Knife trials and tribulations ?

[crossada]

I like traditional bowie knives anymore for their use and aesthetics. I get more enjoyment out of using something with natural materials than space age synthetics. Heck i even enjoy rubbing lemon oil into the wood handles on my knives while watching television.

My preferred bowie is a custom i had Matt Lamey make me. It has an 11" blade of 5/16" thick damascus with a distal taper towards the point. It balances at choil area and follows the ounce to inch rule for that "lively feel" He chose to put a nice black walnut handle on it with his standard full hidden tang construction. It also has a full gaurd and sharpened clip for weapon use at which it excels imo. Matt makes one of the best blades around and i feel fortunate to own a piece of art from him. It is paired with a GEC pocket knife to round out the spectrum that can actually be carried anywhere concealed inside the waistband if i so choose. I know this because i have

There are better pics showed at Matt's site
http://www.lameycustomknives.com/Site/Bowies & Fighters.html

 

[kgd]

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

Doc, I'm happy with the trailblazer folding saw. Its far better then the Coghlan and Gerber saws that I owned and about equivalent to the Bahco except a longer and more curved blade. I tested the trailblazer against my friends bahco. The trailblazer, because of its greater curvature to the blade outperformed the bahco on smaller rounds (2" - 3"). The bahco did a much better job on stright/cut wood and large rounds. Its well worth the $28!

 

[PeterPHWS]

Great choice for a thread Pit ....

For me this task of determining what works best as a "Wilderness Knife" has been a great "reason" for spending a lot of money on a lot of knives .... and no doubt will continue to be so .... although hopefully I am getting closer to knowing what works best ....

Right now my thoughts are that I don't think I would pick "one" knife as "the best" .... from my time spent "outdoors" and using my knives I think two knives work best for me .... a large chopping blade and a smaller 4-5 inch cutting blade .... some may say a small forest axe works better than a large knife .... it does at many tasks but not all of them ....

Why I prefer this combination also explains what I prefer ....

In a large knife I prefer a khukri .... the reasons are :

1/ The blade design has great depth at the chopping edge to enable a gradual taper from the spine which assists in performance with the depth of a chopping "cut" .... simple physics really .... just like a VLD bullet cuts through the air better than a round nose .... it gives this style of knife performance akin to an axe if you choose the right one ... and the curve of the blade makes for a safer hand position and one which lends itself to using the weight of the knife and balance for performance .... so it is less tiring and works quicker at "chopping" tasks ....

2/ The thinner depth of the blade near the handle enables finer cutting to be done as control with your thumb on the spine to the edge is helped by the shallow depth .... useful for notching or fuzz sticks or any given smaller task ... it means on fire preperation you don't need to use any other knife and the task is done quickly ....

3/ If you are in Northern Wilderness then batoning wood to get to dry inner wood means with a longer blade the thickness of the wood you can tackle is greater than that with an Axe ... my GBSF Axe starts to catch on the haft causing potential damage after a certain thickness is reached when my Khukri just keeps going .... and the length of log split can be increased too .... yes you can make wedges etc and accomplish tasks with the GBSF Axe of the same magnitude as the khukri but it is all more time .... and if time relates to a fire and warmth and it is outdoors ... the quicker the better ....

4/ Clearing bush or cutting bush for a perimiter for the camp works a lot better with a large knife .... especially if you are after thorny bush .... useful anywhere there are carnivore preditors .... Africa particularly .... but useful in bear country too .... even if only as an early warning obstacle .... useful for hides to if hunting is part of your wilderness food requirements ....

5/ A draw knife option has also been useful for large carving tasks such as paddles in the past and again helps with speed .... ditto if making a snow shelter .... all tasks I have had to do in the past .... and speed on a snow shelter is a big benefit if you ever need one ....


On game prep and food prep plus more intricate woodwork I like a 4-5 inch blade and handle comfort is always "a must" .... for me "performance" comes from the geometry as much as anything .... so I like a 3mm thickness or 1/8 and thin at the shoulder behind the edge .... a spear or drop point and a flat sharp right angled spine with an inch or so on depth .... the edge as close to the grip as possible and no large guard .... I can use any grind and sharpen them all in the field so no "special" preference there except I don't see the need for a sabre grind on a knife this size .... I prefer though a higher Rc hardness for edge retention on a smaller knife and find it reduces "rolling" on the edge .... usually around Rc 62 .... but with a scandi grind I am fine with Rc 58 as more metal needs removing when sharpening .... and I prefer smooth grips not checkered .... and material wise again I am happy looking after any that is comfortable .... natural or man made ....

My present favourites ....

A Custom Flat Grind Busse Nuclear Killa Zilla

And not got this yet but will have soon .... something I asked Phil Wilson to do for me .... a 3mm stock 5 inch Smoke Creek in K294 at Rc 62 which will have wider than normal Dessert Ironwood grips ....

 

[beef]

3.5 to 4" blade
2mm to 4mm stock
No choils. Waste of space for me.
4.5" handles
I'm not too fussed by steel. I find AUS8, 1095, O1, and VG10 all very easy to sharpen. I also like Victorinox steel, as it holds an edge long enough and is easy to steel back to a shaving edge.

Stick tang or full tang, I've never broken either, through years of batoning.

Oval or rounded handle, this is a must for me. Can't stand right angles on a handle. Needs to be nice and fat too to fill out the hand. If a handle is too small, my hand cramps up on a big carving project.

A deep sheath that sits below the belt. I can't stand sheaths that have the handle sticking into my ribs!

I love scandi grinds, but also don't mind convex. I find that I can get the same results with either.

 

[Doc13]

Doc, I'm happy with the trailblazer folding saw. Its far better then the Coghlan and Gerber saws that I owned and about equivalent to the Bahco except a longer and more curved blade. I tested the trailblazer against my friends bahco. The trailblazer, because of its greater curvature to the blade outperformed the bahco on smaller rounds (2" - 3"). The bahco did a much better job on stright/cut wood and large rounds. Its well worth the $28!

Really appreciate the response/mini review, I'm picking one up the next time I'm there down there.:thumbup:

 

[Big Mike]

On blades in general:

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

I agree with this statement.

I like thin blades, but I also like thick blades.

It's all about edge geometry.

Also the balance of heat treatment, edge geometry and blade steel is what's important,
...stressing over metallurgy alone is foolish.

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

On sub six inch blades I totally agree.

A choilectomy:


Before.


After.







On handle materials:

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.

I used to insist on Micarta, but I have come to agree with Rick on this issue.

...the part about natural materials being unstable.

I still prefer them over synthetics.

"Vibe" and "Aesthetics" are very important to me...



Rick

Wood, Bone, Horn and Antler material give me good service.

I have had very few problems since going natural.

The tactile feel combined with the natural beauty make them something special.



Plain wood has it's own beauty!



Dyed Bone has a great feel and is quite tough.



"De-thorned" Sambar Stag can feel just right.



As can Smooth Elk Antler.



Life is too short to not be using a beauiful knife.





Big Mike

 

[Shotgun]

Life is too short to not be using a beauiful knife.
Big Mike

Eye of the beholder. I personally think materials like bone and ivory are fugly. Wood can be very beautiful but so can micarta. Some Busse's have blown me away with the way they use micarta. Your dyed bone is nice but I personally think the other knives you have pictured are ugly. And although this isn't the best picture, I find the knife on the bottom had a beautiful pattern in the micarta. To each their own.

 

[Rick Marchand]

I personally think materials like bone and ivory are fugly..... think the other knives you have pictured are ugly

Coming from a guy with a Nessmuk Trio as his avatar... Ha!:thumbup:

I heard you like the bone, brother.

 

[sodak]

A choilectomy:


Before.


After.

That's a ricasso, not a choil....

 

[Fiddleback]

Pit, I think you're dead on with the lengths, etc. A 4.5" handle is the smallest full size handle I do. I do a lot of smaller knives, but 4.5 is the smallest full size.

I prefer 4" blades. You get a lot of control at the tip for knives 4" and under in blade length. After 4", I jump up to a chopper in my gear selection. Machete, or small hatchet.

My handles tend to be thick and my blades thin. Both facilitate the knife working hard at cutting, particularly.

 

[Halberdier]

This is my list. Mostly covered by others.

4-5" blade, 3/16-1/4" thick, full tang
Spine straight and full thickness as close to the tip as possible
Indestructible handle, like riveted and epoxied micarta
Tough steel, but easy to sharpen in the field
Lanyard hole
Solid and very secure sheath.

 

[tidefan]

While I've noticed that most folks are down sizing, I have gone the opposite direction. For years I carried a cutting trio including a hatchet, small fixed blade, and folder. They work well and I only had one situation where I had a problem and it changed my way of looking at this.

I lost my hatchet when my kayak flipped in rapids. I had a torn ACL and 2 fractured fingers from this as well. Whta I learned is that a large knife can stand alone and excel as an outdoor knife while a small knife, when you are limited to one hand is extremely limited.

I could not baton and chopping with a bushcraft blade is a gigantic waste of energy. I dont agree with the whole batoning thing anyway, but that's just my opinion.

After 3 hours, my brother found me but it was getting dark and cold fast. I watched my brother use his 1/4" thick, 9 1/2" blade to damn near clear a small forest, make fuzz sticks, spark a ferro rod, build a fire and a debris hut for 2, all in about 1 hour.

That made me a believer in the saying " a big blade can do small jobs, but a small blade usually can't do big jobs". I know most will disagree with this, but next time you go woods bumming, try using your small knife with one arm and see how it works for you. It may prove to be what you like and need. For me, I just bought a Swamprat M9 and that will be my outdoor blade I'm guessing for a loooong time.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Don't worry buddy, you are among friends here.:thumbup:

GO BIG or...... hmm... well, go small, I guess.



I found this little guy crawling up the inside of my leg... parasites:grumpy:

So I dug it out with this...

Rick

 

[cody1]

Nice thread. Going with the OP. i would say 5/32" stock is thick enough. I prefer .125"(or thinner) on 4" and under blades. I prefer a convex grind, either convex scandi, or full convex. Full flat with convex edge is good also. NO CHOILS! Large choppers, 10", can be .25" thick, but I prefer a hatchet for wood processing. IMO, they work better when in the woods and around here in Colorado. In the desert I prefer a longer bladed chopper, because of the different types of plants encountered..No hard fast rules! Haven't spent time in a jungle. I like Wood as my handle material. Micarta is my favorite synthetic. Carbon steel, particularly O-1, is my favorite. I love it's performance, and I like watching the patina develope. 3V is quickly rising, however. That about covers it..

 

[shockjockey24]

Hey KGD, what kind of folding saw do you have there? It looks really useful size wise and actually has a bigger blade than most folding saws. Thanks

 

[Myal]

I like a natural handle , Im partial to wood or horn
I like a handle thats big enough for my hand , especially on a larger knife , a folder or smaller blade I dont need as big a handle on .
on a larger blade , I dont like thick , I think 1/4 inch is seriously plenty, I dont like thick on smaller ones either ( personal preference ) .
I like hi carbon steels , unless I want something a ltitle indestructable ... then Ill make something out of high speed steel , recycle one of them heavy duty power hacksaw blades , something about that steel that is for me a little addictive ..
Im not fussy about full tang or stick tang .
At the moment , I have a thing for hand made knives out of recycled materials .

 

[HandofCod]

Any knife over 12 or 13 oz is going to get left behind most of the time.
The smaller a knife the easier it is to use, even 4.5" can be too long sometimes.
The stainless on fallknivens are a blessing in very damp conditions.
Comfortable handle design will count more than blade design with extended use.
Synthetic rubberised handles tend to pick up dirt and sap that is nearly impossible to scrub off completely.
A2 is tough and holds an edge great but you have to expect a health patina just from holding it.

 

[Gaurdian_A1]

Its interesting to see all of the different opinions and such on this thread. I think i have a simple taste in knives compared to most.

For instance, i LOVE my spyderco g10 bushy..that scandi grind promotes awesome control of the blade and the handle is very comfortable, no hot spots.

on the other hand, i am perfectly content and happy with my ESEE 3, 4, 5 or 6...the choils also promote good blade control when used properly and allows you to safely choke up on the blade if need be. Sure the 5 is 1/4 inch thick, but with the better edge geometry that I put onto the blade, it performs more like my ESEE 6, but with more weight!

thin knives are nice ( like the ESEE 3) but i like having the extra strength of thicker knives, personally. But whats funny is that the knife i carry with me most is my ESEE 3..The thinnest of the bunch. Actions speak louder than words i guess!

-G1

 

[Diomedes Industries]

Choils are waste of blade space.

Handles MUST be over 4 inches with 4.5 or 4.75 inches optimal.

3/16th spine with is all I need.

4 inch blades are pretty much optimal.

Comfortable handles are nearly more important than blade.

A neutral grip is better than a over contoured grip.

Blade and edge geometry are more important than having a sharp edge that will fail.

Looks mean very little. They are nice to have but you should never sacrifice performance.

Chopper's make little sense to me. Use a saw, carry an axe, or modify your techniques.

Scandi or Convex edges - the rest are great - but not as usable for bushcraft.

I don't understand serrated edges or partially serrated edges for bushcraft.

Blade coatings seem to simply get in the way of sharpening a blade.

Blade steel means a lot less than proper heat treat. If the steel being used is properly heat treated to the application - almost any good steel works just fine.

I like a lanyard tube - but I never use it. For some reason I just like the option.

TF

 

[CM_Rick]

When it comes to a survival or bush knife, the design must be as functional as possible. IMO, the blade should be equally as good at chopping as it is at batoning, carving, skinning, and anything else you would do in the woods WHILE SURVIVING.

Shape- Must be functional. The point must be able to drill. I don't care if it is straight spine, drop point, spear point, or whatever if it drills it works. My knife (T1 Tracker), which I consider to be the best survival knife design, has three specific shapes. The front end has a curvature that is perfect for skinning, carving out wood bowls, and chopping (the curve is a lot like a hatchet's edge). The fore end is a straight carving blade w/out a choil. The transition is a quarter rounder which is great for smoothing off arrow shafts.

Grind- A high flat grind has the optimal edge geometry. Only other grind I recommend is a scandi. Hollow and full flat grinds don't retain edge well enough IMO, and convex grinds are for axes and hatchets.

Steel- 1095 COATED. If you have an uncoated blade in a survival situation, you better be carrying some oil. Also having a coating might mean getting less oil in the food you skin, slice, or cut up with your knife.

Length- 5-6" is best. Any more than that and it becomes more of a weapon than a tool. But, this brings up a point. In certain areas of the world that have certain predators lurking around, I wouldn't be caught without a blade with a length of 7-9".

Thickness- 1/4" is best for overall use. Some say it is too thick and heavy, but I like it for its strength and weight. With the weight you get good momentum or inertia in the swing for a deep cut. With a high flat grind, you don't need to worry about breaking off the tip either.

Saw- Some people don't like having a saw, but it does make making fig4deadfalls easier, and notching a fire-board easier too.

Handle- The handle design is just as important as the blade design. Ergonametry is of the highest importance. Should be designed for a minimum of 2 hand positions, 3 is best. The choil is not useful with a well designed handle. Micarta grips only fastened by screws with a lanyard hole.

Sheath- I am in the process of finding (or making) the perfect sheath. I like nylon tactical molle sheaths for their practicality. My problems with them are their lack of a tight fit. I like leather, but they do not have the carrying capacity or attachability that nylon tactical sheaths have. I am disliking kydex more and more everyday. Scout carry is my preference. If you've not tried it, it is very addictive. It must be attachable with molle straps for easy put-on take-off and attachment versatility.

A great site for edge geometry info http://backyardbushman.com/?page_id=13 some might confuse a scandi grind with a high flat