What is an OPTIMAL blade length for a survival knife?

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Plainsman

Joined
Apr 5, 1999
Messages
1,160
I used to think bigger is better. But then I got used to 5-7 inch blades and have been comfortable with them. Since coming to this board and Hood's I see most believe in REALLY LONG blades!

At one time I even carried a 17" bladed bayonet. It was a WWI German engineers bayonet with a saw back. Boy did that saw work! But I misplaced it among my many moves. It did get a little unwieldy at times and wasn't heavy enough to "chop" with.

I understand what it means to say, "you can make a big blade do small tasks, you can't make a small blade do big tasks." But how big is good and when does it become TOO big?

Opinions please! Thank you!

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Plainsman
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primitiveguy@hotmail.com




[This message has been edited by Plainsman (edited 09 December 1999).]
 
I believe the best blade length for a jack of all trades, survival knife, is 8 inches (like my Steel Heart II). That is large enough for big chores, and small enough for small jobs. However if I knew I had to chop a lot, and didn't have a axe, I'd want one like my RCM with a 12 1/2" blade. Any large blade around 10 inches, like a RTAK or a Battle Mistress would also be great. Of course any good sized quality kukri would leave all others in the dust, if it came to chopping without a axe.
 
Plainsman, are you holding us to one knife? If you are then I would take my folding blade. I'd accomplish most of my heavy work via other means (easily!!). However, as a minimum I always carry two knives...a big fixed blade (bolo or anaconda) and folding blade (US knife or Benchmade).

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Hi Plainsman..

Well Hmmm.... There reallt isn't a proper blade length for a survival knife..

I think that most of us here would agree that we advocate the use of many different knife sizes,, and also carry many different size of blades..

Alot of us carry 3-sometimes 4 or more knives into the bush...It's much like a golfer who has an entire bag worth of clubs..

A different tool for differnt uses.3 blades that I know Ron carries with him any time he goes Bush,, is the SAK RUK, the Simonich Kanji and his Anaconda, or what ever large blade he's in the mood for that day..

When I go into the bush I'm usually packing at least 4 knives at any given time. My SAK RUK 3-4", My Gerber Pro guide 6" my Leatherman 3-4", a Cheapo for scraping magnesium and a Big old heavy 12" machette...

It's all in what job you need to do. Carving triggers with my machette isn't feasable so I use my SAK. The Pro guide is a little big to do fine work like that,, but it can be done.

Hacking down a tree with my Pro Guide isn't feasable,,so I use my machette,, But I could also use my SAK saw blade.Just like I wouldn't use my SAK on a magnesium bar. Thats what the cheapo is for,, although it can be done.

It's all a matter of what you need to do,, and how much energy you want to do it with...The right tool for the right job I think should be our Motto...

Now if you want to talk different brands against one another,, thats a whole new thread...

Hope this helped!

TTYL Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel


 
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[This message has been edited by jrf (edited 12-26-2000).]
 
I think the Busse steel heart 2 is the best all around size.But i also bring a smaller knife for detailed work.

But after reading lot's of Jeff randall's peruvian blade experiments, I have been leaning towards a little larger blade.

 
Hi JRF...

If your pref would be a 6-7 " blade,, how would you cut down a tree with it?

I would be I could sooner cut a tree down the thickness of my arm faster using my SAK than you could with your 6" blade..

How would you make an Ojibway Bird snare with it?

The reason I pick my SAK is,,, it has most Everything I need to get by in the woods..

Sure your blade is tougher,, can do some heavy jobs faster maybe,, but what if you need to saw something,,or drill a hole into something,, or carve something very delicate ?

The SAK simply has more uses, making it an all around better survival knife...

ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel


 
I have to agree with Eric. If forced to choose between a folding blade and a fixed blade, I'd choose a folder. Reason....Once again, I can do most of the big work via other means. Tree wrench to break apart dead long 4 inch branch/trees, kick apart stumps and swing bigger pieces against trees to break them down,...many more examples...

Ideally though, I'd like a minimum of two knives...

Note: I have heard nothing but great things about Busse knives...I am addressing this from an issue of big vs small knife...not whether one brand is better that another.

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
I didn't mean for my post to start a "pick one knife" thread!
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What I was looking for was "optimal length", I guess I should have said, "maximum length". This is what I'm 'truly' looking for. What is the longest knife you want to carry into the woods?

Thanks for the input!
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Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com


 
Hi JRF,

Even though I would take my folder if allowed to just take one knife...

You make a good arguement for your point of view. One of the best things about this forum is the opportunity to hear how others feel about issues of similar interest.

Keep it up.

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Hi Nomark,

Nomark wrote:
Hacking down a tree with my Pro Guide isn't feasable,,so I use my machette,, But I could also use my SAK saw blade.Just like I wouldn't use my SAK on a magnesium bar. Thats what the cheapo is for,, although it can be done.
Click to expand...

I too don't like to use blade of my SAK as a striker. Instead I use the back side of saw blade. The SAKs I own (Wictorinox) have very sharp edges on the back side of saw blade. The way I do it, I have no worries about saw blade closing on me.
 
Hi Jrf...

You bring up some good points,, I'm still sticking with my SAK though..
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Tell you what,, if we ever get lost together,, we'll trade blades for different chores as we need them...
smile.gif

Still having some problems readin my posts..

DamJam

I've heard of some people grinding an edge on the back of their blades for just this reason..

ttyle Eric..

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel

 
I live in the midwest (which is probably a far cry from the situations you are talking about so take this for what it's worth) and we have multiflora rose and numerous poisonos plants,vines, and bushes. I usually like to have an 18" blade sawback Ontario machete with me because a lot of the places I want to be are almost inpenatrable without it and it is just long enough to keep my hands out of most of the stuff.It's use is important enough to find a good way to carry it and have it with me when I need it.
 
Since the early 60's I've been collecting knives... Always looking for the perfect survival blade... I look in my safe at those boxes of knives, each of which was my "favorite" at one time or another and know that beyond a shadow of a doubt... there's no answer
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Frankly I don't want a perfect blade...I just want to keep collecting! It is an addiction. I'm a lucky guy, my wife loves to collect knives too!

One thing my collecting HAS done is opened my eyes to cultural bias for blade design. Different cultures rely on different designs because those designs work in the environment in which they live. Machetes for the Jungle etc.

'bout those machetes. Every wonder what the Jungle Indians did before they had access to metal? How did they make it in the jungle? Remember that in many parts of the jungle there are very few stones useful for making tools. At most, those folk have had the big blade for 100 years.... I have an example of their solution in my collection.
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BTW. I'd still take my SAK Rucksack model if I only had one tool. With that knife I can easily make the transition back to stone age tools. Without it, it takes a little longer.

Ron

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Learn Life Extension at:

http://www.survival.com ]
 
I work in a knife shop and we sell about 100 different types of sak (vic)and so many come back broke.

I just can't believe that serious survivalists would prefer that over the swiss tool or the leatherman.

I know I am not as experienced as ron or greg and I am sure some others. But I would much rather have a 7-8" knife I can do alot with than waste valuable time and calories with a tiny saw or banging other logs togther when I can do it in a few swings.

I know I have to learn alot but I think efficiency is very important. especially with those sak tools breaking so easily.




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Chrisaloia,

Your concerns are understandable, but I have used SAKs for years now and never broken one! I just lose the damn things. The key is how they are used -- knowing what they can and cannot do.

My guess is that many of the knives you saw come back were broken from being forced too hard or just plain abused(especially when the owners let them dull and don't know how to sharpen).

Of course, none of them probably admitted such to you, since they were buckin' fer a refund...
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Best,

Brian.
 
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