Saturday, November 26, 2011

Big Knives and Choppers for Wilderness Survival and Camping

!±8± Big Knives and Choppers for Wilderness Survival and Camping

Big knives have always fascinated me and I know they have the same effect on a lot of other people as well. They bring up images of Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, mountain men, and the Long Knives. Small knives are useful, practical, and handy, but they just don't fire the imagination like large knives do. Both are necessary for the wilderness, especially if you don't carry an axe or tomahawk. The definition of a large knife varies, but most people have it in the 7-9" and up range.

Big knives can be used for the big jobs that a Fallkniven F1 or similar size knife just can't do with any facility, but can still handle most of the smaller, finer jobs that the small knives do. They can be used for any kind of heavy work, such as chopping, batonning, clearing branches, and such. Batonning (splitting small to medium chunks of wood by driving the knife through the wood with a wooden baton) is made easy by a longer blade, especially if the grind is suitable. A longer, heavier knife makes chopping a breeze. Sure, it may not be as easy as chopping with an axe, but a knife is a lot easier to carry! An accomplished worker can do most all of the small jobs as well. A Busse may not clean a fish as well as a Buck Vanguard, but it will still do the job and works immensely better for shelter building and procuring firewood. The best option is to just carry a folder or a small fixed blade along with a chopper.

Big knives can be found in any configuration desired. There are the more traditionally shaped bowies like the Cold Steel Trailmaster and Recon Scout. Ka-bar's Becker line is excellent quality for for a low price. The Becker BK-9 and BK-7 are great choices and the favorites of many outdoorsmen. The Ka-bar USMC and related knives aren't quite the large chopper-type of knife, but they are still large enough to do some chopping and splitting and have a great history. The Ka-bar Large Heavy Bowie in both its sizes has a good reputation for an inexpensive large knife. Busse knives, Ferhrman, and such companies are very good quality, but you definitely pay for what you get. If you can afford them, though, there aren't many knives better. Another option for the large knife category is a short machete. A 10-12", maybe even 14" machete from a good company like Condor, Tramontina, or Ontario will do the job well and for very little money, especially the Tramontina.


Big Knives and Choppers for Wilderness Survival and Camping

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Know Your Knives - Knife Handle Materials and Construction

!±8± Know Your Knives - Knife Handle Materials and Construction

Knives come in a wide array of styles and materials. Though you may not realize it, the handle of your knife is often just as important as the blade. Different knife handles give different performances; the materials from which they are made affect grip, balance, and other characteristics of the knife. Many handles, especially on rugged knives designed for outdoor use, are specially textured to allow for easier grip.

Knife Materials - Many hunting knives have handles made of stainless steel. This material will not rust if it gets wet, which is likely in outdoor environments. These sanitary knife blades are very easy to clean and will not stain. They can be slippery, though, and for this reason many knife makers make stainless steel handles with ridges or indentations designed to provide extra grip.

A modern material used in hunting knives is Mircata, a stable and tough material that is known as an excellent insulator. Providing an excellent grip even when wet, the term Mircata has come to refer to any fibrous or fiberglass resin material, and there are many varieties available for knife handles.

Wooden knife handles often provide excellent grip. They are warm in the hand, but often require specialized care. Wooden handles are not very water resistant, and will crack or warp if left in water for lengthy periods of time. Modern wooden handles are laminated to overcome these problems, and exotic wooden handles can be found on many custom knives.

Occasionally, a leather handle will be seen on hunting or military knives, such as the KA-BAR. Leather handles may be produced by stacking leather washers, or the leather may simply be a sleeve that is attached to an underlying handle material.

Plastic and rubber handles are durable, inexpensive, and easy to maintain, though they are often found on inexpensive knives rather than top-end knives. Plastic becomes slippery when wet, and becomes brittle over time. Usually, rubber is preferred over plastic because of its cushioning abilities.

There are many exotic materials that are usually only seen on artistic or ceremonial knives, though occasionally they are also found on knives meant to be used. These include stone, bone, ivory, and antler (known as 'stag' when used for a knife handle). Many of these materials can be carved to produce a beautiful scene inset into the knife handle.

Construction - Many knives include a tang, which is a portion of the blade designed to extend into the handle. A knife with a partial tang or "stick tang" includes a tang that only extends part of the way into the handle, not the full length of the handle. A full tang extends the full length of the handle, and is often visible (as a strip of metal) on the top and bottom edges of the handle. In some cases, the knife handle consists only of the tang. This type of knife style is referred to as a "skeleton handle" when the visible tang has sections of material removed or cut out to reduce the weight of the handle.

An optional feature of the handle is a bolster, which affects the weighting and is used to balance the knife. This piece is usually made of brass or another metal, and is found at the front of the handle, where attaches to the blade. In the same area, a guard may also be found. This piece protects the hand from an opponent or from sliding down onto the blade itself. A choil, an indented, unsharpened area of the blade just before it meets the handle, protects the handle from scratches when sharpening the blade.

The end of the handle, or butt, may have special features like a hole to allow a lanyard. It may also have a stout surface, sometimes a protruding portion of the tang, as a striking surface for the purpose of pounding or glass breaking.


Know Your Knives - Knife Handle Materials and Construction

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fox Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife, Tan Handle/Black Blade, Serrated Blade

!±8±Fox Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife, Tan Handle/Black Blade, Serrated Blade

Brand : Riot Threads
Rate :
Price :
Post Date : Nov 08, 2011 10:17:25
Usually ships in 1-2 business days



7" blade, 11 7/8" overall length, Brown leather grip, Embossed brown leather sheath

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

My Review Of The Ka-Bar USMC Tactical Knife

!±8± My Review Of The Ka-Bar USMC Tactical Knife

Knife Specs.

Blade length: 7 inches

Blade material: 1095 carbon steel

Sheath Material: Nylon

Handle Material: Black Kraton

What I like about the knife

1. At 7 inches long, the epoxy powder coated blade is the perfect length for utility or tactical use. Ka-Bar uses a clip point design, which even makes the USMC knife useful for hunting and skinning.

2. The guard and pommel are made from carbon steel. This means that your fingers have excellent protection from slipping unto the blade. The steel pommel is rugged enough to make a nice hammer or mallet in the field.

3. Ka-Bar decided to use black kraton in the handle of their USMC knife, which has proven itself over the years to give you an awesome grip even in the most horrific conditions.

4. A tough nylon sheath is the perfect companion for such a brutal knife. That's exactly what you get with the USMC. The good thing about this type of sheath is that it won't be affected by rain, snow or other moisture. Dirt and mud should clean up easily from this type of sheath also.

5. Each Ka-Bar USMC has extreme sharpness and toughness because of the 1095 carbon steel. The only downfall to this type of steel is that it can rust if not cared for properly. To protect you from this, Ka-Bar covers the blade with a powder coat that serves as both an anti-rust agent and an anti-reflectant.

What I didn't like:

I like just about everything, but I only wish that Ka-Bar offered the USMC with a fully serrated blade.

Overall:

With a suggested retail value of , the Ka-Bar USMC knife is about as tough as it gets. You will be happy to have such a rugged knife when it matters the most.


My Review Of The Ka-Bar USMC Tactical Knife

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