If You Were Tarzan and Only Had A Loincloth and a Knife, What Knife Would It Be?

Uath

Uath

Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Messages
703
How about a big, heavy, blue steel bolo with a pointy point. A Becker Brute?
 
How about a cheap, gaudy, stainless steal, piece-of-crap, Spanish two-handed sword. You know, the ones with the rat-tail tangs and cast-metal hilts worked into skulls and dragons. Huge, like 50 inches or more. Just like the Lord of the Rings crap, crap, crap, swords that are a insult to Prof Tolkein and all that the books stood for.
 
Seriously, I'm asking the ultimate survival question. Alone, in the deep woods, vines, everything has fangs but you, big monkeys, big ones. You have to make fish nets, hack palmetto bushes for their hearts, shell acorns, make arrows, bows, and shelters, start fires, fight slavering bears. One knife... I still think the Becker Brute.
 
Depending on how long I'd have to remain the jungle, it would HAVE to be a titanium or stellite knife, otherwise it would probably rust away with a few years. Personally, I'd go with a Mission knife.
 
Originally posted by Uath
How about a big, heavy, blue steel bolo with a pointy point. A Becker Brute?
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Me in a loincloth? I think the animals would vote me off the island.... The tribe has spoken!

Drew
 
it is an interesting question...

Frazetta always painted Tarzan with a medium bowie, wide but pointy, Marble's is making something very close.

I find it good, while working on a knife, to ask myself if Tarzan or Conan would approve...
Big enough. Need to be able to chop and deal with wood. Needs a point for defensive purposes, a strong one. Needs belly for dealing with skins. No room in the loincloth for diamond hones, needs to be easy to sharpen. Under no circumstances should it break, or bend easily.
I'd opt for a 14 inch bowie with a straight blade. Either a spear or straight clip point. Single guard, not too big. Hidden tang to protect the tang from rust. Good strong pommel that could be used for light hammering. The steel doesn't matter alot, as long as it doesn't break (5160 or L6 comes to mind), has good geometry, reasonable edge-holding, and can be sharpened by primitve methods (rocks). Handle material.....part of me wants a synthetic, but part of me wants African blackwood, Lignum vitae, or some nice stag...;)
 
I'd probably go with a coated Busse or Fehrman 9" model - not sure whether INFI or CPM 3V is easier to sharpen with a rock, though . . .
 
Originally posted by GHEzell
it is an interesting question...

Frazetta always painted Tarzan with a medium bowie, wide but pointy, Marble's is making something very close.

I find it good, while working on a knife, to ask myself if Tarzan or Conan would approve...
Big enough. Need to be able to chop and deal with wood. Needs a point for defensive purposes, a strong one. Needs belly for dealing with skins. No room in the loincloth for diamond hones, needs to be easy to sharpen. Under no circumstances should it break, or bend easily.
I'd opt for a 14 inch bowie with a straight blade. Either a spear or straight clip point. Single guard, not too big. Hidden tang to protect the tang from rust. Good strong pommel that could be used for light hammering. The steel doesn't matter alot, as long as it doesn't break (5160 or L6 comes to mind), has good geometry, reasonable edge-holding, and can be sharpened by primitve methods (rocks). Handle material.....part of me wants a synthetic, but part of me wants African blackwood, Lignum vitae, or some nice stag...;)
Click to expand...

Sounds like a larger version of the Parrell Camp Knife at www.vikingmetalworks.com. I'd post a pic, but I don't have posting privileges. Glen's knife has a 10" blade and is a simple spear point with a slight recurve. Its forged out of 1050 or 5160 with wooden scales bolted on to the grip. Simple, but effective. He's got a new salt rig for heat-treating that makes his blades very tough.
 
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