreme end you have assisted opening tactical knives, while on the other, you have such benign folders as Swiss Army knives. The simple fact that the knife folds doesn t necessarily make it suitable for our purposes. We want folders that will do the job for us; we want multitasking knives that can do lots of things, so we will therefore need to eliminate some of the knives that have undesirable features. Therefore, do not look at knives that have: 4

5 Corkscrews, nail files, scissors, etc. We don t want gadgets, we want a reliable blade that opens with the minimum of fuss. Swiss Army style knives have their place, but your every day carry knife is not one of them. In a future guide, we will review multitools, which is the category where gadgets really belong. Lack of a locking mechanism. If it doesn t have a way to lock the blade open, a robust, positive and easy to use locking mechanism, don t buy it. Most tactical knives are lock blades, but many are not. A locking blade is essential for doing serious work or using the knife as a weapon. Assisted or automatic opening. If you push a button and it pops open, or you lightly tap a lever and it opens, move on. Let s clear the air on assisted openers first and foremost they are perfectly legal in many states but they are also illegal in about just as many states. Also, in some locales where they are perfectly legal, uninformed police officers may still think they are illegal. Remember, the way the American justice system works, for better or for worse, is that if an officer merely thinks your knife is illegal, you will be arrested, the knife will be seized, and you will need to go to court to prove your innocence. It doesn t matter if the charges will ultimately be dropped or if there is no case against you the simple fact is that assisted openers are a headache you don t want any part of. A conventional tactical lock blade knife opens fast enough once it s broken in, so fast that it s practically an assisted opener, so leave it at that. Remember, as preppers and survivalists, you want little to no attention or scrutiny. 5

6 So what features do we want in an every day carry quality knife? What you want is: A knife from a quality manufacturer, knowing full well that spending money up front will net you a knife that will net you years of service. Quality tool steel, not cheap pot metal (discussed later) A blade of at least 3 in length, preferably, as big as you can buy. Big knives can do everything small knives can and more. A blade that has at least some serrations. Serrations make short work of cordage, tough fibers, seatbelts, and much more. Sure, a blade will do the same, but it takes longer and wears down the blade. A knife that has a stout and foolproof locking mechanism. A knife that is just as much weapon as it is tool. There has to be a 50/50 balance here; on the one hand, you don t want an ice pick or stiletto, on the other hand, you don t want a blunt headed cordage knife or other tool. Make sure your knife is good at multitasking. A knife that has a solid pocket or belt clip so you can keep it handy. KNIFE STEEL PRIMER Most knives are made of tool steel. Tool steel is simply hardened steel that has a balance of properties such as strength, flexibility, ability to hold an edge, and other such qualities. As with everything, the various steels out there represent a 6

7 compromise. Steel that is overly flexible might not hold an edge very well. Steel that is very hard might also be next to impossible to sharpen. Steel that has great corrosion resistance might be brittle. You get the idea. Here is a sampling on some common knife steels: 420 Stainless: A common blade making material, 420 stainless is hard, strong, and cheap, while offering a decent ability to hold an edge. It s relatively easy for a novice to resharpen, and is a good compromise of alloy mixtures. 420 HC: The HC stands for high carbon, which is added to the normal 420 stainless mixture to increase the hardness of the metal, improve its corrosion resistance, and better hold an edge. The trade off is that this metal is harder to resharpen. 440A: A high carbon stainless steel that s pretty common in blades. Much harder than 420 stainless, 440A holds an edge and won t corrode. 1095: 1095 makes a wicked sharp blade that s easy to resharpen for the novice. On the upside, it s cheap -on the downside, it s corrosion prone. Some manufacturers, such as KA-BAR have mixed Chromium and Vanadium into 1095 calling it 1095 CroVan, which makes it more corrosion resistant. 7

8 CPM-S30V : This alloy was created especially for use in cutlery. It s tough, holds a sharp edge under the worst conditions, and is corrosion resistant. Found in some of the more expensive knives out there, but worth it. 8

9 SOME KNIVES WE LIKE We have no affiliation to any of the knives presented here; they are just really good knives from great manufacturers. It s tough to order a knife online without seeing it, touching it, and seeing how it fits in your hand. Order any of the knives below with confidence, but realize that you really ought to go to a retailer and try them out. Many sporting goods stores carry a wide selection of knives, as do big box stores like Wal Mart, where you can try them on for size. Remember, a good knife doesn t need to cost an arm and a leg. While it s true that big fixed blade knives from top tier manufacturers can cost hundreds of dollars, the very same manufacturer s folding knives might be quite a bit less. Often, really good knives cost $50 or less, and what that means is that you can buy several for your family or retreat members without breaking the bank. CRKT M16 Combat Knife Model Number: M16-14DSFG Blade Length: 3.88 Steel: 8Cr14MoV Price: $50 street About: The CRKT M16 combat knife is just one in the M16 series of knives made by Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT), a quality manufacturer. We like this knife for a couple of reasons; firstly, it has a tanto style point, which is excellent both as a 9

10 weapon and as a tool. Secondly, the serrations are extra aggressive on this knife, and it has a no glare desert tan finish. Due to it s innovate design, it features some hand guards, which are rare on a folder but very welcome. The steel it s made of is a Chinese blade steel that s similar in characteristics to AUS8 Japanese cutlery steel, and while it s not top of the line, it will do the job at a budget price. Kershaw BLUR Glass Breaker Model Number: 1670GBBLKST Blade Length: Steel: Sandvik 14C28N Price: $70 street About: We like the Blur Glass Breaker because like all Kershaw knives, it s made in America. As its name implies, it has a glass breaker tip embedded in the hilt; this is a piece of hardened steel which when impacted onto a piece of safety glass, should cause it to shatter. It features scalloped serrations which should make short work of any seatbelt or webbing to boot. We also like this knife because it doesn t look too tactical or menacing; looking mean can be a benefit at times, but it can also be a hindrance when you work or operate in an environment where the authorities or your employers are hostile to such knives. 10

11 SOG Pentagon Elite II Model Number: PE18-ARC Blade Length: 5 Steel: VG-10 Price: $150 street About: This is the folding knife you buy when you don t care about the fact that people think your knife looks scary. The Pentagon Elite II is a massive knife with a full 5 blade, making its blade length longer than most fixed blade knives. It s got a super stout locking mechanism and is made of VG-10 steel, which is a high end Japanese cutlery steel. A series of serrations means it will cut through most anything, while its spear point makes it a fantastic weapon as well as a tool. Sure, you pay for all this quality, but realistically, if treated right, this is a lifetime tool. 11

12 Spyderco Ladybug 3 Model Number: FRN-LFG3 Blade Length: Steel: VG-10 Price: $35 street About: While Spyderco is known for all sorts of knives, they are primarily known for their micro sized folders, all featuring that distinctive Spyderco look they are very easy to spot. The Ladybug 3 falls more on the tool side of folding knives, which could be very advantageous for blending in where more tactical knives would be a hindrance. The blade is mostly serrated and like all Spyderco knives, wicked sharp. At just 2 ½ long when closed, there s no reason why you couldn t keep several of these knives on your person, and the price is right as well. This particular model has a foliage green handle and non reflective bead blasted blade. Benchmade 810 Contego Model Number: 810 Contego Blade Length: 3.98 Steel: CPM-M4 Price: $150 street 12

13 About: Benchmade is easily one of America s premier knife makers, and the Contego is a quality knife that won t let you down. Featuring a modified tanto point and wicked serrations, Benchmade knives are known for locking mechanisms so tight they almost feel like fixed blade knives. The Contego also features a glass breaker tip for extra security. Sure, it is $150, but then again, it is a Benchmade. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS If you have one piece of gear on you at all times, it should be a quality folding knife, and it should be very possible to carry one unless your employment is firmly against it. Even in that case, a little folder is easy to conceal, and unless you work in a place like the sterile area of an airport or some other sensitive spot, you should be okay. Remember, that big 9 combat knife you have in the trunk of your car is great, and will probably exceed the capabilities of a folder in just about every regard, but it doesn t help you if you aren t carrying it! 13