Big Knives

What's a big knife? And what good, if any is a big knife useful for?

An example of  big knife, the Extrema Ratio AMF at 8.25 inches from the hilt to the tip. This is the biggest knife ("Western" designed-from Italy) I currently own, excluding my: Goloks, machetes, parangs and my Kukri. (the fruit in this image are the "nut"s/seed cases of an edible species of Pandanus palm also known as the Screw Pine. Pandanus tectorius found growing across Micronesia and including parts of Australia from inland regions to rugged coast lines) 

Serious adventure locations such as Komodo island (photo by author)

I think big knives are great if you are really going on an adventure* into serious territory without a vehicle.  Let me first say that big knives are not what I'd take on a simple camping trip or day hike where I'm going to be amongst many other campers or encounter campers/hikers.  This is only because of the stupid media revving everyone up about knife crime etc and unfortunately many have become paranoid and frightened when they see people with knives of any type these days. Using big knives in cultures where big knives are routinely used or carried, is a safe bet as no one will even bat an eyelid but the reverse is true outside of these cultures.

The right tool for the job, a machete is the best option or large parang for cutting such objects, ie bunches of bananas from the tree, where one needs maximum reach.

A Golok being used to prepare an evening meal. The Golok being also useful in clearing the jungle vegetable garden.

The above 2 images of knives, do not (IMHO) convey an image of weapons but rather tools used in everyday life for many. 

*What to I mean by "Adventure"? I mean remote, where you have to find, or know where water is, and I don't mean a vending machine or corner shop. I mean a spring, or splitting coconuts on a daily basis. I mean on rugged coastlines, drinking water from ephemeral seeps. I mean where you will be away from civilization for over 5 days. I mean no mobile phone signal. A big knife can: bust up drift wood found on the beach, fillet and gut big fish, cut small branches to make crab spears and fish spears, cut down a palm trees for food,  hack open roots for water, all the crazy stuff we should know about etc. etc.. Where the hell am I getting this information from??? Well from personal experience of course, trekking remotely (that means not on any Lonely Planet guide or rough guide itinerary). You have to have a good collapsible fishing rod and a quality fishing reel and lures. Take a reliable folder or multi-tool with you. Small knives are useless for processing fish- sure you can do it but not without some un-needed stress. Small knives will take you forever to hack apart drift wood or pallets  or any other useful junk that has washed up on some remote beach.
The usefulness of a big knife depends totally upon your location and of course skill with that particular knife. Big knives can suck on skinning game (unless you like using your hands-which I think is the best technique for small to medium sized game-JMHO).

If you have a vehicle there is no need to take a big knife as you can easily carry an axe or a chainsaw! You can live as luxuriously as one does in their own home. Carrying a big knife on an adventure is only reasonable if you really are going to have a use for one. NOT because you think you might have one and DEFINITELY not because you think it could save your life. Nope, what will save your life is what's inside your skull. Let me state again real survival situations generally do not involve the use of knives at all. Let me put this in perspective with the recent mudslides in California where people have had to survive buried under the mud and debris of houses. What kept them alive was their will to survive, not some knife strapped to their side.  

Strong, tough useful and comfortable, some of the features which must be inherent in any knife which is supposed to be a "Survival knife". "Survival knife" definition: A knife which could survive intact in a desperate situation even if the owner doesn't. Well of course that could mean any knife LOL as the last time I looked I wasn't made up of  steel and polymers and composite materials! Just joking of course!

Sometimes a machete maybe just too big or unnecessary to carry (if there is relatively easy going through the jungle and or semi-cleared or negotiable paths to follow, then a big knife will do the job or a small parang, instead of a big machete. Personal choice

A big knife to be useful depends upon it's shape, ie the geometry of the blade and where it would be used and what the user has good experience with. There is no such thing as a universally useful knife. Just like there is no one surfboard for all wave conditions. Some knives can be "big" in other dimensions. That is they don't have to be long to be "big" but could be very thick or broad or deep etc. Too thick and the knife won't even be effective at cutting anything but paper. Try to prepare vegetables with a thick bladed knife-above non full flat grind or steep 6mm grind. What do I mean by thick bladed knives? Knives with steep blade angles, that are essentially wedges! You will cut with these but try cutting through something as apposed to simply cutting without penetration and lots of force!



More to come!!