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Thread: So.. Big or Small Knife.. The Age Old Debate

  1. #1

    Default So.. Big or Small Knife.. The Age Old Debate

    I am a huge advocate of a large knife. In all my years in the Marines, camping and teaching survival, I have never complained that my knife was too large. In fact, I can do anything with my large knife I need to, but with a small knife I am limited in such activities as processing firewood.

    Now I carry several knives with me in the woods, and they always include a Mora Bushcraft Knife, but the one knife I will always depend on and never sacrifice is my large, all around bushcrafting knife. Currently that knife is the Buck 184, Buckmaster.. For a few years prior to switching to the Buckmaster, I carried either the Buck Hoodlum or the Becker BK9.. Both great knives and both worthy of their own discussion.

    What do you prefer?

    Large or small and why?

    Semper


  2. #2
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Yes. The right tool for the right job. I carry several.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I like knives large and small. I too carry several. For my area it is usually medium to small along with a saw.
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  4. #4

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    Here's one vote for a 3" blade and a light axe.
    "everything's temporary if you give it enough time" J Kilcher

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  5. #5
    Senior Member DomC's Avatar
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    I prefer both large and small.

    DomC

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    "There are only 2 classes of ships in the Navy...Submarines and Targets!" RM2(SS)
    "A knifeless man is a lifeless man"...Nordic proverb.
    "No man's knowledge can go beyond his experience." John Locke.
    "Survival is about getting out of the wilderness ALIVE, Bushcraft is about getting into the wilderness and THRIVING."

  6. #6

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    It depends for me,
    If I'm camping or Bushwalking I carry preferably a large knife,
    However for work on the farm I only carry a small knife

  7. #7

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    I prefer a very great quality/designed large knife, but I never complain if I have my old Tracker an multi tool also

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  8. #8
    Prepper
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    I carry a large knife and a smaller knife (4 inch blade). With the two options I can just about get everything I need to do done.

  9. #9
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Small ...SAK....Always

    Other cutting tools to fit the task or occasion.
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27

  10. #10
    Senior Member randyt's Avatar
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    I carry a large scagel fixed blade with a folder in the handle. Little nervous about batoning such a old knife though LOL just fooling. I carry a couple, even back in my deepest and darkest times I had several knives of all sizes. If it came down to I would chose a large knife. A large knife will handle the tasks that are more important to me like firewood, splitting, poles etc. A good example are the natives in the jungle, they pretty much use a machete for most tasks. All just my opinion.
    so the definition of a criminal is someone who breaks the law and you want me to believe that somehow more laws make less criminals?

  11. #11

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    So what about some pics men?
    Would love to see that Buck 184
    Here's my GZilla
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  12. #12
    Senior Member randyt's Avatar
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    so the definition of a criminal is someone who breaks the law and you want me to believe that somehow more laws make less criminals?

  13. #13
    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    I like a medium sized bushcraft knife 6' blade or smaller, and a good sharp hatchet. I do not like chopping wood with a knife!

  14. #14
    hunter-gatherer Canadian-guerilla's Avatar
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    if i want to carry a big knife, i'll just carry a machete
    a medium size " full tang " is fine with me

    i stopped counting how many of these dollar knives i've bought
    everytime i stop into the dollar store i get at least 2

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    there are two types of wild food enthusiasts,
    one picks for enjoyment of adding something to a meal,
    and the second is the person who lives mostly on ( wild ) edibles

    Lydia

  15. #15

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    You guys will prolly laugh at this one but when Im in the woods its gotta be my kbar I.carry a buck skinning combo in my pack and my case canoe in my pocket but I love my kbar

  16. #16

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    My main do everything blade is an Ontario SP42 made of 5160 spring steel and has a 7 inch blade - not too big, not too small. But I also carry a Kabar/Becker BK16 on my belt and an Ontario SP50 (HUGE) in my pack. I have never seen the need to process firewood in my area as there is alway a huge array of deadwood of various sizes laying about the woods. My main use for knives is in helping to clear brush, building a shelter, and carving various trap triggers when needed. For fire, I just gather pieces of various sizes and pile it up near my fire pit. Oh, I almost forgot - I also carry and Old Timer stockman in my pocket !

  17. #17
    Just Hangin' Out...
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    Both: I piggy-back their sheaths!
    "I don't know anything, and I can prove it just by opening my mouth...

    I love the idea that "Two is one, and one is none." until I try to carry twice as much!

  18. #18

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    In most cases I carry my main big knife (Schrade SCHF9) and a smaller folder locker with a 3 inch blade. That little folder is so old the engraved name is actually worn out of it hehe. The big knife I don't keep as sharp because of the rough heavy use it gets so i keep the little folder razor sharp and use that for taking care of small fish and game I catch as skinning out a squirrel with the big knife is a bit clumsy :P

  19. #19
    Super Moderater RangerXanatos's Avatar
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    Depends on what I'm doing. Most of the time, it's a 4 in knife. But I could get by with something smaller or larger.
    What's so crazy about standing toe-to-toe saying I am?
    ~Rocky Balboa

  20. #20

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    My Design made by PMoore,Gzilla(lager) & my design made by PMoore,TRex(medium), more than fill all my needs in everyform of bushcraft & Extreme Hard Use. Zilla is designed with a high flat, smooothed hidden line where the grind starts at a true 1/4" below spine for strength & no resistance when chopping & a secondary convex which I prefer ..10" long by 2" wide, 1/4" thick,1080 steel . TRex is a 6 1/2" spear point recurve blade, full flat, V grind from choil till belly, then the secondary bevel turns to convex...a true all around knife, that's size will fool you, worn horizontal, 3/16" O1 tool steel, just an all around amazing bombproof blade, that is very usable. Pauls HT is borderline Majic. I still use other knives to test, & have compared my PMoores against Eased, Busse's, TOPS, and have found nothing that compares...so I like them Big, Medium, & small(a very old Old timer Trapper & a Leatherman Rebar)Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
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    Last edited by Carney; 02-08-2014 at 04:22 PM.

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