your feelings on big fixed blades

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kane22

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Feb 25, 2013
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Years ago I fell into the "one tool option" search. Those big heavy overbuilt knives that I can chop down a tree with and spit it all up, make a fire to cook the rabbit I just skinned. Or something like that. What i've found was while they will do all those things, they don't do it very well. I still like em for the cool factor, but they never get used at this point.

I'll take a small axe anyday to process wood, and the big knives are bad at doing the everyday stuff we normally use knives for. I've found the 4-4.5 inch blades are the sweet spot for me. They feel much more natural in the hand to me. Makes a good hunting knife, food prep, wood work etc. That's also about as big of a knife that I want to actually carry all day. I've tried different sheath options with the bigger knives and could never make it work. It seemed to be in the way more times than not.
 
Big classic Bowie knives are just plain cool, but not something I have a true practical need for
besided my machetes I use around the yard I'd say my Buck 119 special is as large of a fixed blade I could need.

To me an axe or hatchet is a wood processing tool , and a knife or machete is not.
 
I get a lot more use out of my smaller blades, altho it's cool having bigger ones too -- kukri, SRK, CS tanto, etc.
 
Welp, I like big Bowies. I do use 3-5” blades more though.

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For a “one knife only” trek that involves wood processing, I take a 6.5 bladed fixed with .187 blade thickness. Food prep is the last thing that I’m concerned about.

For car camping, where food prep is my main concern, I carry a 4.25 bird and trout style blade.
I have lots of different tools when car camping.
 
I just sold my two classics buck 119 and kabar usmc full size because I see no use of them, or more precisely, for my intended use I almost can always find better knives or tools. They do look cool.
 
I'm a bit conflicted/undecided honestly. What I have decided, is that I think of them as "camp" knives. I don't want to backpack with a large chopper.

On one hand, I totally agree with you. I love my Mora, and my BK16 (both in the 4-4.5in size range you mention prefering). My first "one tool option" knife was a Bk2, and it rarely gets used these days. Too many compromises for to use when I do not need to limit myself to one tool. I'd much prefer taking tools that are better at each job (my BK9, and mora), instead of just the BK2.

On the other hand, I know you say you prefer a small axe to a big chopper. So far, unless by "small axe" you actually mean a hatchet, I haven't been able to find anything that weighs close to what my BK9 does, nor is as easy to carry. Also, maybe I'm just unskilled with axes, but with a large knife I can still do reasonably detailed work. Tent pegs, feathersticks, and other things like that are no problem. With just an axe, I personally would have a hard time with those tasks.

Where it gets fuzzier in my mind, is big chopper vs machete (or Machete like object as a golok, parang, etc).
 
Big knives do small knife tasks better than small knives do big knife tasks. Big knives also do alot more than a hatchet can do.

It all depends on the knife though, machetes suck for wood processing and are not choppers. I have a mukti that in a pinch could be used as a sledgehammer, can chop down trees(and has) can chop up wood and is very well designed for everything ive thrown at it. It could be used as a food processing knife, although it would work better as a griddle than as a skinner. It aslo weighs around 5lbs
 
ocnLogan...check out the Wetterlings outdoor axe #118. I don't think it weighs much more than my big knives. That's my go to, great quality and will take a really sharp edge. Mine will shave hair and takes a good bit out of wood.
 
I used machetes and choppers A LOT!! But in the past two years I have been carrying a 3-5 inch blade fixed blade along with it. I have really grown to love the smaller fixed blades. IMO they are both necessary, for my uses at least.
 
The machete I have is wayyyy better at chopping than my BK9. It only seems to "suck" when it is dried/hardened wood (because it binds easily). I've chopped down trees in the ~7in diameter range with it on occasions.

Then again, it is closer to 2lbs than it is to 1lb, and it's got a 24in blade. So its not really suited for packing around either.

Also, as I said, things like goloks are still commonly considered a variety of machete, and they are undoubtably a chopper (with specs like 1/4in blade stock, and 14in blade lengths being pretty common).

@kane23.

I looked up that wetterlings, and it does look quite nice :).

It is 2.5x the weight of the BK9 I have though, and a good couple inches (~3in) longer.

That said, I'm under no delusions' of grandeur. The BK 9 (I keep using it as an example, just because it's the only one I really own), won't out chop a big machete like tool, nor an axe/hatchet approaching or exceeding its size/weight.

I do think they have a niche though. I mean, the fact that the leuku style knives have existed for so long likely means others have likely found them useful to keep around.

I think that personally I view them a bit like a more generalist hatchet, and would typically choose to carry one instead of a hatchet of comparable dimensions.
 
My answer is a very boring "it depends". Terrain, means of locomotion and planned activities all impact my choice of tools.

For instance, when I travel with my horses I'll bring a khukri or an axe, because they carry the weight. If I'm going to be walking through Patagonia for a month, then every single gram counts and I won't lug around a huge knife, however a trip through my country's jungle areas makes a machete mandatory gear.

Generally speaking, I've found a medium size (4-5") fixed blade knife to do everything I need in most places while still being comfortable to carry for extended trips. If I feel the need to be able to process large pieces of wood, I'd rather have a good folding saw than an axe or big chopper.

I do like big knives as part of my hobby/blade fetish, and use them from time to time.
 
I seem to like smaller knives, like 3-4-5", or bigger ones like 10-12" with a very long handle. Slicer/cutter or a bit of a chopper. Kitchen knives are a bit different.
 
I can manage with a one tool setup, but I much prefer a knife with a 4 to 4.5" blade and separate tools for wood processing if I think that will be necessary.
 
ocnLogan said:
The machete I have is wayyyy better at chopping than my BK9. It only seems to "suck" when it is dried/hardened wood (because it binds easily). I've chopped down trees in the ~7in diameter range with it on occasions.

Then again, it is closer to 2lbs than it is to 1lb, and it's got a 24in blade. So its not really suited for packing around either.

Also, as I said, things like goloks are still commonly considered a variety of machete, and they are undoubtably a chopper (with specs like 1/4in blade stock, and 14in blade lengths being pretty common).

@kane23.

I looked up that wetterlings, and it does look quite nice :).

It is 2.5x the weight of the BK9 I have though, and a good couple inches (~3in) longer.

That said, I'm under no delusions' of grandeur. The BK 9 (I keep using it as an example, just because it's the only one I really own), won't out chop a big machete like tool, nor an axe/hatchet approaching or exceeding its size/weight.

I do think they have a niche though. I mean, the fact that the leuku style knives have existed for so long likely means others have likely found them useful to keep around.

I think that personally I view them a bit like a more generalist hatchet, and would typically choose to carry one instead of a hatchet of comparable dimensions.
Click to expand...

I dont consider a golok to be a machete, especially so for something like condors version (which i have and love). The bk9 isnt really a chopper knife either imo. Its a beefy knife but anything under 10 inches isnt really a chopper.

Other knives of the same size as a hatchet will vastly out chop a hatchet, my Mukti for example. Ive packed it in the woods a lot and its been used very heavily. It out chops a full size axe by a good margin while being way more easily lugged around. Its heavy, but i had a nice sheath made for it that helps.
 
I carry a 4" fixed blade for most uses, and find it does pretty much everything that I need a small knife to do. If I think I might need a bit more weight or leverage, I'll go with something in the 6-10" range. Favorites for chopping, hacking, and slashing in the field are a Becker BK-4 Machax, or a Livesay RTAK. After that, I go back to a smaller fixed blade and a hammer-polled tomahawk.

If I need more than that, I want a chain-saw. Yeah. So what?
 
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