What can a 6" blade do that a 4" blade cannot?

Marion David Poff

Marion David Poff

Joined
Oct 8, 1998
Messages
5,403
Good Day,

In a knife that is not a chopper, what good is two extra inches of blade for? Other than reach?

Any major advantages or is it just a minor improvement?

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye, Cd'A ID, USA mdpoff@hotmail.com

My review of the World Survival Institute, Chris Janowsky survival knife, the Ranger.

Talonite Resource Page, nearly exhaustive!!

Fire Page, metal match sources and index of information.

"Many are blinded by name and reputation, few see the truth" Lao Tzu
 
If we're talking wilderness survival, I would say precious little is to be gained. If we're talking fighting, that's something else. IMHO, a 4" or 5" blade is much more manageable than the 6" and longer Rambo specials.
 
I agree w/farmboy. I just bought a 5" knife (Busse Combat Basic #5) specifically because I wanted something shorter than the 7-incher I have been using. It was a bit too long, and got in the way when sitting, and sometimes snagged on objects, brush, etc. I leave the chopping to the Gerber camp axe.
 
You do get the advantage of an edge that will last 50% longer, being 50% larger in length..

And in a survival situation, that could be quite important unless you're confident you can build sharpening tools out of rocks.

A larger blade will also be thicker and more durable. But a shorter knife would obviously be smaller and more wieldy. So it is a trade off. Probably depends on what exactly you expect to be doing..

[This message has been edited by LtUSMC (edited 08-31-2000).]
 
If you get a big fish it is easier to prepare it when the blade is more than 4 inch. IMNSHO the blade shouldn't be as thick as some sharpened prybars are.
 
Leverage, yes I do use mine to crow bar with.
Better for digging and cutting turf. More edge. Chopping, chopping....

If you are going for a cutting edge only, then why go for 5? Better still 4 or even 31/2. All the control you want for cutting tasks.

7 inch or plus knives, of the survival type, are quite specific and major compromises have already been made. Most of us just don't need them in our usual everyday lives.

Carry an axe or machete and there is even less reason to carry a seven incher. The backup arguement doesn't hold water for me. Doubling up on kit, just to be on the safe side, shows a lack of self confidence or confidence in the choise of kit and is a waste of energy in my book.

However, I've carried a seven inch knife a huge amount of time, because I wasn't prepared to carry other tools.
 
A longer blade is far easier to use with a baton for larger wood. Depends if you think you will be cutting any large wood. Same for skinning large animals, fish - just easier to use.
Strangely after working with longer light thin knives all summer I no longer find them awkward to carry or use (Moras, thin bladed Cold Steel). At least I no longer feel prejudiced against knives up to 7" if they are thin and light. That being said I also used some knives less than 3" and found I could perform all necessary (summer) tasks with those.
I found it most interesting that once I had used longer knives for some time, I began to feel more secure with a large knife - despite knowing that I wouldn't need one. I guess there really is a psychological advantage for some.
A really interesting experiment is to take your favorite leukko, bowie or butcher knife and use a permanent marker on the edge. Try over a few trips out and you'll see which part and how much of the edge you use other than the tip. You might be very surprised.
 
During 4 1/2 of my 5 1/2 years in the 101st Airborne, the knife I carried in the field was a Walter Brend Model 2, with a 8 1/2" blade.

I personally found the larger blade to be more "flexible" in the chores it could perform. Anything from opening some C-Rats (and later MRE's), to opening 55 Gallon Drums of Diesl fuel, breaking the bands of off ammo crates, making aiming stakes, clearing brush, etc.

I have found that big knives can do little knife chores where as generally little knives cannot do big knife chores.

All this aside, you should choose the knife for the environment you are going to be working in and what you think your needs will be for the knife you are going to carry.

In a true survival situation any size blade will be good. However, my experience has been that a larger blade provides you with opportunity to explore more options.


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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com

"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor"
Albert Einstein
 
Yes, shorter blades are easier to control but I find that a longer blade is more versatile. Les said it right, big knives do small knife chores much better than the other way around.

I like fixed blades of all sizes but for camping (not survival) I have settled on the Chris Reeve Shadow IV (5.5") of the Fallkniven A-1 (6"). Handling pots, cooking, light chopping, (when it's not worth getting the 3/4 axe and general camp chores these two knives seem best. Candidly, I prefer the Project 1 but somehow that extra two inches makes me feel somewhat self conscious around other campers; where the 5.5-6 seems more common and unintimidating to sheeple types.

A good sozed, hefty fixed blade and a sharp folder for "clean" cutting/slicing is my choice.

[This message has been edited by Nimrod (edited 09-01-2000).]
 
The 6" knife has a longer cutting surface. I would find it easier to clean fish with it than a 4" knife. For some food applications the 4" knife is just too awkward.

Will
 
You guys must be catching some pretty big fish.
wink.gif


Anyway, as Les points out, the big knife has its place. Although I don't see a lot of difference between a 6" knife and a 4" knife. But then length doesn't tell you everything you need to know about a knife. My Busse Badger Attack has a 4 1/4" blade and my Opinel #12 has a 4 3/4" blade. The BA is 5/16" thick and the Opinel is 1/8" thick. Good luck on filleting a bluegill or even a pike with the BA. By the same token, good luck on using a baton on the Opinel to cut some saplings. Might work for awhile but I doubt the knife would stand up to that kind of punishment. The BA, on the other hand, could be used to split wood.

It all comes back to the "one knife" scenario. And the same answer. One knife is not optimal for all tasks. And if I had to choose one knfe, it would depend on the situation I was found in. If I was forced to choose one knife for car and cabin camping, it would be my Opinel #12 or a kitchen butcher knife. For a one knife survival scenario, it would be the BA or bigger. I might even be tempted to carry my Battle Mistress but I typically put that in the "hatchet" class. It's not a "stand alone" tool but could be if necessity dictates.

One knife for hunting: a 3 or 4 incher. Big knives are too awkward. Getting close is better. My choice would be a Marble Fieldcraft, Woodcraft or my new BUSSE LEAN MEAN Street that I just ordered.
biggrin.gif


Now if we are talking fishing knife, my Spyderco Catcherman has become my absolute favorite. It surprised the heck out of me and replaced my Rapalas (except for skinning fish). And longer is better here. But thin is in. So I sure wouldn't use a Project I to clean a bluegill.

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Hoodoo

Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV. Scene I.
 
I'd rather have a short, thin knife than a long, thick knife for food prep and nearly all other chores. A "big, thin" knife might be great, but most are not made that way. The best "compromise" for me so far is a blade 4"-4.5" long, 5/32"-3/16" thick.

It can split wood/kindling sufficiently. If you need to split so much wood that a small blade becomes impractical, a bigger blade won't do much better. Easier to stomp or break by hand, in my experience.

I don't dig around much with knives, but I find a bigger (6"+) blade much less wieldy than a smaller (4.5"-) blade for that sort of thing. A hardened, sharpened stick will also do. A U-Dig-It folding trowel is far better than any of the above.

Glen
 
With my 8 1/2" Brend Model 2, in the pouch I carried a Swiss Army Champion.

I think there is a little confusion here in this thread, initially it was supposed to be a "survival knife".

Now it has kinda turned into a hunting/fishing knife. Each style of knife has it's place.

The majority of the time in a true survival situation, you knife would be used for chopping and digging, both for food and shelter.

Guys, take your 4" hunting knife and go chop some limbs off of a tree. It can be done, but it is not what the knife is meant for.

While any knife is better than no knife, it's always best to determine what type of environment you may find yourself in. For those of you who have been in a Rain Forest, imagine trying to hack through the brush with a 4" knife. Perhaps in the artic, where you have to chop through blocks to make a igloo for shelter. There are numerous other examples. Perhaps the best thing is to think about carrying two knives. I did for years and they complimented each other very well.


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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com

"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor"
Albert Einstein
 
Lite, tapered blades such as found on the best kitchen knives will do all the cutting you want. Whatever the size they are extremely efficient. It is surprising what you can do with a big kitchen knife. They are not only highly controlable, but pretty good at chopping sapling wood and vegetation. Frankly, I believe they are completely underestimated.

Big heavy knives and thick short ones make most cutting jobs a whole lot trickier than they need to be. Weight for chopping tough materials and steel mass for insurance against breakage are the only real benefits. Be careful you are not hauling all that bulk just for the sake of it.

I'm a big fan of those thin high carbon Opinel blades. However, when a long way from home I like to carry something with a bit more insurance/meat.

Short, fine fixed bird/trout knives and long fillet knives are a real joy to use. When using one you wounder why you don't carry one more often - until you need to lever up a rock or cut a wading staff.



[This message has been edited by GREENJACKET (edited 09-02-2000).]
 
Boy, there's alot of chopping going on! I've spent plenty of nights in the woods but have never had the need to "chop" anything. I also think chopping with a knife is less efficient than using a saw and more dangerous, not to mention it really takes the edge off your blade.
 
Les,

I often enjoy your perspective, I regularly think to your comments about your preference for a baton as opposed to a fighting knife.

What knife do you have on you all the time?

------------------
Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye, Cd'A ID, USA mdpoff@hotmail.com

My review of the World Survival Institute, Chris Janowsky survival knife, the Ranger.

Talonite Resource Page, nearly exhaustive!!

Fire Page, metal match sources and index of information.

"Many are blinded by name and reputation, few see the truth" Lao Tzu
 
Les-

The chopping I can understand, but I disagree on the digging. If I'm not entrenching personal fortifications, I can do the digging I need with a stick.

As for the Jungle and the arctic, two places requiring rather specialized tools, neither a 4" skinner, nor your 8 1/2" Brend would match the task at hand. I've never wandered through a jungle, so I do not know why a machete suits that purpose, but I have chopped ice blocks, and know why an ice saw is necessary. The arctic is a place I would want a very different survival kit than most anywhere else I've been.

Personally, I won't dig with a blade. For chopping, a four inch blade can manage a three inch limb readily. For most other chores, I'd be perfectly happy with the three and a half inches of steel that rides in my pocket every day.


Stryver
 
Back to the original question - what can a 6 in. blade do that a 4 in. blade cannot. Not much. However it can do some things better, and thus is a plus in many areas. It can stab further, provide more leverage for prying, chop better, filet larger fish easier (if not too thick), be more useful for self defense, etc. All knives have their place. For field dressing game here in N. America, you don't need one that big, but for survival purposes, the 6 in. blade would be much better.
 
To what I wrote before - add use as a two handed draw knife or plane.
The idea of holding the blade with my free hand never really appealed to me as most of my knives have narrow blades and very sharp edges. I did try this though with a leukko and with with a Cold Steel Hudson Bay knife. With the former, the blade width increases toward the tip so if the edge is held perpendicular to work, there is no chance of hand slipping off end of knife. In the latter the hump on the back of the blade is far closer to the tip than with the Red River, and the thickness taper to the tip is much reduced. This makes the knife very comfortable and secure for two handed use.
I find that I can do shaping on hard wood very quickly and precisely when using the longer knife as a draw knife.
 
Chopping:
If chopping was allowed on military training areas then there wouldn't be anything standing. When out in the woods not a lot needs to be chopped; its a waste of energy most of the time. Maybe the odd stick or pole. But if you do have some chopping to do then who wouldn't prefer a bigger blade or even better an axe.
Digging:
True, not a lot of digging is required, and then a digging stick would surfice. However, a bigger knife can do those small jobs. I prefer a spade or even better a JCB.

A survival sized knife is well useful in a survival situation. If you don't have one then a little more thought is required.

Small knives will do most things, but doesn't mean a larger knife doesn't have its place.

Tools for the job, and there is nothing worse than having too small a tool for a big job.
 
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