Are 3 fingers enough for a bushcraft knife handle?

[letsurf]

I have a mid sized knife that is good for general tasks but I'm wanting to add a very small, lightweight bushcraft style knife to my sheath for smaller detail work like carving.

I'm considering these:
Bark River Mini Bushcrafter, Bark River Little Carver, LT Wright Patriot and they all have an overall length of about 5.75-6" with handle being 3-3.5".

I would prefer one of the knives above due to size and weight, but I'm concerned about having a handle that is too short to be practical for extended use. If 3 fingers isn't enough, I would move to a slightly longer option like Helle Algonquin, LT Wright Bushbaby, or Pendleton Mini at the expense of size, weight, and bulkiness.

My question is for those who have done a lot of detail work with a knife that only allows 3 fingers on the handle. Can you use it for long periods of time for carving and such or would you prefer a 4 finger handle?

 

[ScooterG]

For me, yes. For you, dunno.

 

[Owen K.]

For me, I like a full 4 finger grip when I'm doing batoning and other heavier bushcraft tasks. However for carving 3 finger should be fine. The only way to tell if it works for you is to try it.

 

[DocJD]

Full 4 finger grip is overwhelmingly preferred . But you can cheat some with a Folt's Minimalist type thick fob , which can act as a sort of flexible handle extender .

 

[ScooterG]

Full 4 finger grip is overwhelmingly preferred .

Sources?

 

[Old Biker]

Thee fingers works fine for me, but then for detail work I usually choke up on the blade similar to this.

O.B.

 

[DocJD]

Sources?

Uh... I just meant preferred by ME, personally , from my vast storehouse of personal experience ! LOL

Others may have such a vise like pinch grip that ONE finger is enough ?

But , if you look at the handles on almost all serious /commercial working knives , machetes , etc ; I believe you'll find generous handles affording a full 4 .

 

[ScooterG]

Uh... I just meant preferred by ME, personally , from my vast storehouse of personal experience ! LOL

Others may have such a vise like pinch grip that ONE finger is enough ?

But , if you look at the handles on almost all serious /commercial working knives , machetes , etc ; I believe you'll find generous handles affording a full 4 .

So serious bushcrafting knives only have 4 finger handles? Go on.

 

[bikerector]

I would suggest a 4-finger grip unless it will not see too much use in wood. I think having a full grip for carving wood will greatly limit hand fatigue and such. However, if it is more of a backup knife then I think you can be more flexible with what you're looking for. I would take a smaller blade before taking a smaller handle for bushcraft, like some of the carving specific knives that are 2-2.5" (maybe less) but still have a 4-4.5" handle.

I find 3 finger grip only useful for EDC or slicing types of tasks or when keeping it small and portable is more important than comfort in use.

 

[bikerector]

So serious bushcrafting knives only have 4 finger handles? Go on.

Pretty much. A quick search of what is considered a bushcraft knife doesn't usually involve a small handle. 4-5" is standard which is enough for most people to get a whole hand on the knife without the pinky hanging off the end. You can use plenty of knives for bushcrafting, sure, but the ones designed for it are designed with the idea that the handles are comfortable for a lot of use and short handles are less comfortable than handles that fit your whole hand. This, we call ergonomics.

How many bushcraft knives are you aware of that don't allow a full grip? The mora eldris is about the only one I can think of and it's still considered more as a backup than a primary.

 

[AntDog]

Your results may vary, but when I'm bearing down hard with a blade, as you may do while "bushcrafting", I have to go with a 4 finger grip.

3 finger grips work fine for me for general utility, but I don't do anything serious with such a knife.

I'm a man, and I need a man sized handle for almost all applications. Like I said, YMMV.

 

[ScooterG]

Pretty much. A quick search of what is considered a bushcraft knife doesn't usually involve a small handle. 4-5" is standard which is enough for most people to get a whole hand on the knife without the pinky hanging off the end. You can use plenty of knives for bushcrafting, sure, but the ones designed for it are designed with the idea that the handles are comfortable for a lot of use and short handles are less comfortable than handles that fit your whole hand. This, we call ergonomics.

How many bushcraft knives are you aware of that don't allow a full grip? The mora eldris is about the only one I can think of and it's still considered more as a backup than a primary.

3.5 finger knife works great for me and does what I consider “bushcraft”.

 

[DocJD]

Thee fingers works fine for me, but then for detail work I usually choke up on the blade similar to this.

O.B.

That looks like a 4 finger grip to me .

So serious bushcrafting knives only have 4 finger handles? Go on.

Define "serious " and "bushcraft " . For my use (IMO , YMMV ) I need a full grip and at least a 9+" blade for wood chopping etc . I can't speak to your use .

 

[DocJD]

Your results may vary, but when I'm bearing down hard with a blade, as you may do while "bushcrafting", I have to go with a 4 finger grip.

3 finger grips work fine for me for general utility, but I don't do anything serious with such a knife.

I'm a man, and I need a man sized handle for almost all applications. Like I said, YMMV.

Exactly !

 

[ScooterG]

That looks like a 4 finger grip to me .

Define "serious " and "bushcraft " . For my use (IMO , YMMV ) I need a full grip and at least a 9+" blade for wood chopping etc . I can't speak to your use .

You said serious, not me

 

[letsurf]

I would suggest a 4-finger grip unless it will not see too much use in wood. I think having a full grip for carving wood will greatly limit hand fatigue and such. However, if it is more of a backup knife then I think you can be more flexible with what you're looking for. I would take a smaller blade before taking a smaller handle for bushcraft, like some of the carving specific knives that are 2-2.5" (maybe less) but still have a 4-4.5" handle.

I find 3 finger grip only useful for EDC or slicing types of tasks or when keeping it small and portable is more important than comfort in use.

I guess what confused me is the Bark River Little Carver literally has the word carver in the name and it is a 3 finger.

Your results may vary, but when I'm bearing down hard with a blade, as you may do while "bushcrafting", I have to go with a 4 finger grip.
3 finger grips work fine for me for general utility, but I don't do anything serious with such a knife.
I'm a man, and I need a man sized handle for almost all applications. Like I said, YMMV.

The knife will be carried with a GSO 4.1 so the general heavier duty tasks will be covered. I'm more worried about smaller stuff and hand fatigue.

 

[DocJD]

You said serious, not me

I should have known better . Should have said "silly" or "clownish " .

 

[letsurf]

3.5 finger knife works great for me and does what I consider “bushcraft”.
View attachment 994362

Is that a GSO 3.5? If so it has an overall of 8" which is a few inches longer than the ones I mentioned.

 

[McFeeli]

I generally prefer a four finger grip on most fixed blades. If you expect it to be in hand for extended periods comfort is key. If you're expecting to only use it for a dozen or so minutes at any given time I think you'd be fine. I'm by no means a serious bushcrafter I can't carve worth a damn, unless baby spears are considered, but I am lucky in the sense where most three finger knives fit four of mine. That said, there are plenty of knives out there that have a full grip with a blade around 3-3.5".

 

[Old Biker]

That looks like a 4 finger grip to me .

Five actually, but only three on the handle. letsurf said he wanted a smaller knife for detail work and carving. I don't see why a shorter handle would be a problem for that kind of work. Provided the end of the handle doesn't have corners sharp enough to dig in and wear on the palm of the hand.

O.B.