Big Knife vs Smaller Knife...what is "best"?

[Uncle Russ]

To start with I will personally say I am a lover of knives....all knives!
Big, small, in between, they are all great tools.
Fact of the matter is there are several of us, right here on this forum, that hold charter memberships in "Knifeaholics"...we never attend meetings, but each of us possesses all the essential signs of pure raw addiction.

I did say I love "all knives", but I'll refine that just a wee bit and say I have always held a strong preference for a blade in the 4.0 inch to 4.5 inch range for my personal ever day, day-in, day-out use.
My own personal experience tells me I get along much better with this size blade than any of the other choices I have and, like many of you, I do have a lot of choices.

Having said all that, I now have to say that I read something today, regarding the larger knives, that I will share with you below.
This one single article has caused me to look at things just a little bit differently, in a new light you might say.
Not that it will ever change my mind regarding my preference for the smaller blade, but I just might start carrying two knives, on the belt, when I'm in the field....as silly as that may sound.

Take a look at this and see what you think.
I know many already prefer the larger knifes, but if you fall in that same category as myself along with a few others I know, then tell me what you think.

What Big Survival Knives Are For And How To Use One

([size=85]It's probably best if you ignore some of the photography in the link as it mostly depicts a false image of how our group actually sees BIG knives, just concentrate on what the author has to say about large survival knives before you make your decision.[/size])

Uncle Russ...

[Muley]

I carry a fixed fairly big knife. It's a Buck 119. 10" overall with a 6" blade. Clip point in the style of a bowie.

It's my backup for bear hunting, or whatever might need a blade stuck in it.

[Muley]

Don't like it Russ?

It's one of Buck's classic knife being made for the last 47 years. I have the other classic too. The 110 folder, but I like the 119 better. I call it my bear knife.

[Uncle Russ]

Yes Pete, I do like it.  :shock:
Still yet, thinking back, I suddenly realize they've been around a long long time.

I'll have to look but I think I may have an old 110 folding knife.
Is that the one with the little insignia on the side of a hammer hitting a knife to cut a bolt?
(After writing this I had to go look...actually the folder I described is a 301 Stockman and that is likely the oldest Buck Knife I have....maybe 30 / 40 years old, I can't remember, but it has been a looong time....we have traveled many a mile together...LOL)
Here is a link to that same knife...
301BKS Buck Knives Stockman, Pocket Knife, 420HC Steel Blades| Buck Knife Direct

Buck Knives are good knives.
Uncle Henry, Schrade, Boker, Puma, Case, along with many others, they are all good knives with personal preferences of heft, balance, feel, and functionality being the only really big difference.

Green River "Butcher" knives are still the preferred knife of many Buckskinners and all for good reason, they are simply hard to beat!
I own a couple, but now I think I just might need a really big Butcher Knife.....we'll see.

Uncle Russ...

[Muley]

I've heard others say Buck's are hard to sharpen. I don't seem to have that problem, but you say you don't either anymore. I like to keep a razor edge all the time, so maybe that's why I don't have a problem. I never really let it get dull. I use the diamond med stone (750) that Buck sells to touch it up. It just takes a few passes, and it's good to go.


Buck is a pretty old company. The first Buck knife was produced in 1902 according to their web site.

That's even older than me.  

[Uncle Russ]

1902...Wow, that is much older than I would have thought.

I don't know this to be a fact, "but I have heard"....there we go again, I "heard" but I have no provenance!
Still yet, I have "heard", or read, that the steel in Buck knives is of a higher carbon content than that found in a regular knife. That being the very reason their blades will break much easier than on, say, a Case or a Schrade.
The knife I showed you has a lower carbon rating, for its time, and was supposed to not break when chopping or prying, or any of those other things you shouldn't be using a knife for.
A Case is much easier to sharpen, all things being equal, and that is because of their somewhat lower carbon content....but they will dull easier requiring more frequent sharpening than the Buck.
My own experience says a Buck is harder to sharpen and harder to dull. However, once sharp, that razor edge will last forever, or so it seems.

I feel sure some of our custom knife builders will be along shortly and fill in all the blanks I left on where my thoughts of how things are, and that is just as it should be.

Uncle Russ...

[Muley]

Buck uses 420HC stainless steel on most of their knives except the high priced ones. It's a common steel used now by a lot of companies. The difference is how Buck tempers it. They have some some special process that makes it pretty hard.

Buck will tell that their knives are made to cut, and not chop, pry etc. So, it's not the greatest for a camp knife, but good for cutting stuff.

I just want it to slice up a bear if my PRB fails me.  

[greyhunter]

Good read Russ! Have an old K bar, I'm partial to, really like the old German made, stag handled Solengin knives. When I was a lad, a proper Pa. deer hunter wore plaid Woolrich coat and pants, carried a Winchester thuty thuty or Marlin thuty five, and a stag handled Solengin hunting knife. BTW Despite making an outstanding knife, the Solengin came in the cheapest leather sheath ever made. I agree with the article, sawtooth backs and serrated edges are worthless on a knife. Recently bought a Cold Steel Gladius machete. Now this is a knife!!!

[Muley]

Lad?? My Woolrich coat is 60 years old, and I still wear it hunting.

[R.M.]

I'm a small blade type of guy. I do carry a 6' in the field, but my go to knife is a 3" Uncle Henry folder. I just seem to have better control with the shorter blade.

[Muley]

Yeah, my game skinner is 3 1/2", but I wouldn't want to fight off a bear with it.  

[Buzzard]

Sorry Russ, but was very little in that article that would lead me to change my thinking about my hunting/woods knives. 4-5" fixed blades. It reads like a guy i once bought a used pickup truck from. I'd have taken a blade to him if i coulda found him later. I can break bigger tree limbs over my knee than he could ever hope to chop up with his mega chopper, and a good sized rock will always drive a tent stake faster than that thing. As for bears, if it gets that close to ya, ya might as well stab yourself and save the pain and agony!!! Not to mention the hospital bill!!!!!!!! P.S. In actual use, the shorter blades make better fighting tools due to the "close quarters" nature of the situation.

[Muley]

I'm not the type to give up, and stab myself. The bear will probably win, but it's not getting me without knowing it was in a fight.

The Buck 119 is only 7oz. I can swing it almost as fast as an empty hand.

[huntinguy]

I do carry a 6' in the field

Dang, that is a big knife.... Claymore?? Iffin I was the bear I would run from that.

 

[Muley]

I was going to bust him on that, but I figure i'd let someone else have the fun.