The Byron knives - all 3 that I have - measure at right between:
0.150" - 0.151" thick.
The Byron knives are definitely more of a Bushcraft knife - both of them.
They are very comfortable.
In my mind, a good Bushcraft knife is going to be VERY versatile. I think these Byron knives are pretty good there.
No - they don't compete with Busse, Scrap Yard or Swamp Rat in toughness.
The difference between Bushcraft and "ultimate survival" is probably more about mind-set and approach to survival and how you use your tools - to effectively be trying to attain the same goal - survival.
A Bushcraft mentallity will take a smaller tool and make it do "bigger" tool work without overly stress the tool. You just learn a few tricks to "make" a less heavy duty tool act like a larger tool with less stress on the tool. Things like bending a tree and cutting the tree at the bend instead of "chopping", Breaking dry limbs instead of chopping (try wedging dead limbs in between two stout limbs or small trees for leverage to break), etc. etc. Less work for the knife = less stress on the knife = more ability to depend on the long term function of your knife, etc.
I have said before, I will say again: chopping is "more" for fun and sport than need.
There are "Often" times when a big heavy duty knife will EASILY perform better for many tasks when it is an option. But, for many people in many cases, it is not practical to tote around a big honkin' 10" DFCG or BM or BR. So, knowing how to utilize a knife such as a RMD or DM or SS4 or HRLM, or many great 4" - 6" bladed knives is a great knowledge.
For the record, I would argue that these smaller Scrap Yard and Swamp Rat knives can be great for Bushcraft.
A 3.5" bladed folder can be a great survival tool if you know how to use it and don't exceed it's limits. If you exceed a tools limits and break the tool, it isn't very good anymore. Know what a folders "weakest link" is - Sometimes the blade, sometimes the handle, sometimes the pivot.
You can baton some folders, but you need to know which folders can handle what and where to whack and how hard.
If using a lesser knife, don't try to baton a little knife blade all the way through a heavy branch against the grain. You might have to baton out chips like a mini axe. If batoning with grain, know how to use rock and other sticks as wedges, etc.
There is more than one way to get the jobs done.
Your "ultimate survival" and many other peoples view on what an "ultimate Survival" knife needs to do is along the lines of a knife being able to chop down trees, take batoning with a stones, chop through concrete, pry open car doors, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I "don't" intend to down-play the value of a knife that can take "Anything" and everything it could possibly used to do, need to do, thrown at it, etc.
But, I tend to think "most people" don't tend to realistically need to be able to pry open a car door or chop up rocks to survive - * .. "In the wilderness".
*** Survival in Iraq and certain other situations is likely very different!
