Edit and ps.. I use an old puma folding knife..never wished I had more with me nor ever needed it
Never seen a Puma folding knife. Can you post a photo?You could fill a library with how to survive, build shelters, bunkers, gun towers, emp safe cars, carry tools, spend your life earnings building an arsenal of survival tools, gear, food, etc, etc...
IMHO, survival situations always seem to arise when your survival gear, tools, cache, etc etc is NOT on/with you...therefore, I believe survival is knowing 'how' to survive, using what 'is' around you, and being clever and ingenuitive.
As for survival knife,,,well, if you think the chances of having to survive is highly related to being out hunting, then I'd say a sturdy knife for chopping and cutting, splitting is good. Blade long enough to use in defence against game or use as tip of a spear,..there are any number of candidates, the falkniven s1 pro is probably up there despite its too thin grip, ugly rubber handle and case...could you buy the blade as a blank and build a nice wood scaled handle and a handsome sheath in leather, then reduce the width from 6mm to 4.5, and you'd have a winner..
Edit and ps.. I use an old puma folding knife..never wished I had more with me nor ever needed it
Very worthwhile topic, and interesting that it is still going. I have a number knives which I use depending upon where I am going, hunting, or doing. Around the ranch it is a lock-blade folder - currently a Boker. In Africa, I actually think of my knife as a "survival" weapon, but with rather specific requirements. I should add I spent a career in the Army which informed my personal preferences. In Africa, I have had to follow-up leopards three times. One was mine, stone dead fortunately, and the other two, neighboring clients. It became readily apparent to me on the first one (mine) that enough readily accessible blade to peel off an angry cat would be a useful bit of last ditch insurance. Also while in Africa, I have twice been accosted by local drunks while "watching the car" while the PH picked up provisions (once in the Caprivi and once in Omaruru). One of those situations was on the edge of escalation. In that case, a deliberate move of my hand to my belt knife ended the confrontation. I should add, a knife is a poor excuse for a handgun, but where the later is not an option, it can be very welcome and effective company indeed. I should also add, I have had a good bit of training in their use. Any other use of a blade in Africa would be very much secondary - clients don't gut, cape or chop celery.
I have carried a Randall in a cross-draw sheath for a long time, but like most Randalls it is too much knife in some places and too little in others. Recently, I entered into a collaboration with our own von Gruff to create what he calls the JT Ranger http://www.vongruffknives.com/438245812 It is everything that I have personally wanted in an African blade for a long time - optimized for it's two primary roles and yet will still cut a rope or chop celery if required.