If you plan on getting yourself a survival knife, then you are on the right track. The simple fact of the matter is that survival knives, particularly army survival knives, can serve many different purposes. Today, we want to take a closer look at what all of the different functions of army survival knives.
So, what are all the functions on an army survival knife? Army survival knives can be used for self-defense against both humans and animals. They can also be used to hunt for food and to make traps to catch animals. They can also be used for fishing and dissecting fish.
A good army survival knife can also be used for digging for food and water. It can also be used for breaking down kindling to make fires with. A good army survival life can be used to make fires, shelters, first aid tools, weapons, and everything in between. It can even be used for signaling for help.
However, we don’t just want to talk about what you can use a survival knife for. We also want to take a closer look at the anatomy of a survival knife. We want to take a closer look at all of the different components that you might find on a survival knife and what purposes they might serve. Let’s get to it and figure out what your survival knife can be used for and what all those different parts do.
The Anatomy of a Survival Knife
Let’s take a closer look at all of the different parts that you might find on an army survival knife and exactly what they might do.
The Pommel
The pommel of a knife is that rounded end piece on the bottom of the handle. The pommel of a knife is designed to keep your hand in place. This is like a stopper to prevent your hand from slipping off the handle while the knife is in use.
It is a safety measure that protects your hand from being cut. At the same time, it also acts as a functionality measure. It makes the knife much easier to hold onto, and therefore much easier to use. There are different styles of pommels on different knives, and some may not have a pommel at all.
On some knives, the pommel may also contain a firestarter for emergency situations. There are also some knives where the pommel may also have a sharp piece of conical metal affixed to it, which is a glass breaker. This is designed to break car windows in the event that you get stuck in your car.
The Handle
You then have the handle of the knife. The handle is of course the part that you hold on to. There are many different styles of survival knife handles out there. Some survival knife handles are very smooth, whereas others are textured.
Personally, we recommend going for texture, and as this helps to provide good grip. A knife handle that does not have some kind of texture on it can become extremely slippery, especially when wet. This not only makes the knife difficult to use, but also dangerous.
Furthermore, some knife handles may be completely smooth, whereas others may be ergonomically designed with finger grooves. Finger groups serve much the same purpose as the texture on the handle. This is of course to help keep your hand in place. This makes a knife more functional and safer to use, but also more comfortable.
The Blade Guard
We then have the blade guard, which is the flat or raised section between the blade and the handle. The blade guard serves one purpose, to protect your hand from the blade. It is like a stopper that keeps your hand on the handle. This blade guard prevents your hand from slipping off of the handle and onto the blade.
It’s much like the pommel, but for the other direction. This is perhaps one of the most important safety features that any survival knife could possibly have. If you go to stab something and there is no blade guard in place, your hand could slip onto the blade and suffer a serious injury. That said, not all knives have blade guards, but the good ones certainly do.
The Blade – Flat Edge or Serrated
One of the most important aspects of any survival knife is the blade itself. Blades can come in many different sizes, shapes, and be made out of different materials. For a good survival knife, it is recommended that you get a blade between 4 and 7 inches in length. Furthermore, a good survival knife is going to be made out of either some kind of stainless steel or high carbon steel.
The best of the best will be made out of high carbon stainless steel, as this provides you with the best of both worlds. Furthermore, a blade may have a flat edge or a serrated edge. Both flat edges and serrated edges serve specific purposes. Many army survival knives have both serrated and flat edges to provide you with the best of both worlds.
Various Notches
Survival knives may have a variety of notches integrated into them. For instance, if you see that the spine of the blade has notches, these are designed for grip. The notches on the spine of a blade allow you to place your finger on the spine and achieve good grip.
There may also be notches on the handle which are also designed to provide with grip, especially if the handle gets wet. A survival knife may also have a notch in the blade, which is generally going to be for cutting items like fishing line and seatbelts.
Special Features
A good army survival knife might also come with a variety of extras. These could include, but are not limited to, glass breakers, seat belt cutters, fishing line cutters, fire starters, and more.
What Are All the Functions of an Army Survival Knife?
Now that we know what all of the different components of a survival knife are designed for, let’s figure out what you can use a survival knife for.
- The main function of an army survival knife is self-defense. When a service member does not have access to their firearm, the next best option is the army survival knife.
- A good survival knife can also be used as a tool to either hunt for food or to build traps to catch food. A knife also makes for a great fishing tool. A good army survival knife can also be used to forage and dig for food. On that note, a good knife can also be used to dig for water.
- An army survival knife is also an invaluable tool to signal for help. It can be used to reflect sunlight and signal for nearby help.
- A good knife is also something that can be used to cut down small trees, break up sticks, build fires, and light fires.
- An army survival knife is also a valuable tool to build shelters with.
- Army survival knives can also be used to build a variety of other tools, such as smaller knives, spheres, hammers, and other construction tools.
- In a worst-case scenario, an army survival knife can also be used as a first aid tool to perform a variety of life saving techniques.
- Depending on the extra features that the knife has, it could also be used to cut seat belts, cut strength, break glass, and much more.
Conclusion
As you can see, a good army survival knife can serve a variety of purposes. What it all comes down to is that a good survival knife can keep you alive when nothing else can.