how big for a heavy knife??

RR, I have to say big knives are fine too me, I love the 5.5-7" range, with a good thickness and good grind they preform fine, some even great.

What I personally believe is that a little work should be done to any knife of that size, when that is done they will shave and cut what ever you want just as well as a smaller knife, but you've also a little extra length for any heavy work.

My RC6 paired with a folding saw will now take any thing I need.

Here is a pic of what a capable knife in the size your talking about SHOULD be able to do, if its not than you might as well carry a dedicated chopper, slicer and what ever else you need, I like knowing my one knife will do all I need fine.

When my large knife will do this, I have no need for a dedicated slicer.
P3270025.jpg


Plus it chops fine, both done with 8 full swing chops
P3270026.jpg
 
Good idea Fonly, let's get some pics for this thread !

PC190016.jpg


PC190008.jpg


PC190013.jpg


I'm gonna be taking this bad boy camping with me this year a well.....

PB120003-1.jpg


PB120004-1.jpg
 
with the epic ice storm here last winter i had some trees i had to cut down and did some comparisons between my Fusion Battle Mistress (10") and my Camp Tramp (7.5")

the Camp Tramp did just fine. i actually preferred it to the FBM.
 
This is good stuff guys keep 'em coming I', surprised to see how many people prefer a 7 inch blade.... Gene Good stuff man!
 
I've always thought 6-9" was the best size for a one-knife scenario.

For many years I carried a Ka-Bar USMC for that role, then a RAT-7, now a RC-6.
I've also taken a Busse Hellrazor out, and despite the tacticool looks, it did great outdoors shaving fuzzsticks, arm hair, batoning, drilling divots for a bow& drill set, etc.

I do think these knifes are weak in the chopping arena, but my main chopper is a 20" long kukri with a 1/2" spine and over 3.5 pounds of steel -- pretty much any knife is going to look sad in comparison.
 
dbltap45acp said:
Hey RR, come meet up with us for the camping trip to the Aderondacks and you can play with the 10 Busse knives I am bringing. From small like the active duty, to large like NMFBM.
Click to expand...

You have to live the NMFBM.:thumbup: I carry one instead of a hatchet or small axe. I feel more comfortable (more margin for error) with my NMFBM. I usually also carry a Game Warden, Cultie or Muskrat for a small knife.
 
I like my Camillus Becker Campanion
BeckerCompanionandEnzopic2.jpg

Or my old Blackjack Anaconda II
bjanancondaII002.jpg


I recently got a CS Trailmaster and a Marble Trailmaker, no pics yet though.
 
Length is good for batonning.

Length is also important for chopping: increases chopping speed

Axe is the optimized chopper: most weight centered in the head and long handle for speed.

Now if you look at any bowie knife, weight is evenly distributed along the blade. From my experience, hitting near the tip of the blade is counter-productive: you get a lot of vibration and it doesn't work that well, you have to chop with about the middle of the blade, near balance center. That means to get a certain "lever arm" you need twice the length in blade, which leads to long choppers.
 
I guess it is important to ask yourself how much chopping do you do?vs splitting etc... etc...in some ways it would seem a longer blade would provide for better chopping it woul also be better for clearing bramable and vegetation much in the way a machete is used... but than where is sthe compromise How long? how thick?
 
Last edited:
wildmike said:
If I want A knife as a chopper then I take my kukri which can also drawknife etc.

If I am wanting to travel really light then I just take along a blade in the 5 inch range, or at most the 6-7 inch range. However I don't usualy chop with these blades as it is much more energy efficient as well as safer to use a baton with them.

Occasionaly if I anticipate having to split firewood then I will take along a hatchet though the kukri is what I carry 98% of the time.
Click to expand...

My thinking exactly.
 
mmmotorcycle said:
It also depends on how wide the blade is. My perfect all-purpose camp knife would have a 7 inch blade but also be about two inches wide. Stout enough for any task! :)
Click to expand...

This is what I've found. Wider is better then length. I prefer 1 3/4" to 2" width. Ideal thickness is 3/16" to 1/4". My prefered length is 8" but 6 to 7 inch will work well with a wider blade. The pic below is a 6 1/4" blade, 1/4" thick by 2" wide. That log was sectioned into four pieces with that 6 1/4" blade. Chopping with a big blade works best by snap cutting. Let the knife do most of the work. No need to swing the blade like a madman. :D
Scott

Picture144.jpg
 
tholiver said:
I like my Camillus Becker Campanion
BeckerCompanionandEnzopic2.jpg

Or my old Blackjack Anaconda II
bjanancondaII002.jpg


I recently got a CS Trailmaster and a Marble Trailmaker, no pics yet though.
Click to expand...

How much difference is there in weight between the Trailmaster and Trailmaker? I have been looking at the Trailmaker for years...but, I have never held one.

Tony, I will give you a heads up if I decide to sell the steel off! I doubt that will happen though...
John, I like the thread so far. I would add to my earlier comments, and agree with Scott and others...a wider blade makes a big difference also..It gives you alot of leverage.
 
I have 7.5 inch Tusker by Gossman and a 8 inch Leuku. Both are great choppers, with the Leuku being a lighter knife to pack or carry. I have no desire to get a bigger knife--my opinion is that while I may gain in chopping power, I lose control (although I doubt I will EVER be without a smaller fixed blade).
 
I think there are some really nice knives in that zone between "choppers" and "utility blades." The Swamp Rat Camp Tramp is one of them. It chops like a much bigger knife while still feeling appropriate for normal knife chores. I'm mostly a Micarta guy when it comes to handles, but I have to admit that I love the comfort of the Resiprene grip on my Camp Tramp.

Today, I received a Busse SARsquatch. It's another sleeper in the 7" range. The blade is thin (especially for a Busse), so it's pretty light for its size. But the blade is also deep, which makes it a surprisingly effective chopper. (I think the term that describes that phenomenon is "sectional density," but I'm not sure.) The handle feels much more comfortable to me when chopping than the handles on my ASH1 and Skinny ASH. I only got outside to play with it for a few minutes, but I have a feeling it's going to become a favorite blade. :thumbup:

I don't often have a need for a big chopper, but I believe having a medium-large knife that can do some unexpected light chopping is a very handy thing.

I'm becoming a big fan of these "in between" size blades.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Gossman Knives said:
This is what I've found. Wider is better then length. I prefer 1 3/4" to 2" width. Ideal thickness is 3/16" to 1/4". My preferred length is 8" but 6 to 7 inch will work well with a wider blade.
Click to expand...


I ... half agree- or even 3/4 agree. The reason I'm quoting is that I think the 5.5-7 inch long 1.5-1.75 inch broad blade is the way to go most of the time. I tend towards the 3/32-5/32 range on spine thickness, rather than 3/16 and 1/4. (Not saying Scott is in any way wrong, we make very different knives, and my focus a bit more on batoning and draw knifing over chopping on the middle size. Scott's knives are wicked and useful and work.)

The broad blade is important for non traditional choked grips, tracking, chopping, batoning, and scraping work.

I do think that with practice and a good design, you can do anything you want with the right 9-11 inch blade and not "suffer" from it. I also think that in terms of wilderness technology- hunting, fishing, building- manipulating nature- that you are overall better off with the middle size of large size over a very small knife in a 'one knife scneario'.

I also think that one knife carry by design is... well, silly, to be blunt. Define your need for a large chopper, axe, saw and include as you see fit, but a mid range knife with a convex edge- a broad bladed 6 incher- and a small scandi grind in the 2.5 to 3.75 inch range are a really ideal pairing.
 
Last edited:
koyote said:
...I think the 5.5-7 inch long 1.5-1.75 inchbroad blade is the way to go most of the time. I tend towards the 3/32-5/32 range on spine thickness, rather than 3/16 and /14...

The broad blade is important for non tradition choked grips, tracking, chopping, batoning, and scraping work.
Click to expand...


:thumbup:

My new SARsquatch is 7" long, a smidgeon under 3/16" thick, and a healthy 1 7/8" deep. It's a drop point shaped blade with a 2 3/4" rounded swedge that makes it comfortable to hold if you find the need to choke WAY up and do fine work with the tip.

I think this knife is a winner....

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top