Bird and Trout - show and tell

[6.5BR]

What blade length do you find works best?

Wondered about a 3.5 - 4" vs many shorter blades.

Thanks.

 

[22-rimfire]

The 3-4.5" size range works best for me in fixed blades overall. I do have a couple 4.5-5" fixed blades that I find quite usable. The longer blades (7"+) generally are for specific purposes, like chopping and so forth. But they are cool!! The handle length is more important than the blade length in small knives in terms of cutting and the ability to safely manipulate the knife.

In folders, I generally prefer something between 3 and 3.5" blade length for general using.

 

[6.5BR]

Thanks. I wondering if the common 3.1 or so leaves many wanting a longer blade especially on fish and other common uses. The better B&T appear quite versatile.

 

[6.5BR]

Perhaps wrong forum for this topic.

 

[22-rimfire]

You aren't in the wrong forum or perhaps the hunting/fishing outdoor forum might be better. It is all personal preference really. To me, with fish, the blade length would be consistent with the typical fish size you are likely to catch. I wouldn't want to choose a 3" blade to use on a 8 foot shark if I could help it, but on the other hand, unless you just want to carry or buy a lot of knives, I might make do with the 3" blade as it might be once in a lifetime kind of thing on the shark. On the other hand, a 7" bladed knife is really clumsy trying to clean a squirrel or rabbit but it can be done. But you choose a size or length that allows you to be in control of the blade and do the kinds of cuts you might do. I don't clean many fish personally (Catch & Release) and I probably would have a SAK with me for the size of fish I catch. If I were cleaning a lot of pan fish (crappie, bass, etc.), I'd want a longish thin blade or in other words, a filet knife. Plus all that fish gunk gets inside the sak/folder and you have to clean it out.

The blade design/shape may be more important than the length within reason. Clearly a fixed bladed knife is a better choice overall, but I generally will only have a folder with me. If I am hunting, I will frequently have a fixed blade with me and for deer sized game, the bird and trout sized knife is really all you need and mostly all I want. The common preference is for a fixed blade up to about 4" long as it is a size that for most of us it is easy to manipulate and use safely. Whether you like a pointy blade shape or a less pointy type blade, is up to you, I generally like a more pointy blade overall and typically shaped like the KaBar Becker BK-15, but the BK-16 (drop point) works well for most.

 

[DocT]

Like 22-Rimfire said I also prefer a fillet knife for bass, bream, catfish, etc. But for birds, I like a slender pocket knife with a 2.75" blade, or so. I also like to have another blade with a sheepfoot blade. For deer a 3 to 3 inch bladed knife is best with enough point for opening up the deer but not made in such a way as to snag on the innards. I do not even have a knife with one of those hook things for bird and fish guts, not that I am against them.

 

[6.5BR]

No hooks interest me either. Good info. I have waffled getting a nice B&T or a "Light/Slim Hunter"design. 3-4" on the latter and agree will serve fine thru deer and be more versatile. No sharks on the menu. I like points - but not excess curve/upsweep.

 

[22-rimfire]

I don't think you can go wrong with a slim pointy bird and trout design as a general using knife for hunting and fishing activities. Check out the Bark River stuff. Many might want something a little larger for a general woods knife, but the woods craft knives tend to be in the 4-5" blade lengths. I just recently purchased the Blackjack 124 (4.2" blade and A-2 steel) which is a classic design along the lines of a Randall and is slim and pointy. The Bark River Nomad is slimmer and smaller, but along the same design lines. Really like the feel of the 124 and I do like the finger width choil even though it looks too large for the overall blade length. I am thinking it may replace my Blackjack 125 as my general woods knife which has about a 5" blade. Yeah, I like Blackjacks and the 1-7 still makes my say "cool" after owning it for a number of years.

 

[6.5BR]

Thanks