How Big A Knife Really Need To Be

Blood_Grooves

Blood_Grooves

Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
931
I know this has already been done but i agree with the 4 to 5 in. blade "rule" because i had a thought when i went to the woods, "when do you really have to chop a 7+ in. branch unless your in very long survival (building a cabin)"

Have you needed to actuly "NEEDED" to chop a branch of this size. ya i guess it would help to get bigger peaces of wood for a fire but you dont need it.

i have seen people just cut a one big tree with a small knife (it did take forever) but they just through it on a long fire and that burned for at least and hour or two. so even if you need fire wood a small blade will work when needed, won't it?
 
I don't know and don't intend to find out. I gather wood with a hatchet or kukri. I use a knife like a knife. And yes, such a knife need only be 4-5" long. That's following Mors Kochanski's advice of getting a blade roughly as long as your hand is wide.
 
On a three day hike across the Santa Catalinas, there was a time when I needed a big chopper, (FFFBM, or a HH) to chop fire wood. Unfortunately I did not have a chopper, so we were hitting the long pieces of wood over boulders, in hope that they would brake.:o On top of all of this it started raining.:mad: Long story short, we finally got the fire going, after a half an hour. :o While we were trying to break the long branches and roots the fire kept going out.:grumpy:


So yes, I think there are plenty of uses for big knives (Choppers).


Thanks and a Happy New Year!

Bill
 
Depends on your location. In the south it's probably warm enough that you won't have to build too extreme a shelter to get by for the night, and trees with appendages of smaller diameter are likely in abundance. Small knife may suffice.

In the north, the cold is more likely to be a larger danger, so a more thorough shelter will need to be made. Thicker trees/branches may be the only thing around or just more of them needed, and a large knife makes that work a lot easier (but so does a saw or axe...).

Or, someone just enjoys a large knife or a small knife, and doesn't care what the masses think they 'ought' to have. ;)
 
No, it means he can handle it as well as a "normal" person can handle a 4" knife. :P
The length stipulation is a benchmark, or rule of thumb, based on what people can control the best. It's not based on absolute size.
 
I like my Fallkniven F1 - blade length 3.8".

Not sure I really get the "big knife" thing. If you need to chop down forests, get an axe or hatchet.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
I don't know and don't intend to find out. I gather wood with a hatchet or kukri. I use a knife like a knife. And yes, such a knife need only be 4-5" long. That's following Mors Kochanski's advice of getting a blade roughly as long as your hand is wide.
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I think thats about right. The averge mora or puuko is plenty big enough. For chopping use a tool designed for the job. A knife for cutting and a hatchet for chopping. I don't think it was by accident that alot of those old woodsmen kits were a hatchet with a sheath on it for a 4 inch knife. But I agree with the blood-grooves, what are you chopping a big limb for ? If its downed firewood, just burn it in half, if its still on the tree most dry kindling breaks off easy. How big a fire do you plan on building?
 
kgd said:
Somebody shake the juke-box. That old record is skipping again :) :) :)
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4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6", 4"-6"
:D:D
 
Gerberblades: I get into the Santa Catalinas a couple times a year. Great place, lots of vistas, lots of interesting wildlife. The last time, I got in the middle of a whole family of Coati Mundi (over twenty). It was fun and the only ones I've seen up close in many years. Regards, ss.

Edit: Oh. I was carrying a Street Scrapper 4. Just the right size.
 
I need a knife as big as I want.....some people dont like choppers and wont use them. Why? thats there perogative. Why do I? Cuz I like them, I like knives that big, I usually carry a smaller one. I usually dont like to take 5-7 inch knives camping with me. I usually carry one large chopper and one small 3-4 inch blade. Why? Cuz thats what I like. Do I NEED it? YES because thats what I feel comfortable using. And in the end isnt it necessary to carry whats comfortable? I am going to get some people going YOU DONT NEED IT! Why YES I DO! Because I have deluded myself into thinking soo. Oh and I carry Hatchet and a small saw.....wrap that around your head a little bit.

So lets here it boys....Who wants a 8, 9, 10, 11 inch knife? OR MY GOD A MACHETE:eek:

To each his own

Oh and I have chopped cherry and oak branches that large with my CGFBM for shelter and fire:p and it took almost NO TIME!
 
i know i didn't specify that i ment in a survival situation so sorry, but if you have an axe i wouldn't exactly call that surviving unless you got lost in the woods or something. the old saying "a survival knife is the one you got one you" who really carrys a axe around with then 24/7...

But i had this idea plz no one steel this idea i would do it right now but i dont have the money, (it probibly has already been done if it has show me pics) Get a costum axe sheath that has the capability to piggy back... lets say my Game Warden (Busse) if someone already did this how much, who to get it done by, and can i see some pics?

Edit: and maybe a supplies pouch.
 
I would also recommend the Fallkniven F1.
It was developed by people living up north in Sweden, above the arctic circle.
It was developed as a survival knife after a request by the SwAF.
I would be surprised if it was not developed in cooperation with the Arctic Rangers,other military units stationed in the area and the survival instructor Lars Fält.

If the AF likes it, then I do :)

I use a folding saw instead of a hatchet. It is much safer when wet and dark.
You do not need to cut big branches, just put them in the fire and burn them off.

It cost about the same as cheaper quality knives but has the quality of the two or three times more expensive hand made knives.
So in short, you can afford two :) Get one and have it in your belt with the sheath you like, then keep the second one in your pack.
The F1 might not be combat or sexy enough, it almost looks like a beefed up Mora knife, but that is intentional.
You could try the other Fallknivens as well. You will most likely find one you like.
 
On my long hikes of 3- 4 days or more, I carry a 4" blade. That blade will do everything I need it to do without weighing my pack down, I don't need to cut any limbs or build a shelter, I have my tent in my pack and my Giga power stove for cooking. Plenty of clothing, water filters and such.

On my day hikes I like to carry a blade of around 6" because I dont carry as much gear, like tent or a stove on my dayhikes. It would be more of a life saver if I needed to build a E-shelter if I had to spend the night, or got lost...
 
It's all a matter of personal preference. I personally don't like big choppers except for khukris. . . Why? I really don't know. If someone else likes a 10 in long, 1/4 inch thick blade, that's fine with me. I'm not interested in competing. I don't really care which tool can chop or split wood or build a shelter faster. I just use what I can afford and what i'm comfortable with, and A thin bladed Mora, a SAK Hiker or Vic Swiss Tool and a Fiskars hatchet serve me just fine. Oh, and my Spyderco Delica goes with me everywhere.
 
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