Knife trials and tribulations ?

[pitdog]

What has your knife use in the outdoors taught you about what makes a good Wilderness knife ?

What features/characteristics have you found work and which have you found don't work as well ?

I'll start off with a couple of mine that spring to mind:

1) Although 1/4" thick blades can be fun to use I think they are for the most part excessive.

2) Not keen on choils, find them a waste of blade space.

3) As much as I prefer the look of real wood handles I think on hard working knives Micarta or G10 is the most practical option.

4) The handle might even be more important than the blade. You can have the best blade in the world but match it up with a handle that is too small or skinny and the knife will suck. For the most part any knife I have with a blade 4" or over has to have a handle at least 4 1/2" long.

Of course YMMV, let's hear what works for you !

 

[LMT66]

For a 4-5" belt knife:
I prefer it to be between 1/8" and 3/16" thick with a pointy tip and a full tang. If its a Scandi or convex scandi, 1/8" thick max.
I like a generous handle length and hand-filling micarta slabs or a epoxy-soaked jute over leather backing.
I like the blade 1- 1 1/4" just off the handle and slimming to about 1" before the tip forms.
I do not like choils. Thumb jimping is nice. Solid pins and lanyard hole although I don't always use a lanyard.

Having bought, used and sold many, these are the keepers.

 

[lilknifekid]

I find myself using the choil alot on my ESEE-4 but I dont think I would miss it. But if the knife has a choil it has to be big enough to use.

1/4 is excessive (unless your talking escape from plane crash knife)

Micarta Scales

Spear point or modified drop point

Lanyards are cool but I usually cut them off because they get in my way

Convex is better than flat, havent tried a scandi (yet )
Ill post more if I think of it.

 

[kgd]

Good post Pitdog!

-I prefer 1/8" and 5/32" on most knives and 3/16" on the mid-size and up.

-Steel choice doesn't seem to be that important, or at least, I can't figure why so many people agonize about it so much.

-I prefer full flat grind with a convex edge because I most familiar with it. I'm slowly beginning to appreciate scandi, but when the chips are down I'd rather have my preferred blade type. (I said it a billion times before, but making a bow drill notch with a scandi sucks compared to a flat or convex utility)

-Wood/micarta - I agree that micarta is more robust. G10 still feels like plastic to me. Wood has warmth and aesthetics. Half my knives are wood, half are micarta. Not sure where I sit there. I won't pay $40+ more for a knife based on what its handle materials are made of.

-Liners - I generally like them as they improve F&F aspects. A good maker can make their handles perfectly flat and fitted to the scales, but liners guarantee no gapping and help with a little bit of wood shift due to humidity conditions. White liners look great when new, then they get dirty and look like crap no matter how hard you try to clean them!

-Handle size - hard to say. I like a thinner handle than most people. I like a handle that is not all that aggressively contoured and prefer one with negligible to no contouring. Having a little ramp at the front end of the handle is something that I like. I hate an aggressive point at the index finger notch. Pit's suggestion of a 4.5" handle length is pretty good. Anything longer than 5" is a bit too much.

-Pins - solid pins preferred over hollow pins. You ever get that dimple in your palm from a hollow pinned handle?

-Thumb ramps - no thanks.

-Jimping on the spine - I can live happily without it.

-Finger guards - no thanks.

-Choil - fairly neutral to them, if it fits with the design. I don't mind a choil on a more tactical style blade. On bushy's I prefer them without.

-Blade height - here is a drastic change from my past. I used to prefer wider (blade height not thickness) knives but now I am much more happy when the blade height is 1" or only slightly wider.

-Tip - drop point or spearpoint preferred to straight back. I'm not completely negative on straightback though.

 

[wildmike]

$'-5" blade length is most useful.

up to 3/16" thick is pretty much tops as an average thickness in that size blade.

convex ground or full flay ground with a convex edge is best at the greatest variety of cutting tasks.

Like Pit I love wood handles, but durability does go to micarta.

An awful lot can be done with a small blade...but I really like to have my bigun along for the hard stuff.

Batonning beats chopping.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

You know, I caught knife-buying-virus like everybody else and I really like some of my choices - Bravo-1, Gunny, RC-3, H.E.S.T. etc., but when it really comes down to it, I'll use whatever I have.

Blasphemy, I know, but which knife isn't really that important. If you have to do small knife tasks with a machete, you'll do it, and vice versa.

For 30 years or more, I used a Mora and a Machete and I never found it to be lacking, and before that some kind of Buck or other and a hatchet.

A knife, some knife is very important, but which knife, not so much. At least, IMHO.

Now please excuse me while I go put on my asbestos clothing.

Doc

 

[NothingCoherent]

-Thin blades are better than thick.

-Short blades are better than long.

-Leather sheaths actually do a better job preventing rust than they're given credit for. The leather absorbs the moisture and pulls it off the blade. Particularly useful after cleaning game. Just don't submerge it in water and it's fine...

-Choils are for the most part just unnecessary additional metal (and weight) on a knife. Bring the edge closer to the handle for the same "choking up" effect in regular holding...

-Convex or Scandi only. Other grinds work, but not as well as those two.

-False edges, sharpened clips, etc are detrimental to the blade and dangerous.

-Excessively large guards and thumb ramps cause more problems than they solve.


In summary, the puukko style knives got it right. Modern survival knives are silly, get an axe or a machete instead... a knife is for cut'n.

 

[Foilist]

No guard is best, provided that the handle is secure and hand-filling.

Garden-variety steels are easier to sharpen, and tough enough for me.

I prefer a pouch-style sheath over ones that rely on a strap to retain the knife.

I like a 4" blade, so choils don't seem necessary. I wouldn't mind a choil on a longer blade.


1/8" thick at the spine seems a good compromise between toughness and slicing ability.

I prefer a full flat grind. I like scandi grinds too - both are easy for me to sharpen anywhere.

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

Well my friend I have learned that whatever I think I know about knives will change next year...and so will my taste.
Simple is better sometimes..and sometimes bad-ass knives, are actually BAD ASS.
I guess I have figured out that trying to find the perfect "wilderness knife" has taken away from my "FUN" in knives...and I am going back the the beginning and having fun...and using whatever I feel like that day.
Common sense be damned...

I am going out and buying a Rambo knife.

 

[Briarbrow]

-Thin blades are better than thick.

-Short blades are better than long.

-Leather sheaths actually do a better job preventing rust than they're given credit for. The leather absorbs the moisture and pulls it off the blade. Particularly useful after cleaning game. Just don't submerge it in water and it's fine...

-Choils are for the most part just unnecessary additional metal (and weight) on a knife. Bring the edge closer to the handle for the same "choking up" effect in regular holding...

-Convex or Scandi only. Other grinds work, but not as well as those two.

-False edges, sharpened clips, etc are detrimental to the blade and dangerous.

-Excessively large guards and thumb ramps cause more problems than they solve.


In summary, the puukko style knives got it right. Modern survival knives are silly, get an axe or a machete instead... a knife is for cut'n.

Just when I was getting ready to make a list; I found it made already. Thanks!

I'll just say I like wood handles with a beefy stick tang inside. I'd rather make my own handle.

 

[Angus McGunnigl]

Handle super important.
My Cold Steel Finn Bear is the most comfortable knife I have used in my hand for wilderness woodcarving/crafting. Sometimes I find it hard to believe myself.

Decent steel.
Almost anything modern is gonna perform at a basic level. Even the cheap stuff(Finn Bear again) works.

Lightweight.
Something heavy and in the way is gonna be left behind.



My favorite knife is my Gerber Yari(original). It has not let me down and I'll never part with it. It's great steel, good size, fits my hand and isn't heavy. I have another one in my safe NIB just in case.

 

[Moosez45]

Well, here goes:

I like 1/4" thick blades, I can do fine work and heavy lifting, in one package

Comfortable, non painful handles are a must

I prefer synthetics and micarta for handles

Scandi grinds don't do a thing for me, they are fun to play with, but for serious work, give me sabre grinds.

No choil, I agree, waste of blade

Strong enough that worrying about heavy lifting isn't a worry.

I may be in the minority, but I gots what works for me, down pat. Like you said, Pit, YMMV.

Moose

 

[wildmike]

Another point. I have found a wide blade with a dropped edge is better IMHO to narrower blades. Provided the design offers a good acute point. Wider blades allow the blade to be a bit thinner and yet be stiff. As well as providing for an acute grind and blazing sharp edge geometry.

 

[kgd]

Here are a few photos. A small mid-size knife at 6" (1/8" thick) - Breeden peacemaker with a perfect handle.

This one isn't my knife, its my buddies - a Turley Gasconade. Very nice ergo's on this handle!

Another one that isn't mine, one of Ricks - damn - you hold this thing and it re-defines handjob! One of Rick's forte's

Another favorite - B. Andrews bushy. I have to admit that I shaved his scales down a bit to fit my more diminutive grip. Having done that, I just love the blade shape and feel of this blade. Next one I order from him will be full flat.

Christof is another master of the handle. This one feels really good.

I like this one too, although its funny. It is a very, very compact knife and handle. You kind of think you won't like it because the handle is too small. But it works and it is very comfy.

Last - is the Breeden CUB which has a very similar to the peacemaker. I did modify this one as well. I took a dremel to the front edge and gave it a ramp in the micarta that I like so much. This is a very beefy handle, but also quite comfy.

Bruce's EDC is always up for some good play too! This one borrows much from the Grohman on handle shaping - but Bruce gets it a little better...

Then there is that S-cuve one that Rick did. You think you hate it because the slabs are so thin. Then you lock onto that hilt and here, Rick makes the spine thickness work from him. This is a knife that feels good and is just very, very lively in the hand.

 

[sodak]

If I'm choking up on the knife for fine work, I greatly prefer a choil or ricasso. I find it extremely uncomfortable if my thumb and index finger are not directly opposite each other due to an elbow injury. That's for smaller knives, under 6 inches or so. For larger knives, I'm not going to be doing fine work, so I don't much need one on them.

I greatly prefer a full or high flat grind with a good steel. I don't mind a thicker blade, I can re-work the primary and secondary grinds if need be. But if it's a FFG, I won't need to. That way I get a great slicer and strong knife all in one.

The only thing I really don't want are natural handles. I greatly prefer Micarta and (a distant second) G10.

 

[6shooter]

1.) Full convex is my favourite grind so far. I'd like to get my mitts on a nice custom scandi to really check out the grind, but I don't see it taking over top spot for general use.

2.) Choils depend on the size of the knife. My absolute favourite blade has a choil, with an overall blade length of 5.5", and I wouldn't have it any other way. Any shorter though, and I'd probably do away with it. Depends on the overall design of the knife.

3.) I prefer micarta. Wood handles look nice, but I don't wanna pay extra(usually) for something less durable. G10 is ok, but as Ken said, feels plasticy.

4.) 1/8"-3/16" thickness. Any thicker is a bit much for me. I've had a hankering for a mid-size camp knife type blade in 1/8" stock lately, specifically a Breeden Peacemaker(That Ken just beat me to posting), or similar.

5.) Handles gotta be big and fat. I had a BRK Fox River that was damn near useless to me the handle was so friggin small. After a minute or two of shaving fuzzies my hand would start to hurt. Sold that one pretty quick.

6.) I like an exposed pommel, but it's not overly crucial.

7.) Drop point tip. Never used a spearpoint/kephart type blade before though, so I'd like to try one of those.

8.) In use, I like recurve blades. I hate sharpening them though.

9.) I like to have a lanyard hole, though like LMT, I don't always use one.

10.) I like jimping. Nice and aggressive so my thumb gets a good grip.

 

[Raining]

I agree with what pitdog said...doesn't matter how nice the blade is of it's made of unobtanium if the handle is terrible, I won't use it.

kgd - I'm surprised you don't have a Fiddleback if you like comfy handles!

 

[Doc13]

I agree with some of the preferences listed here.

-Convex and flat/convex edge
-Thinner is better then thicker
-4-5" length



Here are some of my current favs...


Ray Laconico HWK

CKC Belt Knife

I definitely want to add Rick Marchand and Off the Map Andrews bushblades to the favorites list soon:thumbup:


Btw Kgd..Did you get that foldable saw from Lee Valley? Either way, how's it holding up? I wasn't sure about all the plastic

 

[ROCK6]

I would add a comment on a good sheath/carry system. I'm less concerned about the knife (although I have a few that I often choose), but if I can't carry it comfortably, it usually gets left behind. As much as I like Kydex, I prefer a heavily waxed leather sheath. For small knives (4" blades), I really have taken a shining to horizontal, crossdraw sheaths. I actually find myself going for it more than a pocket folder...even for mundane cutting tasks.

ROCK6

 

[acv]

Over the years the two things that stand out the most for me are choils and coatings. I used to think a knife had to have a choil for "choking up" and I thought it had to have a coating to protect the blade. I find those two "features" to be less and less appeaing as time goes on.