Is There A Place For The "Rambo" Knife

[Scandi Grind]

I kinda curious what people here think of bigger, heavier knives and whether or not they have a place in your kit for any particular application. Many big knives are made to help you survive the apocalypse, chunks of steel that Rambo might use, but still there is a group of people who seem to believe in the practical application of these types of knives. There are more utilitarian styles, whether it be what we call a "camp" knife, or a chopper, but in general it seems that the idea is to multi purpose the blade as both a hatchet and a knife, and maybe as a short machete too. I just tend to think that having an axe and a light 4 in. knife will probably serve better, at least that is what I have been told is better more often. There are people who really like the big knife thing though, one argument being that although not as efficient, a big knife can be lighter than multiple tools if your hatchet for example weighs around two pounds, which is pretty typical.

This is an example of a knife designed by a photographer who basically uses it as a one and done tool weighing 25oz. with the sheath.

And many are probably familiar with the infamous Tom Brown Tracker which is only an oz. heavier overall.

Where I imagine such a knife maybe going into my kit is in an emergency bugout bag of some sort that has to have a blade capable of doing anything without breaking, acting as both hatchet and knife. However this feels like a something of a "tactical" situation that I don't really expect to encounter. Will I get a big knife eventually, most likely, they look like fun, but I do wonder how useful one actually is.

What do you think?

[MacLaren]

That question leads to asking is it even necessary to have anything other than a pocket knife or kitchen knife .....
Imo, I feel that whatever makes you happy, then do it. Of course, the bigger knives can do about anything if they're sharp.
A knife doesn't have to be thin to perform
I've been playing around with this fixed blade for a while now and I love it!
Do I need it? No. Do I need more than 1 pocket knife? No.
Do I even really need an axe or hatchett? No.
I've got a chainsaw..
And what's a kit????
I've lived in the country my whole life 52 years and have never once heard of a kit.....
Burned wood for 40 years and never once needed a knife of any kind.....
Big knife, little knife, what's the difference unless it's a kitchen knife imo
Here's the knife I've been using

[aicolainen]

To be honest I don't see the point of a big and heavy knife.
I don't doubt there are legit use cases, and that there are those who make good use of such knives, but for most people I doubt there are many scenarios where a big do-it-all knife is the best solution.

Back in my teens when I started hunting hare in the winter, we always made a fire to keep us warm while the dog made its rounds with the hare. In the early days I carried an axe for this, but as soon as the lightweight folding saws became affordable and abundant items, I ditched the axe. The saw was much lighter to carry around in my backpack all day and I spent way less energy preparing fire wood with the saw compared to the axe.
I've tried some big knives and they're fun, but less effective, less versatile and offer less redundancy for about the same weight as a light folding saw and a 4-5" fixed blade. And IMO more cumbersome to carry.

My first experiences with the folding saw was so convincing it has stuck around and comes with me whenever I expect to prepare fire wood, whether it's hunting, backpacking/canoe packing/horse packing or just day hikes with the added joy of cocking over a fire.


OTOH I have found some limited use for the lighter, large blades. For clearing overgrown footpaths and hunting stands I sometimes carry a medium sized machete with very thin blade stock.
I also tend to occasionally bring a 7-8" Leuku or similar on some trips where I know there will be significant degree of camp chores, like food prep and kindling/feather sticks to get the fire started. Leukus usually have about 3mm blade stock independent of blade length. This knife is usually a designated camp knife though, and rarely makes it more than a couple of dozen yards from the car.

[Naperville]

I have a large Junglass and I might buy an axe, a silky saw or two, and a Magnucut in the 7 to 8 inch range for bushcraft.

As far as Rambo knives go, all that I can say is maybe someone can use one but they never seemed well thought out to me. I do not like saws or serrations on knives, which I use for self defense. I do not like the idea that something may snag internally in something that I am trying to dispatch or on clothing. A jack of all trades is a master of none.

I camped in a tent in the San Bernardino National Forest in California for 6 to 8 weeks (think it was 1999) in late Fall. I did not have a firearm or knife. A bit of snow fell and I was trying to get a job lined up in Silicon Valley, CA. I was not playing Rambo so I got on my Suzuki GSX-R750 and rode to the local gas station and bought 2 small packages of wood to get the fire at my camp going. I also looked for wood and brought that to the camp fire for use.

I have never done anything that required the abilities of a survivalist but it would be fun to go to school for that.

[Mk-211]

Comes down to personal preference and what you feel comfortable using.

Big knives can be used for chopping or batoning wood. Whereas smaller blades can easily be used for doing any fine work.

Are there better tools, yes. Saws and hatchets or axes, if you have room to store or carry them.

I keep different knives for multiple uses, some big and some small.

[Scandi Grind]

Care to share some specs on that knife there? Not exactly my style, but it does look impressive, ha ha! Differential heat treat from the look of it?

[Mk-211]

It started out as a blank of a Camillus Becker BK-9. I found it on ebay after Camillus closed it's doors.

I asked/looked for years for someone to finish it. After seeing a post on a gun board. I asked the poster if he was interested.

The knife you see is the finished product. He's a machinist by trade and a great knife maker/tinkerer/toy maker, in his spare time.

[Mk-211]

Here's a folder he did for me, elmax blade, CF scales and ti liner.

[Doc Dan]

For me, a fixed blade, like a Mora, with a 4" blade is good enough for a knife, though a camp knife for large food prep can be okay. I prefer a machete for site prep and trail clearing, a folding saw for wood, and a small hand axe (which can be an effective defense tool, also).