Big Knife or Small Knife: Which is Best for Survival and Bushcraft?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 кві 2022
- In this video I address the age old debate about whether it's better to carry and large or small knife into the woods for the purposes of bushcraft and survival.
Please like, subscribe, and hit the bell if you found this video interesting.
Follow me on twitter or facebook to get notified when I make a new video.
/ cheap_outdoors
/ outdoors-on-the-cheap-...
Want 10% of on bushcraft gear? Go to newfoundlandknife.ca and use my coupon code: MGP2022 (valid Jan 1, 2022 to Dec 31, 2022).
Music: "back in the wood" by audionautix.com - Навчання та стиль
![ЛЕБЕДЕВ у ДУДЯ: муху не обманешь 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E74h5fvVrqs/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks Greg...couldn't agree more that as I get older my knives got smaller! I hunted and fished in bear country for 10 + years and never felt that my knife would be useful in a close encounter with a determined bear. I have personally seen a hunter shoot a grizzly with soild hits from a 300 Winchester Magnum and that bear still managed to charge about 150 meters before hitting the ground. In a close coupled situation with a knife you would stand very little chance so why worry about it. I have found that 100% of my close encounters with these creatures is they tend to avoid humans...
I almost walked into a mother grizzly one time while traversing a noisy creek, it scared the shit out of me and the she bear and her 2 cubs seemed to have the same reaction as me...we all just vacated the area! 😆 To say I was lucky is an understatement.
A buddy and I just about got run over by a black bear as we were loading our gear into my truck just came crashing out of the woods passed between us and ran across the road and into the bush. Then it dawned on us - what the hell was chasing it? 😂
In any case your view on knives and their use is spot on. However I still love my Rapala fish fileting knife that I have had for 55 or so years!
Just heading out to do some fishing - hope to use my knife later today.
Have a great day!
Mike 🇨🇦 🍁 👍
I hope that knife got used today :)
Never was a fan of big bulky knives. I would rather have a small knife and a hatchet.
Its a good thing we're all able to have opinions!
The smart money is on carrying multiple knives/tools.
Use the tight tool for the job!
Thanks for the video...
You have made more sense than 99 percent of these so-called survival experts online. Love the videos keep up the great work.
Thanks, will do!
One aspect that few consider is environment. There is a big difference between the Everglades and the northern boreal forest. Environment + personal preference is important. Also, method of conveyance (canoe trip or backpacking trip) will also impact tool choice.
everything you said sums up my experience after i actualy started to go out in the woods, and actually using my knives. Before that i got taken by all the youtube hype about big knives and that they have to be unbreakble etc etc. after geting a small knife and using it, and pairing it with a axe, it made all the diffrence. the thought of batoning and hence the reason of the thick knives just messed with the real use of knives and impacted the main uses of a knife. I pretty much was blinded by the hype and just didnt even look at it logically-and i didnt even use the damn thick knives much anyways, just in my garden batoning for a bbq or something. Actualy going out and doing stuff in the woods would un-blind alot of people i think. Alot of ppl say the argument of the 1 tool option, and that the best is a big knife, but not because of nothing the great Mors Kochanski said that if you were too choose a 1 tool option it would rather be a good axe. Im done rambling haha, good video man wish many more would find this before spending ungodly amounts of money on thick unbreakable knives that fail to do the task knives are best at. Cheers!
Thanks man, I agree
Picking up sticks in the forrest is for temporary survival. Sure. Small knife you can probably last a week. But if it goes on for months, you need bigger knife to build small cabins. For that you need bigger knife.
...
Great video my friend. A lot of city Folk and suburb Folk are dictating to the knife world, through sales, what is necessary. As a result, Knives have become overly thick and long with non-functional designs.
I totally agree!
The longer you're in the woods, the bigger the knife you need. If you're there a real long time you can break up the giant knife into 2 or 3 lesser knives of your choice, or turn it into an axe plus a knife. But remember, the further north you go, the longer the axe handle. This is ... axiomatic.
The best knife is the one you are most comfortable asking to do the things you want it to. I've carried a Mora since the early 80s. I do have bigger ones, but I've never used them except to test them. A Mora and a forest axe handle most of my needs, and I carry several pocket knives that are good for the things I want to do that the Mora doesn't do well. Lately (last 5-7yrs) I've been playing with these gimmick axes you can get at Princess Auto or Canadian Tire and finding that some are almost capable of replacing the Mora for utility.
"The best knife is the one you are most comfortable asking to do the things you want it to."
Perhaps that's true of knives in general - but with reference to bushcraft and survival, the best knife is the one that does most things well.
👍 I agree completely.
I am 72 and have always wanted to love a big knife and I have always been left broken hearted because as you say 98+% of what we really do in the wild lands (clean fish, dress out game, camp chores) a small knife does better.
An Irish guy named Vinnie (Vinnies Day Off UA-cam channel) has done several videos of how useful even a pocket knife can be. In one 3 video series he builds a shelter, makes tools, and processes fire wood with basically a pen knife simply as a demonstration of the usefulness of even the smallest of small knives.
My knife of choice in the wild lands for many years is not a pen knife, it is a knife with a 4 inch continuous curve blade with a full tang handle about 4-1/2 inches long as I have XL glove sized hands. I also carry a small folding saw and sometimes a small hatchet.
I feel ya man! I tried the big ones - but kept reaching for the small :)
@@outdoorsonthecheap As a proud Canadian you will probably be glad to read the fixed blade I carry into the woods is the Grohmann #3. 👍 😀
I agree, there is no need to baton firewood. If I am splitting firewood I preffer an axe or a hatchet. However I do enjoy battoning when finer splits are needed.
Bring Both!!! Use Both!!!
Yes that's an easy answer I suppose - but if I do that and find myself using the smaller knife 99% of the time - what does that mean?
@@outdoorsonthecheap Fair Enough... Can't Argue Logic. Great Videos!!! Keep Them Coming!! 😉
You make some fantastic points I'm just a big knife guy always will be doesn't mean they'll replace small knives no they always have their purpose love your content love your mindset keep it up
A great video and you are so right on what you're explaining.
Thanks Man!
I'm a guy who loves his big knives. Especially his freaking-big knives. But the knives in my hand tend to be one of my Mora's or SAK's. A big knife is usually there, but mostly just because I like it . I'll chop with one occasionally but even then it's mostly to justify carrying the heavy bastard.. If I expect to do something that requires any significant chopping, I have a 1 pound hatchet that easily out chops any of my 1 pound knives.
Thanks you for the honesty :)
Very sensible words. Thank you very much for sharing that knowledge my friend.
Thanks man :)
Great video. Totally spot on argumentation. 👍
Thanks!
I prefer a smaller knife 3 to 4 inch blade is enough , I do not baton or chop with a knife it is my cutting tool. I can clean fish and food prep start a fire and everything else with a small fixed blade. And the smaller ones with under 3 inch blade I use as neck knives like the LT Wright Frontier trapper and LT Wright Frontier First but the 3 to 4 inch blade size is the best for all cutting needs. I also carry a folding knife to go with my small fixed blade knife. I just go trout fishing now at 62 years old I do not need large fixed blades on my belt that I will never use since I do not bushcraft or camp anymore either. As you get older you change your life changes and your knives change too for use . For me it is now urban carry and light woods use fixed blades and folders is all I need I like the lighter weight too.
I always have a folder in my pocket too :)
I really enjoyed this! I like the way you are thinking 🙂
Thank you!! 😊
Great points! Some things I will go a bit extra on for the looks. Sure they're tools but they're also art.
Right on
GREAT VIDEO!
Thanks man :)
2:49 "... to me, the ideal knife .." In principle, I tend to agree with you on most things, but here I tend not to. The reason is in your choice of words - "ideal knife" , singular. You even develop the idea further a bit later when you compare the large/small knives in your hands. My question is, why not have both? Then you can choose which tool to use for which job.
Another example: I've done quite a bit of hunting (albeit in South Africa) and dressed my share of game I've taken. I found that the best skinning knife would make a terrible gutting knife, and vice versa. A good skinning knife needs a very rounded point area to run along under the skin (like a small butcher's knife), while a gutting knife should be as you described, or preferably a hook with a very sharp inner edge.
In the scenario you described of someone going out and ending up lost for days on end, what was there stopping the person being better equipped before setting out? With good planning, preparation and resources, that person would be in a MUCH better situation than the one you described. So, why not? Why would you only take your little neck knife? Why not a belt knife as well, and even possibly a good Multi-tool knife in your pocket (like a Victorinox Hercules)? As Dave Canterbury says, if your skill levels are not that good, you need more resources (ie tools) to make up for it. That probably includes most of us, who, unlike you, might need them. [You are obviously highly skilled with loads of experience]
Glad you made the point about the saw! For me, a saw is a Not Negotiable tool. Weight for weight it can do its intended job better than anything else, short of a chain saw. The appropriate size will depend on the situation and circumstances (Silky has saws for just about every such situation). I regard a hatchet or axe as redundant if you have knives and a saw. (They require too many calories for a job that a saw and a knife can do better, much quicker).
Back to knives: yes one CAN do a lot of stuff with a small knife or a folder (multi-tool), as guys like Vinny and Felix Immler have demonstrated. But, is it the best way?
Then, the elephant in the room and confession time! You were spot on about big knives - some of us just love them! It's much like that with axes too, I think. I absolutely love my Cold Steel Trail Master, and using it. It is actually quite versatile. However, I also love my Victorinox Swiss Champ and would never go out without it!
The one time I would compromise is when weight is a real issue, like on a longish hike, and the pack seems to get heavier with every day. Here I would consider carrying only two tools:
A belt knife ( CS SRK ) and a Victorinox Hercules [which has a very efficient small saw (4+ inches).]
[As I have mentioned elsewhere I do not do the "cheap" bit. If I am going depend on a knife for my life (possibly), then I want a tool I trust, and I will find the funds necessary. I have the same philosophy when it comes to firearms. ]
Thanks for some interesting thoughts in your video, It helps to be challenged and to have to clarify one's thinking about the outdoors.
I carry a good folding saw (gomboy 210) in lieu of a belt knife, and a SWISS Soldier's 08 in my pocket. I could carry a big belt knife - but why bother if I never use it? I prefer the neck knife for many reasons - even did a video about that. (link below). As I said - I've been at this a while, and have used everything, and just find the "big survival knife" totally impractical. Of course, this might be a hot country/cold country thing. Hot country people tend to like big knives - perhaps they are more useful in that ecology. The knife I use is basically the same sort of thing recommended by Mors Kochanski in his classic book "Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival". But his area of expertise is all Northern/Boreal type forests. I swear to god man those big knives are practically useless up here - and a smallish axe is 10 times more practical (did a video on that too). Perhaps it's the type of wood we have? Not sure. I've included a good vid by Mors on all the knives he's used personally, and as a professional wilderness survival instructor.
ua-cam.com/video/CooBiu598FE/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/9aLOY7Q7IkQ/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/-BXKHRzn_yE/v-deo.html
@@outdoorsonthecheap That's very interesting. I'm a little at sea as to what one could do with a smallish axe that one can't do with a saw & a Trail Master? I found that a hatchet (favoured for its light weight) wasn't very practical. Your idea of hot country people favouring big knives is a new one on me, and I'll have to give it some thought. On Mors, yeah he was for smaller knives.
You are absolutely right. I’ve gotten into hot tenting. Some thru-hikers relied on the forecast. They did not have a tent. If I was not there? Who knows what would have happened? I do know that being cold and wet without any shelter would be miserable or worst.
But what about for a zombie apocalypse?? Wouldn't you want a bigger knife? All jokes aside I can tell by the way you speak that you are smart and know what you're talking about. I just did Canadian Forces basic survival training in Manitoba a couple months ago. The most useful tools were the folding saw, entrenching tool, and knife that was pretty much the same size as yours. I barely used the hatchet at all. If I was surviving and a human found me I don't think i would want to kill the human with my knife as they are probably trying to rescue me lol.
Thanks. Ha ha - you know, I've often thought of doing a video on the "the walking dead", about how stupid it is that they all use different weapons (e.g. axe/knife/crosssbow/katana/etc.) when they should all use spear and shield and fight in formation - like a Greek phalanx. I like the show, but for chrissakes, why would any sane person fight a zombie with a knife? It also irks me that they are able to use gasoline for years after the collapse of civilization. It begins to degrade after 6 months. After a couple years it would wreck the car engines.
I ordered the BPS! , Thanks!
Let me know if it arrives - I have no idea how they are able to operate in the middle of a war.
I HAVE SO MANY AWESOME FIXED BLADE 6 INCH AND MORE LONG KNIVES! LIKE A BUNCH! And they remain in storage as I carry my 4 inch d2 steel , 440c steel folders along with my 4-5 inch light knives. If you want to try just using a lockblade folding knife, fills the hand kinda handle, for your channel, please let me know where to send them!
Thanks man I'll keep that in mind. Generally I like folders as backups because working with them for extended amount of time can cause blisters. I always have a good one on me though
@@outdoorsonthecheap you just satisfied my curiosity! thx
I disagree slightly with one point: Animals are not assassins. They act on instinct and might just defend their ground because you happen to walk to the wrong place. In that case a gun or chemical spray might save you. But you are right there: A knife never will. An animal that is close enough for you to hit it with a knife can also bite you. Animal bites will infect 99% of the time if you dont have antibiotics. So much for the survival situation.
I don't recall saying that they are "assassins". My point was that things like bears and cougars are apex predators - they kill stuff all the time to live; and a human with a knife is outmatched against a bear or cougar.
@@outdoorsonthecheap Yeah, I used the word assassins as a metaphor. What I meant is, you might see a dangerous animal before it attacks you - if they just defend their ground. It wont always be an ambush situation.
I agree - but I was talking about the scenario where the animal sees you as a meal. The scenario where you see a dangerous animal before it attacks you is a much better scenario so long as you play it out the right way (no sudden movements, stand tall - be big, & speak confidently to the bear - tell it to go away).
Carry both. Just as simple as that
That would not resolve the debate - although it would help knife companies sell more knives.
@@outdoorsonthecheap
Not all debates are meant to be resolved my friend. However, 2 is 1 and 1 is none. Carry both.
This debate will certainly not be resolved with you. Enjoy your knife collection sir :)
@@outdoorsonthecheap
If you need to barrow a few for future videos let me know.
Sorry, day off work and I just found your videos. Not to pick on you but I think this is the third one I commented on this morning. Your "argument" seems like a "straw man". I don't have to choose between a big knife and a small knife. I have both. I also have saws, hatchets and axes.
I do this for fun so sometimes I carry and use a tool just because I like it. If I had to live in the woods for a period of time with only one tool ( don't know how that would happen) I think it would be a hatchet/small axe. I can do almost anything I might need to do with one of those.
A straw man fallacy occurs when someone distorts or exaggerates another person’s argument, and then attacks the distorted version of the argument instead of genuinely engaging. Who's argument did I distort or exaggerate?