Ideal size survival knife

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by Graphyfotoz, Sep 19, 2016.

  1. Stewart

    Stewart Member

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    I would choose a machete or parang. The reality for me is its going to be cold and wet so making a shelter and splitting wood are going to be the difference between being semi comfortable or freezing and possibly not making it.

    I can split wood to get to the dry centre, clean up the tiny branches off saplings to make shelter poles, gather a mass of undergrowth for insulation from the ground . Basically cut, slash, dig and pry.

    I think you need to go to a few third world places to actually see what a machete is capable of in the right hands, it will friggin blow your mind.
     
  2. Sam

    Sam Member

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    Love the parang. Amazing tool for survival. Started using one awhile ago. Dont know how i would do without one now.
     
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  3. Stewart

    Stewart Member

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    I've become a convert aswell, we have such a range of environments here that that parang makes an ideal compromise between a large knife, hatchet and machete. @FortyTwoBlades has been spreading the big blade love for years, and I loosely quote, its about matching the correct weight and pattern for tbe target and boomshakalaka good times.
     
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  4. junglebum

    junglebum Member

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    IMG_0805.JPG
    If we are talking about 1 knife and only 1 I would tend to go with this.... I have used this to do everything from build shelters and trap triggers ( traps didn't produce) too cleaning fish. I would always PREFER to have 2 a smaller knife be it a fixed or folder and this but if the chips were down and I only had this I would consider myself lucky. Having seen how some bush cultures live they tend to if they have only one, it's a big one machete, parang, bolo ect..... and really if it works for people that live in the wilderness daily and survive day to day then it will work for a bush tourist like me
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2017
  5. Jim

    Jim Member

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    If only one it would be my 6
    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    you can do EVERYTHING with just a big knife. Its all in how you learn to use your big knives...
     
  7. junglebum

    junglebum Member

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    IMG_0824.JPG IMG_0825.JPG So after really taking an interest in this post and stating that I prefer for the chance that I would only have one a knife 10" plus blade I decided to try working with just my small blade and see how well I could perform quite possibly the most important survival task of primitive fire. I went to a wooded area by me in Zoo York with only my mora 2/0 and the Neck sheath it rides in the lanyard on the sheath is about 2.5' of paracord. My goal to make a bOw drill set. I had a hell of a time finding the right materials and when I did find wood that would work generally I couldn't process it because I'll I had was that little mora so after a lot of scouting and way too much labor I was able to get this..... see above... what I realized is that I was correct in my early statement and that really I like little knives a lot but you have to really struggle to do big work. I'd rather Have a SAK then a small fixed blade . But ideally I want a big knife small knife and a saw or at least a saw and small knife
     
  8. Stewart

    Stewart Member

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  9. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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  10. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    to quote myself.....look at a survival situation........you are HUNGRY, DEHYDRATED, FATIGUED, now throw in shelter building, food gathering. FIREwood gathering, fire making, water purification, food cooking (if your lucky to find food) , and staying warm.

    try to do all that with a little knife. LOTS of effort, and ENERGY EXPENDITURE.........and your body is already DEPLETED.

    I can process a lot of firewood and shelter material with a big knife, fast and with MINIMAL calorific effort/ exertion.

    machetes and big knives rule the world. By the time Bushcrafter USA/UK person whittles thru a log with their little blade to get their first shelter pole or fire log, I will have chopped, built a shelter and layed in a huge stock of firewood.

    not denigrating small blades, but a big blade can do things FASTER, with LESS EXERTION.

    you are simply NOT doing this with a 2 - 4" blade

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Stewart

    Stewart Member

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    Quoted for truth
     
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  12. Lockster

    Lockster Member

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  13. Lockster

    Lockster Member

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    Foes anyone have any real world comparisons on parang and/or golock vs a Kukri?

    I've been a kukri man myself but I'll be honest I've never really compared it to other options, I figured if it was good enough for the Ghurkas... :D

    Obviously the Kukri is a beast for chopping but sometimes the curved blade isn't as instinctive for using on smaller more detailed knife tasks
     
  14. Stewart

    Stewart Member

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    Hey Brother!

    My parang was custom made for me by Ben orford.

    Ive tried all three, hated the kukri! I think its because I wasnt used to the blade shape and they are so different to what Im familiar with.

    The reason I like a parang is when held normally they are very good for carving and the balance is very neutral. The rounded end and the handle make it a great draw knife. If you choke back on the bulb of the handle they are a fantastic chopper and they punch well above their size.

    I'm not a huge fan of some of the condor stuff, far too heavey and overbuilt compared to more trafitional offerings.
     
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  15. Lockster

    Lockster Member

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    Sorry bro didn't mean to insult your custom build!! Comparing a custom to a Condor, doh, how embarrassing!!! :eek:

    Good points re the blade shape, I will have to get hold of one to have a play, having a predominately straight blade would definitely make it much better for ordinary knife work, what you may lose in brute chopping force vs a Kukri you almost certainly make up in versatility.

    The Junglas 2 is definitely my next knife purchase, but a traditional inep or parang definitely interests me more now.
     
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  16. junglebum

    junglebum Member

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    I use a myparang 135 golok never likes the kukri it was designed as more of a combat knife and if you look at some of the traditional ones from regions like Nepal, bengal etc.... the curve isn't as drastic as American versions I also had a 12" duku changdong I like a lot.... I did have a condor village parang and HATED IT it was way too heavy and there was far too much metal behind the edge to make it scary sharp here is my comparison video of the parang vs the golok
     
  17. Lockster

    Lockster Member

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    Wow man, awesome review, I particularly love when people take 6 mths to beat the snot out of a knife before they give their reviews. great channel by the way, I've been a fan for a long time.

    So would I be right in assuming that the curved shape of the handle gives a little of the weight-forward effect of a Kukri without the hassle of the curved blade, it looks like you can really get a good flick-chop with it.

    I really like the looks of the one that you ultimately chose, you've really pushed me towards it big time, really really solid review man, thanks for posting.
     
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  18. junglebum

    junglebum Member

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  19. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    The Condor Village Parang is parang-shaped but is more of a hatchet replacement. The Mini Duku Parang is much lighter in build.
     
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  20. La\\//inci

    La\\//inci Member

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    Junglas II
     
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