I think the large knife “thing” came from an intellectual exercise along the lines of, “If you only had one knife, what would you choose?” SO the large knife that could chop, but with a tip that could do fine chores. A large knife can replace a small knife, but not vice versa.

For a belt knife I prefer a fixed blade 3.5” to 4.5”. More than that and it becomes cumbersome. The large knife I carry ( I have a few) are carried in my backpack — no backpack, no large blade.

There area few hatches and axes available here also. They may not be the first choice for a survival situation, but they can be great tools in the right hands.