Does a 5" blade buy you much more?

I very much like my Becker Crewman for it's 5 inch blade. Seems a perfect balance of blade and handle for me. I like my smaller Grohman #1 for daintier tasks, but it just doesn't have the heft and strength.
 
brians said:
I very much like my Becker Crewman for it's 5 inch blade. Seems a perfect balance of blade and handle for me. I like my smaller Grohman #1 for daintier tasks, but it just doesn't have the heft and strength.
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Darn! I forgot the Crewman in the picture!!!:D
ROCK6
 
Most of my blades are under 5". I think a three to four in blade is a very useful size that allows good control of the tip. Once a blade goes over 5 inches I start to want to chop things.

I'd say my F1 is a more useful all around knife than the S1. But the S1 is sweet and you should get it anyway. :D

It's always a compromise. Bigger is better for chopping/batoning, smaller is better for precise cuts. I usually just bring enough knives to fill all the gaps. :thumbup:
 
tarmix101 said:
My personal opinion on this one it NO. In fact I have been on a big down sizing campaign lately and am going backpacking this weekend with just a SAK Farmer, Opi saw, and a Wetterling Hunters 15" axe.

Some will say I'm way under knifed. Your decision to carry a 4" blade is a sound one IMO especially if you're pairing it with other gear. I.E. saw, axe, ect......
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I have been doing the same. I have a TAK-1 and a Gossman PSK sr that are right around 4" +/- and they are what I carry for fixed blades. I sold off my Gerber BMF, Kershaw Survival System, and my BuckMaster, just too large for me to use comfortably. The only blade I have now bigger then 6" is a Ranger RD-9 I just cant bear to part with.

Plan on getting a RC-4 and a WTK, but thats it. No more huge blades for me.
 
I think whether or not it buys you anything is up to you.
Me, I have exceptionally wide hands, and the 4.5" blade on my R-10 handle much better than a blade that is much smaller (I don't really like 3" or below). So if you have large hands, it may prove easier to use.

I think it was Mors Kochanski that recommended a knife that was the width of your palm (roughly 4" for most people) plus or minus 1 inch. I believe the plus or minus is there because any knife in that range will do for the jobs that need to be done. I.e. there's little practical difference in utility of the knife in the 3-5" range. Just differences in handling which is a personal thing.

Something I've found myself doing lately is abandoning the concept of the "Nessmuk trio" and going with the. . ."Punishment duo" :D Basically a large hatchet or kukri and a knife in the 4-5" range. I found myself never using the knife between those sizes, and almost never using a smaller one.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
I think whether or not it buys you anything is up to you.
Me, I have exceptionally wide hands, and the 4.5" blade on my R-10 handle much better than a blade that is much smaller (I don't really like 3" or below). So if you have large hands, it may prove easier to use.

I think it was Mors Kochanski that recommended a knife that was the width of your palm (roughly 4" for most people) plus or minus 1 inch. I believe the plus or minus is there because any knife in that range will do for the jobs that need to be done. I.e. there's little practical difference in utility of the knife in the 3-5" range. Just differences in handling which is a personal thing.

Something I've found myself doing lately is abandoning the concept of the "Nessmuk trio" and going with the. . ."Punishment duo" :D Basically a large hatchet or kukri and a knife in the 4-5" range. I found myself never using the knife between those sizes, and almost never using a smaller one.
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Great points:thumbup:

I am always trying to put combos together. I am basically coming to a 3"-4" FB with 2 folders and a hatchet or golok in the pack, if need be. If you are going to go with a smaller blade, a saw is a must! I would hate batoning wood at night in an emergency situation. I have been there, it is less than ideal.
 
Elen said:
A 5-inch blade buys you inconvenience, not practicality. The mid-sized knives are rather "jack of all trades, master of none" type. Under 4" is much better for any work requiring precision. And for work that requires size, length and weight, 6" and up is much better than 5" can hope to be.
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sums up my thoughts exactly - between 3.5 and 4" is perfect for a fixed blade. anything larger is just unwieldy - until you get past 8" and then things get interesting again.
 
Does a 5" blade buy you much more?
No, It does not. If you need a little more, it can be nice to have.
 
I've found that both my S1 and F1 will get the job done with out any problems.
I like my F! the best, no two ways about it BUT I find that in use the S1 is just a little bit more well rounded.
 
I can think of two tasks where the extra inch will let you do a job that would otherwise be much more difficult - splitting with a baton, and food prep (slicing vegetables). I don't do much cutting board work in the woods, and you can usually choose smaller pieces of wood to split.

Also, knives in this range could legitimately be thin slicers or overbuilt choppers. IMO, slicer is a better direction, because a 5" blade doesn't usually have enough mechanical advantage to chop well, nor enough mass. (there might be a few exceptions - khukuris, bolos, and the like with lots of forward mass). You also need some dexterity to do delicate tasks with a large knife, suggesting more neutral balance.

Five inchers I have at hand are a Busse Badger, SAR5, and Koster Nessmuk. The Nessmuk is much more baton friendly than my 4" Koster Bushcraft. You can choke up on the knife and do a reasonable job of whittling, notching, or fine work. The extra inch might also be useful for prying or digging - if you were inclined to use a knife for those things. However, I could do similar tasks with a 4-incher, for less weight. More ingenuity might be needed in some cases.
 
I think that a 5" blade is better at chopping than 4" and is able to do more precise work than a 7" blade... so for me, best of both worlds...I think if you really don't want to carry two blades... (3.5-4" and 8-9") a 5" blade is just the right compromise...
 
I mostly use knives between 3.5 - 4.5". However, some of my favorite knives (Fallkniven S1, Swamp Rat RMD, CRK Mountain II) are at or around the 5" mark.
 
blade fan you hit the nail on the head that is why I carry a 5" fixed blade.
It does every thing that a blade any smaller can do and still do some
chopping if nessacary ( SNAP CUTS ) Lopping of branches for clearing
a path way or fields of fire when hunting. kdg said that his knife has not
been the norm for getting peanut butter from the bottom of the jar as of
yet;) But that could change and that extra blade length can mean the
difference between pj on the handle instead of just on the blade:D.
Like Scott said this blade length is able to handle a variety duties.
Not to big or to small. This blade length just works for me. I am sure
that all those reading this at one time or another has tried different
blade lengths and have come to the conclusion on what works for them
personaly. BUT here is what I think we as inquistive beings want to know
why certain blade length works for one but not the other and we are trying
to really see what that person is thinking. Take for instance WE here at
blade forums and on this wilderness & survival skills believe in trying to
be prepared for the shtf type thing or like Nessmuk said you have slightly
lost your way on a hike, or I think for me Kephart said it best when you realize and it is always suddenly when you realize you are lost. This has happened to me several times. That first few seconds suck :eek: Because I know that I do not always do the right thing (ie getting off the trails because
I like to do my own thing or not reading the map like I should have things like
that LOL) I know for me I NEED to be prepared or I might end up not comming
home after my adventure. Things that I see people NOT carrying (IE A Orange handled knife for one thing do not get me wrong I like my brown
micarta handled 4" pathfinder that I and the wife use in the kitchen,But for a true SURVIVL KNIFE I am thinking bright handle easy to see not easy to loose hopefuly and a nice uncoated blade finish, not black or green for sure. And what do I see out on the trail Black knife blades and black,green,or brown handles and I think to myself I hope they do not drop or set down there knife and loose it. I know most of us take more than one knife when we head to the outdoors or even carry more than one knife But if you are going to carry JUST one knife:eek: would it not be wise to carry one we could find and see easyer? We all like our axes and saws but don't we really
love our knives and think of them as this item will get us out of a our survival sitution IF we get into one some way or some how. I do not carry my axe or my Silky saw like I do my knife. The knife is way way more versable and AWESOME for the ALL ROUND things that need cutting. And for me that is a 5" Bladed knife that I make. What ever YOU choose Hopefully it is the one you really want if you are ever in that JUST ONE KNIFE SITUTION.

Just some of my thoughts for what works for me:thumbup:

Take care all,

Bryan
 
I guess it depends on the knife. My latest, a B R Boone, is listed as a 5". It feels nearly the same as my ~4.2" Gameskeeper. The heft is the same - probably the .215" Gameskeeper feeling as heavy as the .187" Boone. Both feel 'larger' albeit not by much, than a Fox River. They also feel 'larger' than my Buck 105, a true 5"-er - probably due to it's more narrow and thinner blade. I guess my 4" Buck 192 Vanguard, which was 'plenty' for me as a woods knife last fall, really does feel a bit smaller than the Boone & Gameskeeper. It was more than sufficient... until I was 'enlightened' - and had to buy more knives. Therein is your answer... if you perceive a 'need' for a 5"-er - go ahead and get one... or two...

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Stainz
 
I have a load of F1 knives and all the other ones as well :)
There is only one thing that doesnt make the S1 the perfect knife and that is the false edge. It makes it a bit hard when batoning. Not the cutting and splitting part, but it does damage to the baton :) However it doesnt matter that much since you are probably burning the baton too later on.

I would go with the F1, a Laplander saw and a multitool. http://hem.passagen.se/nodh/trio.jpg
 
It is a funny thing. I made this post thinking I would be talked out of a 5" blade. Then I listened to what sicily 02 wrote. I started looking at his Pathfinder (5") and realized that some 5"s are designed for chopping. They maximize their chopping efficiency through superior design. I realized at once that Breeden's, aka sicily o2, Pathfinder achieves this. I called him up last night and ordered one. The MO was sent out today.

Thanks Bryan. I can't wait to recieve my PF.

Thanks to all on this thread. I will write about the differences between a 4" and a 5" soon.
 
I'm actually surprised at the hostility towards a 5" blade;

To me, the extra inch over a four inch is great for cooking and batoning. Generally, I do more cooking, batoning, and non-precise cutting than I do wood carving while out on a hike. Pros outweigh the cons IMO.
 
I use a 5 inch bladed R-10 from himalayan Imports as my everyday everything knife. It hasn't been clumsy or a problem to carry. Maybe I'm strange but I really can't see any inconvenience either Iv'e used it for trap triggers, cutting up chow, proccessing game and too much more to list. I think that it's just what your used too and how much you work with any kn ife that decides it usefulness. Skill is far more important than the hardware.
 
psy-ops Great talking with you and you are very welcome. I think you will
really like having and using a 5" blade. If you go to the top of the page and click
on the General nexted to community scroll down to custom and hand made knives
there is a review by Jeff H on the Breeden Pathfinder that he has and has been using
Jeff is a knife using and cuttin up wood guy. Plus he makes some of the best Kydex
sheaths I have seen. Jeff sent me some pics of his work and he has a skill level that
is awesome. He made sheath for me for one of my Kelly knives that is to cool for words.
Can do and wildmike I deffinately agree with what you had to say This blade range
is a good all round length.

Take care all
Bryan
 
I carry a machete with me, so there is no purpose to any blades larger than 3 1/2" or so for me. The 3" is actually considerably handier. I know a guy that skinned out a black bear w/ a little 2 1/2" folder, rather than walk the 100 yds back to the other knives.

Unless you are using it for food prep, the question is whether the 5" will add enough chopping performance to make it worth carrying around. If you are carrrying a second tool, the answer is usually no.

To all the 5" users, glad you found something you like. If I did not carry a second tool, I may have a different opinion. The amount of gear you have to/are willing to carry can also have a large bearing on your tools.
 
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