If you're going to be in a life-or-death situation, you want to have the best survival knife with you. Of course, different knives have their pros and cons that make them suitable for different situations. However, there are some features that any survival knife should have in order to be dependable and effective for the widest variety of situations.

With that in mind, here is my list of the 10 best survival knives that are available to the modern outdoorsman:

1. KA-BAR Becker Campanion BK2

This serious hunk of metal is a high quality, ergonomic survival knife that can be used to perform very demanding tasks such as batoning wood and detailed ones such as whittling a spear or filleting a fish. The Becker Campanion has, quite possibly, one of the most durable blades you'll ever see which easily makes it one of the best survival knives out in the market today. 

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2. Fallkniven S1 Forest Knife

Made of stainless laminate VG10 custom steel, the Forest S1 can handle a lot of abuse and still remain standing - a characteristic that certainly qualifies this knife as one of the best survival knives. It's razor sharp and, due to its convex ground blade, has amazing edge retention. Designed specifically for wilderness survival, you can easily perform small, detailed tasks as well as heavy duty ones such as hammering and batoning.

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3. Schrade SCHF3N Extreme Survival Knife

This knife can best be described in three words: sturdy, sharp, and strong. It can withstand some pretty good bashing and still last for a long time. And though it is a bit heavier than other knives, the aggressive contouring on the handle and the large finger grooves provide a secure grip. All in all, it should be quite useful to anyone who needs a dependable survival knife.

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4. Cold Steel Leatherneck SF

The Leatherneck SF makes it to our best survival knives list for several reasons. Aside from the excellent craftmanship, this knife is extremely durable, deadly sharp, has good wear and corrosion resistance, and is beautifully balanced. The Kraton grip fits perfectly in your hand, giving you a solid, comfortable grip. All around, this is quite an impressive knife to have when the going gets tough. 

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5. KA-BAR US Army Straight Edge Survival Knife

The Ka-Bar is a knife that's perfect for camping, hunting, and survival. The handle is superb, the balance is great, and it holds up really well even after a great deal of hacking, cutting, and digging. You can be sure that this knife will be around long enough for you to pass on to your grandkids. Definitely a must-have on our top 10 list.

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6. KA-BAR Becker Crewman BK10

The BK10 gets on our list because it is the perfect compromise between size and thickness. It's plenty thick for heavy duty tasks but light enough that it feels like an extension of your hand. This all-around camp knife is a serious tool that any outdoorsman would be proud to have. Good balance, comfortable grip, and high quality material makes the BK10 easily one of the best survival knives.

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7. Cold Steel Bushman Bowie 95BBUSK

Just like all the other knives on our list, the Bushman Bowie is sharp, well-balanced, and sturdy. The hollow handle allows you to mount it onto a wooden stick, creating a spear. The high-carbon steel is so tough that you have no problem chopping through almost anything. This multi-functional knife comes with a fire starter which is definitely handy especially if you're going far away from civilization.

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8. CRKT Elishewitz FTWS Razor Edge 2060

This durable, highly efficient knife was made by a top-notch craftsman - Allen Elishewitz. The tip is thick and strong enough that it won't easily break but also won't hinder penetration. And though it weighs a bit heavy, it's quite easy to wield. Lastly, it has a chisel ground edge at the blade’s back for chopping so you won't dull the fine edge due to the heavy stuff.

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9. KA-BAR Big Brother Kraton Handle

Though it might turn some off, the Big Brother can definitely make you feel like Rambo because it is that impressive. Fortunately, it also performs quite well and the weight isn't a hindrance at all. It keeps a nice edge even after hacking your way through several branches. Plus, the Kraton handle is just about perfect. This is one badass knife!

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10. SOG Field Pup

This sharp, strong, versatile knife comes in a small package but sure does pack a punch. It's sharp out of the box, holds a good edge, and quite rust resistant. The flat grind on the back of the blade is a perfect fire steel striker. The jimping on the spine gives you better control when performing detailed tasks and the handle gives you a great grip. All in all, this is a great all-around camp knife.

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What are your top 10 survival knives?

We’ve already given Schrade’s SCHF3N Extreme Survival Knife our thumbs up. But what about the SCHF3? Is there even a difference? Let’s take a look at what this version has to offer and how well it holds up to its title “Extreme Survival Knife.”

THE SPECS

Like the SCHF3N, the SCHF3 is a full tang, fixed blade knife. Both knives are also of the same size and weight. The SCHF3’s entire length is 12 inches with a 6.4-inch blade and a Micarta handle that’s 5.6 inches long. It’s a bit on the hefty side, weighing 1.37 lbs. Both blades are made from 7C17 High Carbon Stainless Steel with a clip point or Bowie design. So, what’s the difference? It’s in the edge of the blade. The SCHF3N is a straight edge while the SCHF3 is partially serrated.

Some might be wondering why we have a picture of a Woodlore knife on a page that says Boker. Well, that's because it's not a Woodlore knife. It actually IS a Boker knife that was designed to look like a Woodlore (at least that's what most of us think). In any case, this is the knife we're reviewing today, and I'm sure everyone's chomping at the bit (including me) to find out what exactly this little demon can do in the bush. But, like any responsible reviewer, specs first.

Video by: The Late Boy Scout

Knife on deck: Cold Steel Recon Tanto 13RTK

It doesn't take any great strength of observation to notice that this knife is a pretty awesome combat knife, and while we'll admit that its primary design function, we've decided to explore its worth as an outdoor knife. The Late Boy Scout has also tested this combat knife for outdoor tasks (which you can tell by the chipping of the black Tuff-Ex finish in the middle of the knife), and wait until you see how it performed. First, though, let’s look at the specs.

Review by: The Shotgun Guy

Knife on Deck: Leatherneck Tanto 39LSFT

I know, such a wicked looking blade right? This is the Leatherneck Tanto 39LSFT. The overall length of the knife is 12 inches, weighing 12.6 ounces. The blade is 5mm thick and 7 inches long, (obviously) has a Tanto design, and made of German 4116 stainless steel. The Leatherneck Tanto is hollow ground by hand, has a Kray-Ex™ handle, and comes with a Secure-Ex® Sheath.

The specs all sound good except for two things - I personally prefer a longer blade (10 inches, give or take an inch) and high carbon steel as the blade material. But I’m getting ahead of myself. We’re going to be looking at The Shotgun Guy’s review to see what HE thinks of the Leatherneck Tanto and maybe putting our own two cents in here and there.