Best Knives To Make Camping Fun Again in 2024

Knife Blade

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Knives come in different shapes, sizes, and for a variety of purposes. This introductory section will help you understand the considerations behind the best blade knives, different blade types and shapes, knife grinds, and more. A well-made blade can make the difference between a decent knife and the best knives.

6 GREAT RESOURCES TO READ:

Best Utility Knives

Light, portable folding knives are fantastic for a wide range of jobs. They’re simple, everyday tools that you can use for jobs both big and small. Utility knives are useful and versatile tools.

They’re jack-of-all-trades knives that work for everything, from cutting boxes to cleaning fish. They can even help with DIY home repairs. They can work equally well on soft or hard surfaces, and they can even cut in ways not previously possible.

For example, a utility knife or box cutter with a 2-inch blade can be useful in cutting through packing tape or cardboard. In contrast, a 9-inch blade is the perfect size for cutting asphalt, plywood, and other hard materials.

A utility knife can be your best friend when you’re making repairs or performing minor renovations on your boat—but not all utility knives are created equal. Although they’re similar in name, each utility knife has different shapes, making a difference in how they perform.

The top three products are:

Milwaukee Fastback 3 (Editor’s Choice)
Fiskars Pro Utility Knife
FC Folding Utility Knife

See a complete product list of the best knives in this category. You can find the latest version of the Milwaukee Fastback on Amazon.

Best Throwing Axes & Tomahawks

The throwing ax and tomahawk are melee weapons used for hundreds of years. Amazon has the best throwing axes and tomahawks for hunting, camping, outdoor activities, home fixes, self-defense, and wilderness survival.

The angular heads on these throwing axes allow for rolling circle patterns or follow-through motions without damaging the handles. The high-quality materials used in their construction provide unmatched balance and strength. They can even effectively penetrate almost any target.

The top three products are:

SOG Fasthawk Ax (Best Seller)
Estwing Double Bit Ax
Cold Steel 90th Trail Tomahawk

Read more about this category for quality throwing axes and tomahawk products.

Best Throwing Knives

People changed the purpose of throwing knives from weapons into using them in throwing competitions and even leisure activities. When it comes to throwing knives and daggers, having the right tool makes all the difference.

Throwing knives are handy weapons, whether you need to protect yourself from wild animals or other people. They don’t take up much room and can fit in virtually any suitcase. They’re among the most commonly used weapons for self-defense.

The top three products are:

United Cutlery Kunai Throwers (Editor’s Choice)
Perfect Point Knives (Best Value)
Perfect Point Balanced Series

Discover more about the best knives in this category by visiting our website if you’re looking for a great throwing knife set.

Best Survival Knives

Never go camping, hiking, fishing, or hunting without a survival knife as your companion. A survival knife is a multipurpose tool used for cutting, chopping, peeling, digging, and much more. Survival knives can get you out of any life-threatening situation or help you in your decision-making when you’re outdoors.

You can use survival knives designed for extreme conditions when you’re out hiking or camping. They can help you reach food and water sources that may seem inaccessible, as well as construct shelter, hunt game for food, cut firewood, and much more.

Having a superior blade that is sharp and dependable can help save your life if you’re ever in a life-threatening situation. There are many kinds of knives for different tasks—it’s essential to know how to use each one.

The top three products are:

Gerber LMF II (Best Under $100)
Gerber strong-arm (Similar to the LMF II)
ESEE Knives 4P or 6P (Great Value)

On our website, you will find a complete Gerber brand list of the best knives in this category.

Best Special Forces Knives

The military and law enforcement use special knives to help them perform effectively in all situations. These knives have been battle-tested to meet strict guidelines and are produced by trusted manufacturers using premium materials.

Special Forces knives—made in the USA—are built for the military, undercover cops, and the police. Their design allows for maneuverability and provide the power required in close-quarter battle situations. These knives are used in hand-to-hand combat, for cutting away thick ropes or lines, and severing other obstacles that soldiers encounter while deployed.

The top three products are:

Cold Steel SRK
Benchmade Nimravus
ESEE Military Series 3MIL-P

Best Self Defense Knives

While you’ll want to carry nonlethal defense measures such as pepper spray, stun guns, and personal alarms at all times, a self-defense knife is the ultimate weapon to keep hidden.

A self-defense weapon is an item that could save your life by serving as a physical barrier between yourself and a potential attacker. These knives are ideal for people who spend a lot of time outdoors or in the wilderness. They’re also suitable for professionals who may need to defend themselves—such as firefighters and paramedics.

Encountering dangerous animals or people can happen in cities, too. If you happen to live near a wild area and you work late shifts, a quality self-defense knife could prove vital in protecting you in the dark.

The top three products are:

Spyderco Civilian Personal Defense Knife
Spyderco Matriarch 2
Benchmade Bedlam 860

In this category, you can find top self-defense knives and explore the purpose of the best knives.

Best Camping Hatchets & Axes

With the right camping hatchets and axes, you can perform many practical tasks while enjoying nature. You can chop firewood, cut branches, pry open cans, and more. A good camping hatchet or ax will make your life easier in these situations.

Hatchets and axes are excellent tools for camping, bush crafting, or everyday life. They’re lightweight so that they’ll feel comfortable while stored in your rucksack or backpack. Use hatchets for chopping down branches for a fire while camping or practical use around the house.

Axes are convenient blades to have around your house if you need to cut up a tree branch. Doing so without one could be dangerous in a storm, for example. You’ll also be able to chop through a few materials you wouldn’t ordinarily use scissors on.

The top three products are:

Estwing 14 Inch Sportsman’s Ax
Husqvarna 19 Inch Carpenter Ax
Schrade SCAXE10 11 Inch

To explore the various hatchets designed for multiple purposes, go to our website and learn more.

Best EDC Knives

EDC is an acronym for “everyday carry knife,” which usually refers to pocket knives. A folding EDC knife can be carried discreetly in your pocket or clipped to your belt, just like a folding pocket knife.

Having an EDC knife on hand is crucial whether you’re a boy scout, a college student who spends time outdoors, or a tradesman who needs a reliable tool. EDC knives come in handy in everyday situations. For example, if you’re stranded in your car and need to cut the seatbelt, most cars have a small retractable knife.

The top three products are:

Benchmade EDC 940 (Best Under $200)
Benchmade Griptilian 551 (Best Value)
Spyderco Delica 4 (Best Under $100)

To see a list of the best knives in this category, visit the pocket knives section on our website.

Best Combat Knives

Combat knives and military fighting knives are significant assets for self-defense. You can use them in a wide variety of situations, whether it’s defending you or your family against an intruder or protecting your home from looters during a natural disaster.

Combat knives are mainly used by police and military organizations worldwide. They’re also used by various individuals who know how to use swords and knives for fighting and self-defense.

Combat knives and military fighting knives can be helpful if you need to quickly break through particular objects during an emergency. They’re typically more durable than regular knives, making them more capable of cutting through ropes, seat belts, or glass windows.

The top three products are:

The Gerber Strong Arm and LMF II (The Best Knife Under $100)
Benchmade Nimravus Tanto or Drop Point
Cold Steel SRK (Best Value)

Look no further; we’ll explain all the best knives in this category on our website.

Best Camping Knives

Camping knives are must-have items for campers and hikers alike. They have a wide variety of uses, including slicing meats, dicing vegetables, cutting coils of rope, and opening cans.

Whether you’re a backpacker, fisherman, or like to go out in the middle of nature, a camping knife is an essential companion. A 4-5-inch blade camping knife is an irreplaceable possession for every nature lover. You can use it for anything, from cutting wood for the campfire to slicing through fishing lines.

The top three products are:

ESEE Knives P4 or P6
Gerber Strong Arm
Gerber LMF II Survival or Infantry

Let’s explore how you can use the best camping knife for your next trip by clicking this link.

Best Benchmade Knives

Benchmade makes a wide range of folding knives for everyday carry (EDC). Their products are compact, lightweight, ergonomic, and extremely sharp. These knives can be taken along on any adventure, no matter how large or small.

Benchmade is a US-based manufacturer of high-quality knives built for durability.Their knives are a lasting asset for any home. These knives have undergone rigorous testing and passed necessary military and law enforcement requirements. Whether that means hunting and camping or a regular day at work, Benchmade knives will help you get the job done.

The top three products are:

Benchmade 940 EDC
Benchmade Anthem 781
Benchmade Griptilian 551

These are the best knives in this category that will stick around for a lifetime. There’s a lot more information on our website to read about Benchmade’s outstanding craftsmanship.

Best Backpacking Knives

A quality hiking or backpacking knife functions as a safety tool, cooking utensil, and travel companion. Backpackers, hikers, and camping enthusiasts rely on them to make their way through the wilderness.

A hiking or backpacking knife is a multi-user tool that serves as a primary utility on outdoor adventures. It also serves as essential emergency gear, signaling device, and self-defense weapon.

Wildlife rehabilitation can be dangerous and frustrating, but a wildlife rescue knife will help you rapidly and safely deal with injured or sick animals. Owning a high-quality backpacking knife is essential if you camp, hike, hunt, or fish often.

The top three products are:

Gerber LMF II (Best Value Fixed Blade)
Gerber Strong-arm
ESEE Knives 6P or P4

Read this section on our website and learn about the best knives in this category for your next adventure.

Guides

Best Knife Steels Guide

Steel is the heart and soul of a knife. Blade composition is essential in the performance of any knife; different steel types have varying effects on the structure and durability of a blade.

An important decision when choosing a knife is the type of steel used. There are three common types:

Stainless steel: Stainless steel blades are corrosion resistant and easier to maintain than carbon steel, but they can be less durable. Stainless steel will begin to show signs of wear after use, but this won’t happen instantly. They’re also fingerprinted-resistant and ideal for everyday carry (EDC) knives.

Carbon steel: Carbon steel blades are typically more robust and durable, with better edge retention than stainless steel blades. They also tend to be easier to sharpen than stainless blades. However, they’re prone to rust and oxidation if not adequately cared for, making them inappropriate for use as an EDC.

Damascus steel: The best kind of steel for a blade is the legendary Damascus (or pattern welded) steel, a combination of two or three different types of metal forged together in intricate layers that create a distinctive pattern on the blade’s surface. The patterned layers alternately go towards and away from the blade’s surface, giving Damascus steel blades a unique visual appearance.

Types of Knife Locking Mechanisms

The locking mechanism of a folding knife is the device that keeps the blade safely in the handle when not in use. The lock prevents it from accidentally opening.

There are a variety of knife locking mechanisms that you can find on folding knives. Let’s discuss some of them.

Liner lock: The liner lock is the most common lock used by many popular manufacturers, like Benchmade, Spyderco, and Zero Tolerance.

Spine lock: This type of lock is mainly used by Kershaw and other smaller companies, though you might see a few others as well. Back locks, or spine locks, use a spring-loaded bar on the back of the blade with a notch that pushes against the tang, or back, when it’s closed.

The notch causes the bar to push against the opposite side of the tang. It’s an effective locking mechanism but isn’t as common as the liner lock.

Frame lock: Frame locks take two forms: structural and reeved (bolster frame locks). Structural frame locks are those where the knife’s frame extends beyond the handle on both sides.

Go to our website to read more about the most common types of locking mechanisms.

Knife Handle Materials Guide

Knife handles for the best knives are made from various materials, each with properties that make them perfect for a particular knife. Knife handles combine materials, designs, and techniques that make up the knife’s overall construction.

First Category: Synthetic/Plastics/Polymers

Plastics, synthetics, and polymers make for great knife handles. They’re durable, easy to care for, lightweight, and keep an excellent grip. If you’re looking for an affordable yet stylish handle material that’s also very durable, you should consider one of these materials. Plastic knife handles can be made from either a hard or soft material, and each has its advantages. Let’s discuss some of them.

Second Category: Metals Used To Make Knife Handles

Stainless steel: The first metal used to make knife handles is stainless steel. Stainless steel knife handles are usually constructed from an alloy containing chromium and other metals. This metal gives the handle a solid resistance to rust and corrosion.

Manganese: This is another popular metal used in knife handles. These are lighter than stainless steel knives, but they’re also less resistant to corrosion and rust.

Aluminum: This material can be used to make a knife handle. It’s light and not as stiff as some other metals, but it provides good resistance against corrosion and rust. Aluminum is softer than other metals like stainless steel or manganese. Still, it remains a popular metal for constructing a knife handle because of its lightweight nature.

Third Category: Animal Product Knife Materials

Bone: This is the least expensive option for knife handles and can be found in many forms, ranging from antler bone to composite. It’s light, soft, and has been used for centuries as a knife handle material.

Horn: Horn handles can be made from cattle horns, antlers, or bones and are more expensive than bone, but less than Micarta, G-10, or ivory. The horn doesn’t hold up as well as a bone when used underwater because it tends to absorb water over time. This causes the horn to swell, which in turn makes it lose fitting on the tang of your knife.

Ivory: Ivory handles are inexpensive, but illegal to trade without a government permit, which may not be available for long. Imitation ivory, commonly known as elephant ivory, is not made from elephant tusks; it’s made from the hippopotamus, walruses, and other animals that resemble elephants in size and appearance.

When these materials are cut into knife handles, they’re usually laminated with another material for strength and durability to make the best knives on the market.

Fourth Category: Wood Used in Knife Handles

The most common material used in knife handles is wood. The type of wood for a handle is chosen over plastic or metal for a variety of reasons. Some of the more popular types of wood used in knife handles are discussed below.

Wood is relatively strong, easily shaped, and has a unique grain pattern. It’s also relatively lightweight compared to other materials such as plastic or metal. Wood knife handles are popular with hunters because they offer a firm grip on the handle, allowing for a steady hand when cutting through thicker meat.

First and foremost, wood is one of the most attractive materials used for knife handles. Wood’s appearance can vary depending on the type used for the handle and the amount of time spent polishing it.

Walnut wood: This wood is thought to be one of the most attractive types of wood used for knife handles and is often used on knives made by smaller manufacturers. However, it can be expensive and challenging to work with, making some manufacturers shy away from using walnut wood for larger knives.

Mahogany wood: Mahogany is another popular type of wood used in knife handles because it’s beautiful yet affordable. Both walnut and mahogany produce a great-looking knife handle for the best knives in all categories.

By visiting our website, you can read more about the most popular knife handles by following this link.

Karambit Knife Uses

The karambit knife is a vital weapon used by martial artists. The karambit is excellent for self-defense and can be used with many different techniques.

Category One: Popularity and Accessibility of the Karambit

The karambit knife is an excellent close-quarter combat weapon. It features a deep belly that allows you to draw it across your body and then quickly slash outwards at an angle towards your target. You can use the blade in an upward stabbing motion, too.

The karambit’s finger ring can also be used as a flicking mechanism to throw your knife at your enemy at high speeds. The ring can quickly pivot around the center point of your index finger, allowing you to flick your blade out and use its momentum to carry it towards its target.

Karambit knives have many uses outside of combat as well. The deep belly makes it a great utility blade for slicing various objects in your environment. The use of karambit knives includes food preparation and even medical uses where you need to cut bandages or tape without cutting yourself.

Category Two: Popular Steel Types Used in Karambit Blades

Carbon steel: It doesn’t hold its edge like high-quality stainless steel, but it’s less expensive and easier to re-sharpen. The higher the carbon content, the stronger the blade.

Stainless steel: It has a higher carbon content than regular steel and holds an edge longer. However, it’s more expensive and difficult to re-sharpen than carbon steel.

Both high-carbon and high-carbon stainless steels are more difficult to work with than lower-carbon steel, but they’re also more durable when adequately cared for in this case.

Premium stainless Ssteel: This is a high-quality material that holds an edge exceptionally well, but it’s also tough to sharpen when needed.

Ceramic knife blades: These are tough and wear better than any other blade material available today. They hold their edge for a long time and can be sharpened easily on a whetstone or diamond sharpener.

Category Three: Common Grind Types for a Karambit Shaped Blade

A karambit is a valuable addition to any collection because of the many different ways you can use it. The quality of a knife’s edge depends on its grind type. The following grind types are the most common in karambit blades:

Drop point: The drop point is like a spear tip, making it ideal for piercing into objects. A drop point blade has a spine that tapers down to the sharp end of the knife. This type of grind is the most common in Karambits.

Clip point: A clip point gives your knife more versatility than a drop point because it has two different edges: one that curves away from the handle for deeper cuts and one that bends back toward the handle for fine work. This grind type resembles a shark fin shape.

Hollow/scandi grind: The hollow grind (also known as an “H-grind”) provides two sharp edges, making it suitable for slicing and stabbing. The sharp-edged front is excellent for cutting, while the back edge can easily pierce through objects.

These are the three most common grinds for a karambit knife. Please note that there are other grinds for a karambit knife, but these are the most common. They’re also the most popular ones among the users.

This link lists the ideal types of steel for each grind.

We covered the most popular and best knives and blade types. Each knife blade is unique in its way and serves a different purpose. When looking for the best knife for everyday use, choose a blade you like and feel comfortable with.