Survival knives can be just about any knife, depending upon the terrain, circumstances, and user. My SERE is supposed to be a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape knife. While it will cut and slice like any good hunting knife, the swedge makes it poor for baton work. The profile is more for combat than hard field use. In a wilderness survival situation, I'd much rather be carrying the Ratmandu or DMLE. But since the "wilderness" here is swamp and thick undergrowth, a light machete, bowie, or kukri makes more sense. The SERE would be fine for self-defense if I were an expert knife fighter, which I am not. I have modified the sheath so it carries close to the body and discreetly and it makes a fine companion knife for my little hikes. In the public parks and hiking trails, machetes and knives are not permitted, so discreet carry becomes important. For the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area, which is pretty wild and hard to access, the DFLE is my blade of choice.