4" or 6" Blade Length for Outdoor Work?

[james terrio]

...batoning really does require a blade longer than 4" to be useful...

If you are batonning wood that's too thick/wide to get through easily with a 4" blade, you don't need a longer blade... you need a wedge (for splitting) or a saw (for cross-cutting).

That is exactly how I feel (although personally I like things more in the 4-5in length, 3.5 feels a touch small to me).

About 6in is what I'd want if I only had one tool, but as James said, "chopping" with a 5-7in blade is just not really a good idea, as its kind of a waste of energy IMO. I have found that I am generally happier with two blades that are more specialized, than I am with one "middle of the road" tool.

I'm a "small knife plus big knife" kinda guy too, and I never go out to the woods on purpose without a folding saw. Full disclosure: I do make and sell a 5.5" general purpose "survival" knife model, and have I full confidence in it. But I'd rather have a big'n'small pair, given the choice.

 

[ocnLogan]

Very good point about small children.

His videos are much more useful than most of the guys that are playing the tacticool/survivor/prepper game on tape. Have you seen his video about his canoe/camp trip in sweden? It's about an hour filled with great stuff and wonderful surroundings.

Yeah, the small children changes things. And while I in no way am saying I'm not attentive while using tools, nor that the parents of the nieces or nephews are inattentive. I'm just saying that given kids unpredictable natures, I feel more comfortable batoning for the campfire than I do with an axe.

And is that the one where he shows a friend how the native Alaskans prep fish? I have vauge rememberings of that one. But yes, SOO much good information in his videos. He's why I never chop standing up anymore (with a hatchet or chopping sized knife).

A well thought out kit and a wedge goes a long but i would still recommend to learn to wield an decent hatchet/axe. Beside useful i just love them as tools. Nothing beats swinging a big two handed splitting maul . Not something i do at a camping trip though.

A machete is a wonderful tool if there is a lot of thin vegetation. I have one and i like it but in the northern and western part of Europe it's a bit useless.

Its on my list to do actually (learn to use a full sized axe). Just for the type of camping I do, I haven't had the need to get one. Maybe I'll gift my parents one for use at their cabin, then go volunteer to chop stuff for them when I'm there .

Or consider the Kabar BK-15 which is 5.5" and a real handy woods knife. It's long enough to baton with and pointy enough to do most any task short of chopping. It's problem is mostly a sales thing. People seem to look at drop points more these days and ignore a blade shape like the BK-15. It is a really useful blade.

I own a ESEE-4 and tend not to use it. That's just me. I know it's popular. Honestly like the BK-15 for using a lot more and they are on sale now if you look around a bit.

I own the 15 because of the great deal its been lately. And I agree its a great knife for the price its at right now. Personally, I think the 16 is more my style (although I haven't used it yet). I just find that I would prefer my 15 without the large finger choil. But totally, anyone looking for a fixed blade should consider one at the moment, as they are literally just about half price.

 

[SALTY]

As always, it depends on what you want to cut... and whatever you're comfortable using.

I'd choose a 3.5" - 4.5" blade, especially when paired with a folding saw. That's a really handy combo that's light and easy to pack/carry. With smart technique you can baton with a 5" or less fixed blade just as effectively as you can with a larger one.

6-7" blades are nice if you only want to carry one cutting implement, but they're a little awkward for the small jobs most people do most often, and don't offer enough leverage for real chopping. You don't get into real chopping performance until the blade gets over 8" long.

As is most always the case, I find myself in agreement with James; 5 to 7 inches is sort of the No Man's Land but many - make that most, of my outdoor knife favorites seem to be in that range. Why? Well, because I like them, I like that the can kinda sorta do what a bigger knife can do but are easier to carry - especially when in and out of vehicles. The can also kinda sorta do what a smaller knife can do albeit not as well.

Using Becker knives (because I'm most familiar with their model designations): For so much of what I typically do with a knife outdoors,(food prep, slicing, etc. (the BK-5 is my favorite and it's just about always with me on an outing. However, I will carry a BK-7 if it's the one and only but much prefer a Tweener (BK 15, 16 or 17) and a BK-4 or 9. The Tweeners (15 being my favorite followed very closely by the 16) in conjunction with a chopper (BK-4 or 9) is a very handy package.

All of that drifting commentary having been said, if your aren't going light and heavy - the No Man's Land of 5 - 7" is very useful IMHO.

 

[gadunz]

Svord Farmer's Knife Fixed 5-1/8"

Steel Specifications 15N20
Blade Thickness (mm) 2.2mm

 

[bld522]

As is most always the case, I find myself in agreement with James; 5 to 7 inches is sort of the No Man's Land but many - make that most, of my outdoor knife favorites seem to be in that range. Why? Well, because I like them, I like that they can kinda sorta do what a bigger knife can do but are easier to carry - especially when in and out of vehicles. They can also kinda sorta do what a smaller knife can do albeit not as well.

Yep. There's an old saying that a bigger knife can do small tasks better than a small knife can do bigger tasks. My go to woods knife is a 5.25", so I guess you could say I agree with that.

 

[22-rimfire]

Basically the age old 4-6" blade length rules. Choosing which depends on your experiences, preferences, budget, and blade shape. But you probably want a knife that feels good in your hand, allows you some dexterity in controlling a cut, and rides easily on a belt. For general purpose outdoors knives, I tend to lean on about a 5-5.5" blade length and something for hunting (hunting chores, limited cutting of woody material, and so forth), I like a 3-4" blade length. Essentially most any pocket folder would handle those tasks, but is a little more difficult to clean and not as strong as a fixed blade. My regular folder has about a 3" blade and I tend to like a fixed blade that is a bit larger to complement that size. In almost any situation, I almost always grab the folder first. With larger game hunting chores and so forth, I have to consciously "think", I want to use a fixed blade for this rather than automatically grabbing my folder.

 

[REVDH]

ESEE 6 in my bugout bag, ESEE 4 for hiking/backpacking. Go for the ESEE 6 paired with an Izula 2, that combo is unstoppable.

 

[Tachead01]

I say go with the Esee 4 unless you plan on doing mainly batoning. The 4 is the better EDC bush knife imo because it's length is better for most task except maybe batoning and even that can be accomplished just fine with a 4.

 

[basb]

And is that the one where he shows a friend how the native Alaskans prep fish? I have vauge rememberings of that one. But yes, SOO much good information in his videos. He's why I never chop standing up anymore (with a hatchet or chopping sized knife).

That's the one. Fish prepping Alaska style, canoe making, tar extracting, ski making, the whole nine yards. His friend you mention is actually Lars Fält, probably one of Europe's most experienced bushcrafters(is that a word?)
Here it is on YouTube:
[video]https://youtu.be/nR7N5zuC8WI[/video]