Knives: the universal tools of cutting, shaping, primitive construction, field preparedness of foods, and repairing as well as personal defense. Select the best knife you can buy based upon the manufacturers reputation of quality steel. Keep it sharp using a coarse stone to shape the knife or remove nicks, and then follow with a fine stone to get a keen edge. While sharpening the knife, oil the stone to avoid clogging it with metal bits. Use long push-pull strokes holding the knife constantly at the desired angle. Sharpen on a leather strap to finish the edge and polish the steel. If the edge gets too thin, the knife should be stropped on a hone made of 180-grit cloth stretched over a rubber pad fixed to a wood strip. Keep your knife out of fire and do not stick it in the ground, tables, or trees. When not in use, fold folding knives and sheath your sheath knife. Oil or spray with WD-40 to prevent rust.
A good knife is important to survival because it can be used to construct shelter, to make traps and primitive weapons, to prepare wood for a fire, to clean game, to provide for your immediate defense, and so on. The speedy employment of some survival techniques would not be possible without the aid of a sharp knife which holds its edge.
If your life is threatened by a person with a knife, use the defensive techniques discussed under the Attacker section. Do not use a knife in an offensive role against man or animal unless you are forced to do so in an attempt to save your own life. When you use a knife for this purpose, you must hold it firmly with the blade extending upward from the thumb and index finger. Thrust forward or in a sweeping arc aimed at the rib cage of your attacker.
