Yes, absolutely.

I also advocate reducing wear on gear when alternatives are readily available. E.g. in a real survival situation I won't find building a debris shelter or teepee or leanto shelter as a fun task in which to use my Busse. I'd be more concerned with expediency, efficiency, and reduction in injury risk. As such, you'd more likely find me looking for readily adaptable shelter (a tree that has blown over, etc) where I can quickly assemble a shelter by v-breaking the balance of the main structure instead of hacking away with a knife.

The knife wouldn't be spared from getting to heart wood since I view fire as the single most important wilderness improvisation.

Improvised tools don't exclusively mean FABRICATED tools. Nature often provides everything we need without our interference.

Beyond that, I 100% agree with Andy. Me first, tools second. If the equation provides the right variable for tool preservation - bonus.