Selecting best length for survival fixed blade.

[David Mary]

I also voted >8"

 

[coolbreezy37]

Facts. Partridge is the best, stand on wings and pull up on both legs.

Never experienced partridge. Rabbit and squirrel I’ve dealt with for small game. I heard partridge and similar is easy. I need a proper bird gun. I’m only set up for turkey.

 

[shinyedges]

Never experienced partridge. Rabbit and squirrel I’ve dealt with for small game. I heard partridge and similar is easy. I need a proper bird gun. I’m only set up for turkey.

Rabbit skin is paper thin, and while warm can be removed with little effort with bare hands. Opening the abdomen for gut removal can be easily done by hand as well.

The only worth while meat on a partridge is the breast, the method I mentioned earlier de-breasts the partridge in seconds with no mess.

 

[coolbreezy37]

Rabbit skin is paper thin, and while warm can be removed with little effort with bare hands. Opening the abdomen for gut removal can be easily done by hand as well.

The only worth while meat on a partridge is the breast, the method I mentioned earlier de-breasts the partridge in seconds with no mess.

I should give partridge a shot (no pun intended). I haven’t been out in the field for years. It’s like riding a bike though, I’ll never forget.

 

[DocJD]

I'd take 8 to 13in blade for wooded north america. Big can do small but small can't do big. 8 years of living an hour north of the 45th parallel in the woods, where its a 60 to 70mile round trip to the nearest grocery store will teach you much. Farm, hunt, you know... the dirty fun stuff

I prefer a big chopper / heavy machete plus a small knife , if only knives allowed .

Hard to imagine why you couldn't add a small knife , but not my thread . So I went with 6-8 for all purpose . Hard to chop with that length .

The "one knife " for everything never worked for me .

 

[MarkN86]

I think if having a folder, locking or non, and a big blade were an option, that's the way I would definitely go. It really makes things easier. One knife makes you compromise and decide which is most important.

 

[shinyedges]

This ain't my kids pet lol Dinner anyone?

 

[King of the Cheese]

Sorry, I missed this for my above reply.
Out of curiosity, why am I unpacking my axe or hatchet, other tools, and leaving my bows, arrows or muzzleloaders and ML equipment, fishing gear, lighter and lighter fluid, pocket knives, and everything else at home?
Did my brain fall out or get turned off somehow?

Anything can happen. Let’s pretend your plane crashed into a lake in Alaska and you were only able to get out with the knife.

 

[Blackfish775]

Sorry, I missed this for my above reply.
Out of curiosity, why am I unpacking my axe or hatchet, other tools, and leaving my bows, arrows or muzzleloaders and ML equipment, fishing gear, lighter and lighter fluid, pocket knives, and everything else at home?
Did my brain fall out or get turned off somehow?

To facilitate argu... Discussion.

 

[King of the Cheese]

I chose 6 to 8" , but I would normally prefer at least a two-knife option , and /or hatchet , saw etc .

I'd not , by choice , ever set out with only one cutting tool . It's a serious compromise and can't possibly do everything very well .

Except of course , the mighty 4Max .

But seriously though.. could you imagine a 4max as a fixed blade? Maybe add an inch to the blade, straighten out the handle, keep the same blade shape? Oh yeah! That’s the stuff!

 

[King of the Cheese]

To facilitate argu... Discussion.

I don’t doubt the signal flare went up to bring some interested in the former. Yourself included. If you’re not here to discuss the topic, the irony is thick in your comment.

 

[shinyedges]

I should give partridge a shot (no pun intended). I haven’t been out in the field for years. It’s like riding a bike though, I’ll never forget.

Good eating, if you catch them in a tree, if you use a .22 you can get most of them lol They are not bright, and will stay put even after a few friends suddenly fall out the tree

 

[King of the Cheese]

Good eating, if you catch them in a tree, if you use a .22 you can get most of them lol They are not bright, and will stay put even after a few friends suddenly fall out the tree

Careful with the brains.

 

[353]

Had to take out my A1 to measure the blade for this one.

It's slightly above 6" so I'm in the 6-8" camp, wich seems to be pretty popular in this poll.

 

[Black Oak Bladeworks]

If I could only have one, with no other gear I think would error on the larger side. 6-8 would get my vote.

 

[Bob Denman]

Run with the big dogs, or stay on the porch!

 

[scdub]

What can you do with a large knife I can’t do with an LT Wright?

Chop down trees.

You said “long term”, so I’ll be using up the easily gathered firewood pretty quickly.

And you said “no axes/hatchets”, implying that an axe might be a useful thing to have.

If I’m wanting an axe/hatchet, but only have a knife, I want a knife that can act like a hatchet.

 

[Boru13]

How many calories are you going to expend cleaning a squirrel with a 14” knife that weighs 2 pounds?

Not nearly as many as you will performing the bold below.

How many shelters do you need to build that I can’t build using a 4.5” knife in a hacking motion? I can do far more with a medium sized blade than you can with a massive one.

 

[Bob Denman]

If I’m wanting an axe/hatchet, but only have a knife, I want a knife that can act like a hatchet.

... and a shovel, and prybar too!

 

[King of the Cheese]

Not nearly as many as you will performing the bold below.

Well I’m sure I’d be doing more fine cutting tasks than I would be cutting down trees. I wouldn’t exactly be building a log cabin… maybe I make a lean-to with some branches and call it a day.