RC-4 vs. RC-6 for bushcraft

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ShooterMcgavin

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Jan 20, 2008
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It seems that lots of people here love and recommend the RC-4 for bushcraft. However, with possible batoning in mind, wouldn't the RC-6 be a better overall option? In a backpacking, wilderness, or even survival situation, what advantage does the 4 have over the 6? Which would you prefer to have along?
 
ShooterMcgavin said:
It seems that lots of people here love and recommend the RC-4 for bushcraft. However, with possible batoning in mind, wouldn't the RC-6 be a better overall option? In a backpacking, wilderness, or even survival situation, what advantage does the 4 have over the 6? Which would you prefer to have along?
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The 4 weighs less, carries better (I like horizontal carry), and will most likely be with you during a given "situation" for those reasons. The 4 does fine with batoning as long as you know how to do it, and it is much easier to manipulate for various types of cuts. Don't get me wrong, I love my 6, but in answer to your question I think the 4 is the better way to go for general bushcrafting. But at the end of the day, both will work fine as long as you know what you are doing.
 
For me, the 6 excels at being able to baton larger wood than the 4. That's about it.

As said, I like the 4 because it is light enough yet strong enough to do some of those harder tasks. I think I might have even batoned with mine before I tried cutting cordage with it or whatever. Both great knives, like them both a lot.
 
Chopping is also a strong point of the 6. When I got mine it seemed very light and I assumed it woulden't be a great chopper, but after using it to turn some think limbs into more managable peices I changed my mind.

If you want to shorten limbs for a shelter or something, it can also be done with the 4...You could baton a notch out of the limb and then snap it.
 
I agree with DH1 on those points. Both knives are balanced well and won't hold a candle to a machete or larger blade (like the Junglas) when it comes to chopping. However with it comes to chopping, batoning these smaller blades is always an option and in many cases is more precise than chopping.
 
When it comes to chopping, and if the limitation is between the 4 and 6, wouldn't the 5 be a more obvious choice for that task? And I seriously am asking this, no matter how dumb or redundant it seems
 
styx said:
When it comes to chopping, and if the limitation is between the 4 and 6, wouldn't the 5 be a more obvious choice for that task? And I seriously am asking this, no matter how dumb or redundant it seems
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The only thing the 5 offers is a thicker blade. Unless they're really heavy, any blade 6" or under isn't that great at chopping IMO. I don't think it's so much the thickness or weight of the blade as much as it is length in my experience. The added length gives the advantage of blade speed when chopping. Think of if as two different 22 oz knives. One of them 6" blade and 1/4 thick and the other a 22 oz machete with an 18" blade. Same weight, but the mechanical advantage of the length of the machete will win every time.

Not a stupid question at all. Some people would rather carry a heavier chopper, but a lighter machete may very well do the same job better. All about preference.
 
Well I know that I'm getting a 6, just thinking over if the rat pack kit will help me out or not.
But see questions like that do arise. That's also in the debate why the machete is better than an ax? Simply more versatile. But the physics in your explanation i can actually understand. And now I'm gonna shut up because I'll start rambling about why it is correct
 
I have a couple Izulas and a 5 and a 6. I went out to try batoning some firewood with the 5 and the 6 and was amazed how much weight the 5 had in chopping. The 6 is a slight bit longer, but the extra weight in the 5 did a lot of the chopping. For me, the 6 was better at batoning (extra inch made a difference), but the 5 wins in chopping.
 
That's because the length difference of 0.5 inches can't make up 4.2 oz of weight difference. To me personally it doesn't look like much, but if I'm used to metric. So in that sense it is more than enough to make a difference (I'm regrettably a physics student so that's why it makes sense to me at least)
 
According to ESEE, the RC5 is designed as an SERE knife.
The smaller counterpart to the 5 would likely be the HEST.

The 6 is a great knife, but the 4 seems to have a very large following as a good all-around knife.
For much bushcraft, (traps, triggers, making smaller tools like fishhooks, etc.) a very small blade is fine - Moras, Izulas, even many folders etc. work great in this arena.

Best chopper is, of course, an axe or hatchet.
 
The RC-4/ESEE-4 is closer in size to what people consider a prototypical "bushcraft" knife. However, to me, "bushcraft" is just as over used a term as "tactical". Neither is truly or technically a bushcraft knife.

The 6 will be a better knife for batoning if you are using larger wood but I find that when I am on the trail, I never use wood larger than about wrist size and the 4 is completely sufficient for that. I really like the 4 as an all around knife. When I want something larger, I usually reach for a machete. So, I guess what I am saying is that, since you have to choose one or the other, I would pick the 4.
 
I have the RC-4 and have been second guessing my purchase for a bit now. The 4 is lighter than the 6, but not by much. It's just a bit easier to carry. I live in a wet part of the country, and that's my main concern. I'm thinking that, if you need to find dry wood for a fire, larger wood will have more inner wood that is dry. Larger wood requires a larger knife.

However, I do very much like the size of the RC-4 for general outdoors tasks.
 
Pretty much what every one else said except I like the RC-4's sheath much better. But I like kydex over the molded plastic. That and the fact there are many times I dont want a "big" knife. The RC-6 feels bigger than it is due to the choil area.
 
I really enjoy the RC-6 and use it more often but under the caveat that it is typically paired with a small knife like an RC-3 or one of my customs in that size range. I love the RC-6 but its not my favorite for really fine chores. Still, and RC-3/6 pairing is great for just about anything I want to do from whittling to wood prep. That is a goto combo for me.

Mind you, I like the four and there are times when you just want a smaller, one knife solution and it does that in spades. I simply find myself more often then not preferring the two blade combo.
 
I don't have the 6 yet,,,but man do I ever want one. But the RC4 I have is definitely a great knife for field craft as long as chopping isn't a priority....and the same can be said of the RC3.
 
I just beat the hell out of my RC-4 today (well it could've gone through more :D) and it took it like a man. I definitely say the RC-4 can do anything the RC-6 can. The RC-6 isn't a chopper and neither is the RC-4 so the only advantage in the RC-6 is a slightly longer blade/handle. The 4 batons just fine. You'd be better off getting a machete if you're looking for a longer knife (it's what I'm going to do ;)).
 
I use my six often. It's great when you can't or don't want to bring a machete. If you can and do, pair it with a four.

I consider the four a good small side of a pair, and the six a good large end of a pair
 
AKnife said:
I just beat the hell out of my RC-4 today (well it could've gone through more :D) and it took it like a man. I definitely say the RC-4 can do anything the RC-6 can. The RC-6 isn't a chopper and neither is the RC-4 so the only advantage in the RC-6 is a slightly longer blade/handle. The 4 batons just fine. You'd be better off getting a machete if you're looking for a longer knife (it's what I'm going to do ;)).
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Chopping isn't the forte of the 6, but the RC-4 truly sucks at it. You can chop through things with the 6 that you can't really tackle with the 4. You can baton through 5" logs which is substantial while the 4 is limited to 3. Circumstances, its all about circumstances. What can the 6 do that the 4 can't, there are quite a few things.

I do like them both, but the 6 opens doors while the four keeps you in the room sometimes.
 
I bought my 4 for "bushcraft" but more often use my 3. :)

For making triggers on traps, fine tinder making, etc... I like a shorter blade. I will never carry anything larger than a 4. (my preference).

I think far too much importance is placed on batoning. I have yet to have an issue with my RC4 and baton with my Izula and my 3 (Moras too if needed). In MY opinion, you dont need to baton anything much larger than that. A 3 or 4 will get you to dry core wood for scrapings and can get you some nice dry sticks to get a fire going. Beyond that... EH.

But hey, its your blade... sell your 4 and get whatever YOU like.
 
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