A survival blade, also sometimes named a bushcraft blade, can be used for wilderness chores like cutting rope, carving wood, cutting tree branches, excavating, and even processing wild game. Its multipurpose nature is quite helpful to woodsmen who don't want to be weighed down by multiple specialized tools.

Bushcraft Knives vs. Survival Knives

Bushcraft and survival knives are mostly the same thing. Some people might state a bushcraft knife is more for a general outdoors situation, and a survival knife is designed for more of an unintentional, emergency event. Practically speaking the distinction is minimal at best and you won't find a lot of manufacturers that distinguish between them.

Making matters more interesting, these knives are also named "wilderness" blades or "camping" blades.

A task which is appropriate for a survival tool although not a bushcraft knife is "batoning". Batoning means utilizing the tool as a tool for cutting thick branches. The tool is placed on the wood to be chopped and the worker pounds on the spine of the tool to drive it into the wood.

Blades

Survival knife blades usually be about four inches in length. People with a larger palm might desire a longer blade, but a blade in excess of than five inches is not a good idea.

Higher quality blades usually feature a full or a hidden tang. A full-tang knife sports a blade that covers the complete breadth and length of the instrument and is often visible on the edges of the handle. A hidden-tang blade runs the total length of the knife as well, however it tapers as the blade enters the handle and is totally covered by the grip.

Steel can consist of stainless steel or carbon steel. Stainless steel does not oxidize, a huge benefit in exposure to moisture. Carbon steel blades are less difficult to re-sharpen and will hold a sharper edge.

The blades may be serrated or they might be smooth. Fully saw-toothed blades aren't suggested since they can be difficult. However, you may find a blade that is just partly jagged while the rest is not.

A2 and VG-10 are widely-available, high-end carbon steels, while 440C and AUS8 are common quality stainless steels.

Handles

When looking for a survival knife, you'll need one that you can clutch easily no matter what the weather is like. Best options are durable materials like micarta or rubber. You should look into stacked leather, but only if you're not anticipating consistently damp conditions.

Survival knife handles typically don't sport protection for your hands. This is because they are not designed to be used with a sawing movement, but for more of the up-and-down movement of cutting.

It's possible to hide small things in the tool if it features a hollowed-out grip and a screw-on lid, such as strike-anywhere matches. This kind of construction makes the knife less durable, though, so is not a good choice.

Complementary Knives

Bushcraft blades are adaptable, but they aren't designed to be all-purpose blades. If you want to turn, wrest, or fasten something with the blade, this type of knife may be predisposed to damage. A multi-tool would be a superior pick for those kinds of tasks, and it makes an ideal counterpart to a bushcraft knife.

For jobs that need a longer blade, a machete is a better option.

Brands

Most well-known knife makers make a blade of this type. Popular options include blades from Fallkniven, Bark River Knife and Tool, and RAT Cutlery.

More Info

To see an introduction to bushcraft tasks, see the Wikipedia. It's brief, but a good jumping-off point. They've also got a good page on survival knives.