Are these survival knives*?
*my definition of a survival knife: see previous extensive blogs on this subject and videos.
The AMF (Advanced Multifunction)
Firstly, the AMF is certainly a BIG knife, no arguments there. It is easily carried either on the waist or strapped to a pack via the multitude of attachment options on the sheath. You can hack down a small tree with this knife-eg palm trees for edible palm heart etc; good point and very strong blade which is easy to use cutting up meat and fish. It's NOT a skinning knife by no means however, it can be done if skilled at skinning (so yeah in my hands :) no problems-but I'd prefer my Linder's or PUMAs or similar on a hunting trip; not this big monster. The retro design will appeal to many. There are multiple attachment points as well for lanyards etc. and zero shock to users hands due to the cushioning of the large but comfortable Forprene grip. The AMF suits someone with big hands and or long fingers but hands no bigger than size 9 otherwise that funky rear guard may prove troublesome. Other than the blade edge, there are no acute angles to strike a fire steel if that is your thing. Plus in a real emergency one can always use the blade edge.
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| The Extrema Ratio AMF pictured with the edible fruit of the Screw Pine or otherwise known as the Pandanus palm. This plant neither belongs to the Pinus genus or the Arecaceae genus and is a tropical plant. |
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| Well-made sturdy multi-attachment scabbard |
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| Size 9 hand, note there is still some room at the rear end of the handle. |
Am I still loving it??? The short answer is YES! However, this knife is purely for wilderness adventures and pulling it out anywhere but in the wilderness is going to draw a lot of unwanted attention due to its formidable size. Made in Italy Europe but certainly not for use in Europe!
The Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG
The Fulcrum bayonet NFG is also a big knife that can be used if necessary to hack small trees/bamboo/big vines etc. Rope cutting no problems since it has some small serrated section. Easily sharpened due to all straight edges, extremely sturdy tip design. Useless at skinning but can cut meat and gut fish. Added advantage of being able to cut and bend (use the wire cutter hole for this) thick wire. Ok one can do this (bend wire) but with limited wire diameters via the holes in the guard of the AMF.
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| Wire cutter, very very useful and not just for cutting modern barbed wire! |
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| Super strong glass fibre reinforced scabbard |
Essentially the construction of these two knives is not that dissimilar to one another. Both have Forprene grips which totally encompass the tang; both have removable guards and pommels (via one socket head bolt). One has Malice clips, one has Molle loops (the latter being the Fulcrum Bayonet NFG).
They start to differ in the scabbards:
The AMF has a ballistic Nylon scabbard, whilst the Fulcrum NFG has a rigid FRN scabbard with a built in diamond sharpening plate. I've even used the weight of the scabbard to kill fish with! This scabbard is super military strong!
If one defines "survival" as far as name for equipment is concerned, then I would interpret this as the following:
Equipment which is extremely reliable in that if regular maintenance was not conducted, then the said equipment would still function to its fullest or near fullest capacity under adverse conditions other than those subjected on it directly by the user/s. This equipment should be able to be field repaired with little or no specialised tools, such as Allen drivers, torx head wrenches etc and or have parts/materials replaced/repaired which can be easily sourced.
Be prepared and go with good knowledge!Read about the real story here. It's been abridged for a general audience.
Getting back to so called "survival knives"..... , are these two knives "survival knives"?
Can you easily attach the grip back on if you loose the end cap bolt with the AMF or the Fulcrum NFG? NO, not at all! But it is possible. How do I know this? Well I have examined these two knives very closely and devised a simple way to do this with just a strong piece of wood and some cord.
But is this an issue??? Well it depends doesn't it? Bear in mind the above short story (if you read it).
That's why these knives (the AMF and Fulcrum NFG) are not specifically listed on ER's web site under the banner of "Survival Knives" however, the ONTOS is.
Why is the ONTOS listed a a "survival knife"?
If the handle bolt (there is only one) was to become lost on the ONTOS, the grip (provided it wasn't lost either!) can be simply fixed to the tang by inserting some cord into the lanyard hole, done deal, easy field repair! It is now impossible for the handle to come off! (see above three images). Redundancy at it's best! This is why the ONTOS is a true survival tool! The cord would prevent the handle from passing over it!
But this scenario can only happen if one never checks their gear (ie for loose screws- rifle mounts etc etc) and one should definitely be doing this all the time whether away for a weekend/day or several weeks regardless of the knife, with exception of totally (quality) moulded grips.
My point is: Don't get hung up with this "survival shit" otherwise you'll spend all your time and maybe money worrying about it and not have any real adventures!
Does this mean a handle which is riveted on permanently or bolted on with Torx or Allen bolts is a good choice too for a "survival" knife? Well that depends too. I've never heard of anyone breaking a G10 scaled or micarta scaled knife handle. On well riveted knives, the scales don't come off as well.
Those bolts can work loose if not maintained or loctited on and then it would also be difficult to secure those loose scales. Rivets if they fail could also spell trouble. My point is buy a well made product/s and they wont fail if regularly checked and maintained. A cord wrapped knife, there is nothing to really fail but then a lot of cord wrapped knives are not too comfortable under prolonged usage and must be thoroughly cleaned should blood and guts get all over the cord or it becomes soaked in salt water.
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