How Long and Thick is ENOUGH?????

WILLIAM.M

WILLIAM.M

Joined
Apr 14, 2006
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How Long and Thick is ENOUGH?????
Get your mind out of the Gutter:D

We talk a lot about how long a blade should be for Wilderness Survival

So--this is the Question

How long does a Blade have to be-as well as how Thick for you to feel safe??

Is a Mora enough???

Or Do you need a 8-10" Chopper at 5/16" thick???

What is the Minimum blade length and thickness you would bet your life on???

post your choice with a PHOTO if possible

I'll start

4" and 3/16"

The smallest knife I would trust would be the Fehrman or Busse SAR 5(as well as several others I have about the same size)

Although I would feel better with 7"+ and 1/4" thick(Think Busse Tank Buster or larger)

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Of couse it's all about preference. I could probably make do with a smaller blade, but if I have a choice I'll go BIG. :D More fun to me, and I would trust these to hold up even if I chose to abuse them.

The Bowie is .25" thick, 10" long blade. The waki blade is around 17.5" long ...can't remember the thickness but it's a bit less than .25". -And I prefer fully convexed blades for strength as well. :thumbup:

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...me thinks a big Busse blade would be great too, but I don't own one "yet" :)
 
I would trust my life to several smaller knives, I would just have to change my methods.


The Gossman PSK is the smallest knife I own that I have full confidence it could perform any needed outdoor task.


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A 4" blade that is at least 1/8" thick is about the minimim that I would trust,

...though I generally carry something bigger and thicker. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:




Jim Stewart Custom; 4.4" blade of .163" CPM S30V.





Big Mike
 
Several knives, but if length and thickness are the only criteria, the best knife I have ever handled is my Busse FBMLE. It's 8mm thick, sharp as a razor and has a 25cm blade, 13cm handle.
Here it is next to my Key Lardo (10cm blade, same thickness :eek: :eek:)
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It really does feel indestructible.
 
Keep those photos a coming

Remember the question

What is the SMALLEST knife you would trust you life to???
 
You got me thinking, Bill, as usual... personally it would depend a lot on the blade steel used -- I thought about the poor guy who disloged a boulder and had it roll over on his arm, and ended up having to amputate his arm with a SAK. I forget the size of said boulder, but i'm thinking with a big, strong piece of tough-ass steel, he might have been able to get enough leverage to get the boulder to roll off of his arm (and hopefully not onto his head) to pull his paper-flat arm out, or at least chop it off in one fell swoop instead of agonizing hours sawing away with a little folder. I dunno - not to be morbid, but i can think of lots of emergency survival stuff that i would at least want my Ranger RD6 for.
I was remembering a pic of a broken CS Recon Scout in "Carbon V", 7" long 5/16" thick. Whereas i have yet to see a blade broken in the field (not in a destructive test video) made of CPM3V, S7, W2, M4 or 5160/ 9260 (Ok, or INFI) made of 1/4" stock.
I'm gonna say if it's a good carbon steel and i know the maker and have pushed the blade a little, 6" long and 1/4" thick with a nice wide blade would have me feeling pretty safe. I'm pretty sure i could get by with less, but with anything less i may not feel really safe. I hope this helps. Very thought-provoking question...
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Fallkniven F1

Total length: 8.3 in. (210 mm)
Blade length: 3.8 in. ( 97 mm )
Blade thickness: 0.18 in. ( 4.5 mm )
Weight: 6 oz (150 g)
Blade Steel: VG10
Hardness: 59 HRC
Handle: Thermorun

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If people like Mors Kochanski and Cody Lundin can happily use a Mora, or Ray Mears his knife, then I think my RC3 is perfectly adequate for me.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aron_Ralston
After five days of trying to lift and break the boulder, the dehydrated and delirious Ralston prepared to amputate his trapped arm in order to escape. He forcibly levered his forearm against a chockstone until both the radius and ulna bones broke. Using the dull blade on his multiuse tool, he then cut the soft tissue around the break. He used the tool's pliers to tear at the tougher tendons. Although he never named the manufacturer of the tool other than to say it was not Leatherman, he did describe it as "what you'd get if you bought a $15 flashlight and got a free multi-use tool".
 
I think as with most things it all depends on location...but for the most part for a wilderness "survival knife" I prefer something about 6 to 6.5 inches long with a heavy blade ( 0.23 - 0.25 inches thick ) that can take some abuse if needs be. I don't do a lot of chopping but realize it is a possibility, however I do want to be able to split out a hearth board without killing my knife in the process. One of my current favorites is a Fallkniven A-1. Big enough to take care of most any business I'll need or want to here yet small enough not to be a burden and handles really well.

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However if the ergos and balance are right I am perfectly fine with a smaller stout knife with a 5" blade of 3/16" like this Delta Foxtrot By Dylan Fletcher that I really love. This thing handles like a dream and feels like it was made for me.


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WILLIAM.M said:

What is the Minimum blade length and thickness you would bet your life on???
Click to expand...

What's threatening my life (I know wilderness survival, but are there dog packs to think of? What's the terrain? Guys who think I have a pretty mouth?).

Is this one of those "The knife is the only sharp thing you'll have with you" things.

ASS U ME ing that there is a threat beyond making fuzz sticks and clipping nails, and ASS U ME ing that this is the only sharp thing. . .

6.5" blade .187" thick

I believe this one will do nicely:

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Depends on my environment, but a .09 inch Mora would do the job. I always carry more than one blade though...
And the RC-5 always comes with on multiday pack trips.
 
I bought this knife with that question in mind some time ago.

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4" @ .22 thick


But after using my Active Duty I know it will stand the test of time and abuse, so I guess its dimensions are, "it", for me. This one has a 3.5" blade @ thickness on this one is around .19 IIRC.
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It would definitely depend where you are situated. I would choose something with at least a 7" blade, and at least 3/16 inch think. Although I could do an ESEE 5 if needed, as it is a blade I doubt would ever break. Really depends on the situation, though. Different knives for a different area. Some areas have challenges others wouldn't.
 
Well, a survival situation doesn't start until you FINALLY admit it to yourself you are in one. That's why people walk well into the night thinking they will get out of it because they just CAN'T be in a survival situation, no, not me, I am too good and too smart to be here like this. By that time you have really stacked the deck against you.

There is no such thing as long term survival if you can't make it through the first night.

If it's summer, you can go until midnight walking and if you spend the night, it's just a bad day over all. You don't really need a shelter or a fire for that matter. So a small knife or no knife would work actually. I mean you're just laying or sitting there waiting for light so you can find your way out. Although, it's 1 July and it got down to 40 degrees here last night so...........:foot:

Now in winter, night falls fast, and it is cold. You walk to 9pm and you have been walking in the dark a few hours aleady, you're tired and that's about the only reason you stop walking for the night. Now you will need fire and shelter.

Try finding wood, ENOUGH wood to make it through the night or build a shelter in the dark. It's tough to do with a good size knife when all you can find in the dark is wood you trip over that's half buried in snow and froze to the ground.

The first night or two I would want at least a 7'' blade and .200'' thick. After that, you know your situation and yes, a smaller knife would probably work fine because you know what needs to be done and how long it will take to do it with a small knife. So, you plan accordingly. You are not planning for anything the first night but to get out and get home.

A smaller knife requires more planning and that is something the average person is not doing on their first night while walking in the dark trying to get home.
 
If i have only 1 knife, it's gotta be 7-10" long and minimum .25" thick and BLADE WIDTH minimum 1 1/4". For me, in the unknown, it's better to have it (extra length/thickness/width) and not need it than *need* it and not have it. TBH, for me the blade design of the CS Trailmaster is pretty awesome for general use.

I'm not saying i *couldn't* make a shorter blade work. I *learned* with a 5-6" bladed knife and used a 3" blade with decent success for many years thereafter, but in my experience and for my comfort, nowadays i prefer something bigger.
 
Thanks for the replies

Please keep them coming and post photos when you can

I know all the knives mentioned--but others reading this post might not
 
I like a 4 inch blade - 1/8th is thick enough - but to make me feel more secure for some more heavy lifting 3/16ths or so is better.

My Arete is at these dimensions and they can handle anything you throw at them.

TF
 
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