Question regarding blade length

What blade length

  • 4"

  • 4 1/2"

  • 5"

Results are only viewable after voting.
My choice for pretty much the same reasons as yours was the Buck 105 Pathfinder.

I went with the 5-inch blade because it can do everything in camp I might want to do, from slicing open packages to preparing food, but it can also span large-ish pieces of wood if needed for batoning (something I've not done with that blade, having used a hatchet instead, or a Kershaw Camp 10), and it's been useful while hunting and fishing to field dress and butcher deer, sheep, fish, and other critters. The knife weighs about 4.1 ounces, and the sheath about 3.5 ounces, for a total weight of about 7.6 ounces. By the way, the Buck 105 has 4.5-inches of cutting edge, and the tiny ricasso is too small to rest anything but a fingertip upon.

Oh but I bought that thing a long, long time ago. Nowadays, there are a bewildering number of other decent choices, too. Good luck in your quest.
 
I would prefer 5" easily, maybe even a little longer, since that's what I'm used to, especially for food prep. I think something like a 5" spear point, like a Kephart, is one of my favorites. I've really started to appreciate the efficiency of larger blades as I've started expanding my culinary skills, as long as the area your cutting on/in allows for such a thing.

The top one, the JK mud turtle, is pretty high on the list, but I also like my bush brute design a lot as it's better for food prep and fire prep, what I use a knife for more around the house and when I'm outside. It would probably trim back trees better as well and the weight penalty isn't a lot. But, it's over 5" and the mud turtle (Kephart style blade for sure) is very capable.
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I love the balance of shorter blades but I always end up gravitating to something larger and have really settled on 5" being my pick for outdoor "everything" knives. Lately, it's been an even bigger knife with a small or medium size folder, but if it's just one knife, probably something like the mud turtle.
 
My brother, our Dad and myself used to camp when we were in the 10-13 year old range. Dad laid out a group of knives to choose from. I picked a Wm Rogers with a 5 1/2-6"blade and my brother picked a Case slim 4" that i believed was called a Finn.(?) About the size of a Buck 102.
We both did everything needed around the camp site and had a good time.
Also... batonning was unheard of for us, dad had a 24" axe/large hatchet for that.
 
My SRK is 6” but I suppose a 5” blade is fine too. Around 6-7” is the maximum that a knife can still feel agile for me. Anything above 7”, you might as well grab a 12”++ chopper. I too am not a big fan of batoning unless absolutely necessary and I had no other tool or choice.

Nothing against 4” knives though. That’s a great blade length too for a belt knife.

2-3” is my preference for pocket carry.
 
I guess it all depends on the day? Most days, I don't carry a fixed blade - I just carry a folder (opening boxes, etc.), and not a very big one. When I carry a fixed blade it is a boot knife (can't get to gun for some reason) or machete or hatchet (some branch is in my way). Boot knives I prefer sorta long.
 
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DangerZone98 said:
My SRK is 6” but I suppose a 5” blade is fine too. Around 6-7” is the maximum that a knife can still feel agile for me. Anything above 7”, you might as well grab a 12”++ chopper. I too am not a big fan of batoning unless absolutely necessary and I had no other tool or choice.

Nothing against 4” knives though. That’s a great blade length too for a belt knife.

2-3” is my preference for pocket carry.
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You might like the SRK-C, :). It's a pretty portable littld knife for having a 5" blade. Lot of knaf for the weight.

Both are good knives, IMO, especially in orange.

Back when they were all new. I've gifted the sk5 ones away (I think) but kept the 3V ones and probably use the C the mostly around the backyard between the 2 sizes.
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Over 50% chose 4 inchers. Now this knife is strapped to your hip while out in God's wild blue yonder. But let's say you have a Fiskers hatchet as well.
 
All around use "where"? Urban, rural, camp, survival? Assuming it's a fixed blade & survival or around camp, I chose 5" but I would actually prefer a 6" blade for that. Actually, my OKC RAT 7 is my perfect survival knife & I have Busses & more expensive ones. Urban carry I usually have a 3.5" folder or fixed on me. Decent poll, just not enough choices or details.
 
Ah, well now, a hatchet. That changes things. If I went fixed, I'd still carry my Buck 105. But now I might just carry my favorite folder that's almost like a fixed blade, Cold Steel's XL Voyager in clip point. Yeah, I could baton with it, but if I had a hatchet, not likely. The primary advantage of the folder is that it takes up less space to carry and doesn't require a sheath.

 
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