Knife Length and Thickness my Thoughts

Share my thoughts on knife thickness, blade length and handle length.
Blade Shapes Video: • Whittle Talk (Choosing...

[@highpointadvisors9314]

Your passion for knives shows & I appreciate your sharing your vast knowledge.

[@shadowcastre]

I'm liking this series! When heading to the woods I find that I'm best prepared by carrying 3 different blades. 1) belt knife.. 8 inch blade, 3/16 thick, it's very versitle as a heavy tool and weapon. 2) fillet knife... 6 inch blade, thin and flexable. 3) camp knife... 4 inch blade, thin but rigid. it handles food prep and smaller carving tasks. Ultimately I believe in using the best tool for the job although there is some crossover in the tasks a blade will handle. A bit extreme but it shows versatility.. I gutted and skinned a 1400 pound moose with my fillet knife. It performed well enough that I always consider using it when dealing with big game. Thanks for the video....

[@wcknives]

Sounds like a good system. Appreciate your view and thoughts.

[@mr.delacruz559]

Thanks for always being honest and giving us all this great info for free! I’m glad you touched on the one tool Option theory. I’ve always felt my boys axe is the closest thing that I own ,that I consider a one tool option. Look forward to owning one of your knives!! Thanx & God Bless to you & yours!!

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your view and thoughts.

[@jmh7884]

Great series

[@wcknives]

Thanks!

[@nicholasallan9248]

As I get older my knives get smaller. I like a thick round'ish handle with a blade between 4-5" and lately my knives keep getting thinner. Honestly I prefer 3/32nds to 1/8th" I always have e an axe or hatchet when. In the woods and I rely on my knives to cut and carve, I let my axes do the heavy work

[@ShelleyRaskin]

Always good stuff, I have a bad tendency to go too thick, I will stick to 5/32 for my order!

[@wcknives]

A good size IMHO.

[@ronaldlarimer]

I think this series will be part of my instructions to my grandsons this summer if that is OK?

[@wcknives]

Ron Larimer it would be my honor to be part of your grandchildren's lives. Please share!

[@jamieallen8867]

a tip: you can watch movies on Flixzone. Been using it for watching lots of of movies during the lockdown.

[@harrisonvictor305]

@Jamie Allen Yea, I've been watching on Flixzone for years myself :)

[@kingcamdyn7976]

@Jamie Allen yup, I have been using Flixzone for months myself :D

[@clarkarturo579]

@Jamie Allen Yup, have been using Flixzone for months myself =)

[@levicaddell1077]

Another good video William. In fact I am liking this whole series a lot. I have my grandkids watch them - even the 5yo girl. BTW, she really like you. I have explained to the that they can learn a lot from you - not just knowledge but wisdom and attitude as well. Belt Knife Blade lengths are a interesting topic. Again, it all depends on what you are doing.... Hiking a public trail... I will probably just carry something simple like my Condor Kepheart with my Jeff White Camp King in my pack as a backup. Most public trails will not let you chop down stuff. lol Also, I like to travel light - about a 20lb pack if camping... 10lb for a day hike. If I am going to be camping and playing in the deep woods I carry a fivr or six inch knife on my belt with s smaller knife like a Mora in my pack. When you are traveling on foot weight is everything so all of my hiking blades are under an 1/8" thick. Besides why would I need to drive my blade into a tree and stsnd on it??? I have yet to understsnd why some people take a monster blade on a trail or into the woods. Back in the summer of 1966 my cousin, Judy, (we were 14yo) and I were hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Dad dropped us off at the trail head where we spent the first night.. We met a couple of guys and a gal headed up the trail loaded down. I bet they had 60lb packs and they each had large Bowie knives strapped to their hips. I bet they weighed three or four pounds each. lol Two days later we passed them headed back down the trail.... missing the knives and packs almost empty. They said the trail was just too hard. lol That evening at our campsite we found a pile of stuff stacked under the lean-to shelter. There was a stack of canned food, several pairs of jeans, shitrs, underwear, socks, etc., even a couple of books on hiking the trail and on top of it were two Western W49 Bowie Knives and and Arkansas Toothpick. We had a good laugh. We did, however, enjoy dinner that night from their canned food. The other stuff we left for someone else. We still had two weeks of hill country ahead of us and we wanted it to be fun. In Viet Nam I carried a Western W49 Bowie with me. It had its uses, from chopping thru bamboo to chopping thru arms and legs, etc. I pray that we will never go to war again in our woods. So why haul around 3lb of knife on your leg? If you are in a boat or car camping they may be fun to play with, but otherwise. ... Hope I am not boring you all.... just an old man yammering.... lol

[@wcknives]

Levi Caddell it is a honor to be part of your grandchildren's lives and appreciate your support, sharing your experiences, and kind words.

[@levicaddell1077]

William Collins Thanks for your kindness.... I have a lot of memories from mine and Judy's adventures. She passed away from kidney and heart failure about 15 years ago, but left me with lots of memories. She was my 2nd cousin on my dad's side of the family. Her father, Vasco, and my dad were 1st cousins who grew up together and were also very close. That little blond tomboy girl and I grew very close untill we went away to different colleges. She loved kids but could never have any of her own. She was hit by a car when she was 4yo. She almost died but thankfully didn't. When they put her back together she lost a few organs and her belly button. We used to tease her telling her she was hatched since she had no belly button. lol She was such a blessing to everyone. Although she could not genetically have kids of her own she and her husband adopted five. All of them wild little forest nymphs. lol Her husband was a lawyer and never went into the woods much but she and her kids continued the adventures. Thanks again for your kindness and sharing your video adventures..... May God bless you as you share your life wth others.

[@wcknives]

Levi Caddell great story, thanks for sharing. You should think about writing a book.

[@levicaddell1077]

William Collins I have written a journal for my kids and grandkids. It is called, "Growing up to be Levi." Since I am still on my journey learning from God and those near me it is still a work in progress..... When I remember something or have a new adventure I just add it to the journal. later.....

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

Ive come full circle these days, I came from small knives (a traditional khukuri does not factor here as I consider them a class of their own along with tomahawks), tryed larger knives that so many try to promote, found that a 6" blade was still a big blade that really brought nothing to the table for me and have mostly returned to my roots. Even with a fixed blade knife I dont even consider a knife over 4" blade any more.

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your view and thoughts.

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

Droppin' science. WC is one of the few knife makers that actually knows how to USE a knife and bases his designs on his using them. And that's what separates him from the rest of the pack. I've found my length preferences to be 4" for a camp knife and between 5-6" for a sheath knife. Anything over 6", I go up to 10" and then we're beginning to talk about small machete. But anything between 6" & 10" for me is too much to be little and too little to be much. I don't "chop" with a sheath knife. I'll hack with one, but I won't chop with one. As for handles, I like 5"+. On big knives, they help with balance and on smaller knives, IMO, they help with manoeuvrability. As for thicknesses, the bigger I go up, the thicker I like them. Small thick knives don't work for me. Bigger thin blades don't work for me. I guess proportion is the key here. Edges, as stated before, scandi for smaller knives, full flat grind for larger knives for the work I tend to do which is pretty minimal actually since I use my axe for most everything or the smaller knife.

[@wcknives]

Yankee as always appreciate your thoughts and support.

[@Shooter11B]

Great points and thoughts William. In my experience, I have come to the conclusion that the 8" blade is the optimal length for wood processing and shelter building, etc. In other words the proper length for a "Survival" knife. And I wholeheartedly agree that the thickness should not exceed 5/32". There seems to be a trend in American blade making, where 1/4" has become the standard for what the "experts" consider the "proper" thickness for, well, almost everything. I have seen 3" blades at .33" thickness or more. That is simply ridiculous. There even seems to be a trend to go thicker than 1/4" to even 5/16" from some manufacturers. I think what we are seeing is the creation of knives that are made NOT for function but simply for collecting, because for daily use and prolonged use, those knives are utterly useless. The most effective choppers I have are 1/8" and 3/16" respectively, the 1/8" machete with a 12" blade and the 3/16" is a bowie style knife with 10" blade. They EASILY cut deeper than any of my 1/4" plus blades and I can use them for hours with much lower fatigue. If we take a lesson from history and look at what our ancestors carried into the woods to survive, NONE of them had 1/4" blades, EVER. And I know someone will bring this up, it's not because steel cost too much for the common man to afford so they had to get thinner blades. They carried thinner blades because they work better. Period. Keep up the educational videos William, I always appreciate the wisdom!

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your view and thoughts.

[@greekveteran2715]

I totally agree 100% on everything you said! I say the same things, for more than 5 years that this comment is. Just read this people: " I think what we are seeing is the creation of knives that are made NOT for function but simply for collecting, because for daily use and prolonged use, those knives are utterly useless." That describes the general picture. KZbinrs and marketing trends, have turned the most usefull tool in Human hiistory, to an unusuful piece of crap. The misinformation, KZbinrs spread around, has done huge damage in the knife world.

[@Shooter11B]

@@greekveteran2715 EXACTLY! Well said, my friend!

[@greekveteran2715]

@@Shooter11B You must be really good guy because only good guys can see the truth! I wish you have humility in your life, because the only way to stay in top,is by staying low and humble.Have a nice day!

[@Shooter11B]

@@greekveteran2715 Thank you! You as well. Always remember, when you decide you have nothing left to learn, you have failed.

[@tomritter493]

it's hard to talk knives without sidetracking lol ! I like that sabre instead of a bunch of blades on me ! but I do have a diverse bunch of blades ! liking this series ! stay safe brother

[@wcknives]

Thanks Tom and you as well.

[@wyattbreese8883]

Great video, thanks!

[@wcknives]

Thanks!

[@charlescollier7217]

Completely agree on all points.

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your support.

[@MrFroggy29]

Hello :) Pour moi,et après 20 ans d essais en tous genres,je préfère largement un couteau de 20/23 cm max, d au moins 4 mm d épaisseur. Dans un acier inox évolué. Entretien réduit, durée de vie prolongée. Il ne faut pas oublier que je suis en Bretagne,et qu'il pleut une bonne partie de l année. Avec 20 cm, je peux tout faire.et ça rend le couteau très facile à porter. Vous pouvez même le glisser dans votre chaussure. J ai découvert depuis peu, le Polaris de Scott Gossman. Une merveille . Merci mille fois Matthieu ;

[@wcknives]

I do not have a translator so I have no idea what you posted but appreciate your view.

[@bladecollector7]

Nice video I wish we was neighbors lol

[@wcknives]

Bladecollector 7 LOL, thanks!

[@MarkRuslinzski]

Hi William Mark here, I'm no expert but that knife in this video is good looking what do you think about putting a good saw on the back side of it

[@wcknives]

Thanks, never liked a saw on a knife. A 90 degree spine has always been more useful to me.

[@toddgibson9861]

I prefer a belt knife that is 4 to 5", 5/32nds, O1 or 1095. I've tried a 6" that was unwieldy in my hands....lol That said, the master woodsman is definitely growing on me.

[@wcknives]

LOL, appreciate your thoughts.

[@BushCampingTools]

Good info good advice. I guess that's why I'm a subber LOL.

[@wcknives]

Bush Camping Tools appreciate the support!

[@BushCampingTools]

No worries man!

[@threeper7929]

Hey William do you and advice on sharpening a ww2 corpsman bolo knife? I was given my great grandfathers when I came home from my 1st tour to Iraq. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

[@wcknives]

Have several videos on sharpening. Go to my home page and click on the Whittle Talk playlist. You will find them there. Appreciate your view and support.

[@lifeandstuff3860]

good thoughts mr. William

[@wcknives]

Thanks!

[@petervanlanen2433]

Who is your knife made by ?

[@wcknives]

Me, www.wcknives.com

[@jasonhoyt8232]

Excellent video in every respect. In the context of federally owned land, personal property, or in a shtf scenario, this is akin to 'gospel truth' as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, on the state/local levels, many nature areas fall within the occupied-territory of "police states". So folks should check their laws or face jail. It is sick that I have to even mention that, but this is our new reality unfortunately.

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your view and advise.

[@jasonhoyt8232]

As a side note, I think even in those contexts, most rangers would turn a blind eye because they understand the context of the "illegal act". It's not as if you are walking around downtown Dallas with a machete.

[@wcknives]

Yep, knife laws in Texas are changed drastically September 1.

[@jasonhoyt8232]

For the good or bad (from our perspective)? Can you give me a quick synopsis or point me to a video?

[@wcknives]

Budding Survivalist it is great. Waiting on Governer's signature and he has said he will sign it. Here is a link. kniferights.org/legislative-update/action-alert-knife-rights-texas-illegal-knife-repeal-bill-hearing/

[@kameronwilliams7635]

What blade thickness do you suggest for large Bowie knives(blades are 10” or more)

[@wcknives]

Kameron Williams depends on what you want to do with it. For slicing you need a thin blade for wedging properties you would want a thicker blade. 5/32 or 3/16 is usually a good medium.

[@kameronwilliams7635]

Thanks. I want it to be able to stand up to heavy chopping, so I’ll go 3/16.

[@wcknives]

Kameron Williams with today’s steels thickness is not as important for strength. You need thickness for splitting. A machete is a very thin blade and it chops very well just doesn’t baton or split wood very well.

[@lifeandstuff3860]

mr. william , question sir, what is our knife laws now her in texas. i heard they changed as far as blade length for carry .. it was 5 1/2 is that still the case or has it changed

[@wcknives]

Passed the senate, waiting on governors signature. If signed it will go into effect September 1, 2017. Here is a link to the bill. kniferights.org/legislative-update/action-alert-knife-rights-texas-illegal-knife-repeal-bill-hearing/

[@lifeandstuff3860]

William Collins awewome .. thank u sir .. its about time .. good lord

[@WilliamFrazier1488]

You guys got laws on what kind of knife length you can carry? I better check my states laws, never really thought there would be laws on hand tools. Wonder if those laws came into play after the 2nd was molested.

[@wcknives]

Criminal Justice each state has different knife laws. Yep, a good idea to check those out.

[@halfcantan1208]

How thick is a machete supposed to be just had one delivered its about 3mm is that right ? My first one so I don't know any advice will be appreciated

[@wcknives]

Don’t know if there is any rules for thickness but in my opinion any blade longer than 9” is either a parang or machete. A blade thicker than 1/8” is a parang. Less than 1/8” is a machete. A machete has flex but a parang does not. That is my opinion and I’m sure there are many other opinions on the subject.

[@halfcantan1208]

William Collins thank you sir for awhile there I was beginning to think I'd been ripped of God bless you and thank you sir

[@wcknives]

Halfcan Tan dry welcome, appreciate your support.

[@outdoordauber]

22 subs to go till 10,000...it's getting close now!! 😀

[@wcknives]

Yes it is;-)

[@outdoordauber]

William Collins - It's been cool watching your channel grow. May God continue to bless you and your efforts!

[@GODWITHUS0712]

For me my blades have to be no less than 5/16 thick

[@wcknives]

Manuel Silva that’s a very thick blade.

[@YouAreNotFree.]

Ah no one tool option... Figured I could sell off my tool chests, buy a one tool option and be bill free 😭

[@wcknives]

LOL, to many variables to even consider a OTO in my opinion as I went through in my upload yesterday. Maybe we should keep several OTO's on our belt;-)

[@ronaldlarimer]

As far as killing the snake I think that could raise some issues with people, I stopped even responding to many of the fools.

[@wcknives]

Ron Larimer yep, as I said only because of kids and to close to homes. A very dangerous situation.

[@paulie4x1]

Say Heah William, Sinday was a wet rainy stormy day. But Memorial Day other that its a Solemn Day, is gorgeous weather wise. But I'm glad my friend, brought me my 3V Skookum Bush Tool, She ce up later to meet us because she work hospital, so she met up with is. I only asked for my Hatchet. She read my mind in the future, heh heh heh, Yeah, Subday eas spent making my spoon, It sort of ended up as a spark, similar to your spoon you made on that one video. It Work !.Anyhow, The handle was made a bit longer for me, I like flat on parts for best control which mine has. It's not round, but it has a palm swell and yeah,,its extremely comfortable. The blade depending where you measure. It's a 4" blade. But from furthest point it's a 3 3/4'+ to tip, Which I like because there's a ample thumb test and that's awesome on a slicer/Carver which I use this knife for. It's my Whittler, Man, it just works wood great.Yeah, it was copied from a Mora Signature Profile, So it works wood like no mannyanna. Yeah, I listen and learn, So Thanx You for some valuable information.,,.

[@wcknives]

Appreciate your view and thoughts.

[@paulie4x1]

Mr. Collins, no disrespect using other name knives. The bottom line all credit goes to your educational input to our community. I mean it. Thanx You.,,.

[@wcknives]

paulie 4x very welcome, appreciate the support and I was a knife fan longer than a maker.

[@paulie4x1]

It all falls together to what you are now.,,.