Is there a place for 6" blades ?

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
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I keep looking at the great pics Mistwalker posts of his ESEE 6 and also thinking about the upcoming 611 knife from Scrapyard knives so my question is this....................


What are your thoughts on knives with 6" blades, are they neither here nor there....too big for fine stuff, not big enough for large stuff or are they the perfect compromise, a knife that can be carried solo and can achieve almost any task ?

From my own perspective I do think that 3/16" stock is plenty for a 6" blade and gives a good compromise on performance.



Thoughts please and don't forget pics always make threads like this far more interesting !!!!;)
 
I owned this M6 a bit and I think you own one too don't you? I found it to be way too heavy at 1/4" thick. It really didn't do anything well. Chopping with it was a joke and it was too heavy to really have any good control over it. I do think knives in the 6 inch range have a place though but not thick ones. Something closer to 1/8" thick would be good for a knife that size. At least for my uses which would be primarily for food prep and batoning of some small kindling.

IMG_0309-1.jpg


Edit: I take it back. It was good for one thing, batoning. I do more then just baton knives when about so I passed it along.
 
I think there is plenty of space for 6"-ers. They make a good camp knife as well as a good general large carry blade.

I have several large knives in the 9"-12" plus machetes, but they don't really get carried that much due to size, weight and utility. Sure, you can't chop as well as as a 10" blade, but realistically, I haven't found much real need to chop with a knife as I have needed to break-down sticks or pull apart fallen timer for firewood. For camp-making chores like pole & stakes manufacture or brush gathering, a 6" will work fine (so would even a 4" blade).
 
I like a 6" blade that's about 3/16" thick (noless/no more) with a choil. For my tasks, it's a do all tool.

The ESEE-6 is a favorite of mine but I gave mine to a friend. I have my 3B2 though! :D

LQ023.jpg


Easy to control.

OWS088.jpg


LQ029.jpg


Chops good for it's size.

LQ014.jpg


Doesn't feel like a brick hanging off my belt.

LQ016.jpg
 
I use 6" blades in the kitchen. But that's about it. 4-5" blades are really more then I need for the most part. Most things that I do with a fixed blade can be done with a folder honestly.
I guess most things that a 6" blade might be used for I would just use a hatchet or a machete.
 
I like wood processing blades around 6 inches. You can baton a fairly large log if you start on the the sides. They aren't as noticable as a larger piece of steel while backpacking. I think a 6 inch blade is something you would use with a man-portable system like mountain biking or backpacking. If you are car camping, larger tools are more practical.
 
My SAR6 is usually on my belt in the woods. It's sharp enough for most fine work, but the swell on the end of the handle is great for chopping. I won't call it a do everything knife, simply because I never only carry 1 knife in the woods, but it'll do if it's the only one ya' got!
 
I find them useless, but I grew up carrying an SAK and using tools like axes, chainsaws, etc. for the big jobs.

A small knife with an axe or saw is what I carry camping. If I'm in a situation where there will be no campfires I only carry a fixed blade 4" or less and an SAK. That setup has served me plenty well. Carried several knives in the 6ish inch range and they just never proved their worth to me.
 
I have to admit that I'm more comfortable carrying a 6 inch blade when I'm out alone. There's plenty of wolf sign and black bear sign in the areas that I hike, and I confess to an irrational fear of having to defend myself with a knife against a wild beast. I fully appreciate how silly this is... partly due to the extremely low risk of an attack, and partly due to the extremely low likelihood that I could do anything to protect myself with a knife regardless of its size. Nonetheless, I feel safer with a 6 inch knife than a 4 inch knife :)

I currently carry a Busse Boss Jack:

knives.jpg
 
I view 6 inchers about the same as anything smaller. They are good for general cutting/camp tasks. Not really large enough for any chopping so I agree that 3/16 is as thick as they need to be.
Here are some JKs doing some campy tasks.
fireprep.jpg


pc040045j.jpg
 
Walkabout said:
I have to admit that I'm more comfortable carrying a 6 inch blade when I'm out alone. There's plenty of wolf sign and black bear sign in the areas that I hike, and I confess to an irrational fear of having to defend myself with a knife against a wild beast. I fully appreciate how silly this is... partly due to the extremely low risk of an attack, and partly due to the extremely low likelihood that I could do anything to protect myself with a knife regardless of its size. Nonetheless, I feel safer with a 6 inch knife than a 4 inch knife :)

I currently carry a Busse Boss Jack:

knives.jpg
Click to expand...

That is one of my reasons as well buddy, lol , over here we can't hike with hand guns but Bear spray would be more effective than a knife.....the knife just gives you confidence somehow !!!
 
Shotgun said:
I owned this M6 a bit and I think you own one too don't you? I found it to be way too heavy at 1/4" thick. It really didn't do anything well. Chopping with it was a joke and it was too heavy to really have any good control over it. I do think knives in the 6 inch range have a place though but not thick ones. Something closer to 1/8" thick would be good for a knife that size. At least for my uses which would be primarily for food prep and batoning of some small kindling.

IMG_0309-1.jpg


Edit: I take it back. It was good for one thing, batoning. I do more then just baton knives when about so I passed it along.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have an M6 and love it but like you say it doesn't really do anything too well. I think the big problem is not so much the thickness of the blade but the weight of the handle. The full large handle weighs more than the blade making it suck as a chopper. I'm sure the Scrapyard S6 having a rat tail tang and res-C grips would throw much more weight forward increasing the chopping potential.
 
For me, 6" is the sweet spot for a field knife. It's not so long as to be difficult to carry or cumbersome to use. It's not too small that i can't do larger tasks with it.

I'll usually have a smaller knife of some sort with me for food-prep tasks so i don't have to be concerned about that, but a 6" field knife isn't too big if that was all i had with me.

I generally don't chop with a knife (aside from the occassional de-limbing or limited cutting material to size) so that isn't something i have to be concerned with, but if i needed to cut some thicker material i could certainly use a baton to "chiesel" the knife through.

Yep, for me a well-designed 6" blade is just about right.
 
I see them as sort of all around camp knives that are best used with an axe for the heavy stuff and a pocket knife for the small stuff. They're handy to have around for camp chores like food prep and splitting kindling and can be used as a weapon should the need arise.

They're not very good at chopping and they're difficult to use for fine work. As a stand alone tool it can be made to work but it's going to be a compromise. (though after seeing Mistwalkers pics I want an ESEE 6 anyway :o)
 
There have been some 6" blades I've been really aesthetically pleased with, but unfortunately they never seem to work out that well in reality. They're great for stripping saplings and general straight line cutting, and there is often enough blade to use them like a draw knife, which is nice. I don't process large carcasses anymore and never did enough of them to be any good at it to begin with, but I can see some advantages to a longer blade for that chore. Other than that the extra length seems to be a detriment.

I like having a larger knife for a lot of reasons, but 5" seems to be my practical limit, and even that is a lot less maneuverable and useful than a 4" blade for most day to day tasks.

Unless your knife isn't very sharp a 6" blade makes it pretty hard to choke up on the blade for tip control, and the tip is where most of the work gets done. As blade length increases, sharpening (especially field sharpening) becomes more difficult.

It's a great length for food prep, providing the stock is slim enough, which it probably won't be. Most knives not designed for the kitchen are way to thick to be practical in the kitchen and I'd rather have a 4~5" sheath knife plus a dedicated kitchen knife, as it will weigh about the same.

Like some others I see a knife as a cutting tool. I'll cary a different tool designed for chopping if I'm going to chop or split wood.

I'd love to find a 6" blade that would change my mind about them, but it hasn't happened yet.
 
.
ESEE -6
Swamp Rat M6
SY scrapper6
Busse Basic 6
Busse Boss Jack
Busse Skinny Ash
Busse SJTAC
On the hunt for a Busse SAR6 still

So yeah I like 6 inchers. To me for woods carry I really like them. The M6 is my least favorite, to thick.
 
I like the 3B2. Never seen one before. My largest knife in rotation is a custom by AAForge.
 
I feel more comfortable with a 6" blade, or even a little larger with a choil. Just personal preference i guess.

Weight doesnt matter much really. I've been carrying some sort of 2-3lb pistol on and off for the last 10 years so a bigger blade feels right at home.
 
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