Another question from Dr.Bill :)

[baldtaco-II]

I couldn't say I've had one fail as in some big bang event, It was working great and then suddenly and surprisingly boom. Stuff has broken because I've been doing something dumb with with it, or it broke because I was curious what it would take to break it [daggers / tip strength] but in every event I have been the weakest link not the tool.

To me failure is a more mundane business than breakage and it creeps like rust. Do I have to keep sharpening it. Does stuff get stuck in crevices between bolster and blade or scales and tang. Does it feel intuitive in my hand, and how much of that is lost when I've got gloves on. Does it afford stupidly low traction when I move from carving dry twigs to the grime and slime. Is it tiring to work with because I have to grip it extra hard because of that low traction, and could it cut me if I didn't accommodate those deficiencies. In sum, it is just too darn unfit fat and wheezy during exercise to pass selection. Lots of aspects in there could get a knife binned-off for failing a fitness test [defining fit as: suitability for purpose], but in actuality it is rare. The last one I can think of that got moved not because of mere preference but because of unfitness was my CS Master Hunter. Excellent knife in many respects, it just couldn't resist going ginger. Fail!

Personally, I believe unless you have bought something truly awful in error provided one has at least as much as half a brain big dramatic failures are truly scarce. There are so many knives on the market that wont fail with sensible usage even on weed-budget money I think you have to be wilfully myopic to bring home a lemon in most instances.

Of course opinions vary and fear sells stuff, all kinds of stuff, and marketing is clever. Give 'em a complex and then offer your solution to it. Knife breakage is as classic an example of this in the outdoor kit world as the stewardess being told “passengers may be able to smell your tampon so you need to try our ...”. All good fun though, but many a true word said in hest. Who wouldn't like a knife with a dumb blade shape and a crappy looking handle, how could you refuse the “blade strength to a whole new dimension” we have below.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Brent Beshara is a hell of a maker and a good friend, I have spent time with both he and Darrel Ralph. You take this knife out of context simply by offering it up in this subforum. You have to fully understand the geometry before you can call it "dumb". The Besh Wedge was originally designed as a penetrator... an alternative to the FS Commando and the Mark II. This is a tactical weapon, not a bushcrafter. The design is the best I've seen, for it's intended purpose. Would you use a chisel to carve a turkey?

In Brent's own words, "the right tool for the right job." a little reading goes a long way.

A SEAL Team Operator would have little use for a Finnish Puukko... but I would imagine he would have the sense to understand it wasn't designed with his needs in mind.

Rick

 

[Zombie Zeke]

It is not about preserving your blade for the future when there may not be a future if you don't use it NOW. It took me quite a while to get my head around that. I don't spend all my time in the woods with that mentality, but I now realize it is a reality... and those who have shared the experience will never forget. The great part is that if you do practice basic wilderness skills and prepardness you should never be in that sort of situation.

Rick

Rick there is no arguing on your point from me, that was very well stated. I think that having the mindset of survival should be tantamount to any tool you happen to be carrying. With that in mind can you describe a situation that you'd be forced to to find the limits of a smaller knife when a larger one is already part of what you have?

I was trying to come up with a hypothetical in which the smaller knife would be the one to take the brunt of abuse in a given situation.

 

[acv]

All great points, Zeke and 95% of the time you would be right. Not too many folks would ever want to train for 50% of what they may expect in a survival situation, let alone that 5% scenario. It's not fun, it's not bushcraft, it's not an adventure. Your skill level has less to do with it than you think. It is more about what you are willing to do and what you are willing to let go of. It is not about preserving your blade for the future when there may not be a future if you don't use it NOW. It took me quite a while to get my head around that. I don't spend all my time in the woods with that mentality, but I now realize it is a reality... and those who have shared the experience will never forget. The great part is that if you do practice basic wilderness skills and prepardness you should never be in that sort of situation.

Rick

Everyone should take the time to re-read this post. Rick you are a wealth of information and I'm glad you take the time to post on this forum.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Well I guess I'm just more resistant to mere appeals to apparent authorities then. In fact, whilst I'll embrace some more warmly like Levine I am deeply suspicious of others, and I must say that being military personnel is a singularly unimpressive credential in isolation in my opinion. I thought Wiseman's Oakwood sucked too.

In fact, I'll go on to say that it is bullshit like that that often stops designs being judged fairly. A look at that Busse Bushcraft knife thread is a great example. First thing I did was to scrape off the maker and assess it on its shape and materials no differently to one of an equivalent nature that could in theory be distributed by Walmart. On that, I liked quite a lot of it save for the talon hole and the ricasso area. Whatever, I constrained myself to the design. Did you see how much thread was irrelevant babble about the maker? Loads and loads of noise and a very tiny amount of signal.

Right, Hopefully nobody here has a boyfriend at Rock Creek knives so I'll try this: Below looks like a pretty good value handful of hunting knife for £50ish. Apart from a ridiculous fear of failure why would I be happy that blade is 6mm thick.

 

[Rick Marchand]

... can you describe a situation that you'd be forced to to find the limits of a smaller knife when a larger one is already part of what you have?

I was trying to come up with a hypothetical in which the smaller knife would be the one to take the brunt of abuse in a given situation.

You stumped me on that one... lol... At the moment I can't imagine a situation where, If you have an option, you would choose an obviously smaller weaker tool in place of a larger stronger one.

Hmmmm ..... thinking..... thinking.......

Perhaps in a situation where you have limited room for maximum leverage... lets say if you were prying at a river rock that shifted and trapped your foot. If I remember correctly, Bryan Breeden had an incident where he was stuck in a footsized hole for a time. I believe it made him rethink is EDC blade config for the bush. I will ask him.

Rick

 

[Zombie Zeke]

You stumped me on that one... lol... At the moment I can't imagine a situation where, If you have an option, you would choose an obviously smaller weaker tool in place of a larger stronger one.

Hmmmm ..... thinking..... thinking.......

Perhaps in a situation where you have limited room for maximum leverage... lets say if you were prying at a river rock that shifted and trapped your foot. If I remember correctly, Bryan Breeden had an incident where he was stuck in a footsized hole for a time. I believe it made him rethink is EDC blade config for the bush. I will ask him.

Rick

I am with you Rick, the space limited would play a huge role and to me at least (I carry a Bravo Necker or CS Master Hunter) would be officially at a loss. One is too small (it holds a great edge for game processing) and would most definitely snap, the other while stronger would probably be too big to wedge in there (maybe not though). So I think it would be a function of design, everything else being equal, wider shaped blade, thicker spine with a flat grind.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Well I guess I'm just more resistant to mere appeals to apparent authorities then. ...

You do make great posts and definately contribute some good info. I think you would hold more credibility if you didn't continually choose to cherry-pick from your sources and buck anything that happens to be popular or ever was. Your posts are well written and very colourful but when you break them down to actual content, you are just doing your own version of hype in pretending to be anti-hype. You don't need to insult, defame, or run down other folks to share your opinions with us. You wouldn't be posting if you didn't want recognition... hammering down those around you is not the way lift yourself up in W&SS.

... and incase you are only skimming... I do value your opinion and experience... just not your attitude.

Rick

 

[coaldigger]

As for my small knives, I haven't had any problems other than getting dull while in use. I always try use my "small knife" as it was intended to be used. It depends on which "Small Knife" I'm wearing at the time, MY Breeden HLK is a very tough knife & I have used it for a little bit of everything (4"blade/4.5" handle) I have battoned with it, cut fish bait with it, food prep, made traps...etc & I would trust this "small knife" for just about anything just under a chopper Would I try this stuff with my Mora Clipper "No Way" not knocking the Mora but it's just a different knife, not designed for some of these things. Use the knife within it's limits & yours & you shouldn't have a Failure, this goes for Big, Small, Axe, Machete...etc :thumbup:

 

[WILLIAM.M]

As for my small knives, I haven't had any problems other than getting dull while in use. I always try use my "small knife" as it was intended to be used. It depends on which "Small Knife" I'm wearing at the time, MY Breeden HLK is a very tough knife & I have used it for a little bit of everything (4"blade/4.5" handle) I have battoned with it, cut fish bait with it, food prep, made traps...etc & I would trust this "small knife" for just about anything just under a chopper Would I try this stuff with my Mora Clipper "No Way" not knocking the Mora but it's just a different knife, not designed for some of these things. Use the knife within it's limits & yours & you shouldn't have a Failure, this goes for Big, Small, Axe, Machete...etc :thumbup:

Very well stated!!:thumbup: