If you grew up in the 1980s, chances are you had an affinity for Sylvester Stallone's iconic character John Rambo and his survival knife. Moviegoers witnessed Stallone sew a laceration in his arm shut with a needle and thread that was packed in the handle of his trusty knife. Not only that, but the handle had a compass built into the cap. Rambo's hollow knife handle made for good cinema, but truth be told, solid handles are sturdier in the wild. When choosing your knife, go with one that includes a blade that is 4 to 6 inches long, 5/32 to 8/32 inches thick, and made of high carbon or stainless steel. Some people give a thumbs down to partially serrated blades because they're hard to sharpen. But they can be handy. There's also the option of a tough butt cap for hammering and defense, and a well-designed, non-slip grip is essential. High-quality blades hold their edge under rough treatment, but it's a good idea to have a handy, easy-to-use sharpener on hand just in case.
Some popular brands include the Gerber LMF II (above, top) the Sog Seal Pup M37, the Cold Steel SRK and the simple Fallknivens (above, bottom). Survivorman often favors an inexpensive Buck knife, while Bear Grylls might use an expensive custom-made model. In the end, it mostly comes down to your personal preferences for grip, balance and extra features -- and your knife skills.
