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Knife too big ?

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Flintlock

50 Cal.
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I think most of us think a big knife is pretty cool, but how big is too big. I've made a couple early rifleman's style knives one with a 10' blade 15.25 overall and another that looks real nice with a 11.75" blade that's 17.75" overall which is just to dang big and awkward for comfortable carry. I make some Antler handled scalpers with 7" blades that are a joy to carry and use but just don't look as menacing as the big stickers. What is your most common knife for primitive hunting-trekking- rondy's.
 
Boys love big knifes. They look sharp and give that whole half alligator half bear look. Miller shows some knifes that look to be near one foot blades worn on the back, and some of our earliest photos show some knifes the size of small swords on hips.
What we see in trading inventories and manifest are shorter knifes5-7 inch blades. Mostly simple plane wood handled scalpels and butcher size.
Put a big knife on and carry it afield for a few days. Is it comfortable for you?
It's not for me. All my knifes are that 5-7 inch.
How hc is that? I never expect to have to go mano a mano with knife in hand. We can prove both styles were hc, so your taste is very important.
 
As long as the tip doesn't drag on the ground when you walk it should be OK. Seriously though a long knife looks impressive I believe a blade of about 8" is ideal for fighting, scalping, camp work and so on and still looks good. Actually a 6" blade will do almost anything required of it short of disemboweling a T Rex.
 
Big knives may look impressive, but at a certain size, they are no longer useful. Short of chopping down a tree, for which an axe is more efficient, a smaller knife is far more utilitarian. I want something that will clean game and cut meat, not a canoe paddle...

The largest knife I've carried was a re-handled Old Hickory slicer with a blade just under 8 inches.
 
Kinda sorta depends on the where and the why, I'd offer...

For example, the "long knives" were used for fighting when an enemy closed with the knife owner before the rifle or gun could be reloaded. They were also used as latch ditch weapons when surprised by an angry bear.

In areas where hunting continued as a profession but the threat of Indian attack was pretty much nil..., long hunting knives were often used to dispatch wounded bear. Meshach Browning documents in the first decade of the 19th century, in the panhandle of Maryland, dispatching several bears with his knife.

Then you have German Jaegers with rifles that did not carry a bayonet. The Jaegers normally carried a hunting sword to dispatch wounded game to save on powder and lead, and when they served in an army, these served as a backup due to the lack of a bayonet.

So then....how long is too long?

A lot of historic, preserved Bowie knives, made for and actually used for fighting, have blades from 7-12 inches. On the other hand, in the 18th century on the frontier, a fellow probably used a common butcher knife, not a custom made fighting knife, for his "long knife", and so perhaps the blade was from 7-9 inches long?

Like Black Hand, I have found that a smaller sheath knife and a small tomahawk do much more for me around camp, and when dressing game, than a full sized butcher. When I carry a full sized butcher knife, it's because I'm portraying a hunter at a venue where I'm talking to the public about history, and I would've had one on me for self defense, and not for utility purposes.

LD
 
I made a 11 3/4" blade- 17 1/2" overall Bowie for hog hunting and I agree it is too big for carrying around. In fact, it is really too big for most hogs. On the fighting knives some of it depends on whether you are a "slasher" or a "stabber". On a slasher- I'd say a 10" Bowie is about right but on a stabber 7" to 8" seems okay. The mountain men are usually painted with a dagger type- very close to the British Commando knife of WWII fame- some designs simply last and last. Our Johnny Ek knives of WWII fame had 7" blades. The "stabbers" were lightweight and easy to carry- but today a double edge is illegal in many areas.
On the trail- I carry a 7" butcher knife. Easy to keep sharp, deep belly for skinning. General "camp" knife. A 6" butcher would probably be just as good. The scalpers are maybe safer as the blade is down below the handle- in case your hand slips forward. Some of the Furnis "G-R" scalpers had a deep belly just like a butcher knife.
 
I've made a couple early rifleman's style knives one with a 10' blade 15.25 overall and another that looks real nice with a 11.75" blade that's 17.75" overall which is just to dang big and awkward for comfortable carry.

My Rev. Rifleman's knife is about that size. But, I have never found it to be a useful knife for general work. I have used it for cutting meat but still was larger than needed. But, I believe if I had to be close and dirty with someone trying to kill me it would then become very useful. I do use it for demo and reenactment purposes.
 
I've never done any Primitive trekking, nor do I attend historically correct rendezvous events.
That said...I have done a bit of "trekking" in the bush on 3 continents and have found my 7" Randall #1 to be just about right.
If I were putting together a primitive outfit I don't think I'd vary much from that.
 
Very true.

Rezin Bowie gave a friend in Captain Shreve's Port (now Shreveport, LA) a BIG knife in 1838 that looks almost like a "fancy" Roman gladius. - The blade is probably 16-18 inches long & 2-3 inches wide at the hilt.
(Converse College of SC owns that Bowie now.)

The "original Bowie knife" that COL Bowie had at The Alamo was reportedly about 18 inches overall, with a 5 inch "false edge".
(Btw, COL Bowie's own knife is on display at HAM. - Jim Bowie took Rezin's personal blade to Bejar in 1835, as his was being sharpened at Little Washington, AR.)

Note: Rezin Bowie had made, gave away or sold at least 200 "Bowie's Knives" by 1940. - The blades varied from about 5 inch blades to close to 20 inches and from "working plain" to really ornate.
(One of the knives that he sold was reportedly sold to a "New Orleans Dandy" for 50.oo in gold. - That blade must have been a REALLY fancy "Bowie's Knife", though what it looked like is unknown.)
Also, according to COL Bowie's valet, Bowie gave LTC Travis a knife as a "peace offering" at the Fortress. - The two TX heroes despised each other.
(Even according to close associates, NEITHER man was "easy to like".)

yours, satx
 
A further note: COL Bowie's original knife is identical to the knife that Rezin loaned him except that: Rezin's knife had a "RB" on the handle (with the "R" reversed & the "straight sides" together) & COL Bowie' had his cattle brand "JB", with the J & B connected.)
A family in Sonora, Mexico owns Rezin's knife.

yours, satx
 
Knife for what? My favorite field dressing knife is 2-3/4", but my rifleman's knife is 10".

I would not want to defend myself or make a shelter with the 2-3/4" . . . so I carry several.

I also like a 4" to 6" belt knife for general purpose. So I have the 10" & a 5" on my belt/sash and a 2-3/4" neck knife . . . plus a 3" folder in my shooting bag.
 
Understood.

My favorite hunting blade is about an inch wide & 3.2" long. - A piece of NETX bois d'arc forms the scales.

"1940" should be "1840" in my post #1577358 above.

yours, satx
 
Loyalist Dave said:
Like Black Hand, I have found that a smaller sheath knife and a small tomahawk do much more for me around camp, and when dressing game, than a full sized butcher.
LD

I absolutely agree with this. A small tomahawk and a small razor-sharp sheath knife (4 inch blade) are my main edged tools whenever I'm hunting or camping, using flintlock or modern gun. I also carry a 4 inch blade folder in my pocket for jobs I don't want to use my finely-honed sheath knife on.
 
Carry a monster blade and just really see how useful it'll be in the woods!

My favorite blade is a little shy over 9" total length (handle included). Everything and anything I've ever needed to do, its done willingly.

Largest blade I've carried is an Old hickory slicer knife, I see Black Hand has also. While it's a great blade (once reworked) I've carried it for years, however it always kept getting in the way which bothered me once I'd sit, or do this and that. I personally do not like removing a blade from my sheath or side unless absolutely needed. Therefore it always would bother me a bit. Moved to a smaller blade and issues have been solved.

:thumbsup:
 
I found that carrying the knife diagonally in my belt at the left front worked best for me. Easily accessible and was not in the way of my bag, straps, etc..

I've since moved on to a knife I forged from a rasp which is essentially the same size/length as the Old Hickory.
 
I think that the longer the blade, the more difficult it could be to remove from scabbard. I have a custom knife with a 10" blade and I had it made to look as if it were fashioned from a short sword hanger that broke. I also have a nice 6 1/2" blade scalper that I carry in the garter on my right leg. It is a joy! I had that made years ago and that is my 'go-to' knife. It's heavy enough and made well enough that I have been able to throw it when the mood suits.
 
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