4mm or 3mm

[stormy]

The woody clones tend to be 4mm and the bushtools seem to be 3mm.I have a 4mm woody and very happy but what if any are the advantages of 3mm and when i add another knife to the stable should i go for 3mm .
Its only a mm right,how much difference can it make?
In the world of airguning people used to say .22 calibre nowadays its the smaller .177 and no one who knows about ballistics will touch a .22.Is this a simillar thing?

[tatsumi]

.22 every time for me but again its down to what you like to use and for what application ;) the 3mm will be lighter size for size and the grind type normaly lends its self for a better skinner.
What aspects of the 3mm do you think would suite you more?

[parbajtor]

3mm is more weighted towards finer work, food prep and carving etc. 4mm is heavier duty and does splitting and battoning a bit better than 3mm.

[FGYT]

Depends on the grind and blade width etc

I don't like a 4mm scandi like the woodlore espesialy with the 28deg angle.

But I make my bushcraft blades out of 6-7mm stock.

My woody clones are 3.5mm stock with 20-25deg scandi or even full flat



ATB
Duncan
from tapatalk phone

[dogman]

I have a woodlore clone made by JLT in 4mm, but after having a Rob Evans bush tool in 3mm, as part of a pass around courtesy of nightfly, i had Adam of JLT make me a 3mm cross betwwen the two. If i wanted a do it all one knife only i'd go with the 4mm as you can beat the life out of it with out any worries. But for everyday use i like the 3mm he made me.

Rob

[Folderfan]

Some very well thought out opinions have already been stated here. I'm going to get splinters in my butt with this one - I honestly think it's a matter of personal preference, some people like the feeling of a heavier blade, some a lighter one.

I personally think a 4mm on the basis that you can never be quite sure what work you'll need to do - a heavy blade can be used for fine work but sometimes you just need the extra metal.

So long as it looks good, handles well and sharpens to a good edge with a nice grind does it amtter a lot?

Alex.

[Stew]

but sometimes you just need the extra metal.

such as when? :)

[Folderfan]

such as when? :)

Batoning, chopping, just generally being a ham fisted pillock - some need to work at that, I just "be myself"

Alex.

[Tom-Brown]

As with most topics on BB !! I think it's a matter of personal choice - I've got a robevs bushy clone 4mm, and a medium tool in 3mm love 'em both, but I've also got a falky H1 5mm which is just as Fearsome!!!! Sometimes we forget that we all have a choice of when and where we take our knives and what we want to use them for!!! If I was suddenly stranded I would "prefer" a 4mm - 5mm blade purely for the robust nature of the blade :D

[FGYT]

Batoning, chopping, just generally being a ham fisted pillock - some need to work at that, I just "be myself"

Alex.

Depends on what type of batoning your doing . Cross batoning is easier with a thinner blade.
Also scandi has the weakest edge so would require a more obtuse angle for heavier work. Making it a lot more cumbersome for finer work.

This is why I prefer a 2 knife carry system. Rather than the jack of all trades master of none single blade system woodlore seems to be

ATB
Duncan
from tapatalk phone

[Folderfan]

Depends on what type of batoning your doing . Cross batoning is easier with a thinner blade.
Also scandi has the weakest edge so would require a more obtuse angle for heavier work. Making it a lot more cumbersome for finer work.

This is why I prefer a 2 knife carry system. Rather than the jack of all trades master of none single blade system woodlore seems to be

ATB
Duncan
from tapatalk phone

Actually Duncan I can't fault your 2 knife carry option, and your comments about blade grind are spot on - I hate it when I agree with folk.

Alex :-)

[stormy]

thanks for the advice and info.Not that i can afford one yet but ive been looking at the brian andrews terrasaur form backyard bushman in the states.Looks like an interesting knife to me.I think i would probably go for the 3mm as i already have a 4mm woody clone.

[Noddy]

Problem with a 4mm woodie is that it is neither thick enough nor thin enough - make it broader out of 6mm and flat grind - zackerty does them and they work just great. Mine took a right hiding this w/e with my eldest using it to get hard lumps of resin off trees, splitting things, scraping etc. Not a scratch, ding or bend on it. Then he was slicing up bread and tomatoes for burgers hot dogs with it two minutes later.

(Pine resin, it turns out, is quite a nice relish :))

[douglass2009]

I think for bushcraft knives the 4mm standard is great for most camp applications, and as to the scandi edge being weak is utter nonsense , being a knife user i know what i like and what works and being a maker i use my knife using knowlege to make a knife, i like 3mm or 2mm for wood working knives and they are convex ground to aid the cutting action, the scandi grind on my woodlore is slightly hollow ground only to aid resharpening when you first get the knife, also i find 3mm for a lagrge knife ( around 4 inch blade) a bit too thin for battoning where as you should really use an axe.

The woodlore is a tried and tested knife and has proved itself over the past 25 years to be the standard blade thickness, but if you look at some sami and nordic knives of yesteryear they were thicker at the guard end and tapered in spine thickness towards the point.

Richard.

[Robevs73]

Can't really say it bothers me, I make woodlore clones from 4mm and my 01 bushtool's are 3.5mm, neckers are 2or 3mm.
Using a 3.5 bushtool and a 3mm necker at the moment but looking at making a new woodlore clone for the winter.

[Nightfly]

Started with 4mm Woodlore clones because it was just what was "normal".
Then tried a 3mm and decided it was better suited to what I use a knife for. Try it out and decide.

[ArkAngel]

I find 3mm a better slicer than a 4. I find 4mm is all round better for the type of things i use a knife for.

It may seem strange but i prefer the look of a 4mm blade, when i had the Damascus 3mm from Mick Spain it was a beaut of a knife but i have to say when viewed from certain angles it looked wrong for the size of the attached scales. Personal thing but it made a difference when choosing my next knife.