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What do you use your medium length fixed blades for?
- Thread starter Vivi
- Start date
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- Mar 22, 2006
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In the passed I have used them with great success in combination with a saw... I would section would with a saw and than baton it with a larger fixed blade.. also with practice they can be used for finer tasks... I thinkWHile not an ideal size for most things it's a good jack of all trades size with practice.
thats the way I see it, my BK7 is handie allround. As long as I have a folding saw, and a small folder.
As soon as I pick up a new sheath for my BK7 It'll be comin with my more often.:thumbup:
You're wrong on both counts, IMO. They may not be the best at each, but they are certainly capable.
My favorite blade in this category is the old school KaBar. It is plenty big enough to fell 4-5" trees, has the reach to baton about any log, and is still controllable enough for precision work. I don't chop much, there is usually plenty of dead wood around. The only time I bring a tree down is if I'm practicing making a shelter. I don't like to cut down something I don't need so that is very rare for me.
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2007
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- 822
Fixed blades are my "survival" knives. They are actually only a "backup", if I am stupid enough to show up without an axe and a multi-tool, or unlucky enough to lose them. In a practical sense, that means that they rarely ever come out of their sheaths.
The big knives can do some of the things the axe does like batoning (which I think is an absolutely stupid idea unless you are totally desperate!) and they can do some fine work like the small blades of the multi-tool....but it doesn't do any of them particularly well.
The big knives can do some of the things the axe does like batoning (which I think is an absolutely stupid idea unless you are totally desperate!) and they can do some fine work like the small blades of the multi-tool....but it doesn't do any of them particularly well.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
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- 9,786
Agreed. One man's ineffective is another man's can easily get the job done with a single tool.
If I were to bring a single knife with me, and sometimes I actually set out to do this, then it would be a medium fixed blade. Really now, how often do you absolutely need precision cutting? How often do you need to chop like there is no tomorrow. Most times, when you know that tomorrow is actually coming, you can chop and
baton effective enough to get the job done.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2006
- Messages
- 7,035
This is the perfect all-round knife.
If I'm only going to take one knife, rather than more dedicated tools, a blade this size is what I'll choose.
If I'm only going to take one knife, rather than more dedicated tools, a blade this size is what I'll choose.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
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- 9,491
My big Koyote blade can handle light chopping, heavy batoning, and since its only an 1/8 thick and has a sharp convex; can whittle like a champ. Its a big knife that handles like a small knife. :thumbup:
That said, I still prefer to have about a 4" blade with me.
That said, I still prefer to have about a 4" blade with me.
Guess you don't get out in the rain much.
I don't carry a hatchet. You'll probably just call me stupid for that. Why would I pack more stuff when my knife can do the job just fine? All I need is enough wood to get a hot fire going, then I can add wet wood and it will burn. One decent sized log can do that.
I batoned through over 30 feet of Maple with my JK Kephart and still shaved hair off my arm afterwards.
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- Apr 14, 2006
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- 7,021
Hey TFin04,
I think unless the mods are going to step in, the only thing we can do with those who would rather insult, than post useful ideas, is to ignore them and hope they go away.
Doc
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
My all-round long time companion knife has a 5 1/4" blade (9.5" O.A., 8.8 oz. wt.). I have used it for many years doing all sorts of tasks in the outdoors and never felt "under-knifed". It has butchered more fish, fowl and wild game than I could recount. I've used it to bild fires under adverse conditions (no not in Oregon or the tundra either), shelters, traps, and a hundred other tasks. Never did I wish for a larger knife, though once or twice a smaller knife would have been handier.
I do own larger knives and smaller knives, several hundred in fact. But none has ever won my favor like my old trusty 5 1/4" carbon steel bladed knife. One smaller fixed blade ((3.5", 7.5" O.A., 4.1 oz. wt.) is a close runnerup, and sometimes the larger one has been left behind in favor of the smaller knife's portability and unobtrusiveness.
My excuse for owning so many other knives? I like them. I like their design, history and researching them. Some day, I'll lay them all out and get a group photo of them so you can see the wide array of designs and ages, from circa 1900 thru 2008. Until then, here is a picture of my "medium length fixed blade go-to/with" knife:
As a side note, I avoid calling other people (or their choices) stupid. I may not agree that what they choose would be right for me, but if it makes them happy and works for them, it's all good!
Codger
I do own larger knives and smaller knives, several hundred in fact. But none has ever won my favor like my old trusty 5 1/4" carbon steel bladed knife. One smaller fixed blade ((3.5", 7.5" O.A., 4.1 oz. wt.) is a close runnerup, and sometimes the larger one has been left behind in favor of the smaller knife's portability and unobtrusiveness.
My excuse for owning so many other knives? I like them. I like their design, history and researching them. Some day, I'll lay them all out and get a group photo of them so you can see the wide array of designs and ages, from circa 1900 thru 2008. Until then, here is a picture of my "medium length fixed blade go-to/with" knife:
As a side note, I avoid calling other people (or their choices) stupid. I may not agree that what they choose would be right for me, but if it makes them happy and works for them, it's all good!
Codger
A 7" blade is usefull all around. I hunt with a cold steel recon tanto ground down to about 20 deg. Its perfect for those wrist snap type swings on limbs under 1" while maintaining trails and recovering game.
Less fatiguing than a machete and much easier to carry.
Less fatiguing than a machete and much easier to carry.
I use my BK7, J-Siah Heavy Camp knife, Kabars WartHog, my heavy bowie, Sog GovTac etc for chopping trees/logs, making curlies for firestarting, food prep, game prep, shelter building, notching etc. They are my GO TO wood sknives.
as for the batoning/ no batoning argument, there is a thread about it. Some of us DO, some of us DONT, in no way shape or form does doing so or not doing so dimish our wilderness skills. Everyone is different. I live a RAINFOREST (west coast canada) and i DONT baton. i dont need to.
as for the batoning/ no batoning argument, there is a thread about it. Some of us DO, some of us DONT, in no way shape or form does doing so or not doing so dimish our wilderness skills. Everyone is different. I live a RAINFOREST (west coast canada) and i DONT baton. i dont need to.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
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- 6,105
I've not found the 'mid size' blades to work well for me. They just don't chop well enough for me, and they're no less cumbersome for fine work than a bigger blade. So I'll usually just take either a big fat chopper and a normal 4" blade, or something big like a kabar bowie and a Vic Rucksack.
But for some bizarre reason I always have some hesitation that precludes me from selling off my rat7...
But for some bizarre reason I always have some hesitation that precludes me from selling off my rat7...
Every thing.
I just made up a another fixed 5" blade length a couple of days back for me.
Here is what I have been carrying for that last several months. It is the bottom knife.
It has a 6" blade I like to switch back for 5" to 6" just depends on my mood I guess.
so far I have cut up apples, sliced chedder cheese and summer sausage.
cleaned my finger nails, sliced and buttered french bread, cut some hot dogs to day for my dog for a treat for her, I have cut several branches out of my way while do some trail clearing, cut open some mail, sharpened my pencil in the shop while making knives. cut some peaces of leather off my some sheaths that I am working on today. I am one who has a fire several times a week and do sit by my fire and grab smaller peaces of fire wood 3" range or so and I do like to make them smaller like down to finger thickness. We call this kindling around here. I think battoning is FUN.
If you have never tried it, try and see if you like it, if you do great, if you do not like it great too. What one likes another might not and that is OOOO K ayyyy.
I can and have made trap triggers, the new shorter knife I made for myself , I have not done any butchering with it yet but the knife in the pic with to knives ( the bottom one) has. The new knife I made ( the T H Bushcrafter ) will in time. chicken, turkey, and soon a head of beef that we kept back from the selling back into the market, This one we will do ourselves. My T H Bushcrafter will do some of the processing. I also cut the strings off the bales of hay for cattle feeding,
The smaller blade length can and will do alot. But I just like the longer blade lengths I have used them for years. To me the longer blade length is more of the all round length for me. That is one reason I carry and use a longer blade length.
Mine just does EVERYTHING I need it for.
Take care all,
Bryan
I just made up a another fixed 5" blade length a couple of days back for me.
Here is what I have been carrying for that last several months. It is the bottom knife.
It has a 6" blade I like to switch back for 5" to 6" just depends on my mood I guess.
so far I have cut up apples, sliced chedder cheese and summer sausage.
cleaned my finger nails, sliced and buttered french bread, cut some hot dogs to day for my dog for a treat for her, I have cut several branches out of my way while do some trail clearing, cut open some mail, sharpened my pencil in the shop while making knives. cut some peaces of leather off my some sheaths that I am working on today. I am one who has a fire several times a week and do sit by my fire and grab smaller peaces of fire wood 3" range or so and I do like to make them smaller like down to finger thickness. We call this kindling around here. I think battoning is FUN.
If you have never tried it, try and see if you like it, if you do great, if you do not like it great too. What one likes another might not and that is OOOO K ayyyy.
I can and have made trap triggers, the new shorter knife I made for myself , I have not done any butchering with it yet but the knife in the pic with to knives ( the bottom one) has. The new knife I made ( the T H Bushcrafter ) will in time. chicken, turkey, and soon a head of beef that we kept back from the selling back into the market, This one we will do ourselves. My T H Bushcrafter will do some of the processing. I also cut the strings off the bales of hay for cattle feeding,
The smaller blade length can and will do alot. But I just like the longer blade lengths I have used them for years. To me the longer blade length is more of the all round length for me. That is one reason I carry and use a longer blade length.
Mine just does EVERYTHING I need it for.
Take care all,
Bryan
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Messages
- 6,105
That's the key to happiness, setting modest goals for yourself like making the perfect all around knife...
:foot: :thumbup::thumbup:I did not mean to imply they weren't capable, just explaining that a 7 inch fixed blade is a compromise of sorts, as it won't chop like a 20 inch kuhkuri and won't whittle and slice food like a thinned out SAK.
I just received two RAT 7's in a trade, one PE and one CE and I've been debating which one to use for the time being. My usual setup is a Fiskars hatchet and SAK farmer in the pack with a Spyderco clipped to my pocket. The Spyderco does pretty much anything I need of a knife in the woods, except breaking down firewood (I can baton with them but it's too inefficient to be worth the trouble) and serious trail clearing. For hacking the inconvenient thorn bush out of the way, food prep, making feather sticks etc. it works well. The axe I use for shelter building, carving a seat in fallen trees (
) etc.I've been thinking about what place the RAT 7 would have in my setup. Hence the thread. I know it's a knife that can do most of everything, but there's not ever a time where I do one knife scenarios. It's no trouble to clip my Spyderco Military to my pocket and have a dedicated food prep knife while I use the fixed blade as a knock around knife or similar.
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