The Best Survival Knives of 2024

In 2003, a movie called “The Hunted” was released. It featured Tommy Lee Jones as a survival instructor and Benicio Del Toro as his student. Right off the bat, we learn that Del Toro’s character has gone off the rails and has become a killing machine. The FBI leans on Jones to neutralize the threat. From beginning to end, the movie is fantastic, but you realize very early on that this movie isn’t about a good guy trying to stop a bad guy, but about an iconic knife that can pretty much do anything.

That knife is the TOPS Tom Brown Tracker ($370) and for the last 2 decades, it’s proven its worth as the best survival knife around.

Like Jimmy Lile’s Rambo knife that he made for “First Blood”, the Tom Brown Tracker was made famous by the movie it was featured in. Lots of action. Lots of cool stuff. Lots of knife. But unlike the knife in those great Rambo movies, the Tracker became widely adopted by survivalists, outdoor folks, and people looking for a reliable, multifunction knife to rely on in the outdoors.

Made in Idaho from a solid piece of ¼-inch-thick 1095 carbon steel, the Tracker is designed to chop, saw, skin, slice, and more. There are a few different visions of the Tracker, but the one we tested is Cerakoted in Coyote Tan. This makes its high-carbon steel blade virtually impervious to corrosion and abrasion.

Its thick micarta handles are indestructible and offer an impressive grip whether your hands are wet or dry. The Tracker is a big knife and might be considered heavy by some people’s standards, but when it comes time to put in the work, you’ll find that a knife of this heft does a lot of the work for you.

The Tracker comes with a heavy-duty, paracord-wrapped, Kydex sheath that features two spring steel belt clips. The clips can be rotated so that you can carry the Tracker on your hip, both vertically or horizontally, or across your back. Additionally, the clips can be used to attach the knife to your pack or anywhere that is easy for you to access.

Morakniv is a Swedish knife brand that has become synonymous with “durable” and “affordable” all over the world. They have found a way to mix the right materials with the right aesthetics and ergonomics to create knives that can be used and abused in a variety of outdoor environments without costing an arm and a leg. For 2024, we tested their Morakniv Kansbol ($56) and can honestly say that you’re getting a very effective knife for a very nice price.

Like all of Mora’s outdoor knives, the Kansbol is made from 12C27 stainless steel. This is a Swedish steel that’s been relied on for more than half a century without any need for improvement. Being stainless, 12C27 has a high corrosion resistance, but it also features abrasion resistance and a toughness that comes in handy when cutting through wood and meat. Regarding cutting, chopping, slicing, and the like, 12C27 holds a sharp edge for a good while, but can easily be resharpened to a razor’s edge like when it was fresh from the factory.

The Kansbol has the additional benefit of a tapered grind, which allows for easier piercing, slicing, and processing.

The textured handle of the Kansbol seals the blade in place and helps keep the knife light and easy to maneuver. Its soft friction grip allows the knife to remain comfortable in your hand for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, the polymer material keeps a reliable grip whether your hand is wet or dry.

The sheath of the Kansbol has a removable belt slip as well as two drain holes. These drain holes can be repurposed as lanyard holes, allowing you to wear the Kansbol around your neck where the belt holder can be stored in your pack and kept out of the way. An added benefit of the drain/lanyard holes in the sheath is that it allows the sheath itself to be used as a blow tube to help you get a fire roaring with ease.

Though we didn’t test it, there is an optional Survival Kit ($25). This kit features a ferro rod and diamond sharpener and attaches directly to the Kansbol’s sheath. The spine of the Kansbol is unbroken which makes it a breeze to use with this ferro rod or any ferro rod of your choice.

The addition of the Survival Kit still keeps the Kansbol well under the $100 mark. Which, in our mind, is an admirable feat.

The Hogue Knives Ritter RSK MK1-G2 ($190) is quite possibly one of the best sequels on the planet. Designed by survivalist, pilot, knife rights pioneer, and overall good guy, Doug Ritter, the original design for this knife was sold as the Benchmade Griptilian 552 from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s. A few years back, Ritter partnered with Hogue knives and found ways to improve on the original knife that we can all now benefit from.

To start off, Ritter intended the original RSK (Ritter Survival Knife) to be a fully ambidextrous one-hand opening knife with a wide drop point blade that featured premium knife steel and advanced ergonomics for enhanced grip and operation. He also wanted that knife to be under $200. With Benchmade, Ritter achieved that goal and was able to do it again more than twenty years later with Hogue Knives.

Considering the fact that prices have gone up on everything in the last two decades, it’s impressive to see that the MK1-G2 is still under $200. But what’s more impressive is the upgrade to MagnaCut steel as well as improvements made to the original crossbar lock mechanism which include slight changes in tolerances and upgraded springs.

MagnaCut steel is one of the most sought-after EDC knife steels available today. It excels in corrosion and abrasion resistance as well as edge retention. When the blade does finally become dull, the steel is a breeze to sharpen at home or in the field. This pairs well with the ABLE lock, since the crossbar lock mechanism is one of the most reliable knife lock mechanisms on the planet.

With an overall length of 8.15” MK1-G2’s large size allows it to do some of the work generally relegated to fixed-blade knives. We had no problem with prepping food or kindling with it out on the trail. The 3.44” blade is nicely balanced against the 4.7” handle, which makes for easy maneuvering. This is enhanced by both the extra texturing of the G10 handle scales and Ritter’s signature thumb ramp on the back of the blade above the pivot.

Overall, the Ritter MK1-G2 is a workhorse that could easily get you through any task thrown at you in the outdoors. Maybe even fighting a bear? But we don’t recommend you seek out that challenge.

For a deeper dive, check out GearJunkie’s full review of the Hogue Knives Ritter RSK MK1-G2

There are quite a few reasons why we picked the ESEE Izula II ($90), but having used the knife for over a decade, our tester, Nick LeFort, specifically picked it because of its adaptability and reliability.

Like the TOPS Tom Brown Tracker, the Izula II is made from coated 1095 carbon steel. In this case, the entire knife has been powder coated, which eliminates corrosion and abrasion issues altogether. In fact, in the court of the ten-plus years that LeFort has used this knife, the only place rust has popped up has been on the blade edge after cleaning up some freshly caught trout. This was easily removed with some light honing.

The Izula II comes stock with Micarta handle scales that have a cavity cored into them to store a fishing hook or something of a similar size. These handle scales provide excellent grip and their contoured shape naturally places your index finger into the knife’s choil. This grip is great for a variety of tasks, but, given the chance, gives you complete control over the knife to stab and slash.

At 6.75” in length, the Izula II is easy to conceal both on your belt and around your neck (the sheath is configured for both). But its smaller stature won’t limit you in what this knife is capable of doing. Yes, being smaller, makes more detailed and intricate tasks — like carving and processing — easier to do. But you won’t have any issues batoning the spine to split kindling. The Izula II can also be lashed to a stick to transform it into a spear.

And nothing says survival like carrying a spear around the woods.

The Woodman’s Pal ($195), which has been made in Pennsylvania since 1941, is more of a machete than a knife. But it’s more than a machete overall. In fact, this multifunction survival tool has been so well thought out that it could be adapted to such tasks as trail clearing, fire prep, and even shelter building. But, the Woodman’s Pal also excels at self-defense — it’s the one tool on this list that we say has been used by American soldiers in war.

In testing, we stuck to what we knew and found that the Woodman’s Pal was terrific in getting to camp as well as when we got to camp. The main blade on the tool is great for chopping, splitting, and trimming. This makes the Woodman’s Pal awesome for prepping anything from kindling to larger pieces of wood for fire.

It was also great for trimming back some of the brush on the trails that had either grown in or fallen throughout the fall. The sickle hook on the back of the tool was great for shaving, pulling, pruning, and cutting. This came in handy when we needed to make tinder bundles for our fires, but also for pulling down prickers and vines that invaded the trail over the summer.

But the Woodman’s Pal isn’t just about pure raw aggression, processing, and demolishing. It’s also got quite a bit of safety baked into it. Take the leather-banded handle that’s surrounded by a steel hand guard. The leather conditions to a point where your hand wouldn’t slip from it unless you let go. The hand guard keeps your knuckles safe while you’re slashing and chopping.

Then there’s the round toe at the front of the blade. This is so you don’t cut yourself if one of your wild swings misses its target. Additionally, the notch in front of the sickle hook was added to make sure your hand doesn’t slip into it.

If the Woodman’s Pal was sufficient enough to be given to soldiers in WWII so they could survive in battle and beyond, we think that’s good enough for any one of us looking for a few days in the outdoors where our biggest enemy might just be mosquitos. 

Tester Nick LeFort handles a ton of knives a year and rarely gets cut. The Benchmade Anonimus ($279) nearly sent him to the emergency room with one slip when taking the knife out of its sheath for the first time. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, if anything, it’s a token of what Cruwear, sometimes called Cru-Wear or CruWear, steel can do for you. Or, in this case, to you. So, be careful — but be excited!

Designed to be an improved version of D2, Cruwear is a tool steel that has very good toughness and wear resistance. Those features, as well as corrosion resistance, are amplified here with Benchmade’s decision to Cerakote the blade steel on the Anonimus. As stated, the Cruwear can be insanely sharp, and that edge will stick around for a while. It’s also easier to sharpen than some higher-end steels which also makes Cruwear desirable.

One thing we really liked about the Anonimus was the inclusion of a ferro rod holder on the sheath. That said, if there’s one drawback about this knife, it’s that the only place a ferro rod will work is in the notch behind the blade edge. Cerakoting eliminates the ability to use a ferro rod, and you never want to use it on the blade edge. The notch on the blade wasn’t coated and allowed for some big sparks with single-rod draws. However, the ferro rod can get easily hung up in the notch and that proved to be a surprising learning curve.

The entirety of the Anonimus is really well thought out. Its overall length and shape fit into both the Bushcraft and Survival categories. Even the overall finish and colors of the materials fit into both worlds. However, we found that the overall thickness and hand feel of the Anonimus were sleeker than the traditional bushcraft-style knife, which gave it an edge in the survival category. But, not enough to pull it too far into one category over the other.

For more info, read GearJunkie’s full review of the Benchmade Anonimus.

Few knives have a survival pedigree that can match the Laser Strike ($138). Originally manufactured by TOPS in 2000, this 1095 high-carbon bruiser has seen use all around the globe. With its powder-coated 4.75-inch blade measuring 0.188 inches across the shoulders, it’s a medium-size knife capable of outshining some fixed blades twice its size.

Beyond its outstanding edge, ESEE added several features to the classic iteration. First, the brand swapped in Micarta scales to cover its 5.25-inch handle. These include a bow drill divot, allowing the knife to act as the top half of a primitive kindling rig.

But if you’re in more desperate need of a fire, users can use the attached lanyard washer to remove the flathead screws holding the scales in place. Nestled against the interior steel are a ferrocerium flint and a pair of tinder tabs, perfect for sparking a flame in a variety of circumstances.

Now that we’ve covered the Laser portion of its name, let’s get to the Strike. Despite weighing in at just over half a pound (9.5 ounces), this ESEE is a devastating chopper. We’ve hacked and batoned logs that should have broken the Laser Strike in two. Then we handed it to friends and asked them to give it a try.

Whatever we tasked it with, the knife came through unscathed. This is due to the thickness of its blade and the strength of its drop-point tip. It’s thick enough to handle drilling tasks while also coming to a fine point for detailed work or scraping.

On some knives, this kind of texture on the back of the handle can cause hot spots in your grip. But not with the Laser Strike. The rounded edges improve purchase while keeping blisters at bay.

With nearly 5 inches of ceramic-coated 420HC steel, full-tang construction, and a rock-solid grip, the Gerber StrongArm ($89) one of the best survival knives available in any class or price point.

The StrongArm is one of Gerber’s USA-made knives, forged with a proven 420HC steel. While this may seem like a basic choice for a survival blade, we’ve found its edge retention and toughness to be more than adequate for extended use.

And when it does come time to sharpen, the blade pops back to life with surprising eagerness. There’s a premium model available in BDZ-1 steel, which slightly boosts the knife’s overall performance. We’re happy with the 420HC version, but it’s nice to know the upgrade is out there.

Let’s talk handles because the StrongArm has a great one. This Gerber features a rubberized diamond pattern that manages to be both grippy and incredibly comfortable. The knife ends with a slightly spiked pommel and lanyard hole, adding an option for some light hammering or striking.

Speaking of options, the StrongArm’s sheath is loaded with them. Per Gerber’s website, “The multi-mount, snap-together sheath is easy to use and can be mounted vertically on MOLLE, horizontally on a belt, or in traditional drop-leg fashion.” Retention is good, and the knife is generally comfortable on the hip. That said, the plastic does feel a bit cheap.

We’ve used a lot of superlatives here, but it’s because the Gerber StrongArm really is that good. We’ve used it for camping, cooking, carving, and general chores more than almost any blade in my collection. And the best part? You’ll probably be paying less than $90. Pick one up now and see for yourself.

For an in-depth rundown of this classic tool, check out our full review of the Gerber StrongArm.

The Scout ($130) is the budget-friendly model of Cold Steel’s critically acclaimed (and premium-priced) 4-Max. But don’t call it a downgrade! This wallet-friendly knife has more features than some blades at twice the cost.

The 4-inch blade incorporates a drop-point style over its stonewashed surface. When deployed, this beast measures a full 10 inches, tipping the scale at 10.19 ounces.

The calling card here is the legendary Tri-Ad lock. Cold Steel has produced many, many videos showcasing the hardiness of this proprietary mechanism. It withstood countless torture tests by the manufacturer, so you can be sure it’ll hold up in whatever survival pickle you find yourself in. The only downside here is the deployment.

Unlike some folders that tend to be snappy and fidget-friendly, the Tri-Ad moves like an iron door. As long as the pivots are greased, the movement will be smooth. But all that strength means you’re moving something profound, not a thin strip of a lock bar.

But the 4-Max scout has so much to offer beyond its lock. It features a textured Grivory handle on the outside, with full titanium liners within. This arrangement amplifies the knife’s rigidity, while also shedding the weight normally added by typical steel liners. The blade also includes something of addition by subtraction.

While the standard 4-Max utilizes CPM-20CV, the Scout employs AUS-10A. Although this is certainly a step down, it’s an upgrade from the 8CR13MoV and AUS-8 found in many of Cold Steel’s other offerings. This is a perfectly functional steel that, while unable to match the long-term cutting of the premium piece, is less likely to chip and shatter in a survival situation.

All in all, this Cold Steel is one of the beefiest folders on the market. Whether you’re after a robust daily driver or a backup to toss into your survival kit, the 4-Max Scout has you covered.

Most of the blades we’ve covered here are designed for wilderness or even urban survival situations. But what if you find yourself stranded on the coast or marooned on a desert island? In that case, the Spyderco Waterway ($270) is the tool for you.

According to Spyderco’s website, “Waterway designer Lance Clinton is a lifelong knife enthusiast and professional kayak fisherman who has spent literally thousands of hours on the water … Clinton’s vision for the Waterway was to create an ultra-corrosion-resistant knife that would excel at fishing tasks while remaining well-suited to general utility and outdoor use.”

The secret ingredient here is LC200N: An intriguing “high-nitrogen alloyed tool steel specifically formulated to offer superior corrosion resistance and extreme toughness, even at high levels of hardness.”

What this means, essentially, is that the Waterway won’t rust. Like, ever. And where other corrosion-resistant steels such as H1 do exist, LC200N’s edge retention is in a league of its own.

Wrapped around this full-tang piece of miracle steel are a pair of contoured G-10 scales. These feature a precision, textured finish ideal for maintaining grip in wet environments. There’s also a generous front finger guard, which should keep users from slipping up onto the blade.

And while we’ve talked about the steel, let’s take a second to consider the blade itself. At just under 4.5 inches long and 0.12 inches wide, this is a precision tool reminiscent of a fillet knife. Its fine edge and nimble nature make it perfect for cutting up fish.

Bottom line: The Spyderco Waterway is a great light- to medium-duty blade, with a technological and design pedigree far ahead of your standard fishing knife. And while it may not be the best for Schwarzenegger-style survival, it would make a great addition to Tom Hanks’ kit from “Castaway.”

When it comes to bang for your buck, few survival knives offer as much as the Schrade SCHF52 Frontier ($55). This 13-inch monster has helped us dress firewood, hack the limbs from downed trees, and generally demolish a myriad of backyard chores.

Much of the credit here goes to the simplicity of Schrade’s design. The entire knife is composed of a single piece of 1095 high-carbon steel, with 7 inches dedicated to the blade.

The thermoplastic elastomer handle is beautifully textured, with a hooked pommel and finger guard keeping your hand in place. There’s also a nice patch of thumb jimping up top and a generous forward finger choil. All of these features result in a wealth of possible grips, making the SCHF52 a surprisingly versatile tool.

And if plain old smashing is your thing, this knife has the heft to get the job done. It weighs in at a neat one pound, allowing users to put some force behind their cuts. The only caveat here comes on the part of the black powder coating. While it’s held up reasonably well on my knife, it can be prone to flaking off after extended use.

Still, you’re getting a lot of value for your dollar here. Beyond the knife itself, the SCHF52 comes with a comfortable sheath, complete with a pouch containing a ferro rod, striker, and sharpening stone. That essentially makes this a complete survival knife kit for less than half of the price of some of the more premium models on this list.

Whether you’re looking for a knife to tackle backyard chores or to keep in your wilderness pack, don’t sleep on this low-cost, high-value offering from Schrade.

Normally, we’d recommend against picking a survival knife with serrations. They’re hard to sharpen, not suited for use on wood, and generally break up a nice cutting edge. But if we’re going to get crazy, let’s get really ridiculous with the KA-BAR Becker BK3 Tac Tool ($145).

Weighing 1.3 pounds and stretching a half-inch longer than your grade school ruler, this matte-black blade looks like something straight out of a video game. Its quarter-inch-thick blade features a sharpened snub-nose design, ideal for scraping and prying.

There’s even a cord-cutting hook up front, making this an incredibly versatile survival tool. The serrations are found at the base of the 1095 Cro-Van blade, just ahead of the finger guard.

The handle is nearly identical to that found on the classic Becker BK2. Its thick Zytel grip ends in a flared pommel, keeping the user’s hand in place during high-stress tasks. The blade tang protrudes from the back, adding another edge to the Tac Tool’s arsenal.

While most survival knives allow for at least some form of hammering or hacking, the BK3 is built to chop, slice, and generally destroy all kinds of natural and manufactured materials. It’s all edge, all the time.

Fortunately, KA-BAR includes a solid polymer sheath to help wrangle this beast of a blade. Its low-ish ride lets you carry the Tac Tool at or below your beltline, which keeps the exposed tang from poking you in the ribs.

There are also the ubiquitous MOLLE attachment points, as well as a snap to hold the handle in place.

If all of this sounds like fun to you, check it out. This is a kind of a ridiculous knife, but it’s also incredibly well-built and an absolute blast to use.

Remember this one? KA-BAR’s Becker BK2 ($105) is a repeat performer on GearJunkie’s “Best Of” lists. Last time, it was the bushcraft-and-tactical combo pick on our list of “The Best Bushcraft Knives.” And here it shows its hybrid toughness once again as one of the best survival knives on the market.

The Becker BK2 is a 1-pound, 10.75-inch stick of 1095 Cro-Van steel, with a black-coated blade ground flat to 5.25 inches’ worth of edge. Its quarter-inch thickness tapers out to a rugged drop point, making it well-suited for stabbing and even light prying tasks.

The thick handle comprises two pieces of Zytel, held fast against the full tang by a trio of thick screws. And the knife features an exposed bit of steel at the pommel, which can be used as a hammer or scraping implement.

But as impressive as the specs are, they don’t do justice to the BK2’s ethos. In hand, this is one of the most rugged, ready, and unbreakable blades in the survival market. It has a broad-shouldered heft that instills confidence in the user, allowing you to power through tasks that would cause hesitation with other knives. Just pull up YouTube and watch what some people put these knives through, and you’ll have a good sense of what I mean.

But all that bravado would fall short if the Becker was a pain to carry. Thankfully, the included polymer sheath is just as rugged. It rides comfortably at your side and includes lashing points for alternative carry methods. It’s a basic, no-frills affair, which fits the BK2’s attitude.

While it may not be the most delicate slicer or readiest firestarter, the KA-BAR Becker BK2 is as rugged as they come. If you’re looking for something that can smash through bricks and pry open a car door between trips to the woodpile, this is the knife for you.

How do you improve on a blade as legendary as the Mora Companion? Simple — add a fire steel to the handle. That’s exactly what you’ll find with the Mora Spark ($33), a budget-minded knife with a classic survival pedigree.

Let’s start with the blade. At just under 4 inches, this 12C27N stainless model comes with Mora’s trademark Scandi grind, perfect for carving and kindling prep. But where the Companion models have a smooth and rounded spine, the Spark leaves its upper edge angled and unpolished. Used in combination with the included fire steel, this is where the knife gets its name. It’s an impressive all-in-one system, especially for a knife in the budget category.

No discussion of Morakniv would be complete without a few words on their handles. Like the Companion, the Spark employs a rubberized friction grip, with a gentle swell for the palm. These knives are renowned for their comfort and stability in the hand. Its rounded shape and subtle finger guard make for a secure experience, even when wearing winter gloves.

If you’re looking for downsides, the only real dings come from the basic (but comfortable) plastic sheath and the partial-tang construction. The polymer sheath attaches to the belt via a standard belt clip, riding comfortably and low on the hip. It’s essentially molded plastic, but at least it’s high-quality molded plastic.

And as far as the partial tang goes, Mora’s been making them this way for decades. It’s not a knife you’ll want to hammer through a car door or tree, but it’s going to last through just about any other sticky situation you want to throw at it. And at this price, what’s to stop you from buying a whole batch? Throw them in your car, in your camping bag, or anywhere else you want a proven, versatile tool.