thoughts on fixed blades

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Mar 22, 2006
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There has been countless Threads during my tenor here about the suitability of one knife verses another...in regards to use outdoors...I think there are numerous factors that contribute to this, the primary one which has been stated by others before is what the primary uses of a knife would be..SOme people would consider battoning and other heavy chores to be the work of a fixed blade others would not, there is nothing wrong with either perspective but I feel it brings forth a dichotomy of personalities within the forum. Which seems to be the survivalist vs the outdoorsman. The survivalist perspective seems to include the notion that a knife might be your only tool, while the other perspective assumes that they might have several specialized tools for given tasks..Namely an axe or a saw.etc. This is not to say that a survivalist is not an outdoorsman or vice versa. (just a semantic or perspective issue) So while a shelter could be made with just a knife one might attempt it and the other might use different tool to cut supports, or firewood might be able to obtained with just a knife but another person might use an axe..Anyway this is nothing new, and I'm beating a dead horse,,,but I think the recognition of this dual perspective can give insight on to the variation in individual opinions over what is an appropriate fixed blade...Some one who carries a bk-9 probably won't have an axe someone who carries a mora might and should.

So here are some basic thoughts on knives for each perspective
Survival knife Qual.
Thick spine
Drop point
Full tang
convex grind
Carbon or high end stainless or laminate steel
grip larger than the width of the palm that is comfortable
lanyard hole
5+inch blade
maybe a ricasso to allow the user to choke up on the blade for detailed work.

outdoorsman knife qual
Thinner spine (designed for slicing)
Full tang is preferred but not nec .
drop or slightly clippped point
scandi or flat grind
carbon or quality stainless
shorter comfy handle
3-4inch blade

well that's all I got for now (untill I have my coffee) any thoughts or want to add to any of the list by all means feel free. Cheers .
 
Over the years my thoughts have changed on what I want in a field knife. A knife that can be used for all general cutting including food prep, but also be stout enough and properly made to handle some abuse.

I don't carry so large and thick a knife much anymore, though I still like using a big chopper. As little as two years ago I would take a heavy 9" bladed knife on every backpacking trip. I hauled a big knife over many miles, but I finally had to be honest with myself, I just wasn't using it. What saw all the use was the smaller knife on my belt.

But that's just me and where I go. For winter camping, or for people out in different conditions, they may have completely different needs.
 
I really like a knife that has a really fine edge. Like a fine convex, full flat grind, or scandi.

I pretty much don't like secondary bevels at all.

I like an egg shaped handle if I can get it where the area that presses against your palm when you whittle something is fairly wide so it distributes that backward pressure over a wider area where the other end where your fingers curl around can be much narrower. The palm swell is cool too but not as important to me than the overall width and shape. A narrow versus a thick handle on a blade is like night and day for me as far as comfort on extended cutting.

If possible on most knives I like the handle to also be long enough to where you don't need the ricasso area. I like the edge to come down to the handle almost. For that same reason I really dislike choil notches on blades under about 7". For me it removes your cutting leverage.


I totally understand the wide spine thing and batoning and have done it but I really do more food prep and fine cutting so about 1/8" or less is fairly ideal to me.

Those are the things I like in the blade:thumbup:
 
I think that folks who actually spend time outdoors know what knives work for them in their terrain. If I am walking well-used hiking trials, I may only need a pocket knife or maybe a Mora. If I am going down into the Altamaha River Swamps (Georgia's little Amazon) on foot through the thick stuff, a machete, bowie, or kukri is a very useful thing to have. A smaller swiss army knife and maybe a locking blade folder are useful as well. Here is one of my old low budget combos that worked well there.

Combo003.jpg


Here is an upgrade:

Combo008.jpg
 
I love my duo of the Bravo1 & PSK tandem so I have smaller blade for food prep and what not and the B1 to do heavier chores if needed, But I also love my RAT7 w/RC3 (wait to swap RAT7 w/RC6 upon release). but I have to many choices as well, chopweiler & RMD set-up or Dogfather & DM tandem or BK1 with RC3 + toss a SAK with any of them and nice to go package...
 
The Bravo-1 is a great knife. I have yet to take mine far into the bush, but I have tested in my yard and am impressed. Funny you should mention the Chopweiler. That is one big knife that works like a short machete and a small axe. Folks in the north woods might laugh at us for carrying big knives, but they are very useful for hacking through dense vegetation. Here is a swamp combo I am thinking about carrying next time.

Combo006.jpg
 
A couple of things to note.

Full tang is just plain bad in hard core cold weather.

I like a good thin edge. (Even though I'm getting more and more into the world of Busse...)

God help me.
 
Great pic HD ,I love my CHopweiler,excellent chopping factor for a 7.5" stout blade...and my wife laughs but I own and did this on purpose, OD Green Chopweiler,OD Green RMD & OD Green Swamp warden....I am thinking of maybe getting a shoulder sling sheath made to house the Trio but maybe that is going alittle over board...LOL !
 
A couple of things to note.

Full tang is just plain bad in hard core cold weather.

I like a good thin edge. (Even though I'm getting more and more into the world of Busse...)

God help me.

:thumbup: Cold weather I agree on a fully exposed tang, so In comes the Dog father & Dumpster mutt combo with the Resiprene C handle...;)
 
A couple of things to note.

Full tang is just plain bad in hard core cold weather.

I like a good thin edge. (Even though I'm getting more and more into the world of Busse...)

God help me.

I guess that steel does get pretty cold. Since it rarely dips below freezing where I am, there are many cold-related issues I have never delt with. The heat, the bugs, the brush, and the snakes and gators are a concern down here. May God have mercy on your dabbling in the Busse occult. It gets expensive!
 
I find myself of a similar opinion to hollowdweller and tknife. I use my smaller blades A LOT, while my larger one sits idle. I actually don't use my pocketknife as much while outdoors as the small fixed-although if I don't have a SAK or multitool I feel naked.

I usually carry my Becker Campanion-a little heavier than my Skookum but tough as heck and I can do so many things with it...not the best slicer but it gets the job done.

Ok, now I'm second guessing myself. Thinking back I actually realized I have been carrying Nick's knife or a 4 inch custom I bought from forum member Dmitry M. (check him out!) more than anything else recently. Haven't had to baton much last few times out but food prep is a constant!
 
I suppose by full tang, he meant exposed tang with scales, like the chopweiler and many other knives.
 
I always look at where I am going. Often the larger fixed blade rides in the pack while the small fixed or a folder rides on my person. One is for emergencies and one is for anticipated uses. It also matters in terms of duration of trip. I am more likely to take a large blade on a multi-day trip. Also its just what suits my fancy. One must always remember though, that it does you no good to have a large or small blade if you don't know how to use it, its characteristics. Sometimes a knife comes along for practice.
 
I'm an advocate of carrying two bladed tools (both, always, fixed, never, ever of the folding type): something for small, precise work and something else for chopping, splitting, batoning, kicking, and pretending to be a viking warlord. :D That way, you can have it all: a great tool for precision work, and a great tool for impact work. Of course, there's the weight thing, but that has never bothered me (and I'm not an enormously large or strong man at all, so if I can do it, anyone in decent condition can).

With respect to thickets and heavy vegetation, which one does sometimes meet even here in the northern woods, I prefer to go around than through it, and if I need to go through, I'll rather do it without chopping a trail up. I don't like leaving blatantly obvious traces like that, they bother me. In a jungle, I'd likely feel differently, but not over here. :)
 
I will say this, at a minimum, I have one locking folder, one SAK, and either a Mora or my RAT 3. I don't really stress about using the folders most of the time as they have served me well for so long. Occasionally the Mora or RAT gets traded out for my Pilots Survival or KaBar.
 
If it so cold that contact with a full-tang is a concern, chances are you'll have frostbite or worse before you even come in contact with it. If you have good gloves or mittens, full-tang is fine. I've never had a problem in bitter sub-zero temps. It's a theoretical concern, really, but not reality-based. I'm referring to exposed tang.
 
Every knife is a compromise of one sort or another and has to be geared toward your own individual needs !


I know this is a little off topic but Horndog if you are reading this please put some pics up of your great knife collection for all to see on here, I have seen them on the Yard forum but can't remember you ever posting them all on here !!!;):thumbup:
 
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