Large Knife or Small Hachet?

[Callumhiking]

I've been researching sachets and come across many brands that sell a light weight hatchet for hiking, hunting, etc. I was wondering if a large bladed knife would be more beneficial to me as they are often lighter and can do the job but I wouldn't have a clue what knife brands are top notch and will last a good couple of years with heavy use

 

[Desk Jockey]

Welcome.

What will you be using it for and where?

A large knife or even a machete is a heck of a tool in a jungle or semitropical environment.ESEE junglas is a great specimen and Tops has enough options to make your head spin. I personally don’t find them much use around camp though and they come up short for game processing IMO. I would rather skin and quarter with a 3 oz havalon.

A small hatchet can handle a lot of camp chores - firewood, pounding stakes - and plenty of people use them for game processing - hacking ribs and bones, even skinning if it’s sharp enough. You can pay $200 for an heirloom quality European hatchet that you can shave with. My go to is a much cheaper Gerber gator combo. Fiskars is good too and dirt cheap.

 

[Callumhiking]

Hello,
I am from Australia, I will be using it to process wood and game, I am willing to spend money for quality as I love to explore and a blade is the best tool for any job in my personal opinion, I've always been able to bring a small axe for campsite chores and a knife roll when I'm processing game. I would like to get into hiking and shooting and trying to find the best lightweight alternative to do so and still be able to be well kitted for what ever happens while I'm out in the bush.

 

[Trial153]

Gransfors Burk outdoors man axe will work for what you described .

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don’t have any first hand experience in Australia.

I think you’ll find the lightweight backpack hunting crowd tends to shy away from big knives. There are a lot of roksliders that go to field with a replaceable blade skinner or a multi tool and not much else in the way of knives. I like to have a fixed blade for hunting but find them hard to use for breaking down game if the blade is more than 5 inches or so. I have an array of blades and the ones in the 4-5 inch range seem to go hunting with me the most.

Bigger choppers are damn cool and have their place. I am a big fan of them for bush craft in hot environments for light brush clearing and limbing sticks for camp set up. If you know how to use them, they can stand in for a hatchet and process a lot of fire wood and a bunch of other stuff but IMO they are suboptimal in that role. Sure you can baton a bunch of wood with a big knife but you can do it with a hatchet too.

As much as I love having a big ass knife with me in the woods, I have to admit that a small, sharp hatchet is probably a much more functional tool. My favorite, Dan Winkler hunting knife with sheath weighs not much less than a Gerber gaiter combo axe that has a small saw in the handle and costs 10x as much. The axe is a far more versatile tool in nearly every way but the knife is just far, far cooler.

 

[Callumhiking]

I have read up on Dan Winkler's knives and they look like an extremely awesome knife. Thanks for all the help. I think I might just have to try a range of options to find out what suits my needs best but definitely leaning towards a bushcraft knife paired with a havalon or a smaller sharper blade to process game

 

[Mike 338]

Small-medium bush knife and a hatchet are a nice combo. I'd trade a hatchet for a saw though.

 

[Deion_Hoehne]

A small hatchet works well. That’s what I use and pack out with me every time!


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[mcseal2]

I have a canvas sheath with a GB small forest axe, Bob Dustrude folding bow saw, and Benchmade bushcraft knife in it. I seldom take it when i have to carry it on my back but its always in the last other method of transport i take. I have it in the boat, utv, truck, or on the horse. It can and has helped open a trail for them and with camp chores too. I take either a zt 452 folder or a 4-4.5” fixed blade on me most times. My current favorite fixed blade is a bark river classic clip point hunter. Lots of others are just as good. I like that size for game processing. I will also take a tyto if i might cape an animal. Ive been doing mostly euro mounts though.

 

[Matt the Cat]

Small hatchet.

 

[Lawnboi]

For serious wood prep a hatchet can’t be beat. That and a saw. Nice size knife is alright for small fires, and obviously helps in starting them.

Check out LT Wright. Huge bang for the buck in a knife. Plus they are made to be usable, not these 1/4 thick coated knives you see pushed all over the web. Nice steel, appropriate thickness. I’d look at something in a flat grind if you will be chopping up meat. My preference would be a saber ground outback or a flat ground genesis.

 

[mcseal2]

I agree about a thinner blade for game processing. The Bark River I like has a .156" blade thickness and thins all the way from the edge to the spine. I'm not a knife expert but I think that it's a flat grind. It slices well and is stout enough with the 3V steel to use fairly hard too. I don't ever really plan to abuse my hunting knife but I have processed wood for the stove with it. The Benchmade bushcrafter is a .164" thickness but it has a saber grind (I think) and the blade gets thick much quicker. It does not slice nearly as well. I have never hurt it and have been rough on it, it has it's place. It is more useful than the bigger 1/4" thick ones to me.

I have one that splits the difference between those two also. It's a Bark River Bravo 1 3V LT hunter from DLT trading. It has a .152" blade thickness but carries it closer to the edge than the clip point hunter. The tip is stouter also. It's not my ideal game processing knife but it worked fine when I tried it last year on a deer. I haven't had it to long and haven't been to hard on it yet. I think it would be a good balance between a hard use knife and a hunting knife if a guy only wants to carry one tool and might use it hard.

I haven't tried the LT Wright knives but have never heard a bad comment on one. I like knives to much, I have all of them I would ever need but might still end up with one someday.

 

[Lawnboi]

I agree about a thinner blade for game processing. The Bark River I like has a .156" blade thickness and thins all the way from the edge to the spine. I'm not a knife expert but I think that it's a flat grind. It slices well and is stout enough with the 3V steel to use fairly hard too. I don't ever really plan to abuse my hunting knife but I have processed wood for the stove with it. The Benchmade bushcrafter is a .164" thickness but it has a saber grind (I think) and the blade gets thick much quicker. It does not slice nearly as well. I have never hurt it and have been rough on it, it has it's place. It is more useful than the bigger 1/4" thick ones to me.

I have one that splits the difference between those two also. It's a Bark River Bravo 1 3V LT hunter from DLT trading. It has a .152" blade thickness but carries it closer to the edge than the clip point hunter. The tip is stouter also. It's not my ideal game processing knife but it worked fine when I tried it last year on a deer. I haven't had it to long and haven't been to hard on it yet. I think it would be a good balance between a hard use knife and a hunting knife if a guy only wants to carry one tool and might use it hard.

I haven't tried the LT Wright knives but have never heard a bad comment on one. I like knives to much, I have all of them I would ever need but might still end up with one someday.

Try an lt Wright. I’d bet you sell the brkt. I have had the oppritunity to play with a lot of bark rivers and have owned a good number. Lt makes a much more usable knife IMO. Most are around .125 or thinner. All around they have been higher quality than bark river for me, and not to mention cheaper for the most part. Many of thier handle materials are not quite as fancy, but designed for work with matte finishes.

My LT knives are right up there with the few customs I own.

 

[sn.outdoors]

I'll take a 3.5-4" blade and a folding saw over just about anything else. If I'm stuck with only one tool, I'm bringing a Scandinavian Forest ax. I am not a fan of hatchets.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[Shraggs]

I don’t have any first hand experience in Australia.

I think you’ll find the lightweight backpack hunting crowd tends to shy away from big knives. There are a lot of roksliders that go to field with a replaceable blade skinner or a multi tool and not much else in the way of knives. I like to have a fixed blade for hunting but find them hard to use for breaking down game if the blade is more than 5 inches or so. I have an array of blades and the ones in the 4-5 inch range seem to go hunting with me the most.

Bigger choppers are damn cool and have their place. I am a big fan of them for bush craft in hot environments for light brush clearing and limbing sticks for camp set up. If you know how to use them, they can stand in for a hatchet and process a lot of fire wood and a bunch of other stuff but IMO they are suboptimal in that role. Sure you can baton a bunch of wood with a big knife but you can do it with a hatchet too.

As much as I love having a big ass knife with me in the woods, I have to admit that a small, sharp hatchet is probably a much more functional tool. My favorite, Dan Winkler hunting knife with sheath weighs not much less than a Gerber gaiter combo axe that has a small saw in the handle and costs 10x as much. The axe is a far more versatile tool in nearly every way but the knife is just far, far cooler.

Pretty good post to me... bark river, jungles, fallkniven plus others make good ones. Also love my granfor Burk outdoorsman hatchet.

I’m not as confident with a hatchet splitting, although many are and skilled at it. For that reason if “camping” (not backpack hunting) I like a big knife for splitting/batoning kindling and a large big boy silky saw for cutting.

It’s fun to chop with a big knife ! but I find little advantage vs hatchet more equals. Axe is better and for me A saw is more efficient and lighter.

 

[vermeire]

I love the fact that LT Wright Knives was mentioned. I'll let him know. They definitely put out great products. I usually refer to them as semi-custom knives. Any table they have at a show has a wide variety of models with various handle materials and finishes. I think they offer better utility than anything from BRKT. They even make a machete.

As far as knife vs hatchet: it really depends on primary use. The only thing I've ever used a hatchet for related to game is splitting a rib cage. Everything else is done with a knife. As for processing wood; that's what axes and hatchets are built for. If weight is a major concern then a larger knife might be an option but it's not ideal for either. I'll agree with the suggestion of a saw. You get a better tool for bucking wood but save on weight compared to a hatchet.

One other thing I'll mention is that I know people who have had larger knives confiscated coming into Australia in the mail. Just one more thing to consider.

 

[Callumhiking]

So you recommend all three options instead of just the one? I guess that means what ever situation you and any one finds themselves in they have a number of ways to start fire process wood and game.

 

[vermeire]

So you recommend all three options instead of just the one? I guess that means what ever situation you and any one finds themselves in they have a number of ways to start fire process wood and game.

I didn't intend to recommend all three; just point out that all have their place, limitations, and strengths. You need to evaluate your needs.

 

[Callumhiking]

I didn't intend to recommend all three; just point out that all have their place, limitations, and strengths. You need to evaluate your needs.

Fair call, thanks for the help

 

[gphil]

I have a cold steel trailhawk that is another option to a hatchet. Its nice to be able to take the head off the handle for packing and I like having the longer handle. Quite functional

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