What is the difference between a camp/hunting knife versus a fighting knife?

gunslinger387

gunslinger387

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I have both and can feel and see the differences but essentially my question is how are they designed? Maybe a better question is what criteria are people looking for in one versus the other. I’ve never had a fighting knife before but must admit I like it a lot. I’m just not too sure of the overall practicality since I’m not a knife fighter or in a combat environment.
 
One is shaped more for "sentry removal" (or whatever other garbage fantasy Prac-Tac people dream up), and the other is an actually useful knife. In specific, Stabby McStabbington versus a huge crowd of drop points with some belly. (shrug)
 
OP: You may or may not be familiar with Carothers Performance Knives (CPK). @Nathan the Machinist the owner of CPK is brilliant at making both camp/utility knives plus knives which are more geared toward being deadly weapons. A while ago I had asked him for his take on what he deems as an efficient weapon-knife and this was his response to my Q:

1 - this question justifies a video at some point. A big part of any knife design is the grip and how it allows a knife to be used. A weapon will generally need to work in a reverse grip and designed for effective stabbing. So the grip is short enough you can get your thumb over the end and the finger guard, grip swells and thumb ramp will all align to a hand in this grip to prevent it from slipping in a hard stab. Also, when held in a saber grip the grip on a well tuned knife will cause the knife to point naturally along the arm and not jut off to one side. There are weight issues (you usually want a weapon to be light and nimble) that are at odds with the tip strength and the higher moment of inertia you'd want in a stabbing weapon. Historically edged weapons often had a weighted pommel which gave the knife some resistance to rotation so an attempt to block the blade doesn't result in the point being bumped too far from its target. There are compromises in a design but you'll often see some weight at the ends, unnecessary weight removed from the blade (with a fuller not with thin stock, because of strength requirements) and some additional meat to reinforce behind the point. As a general rule there are thrust, cut, and thrust/cut weapons with their own sets of requirements, but all of them when used in modern combat are no longer a "left hand weapon" but in the right hand, frequently in a reverse grip, and used while grappling. In contrast, a knife that is primarily a tool will see a grip that is designed to accommodate multiple working grips (rather than fighting grips) in order to reduce hot spots and hand fatigue, allow different kinds of precision cuts, and a blade geometry intended to reduce drag in materials harder than people. This really needs a video with illustrations.
 
Apologies as I wasn't paying attention fully because the OP: Gunslinger is a CPK forumite already. That said, Nathan's response still is very much apropos :)
 
I don't own (and have less than zero desire to own) a "fighting specific" knife.
I have zero training in that discipline. Hence there ia a 99.9998% chance I would lose the fight. On the off-chance I survived (or even won) the knife fight ... I'd rather not chance losing the inevitable legal battle after.
I'll use my .45 ACP 1911 or .50 caliber "trapper" muzzleloading pistol in such cases/events if possible.
(worked the last time someone came at me with a knife. (I was working at a conveniance store I was part owner of) After I drew the 1911, he decided he didn't want to "play" anymore and left. No shots fired.)

My "Camp" knives are for the most part are old 4 blade Scout/Camp/Utility knives or a SAK Huntsman. (I also keep a large stockman in my pocket)

My "primary" hunting knife" is a Buck 110 or 112, although once in a while I might bring along a 3 to 6 inch fixed blade along the lines of a Western L66, Buck 877, or whatever "old timey" 4.5 inch blade Old Hickory sheath knife it is that I have, (similar profile to a Nessmuk) when hunting.
Of course these could be used for camp chores as well.

Aside from feather sticks, I don't use a knife for firewood/firewood prep (splitting, chopping, etc.). IMHO there are better tools for those tasks than a knife.

So far as I can determine, I've never been "under knifed" while camping, fishing, hunting, or hiking while out in the sticks or beyond to the boonies. :)
 
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A fighting/military knife is generally designed for reach, stabbing, and slashing ability. It's purpose is to kill an enemy, period. Many however, as in the case of many military type fighters also double as a general purpose utility knife. Examples of this are the USMC Ka-Bar or the Fallkniven A1. Pure fighters would be more of a fighting Bowie or a double edged Fairbain Sykes type knife. **Note: these real fighting knives have nothing in common with fantasy zombie killing knives made for little Johnny playing video games in mommys basement.

The camp/hunting knife should be able to do food prep, cutting and slicing tasks around camp and dispatch game, skin animals and process the meat in the field. Examples are a Buck 110, 102, 105, 119, Case Leather Hunter, Canadian Belt knife, Nessmuck, Puma Hunter's Friend or Hunter's Pal, CS Master Hunter, Fallkniven F1, etc. Personally I wouldn't include the larger wood processing batoning knives and shelter building knives in this category, in camp I would use a hatchet, hawk or kukri for those tasks. But I certainly wouldn't argue if someone included them.
 
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A fighting knife. Think about it, who duels with a knife. Knives are utility tools, possibly can be pressed into use as killing tools, but fighting is something entirely different. My fighting knife would be a sword.

n2s
 
Fighting knife: M3
m3_900w.jpg

Hunting & Campknife: Northwoods Boundary Waters
NWBoundryWatersCoco.jpg

They have the same bladelengt around 6", but the difference in intended use is obvious.
I don't have the M3, but I do have the NBW and I'm not into fighting knives.

Regards
Mikael
 
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Casinostocks said:
Apologies as I wasn't paying attention fully because the OP: Gunslinger is a CPK forumite already. That said, Nathan's response still is very much apropos :)
Click to expand...
Casinostocks, I just got my UF a few days ago and am truly impressed. It is way different than any knife I’ve had before and I was trying to learn more about the intended design differences.
 
My take? Fighting knife has a top guard and a heavy pommel possibly a spike
 
It's kinda like women, one gives you a thrill - the other makes you want to leave home...
 
gunslinger387 said:
Casinostocks, I just got my UF a few days ago and am truly impressed. It is way different than any knife I’ve had before and I was trying to learn more about the intended design differences.
Click to expand...

Congrats, the UF is a very fine piece.

Here is the link to the original WIP which was all the way back in 2014. It went though some changes since ending its run in the latest D3V HT for the pattern which is now retired:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/wip-machined-knife.1153472/
 
defining a camp knife ...?!
https://blademag.com/knife-collecting/what-is-a-camp-knife
is probably simpler to define.
a fighting knife on the other hand,
is a little harder to nail;
as it means different things
to different people...
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/what-makes-a-fighting-knife.154396/
to a martialist or knife combatives practitioner it could mean
a knife purely with a single imtent.
and depending on the style of fighting
an edge weapon could come in many forms.
in military circles perhaps,
something a little more robust and
soldier proof.
in the real world it would be hard
for anyone to separate the knife
in hand for nasty business versus
every day utility.
which is why its best to stay clear
from anything with a long blade
and narrow width,
when camping comes to mind
 
gunslinger387 said:
I have both and can feel and see the differences but essentially my question is how are they designed? Maybe a better question is what criteria are people looking for in one versus the other. I’ve never had a fighting knife before but must admit I like it a lot. I’m just not too sure of the overall practicality since I’m not a knife fighter or in a combat environment.
Click to expand...


$100.00...and a lot of fanboys who would crap themselves while running away from anything resembling a knife fight...
 
A fighting knife needs to have a good point, in line with the handle, and a guard so your hand doesn't slide off the handle. I've never fought with one nor had any relevant training, but these are the characteristics I see in "fighting" knives.
A camp knife is harder to define. Are you chopping branches or cutting up lunch with it? A hunting knife usually has a lot of belly and not so much point so you don't nick things you don't want to nick.
 
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