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

[sse]

i'm still within the 'grace period'...

[RobD]

old topic, but i'd like to add my pennie's worth.

unless circumstances were combative, survival related, or some special cutting/chopping/prying requirement was routinely required, i don't need a cutting knife of more than a few inches, and my go to is still a li'l 2-1/4" helle ola-kniven blade.  i've used one to skin deer and hog and rabbit.  the laminated steel keeps a good edge, too.  i buy the blades and make the handles, as well.  so, my vote's for a really small, but good blade.  

this one has a red oak handle and stays in a sheath that's laced to my possible bag's shoulder strap.

[Longhunter]

Voyaguer Knife

[Forager]

Ron, you have to stop coming up with great designs I "need".  

That's a sharp looking blade!

[Longhunter]

it will take a scary sharp edge...
As you can see from the picture the bottom knife has a broader blade. We've changed that with the top knife and I like that one better.

[Kermit]

The small knife Mario recommends is commonly called a "Sloyd knife," developed in Finland in the late 19th century for use in handicrafts based education programs. Carvers still find them useful. They are simple, inexpensive, and usually very good steel. Highly recommended! They used to be available from a lot of woodworking suppliers like Woodcraft Supply and Highland Woodworking, but may have fallen from favor.

I like these:

Laminated Steel Sloyd Knives by Mora of Sweden

[TallTexan]

Of all the knives I've owned over the years, for actual use after the shot, a blade of more than 4 inches is just in the way and unwieldy. 3 to 3 3/4 drop point with a lot of "belly" to the blade does it for me whether it deer or hogs.  4 or more inches is just for show and part of your custom be it re-enacting, CAS or living history.  Perhaps field craft or prepping would require something longer but now being into that myself I wouldn't know.  Perhaps my coolest knife and one that I love to show off when shooting Cowboy Action was a Muela 5 inch fixed blade Bowie knife with Sambar Crown Stag handle.  The most I ever did with it was to cut some rope .  I did however have a Marble "Cowboy" model with camel bone handle that I used to clean and gut one or two hogs with and the resulting patina was immediately arrested with Barricade.

So for me, smaller is better and more useful as far as my needs go.

[Longhunter]

You can do a lot with a small knife but you can do even more with a big knife.  A big knife will cut down a tree or dress a squirrel