Buschcraft blade balance?

[valcas1]

Question for makers and users.

Where do you like the balance of your typical bushcraft knife to fall. Do you like a blade heavy or neutral balance? Right at the ricasso or heavy in the handle?

I am grinding my first knives and figured it would make sense to grind a bushcraft being this is where I spend most of my time. I have really never thought about this prior to making a knife, so I figured I would ask all of you.

I am going with 1095 that Greatlakeswaterjet had cut. It is a contest that David was nice enough to have "Teach a kid" So I am making a knife with my son Tyler who is 11 this week.

Both knives will be flat ground with a convex edge. Didn't think I could pull off a scandi grind for my first knife.

So please tell me what you think the optimum balance for a bushcraft knife should be in your opinion?

Would anyone like to see a few pics in progress?

Thanks for your input.

Paul

 

[pitdog]

Not too sure on the balance but I've found they need to have a nice thick handle. My current favourite has a handle that is close to an inch across all the way around.
A skinny handle might feel ok to start with but you soon start to get hot spots !!!!

 

[RescueRiley]

for a general purpose belt knife..(whittling game cleaning etc.. I prefer handle heavy or neutral) for a general "survival knife" with a longer blade (6in plus) I prefer blade heavy.

 

[kgd]

For a bushcraft blade, which I usually consider to be between 3.5-5", the balance really doesn't mean much. In that I mean, the blades are as a rule quite light. If the blade is handle heavy or blade heavy or neutral, it doesn't really matter very much. The blade is so light that adjusting the position of the knife for its balance is effortless and almost unnoticable - unless of course you actually check the balance.

As Pitdog indicated, even though I'm the complete opposite of him - preferring a small grip because large ones give me hand fatigue -I agree in his statement that a comfortable handle for a bushcraft blade should supersede consideration of balance.

Also as RescueRiley says, when you get into the larger blades, i.e. > 6", then the balance strongly impacts the functionality of the blade. Large blades with a blade heavy balance make excellent choppers but do so at the sacrifice of fine control. I'll contrast two of mine here. The RC-6 is completely neutral in its balance. This blade is very fast in the hand, the tip is highly controllable and this knife, albeit large, can be used for pretty fine detail tasks. The RC-6 can chop, but it is a rather poor performer at the task. My scrapyard SOD is very blade heavy, largely due to the fact that it has a thinner tang than the blade and the handle material (Resiprene-C) is very light. The SOD is an amazing chopper for its size category. However, it is the opposite of fast in the hand. It isn't particularly great at fine control. I performed a few modifications to mine, grinding off the ramp and guard of it. Now, when I grip the SOD with my fingers in its large choil - it becomes neutral balanced and behaves more like the RC-6 (not quite as well) but far superior to its original form when it comes to fine tip control and detail work.

 

[valcas1]

Good point Riley. I didn't specify blade legnth.

Overall legnth is 8 3/8" with a 3 7/8" blade

Pitdog,

I have not even got to handles yet. I agree with you that I like a hand filling handle for a working knife. I never feel safe with a handle that is thin, always feel like I could slip onto the blade during push cuts.

 

[hollowdweller]

Always heard people say you want them to be handle heavy.

 

[Jeff Clark]

To me a handle-heavy knife always feels weird even if it is functional. In order to counter-balance the handle slab weight you need to bore some large lightening holes through the solid tang. Come to think of it, there is no advantage to making the knife heavy so lightening holes are generally a good idea. With the short blade of these knives you'll be lucky if you can get it to balance forward of the handle at all.

 

[Snow]

I agree that I hardly notice the balance on a knife that small. I think most tend to be handle heavy because of the thick scales, and this is fine with me.

 

[valcas1]

Here is the link to our build over at the Great Lakes Water Jet forum.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659303

Thanks for your input. keep it coming.

Paul

 

[CWL]

I think that a true "bushcraft" blade should be either handle heavy or neutrally balanced.

In the European sense and how Mors Kochanski promotes the skills, bushcrafting is understanding of how to live a primitive lifestyle by using your knife for fine work, carving, tool-making and processing materials & foods. A bushcraft knife is for helping you to live in balance with nature.

It is not a "survival" knife for bashing your way back to civilization so blade-heavy, aggressive chopping isn't a top priority.

 

[kgd]

In the European sense and how Mors Kochanski promotes the skills, bushcrafting is understanding of how to live a primitive lifestyle by using your knife for fine work, carving, tool-making and processing materials & foods. A bushcraft knife is for helping you to live in balance with nature.

It is not a "survival" knife for bashing your way back to civilization so blade-heavy, aggressive chopping isn't a top priority.

Hmm - sounds like you are turning a knife into some type of religious icon or something. 'I feel so at peace with my bushcraft knife'.....

I am of course pulling your chain - but that was a rather judgmental post!

 

[hollowdweller]

Wouldn't handle heavy mean the knife would be less likely to be accidentally dropped out of your hand?

 

[EMT_Lee]

Hmm - sounds like you are turning a knife into some type of religious icon or something. 'I feel so at peace with my bushcraft knife'.....

I am of course pulling your chain - but that was a rather judgmental post!

What was judgemental about it?

 

[kgd]

What was judgemental about it?

Not trying to make a huge issue of it - hence the grin smilies....but lets look at the value-laden descriptors used:

bushcraft knife "...helping you to live in balance with nature

survival knive "...bashing your way to civilization....aggressive chopping"

Lets face it. A bushcraft knife is a small knife that lets you do fine detail work. It doesn't let you live in harmony with nature and all that gaia crap. Its just a knife.

 

[CWL]

I am of course pulling your chain - but that was a rather judgmental post!

???

If you are aware of the origins of "bushcrafting" as advocated by Ray Mears in Europe? Those guys live in countries with sterile woods and some feel a need to go back to how their ancient ancestors lived. They don't practice "survival" but rather practice primitive skills. There is a difference than how we No. Americans use knives since there still is a great amount of wilderness left in North America.

Personally, I have moved away from bushcraft style knives as I prefer a beefier blade that is more useful here in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[EMT_Lee]

???

If you are aware of the origins of "bushcrafting" as advocated by Ray Mears in Europe? Those guys live in countries with sterile woods and some feel a need to go back to how their ancient ancestors lived. They don't practice "survival" but rather practice primitive skills. There is a difference than how we No. Americans use knives since there still is a great amount of wilderness left in North America.

Personally, I have moved away from bushcraft style knives as I prefer a beefier blade that is more useful here in the Pacific Northwest.

I'm going to disagree with you, there. Firstly, there are woods in Europe. Secondly, woodcraft is basically woodcraft, regardless of the continent you happen to be on. The knife, in traditional bushcraft, is used for the detailed, finer cutting. The axe is used for the heavy work, such as chopping. Or, the machete, as the case may be.

 

[hollowdweller]

???

If you are aware of the origins of "bushcrafting" as advocated by Ray Mears in Europe? Those guys live in countries with sterile woods and some feel a need to go back to how their ancient ancestors lived. They don't practice "survival" but rather practice primitive skills. There is a difference than how we No. Americans use knives since there still is a great amount of wilderness left in North America.

Personally, I have moved away from bushcraft style knives as I prefer a beefier blade that is more useful here in the Pacific Northwest.

How many here practice survival? I don't.

In fact about 90% of the trips I see posted here people are less than a mile from their car.

I think it's important to be prepared in case of an emergency but I generally find beefier blades either clumsy to cut with or too thick to slice with.

I think a smaller sharper blade makes more sense.

 

[kgd]

I am an idiot for sidetracking this thread - Valcas1 please accept my apology for doing so - it was all my fault....

Would anyone like to see a few pics in progress?
l

Your darn toot'n we would

 

[Dannyboy Leather]

Post expired.

 

[Fletcher Knives]

I like my knives to be either handle heavy or neutral. Usually handle heavy.