Need help, complete newbie analysis paralysis

[shinyedges]

I'm torn, I love the cutting performance of thinner blades. .118 thou spine thickness of that knife probably (don't know edge thickness, but let's assume it's sufficiently thin) lends it self to being an excellent cutter.

On the other hand, I like to be rough with my knives, occasionally pry off pieces of wood for kindling in my fireplace, crank on random things. Yes I know, I could have multiple things for different tasks, but why? I can carry a full height flat ground infi ratmandu at .185 thou with a stupid thin edge put on by my edge pro apex 4 that cuts very well, and can easily handle rough use. Cut a burger cleanly in half? Check. Baton gnarly wood? Check. Make nice wood shavings? Check? Bend back to true after prying frozen wood apart? Check.

For my uses, and (bad) habits I prefer a stouter blade. Now I draw the line at serious loss in cutting performance. As in painfully inefficient wood shaving.

Don't get me wrong I have thinner knives as well, I just keep gravitating toward a little stouter because I am rougher on my knives. Philosophy of use I suppose.

 

[tiguy7]

The Smurfs figured it out.View attachment 1745966View attachment 1745967

 

[RousingRabbles]

I’m a little confused by this statement. Do you mean the location of the balance point of the knife? If so, I’m aware that many people like a knife that balances near the guard, but on larger knives most people would prefer blade-heavy.

Do you mean handles shouldn’t be so heavy that the balance point is behind the index finger? I get that if so…

The way I interpret that statement is that the balance should feel like the knife is lighter than it is and easier to wield. At least that's how I've always used it. I think it's a mixture of where the center of balance is, the ergonomics, and the overall size. Best example I have experienced was the Carothers Basic Field Knife. Not a small knife and not a skeletonized tang, but it felt much lighter in the hand due to it's ergonomics and balance. A lot of people prefer a skeletonized tang to make the knife lighter, but I'd imagine it would have made that knife even less comfortable, but that's just my two cents.

 

[scdub]

Knife 1.) in the field game processing and skinning
Knife 2.) survival, camping, back up.
I understand strength and weight probably come hand in hand, but what is a good mix of rigidity and lightweight/comfortable?

Can I get both in one package understanding 2. Is a worst case scenario?

In general, and depending on season/location/weather, etc.etc., I feel that the more clothing/shelter I’m carrying, the less knife/saw/axe weight I should carry (since I shouldn’t need to make a shelter or sustain a fire to stay in warm). I like to have options and generally carry different combos, but if counting ounces, in the fairly mild climates I’m usually in, these are some light weight options:

Silky F-180, Scrap Yard WS-1020, Shosui Takeda Kogatana.

The above is the lightest knife that I’d consider carrying as my only cutting tool on a long hike without a shelter/sleeping bag (and honestly I always have at least 3 cutting tools in the woods)... Scrap Yard AD-6, with a regrind by David Mary .

 

[Ebbtide]

On balance....
Small knives should be handle heavy so they sit in your hand.
When the tool "sits" in your hand it is easier to control.
That also allows you to use your thumb and index fingers without putting the knife down.

Full tang, stick tang, skeleton tang, all different means to the same end.
More about manufacturing ease and cost than end use.
And marketing.
We can't forget marketing.

Stick tangs when steel was at a premium and hand fitting wasn't an issue.
Now that we have water jets and accessible quality steel, the hand work is at a minimum so full tangs rule for ease of manufacture.
Well, that and injection molded plastic/rubber/krapton.

Forget the survival knife.
Get yourself a Dozier and a packable saw like the SvenSaw or the What-A-Saw.

K-9 Personal Utility

 

[Deino]

Battle swords and blades across the time, world and cultures have hidden tang. Knives across the hunting cultures have hidden tang. Even contemporary blades and similiar tools, let say something work under constant impact like the chisels, use hidden tang. They all work fine, despite many of them were made of factually less quality and consistency materials compare to today standard.

Full length and width tang is strong if weight is not an issue, it is a bonus, but otherwise redundant.