Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife
The Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife is officially here and I could not be more excited! As soon as I got the new F5 Field Knife in hand, I felt that this would be the perfect urban survival/all-around survival knife (I’ll talk more about that aspect later). But first…
What makes a Survival Knife versus a Bushcraft Knife?
- A true survival knife is capable of doing a lot of things well and isn’t pigeonholed into one category…
- A survival knife can help you process wood and build fires like a bushcraft knife can. But, here’s where survival knives are different than bushcraft knives: Survival knives are better suited for cutting through a wider variety of materials (think: hoses, rope, thin tin/metal, seatbelts, etc). They’re also better suited for processing fish & game, among many other tasks that might pop up in hostile terrains (whether urban or wilderness).
- Sure, both types of knives will cut things. But, a survival knife is made to be a jack-of-all-trades…whereas a bushcraft knife is pretty locked into being a woods blade that glides through wood.
Reiff F5 Saber Grind
When it comes to bushcraft & wilderness knives, I love a Scandi Grind knife like the Reiff F4 that I previously reviewed. But, for an all-around survival knife, I want a saber grind, as the F5 Field Survival Knife comes equipped with. A saber grind is ideal for doing a lot of things well (as I mentioned in the section above about what I expect from a field survival knife).
A true field survival knife needs to be incredibly robust & tough. If you are training hard with your knife, or find yourself in a real-life survival situation, the last thing you want is for your primary tool to break or malfunction in any way. So please, if you’re reading this and haven’t invested in some training, do so. This is where you see what you and your gear are both made of.
Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife
See the Scandi Version Here
Reiff Knives are available at: ReiffKnives.com • RiversEdgeCutlery.com • BladeHQ.com
Reiff Knives 3V Blade Steel
One of the biggest factors in the toughness of any tool comes down to how they are built and the materials that are used to construct them.
- The Reiff Field Survival Knife is constructed on a full tang slab of USA-MADE CPM 3V.
- As you know, if you have followed me for any length of time, I’ve been a simple man when it comes to blade steel in the past. But, I have grown to love Reiff Knives CPM-3V Blade Steel over the past year or so.
- Reiff’s CPM-3V steel is incredibly tough. In my testing of the F5 Survival Knife, I have accidentally hit rocks directly against the cutting edge and I have purposely cut through thin metal for projects. Lesser steels would’ve chipped or rolled, but the CPM-3V has held strong.
- CPM-3V steel has also been very corrosion-resistant in my experience. Blood from fish & game will slightly tarnish it if you leave it unwashed for a while. But, it is very hard to put “wear” or “patina” on this blade steel, even under hard use.
Reiff Knives Kydex Sheath
A knife is incomplete without a good sheath. And that’s where the Reiff Knives Kydex Sheaths come in…
I set all of my Reiff Knives Kydex Sheaths up the same. I wrap paracord around the bottom of the sheath and then secure it with 2 ranger bands. There are plenty of grommets to do this paracord wrap. You can also put some accessories onto the sheath, such as ferro rod loops if you would like. In fact, a ferro rod loop comes with the F5 Survival Knife, but I took it off so the sheath would remain a bit more streamlined.
The retention has always been solid on my Reiff Knife Sheaths. And the swiveling belt loop is a nice consideration, especially with these larger fixed blades.
Leather Sheaths Are Also Available Here
Buy Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife
Reiff Knives are available at: ReiffKnives.com • RiversEdgeCutlery.com • BladeHQ.com
Best Urban Survival Knife
In the survival community, we are always talking about what our ideal urban survival knife would be. You know…“The one” that you would grab if the world went sideways. I would have to say that the Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife is the one for me now.
I had a little bit of fun with this concept in mind and based the entire F5 Field Knife photoshoot around this mindset…
I have some land that reflects a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I go there often to train and sharpen my urban survival skills. There are decaying houses & structures everywhere you look, as well as vehicles that are being taken over by nature. It always gets my brain going and allows me to truly test tools like this in an unconventional environment, instead of just imagining what it’d be like.
See more about the F5 at ReiffKnives.com
Pictured Above: Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife, Vanquest Katara 16, Grayl Titanium Geopress
Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife
This has been a bit of an unconventional look at the Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife. But, I wanted to give you a bit of an inside look into my mindset behind this knife and how I am using it, rather than going over a bunch of specs. If you want to see all of the specs, head over to ReiffKnives.com.
Final thoughts on the Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife:
- In addition to everything else that I have said – This is a quality-built knife that will last you a lifetime.
- However, if something does happen to your knife as you use it, Reiff Knives has a “Carry No Cares” Warranty, which is second to none as far as warranties are concerned.
- You are getting a Premium USA-made product backed by a team that is passionate about their products.
- Given these things, you will pay for this knife. But, I assure you that you’re getting a quality piece of gear for your premium investment. (read my other Reiff Knife reviews to hear more of my thoughts on premium prices)
- In my opinion, this is one of the toughest 5″ Survival Knives on the market and I am ecstatic to have it as an option in my gear bag.
Buy Reiff F5 Field Survival Knife Here
Also available at: ReiffKnives.com • RiversEdgeCutlery.com • BladeHQ.com
