Last Updated on April 2, 2021 by Bruce

If you need a survival knife for personal use in an extreme outdoor environment, where can you get all the information before coming to a decision? Since there are many options to consider, deciding on the best survival knife is not so easy. However, we’ll try to provide all the necessary information so as to make your decision easier.

There are many things to consider before getting a survival knife for personal use. Firstly, you have to know what you will use your knife for. If it’s for minor indoor tasks, any knife will be good enough. If it’s for hunting or survival in the outdoors, then it’s wise to get a high-quality knife that stands the test of Mother Nature. Although it will be quite expensive, it will more than makes up for it with its great functionality and excellent performance.

If you would like to have some of the strongest knives around, you should know that they will always be fixed-bladed and be full tang.

What is Full Tang?

Before answering that question, let me explain what is the definition of the tang. Simply put, the tang refers to the blade of a knife and how it is attached to the handle. Hence full tang means that the blade is one complete piece of metal and extends all the way into the handle. On the other hand, partial tang means that the blade partially extends into the handle.

Partial tang can be half or three-quarter but unfortunately, even the strongest partial tang is no match for full tang in terms of strength. Although there are some high-quality partial tang knives, it is always advisable to go for full tang knives for utmost strength. Nevertheless, there will be people who will be tempted to go for a partial tang knife since it is much cheaper as compared to a full tang knife but always ask yourself before buying a survival knife: If I’m out all alone in the wild, do I want my knife to break? If the answer is no, then go for full tang.

Deciding on partial or full tang is just the first criteria in choosing a good survival knife. After that, you will need to consider other factors such as blade design, length and material (carbon steel or stainless steel) as well as handle material and shape.
Hence, choosing a high-quality knife is definitely a difficult process but you can make it easier by asking yourself what the knife will be used for. If you know the answer to that question, then the right knife will be easy to find.

Read our Review of the Best Bushcraft Knife