A construction hammer or a fixed blade survival/outdoor/combat knife for long term survival (house, cow)

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Which would you rather keep on you side: a construction hammer or a fixed blade survival/outdoor/combat knife? As for the hammer, it can be any kind of construction hammer, the handheld variety like a ball been, standard, or mallet, and not the ones with the long long handles, just the short standard ones. For knives, I am referring to the gerber LMF, or the KABAR, or the Bear Grylls knife, something like that is really popular in the sporting goods stores. Which is actually more useful?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

The hammer has some minor use for self-defense and might or might not be useful for constructing a shelter.

The knife has some minor use for self defense, and has lots of little jobs it can do for you. The most important use is butchering. It can be used for minor construction in building a shelter. It can be used to prepare the materials to build a snare to catch meat. You can use it to clean your fingernails and cut your hair.

Your best choice, however, is to not get yourself into a position where those are your only choices and you can only carry one item.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Adding this: I get a lot of use out of my fixed blade skinner. My personal opinion is that those great big special forces type of knives are too big and too awkward to use for much of anything except for hacking brush.

They sure look macho, though, if that's what you are going for.

[ABQConvict]

As an all around tool on my belt? Small Scandie grind fixed blade like a Helle or Mora. Then a medium hatchet such as a Wildlife hatchet from Wetterlings or Gransfors. A carpenter's hammer is a useful tool for its purpose, but the above tools can be used for everything from fire prep to game processing to building and repairing other tools to shelter building, and so on.

You know the old saying, 'If all you carry is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail'.

[Nor'Eastah]

Why not have both? We are not yet in a world where we need to choose just one...both are quite affordable, along with anvil loppers, bow saws, axes (and hatchets), pruning saws, machetes, etc. I have all of these and more. You need more than one tool. Choose wisely, and learn to use your tools well.

[MTSilvertip]

Got to agree with Nor'Eastah.

I always have at least a couple of knives in easy reach, I always carry hammers, saws, axes, and a lot of other tools in my truck.

If you are talking survival situation, why not go with a Roofing Hammer? That at least has a blade and a hammer on it which makes it much more versitile.


I make bearded axes, and if you take the handle out they make OK knives for a lot of uses, or with the handle you have an ax, a shaper, you can peel bark or chop wood as well as set stakes if you need.

Even a generic hatchet is a better choice for survival and multipurpose use than just a hammer.

[Zot]

Either one is potentially lethal in my hands, mostly to me, but also to whatever I'm trying to fix.

[cowdog]

Where is this "survival" at? In the woods? Then a single bit axe is what you need, after that is a knife, a good folder with two or three blades. What you want to survive seems to be fantasy land from those two choices.

[cowdog]

Originally Posted by Zot

Either one is potentially lethal in my hands

You going to cut yourself?

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by cowdog

Where is this "survival" at? In the woods? Then a single bit axe is what you need, after that is a knife, a good folder with two or three blades. What you want to survive seems to be fantasy land from those two choices.

Well, this whole survivalism, and Prepper culture is all but fantasy aint it?

But even still, hammers are much more common than a KABAR or Gerber LMF. Most homeowners will probably have one or two lying around. Lets say you are in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina then. Your whole first floor or your house is flooded, but I am sure you can swim your way to your trusty hammer lying on the table.