Why the big knife?

Hello Mick,

Funny thing about farts in elevators! Depends if they're old farts, takes them longer I guess!:D


I personally would have placed a few well placed swings with the GB, two or three low, two or three higher by about 6" or so apart between the levels to pop out the wood in between, working my way in. This goes pretty fast.
This is something that cannot be done as easily with an knife, as an axe goes deep and can be given a little torque twist upon striking to separate or pop woods... Reduces the amount of exertion and force...

Then I would've moved to the other side and begun going in, much narrower angled, above the notch....
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DOC-CANADA

More and more these threads strike me as being a pissing contest. "I am smarter/more bush savvy than you because I use ___________, while you use ___________."

Use what you like, and if somebody else doesn't like it....................

Doc


Gaurdian_A1 said:
You nailed it Doc.

Everyone has thier own reasons for using what they use.

some like little knives and hatchets

others like "BIG" knives..whatever that means

and some people just have a knife that works for them and carry an axe.

why waste time argueing over who is right when its a subject based on personal preference? Why argue because you're offended that the rest of the forum doesnt prefer your set up? The topic of this post was a question..why are there 5 pages of answers?..Because no one has a clear cut ( hahaha) answer. We're talking oranges and apples here..different flavours..Both fruit.

-Gaurdian
Click to expand...

Doc nailed it, and you drove it home. Since these topics now seem to be almost to the point of trolling, I am wondering when this will become a sticky. You know, along with how much gear to carry, 1095 or stainless, "if you were lost and had only one knife", should SAR guys rescue idiots, and of course the old favorite of whether or not batoning is really necessary.

Robert
 
Wow! Thread wander!
I don't carry a chopper of any kind when I'm backpacking. Neither a big knife NOR a hatchet/axe. I don't need to chop, and I don't need the extra weight. I would lean toward a large knife moreso than an axe, due to easier carry, IMO. But I alway have no problem making do with a Buck Vanguard, a small wood saw in either a Leatherman tool or SAK, or a Fiskars folding saw. I just don't have a need for anything more.
 
If it's ok to still answer the original question... :)

I use a longer knife when I'm camping in the desert to cut dry grass to make bedding. It's also easier (and lighter to carry) to split small kindling. I generally don't chop too much wood. Just break off and gather what I need.

But them's just my two cents....
 
I've always been told that it is width, not length, that is important. But I guess if you have length and width you could fill all the niches.









Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :D Chris
 
August West said:
I've always been told that it is width, not length, that is important. But I guess if you have length and width you could fill all the niches.









Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :D Chris
Click to expand...

Awright smart guy! Two weeks on the fence in a pink tutu!
 
lets see your piddly little blades deal with this in a timely and efficient manner!

This is BIG KNIFE country! go BIG or GO HOME!

IMG_1839.jpg


IMG_1845.jpg


IMG_1840.jpg
 
Is that wild rose in your last pic, if so you have some good arrow making materials there.


As has already been said, to the point of it starting to get tiring.

Use what works for you, as long as you are happy with the results what else matters? If you are really striving for the acceptance and approval of a bunch of strangers on the internet then you might need to reevaluate why you go to the woods in the first place. Chris
 
August West said:
Is that wild rose in your last pic, if so you have some good arrow making materials there.


As has already been said, to the point of it starting to get tiring.

Use what works for you, as long as you are happy with the results what else matters? If you are really striving for the acceptance and approval of a bunch of strangers on the internet then you might need to reevaluate why you go to the woods in the first place. Chris
Click to expand...

Well said, Mr. August West/Runningboar/Chris :thumbup: :D

BTW, quite often I've had a problem with wild rose cracking, maybe your species is different, or perhaps you process them differently.

Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Well said, Mr. August West/Runningboar/Chris :thumbup: :D

BTW, quite often I've had a problem with wild rose cracking, maybe your species is different, or perhaps you process them differently.

Doc
Click to expand...

Not had much of a problem with splitting unless I hit a tree or a rock, in all honesty I quit using rose because river cane is everywhere where I live and is much easier to work with. I, of course, reinforced the point and the knock end with artificial sinew and :o super glue.

River cane is way more durable and IMO makes a nicer arrow, plus river cane is dead easy to foot and easily use glue on points. I have used regular ole hardware store dowels for footing and it seems to work great. When I get home I am planning on trying a hickory flat bow from scratch. Chris
 
August West said:
Not had much of a problem with splitting unless I hit a tree or a rock, in all honesty I quit using rose because river cane is everywhere where I live and is much easier to work with. I, of course, reinforced the point and the knock end with artificial sinew and :o super glue.

River cane is way more durable and IMO makes a nicer arrow, plus river cane is dead easy to foot and easily use glue on points. I have used regular ole hardware store dowels for footing and it seems to work great. When I get home I am planning on trying a hickory flat bow from scratch. Chris
Click to expand...

Sorry Chris, I meant splitting while drying the shafts, not when shooting.

Also, sorry to the OP, for the hijack. Maybe, Chris, you should start a thread about home made arrows and materials??

Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Sorry Chris, I meant splitting while drying the shafts, not when shooting.

Also, sorry to the OP, for the hijack. Maybe, Chris, you should start a thread about home made arrows and materials??

Doc
Click to expand...

I will be more than happy to answer any questions I can. But afraid in my current situation it would be really hard for any type of tutorial, don't have much here but a laptop and 4 walls. Chris

Now back to talking about which is better, little or big.
 
There is no best between large and small knives, I thought this was about each persons choice and why. All knives are good, I would have to be without both in my arsenal. If I go to do a specific job I want the best tool for that job,and of course it will be what works best for me.
 
My EDC fixed blades are both under 4 inches in blade. But they are shop/house knives.

I carry one or the other when I go out bumming or hiking, but I do tend to carry a larger knife as well. I'm going to go into my thoughts on what that means and why, kind of in bullet format:


Preface: none of this is meant to detract from carrying/using a small knife. None of this is trying to point to a large knife as superior. I'm just answering the OPs question.

1: *most* large knives are not hatchet replacements. The ones that are weigh nearly as much and possibly more than some of the medium/small BG axes.

2: However, the smaller large blades in thinner steel types - like a 3/32, 1/8, or even 5/32 spined leuku/bowie pattern with a 6-9 inch blade- those do an excellent job on brush and processing fallen wood. I wouldn't want to chop down trees thicker than about 3-4 inches with them in general.

3: The thinner large knives- and this goes all the way up to large machetes- can handle all basic bush bumming survival tasks. Once you get past about 6 inches or so, a smaller companion knife is really handy, but the larger blade can do it.

4: Should you, for whatever reason, want/need to reach out and "touch" another member of the animal kingdom - a larger knife is going to be a nice thing to have. (Should you find this idea reprehensible, silly, or whatever, it's fine. I said "should you want", not "you should do this".)

4A: Game finishing in states where firearms are not permitted to be carried while bowhunting is a great example.

5: something more than half of my wilderness knife tasks involve food. I just flat out prefer to have my main kitchen knife with a 5-7 inch blade for making the most out of my time and materials. Unless you eat only packaged dehydrated/preserved/processed food, a decent sized knife that can do kitchen utility work is really a big help.


Those are my reasons for adding a larger knife. Not everyone would agree- even people who carry large knives.
 
Last edited:
Your Number three fits really well in my scheme of things. I like a thin longer knife in my camp kit, mostly for cooking. I love your thin blades Koyote.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top