There are many conflicting opinions on this, but most survival experts will agree a thicker blade is better. The most often cited thickness is at least 3/16 of an inch. Although personally, I believe a well-made blade like the Benchmade Bushcrafter, which has a blade closer to 1/8 of an inch, is plenty rugged enough for most tasks. It depends on how rough you are being with your blades. If you expect to do a lot of heavy bushcraft, it’s best to err on the larger side.