Rambo First Blood is on my short list of favorite movies and was also one of my first glimpses into just how badass the Army Green Berets were.
What he did with his fixed-blade knife is what I wanted to highlight in this article.
Survival is a state of mind. If a man does not let himself become defeated, he will survive. In order to prepare a plan to survive any type of catastrophe, you need to become aware of just what is needed to survive.
For this article, I’m going to use some examples from the movie Rambo First Blood.
I know it’s Hollywood, but for the sake of this article, what he does with only a knife goes to show you how versatile it can be, whether it’s a fixed blade or folding knife. A knife is the single most difficult tool to reproduce in a survival situation.
So what do you need to survive at a bare minimum, and how can a single knife help accomplish that? Keep reading to see how John Rambo used his fixed blade knife to survive with and hunt with.
Clothing
You need to cover your body in order to regulate your core temperature and prevent heat loss. If you can’t find clothing, then you need to make some from animal skins, vegetation, or whatever else you can find.
In Rambo First Blood, one of the first things he did during his escape and evasion was to find some type of clothing. He found an old tarp and some cordage, and fit them to his upper body to provide protection from the elements. Keep your knife sharp, because the edge of your knife needs to be able to cut through these types of materials.
Shelter
This, too, will act as a barrier between you and the elements. This will also provide a place for protection from predators—both human and animal.
The shelter can be anything, from a house to a survival tarp or similar primitive shelter. With your knife, you can cut and gather foliage, sticks, and fashion tent stakes for an improvised shelter.
In order to survive, you need the minimum necessary knowledge, resources, and tools. The key is to have the bare essentials that are necessary to provide for each of the categories. With these essential items, you can. A little knowledge, ingenuity, and common sense can provide for your needs in each category mentioned above.
These essentials may change according to a specific type of disaster environment. For example, your essential and specific needs in the Arctic will be different from those needed in the desert. Your needs in a flood will differ from your needs in an infectious epidemic. However, the ability to effectively address the three categories (water/food, clothing, and shelter) are common to every disaster-survival scenario.
The knife can help you fulfill all those categories. It is one of the most essential tools to gather food and provide clothing. You can build a shelter, start a fire, and if necessary, use it as a weapon to defend yourself. Your knife can be used to create primitive spears and traps for anything from small game to human attackers. As a last resort, you could attach your knife to the end of a stick to use as a spear (I don’t recommend this, as you take the chance of losing your blade).
Water | Food | Fire
Your first need is water. Your second need is to find food. You must procure the food (hunt, fish, trap) and find a way to cook it (fire).
For more information on the importance of these, check our article on 3 Things You Need To Survive Any Disaster.
About The Rambo First Blood Knife
The Rambo First Blood knife is a type of combat knife that was made famous by the character John Rambo in the 1982 action film “First Blood.” The knife, which was designed by custom knife maker Gil Hibben, has become iconic and is often associated with the rugged, no-nonsense persona of the character.
The Rambo First Blood knife is a large, single-edged knife with a stainless steel blade that measures about 11 inches long. The handle of the knife is made of black micarta, a type of composite material that is durable and resistant to moisture. The knife also has a handguard to protect the user’s hand from the blade.
In the film “First Blood,” the knife is used by Rambo as a survival tool, as well as a weapon. He is shown using the knife to fashion improvised traps and tools, as well as to defend himself against his enemies.
The Rambo First Blood knife has become popular among collectors and knife enthusiasts, and there are many replicas of the knife available on the market. However, it is important to note that the Rambo First Blood knife is not a practical everyday carry knife and is not intended for use in self-defense. It is a large, heavy knife that is primarily designed for display or for use as a prop in movies and television shows.
In summary, the Rambo First Blood knife is a famous and iconic combat knife that was made famous by the character of John Rambo in the film “First Blood.” While replicas of the knife are available, it is not intended for everyday use and is primarily a collectible or movie prop.
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Good article but you got a few things wrong. The First Blood movie knife and Rambo First Blood part two knife were both made by Jimmy Lile. Gil Hibben made the Rambo 3 and 4 knives. Dietmar Pohl made the Rambo Last Blood knives. You can by First Blood replica knives made by Vaughn Neeley, Andy Wood, and some others that are beautiful, very expensive and built for hard use. Only the cheap chinese made version are wall hangers.
Jimmy Lile designed the first Blood knife not Gil hibben. Hibben made knives in the third and fourth movies Jimmy Lile was the maker for the first and second movies. The knife used in First Blood was a survival knife not a combat knife and it had a hollow cord wrapped handle not micarta.