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The Cold Steel Recon Scout has been one of their top selling knives for many years. Do a search on Google and you can find Recon Scouts reviewed, modified, sold and traded all over the internet and in many different countries. In other words, it’s an extremely popular knife.

I’m not going to bore you with a glowing review of this survival knife. Suffice it to say that I think it’s an excellent knife that would give many years of service as long as it is well taken care of. You certainly can’t go wrong adding this knife to your survival preparedness arsenal.

That being said, here are what I consider to be its cons. The Cold Steel Recon Scout is NOT made in the U.S. It is currently being manufactured in Taiwan. I know that for those of you that don’t live in the U.S. this fact isn’t even on your radar as to why you would or would not purchase a knife, but here in the good ole U.S. of A. when (according to some analysts) we’ve “lost” many of our jobs overseas this is becoming a much bigger issue to some people.

I have read reports that with extended use the Recon Scout can be hard on your hands. I watched one review where the reviewer had actually used a piece of a bicycle tube and stretched it over the handle to give him a better grip when it is wet and to give him a little more “meat” to fit his hand better. This problem could be solely based on the size of your hand, not necessarily a problem with the knife itself.

The blade steel, whether you have the Carbon V or the SK-5 version, can rust easily if not taken care of properly. So you need to be careful if this knife is going to be sitting in a bug out bag and not getting much use. And the final thing I don’t really like about this knife is the Kraton handle. Personally I’m more of a fan of Micarta. Not that I don’t own knives that have Kraton handles because I do, I just prefer Micarta.

Here is the Cold Steel Recon Scout 39LRST. However, when I wrote this they only had 3 left so you might want to hurry if this is the knife you’re looking for. Also, if your looking for the San Mai III Recon Scout CS37S you can find it there too.

The combat survival knife is a staple on any field of battle. It has to be able to cut through anything that is thrown at it including but not limited to perhaps the fuselage of a downed plane, hacking through rough terrain, or cutting items for building a sturdy shelter quickly in the face of a storm. It also needs to be adept at killing game, digging up roots and other vegetables, and a multitude of cooking chores. And, of course, it needs to be able to be used for what could be it’s most important function… dealing with an enemy.

There are many war stories out there that include the simple fact that without a good survival knife a fine soldier may not have survived. In fact there is one modern story of a soldier in Iraq who used his Gerber LMF II to help him remain under cover of darkness. Here is his story:

“Army SFC Dillard Johnson, penned down in an abandoned building by insurgent gunfire in Iraq, came under a heavy night attack after bright lights were used to illuminate his position. With his Gerber LMF II, a rugged 10-inch survival knife with an insulated handle, Johnson was able to sever a pair of 220-volt power cords without being shocked, disabling the lights. Under the veil of darkness, Johnson and a comrade were able to wait for reinforcements before exiting the building unharmed.” Photo of SFC Jonhnson’s Gerber LMF II.

This article will provide an overview of some of the best knives in the “Military Survival Knife” class available today. Feel free to follow the links peppered throughout for deeper details.

Gerber LMF II
Cold Steel Recon
SOG Seal Knives
ESEE RC-5 and H.E.S.T.

I have several pages on this site devoted to the Gerber LMF II. I personally own it and it currently resides on my bug out bag. (By the way, go check out A-Poc’s new Bug Out Bag post. I think you’ll like it.) I will admit that this knife has a few limitations but, in my opinion, this is one of the best knives on the market today for the money. One of the first questions I get asked is, “What are the differences in the Gerber LMF II ASEK, SURVIVAL, and INFANTRY models of this knife?” You can read all about it in my Gerber Fixed Blade Knives post.

I also recently wrote a post on a couple of the Gerber LMF’s features that I like. If you are curious about the blade on the Gerber LMF II, I got a great question from a reader about the type of steel used in the manufacturing process and learned that it has actually changed a couple of times. Check out my post on the Gerber LMF II Blade Steel.

Follow these links to find the Gerber LMF II ASEK, Gerber LMF II Survival, Foliage Green Infantry, *Camel Brown Infantry,and the Black Infantry knives.

*(Personally, I don’t see a reason to buy the Camel Brown Infantry version, you can get the LMF II Survival that has all the extras cheaper.)

I have to say I like the Cold Steel line of knives. They are a no nonsense straight forward knife company. Their knives do exactly what they are supposed to, cut stuff. Lots of stuff. And they cut lots of stuff well. That being said the number one biggest problem I have with Cold Steel is the fact that none of their knives are made in the U.S.A.!! Most of them are made in China, however their company is here in the U.S. and they do employ a lot of Americans.

The Recon Scout comes in two different styles, the standard Recon Scout and the Recon Scout Tanto. The Recon Scout comes in two different types of steel, the SK-5 Carbon, and San Mai III Stainless Steel. Of the two knives the Recon Scout Tanto would be my pick from Cold Steel as a Military Survival Knife.

Cold Steel’s Trailmaster knife is an excellent choice for a survival knife. The only reason I wouldn’t consider it a great military survival knife is because of it’s size. It has a blade that is 9 1/2″ long and this makes the knife 14 1/2″ long overall.

You can find the Recon Scout, Recon Tanto, and the Trail Master knives in SK-5 High Carbon Steel here.

SOG makes some of the most innovative tactical knives on the market today. Their knives are sleek and stylish as well as highly functional and with the addition of Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey as their spokesman look for these knives to gain even more popularity. However, the biggest problem I have with this knife company is that, again, their knives are made overseas. Most of SOG’s knives are made in Taiwan. That being said SOG has two knives I would pick as combat survival knives.

The SOG Seal Team Elite would be my first pick. The two things to remember about this knife is that it is quite large. It comes in at 12.3 inches in overall length. And it has a partially serrated blade. If the serrations have to be sharpened it’s not easy to do it in the field. Most people don’t want to carry the extra weight of special sharpeners. I have read good things about the nylon sheath that it comes with, such as, it has a pocket on it to hold a sharpener. Personally, however, I would spend the $25 to upgrade to the Kydex sheath.

The SOG Seal Pup Elite is another fine knife and is shorter than it’s big brother, the Seal Team Elite, by almost a full 3 inches. Since the blade is a little over 4 1/2 inches long, I would recommend getting the SOG E37S-K Seal Pup Elite Straightedge Knife with the Kydex Sheath and the Black TiNi blade. The size of the blade would lead me toward skipping on the serrations and going with the straight black TiNi blade with the added bonus that it wouldn’t be reflective. But I must say that I REALLY like the tiger striped version with the black TiNi blade, the only drawback is the serrations.

ESEE Knives (formerly RAT Cutlery) makes some of the finest survival knives available. Their attention to detail and customer service are excellent to say the least. You can find out how much I like them (and other great info) by going to my ESEE/RAT knife page. One thing you need to keep in mind, when you order an ESEE knife there are codes that determine knife style, color, and sheath options. Be sure you understand the codes before you order your knife.

The ESEE RC-5 would make an excellent military survival knife. This knife comes with a small divot in the handle so that it can be used with a bow drill for fire making and the butt end can be used as a glass breaker.

The other knife I would recommend is the H.E.S.T. knife. This knife has many features that lend itself to being an exceptional military survival knife. It has a notch for breaking wire, a bottle opener, and it can be used as a pry bar. Inside the handle is a hollowed out area for some survival essentials. One thing I have heard is that the skull icon on the handle wears off after some use, it’s strictly cosmetic but it’s still a bummer.

I read where one reviewer bought two of these for his sons in the military. Overall this knife does exactly what it was designed to do but with a blade length of 3 1/8 inches long, if you’re looking for something with a big blade on it this isn’t it. Remember though, bigger isn’t always better.

Go here to check out the ESEE RC-5, and H.E.S.T knives. The H.E.S.T. knives are finally in stock now.

Ka-Bar is the standard. They set the bar years ago for combat knives and everyone has been chasing them ever since. Yes, there are better knives out there, but you’ll pay more for them. Ka-Bar has stayed the course, they are a consistent company turning out consistent products and they create excellent knives at a great price.

Their original combat/utility knifeis instantly recognizable at the camp site. As soon as you pull it out of it’s sheath everyone knows what kind of knife it is. Of course, being around for over 66 years will do that for you. It has been a favorite of the U.S. Marines since it was first manufactured.

The BK7 and BK9 knives were out of production until Ka-Bar recently took over the duties of teaming up with Becker to manufacture them. These knives were produced by Camillus and when they came out you could pick one up for around 55 dollars. They are a bit more expensive now, they start at around 75 dollars. Don’t let that put you off, these are still excellent knives and that is still an awesome price for what you get. The nice thing about the0007 model of the BK7 is that you get a small knife that fits in the front pouch on the sheath. It’s great for doing small chores like starting fires and general cooking.

Although the Ka-Bar Becker BK9 Combat Bowie Fixed Blade Knifeis an excellent knife, I feel it is too big for a good combat survival knife. You don’t want a knife that is going to be cumbersome to use in an emergency situation. However, if a big knife is what you’re looking for, the BK9 should be given serious consideration. If you’re going to be doing a lot of batoning wood then you should go with a large knife that can stand up to the abuse.

Check out my other post for more information on Ka-bar Fixed Blade Knives.

Gerber makes some excellent folding knives. Many of these are used by military personnel as well as law enforcement officers all around the world. These are some of the best selling and most popular folding knives manufactured by Gerber. They also have an excellent survival knife in the fixed blade Gerber LMF II you may want to check out.

The Gerber Gator II gets it’s name from the simulated alligator skin on the handle of the knife. This knife is sold in two different styles, each available in a plain or partially serrated blade. The standard Gerber Gator II is a lock back knife with a drop point style blade.

The Gerber Gator II with the Gut Hook style blade also comes in a lock back design. Both these knives have a strategically placed thumb hole that allows for quick effortless opening of the stainless steel blade.

There is one other configuration in which you can purchase this knife. That is the standard Gerber Gator II with a separate E-Z gut hook knife. this is a great option for the hunter that wants an everyday folder plus the option of using the gut hook when needed.

One more important thing to keep in mind when shopping for Gerber Gator Knives. The Gator has been an excellent seller for Gerber and they have several different styles of this knife. The main difference between the Gator I and the Gator II is the thumb hole for opening the blade. The Gator I doesn’t have it, remember that when you’re ordering your knife because I’ve seen dealers advertising knives with the wrong picture.

Gerber 22-41414 Gator II Drop Point, Fine Edge Knife
KNIFE, GATOR II DROP POINT (2201413)
KNIFE, GATOR II GUT HOOK, FINE
KNIFE, GATOR II GUT HOOK, SERRATED
Gerber 22-41416 Gator II Fine Edge Knife with Gut Hook
Gerber 22-41417 Gator II Serrated Edge Knife with Gut Hook

The Gerber Game Pro is a knife designed by Rick Hinderer of Rick Hinderer Knives. He has designed a couple of knives for Gerber and came up with a different frame lock design, which is a feature on this knife, that he calls the “lockbar stabilizer”.

This is a drop point style knife, which makes it excellent for skinning game. The size of this knife is more suited for smaller game. In a survival situation you would probably be going for smaller game anyway so this is perfect as an all around carry or bug out bag knife. The length is a hair over 7″ but a little over 4″ of that is handle.

The blade is made from High Carbon Steel and the handle is stainless steel with Softgrip inserts. It also has a thumb stud for quick one-handed opening.

Knife, Game Pro Foldig Hunter (2208460) Category: Swat Knives

Another great knife designed by Rick Hinderer. The Gerber Torch II Tanto. This knife comes with a “finger flip” design which means you can open the blade lightning fast. Just push down on the finger flip while you flick the blade open. It’s that easy. The “finger flip” does double duty as a finger guard as well.

The blade is made from 440A stainless steel and the handle is stainless steel with machined G10 inserts. G10 is basically a fiberglass laminate common in knife handles, it is lightweight and very strong. Overall length is 8.1″, the blade is 3.5″ It is a lock back knife using Rick Hinderer’s “Lockbar Stabilizer” design.

The only drawback to this knife would be sharpening it. The Tanto blade has to be sharpened from two different angles and the serrated sections would require special sharpening stones. Keep this in mind before purchasing it.

Gerber Torch II Tanto G-10 Black Serrated Edge Knife

If you like exotic looking Tanto knives then the Kiowa (named after the Kiowa helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopters) is the knife for you. I really like the look of this knife and I haven’t found many complaints on it’s function. The one thing I did find out about it is that, with use, the paint can come off the handle. Although the blade is anodized it appears that the handle is not.

It has a partially serrated tanto blade and the locking mechanism is a liner lock. It is 7.4″ long and is made of High Carbon Stainless and features one-handed opening.

Gerber 22-41405 Kiowa Tanto, Black – Serrated Edge – Clam

I have put in many hours of research on all kinds of knives.  I like knives for different reasons, such as: looks, color, blade type, length, versatility and probably one of the most deciding factors in today’s world… price.  You can read about some of my other favorite Combat Survival Knives here. Having said all that, let me tell you about ESEE knives.

ESEE Knives started business as RAT Cutlery (Actually it started at Ontario Knives but I don’t want to get into that convoluted story here.) Suffice it to say, due to problems with Ontario, RAT changed their name to ESEE Knives. I think it’s a shame, it’s so hard to build a brand these days and now they have to essentially go backwards and start rebuilding their name.

Their biggest problem will be with confusion among new potential customers. If you fall into this category don’t let a little confusion stop you, they are still the great company they were before, and I can promise you they (and their loyal followers) will do everything they can to help you out.

I’m not sure how big the company is but I will tell you that their product line is small (but growing!), and sometimes they have problems keeping up with demand.  However, there is almost a fanatical, dare I say, family of followers for these knives.  The owners regularly post on one of the knife related websites and this makes them very accessible.

Are they crazy!?  Don’t they know they are going to be bombarded with questions and critiques of their knives?  Apparently so and they respond to all of them.  Let me give you a couple of examples:

1. One poster said that while he was levering off the lid of a valve box, he broke off the tip of his RC-3.  Jeff Randall, one of the owners, told the poster that he didn’t need to send the knife back, he just needed the mailing address of the poster so he could send a replacement knife.  Also, he asked the poster to put up a picture on the forum of his broken knife. (PUBLICLY!!)  He told him to keep his broken knife as a “beater” knife.

2. Now a story about the “fanatical” nature of these followers of ESEE.  A recent regular poster announced that his bug out bag along with his ESEE knife had been stolen out of his car.  Someone had smashed in the window and taken the bag out of the seat.  Another fellow poster asked for his mailing address so he could send him a replacement bag and another ESEE knife that he no longer used.  WHAT??!!  Someone being human and helping someone else out?  This is almost unheard of today.  However, several posters also asked for his mailing address so they could help him replace the items he had in his bug out bag.  Fanatics… I hope when the zombies come THESE fanatics are all standing next to me.

So, in conclusion, if you are looking for an excellent, dependable, well-made knife then ESEE knives are for you.  Their service is unmatched by any company I’ve seen so far.  They pride themselves on making their knives here in America when MANY other companies are sending their manufacturing overseas, and they also pride themselves on their customer service.

Well done ESEE Knives, your actions truly speak louder than your words.

One thing to keep in mind when ordering any ESEE knife. Often the picture does not match the description. Where I post a link I’ve tried to contact the vendor to be sure the model number is correct even if the picture is not. When in doubt always contact the vendor to be sure you’re getting what you are ordering.

**UPDATE 10/18/09** I finally found a good place to get these knives at great prices. They have some of these already in stock and the ones that aren’t they say usually ships in about a week. Click on the links below to check out these great knives.

RC-3, Linen Micarta, Black Combo Blade

RC-3, Linen Micarta, Black Plain Blade

RC-3, OD Green Handle, Desert Tan Combo Blade

RC-3, OD Green Handle, Desert Tan Plain Blade

RC-3, Orange G-10 Handle, OD Green Combo Blade

RC-3, Orange G-10 Handle, OD Green Plain Blade

RC-4, Linen Micata Handle, Black Plain Blade

RC-4, OD Green Handle, Desert Tan Plain Blade

RC-4, Orange G-10 Handle, OD Green Combo Blade

This link is to an RC-5 that they currently have in stock, you may want to look around at the different options for this knife. It comes with a black or OD blade and with a plain or combo edged blade. Also there is a red warning note that says “Availability limited to stock on hand.” If you miss out on it, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

RC-5 SERE Black Combo Blade and Black Cordura Sheath

RC-6, Micarta Handle, Plain Blade

RC-HEST Removable Micarta Slabbed Handle

Black Izula with Survival Kit

OD Izula with Sheath Only

Pink Izula with Sheath Only