Edged weapons for preppers.

Weapons are nice to have around most anytime, but they can be especially helpful (possibly even life-saving) during a survival scenario.  We talked about survival firearms recently, and in this article we will discuss edged weapons that are useful for preppers.

When we're talking about blades, perhaps we should think of them as multipurpose tools that can accomplish a number of things in addition to being "weapons".  I'm not trying to be PC here, either.  Edged weapons can be used to kill, but they can also be used daily for a multitude of non-lethal household or campsite chores as well.  These are the tasks that we really come to appreciate them for.



I'll start out talking about EDC blades, since they can assist us even in normal, routine, everyday non-survival situations.  Every Day Carry is part of a survival mindset that provides you with some small, easily carried tools that help you implement your will and ideas on the environment around you, and make your daily life a little easier.

As far as edged tools in my EDC kit, I carry a Gerber Multitool, which has a 3" semi-serrated stainless steel blade, among other tools, as well as a Kershaw Chubby folder.  Both are kept in razor sharp condition.  The Gerber handles my rough cutting and miscellaneous duties, while I reserve the Kershaw for finer, cleaner (including food) cutting.  Although the Kershaw's sharp, smooth blade is only 2.5" long, I know it would work very well on a terrorist's throat if pressed into service.

Both work well, and save me many steps every day.  Being able to do many simple repairs and adjustments with tools already on my belt gives a me a feeling of empowerment and saves me from minor inconveniences on a daily basis.  In a survival situation, I could count on both of them saving my bacon many times over.

For the larger blades, I prefer one that can do most anything that can be expected of a knife, including: fighting & defense, batoning wood, gutting game, carving & whittling wood (snare traps, etc.), or strapping to the end of a branch to make an improvised spear.

My choice is the legendary Ka-Bar fighting knife:

Not only is this a classic, proven in battle after battle in the harshest conditions, but it still stacks up well against its "modern" competitors.  The 1095 grade steel blade cannot be beaten for it's overall combination of toughness, edge-taking ability and edge retention.  If the Ka-Bar can survive combat conditions in the hands of a Marine Corps Infantryman, there is nothing you can do that will hurt it.

The only question with a Ka-Bar is, "how many are you going to buy?"  One, of course, would be the minimum but consider getting one for every individual in your group over the age of 14.  This kind of usefulness and ability should not be restricted to just one man.

For bigger, meatier tasks, a machete can really come in handy.  I use and recommend the Ontario 22" HD machete:

It also has a 1095 grade steel blade, and is hell for stout.  Machetes are great for clearing high grass, weeds, saplings, vines or adversaries' arms that are reaching out for you.  Never underestimate a machete's effectiveness as a close combat weapon.  They are our modern version of a pirate's cutlass, which was extremely effective as a close quarters battle weapon on ship.

I set up both my Ka-Bars and machetes with a black 550 cord whipping knot wrapped on their grips for both improved traction as well as slightly increased diameter for my large hands.  This gives me much better control of the blade in both wet and dry conditions.

The last item we will cover is the combat tomahawk:

These have a number of uses, from wood splitting duty to door & window entry tools to self defense to throwing at stumps for entertainment value.  Quality and price vary quite widely, so be careful when shopping around.  Don't end up with a Chinese special that will break the first time you use it.  They are quite useful to have around camp, and keep you from abusing your knives by making them do things they were not meant to do.

By having all these blades at your disposal, you are setting yourself up with a versatile, multi-functional, handy, and potentially lethal tool kit ready to be deployed at your convenience.  What more could you want?

Questions and comments are always welcomed.

LWM out................