An old debate revisited !!!!!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
12,294
Yeah I know it's been discussed many times before but as we are getting new forum members and new knives are coming onto the market so the conclusions may not always be the same !

The question is " How much knife is enough ?"

I'm aiming this question at those like myself whose main knife usage is usually during day hikes and may involve shaving Fatwood, making fuzz sticks, maybe a little food prep etc.

I love using my big knives but in all honesty they are usually overkill for what I need ( this opinion will likely change in a few days or when the wind direction changes :D) and I'm now wondering just what the minimum size would be that I could get away with.

Two such knives that I'm looking at are the Bark River Imp and the Bark River Pro scalpel II.....the Imp in particular.
The most important factor with smaller blades for me is the handle, they still have to have enough handle for me to get and maintain a good hold of !

I could likely get away with a folder but for some unknown deep seated reason I just don't trust them and always prefer a fixed blade !

Thoughts please !!!!;)
 
For me, the Game Warden sized blades are all I need in a knife for the outdoors. Then an axe or a machete for the specialized jobs. All in all I think anyone could get by with a SAK. I just am a fan of the small fixed blades..
 
Only one knife? I can get by fine with a sturdy 4 1/2" fixed blade, full-flat or mild convex bevels. Naturally, I like big choppers (9"+ blade) and tomahawks too. I really don't care much for blades in the 5-8" range. 4 1/2 just seems the handiest for the widest range of tasks.

edit: That Imp you mentioned does look pretty sweet if you want a light small knife with plenty of handle :thumbup:
 
James_Terrio said:
Only one knife? I can get by fine with a sturdy 4 1/2" fixed blade, full-flat or mild convex bevels. Naturally, I like big choppers (9"+ blade) and tomahawks too. I really don't care much for blades in the 5-8" range. 4 1/2 just seems the handiest for the widest range of tasks.
Click to expand...

I used to always say a 4" blade was the minimum for me but could you manage with a sturdy 2 1/2- 3" blade ?
 
Most of my knife use revolves around day hikes, and overnighter backpacking trips. I've settled on carrying a fixed blade that's usually around a 4" blade. I too could easily only carry a folder or a SAK, and have done that many times, but I prefer fixed blades.

I'm not in any areas where I will need to chop much big stuff, so I don't really need a chopper or axe. I like stout blades though that I can beat on. i think it helps to know what you generally do with a knife and what you may need it to do in case of an emergency.

On a given hike or day out playing I will cut food, open packages, cut cord, whittle wood, poke and prod into holes or rock crevices, cut wood and fibers for making things or taking home for projects. I've also done plenty of batoning and prying apart wood with the knives I carry if I am building a fire, or practicing some other skill.
 
pitdog said:
I used to always say a 4" blade was the minimum for me but could you manage with a sturdy 2 1/2- 3" blade ?
Click to expand...

Sure! I sometimes EDC a Camillus Becker Necker or Queen Mountain Man lockback. So I guess that's truly my "survival" knives, the ones I'm most likely to have on me. Either would be fine if I use them reasonably. But given a choice, I'd step up a little to my CS Master Hunter.
 
I'm pretty sure I could do anything in the outdoors with my Buck 119 :)
The Vic Camper in my PSK will come in handy too... ;)
 
Only one knife of a useful size? Fallkniven F1. I liked the first one I bought so much I bought another. They replaced my Buck 119 and AF pilot knife.
 
3" is perfectly fine. I wouldn't go any smaller unless there was a good reason. Which there isn't. :D
 
I find myself carrying a 3-4" blade more oftne then not when in the woods. Big choppers tend to get left at home because I do not like the weight on my belt. Occasionally I carry a bigger knife in my pack.
 
Scope of use? it would be easier if you narrowed it down to a nice scope,

1. Combat duty, must serve as a decent fighter.
2. food prep / dressing game.
3. fire making,
4. etc.

that way the answers were more definitive as it stands now its pretty broad scope of use. :)
JMHO

A general use fixed blade IMO is a simple fixed blade that isn't much bigger than 10" overall. with a good handle AND sheath. purchased or made with the environment it will be used in, in mind.

If i had to make a choice on par with the ones you gents mentioned I would go for something (or very much alike) the benchmade Activator. plenty of handle and a smaller blade. just under 4", nice sheath too.
 
Last edited:
pitdog said:
The question is " How much knife is enough ?"

I'm aiming this question at those like myself whose main knife usage is usually during day hikes and may involve shaving Fatwood, making fuzz sticks, maybe a little food prep etc.

I love using my big knives but in all honesty they are usually overkill for what I need ( this opinion will likely change in a few days or when the wind direction changes :D) and I'm now wondering just what the minimum size would be that I could get away with.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you Pit (and tknife); in all honesty, I could get by with my little Izula with the activities I normally do on a typical dayhike. I could probably even get away with something smaller for most of my needs (I have my eye on the BRKT Bumble Bee). The problem is that I want a knife of at least 4" on me (I prefer 4-5" right now) at all times during a dayhike "just in case." I don't want to have to gather materials for a shelter or split wet wood for a fire (just for example) with a small blade in an emergency situation. I rarely NEED to pull out my 4" belt knife, because I have the sub 3" knife on my pack strap that works for everything I normally need to do. But I want it there in case I ever do need a larger/longer/stouter tool.

pitdog said:
The most important factor with smaller blades for me is the handle, they still have to have enough handle for me to get and maintain a good hold of !

I could likely get away with a folder but for some unknown deep seated reason I just don't trust them and always prefer a fixed blade !
Click to expand...

And I agree with you on both :thumbup: Although I absolutely love the design and shape of the Izula, I'm excited to try out a small barkie with a good handle (looks like the Bumble Bee or maybe PSK for me). I used to carry a Delica as my small blade, but like you, I'd rather carry a small fixed instead (always have a SAK with me as well, but it's more for the saw and other tools than the knife).
 
Last edited:
I want a 4" blade in the woods. Smaller than that, and I wonder if a SAK isn't good enough.
 
pitdog said:
Yeah I know it's been discussed many times before but as we are getting new forum members and new knives are coming onto the market so the conclusions may not always be the same !

The question is " How much knife is enough ?"

I'm aiming this question at those like myself whose main knife usage is usually during day hikes and may involve shaving Fatwood, making fuzz sticks, maybe a little food prep etc.

I love using my big knives but in all honesty they are usually overkill for what I need ( this opinion will likely change in a few days or when the wind direction changes :D) and I'm now wondering just what the minimum size would be that I could get away with.

Two such knives that I'm looking at are the Bark River Imp and the Bark River Pro scalpel II.....the Imp in particular.
The most important factor with smaller blades for me is the handle, they still have to have enough handle for me to get and maintain a good hold of !

I could likely get away with a folder but for some unknown deep seated reason I just don't trust them and always prefer a fixed blade !

Thoughts please !!!!;)
Click to expand...

Where does that beautiful ML Keppie fit into the picture?
 
I'm going to go out on a limb here and go with a blade around 5.5". It does depend on how you frame this question for me. If it's "what's the absolute minimum" then I would probably say 3.5" blade, but life would be much more comfortable with a 5.5" knife. I do use all that blade while doing woodwork, food prep, game processing, etc.
 
ron_m80 said:
Scope of use? it would be easier if you narrowed it down to a nice scope,

1. Combat duty, must serve as a decent fighter.
2. food prep / dressing game.
3. fire making,
4. etc.

that way the answers were more definitive as it stands now its pretty broad scope of use. :)
JMHO

A general use fixed blade IMO is a simple fixed blade that isn't much bigger than 10" overall. with a good handle AND sheath. purchased or made with the environment it will be used in, in mind.

If i had to make a choice on par with the ones you gents mentioned I would go for something (or very much alike) the benchmade Activator. plenty of handle and a smaller blade. just under 4", nice sheath too.
Click to expand...

I thought I had covered that in my post ?:confused:
 
Oh jeez Pit, what did you start?:D

I gotta admit, the last time I thought I would get by with a 4" I had an axe and the axe broke, I was left with the #3 Grohmann, collecting fire wood, making kindling, all that stuff.
From that day, I vowed I would never carry anything small then a 5.5" blade, sense then I have never had a problem finding fire wood, plus now I carry a small hatchet with me, so im still in the same weight class as a full sized axe and small fixed, but if the hatchet goes, I still have a capable knife.

One other thing too, Im not saying that 4" knives aren't capable, but I feel alot better about batonning an RC6 than I do a #3.
 
Fonly said:
Oh jeez Pit, what did you start?:D

I gotta admit, the last time I thought I would get by with a 4" I had an axe and the axe broke, I was left with the #3 Grohmann, collecting fire wood, making kindling, all that stuff.
From that day, I vowed I would never carry anything small then a 5.5" blade, sense then I have never had a problem finding fire wood, plus now I carry a small hatchet with me, so im still in the same weight class as a full sized axe and small fixed, but if the hatchet goes, I still have a capable knife.

One other thing too, Im not saying that 4" knives aren't capable, but I feel alot better about batonning an RC6 than I do a #3.
Click to expand...

I know where ya comin from Fonly but how often do you really have to batton when out ? Where I live all the wood is so brittle that I can never find a stout enough piece to use as a batton anyway and would have to ue a rock !
When making fires I find that as long as I throw plenty of Fatwood on then I can even get damp stuff to start burning after !
 
Ha ... when I read the topic I thought are we gonna have another batoning dabate :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top