Camping Knife Categories

[Dagr]

Hello everyone!

I've decided recently to expand my knowledge of knives by making my own for camping. To that end I'm planning to make a few different knives, in different materials, by stock removal (I have no forge, maybe one day).

I'm not a very experienced or skilled camper / outdoorsman though, and I'd like your help with this.

My current plan is to make the following :

1) 3-4" blade bushcraft knife (154cm?)
2) 8-10" blade field knife (D2?)
3) 18-24" blade chopper / machete (5160?)

Do you feel this adequately covers the range of uses in a wilderness / camping role?
Any suggestions or critiques?

I expect to work on these primarily with hand tools, and send them out for heat treating. This is as much (if not more) about the process as it is about the result.

Thank you everyone!

 

[michaelm466]

1) I'd go 3.5" to 4.5", as for steel you could go with just about anything from more traditional O1 to S110V doesn't need to be too tough/strong
2) IMO 8-10 is more of a chopper range, if your thinking of a camp/batoning knife, then I'd go for a 5.5-8" blade and I probably do something in a littler tougher steel like CPM-3V, 1095, A2, 52100, ELMAX if you want stainless
3) depends on if you want a chopper or machete, if you're primarily working on wood I'd go with a chopper which I'd say go for a 9"-13" blade in a thicker stock 3/16 to 1/4 as a hatchet replacement type knife, as far as steel: 3V, 5160, 52100, 10XX, S7,if the area you're in is primarily greens/bushes/vines then I'd go for something much thinner ligher and machete like, in which case I'd go 1/8 - 1/16th, for blade length 14-24 would do well, steels same as the chopper, minus the 3V maybe.

of course most/all of this is MY opinion/experience

I'd say get some cheap options and get out there first to see what you like/don't like about how the perform to help you decide on blade length/thickness/steel etc
(Mora, Tramontina)