Embarking on an adventure in the wilderness requires the right tools, and the most important one is a good knife. When deciding on a bushcraft knife, you want to look at the following qualities: full-tang, preferably no coating, no serration (no saw teeth on the spine), 90-degree spine, 4.5-6” blade length, high-carbon steel, and a good Scandinavian or flat grind.
In the wild, a good knife becomes your best friend and sidekick, useful for numerous tasks that you will encounter. In my experience, the problem of knowing which bushcraft knife to buy always surfaces. There are endless options, and choosing the right bushcraft cutting tool can become daunting. In this article, we will cover some of the prominent knives out there and weigh their strengths and weaknesses. Whether you are a beginner or on par with Mors Kochanski himself, we’ve got the insights you need to make a wise decision when purchasing a blade and will have you wilderness-ready for your next adventure.
I will describe 10 knives that are among the best in the bushcraft world. As a survival instructor, I have noticed that, on numerous occasions, new students arrive at my school with a Gerber knife, either the Bear Grylls knife or the Ultimate Survivor knife. Sometimes students will spend another $40 and get the Gerber Gear Strongarm knife. Every time I cringe. These knives would be good if they were the ONLY thing I had in the wild, but apart from that, they are little more than a paperweight. I own the Bear Grylls knife, given to me one Christmas by a well-meaning in-law. The Bear Grylls and Ultimate Survivor are serrated knives that cannot throw a spark when partnered with a ferro rod (or at least not very well). The spine is next to useless, and I dislike the coating on the blades. I found carving to be difficult when using this blade. If I had another pair of hands, I would give Gerber knives four thumbs down, Dave Chappelle style when impersonating Rick James. I have now gotten in the habit of telling prospective students to not buy a Gerber knife! Save your money and buy one of the following. You are welcome!
I have found that some of the best things come from Sweden. Sweden has the best heavy metal music and some of the prettiest women on Earth. Not only that, but Sweden also makes some of the best knives, such as the Fallkniven F1. The F1 is the official survival knife of the Swedish Air Force, and for good reason. The knife is 8.3 inches long, and the blade length is 3.8 inches. My only complaint is that the blade is a little short, making batoning wood difficult. The knife is made of VG-10 stainless steel. It is a drop-point knife with a convex grind, making it good for splitting and easy to maintain. However, I prefer a Scandinavian or flat grind for finer cutting and carving. The knife is full tang and comes coated in a satin finish or black CeraKote if you request it. You can purchase an F1 on Amazon for around $171. The other Swedish knife on my list is the Mora Pathfinder. The Pathfinder is extremely durable with a practical design. I attended several survival schools with a Pathfinder on my hip. The overall length of the Pathfinder is a whopping 11.6 inches, and the blade length is 6.75 inches. I find this knife to be more useful than the shorter Mora knives, although they are good too. The Pathfinder is made of high-carbon steel, maintaining a sharp edge that has been easy to sharpen. It has one of the best 90-degree spines I have seen and shoots sparks from a ferro rod like it’s the Fourth of July. The blade is full tang and has a Scandinavian grind, making it an ideal carver and excellent for batoning. My only complaint with the Pathfinder is the black DLC coating. Even with the coating, if you neglect the knife (which I have been guilty of doing), it will rust. When you try to remove this rust, the black coating gets everywhere and makes a fine mess. Apart from that, I do recommend the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder is probably the best “bang for your buck”. You get upper level knife quality at more than half the price of the more high-end or custom knives. Amazon seems to have the best price for a Pathfinder at $68.99. I have also seen these knives in the $90-$120 range.
The next knife is one I have played around with whenever it has been brought out to my primitive skills institute. The knife is the White River Ursus 45, and it’s a beauty. Surprisingly, I have yet to own one, considering how close the company is to my home. It is so close that my wife works in the same city, Fremont, Michigan, where the company is based. The company is White River Knives, most likely named after the nearby White River that weaves its way through West Michigan. This knife is currently priced at $249.95. Although it is a little pricey, it seems to be worth every penny. The overall length of the knife is 9.5 inches, and the blade itself is 4.5 inches and full tang. This puts it neatly in the 4.5-6 inch threshold and checks the boxes, making it an ideal bushcraft knife. The blade is made from CPM S35VN or CPM Magnacut steel, giving it excellent edge retention and resistance to corrosion. The knife is a drop-point style blade with a flat grind, making it ideal for all tasks around your campsite. This type of grind also makes it easy to sharpen in the wild.
The next great knife company that comes to mind is L.T. Wright. I have had the opportunity to try out their Genesis Scandi knife, and I must say I was impressed. My only critique was that I thought the blade was a touch too short. After trying out the Genesis Scandi, I accessed the L.T. Wright website and discovered their Larry Roberts Signature Edition Gen 6. The knife is full tang, made of A2 steel, and comes in at a whopping 11 inches. The blade itself is 6.125 inches and has a Scandinavian grind. While I have not gotten my hands on this knife yet, I already know I want one! The price tag for this fine knife is $269.95 but varies depending on where you are shopping. Although it is not cheap, I will say buying a bushcraft knife is a time when you do not want to cheap out.
The next company to discuss is the TOPS Knives Company, located in Ucon, Idaho. Their knives have been extensively tested and are able to take on the toughest tasks in the wild. TOPS knives are also used extensively by law enforcement agencies and the military. The TOPS knife that caught my eye was the B.O.B. or Brothers of Bushcraft knife. The blade of the knife is made from 1095 high carbon steel, is full tang, and is 4.75 inches long. It has a Scandinavian grind, which makes it good for cutting, carving, and sharpening. The knife also has an exposed tang at the pommel and is designed for striking ferro rods and other scraping tasks. This knife checks all the boxes for a good bushcraft knife. The B.O.B. can be found on Amazon at around $161.
Next is the Ontario Knife Company. This company was originally founded in Naples, New York, in 1889. For many years after, their manufacturing base was in Franklinville, New York. In modern times, the company was purchased and relocated to Marion, Virginia. The knife I own is the RAT-7. This knife is a popular choice among those in the bushcraft community. The RAT-7 has a whopping 7-inch blade made from 1095 carbon steel. It’s a beast! The knife is full tang and has a flat grind. I don’t care much for the black powder-coated finish, but such coatings are easy to remove. The RAT-7 reminds me of the Becker BK7, which is also extremely tough and rugged. I own the BK7 and a BK9; the BK9 reminds me of a small sword! I have two critiques that are similar for both the RAT-7 and BK7. First, I don’t care for fancy coatings; I would rather simply have the steel with a nice patina on it. Second, for cutting, carving, and finer knife work around the camp, I have found that when using these two knives, my hand gets fatigued very quickly. But if you need a knife that will pry open a door, these knives might be your best bet. Or if you need a Roman gladius, get the BK9! The RAT-7 is priced around $104-$135. The Becker BK7 is around $115 and the hefty BK9 is priced at about $127.99.
The next company is ESEE Knives, which is located in Gallant, Alabama. The company is known for making very tough and robust knives that can take all kinds of abuse in the wild. I also own some ESEEs and can honestly say I like them. However, I find myself returning to my Mora Pathfinder rather than using an ESEE knife. The knife in mind is the ESEE 6. The knife blade is 6.5 inches long, made from 1095 high carbon steel, full tang, has a flat grind and a drop point design. The two things I don’t like are the coating and the fact it is serrated along the spine. I will never understand why some companies love serrated blades, but they do! I suspect it is the Rambo movies of the 80s. There is nothing truly wrong with serration on the spine of a knife, it’s just not my preference. ESEE Knives is a great company, and you can’t go wrong with their products. The ESEE 6 ranges around $132-$146.
The next company is Cold Steel, Inc., founded in Ventura, California, in 1980. The company has since relocated to Irving, Texas, after being bought by GSM Outdoors in 2020. Cold Steel is known for producing a wide range of knives and other edged tools. The Cold Steel SRK (Survival Rescue Knife) is a tough and rugged blade. It is designed with survival and rescue operations in mind. The SRK is issued to SEAL candidates during BUD/S training. The blade is 6 inches long and made from SK-5 high carbon steel. The blade has a clip point design and a black Tuff-Ex finish. While this knife may be a good overall knife, there are other knives I prefer for survival. It is good, but not my first choice. If your budget is extremely low however, this may be the best one to buy while still getting a decent knife. They range in price from $53.99-69.99. At the time of this writing I found them on Amazon for $29.15, a price you can’t beat.
The next two are knives for a bargain. The first that caught my interest was the BeaverCraft BSH2 Glacier. BeaverCraft is a company located in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Glacier is full tang and made of 1066 carbon steel. The total length of the knife is 9.45 inches, and the blade is 4.13 inches long. While I prefer my Mora Pathfinder or the feel of the Ursus 45, I will say the Glacier is an awesome deal at only $45. If you can only spend $45, spend it on this knife and not on a Gerber!
The final company on this list is Condor Tool & Knife, Inc. and is located in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The company has been crafting high-quality knives and other tools since 1964. The knife I have in mind from the company is the Condor Bushlore Survival Knife. This knife is a popular choice among those in the world of bushcraft. The overall length of the knife is 9.3 inches, and the blade is 4.3 inches long. This full tang knife is made of 1075 high carbon steel with a Scandi grind. For around $85 it is a solid choice, without breaking the bank.
I will quickly add 5 custom made knife brands that are high-quality, but not cheap. Stephenson Knives are very fine blades that range in price around $300-400. Fiddleback Forge Knives are in the same price range, but also very nice. White River Knives are fine blades (previously mentioned) made locally in my area. These knives range in price around $250. Knives made by Adventure Sworn Bushcraft Co are very nice and range in price from around $250-300. Remember, very fine things come from Scandinavia (remember I mentioned Sweden earlier?). Another fine series of knives that come from the land of the ancient Vikings are the Helle Knives from Norway. This company makes knives that are very robust, beautiful, and highly customizable. They range in price from $159.50-$275.
What is your favorite go-to bushcraft knife? Is there a blade you would add to this list? Happy hunting!