In a survival situation, a knife is a critical piece of gear to have. A good old-fashioned knife can do all sorts of things. It can help cut wood for a fire, fashion traps to catch food, fight off predators, make tools, drive in stakes, cut bandages for first aid and much more. Consequently, it is an essential part of an emergency kit and/or survival pack.
So what if something happens and you don’t have one on hand? Your best bet is to make one yourself.
The materials and tools you’ll need for your DIY survival knife are:
- A hacksaw blade
- Paracord
- An electric grinder
- A file
- Scissors
- A lighter
- Hand, ear and eye protection
Start by gripping the hacksaw blade in your hand. This will give you an idea of where the grip will be. Make a mark where your index finger is and begin grinding away with the electric grinder. Cut into the blade about 1/4” and taper the handle back. Then sharpen the edges of the front of the blade down to a point.
For the handle, take an inch of the paracord and place it against the handle near the top. Hold this piece in place while wrapping the paracord around itself all the way to the bottom of the handle. Pull the last little bit of the cord through the last round, snip it, and then burn it.
Take an arm’s length of the paracord and use a strider weave running along the handle. See the video for detailed instructions.
Once this is complete, you can then sharpen the knife and it’s ready to go!