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Big blade bushcraft techniques?
- Thread starter Foilist
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2003
- Messages
- 1,850
I do not know of any sites that have this kind of instruction
You will tho , work it out very easily .
When you are whacking a log , or just taking down a sapling for a tent pole , try not to treat your knife like an axe and just hit into the wood , your knife is a knife not an axe , you have a long cutting edge , and that is key to using the knife , as you cut your target , slice it .. itll take a few tries to get the hang of , but once you do , youll find your bigger blade is actually a kind of super tool ... its FUN when you get into it as you cut , draw your blade thru the cut , I think it is like a 4x increase to your effective cutting power .
for smaller finer work , opening fish , skinning goats ... I use the blade up near the handle a lot for delicate stuff , instead of poking the point thru the hide to peirce it , I pinch the hide up and slice out like a button of skin to get an opening into it , and just carefully open the hide up from the top down rather than sliding the smaller knife under the skin and cutting upwards .
when it comes to making fuzz sticks , a longer blade is actually ideal .. you can jam your wood youre working against another bit and use your blade as a draw blade .. with some practise , you will be peeling off shavings like a wood working plane in a workshop .
That same skill will make a branch into dressed timber if you need it .. for overnight camping , this is no big deal , for longer term tho , you can want some improvised gear in your camp , this is a big headstart , in my experience .
I dont have a golock but a long machete , I baton with it often , I am more accurate at splitting wood this way than I am with a hatchet .. I DO need hatchet practice true but with no practise with my machete , I place the blade where I want the split and hit it and there is my split
I sharpen my machetes as if they were knives , if I ding up the edge Ill try to steel if straight before deciding that its got to be ground out ... I generally use just a fine stone , and strop it on cardboard , or my belt . I convex my edges . I found in my experience that the knife keeps its edge pretty well , and is more useful for stuff beyond hacking plants up if it is properly sharp . I feel too ( no way to actually measure ) that it takes less effort to cut for longer periods too , like when I am clearing a path to some of the sacred sites I still visit around here . They do not see traffic any more , and the old paths get so over grown you do have to cut your way thru , grasses vines , light - medium brush . I feel less fatigued doing it with a tool that I keep shaving sharp anyway . I feel it takes less effort to return to a good edge as well when it does lose its bite . This is only my personal finding / opinion tho .
The best way to learn to use your new toy is to take it out and play with it
Enjoy !
You will tho , work it out very easily .
When you are whacking a log , or just taking down a sapling for a tent pole , try not to treat your knife like an axe and just hit into the wood , your knife is a knife not an axe , you have a long cutting edge , and that is key to using the knife , as you cut your target , slice it .. itll take a few tries to get the hang of , but once you do , youll find your bigger blade is actually a kind of super tool ... its FUN when you get into it as you cut , draw your blade thru the cut , I think it is like a 4x increase to your effective cutting power .
for smaller finer work , opening fish , skinning goats ... I use the blade up near the handle a lot for delicate stuff , instead of poking the point thru the hide to peirce it , I pinch the hide up and slice out like a button of skin to get an opening into it , and just carefully open the hide up from the top down rather than sliding the smaller knife under the skin and cutting upwards .
when it comes to making fuzz sticks , a longer blade is actually ideal .. you can jam your wood youre working against another bit and use your blade as a draw blade .. with some practise , you will be peeling off shavings like a wood working plane in a workshop .
That same skill will make a branch into dressed timber if you need it .. for overnight camping , this is no big deal , for longer term tho , you can want some improvised gear in your camp , this is a big headstart , in my experience .
I dont have a golock but a long machete , I baton with it often , I am more accurate at splitting wood this way than I am with a hatchet .. I DO need hatchet practice true but with no practise with my machete , I place the blade where I want the split and hit it and there is my split
I sharpen my machetes as if they were knives , if I ding up the edge Ill try to steel if straight before deciding that its got to be ground out ... I generally use just a fine stone , and strop it on cardboard , or my belt . I convex my edges . I found in my experience that the knife keeps its edge pretty well , and is more useful for stuff beyond hacking plants up if it is properly sharp . I feel too ( no way to actually measure ) that it takes less effort to cut for longer periods too , like when I am clearing a path to some of the sacred sites I still visit around here . They do not see traffic any more , and the old paths get so over grown you do have to cut your way thru , grasses vines , light - medium brush . I feel less fatigued doing it with a tool that I keep shaving sharp anyway . I feel it takes less effort to return to a good edge as well when it does lose its bite . This is only my personal finding / opinion tho .
The best way to learn to use your new toy is to take it out and play with it
Enjoy !
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 317
You and me both brother! I can't wait to get my sweaty paws on that golok!
I found this video on youtube...with Joezilla even:
[youtube]AO6M_vAJJAo[/youtube]
Another with bindlestich1:
[youtube]JOuS6uuZo14[/youtube]
Also check out Pict (Colhane on Youtube)...he has some videos about modifying machetes and you can learn a lot from how/why he modifies the blades. I'll try and find the video when I get home.
I found this video on youtube...with Joezilla even:
[youtube]AO6M_vAJJAo[/youtube]
Another with bindlestich1:
[youtube]JOuS6uuZo14[/youtube]
Also check out Pict (Colhane on Youtube)...he has some videos about modifying machetes and you can learn a lot from how/why he modifies the blades. I'll try and find the video when I get home.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
- Messages
- 2,690
I often will place my other hand in my back pocket, when chopping It's a good habit, if you like your other hand. Watch out for your legs as well, I've had a long machete skip off a limb and then off my boot. Another BF member just cut his leg from a mis-swing, ended up in the ER.
Be safe and enjoy the Golok!
Be safe and enjoy the Golok!
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 317
Machete Mod vid from Pict:
[youtube]PVHeKNbRXgc[/youtube]
In this one he also demonstrates the techniques associated with his modifications.
[youtube]PVHeKNbRXgc[/youtube]
In this one he also demonstrates the techniques associated with his modifications.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2008
- Messages
- 7,283
When I read the title I was immediately going to post the two vids that are in post 3. Great vids. Picts vid is also a great mod to a machete.
Once you get a hang of the big blade, it may become your favorite. That can be a good or bad thing -- as there are a lot out there, and even more when you consider the customs that you could get
Once you get a hang of the big blade, it may become your favorite. That can be a good or bad thing -- as there are a lot out there, and even more when you consider the customs that you could get
Subscribed because I'm loving this thread already. I have to admit that I have been considering adding a machette like a fiddleback to the system with my bushwacker mistress. I usually have a folder on my for tiny stuff anyways. I very much agree with keeping your focus towards wrist or forearm sized wood to minimize work for fire making.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
- Messages
- 25,981
Just be prepared for a lot of filing if you want to go that route! Because of the taper of the blade, the stock near the base is pretty thick. Thinning that out into an effective scandi is more than doable, but the plunge line will pretty high up on the blade because of the angle you're shooting for.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 12,196
I chop and use big knives more than just about anyone you will ever meet(part of my martial arts training)
Some times 8000 times/cuts a month-drilling schedule.
4 Rules will save you a lot of grief--and blood
#1:Start slow---Get used to the knife/Machete/etc in the AIR first then start wacking harder material.
#2:Make sure no one is near you before you start cutting-and tell people you are cutting is also a safe thing to do.
#3:Remember the knife rule---"The Knife does not care what it cuts".I teach my martial arts students that is is NOT their knife.That's it's just a knife they happen to be holding at the time and it can and will cut you as easy as it will cut me,a tree,etc.
#4:Never cut when you are too tired to control the weapon/tool.(see Rule #3)
Some times 8000 times/cuts a month-drilling schedule.
4 Rules will save you a lot of grief--and blood
#1:Start slow---Get used to the knife/Machete/etc in the AIR first then start wacking harder material.
#2:Make sure no one is near you before you start cutting-and tell people you are cutting is also a safe thing to do.
#3:Remember the knife rule---"The Knife does not care what it cuts".I teach my martial arts students that is is NOT their knife.That's it's just a knife they happen to be holding at the time and it can and will cut you as easy as it will cut me,a tree,etc.
#4:Never cut when you are too tired to control the weapon/tool.(see Rule #3)
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- Apr 14, 2006
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- 12,196
Get volume 8 tracking http://www.survival.com/volume-8.htm
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I mean chopping stuff is not rocket science. I don't think you need to take a course in how to whack stuff.
let me posit a caveat though, try to stay clear of doing stuff that requires you to say "hey fellows, watch THIS"
Good point.
I think big blade safety is the most important though. This requires practice preferrably in areas close to medical facilities.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2001
- Messages
- 770
The Joezilla video is outstanding.
Joezilla's ability to use large blades for detail work seems easier due to the blades in the video being quite wide -- 2" or so. This gives him more non-sharp areas of the blade to grab which equals more control which equals more precision.
This has caused me to re-assess the useability of my larger knives that are not as wide -- 1.5" or so.
Any big blade users have an opinion on this?
-Stan