Micarta Handles

Survival knives, a friend in time of need!

Survival knives are designed for work such as setting traps, cutting branches and skinning animals. Most survival knives have blades that are 4 – 8 inches long with a full thick tang.

Before the late 19th century, outdoorsmen and military personnel used knives that were like the knives used by butchers. Blades were thin and the handles were often no more than two wooden slabs riveted to the tang.

Today survival knives are usually heavy duty knives built for specific a purpose.Some survival knives have hollow handles, which allow the user to store additional equipment in the handle such as matches or similar small items, began gaining popularity in the 1980s.
On some survival knives, the spine or back of the blade is flat; allowing it to make a good hitting platform when pounding it with a hard stick to aid in splitting wood. Serrations appeared on knives in the 19th century for use as a wood saw or fish scaler.
The handle material of survival knives differs from one to the next. These can be hardened rubber, wood, bone (horn), polymer like micarta.

If your life is going to depend on a survival knife; it should not be thin and weak.

During WWII, survival knives were issued to aircraft crew, as it was a real possibility that these personnel might be shot down over wilderness or behind enemy lines. The serrations seen on survival knives are intended to allow aircrewmen to cut their way free through the relatively thin metal skin of a crashed helicopter or airplane. Those knives that do include functional saw-teeth still suffer from lack of blade length limiting the thickness of what can be cut when used as a saw.

Lifeboats aboard naval vessels contained survival kits including knives. These knives varied in design from one branch of the service to another. From Vietnam to the present, purpose-built survival knives evolved.
Some military redesigned the bayonet used with their issued rifle to include survival knife features. Bayonets functioned poorly as field knives, due to being designed primarily to turn a rifle into a thrusting weapon and only secondarily (if at all) to work as a field knife. The newer models function more acceptably for survival while remaining capable of being attached to the muzzle of a rifle.

About the Author

Al is a collector of knives of all kinds.

Some survival knives may be found at:

My Pocket Knives.com

TP10 TOPS WOLF PUP MICARTA HANDLES KYDEX SHEATH

Iron Chef America 11-Piece Cutlery Set including Wood Block with Built-in Timer $129.99 This set includes a peeling knife at 2.75-in., a carver knife at 6-in., two chef’s knife at 7.5-in. and 9.5-in., a santoku at 6-in., a vegetable knife at 3.25-in., a bread knife at 8-in., a boning knife at 7.5-in., a sharpening stick, a utility knife at 3.75-in., and a deluxe block with timer.Cleaning: As with any quality cutlery, we highly recommend hand washing and immediate drying. The harsh c…

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Cermax M66 8-Inch Chef’s Knife $250.00 Chefs Knife…

Yaxell Ran 5-Inch Santoku Knife $139.91 67012-8 Features: -Santoku knife.-Black canvas Micarta handle.-68 Layers of stainless steel cladding on a VG10 core for grained surface and the sharpest edge possible.-Twin-riveted handles.-Heat tested to 150C.-Tarnish and rust resistant.-The first choice of top chefs worldwide.-Hand wash and dry with towel with blade edge turned away. Construction: -Stainless steel construction. Dimensions: -Bla…

Al Mar Knives BU12 Backup 1 Fixed Blade Knife with Black Micarta Handles $178.25 Al Mar Knives – Backup 1 Fixed Blade Knife with Black Micarta Handles. Model: AMBU12. 8 1/2″ overall. 4″ AUS-8 stainless tanto blade. Full tang. Black micarta handles. Lanyard hole. Black leather belt sheath. Designed by Kirk Rexroat.”…

Tops Knives COHK2 Commache Hawke II Fixed Blade Knife with Black Linen Micarta Handles $142.31 Tops Knives – Commache Hawke II Fixed Blade Knife with Black Linen Micarta Handles: Model TP-COHK2. 10″ overall. 4 7/8″ 1095 high carbon steel blade with black traction coating. Full tang. Black linen micarta handles with rugged Rocky Mountain tread grip. Black ballistic nylon sheath with Kydex liner included. Made in the USA….

Citadel Knives TAC17 TAC 17 Fixed Blade Knife with Black Micarta Handles $125.33 Citadel Knives – TAC 17 Fixed Blade Knife with Black Micarta Handles. Model: CDTAC17. 7 3/8″ overall. 3 3/4″ black coated 1075 high carbon steel blade with thumb ridge. Black micarta handles. Brown leather lanyard. Brown leather belt sheath. Embroidered OD green zippered canvas pouch with padded fleece lining and storage pocket. Bulk packed….

Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife $62.91 The Becker Companion features a 5 1/4 in. fixed black blade made from 1095 Cro-van steel with a black grivory handle that includes a lanyard hole. Knife has an overall lenght of 10 1/2 ines with a black hard plastic sheath and has a green canvas micarta handle purhcase option. ATTRIBUTES Blade Detail: Plain Edge Blade Length (inches): 5.25 Blade Material: Carbon Steel…

Ka-Bar BK11 Becker Necker Neck Knife $32.20 The Ka-Bar Becker Necker is the quintessential neck knife. The knife is made of 1095 Cro-Van steel, an easy-to-sharpen carbon steel that keeps its edge well. The Becker Necker also includes a black plastic, injection-molded, glass-filled nylon sheath that’s designed to work with the TDI metal belt clip. As a result, it’s easy to mount the knife to a belt, boot, or tactical vest. Marked with the ne…

Ka-Bar BK14 Becker Knife and Tool Eskabar Knife $33.86 Kneck knife features a single piece construction made form black 1095 Cro-Van steel with a blade length of 3 1/4 in skeleton handle and an overall length of 7 in. Knife includes a hard plastic sheath and inlcudes a zytel handle purchase option….

Dovo Anthracite Micarta, Full Hollow Stainless Steel, 5/8 This Stainless Steel, 5/8 blade from the legendary German craftsmen is set in a hand-polished anthracite Micarta. The Micartas natural swirling grain is unique from razor to razor, and the movement of the gold etching on the blade makes a subtle compliment. The blade makes a fine pair with Dovos Micarta-handled badger shaving brush…