Best Knives to Get Stranded With (and Halloween Knives)
The Knife Junkie Podcast (Episode 365)

00:00
Welcome to the Knife Junkie podcast, the place for blade lovers to learn about knives and hear from the makers, manufacturers and reviewers that make the knife world.
Go round on Bob DeMarco and coming up, we're going to take a look at the knives I carried on Halloween, some new QSP's, and the 10 best knives to get stranded with.
Welcome to the Knife Junkie podcast, your weekly dose of knife news and information about knives and knife collecting.
Here's your host, Bob the knife junkie DeMarco.
Welcome back to the show.
My favorite comment from this past week.
There were two of them but they were both on the bright and blades interview.

00:45
First was my daughter loves Brighton Blades says Jeremy Nedrow.
I love hearing that.
And then Jason Scott said that's really nice to see a family working together to make knives focused on women.
Fun interview.
Bob and a lot of other people mentioned how they like seeing you know a mother, daughter team.
It's.
It's mother, daughters team.

01:05
It's a great thing to see and I like it too and incidentally they sent my wife a little a knife a it's it comes in a little zipper case and she loves it and she says that the knife itself is really easy for her smaller hands to open.
So she really appreciates the knife and I appreciate them.
That's Brighton blades.
Check out the the interview with them.
All that being said I think it is now time for a pocket.
Check.
You know, I've been in my Bowie phase and I've been carrying this knife a lot.

01:49
This is an old favorite.
This is from 2013. I bought this.
This is the CQC 13 by, you know, Ernest Emerson and Emerson Knives.
They're not their very first Bowie, but the first one that they became famous for.
Far and wide.
I think the first one they did was a take on the Kalashnikov bayonet that has a clip point, but this is a full, full bred American Bowie knife.
I love the shape of this blade.

02:20
And when I got this they were very hard to find and like most Emersons they come in and out, you know, they they tool up the shop for the production of one kind of knife, so to speak, and then they move on.
So you can't always get, it's not like a constant stream of these.
But when I was looking for him one in 2013, I I remember really feeling like I was compromising getting it with the serrations because it interrupts the line.
Now this this blade has a really really nice shape and I must admit those those teeth do interrupt the the shape a little bit, but I've I've learned to live with it A and B. You know, these chisel edge blades are ridiculously sharp.
And then you add those serrations and that's actually a portion of the blade that is just, you know, a force to be reckoned with.
So I'm glad in the long run that I have it.
I'm veering back towards serrations for a number of different kinds of knives and this sort of application all around her, but definitely on the self-defense side.

03:24
Those were great.
Now you might notice these are wearing my Carter scales.
These are from vantage point.
That's Tom.
England engleson.
He was on the show and he's done a couple of my Emersons.
He does such great work.

03:39
He used to be a blades and such.
You remember I talked about him quite a bit when I was having these scales made.
His work has progressed amazingly and he just makes beautiful work.
So happy always to be carrying the CQC 13 but especially on a in in Bowie season for me.
OK Speaking of Bowies and.
Clip points.
Uh, today and for like, I don't know, I guess I'd say the last week I've been carrying the Benny's clip.

04:09
Love the Benny's clip.
This is Jack wolf knives.
Largest knife, I guess there's a well, I can't remember which other one.
I was kind of lining them up and there's another one that is about the same length, but this one feels the feels the heaviest.
It feels like it's the heaviest duty.
It's Benny's clip and I think part of that is because this is the one blade from Jack Wolf knives so far that isn't a full height hollow grind.
So you have a little bit more meat up here in the flats and it gives the knife a little heavier duty feel.

04:44
This knife was in my pocket when my wife was running the Marine Corps marathon.
I wanna congratulate missus knife junkie on her first and last.
She says Marathon and it was the right one.
It was the Marine Corps marathon.
She's always wanted to run that.
So we went out for a celebratory meal.
She got this amazing looking steak.

05:03
I got 1/2 chicken trying to be responsible.
You know the old ticker.
But this is what I took that chicken apart with and this is such a great food knife.
I love this knife for I've used it for steak.
In the past I really enjoyed the shape of it.
That slight recurve at the tip really aids in the cutting and it's just a luxurious feel and I also love.
Spotting the waiters, spotting the knives like he's not using that wet handled saw I handed him.

05:31
This is a classy individual they always say to themselves.
So that's what I had in my front left pocket today.
The Jack Wolf knives.
I've also been Benny's clip.
I've also been carrying this actually a bit the past week.
This is the CJ RB scoria.
This was the folder I had in my pocket because I wasn't sure if there was going to be any metal detectors and.

05:55
Um, you know, come to think of it, this makes no sense to me now.
I wasn't making sense because I had the Jack Wolf knife in my pocket and that's.
Uh, so actually didn't really think that one through, but I had the scoria on me as as sort of a less expensive option that I could go trucking around with sometimes.
I can be quite absent minded dear audience.
So anyway, CJ RB scoring a great knife.
Thin, nice and thin.
It's got that beautiful micarta AARP M9A polarizing design, but I really, I don't know why.

06:31
I think it's just a very plain and kind of simple and beautiful.
Design I love the the blade shape and the choil.
So great knife.
This fits great in the back pocket as well but it's a full size knife.
So I had that.
That was my ES K emotional support and I've and my fixed blade today was actually one that I'm going to show here instead of the state of the collection.
This is a new one sent to me by QSP.

06:56
They sent me 3 knives and thank you David they are they are awesome knives and I'm.
I've been carrying two of them and using a third.
But here, here's the neck knife.
It's called the Canary, and this one has this cool sort of carbon fiber esque.
Kydex sheath, very nice sheath, very thin and light package is this Canary and it's got a really nice ball chain with with.
It's sort of looks like Morse code to me, but it's got the ball chain and then a longer piece and then a ball chain and a longer piece.
And actually when you're wearing it it kind of looks like a necklace a less less like a beaded chain that has a knife on it and more like a ohh Bob.

07:44
I didn't know you were a necklace guy.
Well you haven't known me for that.
Long, you know, that kind of thing.
But so here, let me show you the knife.
I'm I'm really impressed with this beautiful little knife.
So it's got damasteel.
A damasteel blade.

07:58
This is my first.
Here, let me get it to focus.
There you go, beautiful.
And then that carbon fiber is aluminum.
Carbon fiber, how cool is that?
So that that means that's aluminum swirled in there with that carbon fiber and the handle is nice and light, nice and thin.
Those 4 speed holes are great.

08:20
This is a three finger knife.
And I say those speed holes are great because you can weave a fob, you know, weave some paracord through there in such a way that it's kind of a braided braided effect.
And then when it meets down at the bottom, tie a knot and it'll feel like it'll give you the stability of a four finger knife.
I'm not going to do that.
I like the thinness of this package.
Also, look at the jumping.
The jumping is very cool on the spine.

08:51
It is a spiral cut.
Jimping.
Let's see if we can.
And at first it had a very funny feel to me, but your your thumb really does lock in.
And at first I thought, Oh my thumbs going to just go sliding off the side and it doesn't happen but just feels great in hand.
I love this little Canary, so I've been wearing this past few days as my neck knife.
Had it today.

09:18
Not as my neck knife, but as my fixed blade and just so happens to be a neck knife.
So my carry today, the Emerson CQC 13 Jack Wolf Knives, Benny's clip, the CJR B scoria, and the beautiful damasteel Canary with the aluminum foil carbon fiber handles.
What were you carrying today?
Let me know.
I do want to know because it always helps me kind of figure out if I want to get something or or reminds me about knives I've forgotten about.
Uh that you all love and carry.
So let me note down below I also before we move on it's sort of a a A carry thing.

09:58
I want to I want to show you how was carrying for Halloween.
OK so we went to some friends house they moved into a new neighborhood and you know me being me and not knowing the neighborhood I I dressed I I did overkill you know I I don't I don't wear I didn't have a costume but I did have a few knives and I really did consider what.
Was gonna carry.
I don't know where this is it it ends up it's a it's it's a very nice neighborhood so all of this was pretty much unnecessary.
But I don't know you know you never know.
Halloween does bring out the the creeps.
So I had a couple of knives three of them.

10:35
I'll start with the small one I had the launch nine.
This is my pull this out and use it on those really stubborn like taffy packages.
Most of the most of the Halloween candy.
Is is built?
To get into pretty easily, but those things that are like laffy taffy where the where the candy actually sticks to the wrapper and all that.
Sometimes you need a little bit more and sometimes you don't want to pull out your big carry to open up a kids candy.
So you bring out something cool like this and.

11:08
This one got a lot of nice wear because it lived on my keychain for for about I don't know half a year, a year or something like that but really gave this futuristic looking knife.
Now it looks like an old worn in spaceship to me but I had this along with me and did use it for just that banana laffy taffy in my front right pocket.
For for creeps and criminals I have the Yojimbo Yojimbo to just a nice BIG4 inch.
S30V Hollow ground Wharncliffe blade built for speed and conflict and I love this knife.
But it's also, you know, despite all of that macho talk, it is a great utility knife, albeit large.
A lot of people don't like large knives.
If you do, this is a great great utility knife.

11:59
And if you don't like something 4 inches, well then go for the Yojimbo because it has the same breeding.
It is a defensive blade.
By breeding.
But it just so happens that that shape is ideal for utility as well.
So what is it?
Which do you call it?
To me it's like a modern day pocket sax and that's what I was carrying on Halloween in my front right pocket.

12:23
Now here's where the overkill comes in.
I ended up stashing it back in my car after feeling uncomfortable, but I was carrying my.
Tops Zabo express double edge fighter here and I had it in CM carry and if you're if you remember CM FTW Matt Freeman and the YouTube knife maker.
And character he used to carry his UH-7 inch, 7 1/2 inch fixed blade fighters that he would carry on his person.
In California you can't carry it concealed so it had to be shown off.
So he would carry it on his belt and it would dangle below his his jacket line so you could see the handle of his blade.
And that's how I was carrying this in CM carry so that you can draw it out and have it in reverse grip or you can just reach and reverse your your orientation.

13:18
Pull it out and have it in.
Regular.
Fencing grip.
What do you call this Saber grip?
And that's how this is what I carry when I walk the dog at night, and that's how I carry it.
I haven't forbid I ever need it because of dog off a leash or something like that.
I would have it ready to go, but it's discreet enough in the dark at night in my neighborhood that no one sees it.

13:40
But in this beautiful, charming sort of Spielberg Esque neighborhood that we were trick or treating in, I really quickly felt uncomfortable because I I could feel this peaking below.
And there are all these little kids and I'm like, you know, sometimes children.
Randomly reach up for hands and grab on to something and and suddenly you look down and there's some kid holding on to you and you're like, oh, I think that's your dad over there.
Well, what if they reach up and they grab the Zabo Express and suddenly there's a kid running around like, oh sweet, you know, then you're in real trouble.
So all these things ran through my mind and I. Realized I was not I was not trick or treating on the Moors you know, where the werewolves run.
So I I, I, I quickly disarmed to the extent that I came out and and a wonderful evening was had by all.
I I did pill for the girls, bags for Butterfingers and Reese's and I think they've changed the recipes for both or I'm just getting old.

14:39
All right.
So still to come on the Knife Junkie podcast, we're going to take a look at a couple of new knives.
One of them.
Is a giant mouse.
Very beautiful looking fixed blade.
And then after that we'll get to the state of the collection and the 10 best knives to get stranded with coming up right here on the Knife Junkie podcast.
Yeah, if you're a knife junkie, you're always in the market for a new knife, and we've got you covered.

14:59
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And now here's the knife junkie with the knife life news.
Vox News and Anzo, they come together, they have giant mouse, very cool knife company by the two Danish designers.

15:38
The storied Danish designers.
Everyone loves their designs.
So myself included.
Well when they come together, man, they really, they really put out some cool stuff.
Giant mouse, I love the name even, and their logo.
They have a new one out and it is a beautiful do all clip point kind of camp blade.
This is the largest.

16:00
Giant mouse thus far and you know naturally the the largest fixed blade they have here it's a 5 1/2 inch blade or 5.65 inches and about the same size handle, just a beautiful full flat ground clip point in 690 blade.
They do have all of their knives OEM I believe all of their knives OEM in Italy.
So you're going to get the N 690 most of the time and I think on a few they do M390.
For some of the more premium stuff.
But look at that blade and if you're not looking it is.
It's it's the height of simplicity but it's just really resonating with my with my Bowie love.
They call it a drop point and I beg to differ that is clearly a clip point but has a couple of hallmarks of outdoor knives that I really like and I think most knives should have.

16:53
And that is a a lashing point not only for the lanyard at the pommel and this has a. Exposed Tang down there so you can use it as an impact tool, but it also has a lashing point on the finger guard.
So you can make that sort of did ring between the out of paracord between those two lashing points to keep on your hand for long bouts of work.
If you're using a knife a lot and you don't want to keep putting it down, putting it in a sheath or whatever, but you need your hands.
I I have seen now I haven't had the need for this because I'm not much of an outdoorsman.
But I have seen people have the knife attached to their hand just with the paracord so they can use their fingers and do, you know, manipulate and then when they need the knife it's already in their palm.
That's something I think is cool.
Also the.

17:48
The the predator Arnold Schwarzenegger side of me also likes that you could remove those handle scales and use those two lashing points to make it a spear.
You know, for survival.
But beautiful, beautiful leather sheath.
I I wish we would all, not all, but I wish a lot of knives would go back to leather.
Unless for me, unless I'm wearing it on my person in the waistband.
You know, give me leather if I'm going to hang it on my belt.
I want leather.

18:15
I just love leather.
OK, so that's the.
That's the new one from Giant Mouse.
I I like it a lot.
The GM nine.
Oh, wait, what is this called?
What is this called?

18:25
Jeez, I do apologize.
It's a big one.
The GMF 4. OK. So on to the next one we have in life knife news.
It's the James brand now you know, I like to talk about them because they approach knives from a different angle I I believe.
They come from a a product design background that went into shoes, I believe Nike and also some fashion I believe so.
So their approach is interesting and they have a lot of really stylish knives that they've had OEM by some of the top manufacturers.
This new one, the Palmer kind of cutely named because it fits in the palm.

19:14
It is a replaceable blade utility cutter.
We've seen a lot of people, a lot of custom makers at Todd Rexford and the GNG Hawk, I grant Gavin Hawk, and now just recently and many others come out with their versions of replaceable blade cutters and there is a real, you know, real market for them.
Just go to Home Depot, you'll see.
Yeah, I'll tons of them.
Now, of course, you're probably not going to want to get a $60.00 James brand Palmer and show up to the construction site.
But who knows, maybe you, maybe you do a lot of packing of packages.
Maybe you do a lot of work, you know, at a framers or in a warehouse or something where you're not.

19:59
Where you're not going to destroy it, but you're gonna love using because you use this kind of thing all the time.
I I myself never quite the most excited I've gotten about one of these kind of cutters is the grant and Gavin Hawk one that recently came out because it's just, you know, it's them and it's their design and it's it really resonates.
It's spectacular.
This is actually for the type of very cool, cute, charming little piece of kit.
So they come in a. Wide range of colors.
I was looking at it on their on their website and.
You know, for a brand that makes a $600.00 knife that they OEM, 60 bucks is pretty reasonable for an anodized aluminum cutter with this sort of intricate innards.

20:48
So check that out from the James brand that is the cleverly named Palmer, a new stylish, replaceable blade utility cutter.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to get to the state of the collection and the 10 best knives to get stranded with.
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21:34
Check us out there and if not, thank you one and all just for watching and and enjoying and commenting and we'll see you on the other side.
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That's the knife junkie.com/save on gas, and now that we're caught up with knife life news, let's hear more of the knife.

22:15
Funky podcast.
There it is.
You know it.
It's the QSP Penguin.
And this is the original version that got the whole large collectible universe of QSP Penguin started.
This is the one with the denim micarta.
I do believe this was the first one.

22:35
Look at that, look around the clip.
You can see how pristine it is under there and how funky it is here.
I love that.
I love my car to patina.
And this is a this is a great knife.
That's why it's got that patina.
Most of my my card, it doesn't look like that.

22:49
This is a dedicated desk knife.
It's always getting picked up and used well.
David Cam who are good buddy over at Orion Knives has an in with QSP and he sent me a couple of these QSP's to check out new QSP and I am grateful.
Now I showed you the Canary which I really enjoy, have enjoyed wearing but he also sent me to check.
Two Penguins that are so cool.
The first one is the penny the Penguin mini by QSP.
Look at this little guy.

23:27
It's it's in line with some of my favorite little micro knives.
Here, here.
Here it is with the the launch 9. You see and it and it's about the same size as the baby rhino from off grid knives, but it you're taking the same form factor from the from the regular QSB, the same width, the same almost the same dimensions.
Same pivot, same everything basically just shorter blade, shorter handle.
But all of this is the same and it works great and that is the key.
I've I'm starting to discover that is the key with these little micro knives is keep them the same width as the original but you know so so it'll be easier, much easier to hold on to a three finger knife when you have that width and they did that here and I love this little thing.
It just man, it feels really good and it's on bearings so eventually it will.

24:30
It will get super smooth and even.
I suspect even with this tiny little blade it'll still fall shut.
How tiny you ask?
That is a 122 and 1/4 inch blade.
2 1/4 inch.
How cute this is a 14C28N blade steel.
I do like that the only.

24:52
Um.
Not the only, but I do like that they have the proprietary pivot, the triangle and the circle.
It reminds me of something I can't think of what it is like.
It's either like.
Funny enough, Alcoholics Anonymous symbol or the Harry Potter symbol, I can't remember, but there's like a triangle circle thing.
Every time I look at that I keep thinking I gotta go look it up so I don't talk out of school.
So the other Penguin they sent was the Penguin plus, and this is so cool, I highly recommend going to the QSP website actually and looking at all of the variations of both of these.

25:30
This is a 20 CV blade and that's a longer blade.
Here you have.
One two 3 1/2 inches.
Now on the website it says 3.37 inches but I keep coming out.
I keep measuring it out at 3 1/2 and you have at least that in cutting edge because of where that sharpening notch is.
So really great blade.
It's the same.

25:54
Same feels like the same dimensions as the and same geometry as the original and in a titanium body.
Now these two titanium slabs are nice and thin so it doesn't need.
Any weight relief you get, stupendous action.
It's it's already you know, even with that coding it's already getting drop shut.
So I have no doubt that after a little bit more carry and use it'll be it'll be just dropping shut.
But anyway, as I was mentioning, both of these knives have a tremendous amount of variation.
If you go on the website and just beautiful stuff, I do remember seeing some fat carbon and some swirly colorful.

26:37
Uh, options.
Um, me.
For me this is like right up my alley.
This this black coated stuff stuff, this black coated titanium.
I just got lazy at the end of that sentence.
So you got a A-frame lock here with the insert.
But I want to point out that this wire clip is stout and really nice.

27:00
I generally have not crazy about the wire clips, but this wire clip is really good actually, I've I've noticed.
Recently that that people are making some pretty good ones.
This one is to my liking definitely QSP, nicely done.
So those those are two, two of the three QPS that I got to check out this week.
Thank you very much.
I really like it.
I like the clip on this mini.

27:29
I'm sorry, this is the yeah the Penguin mini.
I like that clip better.
Though those screws are standing proud little tone deaf guys.
Just kidding, but I love this.
I love this clip.
This is kind of more my speed at last in the state of the collection.
Now you you saw this if you tuned into Thursday night Knives.

27:51
But this beauty I've been waiting for for a number of years and it is the traditional Filipino weapons, Taliban and funny name.
It's not named after the the terrorist organization.
It is a an old traditional Filipino blade design.
There's one over my shoulders right here that used to be my dad's here, this one right here.
I have always really loved the the leaning forward that that almost cook, create esque blade angle there just just a wicked, wicked cutter.
And I love traditional Filipino weapons.
It is a company based out of Connecticut, Ron Kosakowski.

28:37
He's a gentleman who's got a Jeep, Kundo and Kali Academy where he teaches people how to fight in these Filipino styles as well as Jeet Kundo.
But he has a connection down in the Philippines and has these, a whole bunch of different blades made by traditional Smiths down there and sells them up here and they're just beautiful, beautiful woodwork, beautiful steel work, very, very usable.
I'm just going to put this hilt under here so you can see the.
Uh.
See that beautiful woodwork?
They brag about how they're combat ready.
So if you're going into any sword fights, you'll be happy to know that these are combat ready.

29:21
Which of course, that's exactly what I want to hear.
Because but they feel great and I I can vouch for the fact that they cut water bottles and and pumpkins like they are the enemy.
So I wanted to show this off.
There will be more of this in videos of me testing it.
And we have a couple of Jackal lanterns that are about to get funky and we have a couple of pumpkins that we need to clear out for Thanksgiving.
So I think I'll be doing that with my traditional Filipino weapons Taliban.
Love that knife.

29:59
I would not mind having that knife on me for many, many situations, especially, you know, duels in combat.
But what about the other kind of situations you might find yourself in?
Like you accept a ride with a friend and you're out in the middle of nowhere and the car breaks down and your friend has a heart attack or breaks a leg or something and you're stranded and you have a knife on you.
What are you, what are you going to want on you now?
This list is a very difficult list for me to compile with the collection I have because I have a I like, like you could say, any knife that's on you.
Of course, any knife that's on you is better than no knife at all.
And then you could also say, well, you know, some very impractical knives are better to have on you than others.

30:48
And that's true, but chances are you're not going to have those knives on you.
Now the caveat here is I keep a 9 1/2 inch Bowie in my car that is a schrade.
And it is an inexpensive but.
After a couple of videos, I bought it as a carboy and I said, Bob, don't be ridiculous.
And then I've seen a couple of videos recently of of things happening on the road and I said no.
You know what?
I bought that for my car.

31:13
It's going in the car, so there it is.
So it is possible to have a stout and sturdy fixed blade on you for this sort of situation.
So I added some into this list.
Roughly half.
So let's let's get to it, alright.
1st is of a real low hanging fruit.
That's what this was designed for.

31:37
Exactly what this was designed for.
This is the RSK Mark 3 by Doug Ritter and made by Hog.
Now Doug Ritter, yeah, he's the guy who does knife right.
He's the guy who started and heads up knife rights and has had the laws changed in so many states including my own making this legal here.
But you might not know this about them if you haven't listened to any of my interviews with him.
But.
He was a helicopter pilot and specialized in downed helicopter survival and started making kits or downed aircraft survival or just survival out in the wilderness remote.

32:16
Because when you're in a helicopter or an airplane and you go down, you're probably remote.
And that's where the design for all of his knives originated.
Great steals and you know super steels on great cutting geometry, blades using.
Uh, modest handle and other materials so that it's all affordable.
So that's what led to this.
He's made other fixed blades.
This is his current, and it echoes the design of his mark one the the, the quote UN quote Ritter grip that we all love so much now made by hoach.

32:54
The RSK mark one.
OK, so here it is.
This is S 45 VN and it's got a very tall.
That's an inch and 1/4 flat grind, so very robust but very thin behind the edge.
It is small and small at about 5 inches in blade length, but but large enough to get a lot of work done at 5 inches.
You have a good posture for defensive fighting if you had to, if you needed this in a thrust.
You have a finger guard and a nice well, and you have a wide blade that would produce a a nasty wound.

33:30
Say you're out there and you're concerned about an animal of some sort menacing you.
Coyotes or I don't know, I don't know what it is, but you could use this to great effect, especially if you remove these scales.
These scales are removable, you might have to have the tool with you.
So that's a that's something you might want to have with you.
But you could turn this into a spear quite easily and you wouldn't have to.
To take those off, but ergonomics that feel great, you could use this all day long to make a shelter.
This is just a you know, it's a great, great package.

34:05
Both.
I think this would probably be a good soldier knife too, except for the fact that I hear that a lot of soldier knives go missing, so you might not want something so nice.
S 45 VN I have.
I have appreciated this.
This is my only S 45 VN, but I've used this quite a bit in the back.
And I ordinarily hate nylon sheaths.
This one is awesome.

34:28
It's got a very stout lining on the inside, so it's not going to poke through your poke through the sheet and stab you in the leg if you're jumping around.
It's got a nice leg thing here, a leg.
Tie down and then it has these great sort of Molly compatible loops that make it easy just to unsnap and put it on your belt without having to take your belt off and all that.
So great, great blade and it's nice and light.
OK, Next up.
Now this is sort of a representative of the type, but this one in particular is, is the Max and that's the four Max scout that was corny.
But the reason when I say an example of the type, of course I'm talking about that triad lock.

35:20
So we know that cold steel just makes incredibly tough, sharp robust knives and this one, this is the format.
Scout based on a Andrew Demko custom knife and then later turned into a high end expensive foreign produced are are European and Taiwanese produced form Axis.
And then they decided to go with the the Scout route and make it inexpensive that's AUS 10A and man they they do a great job with AUS eight.
They do an even better job with US 10 because it's a better steal and on their budget.
They even have great 8 CR 13 MOV.
I do know from my louzon excel that I've just beaten over the years because.
You know it's the the expense the inexpensive knives that quote UN quote can't take it that get the most beating and they really do prove themselves.

36:17
But anyway this knife so thick so robust, and with the with the triad lock just.
It it'll do until a fixed blade gets here.
I mean this this thing is as strong as you're going to need it to be.
A pretty thick blade.
But with that Saber grind and then a pretty high edge bevel, it comes to a very nice sharp cutting edge.
So the format scout would be an awesome one to be stranded with.
This one was a gift to me by Jimmy Slash.

36:51
Thank you Josh.
I cherish this knife.
Actually, I put this.
This fob on in his honor because all of his many of his knives have have that on there.
So here's to you all right Next up in the same same realm and from the same designer.
But a little more bougie version we're going to go with the Demco Knives 8020.5. So this is the knife you have on you when you get stranded, when you're driving in the middle of nowhere in your friend's car and you're like, man, I knew we shouldn't have gone and and and something happens to him or
her.

37:29
You get out to use the bathroom, a leg is broken, the car won't start.
This is the knife you have on you.
You're gonna be happy about that for many reasons.
It is a full size knife, so that's a a 3.65 inch blade and you've got very good width here.
This is a little bit over half an inch thick and just feels great.
Those ergonomics are awesome and they give you some options.
You can be back here in the in the regular standard grip you can do the hammer grip that that shark lock we all know has no effect on any of your.

38:05
Scripps which is amazing.
I remember when this first came out, I thought that looks like it might be uncomfortable, but even if you come up and use that choil and you use like a very, very firm hammer grip, it's just.
I don't know, I don't feel it.
It disappears in there.
So you have a very robust blade stock.
And a pretty stout geometry here.
Very sharp.

38:30
Very very sharp, but not a shrinking Violet.
This is a very, very strong knife.
And then you have really great texture you don't hear much about on these knives.
Really great diamond texture.
It's like the floor of a. Earth mover or something like that, you got a big fat wide pivot and then of course the Super strong shark lock that is, you know, that's the star.
That's why we're looking at this folder because it has that shark lock.
Like the like the triad lock that we were just looking at, also designed by Andrew Demko, the shark lock is designed to become stronger over time as the parts and pieces work into one another and wear into one another.

39:19
This, the spring in here pushes the lock ever forward into into its position, making it always more and more locked up.
And then of course.
You know, if you have your thumb on this delicious thumb ramp back here, that's what this lock becomes.
An awesome thumb ramp really nicely jumped.
Well, that adds to the strength of the the lock totally unnecessarily, but it just does.
So that Demco 8020.5 and I I would say by extension that that the I'm sorry this is the 8020 MG. When I made my list for Jim I I just out of Reflex said 8020.5 so that is incorrect.
This is actually the 8020 MG MG means machine ground.

40:07
So this was all done in the shop there the Demco shop except the the grinding of the blade, the bevel of the blade was grounded.
Type machine.
Beautiful, awesome, robust knife.
I could just stare at it all day.
All right.
Next up, this is one that a lot of people are likely to have.
A lot of people out there who have served in our militaries, thank you for your service, have these knives because because they've served or some version of it, and that is in this case, the USMC K bar.

40:42
This one I adore.
I got this in 1991 my my brother gave it to me and the cool thing about this one it came in a really cool box and it and it had a fold out.
Wish I still had this.
It had a fold out set of plans for you know blueprints basically for this knife and the sheath for when they were pitching it to to the US government when the government was was going to change replace the M3 trench knife as their.
As their main fighting utility knife, the K bar.
This one is a re release from that era, so it's got a fully sharpened swedge, which I love.
But nowadays they make them.

41:24
They do not have the sharpened swedge, and it's not as hawk build.
This makes, I mean, an outstanding weapon when you turn it over.
What makes an outstanding weapon in any orientation?
But that sharpened swedge in, that radical Hawk bill, or that swooped Hawk Bill makes for a nasty weapon.
Nowadays they make them with the with the swedge that is straight and unsharpened.
And really that's that's more because it's being used as a utility knife almost exclusively, and so not as much of its weapon edness goes into it.
Either way, you'd be in great stead if you were stranded with this or the other K bar.

42:05
Actually, I'd prefer the modern K bar because it is a very stout and sturdy knife.
It's proven.
That's, that's that's something that you cannot put enough value on.
It's been proven overtime, you know by soldiers in many wars and and those soldiers who have returned with those knives and used them for year after year after year for hunting and camping and fishing and all of that.
There's one of those on the wall behind me that my brother got me from the Korean War.
It's the same thing it's been it was used during the war and then definitely after.
And so these things have really proven themselves.

42:44
Is incredible knives.
I've been looking to get a new K bar just to have a modern represent representation of it.
I think it's responsible, as someone who calls himself a knife junkie, to do that, so I'm going to do that.
As a matter of fact, I'd like to get the case version case also did a they still make a prototype or a version of the prototype they did and that they submitted and it's good looking knife.
So that is the K bar.
And what a great knife that would be.
A lot of people have them just hanging out in their trucks.

43:18
So great.
Great night for that.
OK, so this one is a little bit different.
You're going out with all your tactical friends for some beers and you want to impress them with the knife you have in your pocket.
Well, this one is impressive for a number of reasons, and one of them is that it is super robust.
So if this were the the tool you had to rely on in a stranded and a stranding situation, you'd be in pretty good shape.
And that is.

43:44
The Spartan harsey folder.
See what I mean?
You were out, you were out with the friends you need to impress.
So yeah, it's a it's a fancy, expensive folder, but so is the demco.
The Demco just looks less fancy because it's got G10 on it.
But this is all shiny and titanium.
But men, so this knife to me distills all of the best qualities of Hinderer and Chris Reeve knives.

44:12
Out into something that is greater than the sum of both of those?
I don't know.
I I I think that this knife feels so incredibly sturdy.
To me that that it.
Of all of the hard use quote UN quote hard use overbuilt knives that I have, I think this one feels the stoutest.
It feels like in handed it.
It feels like a solid piece.

44:40
You have no weight relief in these thick titanium slabs.
You have really nice contouring so it feels comfortable in hand.
It's very ergonomic.
You have really good gription here with with excellent wide cut jimping.
That's kind of jimping I prefer.
You have it down here too, which is important.
Um, for especially when when opening you want you want a little bit of a grip there, but also just in in all sorts of cutting.

45:10
To have jimping here is you can't, you can't have it enough.
Also, it's great in reverse grip, but this blade shape is very useful.
It's 4 inches and it's stout.
Now this is one of those knives that I've wanted to have Reground Hollow because it's a little not too slicy, but at the same time that's one of the USP's of this knife is the fact that it's it's.
It's not a sharpened pry bar but it is a sharp and robust do all kind of hard use knife.
So this would be a great one to have on you plus we're talking loctite before this lock.
You reinforce with your grip that that is one thing that I do like about the.

45:58
Frame lock over the liner lock.
With the frame lock, the mere act of holding the knife reinforces the lock.
So.
Yep, that's the Spartan harsey folder.
Next up, this is a really great and inexpensive camp knife that I got from the makers.
This is BPS knives father and son team in Ukraine.
They sent this to me and I've been loving this thing.

46:25
This is the HK5.
It is, I believe, 30 bucks.
30 bucks.
Hit his 1066 high carbon steel.
It's got a beautiful sort of clip point blade here and is sharp as the day is long and this is a. Scan the edge that's been strapped and just is so damn sharp and then perfect ergonomics here on the handle.
The the ergonomics of this are outstanding and the you've got the four finger grooves and they fit my hand and they fit larger hands very well too.
I know for a fact this is a 90 degree spine.

47:06
You could definitely throw sparks off of there.
And I love the blade shape, love the blade shape, but really man, they got this thing so wickedly sharp.
I have a lanyard on here that I originally put on just to help pull it out of the sheath because this gorgeous thick full grain leather sheath was tight when I first got it.
But it it it has taken on the shape of the blade a nicely, so this is actually not even necessary.
But I'll leave it on there.
And also a dangler sheath that.
Is really actually quite nice.

47:41
It stays out of the way, doesn't flop around too much.
But why?
Why do I think this would be a great knife to get stranded with?
Well, because it's it's no no frills, no nonsense.
It's got a super robust but extremely strong edge with that scandy grind.
It also has an aggressive profile.
If you needed it as a weapon, you'd be you'd be in good shape with it and it's very, very comfortable.

48:07
I feel like you could do a lot of work with this.
All day long it is an unfinished handle.
Uh and yet it is contoured and sanded and feels really nice in hand.
So a great knife to get stranded with is the BPS HK 5. Alright, so I was thinking about what about if I have some sort of a cool modern Chinese folder, something you know in in the in the realm of the affordable but fancy Chinese cool construction.
So this one just jumped out at me.
It's the Maxis sandstorm.
It is a BIG4 and 1/2 inch blade.

48:45
You've got an inch and 1/2 high height flat grind on a relatively modest blade stock, so it's very sharp and and thin and slicey behind the edge.
But you've got a big blade to be working with here.
You've got a great point and swedge here for for any sort of thrusting or defensive thing caught.
You know reason you might need this in a stranding situation.
But you also have a very large blade.
You have a very large, very broad blade and a nice big handle.
It's a fat handle.

49:25
It it's good contouring, gives you a number of different places to grab on it, and this is.
A. OK 110, so that's a D2 tool steel.
And then it's got an annoying feature that in a stranding situation would be awesome.
It's got the rotoblock, it's got this.
I don't know what they call it, what Max Ace calls it, but you turn that lock there and you cannot close the the liner lock so it becomes a much more locked up knife.
So it's nice and big, but it's the sort of thing I might.
Live in my pocket on any given day and this would be a great one to be stranded with due to the size and the the the tough build of it and then the additional lock.

50:16
OK Next up I was looking at my tops knives and I do have a number of good ones.
The Prather War Bowie would be cool to have on me.
The.
The text Creek would be a good one to have on me, but this one.
Doesn't get enough attention and occurred to me this would be a great one to have on.
This is the wild pig hunter and a sumptuous beautiful leather sheath.
OK so why the wild pig hunter?

50:47
Well I'll show you.
First of all it is full Tang.
It's a full Tang quarter inch slab that has a has a distal taper but not too extreme.
It it only starts to taper right here so it is stiff and rigid for hog hunting and then in cross section.
It has.
It has this sort of i-beam structure down the center, so it's got a raised Ridge there.
It's extremely rigid for thrusting, so this is the kind of knife you could turn into a spear for hunting in a stranding situation.

51:23
But it also has a very sharp edge and a a grind that only goes halfway up the blade.
So a Saber grind that and differentially heat treated you can see right there.
So a very good uh, cutting edge and you could do a lot of work with that edge and not worry about it chipping out or anything like that because it's 1095 steel.
We all know 1095 is great and tough, but it it it does have a sort of wedge like geometry and yet remains very, very very sharp.
So you could use it for a lot of finer cutting tasks and yet still have the meat behind the edge to to really.
Go to town with this and not be too concerned that being stranded you're going to lose your your only your only knife.
And it's nice and pointed and yet very stout all the way up near to the point.

52:18
Of course you got my card of that.
This awesome material is just great when it's dry wet no matter what, and then the grooves they put in there make it excellent.
And not for nothing if you needed to fend off a wild pig.
This is the knife.
All right.
I'm going to put it back in this sheet that this also comes in an all black version that comes with a black kydex sheath.
And I believe that the original, it's, it's a Russian knife, kizlyar.

52:47
And I think, I think the Russian military uses a knife that looks a lot like that.
Next up in folders.
Uh, I was thinking about flippers.
What what Flipper would I want to get stranded with?
I know sounds funny, but some days that's how I pick my knives.
I want a flipper so it would be this one.
I I thought immediately of off grid knives and because they do make the most robust flippers that I have in my I've used robust like 100 times.

53:15
I do apologize.
They make the stoutest.
Folders in my collection that are flippers and this one I think it's Chief chief among them.
First out feeling 154 CM, you've got a high height Saber grind and as all off grid knives, the rhino is very this is a rhino V2 by the way.
The rhino is very thin behind the edge and very sharp.
That's one thing I always talk about with off grid knives is how thin they are and what a dream they are to use.
With them, say cardboard and that kind of thing, but other tasks no doubt it is just has a very sturdy feel.

53:57
Light skeletonization in there, but very very sturdy with the liners and the G10.
And then I'm going to put this up to the mic, listen to the flipping.
I mean it just has a all business sound and that sound is really really great lockup made by best tech designed by off grid knives.
Great ergonomics could use this all day long.
Does have a center line point so you know, could be.
Useful as a combative instrument, but really this would just make a great utility folder flipper to get stranded with.
Alright, last in the list.

54:37
I I couldn't do this list without saying well there is a chance I could be driving around and have this with me.
This is my most proven knife outside doing everything and that is the trail master Bowie by cold steel and this is old school.
It's got the leather sheath wish cold steel would go back to leather.
They did some really good leather stuff like the Natchez man.
It's a shame they don't make the Natchez and the Laredo Bowie with leather anymore but anyway.
This is an incredible dull knife.
You've seen me talk about this many times.

55:11
I think that's five sixteenths of an inch.
It seems like it is, but it probably just 1/4 inch with the distal taper 0 ground swedge.
So it will it will chew up your baton a little bit, but I this is what I use to make.
Kindling and this is what I've eaten with.
I absolutely love it.
It is wedge like in cross section, but it's got a high edge bevel so is wickedly sharp.
I recently took this to my grinder and got a really nice edge on it because I've had this for probably.

55:47
Going on, I don't know, over 25 years and never you know I sharpened it a little bit here and there but never put a new edge on it.
So I recently did that loved the patina here.
This handle is held up.
This craton after so many years doesn't have that nasty coming apart melty feeling that that old rubber has and this thing is just great if.
If you have a decent amount of money to spend on just one Bowie knife ever, or even one fixed blade ever, I cannot recommend the cold steel trailmaster enough.
This is such a great knife.
In all of its iterations and makes.

56:28
Alright.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me in this in this quest to find the 10 best knives to get stranded with.
These are incidental things.
This is not going out packing for disaster.
This is something I have in my car.
When when it all goes down.
I also, incidentally, have a Recon tanto.

56:49
No, no, no.
What is it?
The GI tanto in my car.
A very inexpensive cold steel.
That is and would be great in the situations I outlined here.
Plus, if you lose it, it's no great loss.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, again, thanks for watching.

57:06
Be sure to tune in Sunday for a great interview show.
And of course, tomorrow night, Thursday night Knives and coming up this weekend.
Don't forget, on Friday it is knives live going into Saturday, and we have the 3:00 PM Saturday slot, so be sure to join us there.
Also, be sure to join us at Patreon.
Just scan the QR code right on the screen or go to the knife junkie.com/patreon for Jim working his magic behind the Switcher.
I'm Bob DeMarco saying until next time, don't take dull for an answer.
Thanks for listening to the Knife Junkie podcast.

57:39
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