Life Survival's "Florida River Knives" by Chris Parker

“I grew up camping, fishing, and surfing and later moved into hiking, survival and traveling. I’ve owned many knives over the years. Some were good and some were bad. As a twelve-year-old boy in Florida I feared pulling my blade out and seeing it covered in rust or breaking the point off in a tree. Sure, I knew to oil the blade and care for it and I did, but I went in and out of the water three times that day and spots of rust were already appearing and I didn’t mean to stick the blade into that tree so far. Humidity and sweat alone were known to tarnish some blades. I always thought, the perfect Florida Knives would be super rugged, made of a strong stainless and a hard wood. Drifting down the river one day, I daydreamed the sizes and named them after my favorite Florida rivers and springs.
Eventually, I challenged myself to develop affordable knives that were perfectly suited for Florida’s elements and weather. They would have to be crafted from a locally sourced wood with powerful properties. A material that termites couldn’t eat and that wouldn’t rot in Florida’s freshwater springs and water ways. The steel would have to be resistant to corrosion and incredibly strong. Then there was the biggest challenge… I had to find someone to help me make my knife idea come to fruition. Why not make them myself? Because I may be capable of many things, but making knives is definitely not one.
I visited many knife shows and expos and I talked to a ton of knife makers. Then one day I saw a custom straight razor on the Internet made by Chris Parker of Parker Knives USA. It was absolutely beautiful. I checked out his other works and they were equally as impressive. I approached Chris with my sketches, ideas, and pictures and we spoke for a while. I had found my knife maker. Chris brought everything together into one piece and I could see my thoughts and dreams being birthed into physical form. Chris taught me about some of the finer details in knife making and we added modifications I had never even imagined. I watched my flattened-style handle slowly morph into a molded and comfortable form. A point turned a bit more upward here, an edge widened there, and The Florida River Knives were born.”
Born out of necessity, the Florida River Knives are the latest line of cutting tools from Life Survival. Each blade is crafted from corrosion-resistant 440c Stainless Steel. As an avid outdoorsman and guide, Aaron Phillips needed blades that could withstand both the weather and high impact usage. Aaron took his sketches and concepts to knifemaker Chris Parker of Parker Knives USA. The knifemaker put his pencil to paper and after consideration from both parties, the Florida River Knives were born.
The handles are carved from Lignum Vitae, a tree indigenous to Florida and the Caribbean. This type of wood is the densest commercially traded wood in the world. It has been used in shipbuilding for centuries because it is impervious to rot and wood-consuming insects. Each knife is named after a Florida river. Our largest knife is the Suwannee, the survival chopper, followed by the Apalachi, the EDC or camp knife, followed by the Oklawaha, the neck knife, and finally, the Myakka, the carver. Each blade has an intended design and use, but all maintain rugged integrity. All the knives in the set, except the Myakka Carver, are full tang and mechanically fastened with brass pins. Modifications and customizations are available upon request. The Florida River Knives are crafted from native durable materials and are blades to be used.
Chris Parker is a ten year United States Army veteran and has been making knives for nearly half a decade. He works full time as a crocodile wrangler and is the owner of Parker Knives USA
Aaron Phillips is a river and trail guide, outdoor instructor, and survivalist. He also provides production guide services, consults for outdoor television programs, and offers many other outdoor related services.
For more about The Florida River Knives please visit:
lifesurvival.net/our-gear
For pricing and shipping information you can DM/Follow Aaron on Instagram at: @AaronGetsOutside or Facebook at: / aaronphillipsgetoutside