What is the Utility Knife, and what’s it used for?
After being violently knocked out of the sky in the opening scene of Sons Of The Forest, players find themselves stranded on a massive forested island. If you know anything about survival, you know that a Utility Knife is one of the most important tools in any wilderness situation.
As the first tool the player acquires, it’s visible in the opening cut scene as our protagonist uses it to cut themselves free of the helicopter they crashed in. It will remain by your side throughout the game and is used to carve meat off animals, sharpen sticks into spears, skin mutants, and even cut yourself loose if cannibals capture you.
How to get the Utility Knife in Sons Of The Forest
The Utility Knife is one of the default items available to the player and can be found in the inventory after opening the emergency pack as soon as the game begins. The knife can be found inside the inventory to the right of the crafting mat.
Tips and tricks for using the Utility Knife
The Utility Knife can be used as a weapon if you’re in a pinch or feeling daring. However, we don’t recommend fighting with the knife if you can help it. It cannot be used to block, parry, or power attack and deals minimal damage. Additionally, the knife cannot dismember enemies and has such a short reach that fighting with it puts the wielder in serious danger.
Another use for this tool is its ability to butcher animal carcasses and skin mutants to acquire raw meat, animal hide, and creepy armor. To do this, approach the corpse of an animal or mutant and hold down the interact button (default E key) when the knife prompt appears. You do not need to equip the knife to do this.
The Utility Knife can be combined with sticks and duct tape to create crafted spears. While the tape and sticks are consumed in this process, the knife will remain in your inventory.
How to equip the Utility Knife
If you wish to use the knife as a weapon, you can equip it by:
- Opening your inventory
- Panning the mouse to the right of the crafting mat
- Selecting the knife by left-clicking on it
- The inventory will close, and you will have the knife in hand
How to assign it to a hotkey
Since the knife cannot be added to the quick-select bag, the only way to equip it without opening the inventory is to assign it a hotkey.
You can assign the Utility Knife to a hotkey by:
- Opening your inventory
- Mouse over the knife to the right of the crafting mat
- With your mouse over the knife, press one of the ten available hotkeys (1-0) to assign it to that key
- Now when you press the assigned key, the Utility Knife will automatically be equipped to your hands
FAQs
No. The tactical axe deals more damage and allows the player to block and parry attacks.
Technically, yes. However, the machete attacks at close to the same speed and deals much more damage.
No. It cannot be dropped or traded with other players.
No. It cannot be used to cut off enemy limbs.
Yes. It is used to fashion a crafted spear for the McCrafty achievement.
Final thoughts on the Utility Knife
It probably won’t save you from an attacking horde of mutants, but once those mutants are dead, this invaluable tool will turn them into a durable suit of armor.
Whether you are carving up dinner, skinning mutants, or freeing yourself from whatever the cannibals have tied you to (again), the Utility Knife is one tool you’ll use throughout Endnight Games’ survival game Sons Of The Forest.
