Dajo Survivor Knife

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

I first saw Dajo products in Backpacker Magazine and checked them out for their recycled products. While I was there I checked out the knife section (bit of a knife nut). Looking at them online I was not really thrilled and quickly forgot about them. A few months later I was getting a new pack at REI and stopped at the glass cases. There I saw the Dajo Survivor. Hmm interesting. I asked to see it and thought "wow, much better than I thought."
I've spent more money on knives with worse appeal so I picked it up and took it home to play with for the weekend.
1st off the edge stayed quite sharp after cutting up several dozen cardboard boxes, a few kitchen chores, cut a few ropes and turned a lot of sticks into pointy sticks. At the end I touched it up lightly with a stone and it could shave hair on my arms.
Comfortable grip, a little painful if you really power down on it, but I rarely have to do so.
Sheath is nice but I am concerned that it is only held onto your belt by velcro in either position. I was able to pull it off of my belt with a strong tug. I might sew the top loop together.
The light my fire firesteel that comes with it worked well, lit fires, but at one point the firesteel came OUT of the plastic holder. Mildly concerning. I might put some epoxy on it or replace it with a BSA hotspark.
Whistle was fine.

Overall I like this knife. I don't normally buy knives made in China (a few bad experiences) but this has surprised me. I like to carry a small sheath knife in my pack for camp chores and this is light enough and sharp enough for most anything I can think off.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

This knife seems to be just what I need for hiking. I haven't used it on the trail yet, but it looks to have all the things needed for a light duty trail and camp knife.

There are few tweeks I made to the system:

1) 550 cord is a necessity, on the knife and sheath. The stock cordage isn't worth putting in a hoodie. The scales on the knife are a bit squared off, and wrapping them in 550 makes for a really comfortable grip, plus it adds a couple feet of cord to your load. Daisy chaining 6-7 ft. off the bottom of the sheath is also better than the way it's laid out from the box. I strapped the ends of the daisy chain in the horizontal attachment strap.

2) Slipping the knife retaining velcro strap under the side 550 cord keeps them out of the way when sheathing the knife, but still gives adequate retention.

3) tying a small bit of 550 cord to the fire starter and whistle, then around the back of the sheath flap will keep them secure if it gets ripped free.

All easy and very much improve the fit and finish of the whole system

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

I am new to the whole survial/miniamlist bit thanks to Bear Grylls. I bought this knive because I was looking for a fixed blade to use on backpacking trips (the only way to really camp). I liked this because it was all packaged nicely with a fire steel and the sheath. I have seen Bear Grylls use a fire steel and in two or three strikes he is roasting hot dogs. It is not that easy. You realy have to know what to use. The fire steel also broke on me after about 150 strikes. As far as the knife goes, I really like it. It is made of stainless steel and seemed to hold an edge after about two hours of using it to strike the fire steel (i was instructed to use the knife blade I don't recomend it) the sheath fits nicely on my pack and is easy to access. The rope and the whistle are a waste in my mind. Most packs have a whistle in a buckle and 5550 is my rope of choice. I would much rather have a bigger fire steel and a striker for the steel in place of the whistle and rope. All in all 40 bones is a great price (i have seen survival knives for two to three times as much)and I really do like the knife and sheath.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

When I first got this knife I really enjoyed it. It was really comfortable and for the price I felt like it was the best decision for what I wanted. After using it for a couple of months I pulled it out of its case one day to use it (in the middle of a three day hike might I add) and the blade was cracked. The crack was about an inch long starting at the edge and ending at the grind. I had no idea how this would of happen, so I took it back to REI and told them my story and they really were quite puzzled as well. The only thing I am glad of is that I wan't stranded out somewhere and that I was able to come back home and exchange it. I don't know if Dajo uses the term "survivor" loosely or what, but it's a great thing I wasn't put in that position. I thought about getting a new kind of knife but I decided to hope for the best with this same knife; maybe it was a freak accident a defect in the blade. I have had my new one for about a month now and using it harder than ever because I really want to put this thing to the test. Even though this happened to me I would still recommend this knife to anyone who was interested in it just because the thing is just so darn comfortable. to use.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

The entire package is crazy light at 6oz and since it has a fire starter, whistle, and a knife, in such a small and light package, its extra insurance that can be thrown in your pack in case something goes wrong on a hiking or camping trip. I thought the handle was funny looking but its actually quite comfortable, and the helps you grip the knife in multiple positions. I used the knife a few time, and the blade is razor sharp out of the box. The fire steel works fine, and the whistle is fine.

I do have a few beefs with the knife. First I have a love hate thing with the sheath. It is handy for attaching to a belt or a pack in multiple positions, but I would be leary strapping on this knife sideways or upside down, since the retention kind of stinks and the retention strap is a flimsy velcro strap. The blade itself is thin, and when you factor in the hollowed out groove across the top, this blade might break if you do serious work like prying, digging, or woodcraft, so it kind of defeats the purpose of having a fixed blade survival knife.

All in all the Dajo knife is a good camp knife for the money, and a good choice for ultralight guys. Its just I really hope REI picks up a similar product made by Gerber. That knife is much more sturdy, a 4 3/4" blade, a whistle, a firesteel, and a sharpener, all at 11 ounces.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

Was excited to take it to the woods and see what it could do. I started to carve some wood ( regular boy scout stuff)and the blade itself snapped. Was super disappointed, I took it back and exchanged it in for a new one. Excited to see what is to come of this blade. I do like how ever the fire starter.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

I am going to start by saying that i have NOT gotten a chance to field test this yet.

However, first impressions are important, right?
The second you get this thing in your hand you can tell it is good quality. The G10 grips are very rugged and comfortable (just as most people would tell you) the blade comes out of the box RAZOR SHARP.

Now, i'm not in the slightest bit a knife expert.. but i know quality. and this honestly feels military grade. Not only feels it but looks military tactical.

There are 2 reasons why i am slightly disappointed.
1. the blade is a little bit shorter than i expected (about 3 1/2")
2. the firesteel doesn't spark much (i may be doing it wrong too)

All in all i am THRILLED that this blade is only ~$40 i definitely recommend this for anyone from beginner to avid outdoorsman.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

I really like the knife itself. I have had this knife for about 8 months now, I have taken it on several hiking trips, and was carrying it everyday at work (mechanic). The knife holds up well, Ive used it for everything from knotching wood to cutting rubber hose. It holds it edge very well and is crazy light.

The bad- There is a down side to this knife and it is the sheath. It literaly fell apart on me. The stiching came out all around and the velcro got wore out. I contacted Dajo directly and they sent me a replacement sheath free of charge (excellent customer service on there part), but I no longer carry this knife every day, and only use it on hiking trips, so the sheath will last longer. So far no problems with the new sheath.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

As someone previously had said, this knife looks and feels much better in your hands than what you would expect by looking at the catalog picture.
It is incredibly light and very sharp. The Fire Steel works fine but I only tested it enough to spark. I use the back of the blade - not the cutting edge. It is obvious to me just by holding it in my hands that you can not use this knife to pry anything with any amount of 'force'. If you need your knife to double as a pry-bar, get a Gerber LMF II. If you don't expect to do much prying with your knife, get the Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife. The Buck Special 119 is also a very nice knife, sharp and relatively light for the size. If these three knives that I've mentioned (I own and use all of them) are too much knife for your needs, then you will likely be happy with this Dajo Survivor Knife.
Note: I think the Sheath is actually kind of cool but I agree with others in that I'm afraid I would lose it if it is not in a pocket or teathered (I teather all my gear anyway) due to the velcro. If they redesigned the sheath so that the knife snapped into the sheath or used single snap rather than velcro, I'd have no worries. But again, I personally chose this knife as a light back-up in my pack. My primary, depending on hike and itinerary, are the Gerber LMF II, Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife, SOG Jungle Primitive, SOG Seal Pup, or Buck Special 119. This Dajo Survivor will be used when I strip off the bulk of my gear for side excursions. A very nice, well crafted, light duty, knife.

Comments about Dajo Survivor Knife:

Have already taken this knife on a couple of camping trips and as far as the blade is concerned there are no complaints. This blade is very sharp and durable. The knife itself is compact and doesn't get in the way of anything. The knotch for the firesteel works brilliantly as well as the firesteel itself. The cord that is included with the knife can take a beating on its own. However, the sheath could definitely use some improvements as far as durability. It holds everything together nice and snug. But you can tell that with inevitable wear and tear, the velcro will come loose. To solve this, I simply added my own stitching to resolve the dilemma. That's why this revieves a 4 out of 5. But other than that, this is a great package for beginners as well as advanced adventurers who like a good backup knife.