How to Make an Emergency Knife in Nature

stone blades

Knowing how to fashion a knife out of rocks is one of those skills that you hope you will never have to use, but will be grateful you know how if you ever have to use the skill.

It is important, however, that you practice beforehand as it is not easy and trying to do it blindly, under the stress of a survival situation likely will not go well.

Quality Material

It isn't nearly as important to know the type of rocks that are good as it is know the qualities that make good rocks. If you clack the rocks together and they make a ringing sound or they sound like glass… that is a very good thing! Also, be sure to grab rocks that are relatively large because most of them will have a weathered outer surface called the cortex. The bigger the rock, the more quality material there will be under the cortex.

Hammer Stone

A hammer stone is a medium sized rock with a rounded surface. This will be used for striking off the blades. The more spherical this rock is, the better.

Concoidal Fracture

Force travels through rock in a very specific way: when direct impact is made, the energy travels through in a cone shape and it breaks the rock in the same way that a BB from a gun breaks a window. When the hammer stone strikes the edge of the rock, the force will break a blade out from the bottom of the rock.

Proper Striking Technique

Rest the rock on your thigh and then smack the edge of it with the hammer stone. The hammer stone should glance the edge and it should be swung in a motion such that it follows through and does NOT stop on impact. You may also hold the rocks in midair if it gets to be too painful on the thigh.

Ideally, you hope to never find yourself in a situation where you need to rely on making a knife out of a rock.

If you do end up in that situation, however, having practiced it before and knowing the technique could prove to be invaluable and a life saver.

For more information on making knives from rocks and other primitive survival skills, visit Hedgehog Leatherworks.


2 Comments

  1. Clay Nroht said:

    most of these fat dumbasses don’t need a knife they need a fork…

*

*

Top