What Are Big Fixed Blade Knives For?

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dragonist2

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Nov 24, 2012
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I just bought a Becker BK7, and it's probably one of the coolest things I own. I've been trying to find ways to use it, and have been failing miserably. It seems that it is a jack of all trades, but master of none.

It can't chop as well as an axe or a machete.
It can't slice as well as a smaller knife such as a 3-4 inch fixed blade or a folder can.

Help me think of practical ways to use my BK7 and possibly even to justify buying more similar-sized knives in the future!

Thanks
 
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There are some around here that love a good chopper, Hell, I do but I'm in the same boat where there always seems to be a better tool for the job. My max is about 7" ( Don't tell my Rat 9) for large knives, after that I feel they are kind of cumbersome. If you want to pack 1 do it all knife I guess go big or go home. Large knives, especially those thicker that .25" get tiring to swing for long periods of time and many handles will have hot spots.

My personal preference is a kukri for a large blade. Again, it doesn't replace a hatchet but it chops better than your standard large knife IMO. I personally like a hatchet and a 4"-6" fixed blade. Sometimes I'll pack a kukri because they are a lot of fun! Large fixed blades are fun!
 
I don't have a BK7, but I do have a BK9 and a BK2. I like the 9 for chopping, wood splitting, and other camp tasks. It can compete with a machete if you reprofile it to chop better. Of course, with a different profile, a convex edge, you can peel tomatoes with it. Out of the box, it'll chop wood, split wood, can easily be used to clear brush. With a bit of work on your part, you can make it do anything you want.

In your shoes, I'd probably reprofile it to a convex edge so it would be more task friendly. The BK7 doesn't have the length or heft to replace my BK9, but it could be an ultimate camp knife.

Just my 02.

Chris
 
I use a 4-5.5" FB in addition to a chopper of at least 12'' length. In my experience, a 6-8 inch blade is too short to chop well and too long to skin/butcher game or do other fine detail work well. One thing a 7 would work great for is cutting brisket or ribs at your next barbeque.
 
I like 6 and 7 inch blades, a large utility knife. I don't hunt or have any self defense needs, its good for splitting 4 and 5 inch logs, some fire prep, shelter prep, decent for food prep. I think its a nice comfortable size for medium to large bush tasks.
 
dragonist2 said:
I just bought a Becker BK7, and it's probably one of the coolest things I own. I've been trying to find ways to use it, and have been failing miserably. It seems that it is a jack of all trades, but master of none.

It can't chop as well as an axe or a machete.
It can't slice as well as a smaller knife such as a 3-4 inch fixed blade or a folder can.

Help me think of practical ways to use my BK7 and possibly even to justify buying more similar-sized knives in the future!

Thanks
Click to expand...

Big Blades are da BEST! :thumbup:

Honestly though they just scratch an itch that an axe doesnt for me, also lets not get carried away the BK-7 is a medium sized blade :).
 
dragonist2 said:
I just bought a Becker BK7, and it's probably one of the coolest things I own. I've been trying to find ways to use it, and have been failing miserably. It seems that it is a jack of all trades, but master of none.

It can't chop as well as an axe or a machete.
It can't slice as well as a smaller knife such as a 3-4 inch fixed blade or a folder can.
Click to expand...

Precisely. But if you do not WANT to carry a hatchet, saw, knife, together on any given day, this is a good compromise. It can be a pain in the farticus maximus to hump everything around all the time.
 
I find the strongest points of big blades are their splitting capability and their mobility. If you're a hiker like me you will find that splitting wood (often necessary for fire in wet environments) with a large blade is much easier than using a hatchet when you don't have neatly shaped pieces of wood or a stable surface to work with. As far as chopping goes, I personally think it is an ineffective way of making crosscuts regardless of the tool used, a hatchet will do better than a knife for sure but a decent saw will outperform any hatchet by a far margin.

So big blades are almost a specialist item, since if you only ever need to split wood in a scenario where you have access to a chopping block and a full-size axe, then you probably won't have much use for them. However as far as firecraft in remote areas is concerned there is nothing better than a big blade paired with a good quality saw.
 
So we may thank him.

crocodile-dundee-1.jpeg
 
Other than a machete in a rain forest, I see no practical use for these large choppers as there are better tools in every case where a chopper might be used. I think they're mostly for the fun of owning one. To me, they're pointless.
 
CSG said:
Other than a machete in a rain forest, I see no practical use for these large choppers as there are better tools in every case where a chopper might be used. I think they're mostly for the fun of owning one. To me, they're pointless.
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if you're looking for the point, you should check the end of the knife

sorry, I couldn't resist.
 
A big knife can do everything a little knife can do, but a little knife can't do everything a big knife can do.

Better chopping performance if you don't have a saw or an axe (you should), more cutting power, more leverage for certain kinds of cuts (for instance if you're carving wood and want to use your free hand to support the spine), stronger, and better capability as a weapon.

That said, the only fixed blade I own with a blade longer than 7" is my Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri, at 12". I would rather it than any other big knife, which is why I bought it. I would like to pair it with a smaller blade that is better for detailed utility work.
 
My favorite big blade is a short Tramontina machete. Maybe a 14" bolo. I can clear brush for a camp site or clear shooting lanes. If I ever had to use a blade for defense, I'd want that machete on me. It weighs in at 11oz. and is easily carried into the woods.

Joe
 
I don't want to reduce this thread to a batoning vs hatchet discussion. I find that a large knife is more portable, lighter , and safer than swinging an axe in SOME circumstances. A good point was brought up about a good chopping block and nicely shaped logs, I don't know about you but I'm not so keen on swinging my axe straight into the ground and often have a hard time getting some logs to stand up straight. If your wood isn't chainsawed and sitting on a perfect block, a big knife will be safer, and easier to use. YMMV.
 
Well if you can't find a good use for them big blades boys please send them my way ill even pay the postage. Thanks
 
HardTripper said:
I don't want to reduce this thread to a batoning vs hatchet discussion. I find that a large knife is more portable, lighter , and safer than swinging an axe in SOME circumstances. A good point was brought up about a good chopping block and nicely shaped logs, I don't know about you but I'm not so keen on swinging my axe straight into the ground and often have a hard time getting some logs to stand up straight. If your wood isn't chainsawed and sitting on a perfect block, a big knife will be safer, and easier to use. YMMV.
Click to expand...

This. I think alot of people that criticize the use of big knives and recommend axes are only thinking about processing wood in fairly controlled environments, like at their house or a cabin, where they have a chopping block and pre-cut firewood. I know for a fact from quite a bit of testing that in a hike-in scenario, where you just have to find whatever wood is available with portable tools, a big knife and saw combination will process wood much faster and easier than a hatchet, or even the hatchet and the saw. If you're in fairly dry conditions and find that splitting wood isn't necessary then you're better off with just a saw rather than a big knife or a hatchet.

All in all, the only use I have found for a (high quality) hatchet/small axe is when you only want to carry one tool, since it can cross-cut, split and function as a small knife in a pinch, however as part of a system I find it awkward and inefficient.
 
First of all, whether a chopper is coming with me depends on how much wood I need to process. At a hunting camp, I am bringing an axe and/or a hatchet. On the trail, with one other person I'd rather have a smaller knife and a folding saw. When all five of my family come out for a camping hike, I am bringing the SP-53 or my Condor Barong and a 4" for camp work because my gathered wood consumption is going to increase and there is no telling what will be coming in to be split, stripped of bark etc, where the knife is more versatile than the axe/hatchet.

In my experience, if you are going to carry a large knife, you have to go really large to make it worthwhile for the weight. Six to eight inches of blade is too small to be an effective chopper for the effort expended. Six to eight is too large for detail work compared to the three to five inch blades, and not enough weight or reach to chop or baton as well as a nine to twelve inch blade. They look cool and nicely proportioned though.

A large chopper is best when piggybacked by a smaller blade. I don't do the Dundee and try to remove slivers with a machete sized blade.
 
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