After vetting over dozens of models, we’ve compiled to this list of 6 best fixed blade survival knives on the market. We have worked, long term, to test thoroughly all of them, that’s why we take pride in our testing.
If you’re serious in looking for a good one, read now!
Here are the best fixed blade survival knives (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best Overall: Morakniv Companion Knife
- Best For Hunting: SNAKE EYE TACTICAL NEW ARRIVAL
- Best For Throwing: SMITH & WESSON SWTK8BCP
- Best For Self-Defense: Cold Steel 92R39LSF
- Best For Camping: KA-BAR Becker BK2
- Best For Fishing: Bubba Tapered Flex Fillet Fishing Knife
| Top 6 Best Fixed Blade Survival Knives | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Morakniv Companion Knife | Read Our Review |
Best For Hunting | SNAKE EYE TACTICAL NEW ARRIVAL | Read Our Review |
Best For Throwing | SMITH & WESSON SWTK8BCP | Read Our Review |
Best For Self-Defense | Cold Steel 92R39LSF | Read Our Review |
Best For Camping | KA-BAR Becker BK2 | Read Our Review |
Best For Fishing | Bubba Tapered Flex Fillet Fishing Knife | Read Our Review |
Best Overall: Morakniv Companion Knife
- Made in Sweden, you can ensure its quality
- The handle is patterned & well-made for high friction and grip to avoid accidental cuts when in use
- Deliver hardness of HRC 58-60 to handle multiple tasks like a breeze
- The belt attachment isn’t flexible
- The sheath isn’t reversible
In the field of general-use fixed blade survival knives, the Morakniv is notable for its specialized nature.
In addition to a patterned, high-friction handle and protective military green sheath with thickness, the Companion Knife boasts its ultra-durable HC stainless-steel blade.
This premium material is known for its superb hardness of HRC 58-60 so that unlike other brands, it performs well during harsh impact usage with no breakage.
Such strength combining with an ideal length blade makes the knife versatile. It can tack up well multiple tasks, from prepping tinder for a fire to carving or chopping small limbs without eating up much effort of yours.
| Morakniv Companion Knife Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | Cutting woods, carving, tinder |
Size | 8.6 inch |
Weight | 3.9 oz. |
Blade length | 4.1 inches |
Materials | 1095 high carbon steel |
Highlight features | Fixed blade outdoor knife with a 4.1-inch high carbon steel blade Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty Made in Sweden Patterned High-friction grip makes the knife comfortable to hold and easy to handle |
Overall, with a great combination of strength and versatility, the Morakniv earns our strong endorsement for a perfect all-in-one knife that any outdoor enthusiasts should have.
Best For Hunting: SNAKE EYE TACTICAL NEW ARRIVAL
- Feature a thin, specialized blade shape with a 17-degrees angle to be ideal for skinning and filleting
- Priced half of the other counterparts with no compromise of quality or performance -> bang for bucks
- The grip slabs don’t cover completely the handle steel in the choil -> cause discomfort
The Snack Eye Tactical packs a 4.5” high-grade stainless-steel blade into an assisted-opening survival knife at ½ the price of other brands. Making it a bang-for-bucks hunting knife for any budget-minded hunters.
But why “hunting knife”?
Well, the most obvious sign lies in its specialized blade shape with a 17-degree angle, making this unit a great option for filleting or skinning the game.
While giving better hand-feel than the Schrade Skinner, it delivers great quality on edge and hard sheath to be much sharper but still secure. We also like the textured pattern on its handle for extra grip and the stylish front guard to save you from accidental cuts while using it.
| SNAKE EYE TACTICAL NEW ARRIVAL Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | Skinning |
Size | 9 inches |
Weight | 8.8 ounces |
Blade length | 4.5 inches |
Materials | Stainless steel |
Highlight features | 9" overall 4.5" 3.5mm blade Stainless steel |
Purpose-built for skinning, along with durable materials and sturdy construction, the Snake Eye Tactical is our best choice for avid hunters or outdoor activists.
Best For Throwing: SMITH & WESSON SWTK8BCP
- The blade is durably made and sturdy to not chip or bend under heavy throwing or abusing
- Only the tip is sharp to ensure safety, especially for beginners
- Come in good weight, shape, and hand-feel to give you extra confidence to throw
- The sheath is a bit difficult to use at first but after breaking in, it becomes looser for ease of use.
Look into this survival knife, you will see that Smith & Wesson has brought over 150 years’ firearm producing expertise to it.
The blade is sturdy for real. It’s crafted from 2Cr13 S.S – one of the finest metals in this industry – to ensure giving no chips or bends after years of heavy throwing.
While coming sharpened already, it offers good weight and feeling to throw with confidence.
If you’re wondering these knives are suitable for beginners, our answer is “sure”. Though their tip is ultra-sharp to easily breakpoint, the sides aren’t to ensure safety and reliability for novice throwers.
| SMITH & WESSON SWTK8BCP Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | Throwing |
Size | 8 inches |
Weight | 12.3 ounces |
Blade length | - |
Materials | 2Cr13 S.S. stainless steel |
Highlight features | 8 inch (20.3 cm) length with an individual weight of 4.1 ounces and an overall weight of 12.3 ounces Blade is made of reliable 2Cr13 S.S. |
If you’re in need of the best fixed blade survival knife for throwing, we can endorse the value of this Smith & Wesson.
Best For Self-Defense: Cold Steel 92R39LSF
- Give an incredibly realistic look
- Durable and sturdy, can withstand different temperatures and the daily abuse
- Made with high safety and functionality
- As it’s super stiff and thick, the knife is prone to leave worse bruises on your body
- Don’t give the real hand-feel, too lightweight
Out of many rubber training knives on the market, the Cold Steel 92R39LSF stands out for both its realistic look and durability. While being carefully fashioned, it is crafted from Santoprene – the high-end material known for its first-class durability and mechanical property.
On different temperatures and abuse impact usages, the knife still holds up well.
It’s an ideal choice for demonstrations, disarm drills, training drills, and solo practice. Just take note that though the knife is made with high safety, it is still able to cause injury to the eyes or face.
According to that, the practice-doers should wear a proper fencing mask and eye protection when using it for utmost safety.
| Cold Steel 92R39LSF Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | Self-defense, solo practice, training drills, disarm drills, and demonstrations |
Size | 12" |
Weight | 4.1 ounces |
Blade length | 7" |
Materials | Santoprene |
Highlight features | Ideal for solo practice Training and demonstrations Made of durable Santoprene |
While Cold Steel Knives are known for making high-end rubber knives for self-defense practice, this option has proved that the brand also knows how make a good one at significant cost savings.
Best For Camping: KA-BAR Becker BK2
- Solid and give reliable hand-feel
- The blade features a 20-degree angle to fit versatile tasks from hunting, camping, to survival bushcraft
- Made in the USA to ensure the quality
- Feature compact silhouette for the ease of storage while the MOLLE sheath is capable of hands-free capability.
- A bit heavy
The KA-BAR BK2 is a darn good knife right out of the box.
Considered its strength and performance, the unit is capable of multiple rural/urban survival tasks in a pinch. For example, skinning games, wood carving, traps building, veggie sliding, and onion chopping.
In short, it’s great for “everyday carry” or wherever days take you. But the reason why we highly recommend it more for campers is its compact silhouette.
It is just 10 inches of the whole length – about 1 to 3 inches smaller than most counterparts in this list. The unit turns out to be a perfect choice for people who are confined to carrying just one small knife along. And they are usually campers or backpackers.
An extra bonus is its MOLLE compatible hard plastic sheath for not just extra protection but also the ease of hanging to somewhere for hands-free capability.
| KA-BAR Becker BK2 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | prying apart joints, skinning, chopping onions |
Size | 10 inches |
Weight | 1 pound |
Blade length | 5.25 inches |
Materials | 1095 cro-van steel |
Highlight features | Full tang heavy duty field knife suited for camping chores Made in Olean New York the U.S.A Designed by Ethan Becker Manufactured by KA-BAR Knives Inc. Comes with a hard shell black nylon sheath. |
Want a “universal” survival knife that can help you perform multiple tasks in a pinch, the KA-BAR BK2 is an ideal option.
Best For Fishing: Bubba Tapered Flex Fillet Fishing Knife
- Longer handle with trigger grip and guards to never get cramped hand
- Super-thin and rust-resistant blade for extra maneuverability and flexibility -> help the fish cutting effortless
- The shield is not quite good
- Quick to get dull
Okay, the last survival knife is a bit different.
It doesn’t provide a bunch of benefits for multiple uses but purely for fishing. But this custom-made turns out a big favorite for anglers.
You can see the blade, in this case, is quite special – it’s ultra-long yet super-thin and the material is 8Cr13MoV, so it’s surely durable and sharp. This is purpose-built for filleting and fish cutting that requires extra precision.
Besides, a thin blade gives effortless maneuverability to easily remove the flesh with no loss.
Like other fishing knives, this one is made to be rust-resistant (thanks to the Ti-Nitride coating) and it’s low-maintenance. Another benefit lies in its sheath constructed with a belt loop for hands-free carry.
| Bubba Tapered Flex Fillet Fishing Knife Specifications | |
|---|---|
Functions | Cutting fish |
Size | 13 inches |
Weight | 3.04 ounces |
Blade length | 7 inches |
Materials | 8Cr13MoV stainless steel |
Highlight features | 13” overall length with 7” blade Easy to use Durable Convenient Reliable |
Built with greater maneuverability and rust resistance, the Bubba Tapered Flex Knife is our top choice for fishing.
How To Choose The Best Fixed Blade Survival Knives?
Blade Shape
Although there are 5 common types of blade shape:
- Serrated blades
- Clip point blades
- Modified Tanto blades
- Tanto point blade
- Drop point
…we only find 3 of them are good as a flexed blade survival knife. And they are:
Strengths/Best for | Weaknesses | |
Serrated blades | Give greater cutting power Sawing thin wood Cutting ropes | Don’t give good control and clean cuts |
Tanto point blade | Super-strong for heavy-duty tasks Best for chopping, slicing, and piercing tough materials Suitable for tactical usage | Expensive Short blade can’t handle big tasks well |
Drop point | Strong and versatile -> good as a general work knife | Not suitable as a survival knife |
Length & Strength
- When it comes to survival knives, you shouldn’t go for a too long blade because it would be bulky to bring along. Besides, a longer knife contains higher risks of accidents if you use it in a tired state.
- The best length should be within 4 to 6 inches.
- Note: If you really need a longer blade, it’d better go for an axe, kukris, or machete.
- Pay attention to the blade thickness as well. It shouldn’t be too thick nor too thin; anything goes between 0.16 and 0.26 inches thick is ideal.
Handle Material
- To prevent breaking and cracking, the handle of a fixed blade survival knife should be made of tough materials. It also should be good at moisture absorption to avoid rot.
- According to that, the three biggest candidates are:
- Textured rubber
- Fiber reinforced plastics
- Linen Micarta/Canvas
Which Brands Make The Best Fixed Blade Survival Knives?
Morakniv
- This is a prestigious Sweden brand with over 130 years’ expertise in making survival knives. Their product categories are quite vast to serve for multiple needs and requirements but in general, they’re all under scrupulous control and contain carefully-chosen characteristics.
Smith & Wesson
- Smith & Wesson is one of the longest-standing American brands, founded by Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson in 1852. Their survival knives are praised for durability that can last a lifetime.
Cold Steel
- Established in 1980 as a company specialized in knives, it is no strange when Cold Steel now is one of the market leaders, known for their sharpest and strongest products.
Ka-Bar
- Ka-Bar /ˈkeɪ bɑːr/ is actually a contemporary New York-based brand specialized in combat knives. Their products are the favorite of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy so you can ensure the quality.
Bubba Blade
- Despite the youngest brand in this list, Bubba Blade has been into the industry for over 10 years so they know how to stand out from other competitors. Their products are always known for innovations and practical designs.
FAQs
How thick should a survival knife be?
3/16 inch.
Why? – you might ask.
It’s because, at 3/16” thick, the survival knife can ensure the best balance between the two extremes of thin and thick blades, giving you better precision.
Should a survival knife be serrated?
If you find your purpose of use with a survival knife in the following list, it’s a should to buy a serrated:
- Grip the surfaces of the objects that you intend to cut
- Cut through hard and tough materials
- Cut saplings, limbs and stripping barks
- Tearing through thick ropes, synthetic fibers, and nylon webbings
- Self-defense
- Dressing of animals
- Gather wood and make a fire
Which is better serrated or straight blade?
This is dependent on what you use the knife for. If it falls to the serrated blade’s strength, then it is better for you and vice versa.
If it’s for slicing cuts, especially through tough and hard surfaces, such as woods and ropes, the serrated blade would be better. Conversely, push cuts (like skinning fruits or animals, and shaving) are the straight blade’s forte.
Can you sharpen a serrated blade?
Serrated blades can be sharpened but apparently, it’s not easy because there must be a proper sharpening method for each serration.
What you will need to do it yourself is a ceramic honing rod or sharpening rod. To understand the whole process, watch this tutorial video:
Conclusion
That’s all for this post!
You’ll see that there is a lot to consider when choosing the best fixed blade survival knife. So hopefully, you’ve gained insight from this intensive guide. Thanks for reading!
Bryan Listor
