Yesterday I received in the mail my latest knife. I love knives and own several different types. The ones I favor most are those which are practical, useful everyday type knives. Though the fantasy-type knives intrigued me as a boy, and are still nice to look at, that’s about their only purpose. They are, in essence, wall-hangers.
My latest "knife," is in fact known as the Dog Tag 4 in 1 Survival Knife. It was purchased from KnifeCenter.com. On the KnifeCenter website, the manufacturer is listed as "miscellaneous." The packaging states that it was designed by Alex Shunnarah. His website is www.arsknives.com. Here are the features, as listed on the KnifeCenter website:
Features
- Razor sharp hollow ground edge
- Heat-treated 440C stainless steel tag
- Reflective finish with sighting hole for signaling
- Lash down points for attaching a handle
- Notch for fire-striking ferrocerium rod
- Protective sheath slides over blade
- Engravable
- 27" Chain
- Made in USA
The blade material on this version differs from that of the original version of the Dog Tag Survival Knife. The original version is offered in titanium, so it’s lighter & stronger than the 440 ss blade. The original version also comes with a choice of black, brown or green sheath, and the blade is unpolished. The 4 in 1 version includes a fire-starter (striker) and button-sized compass. I’ve read reviews from others on this knife, some good some bad, so I figured I’d chip in with my thoughts.
- 1. The packaging on the 4 in 1 knife states that it has a "razor sharp hollow ground edge." My first thought when handling it for the first time was that it is not in fact razor sharp. I use a straight razor to shave my face, and feel confident in my assessment of what a razor sharp blade looks & feels like. The blade edge on the 4 in 1 knife needs sharpening. In fact, it doesn’t cut paper very well at all. All of the straight razors which I use are finely sharpened instruments, capable of slicing through a sheet of paper with ease. The 4 in 1 knife is not razor sharp. The original Dog Tag Knife made of titanium is advertised as having a "Unique chisel grind edge that can be resharpened." The 4 in 1 knife seems to me to have this same chiseled ground edge.
- 2. The finish, though "reflective" as stated, could stand to be a bit more polished, in my opinion. It would aid in its ability to be used as a signaling device, which is one of its purported uses.
- 3. The lash down point, a.k.a. extra holes for attaching the blade to a stick or rod, are a good point of the device. The ability to transform a knife blade into a mini axe can be very useful.
- 4. The fire-starter (striker) does work. On the KnifeCenter website, a review by an unhappy customer states that the striker does not work at all. This is false, as it does indeed work fine. Anyone who’s ever used a ferrocerium rod, knows that the protective finish needs to be scraped off. This is done of course by using the rod for its intended purpose. There is a degree of pressure which must be used on the rod to achieve the desired sparks. My guess is that the customer who said the striker doesn’t work at all doesn’t in fact know exactly how to use it. Their review reads: "The fire starter does not work on this at all. I actually bought 2 and neither one works." I believe this is proof that their technique is lacking.
- 5. I do feel that the fire-starter would benefit in having either an attached knob with a hole for storage on the chain itself, or the ability to attach to the knife sheath.
- 6. My first impression of the knife sheath was that it was a little flimsy & needed to be a bit thicker. Because it is lightweight plastic, it wouldn’t add much weight to thicken it some. Having handled it more & thinking on it, I now feel that the sheath is fine the way it is.
- 7. I’ve never been a big fan of button-sized compasses. Many which I’ve seen & handled didn’t work all that well. But it seems like an apt option to include in a survival knife of this size. It is separate from the rest of the setup and, because of this, could easily be lost. I think it would be better if it were somehow integrated into the sheath, in a fixed position.
Overall, I like the Dog Tag 4 in 1 Survival Knife, and feel it can be a useful tool to carry. In fact, I will carry it with me on my next backpacking trip. After making some modifications to it, I’ll test its purported applications.
~Steve, The Pilgrim.
