knife size

S

sasha

Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
2,435
Im thinking about the large knives. It seems that most people carry a 7" blade knife. With some that like a 9" blade. Im trying to explain my Q. Would a 7" be enough for most things or is there a real benefit to carry a 9". How thick is thick enough. From holding some knifes in my hand i feel that 3\16 is very thick with 1\4 is just too much.
I dont care with the brand of the knive or what metal its using so i realy hope none of you go there. All things said lets consider the metal is good and lets leave it at that. All i would like to do is compare the 7" to a 9" and a 3\16 to a 1\4 thick blades. Its for basic outdoors use do to what needs to be done. And using the blade with common sence. If i need to dig i make a diging stick and so on. I dont care to hear about a mora or a busse. Just size and ease of use.

Sasha
 
Sasha,
I was thinking of making almost the same post, when I go to the woods most of the time I carry 3 knives. Small, a pocket knife >3", a belt knife with from 3.5 to 6", and a ontario 12" machete or more recently a 14" tramontina. Each of these knives has a specific purpose and it is hard for me to wrap my mind around the all around multipurpose knife. If a knife is a good chopper it is not very good for small tasks and vice versa. As far as thick steel I think it does well for chopping, prying and maybe battoning but not so good for anything else. People might laugh and look down at me but if I had to pick one knife for everything it would quite likely be my Old hickory butcher knife. Chris
 
I really like my KA-BAR large bowie. It is under $50.00 and one tough knife. I was convinced when I watched the destruction test noss4 performed on the knife. I wore it on my belt for several hours today, it wears very well. I had no problem getting into and out of my truck with it. It wil be my main survival knife and I like the fact that it is Carbon steel instead of stainless.

PanMan
 
A BK9 would fit nicely, my BK7 is a great knife, not perfect in chopping, but the extra 2" on the BK9 would do fine.
 
It kinda seems like I've been saying it in every thread I post to lately but I do not believe that there is one knife that can do it all. Whenever I go anywhere I generally carry two or three knives with me. If I'm going to work in the shop I'll have a pocketknife (an OT 34ot or spyderco salt and most recently, a Schatt and Morgan Wildcat whittler driller) in my pocket as well as my Graham Bros Razel in the other pocket or in my bag.

In the nursery I'll generally have the same knives with me in addition to a large chopper or a GB hatchet.

For hiking or camping I like to carry a pocketknife (most often a SAK), a 4" fixed blade and a larger fixed blade or hatchet. It all really depends on what I'm doing wherever I am going.

Like I said, I don't really believe that any one knife can do everything. And besides, it gives me a valid excuse to try out a lot of different knives by a lot of different manufacturers!
 
roughedges said:
It kinda seems like I've been saying it in every thread I post to lately but I do not believe that there is one knife that can do it all. Whenever I go anywhere I generally carry two or three knives with me. If I'm going to work in the shop I'll have a pocketknife (an OT 340t or spyderco salt and most recently, a Schatt and Morgan Wildcat whittler driller) in my pocket as well as my Graham Bros Razel in the other pocket or in my bag.

In the nursery I'll generally have the same knives with me in addition to a large chopper or a GB hatchet.

For hiking or camping I like to carry a pocketknife (most often a SAK), a 4" fixed blade and a larger fixed blade or hatchet. It all really depends on what I'm doing wherever I am going.

Like I said, I don't really believe that any one knife can do everything. And besides, it gives me a valid excuse to try out a lot of different knives by a lot of different manufacturers!
Click to expand...

Very true, any big knife is going to need a smaller back-up.
 
runningboar I like to carry 3 knives too I carry a pocket knife clipped in my right hand pocket, my edc fixed blade on my belt and my shoulder kit when out and about that has a 7.5 inch Chris reeves Project II that I sewed the sheath too it.

101_0067-1.jpg


100_0182-1.jpg


100_0171.jpg


so there is the pics take care,
Bryan
 
I would say for many it is a "go big or go home" attitude. with a 9+ inch blade you get more forward weight thus chopping physics are more so in your favor compared to a 7 inch blade, same with thickness (more weight.) My most recent knife is a 10 inch long chopper that is 0.275 inches thick. There is no question to me that it would be an awkward knife fore fine/detailed tasks, so I, like runnungboar, cary more than one knife each for a task different task: small thin (3-5 inch) blade for slicing, slightly larger/thicker (4-7 inch) for genreal utlity, and a big (8 inch +) for chopping wood for fire and or shelter making.

just my $.02
 
Sasha,

I recently just purchased a custom 7" blade knife. After doing a lot of soul searching and what it would be used for I decided on that length of blade. I also had it made 1/4 inch thick for the purpose of strength and chopping ability, a 9" blade was too big for me to carry on backpacking trips. I also will be carrying a small lockblade for smaller things. Good Luck.
 
KA-BAR large bowie. Can't go wrong for the price. Nice heavy blade and looks indistructable.
 
Fonly, I could go with a larger blade but it would not be as easily to walk around and keep the knife as hiden with my arm. Also if I need something bigger than seven or so inchs than I am going to get my axe or my machete. depending on where I am at of course. I do like the larger blades for battoning 3 to 5 inchs of wood having that extra several inchs on the other side of the wood is real nice to be able to hit with the baton.

Hope this helps.
Bryan
 
How many have really skinned a small animal or even a large one with a large knife. I have and it can be done but it sure is alot easyer with a smaller knife.
this last year for deer season a friend of mine used a little bark river knife that
called the mini canadian and after seeing what he did I now have one too. until you see the thing in action vs a 3 to 5 inch blade like I said I now have one too.

the rat-3 works real goo too did not get to try the Doug Ritter fixed blade yet but next year.

hope this answers some of the ?s
Bryan
 
I've used a bowie my Gandefather made to clean fish and rabbit, although it had a thin blade.
 
Just the other day I took the Ritter mk3 and cut of a chunk of 3.5" round of wood with the baton then took the Projects II and did the same it was easyer with the bigger knife. then went back to my fire pit and proceaded to split the logs up one log wiith the mk3 then the Project II splitting was easyer with the bigger knife more knife blade to hit but the Mk3 wittled fuzz sticks better. I think some get this frame of mind that they are going to just take one knife and do the bear grills thing. ONE KNIFE What do most people on this forum say carry more than one and in differnent sizes LIKE Nessmuc,
Horace Kept hart and the others. Well that is my thoughts.
 
I been thinking of a larger knife to comliment my smaller knife. I have a Mora right now and for me it done well for everything. Now i never found my self that i needed to chop a tree or anything else heavy duty. Just like most of you on here i dont plan to carry only one knife. Im looking for what i would like to have in the larger knife. I got a Mora in every one of my bags and feel just fine with that knife. Till now i been thinking of a 7" and 3\16 thick. I guess i could always use another piece of wood to help the knife chop a tree. So im not looking for one knife do all. Just comparing the larger knife and what i would like in it.

Sasha
 
I'm going to chime in with the one knife doesn't do it all. Some times your background has a big part to play with what size knife will work for you.
Most of my life I was in the U.S.M.C. I carried three knives all over the world, from the equator to the arctic circle. they were an 12"blade bolo, 7" Ka-bar, and a stockman pocket knife. If I had to take only one it would be the Bolo. BUT thats because of where I have been and what I have done in the past. Now days as a civilian I go to the woods for fun and privacy, the stockman would probably do everything I would every need, but I just don't feel comfortable without something with a bit more heft, and I'm just more adept with a big blade. So the new knife is a Ka-bar 1277 9" blade Just a tad under 1/4" thick but flat ground which makes it feel lighter and cut a bit deeper. This knife is big enough to chop like a small Axe, works well as a draw knife. My first outing with the Ka-bar I cut an ash stave, did all the rough shaping and scraping on a new Longbow. As soon as it seasons I'll do the final tillering on the bow with the Ka-bar and have a new piece of archery equipment all done with one knife. Yes I could have done this with a smaller knife but it would have been a lot more work for a small knife. If i carried a 7" blade I would end up having to Carry a belt axe or tomahawk in order to have the same cutting power. sorry if I get a bit long winded, but a lifetime in hostel places has left me with some strong opinions. Get a big knife and a pocket knife like a SAK or something they will complement each other well and you will be well equipped to any situation.
 
bikermikearchery here here I think the having a small one for small chores and a big one for big chores. I to was in the Marines from 1988 to 1992 and I always had at least 3 knives on me pocket knife, kabar type 7" or so and my cold steel type bolo. it was just a great combanation to carry. Just a few weeks back in Lincoln Ne. I used that bolo to chop a 12' limb that was blocking a entry way in to a parking lot where i was going to go to. it was about 4" at the thicks part down to finger thickness and in just a few minutes it was cut up and out of the way and in the back of my Dodge Mega cab truck. I could have used one of my nessmucs axes but i feel more comfy using my bolo. there is more knife blade to hit the log unlike an axe that has only 3"s of blade to cut with.
well take care,
Bryan
 
Most days out on the trails I carry a Manix and my swiss army Trekker, when out in the bush I take the Seigle with a 7.5" blade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top