Just as man has evolved throughout time, so too have our tools. From the time of the caveman, tools have been an essential part of man’s survival.
One of the first and most widely used tools created by man is the knife. The evolution of the knife has been a remarkable one; from early man’s chipped piece of obsidian to the modern hardened stainless steel knives we have today, Guest Posting there is truly a knife for every job.
Knives are one of the oldest tools ever to have been used. In fact, we weren’t even technically human at the time of discovery. Evidence goes back to the Stone Age where the caveman’s knife was almost certainly made of flint (the oldest form of knives), which could easily be made into survival food the desired shape and re-sharpened to the new edge they needed after prolonged use. This process is known as knapping, which is the flaking of the rock. They would chip away little pieces of rock until a sharp edge was made. It was Homo habilis that first began making knives from bone, wood and probably other perishable materials that have not survived. These materials were not used for a very long time, as the cave man found that flint was the material of choice as it held an edge for longer periods of time which resulted in more cuts per edge. Eventually stone, bone and wooden knives were replaced by harder materials such as copper, then bronze, iron, and eventually steel. Modern knives may even utilize more complex materials such as titanium, ceramic, carbon fiber and then steel. They were now being forged as a double-edged knife or dagger. This time in history was known as the “Dark Ages” or “Medieval Times”. In the Medieval Times, the knife was now being improved and transformed. With all the increasing greed and desire for power, the double-edged dagger was now being transformed into the sword. As the knife evolved over a period of time its shape has not changed much over time spite the other technological advances. It is still used to cut or pierce and requires a handle to do this. The variations are the length of the blade, whether it is single or double edged, serrated or smooth, and folding or fixed. Handles are fairly similar as well, one variation being the addition of protection for the knuckles or a protrusion on the end used for breaking glass or blunt force. The knife is definitely one of the oldest and most used tools in the world today. With the technology, we now have, knives are being made from many different materials including but not limited to carbon fibers, ceramics and even titanium. Unlike in the past, the knife, where the knife was used mostly to hunt and survival, the knives today are mainly made for sport and work.
Survival knife (utility knife, or Survival Knife) are knives intended for use for survival purposes most times in an emergency situations or for military operations. Also, hunters, hikers, and outdoor sport enthusiasts use survival knives. for trapping, skinning, wood cutting, wood carving and other uses. The survival knife history began early in the 19th century where it’s always been used: the wilderness. These knives are strictly for this environment and for survival use like hunting, trapping, skinning animals, wood cutting, walking through the forest, and other miscellaneous activities. Prior to this period, outdoors-men and military do not have any special knife related to their profession. They basically use butcher knives which were relatively thin and the handles were often no more than two wooden slabs riveted to the tang.
Some knives have a fixed edge blade, some built to be multi-functional like the Swiss Army Knife. Historically, the infamous Jim Bowie revolutionized the use of this knife from its existing form. He designed his Bowie Knife in 1930, a 9. 5-inch blade that curved at the end and was mainly used for skinning dead animals. At the dawn of the 20th century, Webster L. Marble introduced a modern knife that would consist of heavier blades, cross-guards, and pommels similar to the miniaturized Bowie knife. Other cutlery manufacturers soon introduced similar knives of their own and it is from these that the modern concept of the survival knife is descended. Up to the late 1930s Machetes, bolos and this knives constituted survival knives as used by military, explorers, and outdoorsmen. During the world war II, these knives became the order of the day as they were issued to US aircraft troops, mainly pilots and aircraft personnel due to their likelihood of being trapped in the wilderness behind enemy lines. Increasing need for the knife arose due to rapid increase in demand. These knives varied in design from one branch of the service to another and from one nation to another. Survival Knives were also issued to US soldiers in the Vietnam War since they commonly would fight in the jungle.