how long is your bushcraft knife?

[Andy]

I'm looking into making my own knife, either getting a blade from somewhere else and putting my own handle on it or possibly getting the blade made to my own design (by means on uncle that makes cutting tools for a living).
I have decided on a handle shape and size that suits me which I based on butchers knives that I've found feel right when using for a long time, it's come out looking like the Bison. when I drew up a design that looked right to me the blade came out at been 120mm long by 25mm deep. I found the mora knife I have a little short at 85mm but I'm not sure if 120mm is a bit too long.
What do you think and how long is your blade? demensions of the bison would be very helpful also of the WS bushcraft knife

 

[Gary]

Andy at some point in the not to distant future BCuk will be running a back to basics series where I will run a article on a subject and will encourage others to discuss this and 'relearn' the old ways of doing things.

One of these subjects will be knives with a mind to looking at what makes the best knife and not just what is popular or what so and so sells at a huge bumped up price!!

So you might want to wait until then before deciding - however to answer your question in simplistic terms the length of your blade should be roughly the same as the wideth of your hand. The reason for this is that size allows you the greatest mechanical leverage when cutting, carving ect.

Smaller sizes are good too as you will see most 'good' carving knives have 2" blades or there abouts.

Larger blades generally are task specific or are carried to make up for other inadequances!!

 

[ESpy]

What are you trying to say about my Gerber BMF, Gary?

 

[Tvividr]

I find the Mora knives to be very good knives for bushcraft, but I agree that sometimes something wider and longer would be preferable (then again, you can get the moras in different lengths - at least the standard model with red wood handle). I like blades between 8-12 cm long, and the majority of the blades I use have blades around 10 cm or slightly longer. I find that anything longer than 12 cms tend to be too large for fine carving and detailed work on small things. And anything shorter than say 7-8 cms is not long enough for heavy duty work, cutting bread, cleaning fish or game (big) etc. Well, a short knife can obviously work in an emergency, but may not be the ideal choice for the job to be done.
My knives are never used to hack, but only to carve and cut things, and therefore I do not need anything larger than 12 cm max. For hacking I only use a large saami knife designed for that purpose, a panga (in southern Africa called a "bushknife") or an axe. I hardly ever use an ax when I'm down south, but prefer the "bushknife" which can also be used for digging etc.

Good luck with making your own knife. I am sure you will enjoy it. I do !

 

[MartiniDave]

I guess it's really horses for courses.

I mostly use a micarta woodlore or helle eggen of about 4" blade. But there are some jobs, mostly gardening/copice type jobs where I will use a Kabar 7 1/2" USMC bowie, or even a 14" tramontina machette. But if I'm brutally honest, the 4" blades are the true bushcraft workhorses for me.

The above notwithstanding, if I'm just out and about, rather than doing something specifically bushcrafty like a trip, it'll probably be a swiss army or opinel that does the cutting, because that's what is always in my pocket.

Dave

 

[Gary]

Well ESPY if its job specific your ok! Besides size isnt everything - so I'm told!

 

[Andy]

I tend to do more playing about when I'm just out walking so I don't carry (or even own) an axe for making fires knives get used to batton through wood a fair bit and this is where i find the mora looses out. I also dont like the small handle on the mora and with a large handle a small blade seems a bit odd looking. I guess I've got something at the larger end of the spectrum but it's beefy all round so that would make sense

 

[leon-1]

Andy, most people actually have a number of knives, be it a small folder for doing fine carving or a larger camp knife for heavy chopping or camp work.

If you carry a small axe then normally you could get away with a knife that has a blade between 3 and 5 inches in length, they are not too large that you cannot control the blade when you are carving but not so small so that when having to use a baton the blade will not protrude through the other side of the log.

One thing that I can remember was being abroad and going out on a cull of reindeer, the policy was if you shot it you skinned an gutted it. The only knife that I had on me was a SAK (I had left the knife that was to be used for this at home by accident ) and I used this.

The point is that normally you can get away with using a smaller knife, it may take a little longer but it will still do the job.

The other thing to remember is the legallity of the blade that you carry, a short knife and a small axe will do all the work that you require under most circumstances. :-D

 

[Gary]

If you have a small axe you dont even need a knife on most occasions!

As a rule it isnt what you have its knowing how to use it.

Another good rule is the rule of natural selection - good knife designs and makes are still around after centuries of use - many of these new models only last a few seasons. Like Angling kit being designed not to catch fish but Anglers many knifes are designed to cut the weight of your wallet not wood.

However as Leon points out I too have skinned and gutted a deer except I used the blade on the original leatherman tool which is tiny if I remember.

 

[Stew]

If my memory serves me correctly, Mors Kochanski thinks a bushcraft knife blade should be as long as the width of your palm. Depends on you want to with it though...

 

[Andy]

which part of your palm, could you show with a pic?

the basic design I've come up with is

though thats a scan which went through paint so a few bits look odd

 

[Stew]

Excuse the hand picture but I don't have a camera on me so I just googled for hand and this was the first half decent pic that came up.

I'm pretty certain that it goes across the thumb as well.

 

[Gary]

Thats spot on exactly what we recommend - it doesnt need to cover the thumb as its not an exact measure - a mm here a mm there wont hurt, but generally a blade that size will do you great service.