What are three reasons you love a big knife?  In this video I share mine and also showcase the Eafengrow EF 143. #knifecommunity #bigknife #knifereview To further review or purchase the Eafengrow EF143 www.amazon.com/Eafengrow-Stai...
I was in the (USMC) headquarters office one day in 1978 when Captain Duckworth asked if someone had a knife that could cut the string he had used to tie a package. A couple of guys reached into their pockets for a knife and I grabbed my KaBar and was about to do the deed when Sgt Rock whooped out a huge blade from out of nowhere. It had a blade that was at least twelve inches long. Swung it over and just tapped the string which snapped in two. I swore that would be the last time anyone would pull out a bigger knife than me. I agree with your reason to carry a big knife…. My favorite reason is all the knife envy that occurs in the guys around me when I take out my knife. I’m familiar with that envy. 😉 I edc a TOPS Prather War Bowie, but my favorite knife (never too far out of reach) is my TOPS Armageddon. Gotta love a big knife 🇺🇸
Hell yeah man love a big fixed blade! I'm a small guy but I carry 4.5, and 5 in blades all the time. My favorite thing about a big knife is it can do pretty much anything a small knife can do, but a small knife can't do everything a big knife can do
If you are real knife addicted , you must to have all sizes....The perfect knife for all situations is not exist ❤ Today i buy wazakashi just for fun.... Cheers my friend 😊
My three reasons: 1) History; most follow the pattern of a big Bowie Knife in some way, shape or form 2) Ability; chop down a tree, lop the branches, baton some firewood, you name it. You're good to go! 3) Bad Assery; nobody will eff with you, period! Let's add a number 4 - craftsmanship & quality; most any big blade will be constructed of quality materials, and have an interesting design. Nuff said!
I’ve loved Bowie knives since I was a little kid in the late 60’s . Old western movies with Bowies being used were my favorites . Then came Jeremiah Johnson and man that was it .
I have a smile from ear to ear right now.Nothing like walking through the woods with big Bowie knife especially when gold panning not knowing when that eclipse of an animal will shadow the whole body.Big knife stay and fight, little knife run for your life!😂❤
Jim Bowie, Crocodile Dundee, and of course Rambo. lol. I have a collection of big knives. When im out in the woods or camping I always carry my Becker BK7 in a drop kydex sheath. It’s my favorite multi tool.
Thanks for the video. My favorite big knives are kukris. That's what I would carry if I were still healthy enough to do serious hiking. I don't know where you consider big knives to start. To me, many survival knives fall just under the "big knife" classification. Survival knives are super handy, but they are limited a little bit in size because most things made for "survival" are made to reduce weight and therefore reduce carry fatigue. To me, a "big knife" is one that I would carry when I don't expect to walk enough to worry about the extra weight wearing on me. I don't really have anything in the "big knife" genre except for kukris. I have a few machetes that I used to use occasionally, but I haven't used them in a long time. As a self-defense tool, a big knife can often make an attacker, man or beast, look at the defender and think, "Okay, this is not going to be easy." Sometimes, that's all that is necessary to dissuade the attacker. A big knife does allow one to process wood more easily in many situations. Other tools are more efficient, but when another tool isn't available, a big knife can do the job in ways that smaller knives can't. A big knife can feel like a friend, and sometimes, we all need a friend.
Love big knives too! I like carrying a big folder because I can use them folded as an impact weapon. Often carry a good sized fixed blade(cold steel counter tac). I feel like I get a reach advantage, which matters as a short ish guy with a less than average reach. Truck and bags all rock big fixed blades, good field tools. 3 solid reasons.
I used to carry a mid sized knife. Now it lives in my pack. I kayak and hike the Green Swamp of Florida. After a few close calls, I now carry anything from a 7" to 10" blade. You're right. Nothing feels better that a big knife when you're suddenly in reach of something that can kill you. (Except of for my 1911 with specialized hunting rounds.)
My first big knife was the Cold Steel Scottish Dirk, with a 13 inch long blade. And it has just gotten worse over time. I have more knives with blades of 8+ inches, then I like to think about. Why do I like them, I have NO idea, I just do :) Will I be buying any more, I hope not. I really do have enough :) Heck I ever have a few high carbon steel battle ready full tang swords. Because, you never know :) Stay safe, and Stay Sharp.
Respect 🙏. I like big knives and I cannot lie. The EF137, EF141, EF143 and EF144 are fantastic beasts. My grail big knife is the WTG Hemlock Ares. Thanks for the insight and super relatable content as always.
With Rambo and crocodile Dundee and I did the same thing just grew up with those big survival knives when I was a kid running around in the woods and I've just always enjoyed a big knife I'm guessing it's because the movies shaped me😂😂
Love your channel your discipline your truthfulness and humility. Almost time for the woods to come alive with wild flowers and leaf growth I hope the woodpeckers chicadees and wood thrushes are bringing peace and joy to your existence like they do mine . I have PTSD issues so simply can't bring myself to go in the woods anymore as tragic as that sounds I can always travel in my mind and feed plenty of birds in my backyard. Big knives I LOVE THEM just like you the problem for me is they're nothing but safe queens for me they were so damn expensive ( they're Spyderco Bowies) I see your survival uses and hard knocks of your deployed knives and imagine me doing that to one of my safe queens there's no way I could . Keep up your expertise and the First Blood and Rambo movies are legendary those Rambo knives had the hollow handles for fish hooks fishing line and a compass screw knife top those were the days, Golden Age of Survival Knives I was shithouse dirt poor couldn't afford a good knife BUT at those old Gun Shows I picked up an Army Publication Survival Evasion and Escape and it was solid gold I slept with it under my pillow ! 😂😂😂
As a kid, I watched Distant Drums and Joel Hunnicutt (Monk) sharpen a blade on an Arkansas stone. Later on, Gary Cooper's character Capt. Quincy Wyatt shouts across the swamp... Meet me where I meet all crocodiles then places a bowie knife in his mouth and dives in to meet his adversary. I have been trying to sharpen a knife freehand since. Then there is Britt in Magnificent Seven and his knife. And then there is Tarzan. There are three Eafengrow on my list. I like big knives and I cannot lie!
I've trained foreign troops in all the shitholes you could imagine and always carried a quality big knife. You'd be surprized the respect I got from the common trainee. Besides, I always said that if I get into a fight, I want them to know I was there.
I know what you mean. I was shopping at Sportsman's Warehouse about 6 months ago and bought this 7 inch serrated blade Ugly Stik fish fillet knife because I thought it looked cool. Find out, it has a nice thick handle, a pointy tip, nice guard, sharp blade and feels light and quick with the center of gravity almost in my palm, kind of like a KA-BAR. I like the feel of it so much, I even use it to cut up tomatoes every morning when I make myself a tomato sandwich. 😂
I love big knives for many reasons. I can do precise work that i would do with a small knife and cut down branches or cut firewood as I would with an hatchet or tomahawk, and I need to carry just one tool. I always say I prefer to carry a big knife rather than a small knife and an hatchet. As you said it makes me feel like Rambo, in fact the knife I bought is the heart stopper from Rambo V last blood. In a case of SHTF a big knife is way scarier than a small knife.
Why do I like big knives? 1. Others said it - I can do small knife tasks with a big knife much easier than big knife tasks with a small knife. Even everyday tasks - I can (and sometimes have) peel potatoes just fine with a ten inch chef's knife with seriously no trouble, at all. If I had to I probably COULD break down a smoked brisket with a paring knife but it would be a terrible, sloppy experience. 2. There is just an awesome, visceral feeling about carrying a big knife. I don't even think of them for self-defense all that much. It's just that, as a tool, I know if I end up having to push it beyond its intended use for some reason the big knife is more likely to not only hold up but to be capable of the task. 3. I like carrying fixed blades wherever and whenever I can which, in my state (TN) that is almost everywhere (unfortunately my workplace doesn't allow fixed blades - so I have a MAX4 Scout in my EDC bag because it is a big mamma jamma that, based on reviews, etc. is about as close to a fixed blade as a folder can be). Anyhow, since I'm usually carrying a fixed blade, anyhow - even in town, etc. - I figure, "Why not carry a decent sized one?" Now, sometimes I do carry my little Spyderco Bow River and I kind of think of it as a fixed blade 'gentleman's knife' but I really like carrying my Gerber Prodigy (the version with no serrations) or my RAT 5 which I consider to be 'medium' sized, not big knives. I have a few, big knives but one I would recommend you check out if you never have and if they are still available would be a Condor Moonshiner. I love that thing just to hold and look at (works pretty well using it, too, although it is a semi safe queen, for me). Now, it has wooden scales (which I think really 'makes' the look) which I know aren't your favorite. Condor used to make a 'twin brother' to the Moonshiner called the Moonstalker that had micarta scales, a black coated blade and a kydex or polymer sheath but they discontinued it a few years ago. I was SO hoping you would say, "I like big knives and I cannot lie," in this video. If you hadn't I was going to here in the comments. So, how about... I like big KNIVES and I cannot lie You other cutters can't deny When you see a knife, thick beyond belief With a big blade in that sheath You WANT one... Okay, I'll stop, now.
The first reason you gave is all the reason I need. Everything else is icing on the cake. I feel sorry for people that don't know that feeling, some people are so filled with fear they are incapable of that experience.
Idk. It's just in my blood I suppose. Southerners/Germano-Celtic people have always done big knives &/or short swords. I've loved them since I picked up a machete for the 1st time at like 3 yr old. Been my thing ever since. Now I build customs. & yes I conflate the words machete, big knife & short sword b/c they are all basically variations of the same tool. Some thinner, thicker, longer, shorter but still same same.
I actually bought two of those Klein duct tools which I definitely consider a big knife. Not much good for bushcrafting but great for defending against an animal attack. The butt is even meant for striking. Stil I was concerned that the handle was too heavy to manipulate the blade quickly but apparently thats not an issue. Wicked strong blade for slicing or stabbing.
I like big knives because I like a knife that will do a job and do it easier . The second reason - I love the feeling of prestige . 3rd - I like a close friend !
Your video just triggered an instant need for my response! Firstly, I do not subscribe to the "one size fits all" philosophy, and I do believe in being well-prepared when being out in the woods or farmland. Even the old frontiersmen of old knew this and most carried a variety of "knives" - many carried a Bowie (or similar), a medium-sized utility knife (like a Green River knife) for camp work, and a smaller knife for close work, like taking stones from a horse's hoof or cutting wads for his rifle. Modern materials and methods have allowed us to continue in this philosophy but giving us infinitely better quality cutlery. Here is my selection: Large knife: here I have a Cold Steel Trail Master (San Mai III version)! Like you said there is nothing to beat the heft of a substantial blade like that, able to do heavy work of a machete in need, or some light work like clearing brush or delimbing a branch etc. It is lighter and more nimble than a hatchet and just as effective. Where necessary it can chop like crazy ( but I ALWAYS pack a folding saw for cross-grain work - it's what they are designed for and more efficient! [Note: 30 odd years ago I made my own large blade along the pattern of a knife I saw in a book called the Bushwhacker, and it has served me extremely well for all that time. When it came to retire the old girl, I looked around for a replacement. Nothing I saw could match the overall package of the Trail Master. When I took delivery, it treated myself to a custom leather sheath made by Rob Evans (from Wales) and its a doozie! I'd recommend his work any day.] Then a belt knife (or large utility knife, if you like). Here I plumb for the new Victorinox Venture Pro system, in its latest iteration. This knife has many great features, some very innovative, and the all-round package comes with the great Victorinox quality we have come to know over the years. Around camp it is the perfect blade to carry for all those camp chores, and even some very detailed carving and cooking chores. This is a really good bushcrafting knife, and has a 4,5 inch flat-ground blade. Lastly I would never be without a multitool knife, and my choice here is the Victorinox Ranger Grip 79. Carried either on the belt or in the pocket on a lanyard it is with you always. I'd like to hear what you think of my choices, Cheers mate!
I have alot of big knives,for me, big knife start at 8-9" and larger.4-5 small and 6-8 is a medium knife. I usally have a big knife when i am out for a day. I dont bother to carry,axe,saw and several knives for a day or some hours. I got my first knife when i was 2 years old, it was 5" in the blade. That is 46 years ago. And i was practically raised in the forest. So i know whst i do with a knife in hand,so i can use a big knife for anything out there. With a high quality big knife, you can do it all. But a high quality knife is a must when it comes to big knives, so it has all the important features and can do most tasks in a good way. I am not making much spoons etc when in woods,it is many other things to do. But having a good folding knife too is a good idea. Or a slip joint. Pluss you have protection, i allways have that in mind when it comes to knives. But hey,i love all sizes and all kinds and types of blades so i have and use lots of knives
You are a great positive influence to us who share your interests and hobbies. I just ordered 2 of these amazing blades. The black and the green EF143. You sometimes are a bad influence though…watching your videos has convinced me go and add more knives to my exploding collection of blades!
People knock the cheaper brands, but they are very good for the money. I would instantly do a “this thing sucks” video, if it indeed did suck. Great channel!!!
That one's definitely on the list Daniel! I just got the EF-142, waitin' on the EF-145 "TODAY"! I'll send pics when it arrives. My first love of big knives came when watching the old Tarzan movie when I was a kid. Then Rambo came out and the knife world BLEW UP!!! A big knife is like a small sword to me. It's the feeling of power I get when having it in my hand that I like best. Great video!!!
If I'm outdoors hunting ,camping , scouting or just walking the wilderness , i carry at least a Buck 124 or Cold steel Trailmaster. My largest is a Randall Smithsonian Bowie . I can handle most jobs with a large blade for smaller jobs a decent pocket knife is always on me .
My normal every day carry is my buck 110. My in the woods knife until last Christmas was a buck 650/. It has a 6 in blade and a 5 in rubberized handle. However my wife knowing me so well bought me a Kukri from The Kukri House in Nepal, india. I have 2 in fact from them. One for display but the 2nd for the woods. It's awesome.
"I Like Big Knives, and I Cannot Lie!" LOL. That song's "stuck" in my head now. I just got the Off-Grid Knives Caiman XXL. Love it! Check that one out next if you haven't already. Thanks for another great video.
Big quality made knives, are just beautiful! Not a day goes by that I don’t need or use my knife. It’s the most important thing a man can carry everyday. And it never fails, when I’m in a situation where my friends or other people are present, and a knife task arises, I’ll normally wait and see if anyone else is prepared for it, and 99% of the time, you know it, it’s only me who reliably has the goods! This is the moment that makes every penny I spent on whichever blade I have at the time, worth it in spades. That moment when all the other guys realize that they aren’t “the man” today. That’s why I love big knives!
Eafengrow is a brand you don't see much of here in Canada. But I really like that knife. I don't really like knives with black coatings, even though I have a lot of them. That's unfortunately the only way a lot of knives come these days. So when I see a knife like this one, I'm very interested. Another one that I'm putting on the list. You are absolutely right on, there is nothing better than a big knife. It generates a lot of confidence that you will be capable of handling any challenge. And you really do feel safer carrying such a blade. You take a quality blade and it has some weight to it. When you pick it up there is something of a Charge that runs through you. You feel powerful, confident and to some degree important. This knife you have I really like the blade shape and handle. But having a choil like that on a big knife really increases its versatility. Giving you that much needed control for accomplishing some finer work tasks. That sheath is really nice as well. I'm not a big fan of Tek-Loks I much prefer a nice belt loop. That's what I would make for mine. I really tend to like thick stock on my knives. Many are always concerned about the weight factor. It doesn't enter my mind. Thick blades really do it for me. I like that security of knowing I can count on that knife. And if I have to swing it for any reason. That when it connects, it leaves a mark. My favorite thick blades are my two Tops Operator 7 blades. I have the Acid Wash Model and the BlackOut Edition. My other big favorite are my Hoffner Beasts. These knives are thick and heavy. Pick one up and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. Speaking of movies. I remember what you are talking about with scenes from Rambo. Then there was the big knife fight in Commando with Arnie and the Bad Guy character.
I like big knives too. I like a big cup of coffee and big ideas and big guns, big tits. It’s why I live in Texas. Big money, big oil, big engines. I like the big piece of chicken. Who doesn’t like big. My sister in law asked me to cut a thread off a bow in her dog’s hair. I pulled out my trusty big Kubey knife and she got a big surprise. She said “Now that’s a big knife”. This is my favorite RU-vid channel.
The old Ontario Survival Bowie, The Becker BK9, The Cold Steel Trailmaster Bowie---Now that's a knife ! And if you want to leave your machete home, look at the Kabar Kukri. For urban survival, consider the Cold Steel Chaos Kukri( with its Knuckle Knife style hand guard ) stored within reach in your car. Go big or go home. But if all you want is a practical 6", look at the Ka-bar line of fighting knives, the Cold Steel SRK, Becker and the Glock ( but skip the sawtooth back ). I still want to get hold of a British MOD Survival Knife to test it.
Oh, for city carry, I have the Espada XL, in G10. With the AUS10a steel, and a 7.5 inch blade. And is pocket deploy able. So yes, I carry it for self defense.
My favorite is my Buck 119 with a 6" blade. I carry it it the city, but I like being the "gray man" so it hangs off my belt but into my pocket. All you can see is a bit of sheth. I also carry a folder with a 4" blade. It is heavy and snaps open with authority.
I normally carry a 3 to 4 inch folder. I like my traditional. My get home bag in the car. It has a 9 inch fixed blade. As far as protection from things. I carry a handgun for that.
Plus it looks really cool. Good all around usefulness. Rambos had kit in grip. My wife found a knife like that for $1.00. I'm working on that. Plus protection.
Yeah, I do like big knives. They can slice and wack. But I always circle back around to the smaller knife like the garberg and companion. I think it is because the big knife becomes so cumbersome and heavy when carrying, while the smaller knife seems more workable in the hand and easy to carry.
Big knives really gives me confidence. Rambo knife is beautiful but a little too fancy, Dundee's is broad. The knives Duke and Billy carry in the Predator movies are the one .
I grew up watching Davy Crockett when he met Jim Bowie at the Alamo and Jim Bowie the TV show. It seems to promote confidence in the woods. Course I rely on a good handgun, but a full tang Bowie extrudes confidence for some reason. Always have been interested in big blades but agree there is a limit to size when being practical is lost. 8-inch blade may be maximum
I simply love my 30cm long, 6mm thick500g Schrade Frontier 7 ". Despite it being bulky and heavy, it's up to the toughest tasks when I am in the woods. It can be used as a machete and chop wood easily, I even fell trees with it. It has the advantage to be more versatile than the machete and more convenient to carry around in my backpack. I think that what can do the most can do the less, sorry it's translated from French. There is nothing a big blade can't do. As it is very strong you feel confidence in hand for the toughest tasks. It can also be a formidable weapon against animals and men alike. The only bad point is the sheat that doesn't allow much carry options. However as in Western Europe it is allowed to walk around with such a big knife, I keep it in my backpack.
The type of knife I carry always boils down to the task. When I work in the woods, a big knife is better than a small knife for slashing vines or small saplings. While a machete is even better, it is much more difficult to carry. Next, while the necessity for self defense against black bear or humans is very remote, it does occur. Should a survival situation occur--this also happens, albeit rarely--a big knife is obviously better. Some big knives can even be used for a spear. AG Russell's Sandbox Bowie is one.
I love a big knife I didn't when I first got into things but my favorite are srk and big brother but that's a nice blade might have to add to the sable!
My favorite brand is cold steel because they dare to make the knives I wish other brands would make,,, big giant knives. Big ole folding knives which feels like I got a guardian angel with me and it's very intimidating so you might not have to use it for protection from a human being in the obvious way. Just seeing it is enough to change a attackers mind. Also it was not too long ago in the news their was a sighting of a bear in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant and I realized that I might have to defend myself against something that rather wants to eat me, instead of rob me. Plus a knife is a up close and personal weapon that requires you to look a person in the eyes and give more thought to whether or not your going to injure or kill your attacker so it gives you more thought about how not to react to a person attacking you where a gun puts you at a distance so making the defending person more disassociated from the attacker. It's a nice secure feeling when walking around at night in scary areas where you normally would feel vulnerable. Don't have to reload a big knife cause even if it was dull it can be a striking weapon because it's a big piece of steel.
I've always liked longer knives that are just long enough to use as a sword #1 they're more likely to have hand protection and sharpened false Edge #2 a reach advantage the longer the better up to a certain point I've been looking to get a Todd Cutler brueghel Messer or something else about the same length as #3 i believe it's short enough to be usable in the clinch but still has enough reach for wild animal defense as it's 19 inches long
Great review, Daniel. That is a nice looking knife. I'm planning on getting a survival type knife; I like the Esee 5, the Gerber Strongarm, and the Buck 119, I'll probably only choose 1 of them though. I remember Rambo and his cool looking knife and the Rambo replica survival knives they made for aspiring young lads. The plastic handles, the cheap bubble compass, and how the blade would start to wiggle loose from the hand grip after very little use. 😂 I think they were inspiring young men to become military soldiers and special forces operators one day. I do believe that larger knives, in particular, survival knives are a very needed item when carrying on in the great outdoors. I was wondering if you were going to give your knife a good throw and you did. 😂😎👍
Is it just me or does that EF143 look just like a Lionsteel M7? I love big knives. Every since I heard Crocodile Dundee ... "That's not a knife ... THIS is a knife! ". 😂
I recently purchased the EF-143 for it's size and thickness. It's a knife and a hatchet! I took the grips off and put Loctite on the mounting screws. It's now ready for heavy use! Love it💖
My problem with most of these budget blades is they achieve durability by being 1/4 inch thick sharpened pry bars. When you use quality steel with a good temper and heat treat you can have good edge geometry and a blade that’s lovely in your hand and doesn’t weigh close to 2lbs.
Actually Tops and Bark River are just as guilty of this - my old 70s Western Bowie is half as thick as any of the ones they put out and zips through wood like a laser beam. It’s a lot easier to cut things when you aren’t trying to force a thick spine through the material. Also the edge holds better because it doesn’t require such a steep inward sweep to be sharp.
I have my bk2 ka-bar. I cant swing an axe being half crippled. Its too heavy too carry on my body. But i have it strapped too my backpack. Come monday ill be going camping and testing out my knife.
