Most efficient blade shape for a big wilderness knife?

A large wilderness knife needs to be light enough to be carried without a hassle and it also needs to be able to serve you in more than one way. A khukri can chop and defend you from whatever is out there but when I camp I'm also usually hunting and a Khuk can't really skin although it could seperate hip material VERY quicky :). I usually carry a 9" blade Bowie because it has enough belly for slicing and it can get most jobs done. I have smaller 3 1/2" blade for stuff like skinning and when I'm bored, whittling. So the knife blade is only as important as it's intended uses. In other words, you won't go on a pig sticking hunt with a 2" neck knife. Necessity is very imortant. So the most efficent knife for one chore might be dead last in line for another one.:)
 
having recently used their brown bear combo on a hunting trip i would think that this smaller package would do just about anything you might need to get done. the larger rounded tip cleaver did an excellent job as a chopper, skinner with enough weight to cleave bone and wood, could use it to dig a hole, and is about as tough as you would want. the smaller cub bear blade performed superbly as a caping and small all around knife, the carbide sharpener included in the setup worked as advertised. since this unconventional setup is much more compact than a very large knife you can have it at hand easily, it will travel on your belt or in your pack with ease.

i would reccommend that you consider this option especially if you plan on a hunting trip where you would need to break down big animals, do a lot of skinning.

alex
 
I would say either a modified spear point or a drop point. Either of these two blade styles can accomplish most everything. However, the khukri would also be great. But I would stick with my first two choices, preferably the drop point of a bowie type knife.
 
I would say that it would be the one you are most comfortable with. Take several types out on a trip with you sometime and see how you like the way they perform. Try doingthe kind of tasks you would expect it to be able to do.

If you are going to be doing a major trip, I would suggest a couple of work-up trips. Though I know I am preaching to the choir here.:D

Personally, I have found that I like to have an HI Khukuri, a smaller knife like a Strider AD. Depending on where I am going, a good military grade field knife works well for me too.

Having an SAK or a multitool in your gear never hurts either. The smaller knives get used more often in my experience, but a big knife is important to have JIC.
 
One of the nice things about knives is you can carry a lot of them. It'd take an insane number of decent sized knives to encumber you significantly if you know how to carry them, and different types do different things better. I'd go with the Kukhuri for compact efficient chopping, and a drop point skinner for just about everything else.
If I had to pick one blade for wood survival, it'd have to be a bowie, you can't argue with over a century of use. It's been around longer than centerfire cartridges, for christ's sake, and still going strong. A good one is damn near indestructable, can skin, chop kindling, shave bark, and in a pinch be made into a boar spear.
Sure, you can tack on all kinds of widgets, cadgets, special serrations, etc, but for toughness, and utility, you can't beat a Bowie.
 
98% of cutting tasks can be achieved with a relatively small blade. The other 2% requires more specialised tools to get the job done efficiently. Which tool is dictated by what work needs to be done in the particular location. Axe, machete or saw cover most senarios.

One big wilderness blade is a huge compromise at the best of times. A big 9 inch plus blade such as a Busse BM, may seem just the thing when setting out. But once real extended work starts you'll wish you had a more specialised tool. A big blade that can tackle a tree trunk will be exhausting on leafy vegitatin. Longer heavier blades make a dogs dinner of most smaller tasks. If you are traveling by foot, their weight goes agaist them big time.

However, I love big blades. I just enjoy using them. Around the house, in camp or from a truck they have their place and very useful they are too. Its just that I doubt that you would find me in the middle of nowhere with one. I think they have been completely oversold as the utimate, must have, you'll die if you don't have one tool.

Check your history books, search adventure footage, travel programmes and see how often big blade and wilderness match up. Small blade, axe, machete and saw match forestry and jungle work better.

My ideal big blade would be 14 and a bit inches long with a slight reverse curve. A little like my out of production Blackjack Marauder II, only a little more refined.
 
I think the khukri is the most efficient. chopping, skinning, carving, fine cutting, defensive. the khukri covers all the bases.

I can't afford one now so I just got a hvy 1/4" thick cleaver.

so right now that is very efficient ax/knive very versatile

but the khukri is the one for me.
 
Folks,

Your thoughts have helped greatly to refine my ideas.

I like the looks of a straight clip point, but I think the ropped point may be a little better.

Thank you.

GreenJacket- Your comments have proved particuarly insightful, thank you.
 
I've been having a bit of a dig a big knives in recent posts; even though I do enjoy using them.

One point I didn't put across was the large knives used years ago. Frontiersmen, adventurers, soldiers and explorers as often as not would pack some good sized butchering knives. Of various shapes, sizes and differing qualities they found many uses and were highly prized. When there was a good few mouths to feed large animals were butchered on the spot for the pot. These large knives were the same taken into the wilderness. Shefield made them by the ship load for export across the world. Best quality, often German, hunting knives went out also but in small quantities. Later, more ornate knives were made; some home grown and some imported. When the sword was obsolete, there was still good reason to have a good knife. The Bowie and others even became fashion items. Ten inch big knives, but not built like battle ships.

If you look at most of these old timers you will notice that few are overly built. There are the odd heavy weights, but most are fairly light and as often as not well balanced. The carbon steels used weren't bad stuff and take very keen edges. The stock was never that thick. Yep, they can be found a little bent, sometimes buckled and often missing their points; but nearly always the edge retains the potential to be keen. A blade in those days was for cutting.

A Roman soldier carried a similar weight of equipment as a modern day soldier. In the baggage train heavy duty equipment would go with the skilled engineers in support. Personal knives weren't for digging, chopping, and prying. The wheel hasn't been reinvented. Its a very modern thing of individual egoes that we keep on pushing the idea that one man can be tooled up to such a extent that he can overcome anything. A few specialist nutters do achieve remarkable feats, but generaly the worst can be overcome through the combined effort of many. Expeditions are a team event. Solo jaunts still require a backup team and extensive research to have any chance of success. KISS rules and that goes for knives. The unbreakable survival knife is a fairly new fangled phenomenon and a specialist piece of kit. My increasing view is that unless you know you need the build strength of a survival blade, then don't burden yourself with their disadvantages.
 
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