Perhaps there was nothing in the 1980’s that catapulted knife collecting so much as the infamous “Rambo Knife”. In the 1982 movie First Blood, burned out and shell shocked Vietnam Vet John Rambo waged his own personal war against a small town sheriff, eventually involving the state police, the national guard and local militia wanna-bes. His only weapon? A hollow handled saw tooth backed bowie knife.

The knife was made by Jimmy Lile of Arkansas (now deceased) specifically for the movie; Lile went on to make subsequent knives for the second movie, Gil Hibben made the knife for the third one. That knife and all the inevitable knock offs led to every adolescent boy in America (or so it seemed at the time) and a good many grown men buying hollow handled, saw tooth backed “survival knives”. As is often the case, however, the knock offs were of poor quality and the buyers were more often than not disappointed.

Now for any serious survival type, the knife in the movie seemed like a bit of overkill. I would much rather have my Ka-Bar and a 3 blade folder, but it is hard to sell that in a movie. With a 9 inch blade, a cord wrapped handle and a Phillips head screwdriver on the handle guard, the knife is supposed to prepare one for every eventuality. In the movie, Rambo makes a spear and hunts wild boar with it (do not try this at home)!