Whenever you come across guides for survival kits, a good knife is always part of the gear.
A good knife (or two) in your kit can make the difference in an emergency.
One knife you might regard as a very good survival knife is the Buck Hoodlum.
It has many features that match up to the best known survival knives in the market today.
The tang The tang is the part of the knife that connects to the blade and is inside the handle.
A good survival knife has a tang that extends well into the handle, often called a full tang.
This is because survival knives are not made to just cut ingredients for cooking like your typical kitchen knife.
If your knife's tang is too short, the blade might break off when you are using it to chop wood or hack at something.
So far, many who have used the Buck Hoodlum for chopping did not report any issues with the blade snapping off.
This, plus the handle construction, tells you the knife has a solid and long enough tang.
Additionally, you can whip the tang of the Buck Hoodlum to a long enough piece of wood, turning it into a makeshift spearhead.
This is useful if you have to hunt for game without any other hunting gear or in case you have to fend off larger animals.
The handle The importance of a good handle in a survival knife goes far beyond simple control issues.
Several kinds of knives have hollow handles that have different things inside them.
These knives are usually for those who want to brave the great outdoors or prepare for some emergency A hollow handle may spell trouble.
Hollow handles mean smaller tangs.
A smaller tang, as is mentioned above, might mean a blade that cannot do much chopping or other heavy-duty functions.
Additionally, you might put important items in the hollow handle.
If you lose the knife, you lose the items in that handle.
What the Buck Hoodlum has is a handle made of Micarta you can detach if you need to fit the tang to a long piece of wood to make a spear.
Nevertheless, it is a solid piece with a shock mitigation system for efficient wood chopping and an integrated hammer The blade Like many Buck Knives, the Hoodlum's blade is made for superior style, smooth action, and durability.
It is made of 5160 steel that has a powder coat finish to increase resistance to rust.
To add utility to the knife, a groove is on the blade's spine.
It can be used to score bone, bend wire, remove pots from a campfire, or other small tasks you can use a small groove for.
Buck Knives gave the Hoodlum a ten-inch blade.
This makes it long enough to give it an advantage for chopping without being too bulky to carry.
The length should also be adequate when you need to use the knife as a fighting blade.