If you’re like me, you’re probably knife poor. I like knives and all kinds of blades, but sometimes they don’t like me. I have a tendency to get 
cut. Imagine that. Among all the survival tools we could amass, I highly suspect that knives or more generically then, blades would be tops on our lists of instruments to have, pack, and use. But which ones? If we were limited to a list of 13 blades, what would we take with us, or use most of the time. Is 13 too many, too few, or does it matter? Everything in this world is subjective otherwise you would not be able to buy an automobile in one of a dozen color choices. Have you tried to buy a sport shirt lately? A necktie? The options boggle the mind.
World Blade Market
Well, it is of course the same with blades. My choices here are just practical suggestions and 
recommendations based on my own uses. You have your own ideas, so give us your input. Knowledge is power. If you have ever visited the Smoky Mountain Knife Works mega blade store in Sevierville, Tennessee, then you need to go. If you love blades, this place will drive you crazy. I needed therapy after just three hours in the store. I never knew there were so many brands, kinds, sizes, shapes, materials, and such when it comes to knives or anything that cuts, chops, hacks, or slices. You can check them out on their web site as well at www.smkw.com. Seeing that many blade options is overwhelming. Naturally any one of them can basically get the everyday cutting jobs we need done. But as they say “variety is the spice of life.” So, why only have one pocketknife or kitchen knife. I mean I have 3-4 hammers or saws when they all can do the job. I just like different ones for different reasons. I feel the same way about blades, but particularly if you are planning a Bug Out, then you might have to limit yourself to a narrow selection. Here’s my take on that.
Box Cutter
Yeah, I know this is not really classified as a knife, but it cuts and does a lot of dandy jobs around the house, shop, garage, work room and SHTF Bug Out camp. I would rather wear out a dozen of these cheap razor cutters than constantly dull up a good knife. Their uses are endless. I have a box cutter in every tool box, on the shop bench, and in the office. It is very often the first blade I reach for.
Pocket Knives
Take your choice there are a million of them. There are little ones, big ones, single blades, multiple blades and all kinds of handle materials. 
I probably have 25 pocket knives of all kinds but I usually fall back on a good Case, Browning, or Remington. Some larger ones I have in a leather belt sheath that I can carry with me when I don’t want one in the pocket. If you carry one, you’ll find a gazillion uses for it, but everyone will want to borrow it. Never, ever part with a pocket knife if you want it back.
Fine Mincing Knife
I invented this title for a knife as I don’t know if it really exists. Mine is a small, flat sided blade knife with a blunt blade tip for small kitchen work or even tight spaces around eyes and ears when prepping for the taxidermist. When I am cutting up close or small things, I don’t want a needle blade tip sticking me in the off finger that is holding things. I do a lot of cooking prep with this knife for thin slicing green onions, radishes, or stripping a good piece of sirloin for stir fry or stroganoff. Could a dozen other knives do these jobs? Sure, but like I said, I like knives. Mine is from Knives of Alaska.
Skinner
This can also be a rather generic term for a meat table knife or deer skinning rack knife used to get the hide off of a game animal for further 
processing. Every hunter “knows” what a skinning knife is but they vary by the eyes of the beholder. Usually these knives have a larger, thicker blade with a solid tang and a good grip for grabbing tightly reducing slippage, the main reason for nasty cuts at the game pole. Some of these have hook blades for skinning work. Such a knife is often used for the first stages of butchering right off the animal in the case of deer sized game. It is not really a capping knife either.
Hunting Knife
A hunting knife is a close call to a skinner and often serves the same purpose. Generally a good hunting knife is also an all-around camp 
knife for cutting rope, small branches, and other utility work around camp or on the trail as well as processing game. These are heavy knives with leather ring handles or some kind of bone, or natural wood handles or even modern synthetics. Hunting knives work best if they have a full tang and can be stored securely in a leather sheath carried on the belt.
Giant Folder
When I think of this style of knife, I most often think of the first folder my dad got me way, way back yonder. Mine is a classic Buck knife with the dark walnut wood handles, brass bolsters, and the big cutting blade. For a kid it was a manful in the hand and still is. Folded up it fits nicely in the leather sheath with snap cover. I also have a unique custom folder made by Al Mar. These knives have many uses and purposes, but frankly could be an overlap to other blades on the list.
Multi-Tool
Well, maybe not really a knife per se, but they all usually have a cutting blade incorporated into the many fold out tools available on most of these multi-tasking tools. I have a small Gerber multi-tool with a blade, screwdrivers, bottle opener, fold out pliers, and some other things, plus I also have one of the larger tools that every SHTF survivalist needs to have. You simply have to have one or more of these tools on your belt, clipped inside your pocket, or hooked on your Bug-Out-Bag.
Medium Kitchen Knife
You need a couple of good cutting knives for food prep. Start with a medium sized kitchen knife with a good stainless blade and a strong handle. These can cut up a chicken, slide celery or carrots, mince up a pile of potatoes or even slice a roast ready for the table. There are literally dozens of choices when it comes to good kitchen knives. You probably already have several in the drawer.
Large Kitchen Knife
Ok, the large kitchen knife is a medium kitchen knife on steroids so to speak. This blade is for heavy duty kitchen work from big slicing to big chopping. I like 
the control a bigger knife handle gives me for my big mitts, so you have to judge what works for you. I can go through all kinds of root veggies with this knife in short order getting stuff ready for a soup or stew. It will cut a whole chicken in half with one motion and make fast work of the bone, too. It will slice pork tenderloin chops off a whole tenderloin just as well.
Butcher Knife
Again this is a crossover type blade you can probably do without. However, if you plan a Bug In like me then why not have as many knives and tools around as you want. If you are scramming for a Bug Out then you may have to trim down your choices. Anyway, a big butcher knife powers its way through a beef prime rib to create ribeye steaks, whacks a whole watermelon down the center with ease and takes out a zombie in one swath.
Meat Cleaver
Ditto on the meat cleaver with the butcher type knife. If you are into processing your own game meat from the field or woods, you are going to want a seriously heavy blade to separate a deer pelvis, or take an elk down into manageable portions to pack out back to SHTF camp. A couple swings with a good cleaver can do the work of any other knife with half the effort. It’s a good tool to have around.
Hatchet
This is intended more for camp work. Buy one with the flat hammer on one side and you’ll have two great tools. A good, heavy hatchet can 
hammer in tent stakes, chop all kinds of rope into useful pieces, and trim down branches or small trees from a Bug Out wilderness site. Hatchets can chop up limbs for kindling wood or split small logs for the fire. You cannot be a self-deserving Boy Scout without a good hatchet. Wielding one also gives you a certain amount of attention getting power among undesirables.
Ax
In the famous words of Ash Williams from the cult classic Army of Darkness “It’s a trick, get an Ax.” Whatever your SHTF plan is do have an ax available for heavy duty woodland or yard jobs. An ax is obviously meant to cut wood, big wood, so learn how to use one, sharpen it, and take care of it. There are also all kinds of axes out there, but I find the lightweight ones a little flimsy for most big cutting jobs like reducing a downed tree into firewood. Personally I prefer the ones with a good ole hickory handle rather than a slippery plastic or fused nylon ax handle. An ax is a worthy blade tool for any SHTF.
My List
So, there’s my list of have-to-have blades. I could easily do without some of these or add more items like a good cutting board, sharpening stone or tool, and a sledge hammer with log splitter wedge. Add some or take away to suit your needs. Let us know what those are. We want to learn from you as well.
Photos By:
Dr. John J. Woods
Caleb Royer Studio
Army of Darkness
This is a post after my own heart. I LOVE knives. I collect, but I am picky. I have been blessed with some very nice blades. I have a hand forged blade made by ex-special forces. I lost all the important information about the blade, but the blade itself is about as long as my forearm and sharp enough to cut through heavy weight leather like butter. I also purchased a nice utility blade from Cutco. I have other blades that are more decorative, but still functional. Not sure they would really stand up to "survival" type use, but I still consider them quality. I have never been very big on folders, but that is what I seem to receive from family members around the holidays. If it is Pakistan steel, I won't buy it. I really should pick up a good hand axe and possibly a machete. Anyway, thought I would share. I am just starting down the survival road and I enjoy reading about all of your thoughts and ideas. Unfortunately my budget these days doesn't leave much in the way of survival gear options.
I got a SOG Seal Pup too.
i love knives i have 3 in my bob's at all times i must own at least 30 other knives too i like your catagories for knives its helpful for when building a bob or bugin kit.
I also LOVE blades! Single-edge razor-blade knives (drop-tip or skinning blades are available for these), which never need sharpened, just flipped and/or changed when needed, and even a dozen replacement blades weigh almost nothing and take up little space (some even fold-up). A machete (IMHO) is the perfect fit between a hunting/fighting knife and a full-size axe. A small pair of scissors/shears (though also technically not a blade) is very useful for light cutting chores like cord-cutting, processing small game, etc. and thus has a place on my side pouch, helping keep my knife sharper for heavier tasks. Don't forget a small 'buck' saw, makes wood cutting (especially to exact sizes) much easier and a lot safer to use than a hatchet or axe up in a tree, though probably not a 'blade' either! Good Luck!
Take the big folder out and replace it with a boot knife.
Good list and images of practical vs tactical, and very useful knives.
We all love blades it seems
I am the only one who has a multitool with no knife?
I always carry a Swiss army classic a Champion plus and then a full tang upswept point hunting knife in the vehicle
as well as a Hatchet I see no need for a meat clever when I have a hatchet .
I also have a long machete full tang and leather gloves, try not to use sharp weapons without some knid of protection
my first knife I got when I was 7 my first cut was that same day no matter how skilled you need to be cautious especially when the chips are down it is then when you cannot afford a injury of any kind.
a large knife will never take the place of a small thin bladed one and vice versa neither can a shapening setup
you need no less than 600 and no more than 1500 grit I have more but that is for specific reasons.
metal polish embedded in leather is a good strop but this us not for a working edge I also use a steel when I butcher meat or felit fish.
machetes hatchets and axes I use a file to dress them.
so a double sided stone medium and fine on the other side, a steel can be a pocket steel and a file a file needs to be a good length as it is the length of stroke that equates to how much work you need to put into it.
I like D2 or 440C and of course I like 5150 carbon steel none are perfect some dull faster harder to sharpen
If you want to test your blade get a hammer drive it across the grain of a tree hang a rope from the end and
put a bucket on then add weight up to your own weight so this while standing on the opposite side of the tree please ! and try to equal at least half your weight if it does not bend permanantly or snap and holds an edge well
it will serve you through thick and thin.
A knife that one thinks may be needed for protection needs to have metal on the butt a hilt good enough that if you drive it into a log your hand will not go past to the edge long enough blade (sharpened edge of 7 to 9 inches )
Full Tang and a decent grip material that you need to fit to your hand girth width or taper or buy one that fits.
mutitools are indespensible nothing wrong with them except they are NOT a knife do not think they are they have a blade it can do certain things but it is still NOT a knife.
One edged item we have not delved into is a draw knife it is one you should have and a hand plane making arrows or trap sets like a figure 4 or wood or cane furniture or baskets you need wood tools that can remove bark
concentricly cut wood into strips or scrape leather or hides these make it a hell of a lot easier then wittling with your trusty boy scout knife large projects like a single tree etc or making sadle trees or yokes are much simpler with the draw knife.
I would also have a set of Gimlets or hand wood drills you can always burn them out larger or ream with a knife but it is so much easier with a predrilled hole.
Today no one takes them into cosideration but they are a very important edged tool nail clippers people die and loose digits / fingers and toes because they do not have or know how the take care of their nails.
infection kills the dirtiest part of your body is your hands and nails your feet are just as important long nails split
or break back into the quick neither is pleasant and there is no reason for this have whatever tools you need
some people need curved or straight cutters others need the toe nail pliers your dowie knife is not going to work
you also need diamond nail files keep them trimmed clean and smooth or else your in for pain suffering and maybe an infection you do not want to use a knife you gutted a hog with to trim a snagged cuticle it just is not crickett old man.
I did want to post about Kydex this material is fantastic for making custom sheaths all you need is a heat gun
a pop rivet gun a drill and a sander or grinder or a sanding plane if you dont mind doing it by hand.
This makes carrying a knife very safe make sure you have enough rivets to insure that if you were to fall on the sheath with the knife in it it would not peirce it.
you can wrap a few layers of aluminum foil to build in some slack if that is what you want and use leather for the
keeper and a conventional holster snap or a punch hole a slit and a knot or twist lock flat I like these as they are quiet.
kydex once it reaches 300 to 350 degrees is very pliable you need to cut the pattern out before you heat it and after it cools drill it.
I like leather and nylon sheaths but they are not as safe I add rivets or copper nails with a copper washer first I use a rod or an ice pick heat it and punch a hole the hot steel will seal the nylon so it does not unravel with leather is is better to use a hole punch or an awl a punch set can be had for less than 10 bucks with them you can make shotgun wads overshot cards buckle holes slit straps and much more the only other leather tool I would get is a lace maker you can convert scrap into lace looks like a pen the blade is inside so it is safe.
What about a machete of some sort? Has many great uses. I would definitely have one attached to the outside of my B.O.B.