your feelings on big fixed blades

I like big knives, but the only big knife I use on a regular basis is my 10 inch chef knife.

For every task where I think I could use a big knife outside of the kitchen, I usually stop and think "I've got a better tool for that".

Kindling? I've got a hatchet. Splitting wood? I've got an axe, maul, wedge, hammer. Field dressing animals? I've got 3-5 inch knives for that. Camping? I've got a Swiss Army Knife for that.

So, things like the Buck 119, the KaBar USMC, and the Kukri sit at home largely unused. I use machetes often enough I guess though.
 
I once bought a Randall 12-9 ( pictured top 31.5 ounces w/9” blade). Big and beautiful but for me it was frankly pointless. I double carry most days a fixed blade Model 14 (occasionally a 1-7) with a 7” blade (middle knife) as well as a Jason Knight/Michael Zieba Southern Star folder. The combo is great.

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I don’t have any real use for a knife with a blade longer than 4” outside of the home kitchen.

When car camping, I bring out the axes.

When in the backcountry, I view fire as an emergency only kind of thing. I can get the job done with a good 4” blade, which works fine for utility as well, and is about the max I’m willing to carry.

When at home, I typically carry a sub 3” fixed blade for utility.
 
I have two big ones: the Becker BK5 and CS Trailmaster San Mai. I use the BK5 for backup when on a security job I do, and for camp kitchen duties.

The Trailmaster SM was shipped to me when I ordered one in 01 Steel and they sent a San Mai version instead so I got lucky. Only took it camping once where I didn't have to hike far. Also used it to clear a local overgrown trail.

Both have done exactly what their name implies: "magnum camp" and "trailmaster." Neither get used as much as my smaller blades, but when needed they are perfect for their roles.
 
DocJD said:
... You can do a lot with a big knife in the woods that a small one just can't handle . A big un is clumsy for precise work but it's easy enough to carry along a small fixed or folder with the big . Big is ~10" and above . Chopping or clearing trail with less is a PITA .

For serious work with wood , saw and / or camp axe .
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You can get by with say a 9" BK-9, but if you really want to chop with a knife, go 10" or larger. You can do a lot with a big knife, but I generally don't want to carry one.

I wander down trails in my favored stomping ground and if I'm not really camping or even hiking (just poking around), I might take along a big knife (something like the Condor Pack Golok or Kumunga) to just have with me to knock a few limbs off to keep a trail more open or clean up something that has fallen across the trail. It is mostly playing, but I do what I feel is a good deed along the way.
 
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I believe that variety is good. The best part about carrying a big knife is that when you have committed to carrying that much weight, throwing in a couple of smaller knives become a no-brainier. Also, not everyone has to carry the same thing. When you go with a group you can vary the kit from person to person, so you have a range of tools available to you at camp.

n2s
 
Little different perspective. As a maker I probably sell 10 to 1 (it might even be a higher ration than that), small fixed blades over bigger blades. Most of my sales are to cowboys/ranchers horsemen etc. Folks that spend a lot of time outdoors on a daily basis. I have 65 knives on the bench right now that I am working on (put bolsters on the 57 that get em yesterday and will start handles today). Of those 65, four have blades longer than 3.5". Most are 2-3 inches. I like making bigger blades, but I sell lots of little ones. My own personal edc is 5.25" oal with a 2" blade.
 
This is coming from another maker, I started making knives because I could never find exactly what I wanted. I used to carry a small blade in the woods, but I’ve now moved to something a little larger. I pack in on horses, or backpack and spend a good amount of time outdoors! I’ve been stuck several times trying to get to some dry wood in snow storms, or rain storms! Weight is always a concern to some degree, so I’ve settled on a knife around 6.5 inches of blade length! Sometimes I carry my 7 plus inch camp knife in 3v. But my hunting and outdoor knife is 6.5 inches in vanadis 4e. I can do some mild chopping, pry fat wood, carve, and skin an animal just fine with it. I’m thinking of shortening the design by half an inch. I’ll be taking this knife into the wilderness this year on a 10 day elk hunt. So I should get some good test feedback from it. Most people I make knives for, like a nice small skinner, but I’ve settled on a decent size knife with a smaller skinner set up cross draw on my belt. Total weight of both is probably around 25 to 30 ounces. I barely notice it.
 
ocnLogan said:
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).
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You're spot on with most of this, though the snarky wiseass in me says that the reason you don't carry the BK2 is probably because it weighs 37lbs. LOL

Signed,
Another guy who bought a BK2 because it looked amazing, and then ended up never carrying it due to its weight.
 
Quiet said:
You're spot on with most of this, though the snarky wiseass in me says that the reason you don't carry the BK2 is probably because it weighs 37lbs. LOL

Signed,
Another guy who bought a BK2 because it looked amazing, and then ended up never carrying it due to its weight.
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Your snark isn't misplaced, as weight totally was a factor, but my original statement wasn't really trying to be misleading either. I bought the BK2 as my first "real" knife, and will admit to being swayed by the thread where that guy batoned through everything (lawnmower deck included), and the knife was fine after some sharpening. Turns out, I have little use for batoning lawnmowers at this point in my life.

I still maintain that the BK2 is a decent knife if you're subject to the restrictions of only bringing one tool with you, and have limited space (not weight :P). I just... never have those limitations, as when I go out camping, I'm not in some reality show that limits the number of items I take. That said, my BK2 has still gotten some use, mostly around the house for splitting firewood by the fire out back, or breaking up fatwood/etc. Its basically a froe that I can carve with if I want at this point.

I also realized that for nearly the same weight, I can split the tasks up into two knives. My BK9 chops way better than the BK2, and because of its length (which is apparently not a large knife at 9in), is actually more useful for batoning if needed. My mora is also WAY better at small carving than the BK2. So now I typically carry both of these when I car camp, or do more base camp style camping. When I backpack, I don't do fires much, so along comes the Mora or something similar just in case.

I also love folding saws. Like other people have said, chopping is actually very tiring. Id rather go faster, and use less energy, and be safer using a folding saw.

A big knife knife to me is ~8 - 11in, and can be used around camp to chop/split wood up to ~wrist/forearm size. It can also help with food prep, cutting tent stakes, delimbing wood that was harvested with larger tools, and even help clear a bit of brush on the trail, or away from your tent/etc. For "real chopping" there are larger tools like the heavy machete/kuhkri/axes, and "real cutting" you have your axes/bow saws/chainsaws. So, IMO they have a place, I just don't take them everywhere.

I guess I think of large knives in the woods, kind of like I view a petty/utility knife in the kitchen. Not the best at anything, but still useful to have around, as it "can" do a little of most everything.
 
those are interesting since they flare wider to the back of the clippoint - (so somewhat shovel shaped ?) do you find that more useful than a purely fixed width blade?

I do like the look of them... which steel are they in?
 
dirc said:
those are interesting since they flare wider to the back of the clippoint - (so somewhat shovel shaped ?) do you find that more useful than a purely fixed width blade?

I do like the look of them... which steel are they in?
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I should think that blade shape would put the weight more forward and maybe improve the chopping potential ?
 
Quiet said:
... Another guy who bought a BK2 because it looked amazing, and then ended up never carrying it due to its weight.
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Me too! I have medium sized hands and there is something about the full sized Becker handles that are simply too thick for me unless I'm chopping. Add the 1/4" blade stock and.... the BK-2 is not for me.

I bought the BK-2 at New Graham in Virginia.... this is during the time when everyone was recommending the BK-2. My pupils dialated just picking the thing up and I had to have one. Then time marches forward and I get a BK-15 and BK-16 and decided I really like the BK-15 for using. It's enough for most things I might do. I don't know if I ever even cut anything with my BK-2... ;) With fixed blades, that is not an uncommon thing for me. I love them, but seldom need to use one unless I'm playing around. BUT, put me out in the woods and I want a fixed blade knife with me even if I don't use it. It's a security blanket for me.
 
Big knives are cool, especially bowies.
For actual use, I find my 18" HI khukuri is a good tool for limbing medium sized branches and then chopping them for the fire pit. Axe or saw for bigger stuff.
 
22-rimfire said:
Me too! I have medium sized hands and there is something about the full sized Becker handles that are simply too thick for me unless I'm chopping. Add the 1/4" blade stock and.... the BK-2 is not for me.
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I'm a bit the other way around actually. The BK2 was my first Becker knife, and when I picked up the BK9, with its thinner blade stock, I actually didn't like how thin the handle scales felt. So I've got liners under the stock scales now, and greatly prefer it that way.

The BK16 handles though feel small to me, and actually give my hand cramps if I'm doing things like carving feather sticks with them for too long, as they don't have enough girth for me. I need to make up some liners for mine now, and see if that helps at all.

But, I've only got L sized hands. So go figure :P.
 
Since I have coconuts, bananas and sugar cane growing in my yard (it's fairly large), I actually use a machete all the time. I have more than a few and even have a couple just for digging.

Walking the dog, I usually have a Bussekin chopper in the 7 to 13 inch range that almost always gets used for something like lopping off a limb that's in in the way.
 
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