Best Bushcraft Knives – 2022 Top Selections from A Survivalist

There’s a range of knives you can carry outdoors, from EDC to pocket knives to tactical and even survival knives, serious outdoors men know that a dependable bushcraft knife is one of the most crucial items in a survival bag.

Sure, EDC and pocket knives offer convenience, and tactical and survival knives offer assistance should things go wrong, but if you’re the type of survivalist who tends to spend long periods of time in the bush, you’re basically volunteering to face those challenges head on.

Obviously, you’re going to need to develop your bushcraft skills to actually survive in the wild. You must know how to start a fire, set up a tent, and perhaps you’ll even need to catch your own food and protect yourself from wild animals. And that’s when you’ll need the best bushcraft knife—it could essentially save your life.

So what features should you look for in a bushcraft knife? The look of the knife is hopefully far down your list of priorities. Any inordinate focus on ornate designs instead of utility will mark you as a poser and not as an actual outdoors man. You will generally want a curved edge to your blade you can use it for a wide variety of tasks. It also needs to be tough, so it should have a fixed blade with a drop point and flat grind. It should be maneuverable and comfortable to use. It should also hold its edge for longer than usual, as you may not want to spend your time sharpening the blade.

7 Best Bushcraft Knives - Comparisons

Best Bushcraft Knives Reviews

To give you a clearer idea of which bushcraft knives will work best for you, here are some recommendations which you should consider:

Spyderco is one of the most highly-regarded brands in the knife industry, and their knives are generally great. The Bushcraft G-10 is the result of a collaboration between Spyderco, the bushcraft specialty website BushcraftUK.com, and bushcraft expert Chris Claycombe. If you have the budget for a premium knife that’s worth every cent, then you need to take a look at this one. 

The knife is about 8.75 inches long overall, with its drop point blade measuring 4 inches. The blade features a Scandinavian (“Scandi”) grind, which means it has an edge with a single bevel grind, and it’s wide, flat, and quite durable. The blade is made of O-1 high carbon steel with a G-10 handle. It also comes with a leather sheath, and weighs a total of 7.75 ounces.

With this knife you can pretty much do everything you need out in the wild. Wood definitely won’t be a problem as this knife can chop, slice, or carve them without any trouble at all. It’s also great for skinning and gutting game. 

Benchmade is another famous brand in the knife industry, and it has rightfully earned a reputation for quality. Based in Oregon, their manufacturing equipment operates in tolerances that you normally only find in the aerospace industry. While all their knivesare of great quality, the Bushcrafter 162 is one of their premium offerings, so it’s also among the more expensive models on this list.

Yet there’s no doubt that you get full value for your money, as hordes of gratified users have attested to the fine qualities of this knife. Boasting a fixed blade made from CPM-S30V steel, the knife itself is 9.15 inches long, with the blade measuring in at 4.4 inches. It weighs 7.72oz and it comes with a full-grain leather sheath that adds another 2.70oz.

The full tang drop point blade has a plain edge and flat grind. The handle is made from G-10 plastic and has holes in it so you can even use it as a makeshift spear. 

Fallkniven needed 8 long years to develop this excellent survival knife, but they used that time for extensive testing in the field through extreme conditions and temperatures. Whether it isa freezing winter night or the heat of a noontime summer day, the F1 was built to last. And if this is not enough to impress you, here’s one more thing—this is the very knife issued to Swedish Air Forcepilots today.

The knife itself is 8.3 inches long and weighs just 5.3 ounces, with a blade length of 3.8 inches. The blade is made from laminated VG-10 steel, which offers an exceptionally balance of edge retention, superb resistance to corrosion, and ease of sharpening.

The textured black handle that is made from Thermorun rubber is nicely shaped for a secure and comfortable grip. It also features a lanyard hole near the end. You can choose to get a leather sheath or opt for a left or right-handed Zytel sheath. 

Also Read: Best Throwing Knife – Top Selections for Expert & Beginners

Morakniv is a Swedish knifemaker brand that has been in the business since 1891 and it sure does seem that they’ve learned a thing or two about manufacturing fantastic knives over the years. What will truly astound you is that they offer these fantastic knives at fantastically reasonable prices—a case made evident by this affordable Morakniv Bushcraft knife.

This knife is quite substantial with its overall length of 9.1 inches. The high carbon steel blade is 4.3 inches long and just ⅛ of an inch thick covered with black tungsten DLC coating for greater anti-corrosive properties. The knife comes with a rubberized black handle that offers a safe and comfortable grip.

It’s not all that easy to find an affordable bushcraft knife when you insist on US-made manufacturing. But if you don’t mind that it’s made overseas,you may want to take a look at the Selkirk. Buck still oversees the entire manufacturing process, so what you get is a superb knife with an affordable price tag and the typical Buck durability.

This knife measures a hefty 9.5 inches all in all, and the blade makes up 4⅝ inches of this length. The drop point blade is made from 420HC, while the Micarta handle also features a flat steel edge that you can use for hammering. Micarta is a type of tough, laminated plastic.

The knife comes with a 2.25-inch fire striker, and there’s even a whistle integrated in the grip so you can call for help easily in case of an emergency. You also get an injection-molded nylon sheath which you can use in a horizontal or vertical configuration. 

Since it offers tremendous value for very little money, this bushcraft knife is one of the most popular and most admired ones on the market. This is understandable when you realize that the history of Condor Tool & Knife can be traced back to 1787 in Solingen, Germany.
This bushcraft knife is 9.5 inches long, and its full tang 1075 steel blade measures 4⅜ inches. Like some other bushcraft knives, this one also features a drop point blade with a Scandi grind and has a blasted satin finish. It has a nice walnut wooden handle, and the weight comes in at 8 ounces.

There’s really nothing to the CTK232-4.3HC until you bring this knife along for your hunting or camping adventure. That’s when you’ll realize the versatility and toughness hidden behind the simple design of this knife. 

Also Read: Top 10 Picks for the Best Bowie Knife – Comparison

The Fieldcraft knifehas a rather interesting history. It was designed by The Brothers of Bushcraft, which is basically a group of wilderness enthusiasts from all over North America. These guys have experienced survival challenges in rain forests, dry deserts, and frigid ice lands. That’s when they came up with the Fieldcraft model, which is designed for all types of wilderness scenarios.

This knife is a bit long at 10 inches, but its blade is standard at just 4.5 inches. It has a 1095HC steel blade and an ergonomic Micarta handle. It also comes with a black Kydex sheath. 

Final Verdict

Bushcraft is not something that you should take lightly, not if you’re going out into the wilderness on a regular basis. To make your life easier out in the bush, having the best bushcraft knife with you can be vital.

And while it’s great that there are affordable options, frankly the price shouldn’t be among your highest considerations. When your very life depends on the bushcraft knife you bring along, price doesn’t really matter.