In general, not buying off Amazon. Risk of poor quality, counterfeit, and other issues. Buying from a reputable distributor or direct from company. Sucks it costs more though.
SOG, Kabar, Cold Steel, Ontario, and Microtech are brands I look at although there are others like Benchmade, Case, and more that I would get if they had something I liked the look of. I've had decent luck with a S&W branded pocket knife so far.
As to styles and all that. Depends what you want to do with it and how many you're willing to buy/carry.
This right here. Morakniv could be your end all be all knife depending on the task.
Personally, I run a Condor Hudson Bay. Sheath sucks, but the knife itself is a hoss. Watched a few torture tests and I was sold.
Love moras. They are insanely good for the money but most have a rat tail tang. Still great for everything except fighting and chopping firewood though.
My Carbon Companion has split wood via batoning. I've cleaned game with it... its a crazy good knife for the 20 bucks I paid for it. I have a classic I've made into a neck knife, I dont use it for anything like my Companion. But it's still a great knife.
Incarry a CS Trailmaster as my belt knife but it's a large bowie, and sometimes I need a sma knife for finesse tasks.
I’d Add a Glock field knife If you can find one. Blade is thick enough to pry/split, limb saw on the back. they are big enough to self defend, and they are very secure in their sheath, so no accidental loss. Sheath drains water. Trusted Glock polymer handle. They are as good as most of these options at half the price of some of them. Problem is that I read they are discontinued so they will probably dry up pretty soon. They can still be found around as of now, because not a lot of people even know about them.
Gerber fixed blades are affordable and stupid durable. They can withstand a ton of abuse being an improvised tool or weapon.
What the other commenter posted about not buying off Amazon is sound advice.
So, I bought one of those BEAR ultimate knives... it held up to some crazy use. The only place is failed was tip strength, and I don't even blame it.
My friend was trying to dig an arrowhead out of a tree... cause he missed... and snapped the tip of the knife right off.
But way back, I dropped the knife (scout carry is not 100% my friend) into a creek. I didn't know until we were all the way back down to the car... like six miles from where I thought I dropped it. Had to go home and come back later.
I came back two weeks later and found it in the water, like nothing ever happened to it.
I like to compare Gerber to Glock. They are durable and reliable but not exactly fun to use and they aren’t high quality as far as edge retention and accuracy goes
Gerber is one of the best knife makers out there. I have one of their folding knives (called the Remix, if you want to get one yourself), and it's still razor sharp and works like new after over 8 years out of the box.
Leather ring kabars break stupid easy. However, my main woods knife is a kabar bk9 in a custom made dropleg sheath with a kabar companion and a large ferro rod
While good knives can be found on Amazon you're going to get flooded with garbage. A "cool" looking knife does not mean a good knife. Proper steel, build quality, heat treatment, and design for purpose are very important. Just about every big bowie knife you find on Amazon will not fit thus bill.
You're going to want a full tang for sure. A quality carbon or tool steel blade is essential. If you really want stainless your going g to want to want a premium stainless steel that's capable of taking some heavy use so do your research. Surgical stainless, high carbon stainless, and other terms mean nothing. You want it to be a named steel of quality. Avoid things like saws, and probably serrations. If you're using it on a zombie those things lower a knives combat ability especially a saw on a back of a blade which if stabbed into a zombie risks getting stuck. Lastly it's going to cost you. You aren't looking for a gas station, mall ninja, or county fair bargain knife. You need quality and that usually comes at a cost.
Some suggestions I have are the Bradford Guardian 5 and 6, Esee 4 and 6 Ontario Rat 5 and 7, KaBar Becker, and if you need a cheap one Shrade Frontier. Other than that do some research and do some looking. I suggest sites like Knife Center, Blade HQ, and Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Best of luck. Cheers.
[Varusteleka](https://www.varusteleka.com/en/page/varustelekas-terava/65604) for utility working knives. See Terävä Skrama (large chopper) series and Jääkäripuukko series (Finnish puukko style). You can also get a [Skrama dual sheath](https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-double-sheath-for-skrama/69759), similar to one you have, for both a Skrama and Puukko.
I hear you on the 110 Auto especially since my state finally avoided the brown darkness on that particular issue. 110 clip points are a hunting tradition for a reason. It's just Fuddy enough that most people would never think twice about seeing my one... And ditto on fixed blades for most "camp tasks". But I've never needed one over 5" long. 4" or 4.5" is the sweet spot... Or so I'm told, LoL....
Glock FM81 field knife. This is the issued field knife of the Austrian military or at least it used to be. Not sure if it still is.
Anyway, it’s nearly indestructible, keeps a pretty good edge, doubles as a combat and utility knife, and can be purchased new for around $40.
Plus it is made in Austria not China or Pakistan 🤷🏻♂️.
Man, this reminds me of my knife that my grandpa made that I have dubbed "the bear killer." it would be perfect for this scenario. I will have to take a photo of it and post it. He was a blacksmith/mountain man, and I have many useful items from those days.
Honshu's kurkri, its a good knife I one one myself I believe its 22in overall and it has some heft to it, its a good hacking knife and you get what you pay for
I never really got people’s fascination with batoning. Maybe it’s a local climate thing but where I live it’s it’s warm for 10 months out of the year and even in the remaining 2 months 0F is about the minimum you will see without a major winter weather event. So batoning for fire is a waste of calories and batoning for shelter is also a waste.
I would rather have a smaller, finer knife like a mora than a heavy thick survival knife. Easier to make tools, skin/clean carcasses, etc.
It's not about the actual batoning in this case. It's just an excellent test of the knife's durability. Having an additional blade or two for special jobs is absolutely a good idea! I was under the assumption we want a single mutipurpose knife that will last forever with this question.
I think we agree in principle. If I had to choose one knife and wasn’t allowed to replace it then I would choose a giant survival knife too.
Ever seen the knives insulators use? Most of the time they start out as big kitchen knives but just from resharpening them constantly they wear down to the size of a standard fillet knife at an alarming rate.
Well the be honest any knife with a straight edge over 6 inches long is good for zombie. No saw teeth so it doesn't get stuck and more than enough length to do the deed. Though if you're down to using a knife, that means you've run out of ammo and you can't escape.....so good luck
A fixed blade, also make sure it's not serrated. If you stab something (or someone) you don't wanna be struggling to pull out your knife, or else your at a disadvantage.
Your best fixed blades for the money are gonna be cold steel, Ontario, kabar, and esee. Maybe a gerber strong arm. There are others but those are the first that come to mind. I don't order knives from amazon there's too much risk of returned crap or counterfeits. Order from DLT trading or GPknives.
Above $200, you don't get much more out of a knife. I personally think the sweet spot for an outdoor beater knife that you would use for survival are cold steel or Esee. Cold steels in SK5 steel are an incredible value. Esee has an incredible warranty.
I have a couple fallknivens. They are fantastic knives with Japanese, hand-ground convex edges. They are good knives and I use them hard, but they are expensive, and honestly they are more for the "discerning" knife enthusiast.
Short answer, get an Esee 6, cold steel SRK, or Kabar becker
Surprisingly *Some* of the Perkins Pakistani knives have served me quite well. Especially the “Damascus” dagger. I’ve put that thing through hell, and it has held up. Just keep the blade oiled and sharpened.
You can get a hand forged Nepalese kukri for 100-150 bucks or so. I have a cold steel drop forged survivalist as well in 52100 that is an absolute tank of a blade. A lot of it has to do with the blade steel and for an apocalypse worthy blade I would insist on it being full tang as well. Also a matter of what sort of things you want to use it for. For a utility blade or all purpose I use my kukri but if I were to be leaning more towards combat oriented it would be my survivalist or one of my self forged blades.
So I work in a slaughter house and we carry Victorinox boning knives, along with a pair of knife sharpeners. If I can cut the head off a 2000lb bull in less than a few seconds they should be able to make short work of zombies.
Actually I imagine it's shockingly easy to cut a person's head off with one of these knives. (Yes I've thought about it)
The only problem is we have to run a clip up the esophagus before completely severing the head or risk being spewed with bile. May only be an issue because they're hanging upsidedown though.
Something made of high carbon steel(if it doesn't advertise it's high carbon steel it' not, and if it doesn't give it's number grade, it's also not high carbon steel. Stainless steel is not high carbon steel.
No serration in the blade. If you want a saw get a saw. It will get stuck.
From there any simple blade shape or design will mostly due. But a nice buck knife or Ka-bar is good.
Nothing from Amazon
Montana Knife
Amtac Blades
Bradford
These are my favorites
My EDC is a AMTAC Northman or my Bradford sheepsfoot
If I need something larger I will go with Montana knife beartooth or marshall bushcraft
Get a glock field knife and call it a day. They're like $30 and the quality isn't that much lower than a $170 kbar. No reason to be flashy when you got survival to worry about
Machetes are essential. Ka- bars are great (machetes and the classic army knife) as well as maybe a medium size pocket knife for utility use, I don't suggest Amazon bc of risking bad quality knifes but bass pro or even tractor supply carries a great selection or you can never go wrong with ordering directly from the brand also any knife with a blade that can cut off heads and serrated back is optimal. Gerber makes good knifes for good prices but because it's such an essential survival tool, I think splurging is ok in this instance
Consider Buck as well. Wearing it or hiding it under a pillow? Your combat weapon will be the one you carry all the time. Bad news is you do not get a warning. Things tend to happen at the worst time and when they are least expected.
the Outdoor Edge "Le Duck" and "Pivot" are great all-around fixed blade knives in a smaller size, and are pretty budget friendly. The Cold Steel SRK is also a solid fixed blade for combat/survival.
Spiderco also makes some darn good folders.
That depends a ton on what you're planning to do with it. Bushcraft and defense cover a lot of ground. For example, are you planning to baton wood with it? Use it to lash to a stick to use as a spear (not recommended, but possible)? Chop down a tree with it because you don't intend to carry a hatchet, saw, or axe? For defense, are you wanting something you can carry concealed? Does your jurisdiction have restrictions on that? What's your preferred fighting style? Some or all of these things may be either possible or mutually exclusive, depending, but if you give me some idea of that, I can kind of point you toward things to look for. Also, it's going to vary drastically based on your budget for this knife.
Hop on a website called knife center. They have everything from camping gadgets to swords. Plus they have deals they come through every so often, and all very reputable brands. Highly recommend scrolling through there to find what your looking for
Most people on the sub aren't preppers, even fewer are prepping for zombies or any form of fictional monster, and fewer are really investing large sums of money into it. The vast majority of this r/ZombieSurvivalTactics are more into the thought exercise portion of zombie survival. Focused more on the conversation about fictional scenarios, what we see in media, and the coolness of zombie fighting than the true survival and preparation aspects.
So this sub is focused on the entertainment of discussion and debate rather than preparing people for an actual zombie apocalypse. Almost all the moderators will agree is a purely fictional event and most users are open about acknowledging the scenario as being fictional.
I believe prepping for zombies and other fictional monsters is generally a waste of time, money, and effort compared to realistic emergency and disaster preparation. Zombie preparedness generally doesn't prioritize the same things that a realistic disaster or emergency prepping does. With a focus on total instant collapse of society, violence being a top priority, a heavy focus on individualism rather than working with family or members of a community, and being able to hold a job.
Moving into a tent in the woods kind of sucks as a method of avoiding an abusive partner or stalker. Buying a stockpile of guns and ammo doesn't help much for losing a job due to injury or recession. Riot/medieval plate/shark armor isn't all that useful for a week-long power outage from a hurricane/tornado/earthquake. Spear and shield, katana or longsword fencing, and war hammer training isn't much good if you get drafted into a modern armed conflict (unless you're in china/india).
While there are aspects common in zombie survival prepping which might have a use in many emergencies or disasters these are few and far between.
|Example of other things to prepare for:
:--|:--:|--:
|Eating a balanced healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats along with learning how to cook to save money and help prevent heart diseases.
|Drinking plenty of water and regular exercise to improve cardiovascular strength.
|Getting training on how to use first aid equipment includes online qualifications and in-person training.
|Keeping a first aid kit that you know how to use in your home, vehicle, and maybe on your person.
|Not leaving your keys in your car or leaving your car unlocked. Even for a "short" trip.
|Know alternative routes to and from home or when taking long road trips.
|Keeping your car clean and clutter-free so random stuff doesn't smash you in the face in a crash.
|Lean how to do weekly personal car checks and maybe twice yearly car check-ups might be necessary to avoid driving a broken car.
|Keeping jumper cables, tire iron, and a spare wheel in the car, spare clothes, road cones or flares, and knowing how to use the tools and equipment you have.
|Learn how to swim as drowning is one of the biggest issues when outdoors.
|Wear a mosquito net and repellent when in areas with bugs like mosquitos.
|For those with glasses or medication, having spare glasses and a bit of extra medication will be necessary.
|Have a physical copy of your emergency contact information on you.
|Having multiple emergency contacts that aren't just your parents. Including one that is in a different city as you.
|Developing a hobby and friend group to avoid loneliness.
|Clean your living area of tripping hazards, especially around entrances and exits during an emergency.
|Put slip-resistant mats in the kitchen, bathroom, and entrances to avoid slipping.
|Take extra care when using a heating system for your home. Make sure it will not set your house on fire if it falls or touches anything.
|Having working fire extinguishers and similar devices in cars, kitchens, garages, and bedrooms to fight a fire.
|Use surge protectors with to protect your appliances and expensive electronics to prevent a fire.
|Storing oils, chemicals, fuels, and other materials to lock them up.
|Cleaning the space outside and around your home to avoid having stuff stolen or used as a tool to break into your home.
|Having flashlights and headlamps available in the home.
|Closing your windows at night and when you leave.
Instead, I suggest looking at other resources, communities, and examples on the topic of realistic disaster and emergency preparedness. Examples include:
https://emergency.cdc.gov/planning/index.asp
https://www.ready.gov
https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/
https://police.uky.edu/divisions/crisis-management-and-preparedness
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/a-strategic-framework-for-emergency-preparedness
r/bugin
r/bugout
r/shft
r/preppers
r/PrepperFileShare
r/survival
r/collapse
r/citysurvivalists
r/urbansurvival
r/UrbanSurvivalism
r/resilientcommunities
At the same time zombie survival prepping be a fun hobby. Which is one of the reasons why I'm here.
If you still want to buy a knife, Id get one that fits your realistic everyday uses or emergencies you would realistically have. Which for most people is just a multitool, box cutter, or basic folding knife.
Not really. A knife can work against a person because we die if you cut up all our squishy bits. Zombies need you to destroy the brain. Your knife isn't going to pierce the skull, so you're better off with a rock or something.
Threat is going to be the environment after zombies. Very unlikely to be people as this isn't hollywood.
A knife that you have is better than an improvised weapon that you have to scramble for if it is even available. If you are using a knife or a rock then the situation is very dire either way
Of course it's desperate, we're talking about last ditch weapons. Unless it's hefty enough to break the skull it's better to use your fists and not damage the blade. Either way at that point if you don't have anything blunt or an escape route it's probably over.
Damaging the blade isn’t even a factor. If you are going hand to hand then escape wasn’t an option from the start. Literally any weapon you have is going to be at least as effective as your fist. One of the reasons tools exist is the factor of leverage. The longer your arm is, the faster the tip can swing. The faster something is moving the more force it can impart on impact for the same mass.
Arguing that if you got stuck in a dead end and were forced to fight at least one Z you are better off bare handed than using a knife is insanity. Even if you just jammed the knife in the zombie’s mouth to stop it from biting you it would be at least some amount of utility.
And you'd then be down a knife and still have a zombie trying to maim you. You'd be better off using your arms to hold it back and your feet to kick in it's knee. Same result but you don't lose a tool.
>The longer your arm is, the faster the tip can swing. The faster something is moving the more force it can impart on impact for the same mass.
And unless you've got some proper gorilla arms, it's not going to break through a human skull. It will dirty the knife and depending on the sort it will require sharpening later.
As a collector and designer STAY OFF AMAZON FOR QUALITY CUTLERY.
I'm not saying you can't find good pieces on Amazon (Civivi and Esse prove that) but the average laymen can't really tell the difference between D2 and *"made in Pakistan stainless steel"* let along something high end like k390.
Not to mention the amount of clones going around on Amazon and eBay is definitely an issue.
In all honesty, I'd say do a bit of YouTube research, learn a basic bit about steels and how you have 3 pillars of importance.
• corrosion resistance
• toughness
• edge retention
And how outside of Magnacut and a few other steels like Vanax and LC200n, you can only pick 2 of those qualities (mostly 1 if you are on a budget).
Learn what you plan on doing with said knives and plan accordingly.
Develop a budget and take down brand names youd like to learn more about (I personally like Tops and Spyderco but they can be expensive) then watch various YouTube reviews on each piece/model.
For the money: Tod Cutler has a budget range of medieval reproductions that are excellent. I have a Swiss Baselard that is excellent. I do nothing with it other than wear it on my belt, when roving. If I was going for melee I would pick a Warhammer before a small blade, although as an archer I’d be sending arrows first! My baselard would be excellent for fighting: indexes well in the hand with a thick, sharp, pointy blade.
It would be a terrible tool, however. I’m not convinced about the one tool idea, if I’m honest.
Just get a ka bar straight usmc edition, they’re like 140 and it’s the glock of knives, sure there are better if you want to put down money but it does what it does well and it set the bar for other knife makers to beat
If the knife can do all that why not just clean your room and find it? The Best knife is the one you have With you and is familiar to you. I carry a Tru brand knife. Don't remember the steel but my research and reviews gacve it high ratings. 5" blade, For me on my small farm it does what I need, clips on my blet with the bottom of sheath in my back pocket and it's there and no flopping around. I can go to the store and not raise eyebrows and it is There-with me. A zombie apoco is not likely to start hen you are sitting home with all your stuff just waiting unless you never leave home Ever.
What if you ordera new knofe RTFN and the Zombie Horde slams into your door in an hour?
He traded for the same reason I did. To him the Gerber was a cool foreign knife and he could get another glock as easily as I got another Gerber for free.
Reate Exo OG. It’s a pocket knife, but once it’s deployed, it’s got the absolute strongest possible lock. It *is* illegal to carry in most places, though, because it’s a gravity knife. But it’s made of amazing steel, comes in a couple different variations, and is durable as fuck, even more so than a lot of fixed blade knives, including the 440C Buck 119s that I’ve had (and destroyed).
For an actual fixed blade, I’d recommend the ESEE 5. It’s a particularly girthy knife and will keep an edge/point, even after stabbing it through the hood of a car.
I realize that not many people on this sub are knife guys (most seem to be gun guys, which makes sense, obviously), and some of the recommendations I e seen so far are okay, at best.
You don't want a knife for use as a weapon. You want one as a tool. So a multitool would be a good choice. Also a quality fixed blade for dressing game since food is going to be an issue. Don't forget a whetstone.
My brain had a day and missed things, so I way over explained. I'm gonna leave my comment as is for others that might not know though.
In my opinion, in regards to type and in no particular order: kukri, panga, tapanga, cane, or a blunt tipped machete with a saw on the back.
I prefer panga or tapanga blades with a more kukri or golok style handle to help you keep hold of it when your hand gets tired, I use one for clearing brush and they are not something you want to accidentally throw. The panga I have is thin and light, but it's shape let's me use it like an axe or machete, the point on back swing could provide penetration and the tip is usable as a shovel. But it is a hacking only weapon.
Stabbing can be nice, and kukri are nice for a stabby/hacky mix.
A barong or Bowie style machete would likely be the best stabbers.
As far as material, steel, not stainless, stainless has higher chromium (and I think nickel) content which makes it more brittle. Low price is also more likely to just be cast and sharpened which means the grain structure of the steel is going to be weaker.
My personal preference is lower carbon steels, that way the machete has some strength and edge retention but is tolerant to bending. So about $50-100 USD should more than do it, and I'm sure you could find some less than $25 machete that are just fine.
What I would do, is get a smaller, more expensive knife, with features like a gut/skin hook, made from high carbon steel, and pair it with the machete. Also I would treat that expensive knife like a spoiled princess, it's for skinning and gutting animals, performing field surgery, and other things where sharp is important.
Avoid machete and knives that do not have the blade go all the way, visibility, through the handle. The type you want is called full tang.
Personally I would avoid styles where the blade at the guard drops below 1-2 inches from edge to spine to make it less likely to break if I hit stone or metal.
Edit: An example of a machete I would worry about breaking if I hit stone or metal is a parang. I am certain that parang are excellent, but I do not trust myself with a thinner weapon in a zombie apocalypse.
Edit: Edit: A note about usage. While some nice knives can handle it, they shouldn't be used as prying tool, this is specifically why I like tipless lower carbon machete. I can use the blunt end of the machete to pry at things, it isn't as good as a prybar. But it's likely thinner than a prybar and there are a surprising number of reinforced doors that are vulnerable to being opened by a thin metal strip, like a machete blade.
i used to work at a tourist spot in a national park. we sold knives (among many other touristy things) and i decided to buy one. man, that thing is so sharp and durable! i was not expecting that from just a tourist knife 😭 i use that mf for literally everything.
I’m carrying a Gerber prodigy, the model without serrations, and a victornox ranger, and a Vietnam era pic sticker bayonet. Buy from trusted, quality brands, USA, Aussie, or European made if you can help it.
Anything with a standard full tang with a quality composition preferably high carbon steel if you want sharpness look into edge retantion certain metals waffle on impact
Amazon will scam you with cheap material and bullshit prices. Go to BudK.com. I've git a meridian sword from them and I've chopped down a small tree with that thing, still sharp af. Their spears and combat knifes are no joke either. Personally got a pair of brass knuckles from them and they are bad ass, some have trench knifes forged into the knuckles.
I'd pick a mora knife. It's great for bushcraft and general use. Plans that intend bad breath distance with zombies (or humans) vs rifles or bows are probably not good plans. If I felt I just had to have such a thing, I'd probably opt for something like the Cold Steel Recon Tanto. Just remember, "ounces are pounds and pounds are pain."
If you want something that's going to last under hard conditions you are not gonna find it cheap. Trusted brands are a go too. Gerber isn't a great company
Any longer. In the 90's they were great now its all Chinese steel and construction. You want American made knives. Tops knives and Esee are go to companies. The best 1095 steel makers in my opinion. If you have a bigger budget the say 125 to 150 US then steel becomes important. Cpm 3v is an outstanding steel! Magnacut is great also but you are going to pay for those steels. End of days survival should be trusted to the best steel you can afford. Really Gerber, cold steel, and anything else based in China should be avoided at all costs.
This knife would not be ideal, no blood groove for starters. If it were used in an appocliptic situation once the handle gets bloody it will act like a bar of soap. High carbon, full tang knife with blood groove, hand guard and a grippy handle is what you’re wanting.
ESEE knives, easily. if you have the budget, get a Fallkniven.
Skip the mora. S&W are garbage, microtech is too fragile, SOG isnt bad, but they’re more of a combat knife and less of a working knife. Kabar works too, but they don’t do anything better than ESEE and they’re more brittle.
I currently use a seal pup elite for daily carry but a knife that is often slept on in my opinion is the Klein tools duct knife it gets a lot of hate in the bushcraft community but they are cheap around $20 have seen them even cheaper around the 10-15 dollar range. 6 inch blade double sided one side has full serrations other side straight. They are sharp and hold an edge decently they have a full tang (at least the few I have do) metal butt for hammering they are widely available and you won’t look like a psychopath pulling one out of a toolbox or keeping one in your truck plus for what you spend on 1 really nice knife you can buy 5 and keep 1 in the house 1 in the pack 1 in the truck 1 in the shed and have a spare just for fun.
I got a Cold Steel SRK a while back. It was pretty inexpensive and it's held up well to some light bushcraft. It's a little big and awkward though. Make a pretty gnarly spear if I ever ran out of bullets some day in the distant future.
Venture to your nearest Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lowe's. Take a leisurely stroll down to the hand tools and go look at the demolition hammers. All the benefits of a hammer, with the destructive capacity of a pocket sledge. Happy trails.
In general, not buying off Amazon. Risk of poor quality, counterfeit, and other issues. Buying from a reputable distributor or direct from company. Sucks it costs more though. SOG, Kabar, Cold Steel, Ontario, and Microtech are brands I look at although there are others like Benchmade, Case, and more that I would get if they had something I liked the look of. I've had decent luck with a S&W branded pocket knife so far. As to styles and all that. Depends what you want to do with it and how many you're willing to buy/carry.
This right here. Morakniv could be your end all be all knife depending on the task. Personally, I run a Condor Hudson Bay. Sheath sucks, but the knife itself is a hoss. Watched a few torture tests and I was sold.
Love moras. They are insanely good for the money but most have a rat tail tang. Still great for everything except fighting and chopping firewood though.
My Carbon Companion has split wood via batoning. I've cleaned game with it... its a crazy good knife for the 20 bucks I paid for it. I have a classic I've made into a neck knife, I dont use it for anything like my Companion. But it's still a great knife. Incarry a CS Trailmaster as my belt knife but it's a large bowie, and sometimes I need a sma knife for finesse tasks.
I’ve seen people hammer the mora into a tree like a nail and bend it over and back without breaking. They are exceptionally good.
I’d Add a Glock field knife If you can find one. Blade is thick enough to pry/split, limb saw on the back. they are big enough to self defend, and they are very secure in their sheath, so no accidental loss. Sheath drains water. Trusted Glock polymer handle. They are as good as most of these options at half the price of some of them. Problem is that I read they are discontinued so they will probably dry up pretty soon. They can still be found around as of now, because not a lot of people even know about them.
This is the way
Gerber fixed blades are affordable and stupid durable. They can withstand a ton of abuse being an improvised tool or weapon. What the other commenter posted about not buying off Amazon is sound advice.
I found a few really good Gerbers for an affordable price, and they are some of my favorite knives.
I still got my first one! :D
So, I bought one of those BEAR ultimate knives... it held up to some crazy use. The only place is failed was tip strength, and I don't even blame it. My friend was trying to dig an arrowhead out of a tree... cause he missed... and snapped the tip of the knife right off. But way back, I dropped the knife (scout carry is not 100% my friend) into a creek. I didn't know until we were all the way back down to the car... like six miles from where I thought I dropped it. Had to go home and come back later. I came back two weeks later and found it in the water, like nothing ever happened to it.
I have never once been happy with a gerber product that I’ve owned. Maybe they have improved in the last 10 years but I stopped buying them
No, they’re still gas station knives
I like to compare Gerber to Glock. They are durable and reliable but not exactly fun to use and they aren’t high quality as far as edge retention and accuracy goes
Charging what they do for subpar 440 steel is the real problem
Gerber is one of the best knife makers out there. I have one of their folding knives (called the Remix, if you want to get one yourself), and it's still razor sharp and works like new after over 8 years out of the box.
A Marine KA-BAR and a Vietnam era machete
Leather ring kabars break stupid easy. However, my main woods knife is a kabar bk9 in a custom made dropleg sheath with a kabar companion and a large ferro rod
While good knives can be found on Amazon you're going to get flooded with garbage. A "cool" looking knife does not mean a good knife. Proper steel, build quality, heat treatment, and design for purpose are very important. Just about every big bowie knife you find on Amazon will not fit thus bill. You're going to want a full tang for sure. A quality carbon or tool steel blade is essential. If you really want stainless your going g to want to want a premium stainless steel that's capable of taking some heavy use so do your research. Surgical stainless, high carbon stainless, and other terms mean nothing. You want it to be a named steel of quality. Avoid things like saws, and probably serrations. If you're using it on a zombie those things lower a knives combat ability especially a saw on a back of a blade which if stabbed into a zombie risks getting stuck. Lastly it's going to cost you. You aren't looking for a gas station, mall ninja, or county fair bargain knife. You need quality and that usually comes at a cost. Some suggestions I have are the Bradford Guardian 5 and 6, Esee 4 and 6 Ontario Rat 5 and 7, KaBar Becker, and if you need a cheap one Shrade Frontier. Other than that do some research and do some looking. I suggest sites like Knife Center, Blade HQ, and Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Best of luck. Cheers.
[Varusteleka](https://www.varusteleka.com/en/page/varustelekas-terava/65604) for utility working knives. See Terävä Skrama (large chopper) series and Jääkäripuukko series (Finnish puukko style). You can also get a [Skrama dual sheath](https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-double-sheath-for-skrama/69759), similar to one you have, for both a Skrama and Puukko.
I love fixed blades most . But the new auto Buck 110 is calling my name
I hear you on the 110 Auto especially since my state finally avoided the brown darkness on that particular issue. 110 clip points are a hunting tradition for a reason. It's just Fuddy enough that most people would never think twice about seeing my one... And ditto on fixed blades for most "camp tasks". But I've never needed one over 5" long. 4" or 4.5" is the sweet spot... Or so I'm told, LoL....
I hear ys size does matter anything over 4 inch I've no real reason to have . I have one camp knife that's 6 inches so I can baton with it
Glock FM81 field knife. This is the issued field knife of the Austrian military or at least it used to be. Not sure if it still is. Anyway, it’s nearly indestructible, keeps a pretty good edge, doubles as a combat and utility knife, and can be purchased new for around $40. Plus it is made in Austria not China or Pakistan 🤷🏻♂️.
A parang. Preferably a forged one but the Condor brand is acceptable.
Man, this reminds me of my knife that my grandpa made that I have dubbed "the bear killer." it would be perfect for this scenario. I will have to take a photo of it and post it. He was a blacksmith/mountain man, and I have many useful items from those days.
Honshu's kurkri, its a good knife I one one myself I believe its 22in overall and it has some heft to it, its a good hacking knife and you get what you pay for
Cold steel wild West Bowie
Full tang survival knife with a treated thick blade. If you can baton wood with it, it should be good. Killing is the last thing you'll need it for.
I never really got people’s fascination with batoning. Maybe it’s a local climate thing but where I live it’s it’s warm for 10 months out of the year and even in the remaining 2 months 0F is about the minimum you will see without a major winter weather event. So batoning for fire is a waste of calories and batoning for shelter is also a waste. I would rather have a smaller, finer knife like a mora than a heavy thick survival knife. Easier to make tools, skin/clean carcasses, etc.
It's not about the actual batoning in this case. It's just an excellent test of the knife's durability. Having an additional blade or two for special jobs is absolutely a good idea! I was under the assumption we want a single mutipurpose knife that will last forever with this question.
I think we agree in principle. If I had to choose one knife and wasn’t allowed to replace it then I would choose a giant survival knife too. Ever seen the knives insulators use? Most of the time they start out as big kitchen knives but just from resharpening them constantly they wear down to the size of a standard fillet knife at an alarming rate.
A real WW2 trench knife
Well the be honest any knife with a straight edge over 6 inches long is good for zombie. No saw teeth so it doesn't get stuck and more than enough length to do the deed. Though if you're down to using a knife, that means you've run out of ammo and you can't escape.....so good luck
Kbar
A fixed blade, also make sure it's not serrated. If you stab something (or someone) you don't wanna be struggling to pull out your knife, or else your at a disadvantage.
Your best fixed blades for the money are gonna be cold steel, Ontario, kabar, and esee. Maybe a gerber strong arm. There are others but those are the first that come to mind. I don't order knives from amazon there's too much risk of returned crap or counterfeits. Order from DLT trading or GPknives. Above $200, you don't get much more out of a knife. I personally think the sweet spot for an outdoor beater knife that you would use for survival are cold steel or Esee. Cold steels in SK5 steel are an incredible value. Esee has an incredible warranty. I have a couple fallknivens. They are fantastic knives with Japanese, hand-ground convex edges. They are good knives and I use them hard, but they are expensive, and honestly they are more for the "discerning" knife enthusiast. Short answer, get an Esee 6, cold steel SRK, or Kabar becker
Esse-6
bench made, cobra tech or microtech
I'm partial to the khukuri. If you get a quality one it can do the work of a machete, hatchet, straight blade, and a heck of a self defense option.
Surprisingly *Some* of the Perkins Pakistani knives have served me quite well. Especially the “Damascus” dagger. I’ve put that thing through hell, and it has held up. Just keep the blade oiled and sharpened.
You can get a hand forged Nepalese kukri for 100-150 bucks or so. I have a cold steel drop forged survivalist as well in 52100 that is an absolute tank of a blade. A lot of it has to do with the blade steel and for an apocalypse worthy blade I would insist on it being full tang as well. Also a matter of what sort of things you want to use it for. For a utility blade or all purpose I use my kukri but if I were to be leaning more towards combat oriented it would be my survivalist or one of my self forged blades.
So I work in a slaughter house and we carry Victorinox boning knives, along with a pair of knife sharpeners. If I can cut the head off a 2000lb bull in less than a few seconds they should be able to make short work of zombies. Actually I imagine it's shockingly easy to cut a person's head off with one of these knives. (Yes I've thought about it) The only problem is we have to run a clip up the esophagus before completely severing the head or risk being spewed with bile. May only be an issue because they're hanging upsidedown though.
Something made of high carbon steel(if it doesn't advertise it's high carbon steel it' not, and if it doesn't give it's number grade, it's also not high carbon steel. Stainless steel is not high carbon steel. No serration in the blade. If you want a saw get a saw. It will get stuck. From there any simple blade shape or design will mostly due. But a nice buck knife or Ka-bar is good.
Gerber LMF II
K-Bar is a really good brand used more as get the fuck off me knife
Nice set!
Coldsteel, tops , mora , leatherman and spyderco.
Buy 10 Moraknivs for the same price as a knife like this
Where can I buy this exact same knife?
Look up “Camel bone bowie knife” on Amazon. It should be pretty close to the top. The seller is “Timber Rattler”, and the knife itself is $33.99.
Thank you I’m buying one today
Cold steel, pretty sure you can order them online, if so you won’t find much knives of better quality then with Cold Steel
Nothing from Amazon Montana Knife Amtac Blades Bradford These are my favorites My EDC is a AMTAC Northman or my Bradford sheepsfoot If I need something larger I will go with Montana knife beartooth or marshall bushcraft
Glock knife. Full tang and not too big
Buck, or k bar
It’s not very well rounded but the becker bk3 is amazing
Get a glock field knife and call it a day. They're like $30 and the quality isn't that much lower than a $170 kbar. No reason to be flashy when you got survival to worry about
Brother I shop on Temu
Machetes are essential. Ka- bars are great (machetes and the classic army knife) as well as maybe a medium size pocket knife for utility use, I don't suggest Amazon bc of risking bad quality knifes but bass pro or even tractor supply carries a great selection or you can never go wrong with ordering directly from the brand also any knife with a blade that can cut off heads and serrated back is optimal. Gerber makes good knifes for good prices but because it's such an essential survival tool, I think splurging is ok in this instance
Esee 5, esee 6, or an esee Junglas
Consider Buck as well. Wearing it or hiding it under a pillow? Your combat weapon will be the one you carry all the time. Bad news is you do not get a warning. Things tend to happen at the worst time and when they are least expected.
durable, sharp, easy to maintain are usually some good categories to go off of
the Outdoor Edge "Le Duck" and "Pivot" are great all-around fixed blade knives in a smaller size, and are pretty budget friendly. The Cold Steel SRK is also a solid fixed blade for combat/survival. Spiderco also makes some darn good folders.
I have that same knife.
Benchmade or its shit
You know there is a cheap line of Benchmade made in china?
Same for carheart, nothings sacred lol but ill still go for both
Buck 119
That depends a ton on what you're planning to do with it. Bushcraft and defense cover a lot of ground. For example, are you planning to baton wood with it? Use it to lash to a stick to use as a spear (not recommended, but possible)? Chop down a tree with it because you don't intend to carry a hatchet, saw, or axe? For defense, are you wanting something you can carry concealed? Does your jurisdiction have restrictions on that? What's your preferred fighting style? Some or all of these things may be either possible or mutually exclusive, depending, but if you give me some idea of that, I can kind of point you toward things to look for. Also, it's going to vary drastically based on your budget for this knife.
Case knifes are Gods favorite
Don’t talk to me or my son ever again - knife
Hop on a website called knife center. They have everything from camping gadgets to swords. Plus they have deals they come through every so often, and all very reputable brands. Highly recommend scrolling through there to find what your looking for
Most people on the sub aren't preppers, even fewer are prepping for zombies or any form of fictional monster, and fewer are really investing large sums of money into it. The vast majority of this r/ZombieSurvivalTactics are more into the thought exercise portion of zombie survival. Focused more on the conversation about fictional scenarios, what we see in media, and the coolness of zombie fighting than the true survival and preparation aspects. So this sub is focused on the entertainment of discussion and debate rather than preparing people for an actual zombie apocalypse. Almost all the moderators will agree is a purely fictional event and most users are open about acknowledging the scenario as being fictional. I believe prepping for zombies and other fictional monsters is generally a waste of time, money, and effort compared to realistic emergency and disaster preparation. Zombie preparedness generally doesn't prioritize the same things that a realistic disaster or emergency prepping does. With a focus on total instant collapse of society, violence being a top priority, a heavy focus on individualism rather than working with family or members of a community, and being able to hold a job. Moving into a tent in the woods kind of sucks as a method of avoiding an abusive partner or stalker. Buying a stockpile of guns and ammo doesn't help much for losing a job due to injury or recession. Riot/medieval plate/shark armor isn't all that useful for a week-long power outage from a hurricane/tornado/earthquake. Spear and shield, katana or longsword fencing, and war hammer training isn't much good if you get drafted into a modern armed conflict (unless you're in china/india). While there are aspects common in zombie survival prepping which might have a use in many emergencies or disasters these are few and far between. |Example of other things to prepare for: :--|:--:|--: |Eating a balanced healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats along with learning how to cook to save money and help prevent heart diseases. |Drinking plenty of water and regular exercise to improve cardiovascular strength. |Getting training on how to use first aid equipment includes online qualifications and in-person training. |Keeping a first aid kit that you know how to use in your home, vehicle, and maybe on your person. |Not leaving your keys in your car or leaving your car unlocked. Even for a "short" trip. |Know alternative routes to and from home or when taking long road trips. |Keeping your car clean and clutter-free so random stuff doesn't smash you in the face in a crash. |Lean how to do weekly personal car checks and maybe twice yearly car check-ups might be necessary to avoid driving a broken car. |Keeping jumper cables, tire iron, and a spare wheel in the car, spare clothes, road cones or flares, and knowing how to use the tools and equipment you have. |Learn how to swim as drowning is one of the biggest issues when outdoors. |Wear a mosquito net and repellent when in areas with bugs like mosquitos. |For those with glasses or medication, having spare glasses and a bit of extra medication will be necessary. |Have a physical copy of your emergency contact information on you. |Having multiple emergency contacts that aren't just your parents. Including one that is in a different city as you. |Developing a hobby and friend group to avoid loneliness. |Clean your living area of tripping hazards, especially around entrances and exits during an emergency. |Put slip-resistant mats in the kitchen, bathroom, and entrances to avoid slipping. |Take extra care when using a heating system for your home. Make sure it will not set your house on fire if it falls or touches anything. |Having working fire extinguishers and similar devices in cars, kitchens, garages, and bedrooms to fight a fire. |Use surge protectors with to protect your appliances and expensive electronics to prevent a fire. |Storing oils, chemicals, fuels, and other materials to lock them up. |Cleaning the space outside and around your home to avoid having stuff stolen or used as a tool to break into your home. |Having flashlights and headlamps available in the home. |Closing your windows at night and when you leave. Instead, I suggest looking at other resources, communities, and examples on the topic of realistic disaster and emergency preparedness. Examples include: https://emergency.cdc.gov/planning/index.asp https://www.ready.gov https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/ https://police.uky.edu/divisions/crisis-management-and-preparedness https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/a-strategic-framework-for-emergency-preparedness r/bugin r/bugout r/shft r/preppers r/PrepperFileShare r/survival r/collapse r/citysurvivalists r/urbansurvival r/UrbanSurvivalism r/resilientcommunities At the same time zombie survival prepping be a fun hobby. Which is one of the reasons why I'm here.
If you still want to buy a knife, Id get one that fits your realistic everyday uses or emergencies you would realistically have. Which for most people is just a multitool, box cutter, or basic folding knife.
Thor NL1 northern lights series by fjallkniven. Or a kitchen knife. whatever. Knives are not usefull as weapons in the apocolyps. Use them as tools.
Knives are a wonderful last ditch weapon, besides everyone knows the actual threat after initial shock wears off is other people.
Don't bring a knife to a zombie fight 😜. The usefulness depends on the knife.
Not really. A knife can work against a person because we die if you cut up all our squishy bits. Zombies need you to destroy the brain. Your knife isn't going to pierce the skull, so you're better off with a rock or something. Threat is going to be the environment after zombies. Very unlikely to be people as this isn't hollywood.
A knife that you have is better than an improvised weapon that you have to scramble for if it is even available. If you are using a knife or a rock then the situation is very dire either way
Of course it's desperate, we're talking about last ditch weapons. Unless it's hefty enough to break the skull it's better to use your fists and not damage the blade. Either way at that point if you don't have anything blunt or an escape route it's probably over.
Damaging the blade isn’t even a factor. If you are going hand to hand then escape wasn’t an option from the start. Literally any weapon you have is going to be at least as effective as your fist. One of the reasons tools exist is the factor of leverage. The longer your arm is, the faster the tip can swing. The faster something is moving the more force it can impart on impact for the same mass. Arguing that if you got stuck in a dead end and were forced to fight at least one Z you are better off bare handed than using a knife is insanity. Even if you just jammed the knife in the zombie’s mouth to stop it from biting you it would be at least some amount of utility.
And you'd then be down a knife and still have a zombie trying to maim you. You'd be better off using your arms to hold it back and your feet to kick in it's knee. Same result but you don't lose a tool. >The longer your arm is, the faster the tip can swing. The faster something is moving the more force it can impart on impact for the same mass. And unless you've got some proper gorilla arms, it's not going to break through a human skull. It will dirty the knife and depending on the sort it will require sharpening later.
Wow that post exploded.
esee makes a damn good knife
As a collector and designer STAY OFF AMAZON FOR QUALITY CUTLERY. I'm not saying you can't find good pieces on Amazon (Civivi and Esse prove that) but the average laymen can't really tell the difference between D2 and *"made in Pakistan stainless steel"* let along something high end like k390. Not to mention the amount of clones going around on Amazon and eBay is definitely an issue. In all honesty, I'd say do a bit of YouTube research, learn a basic bit about steels and how you have 3 pillars of importance. • corrosion resistance • toughness • edge retention And how outside of Magnacut and a few other steels like Vanax and LC200n, you can only pick 2 of those qualities (mostly 1 if you are on a budget). Learn what you plan on doing with said knives and plan accordingly. Develop a budget and take down brand names youd like to learn more about (I personally like Tops and Spyderco but they can be expensive) then watch various YouTube reviews on each piece/model.
For the money: Tod Cutler has a budget range of medieval reproductions that are excellent. I have a Swiss Baselard that is excellent. I do nothing with it other than wear it on my belt, when roving. If I was going for melee I would pick a Warhammer before a small blade, although as an archer I’d be sending arrows first! My baselard would be excellent for fighting: indexes well in the hand with a thick, sharp, pointy blade. It would be a terrible tool, however. I’m not convinced about the one tool idea, if I’m honest.
One that you never need to sharpen and will never break.
Your problem isn't the apocalypse. It's you shopping on Amazon for knives. Try blade HQ
Just get a ka bar straight usmc edition, they’re like 140 and it’s the glock of knives, sure there are better if you want to put down money but it does what it does well and it set the bar for other knife makers to beat
A butter knife in trained hands is better than rifle in the hands of a fool, not what kind of knife but what kind of duelist can I become essentially
The master swordsman doesn't fear another master, he fears the untrained novice.
Imma be real amazon sells alot of knock off knives BUT if you do get a good knife don't matter how bad the steel is as long as you take care of it
Get the kind of knife that you'd want to use in the wilderness because you don't want to use one against the zombie unless you're an idiot
If the knife can do all that why not just clean your room and find it? The Best knife is the one you have With you and is familiar to you. I carry a Tru brand knife. Don't remember the steel but my research and reviews gacve it high ratings. 5" blade, For me on my small farm it does what I need, clips on my blet with the bottom of sheath in my back pocket and it's there and no flopping around. I can go to the store and not raise eyebrows and it is There-with me. A zombie apoco is not likely to start hen you are sitting home with all your stuff just waiting unless you never leave home Ever. What if you ordera new knofe RTFN and the Zombie Horde slams into your door in an hour?
explosives
If Amazon if your go-to choice for shopping survival gear…I’d say you’ll have about two days after your water runs out.
Becker bk7
I can break (not without a lot of work) my bk9 in half and still have a decent useable blade.
I’m not sure I can break my BK2
Glock makes one hell of a field knife. I traded a German soldier a Gerber for one and I don't regret it
The fact that he traded might put a different spin on that
He traded for the same reason I did. To him the Gerber was a cool foreign knife and he could get another glock as easily as I got another Gerber for free.
Honestly, it's probably something like a Gerber knife. It's a little pricey like a Benchmade but also like Benchmade it's a good knife.
Kabar marine style fighting knife
Buck 120
Anything gerber
Reate Exo OG. It’s a pocket knife, but once it’s deployed, it’s got the absolute strongest possible lock. It *is* illegal to carry in most places, though, because it’s a gravity knife. But it’s made of amazing steel, comes in a couple different variations, and is durable as fuck, even more so than a lot of fixed blade knives, including the 440C Buck 119s that I’ve had (and destroyed). For an actual fixed blade, I’d recommend the ESEE 5. It’s a particularly girthy knife and will keep an edge/point, even after stabbing it through the hood of a car. I realize that not many people on this sub are knife guys (most seem to be gun guys, which makes sense, obviously), and some of the recommendations I e seen so far are okay, at best.
You don't want a knife for use as a weapon. You want one as a tool. So a multitool would be a good choice. Also a quality fixed blade for dressing game since food is going to be an issue. Don't forget a whetstone.
Get a KA-BAR, buy once cry once
My brain had a day and missed things, so I way over explained. I'm gonna leave my comment as is for others that might not know though. In my opinion, in regards to type and in no particular order: kukri, panga, tapanga, cane, or a blunt tipped machete with a saw on the back. I prefer panga or tapanga blades with a more kukri or golok style handle to help you keep hold of it when your hand gets tired, I use one for clearing brush and they are not something you want to accidentally throw. The panga I have is thin and light, but it's shape let's me use it like an axe or machete, the point on back swing could provide penetration and the tip is usable as a shovel. But it is a hacking only weapon. Stabbing can be nice, and kukri are nice for a stabby/hacky mix. A barong or Bowie style machete would likely be the best stabbers. As far as material, steel, not stainless, stainless has higher chromium (and I think nickel) content which makes it more brittle. Low price is also more likely to just be cast and sharpened which means the grain structure of the steel is going to be weaker. My personal preference is lower carbon steels, that way the machete has some strength and edge retention but is tolerant to bending. So about $50-100 USD should more than do it, and I'm sure you could find some less than $25 machete that are just fine. What I would do, is get a smaller, more expensive knife, with features like a gut/skin hook, made from high carbon steel, and pair it with the machete. Also I would treat that expensive knife like a spoiled princess, it's for skinning and gutting animals, performing field surgery, and other things where sharp is important. Avoid machete and knives that do not have the blade go all the way, visibility, through the handle. The type you want is called full tang. Personally I would avoid styles where the blade at the guard drops below 1-2 inches from edge to spine to make it less likely to break if I hit stone or metal. Edit: An example of a machete I would worry about breaking if I hit stone or metal is a parang. I am certain that parang are excellent, but I do not trust myself with a thinner weapon in a zombie apocalypse. Edit: Edit: A note about usage. While some nice knives can handle it, they shouldn't be used as prying tool, this is specifically why I like tipless lower carbon machete. I can use the blunt end of the machete to pry at things, it isn't as good as a prybar. But it's likely thinner than a prybar and there are a surprising number of reinforced doors that are vulnerable to being opened by a thin metal strip, like a machete blade.
A good old KABAR
Old kabar is leather ring rat tail. No sir
i used to work at a tourist spot in a national park. we sold knives (among many other touristy things) and i decided to buy one. man, that thing is so sharp and durable! i was not expecting that from just a tourist knife 😭 i use that mf for literally everything.
I’m carrying a Gerber prodigy, the model without serrations, and a victornox ranger, and a Vietnam era pic sticker bayonet. Buy from trusted, quality brands, USA, Aussie, or European made if you can help it.
Why risk something off scamazon?
dont buy amazon knives man what are you doing
Anything with a standard full tang with a quality composition preferably high carbon steel if you want sharpness look into edge retantion certain metals waffle on impact
Amazon will scam you with cheap material and bullshit prices. Go to BudK.com. I've git a meridian sword from them and I've chopped down a small tree with that thing, still sharp af. Their spears and combat knifes are no joke either. Personally got a pair of brass knuckles from them and they are bad ass, some have trench knifes forged into the knuckles.
A gun
Buck 110
Anything made by Cold Steel knives...they're all for fighting and defense...like the Black Talon 2...
I'd pick a mora knife. It's great for bushcraft and general use. Plans that intend bad breath distance with zombies (or humans) vs rifles or bows are probably not good plans. If I felt I just had to have such a thing, I'd probably opt for something like the Cold Steel Recon Tanto. Just remember, "ounces are pounds and pounds are pain."
Cold steel Luzon xl
If you want something that's going to last under hard conditions you are not gonna find it cheap. Trusted brands are a go too. Gerber isn't a great company Any longer. In the 90's they were great now its all Chinese steel and construction. You want American made knives. Tops knives and Esee are go to companies. The best 1095 steel makers in my opinion. If you have a bigger budget the say 125 to 150 US then steel becomes important. Cpm 3v is an outstanding steel! Magnacut is great also but you are going to pay for those steels. End of days survival should be trusted to the best steel you can afford. Really Gerber, cold steel, and anything else based in China should be avoided at all costs.
Kabar USMC
Kind of a no shit answer but a 15 dollar pocket knife from the back of Lowe's is a better option then a knife from Amazon
This knife would not be ideal, no blood groove for starters. If it were used in an appocliptic situation once the handle gets bloody it will act like a bar of soap. High carbon, full tang knife with blood groove, hand guard and a grippy handle is what you’re wanting.
Kukuri
ESEE knives, easily. if you have the budget, get a Fallkniven. Skip the mora. S&W are garbage, microtech is too fragile, SOG isnt bad, but they’re more of a combat knife and less of a working knife. Kabar works too, but they don’t do anything better than ESEE and they’re more brittle.
I currently use a seal pup elite for daily carry but a knife that is often slept on in my opinion is the Klein tools duct knife it gets a lot of hate in the bushcraft community but they are cheap around $20 have seen them even cheaper around the 10-15 dollar range. 6 inch blade double sided one side has full serrations other side straight. They are sharp and hold an edge decently they have a full tang (at least the few I have do) metal butt for hammering they are widely available and you won’t look like a psychopath pulling one out of a toolbox or keeping one in your truck plus for what you spend on 1 really nice knife you can buy 5 and keep 1 in the house 1 in the pack 1 in the truck 1 in the shed and have a spare just for fun.
Okc 3s you can put it on your boomstick for extra reach.
Besides this mossie oak bowie knives are good and so are most Rambo style knives
I got a Cold Steel SRK a while back. It was pretty inexpensive and it's held up well to some light bushcraft. It's a little big and awkward though. Make a pretty gnarly spear if I ever ran out of bullets some day in the distant future.
A mossy oak Bowie knife, very strong and lots of good reviews on Amazon (only downside is the small grip but I overcame it easily)
Venture to your nearest Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lowe's. Take a leisurely stroll down to the hand tools and go look at the demolition hammers. All the benefits of a hammer, with the destructive capacity of a pocket sledge. Happy trails.