Anyone else's knives getting smaller?

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For me,the older I get,the smaller my taste in edc blades get.For edc I usually carry a sheathed Vic Climber,along with my ever present Case Damascus Peanut.When out woods bumming I strap on something bigger,like my Buck 119,or my RC6.when it comes to trimming trees or thinning saplings on the property,that's when the Cam.BK9 or the Battle Rat come out to play.I find that most days I get by just fine with smaller,more carry friendly knives.My work(lunch)bag always has a LM Blast or a Vic Spirit X in a cargo pocket.
 
Shotgun said:
Very true. If you live in an area where having a chopper is almost a necessity then you should take whatever it is you need. I would never tell someone to not carry a chopper but I'm getting to the point where I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
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Yes, I understand the premise of this thread, and basically agree. In most cases there is no need for anything longer than say 4 inches or so. But There are times\places were a big knife is needed so I suppose the choice is regionally influenced. I think that it just rubs my fur the wrong way when the prevailing opinion edges toward were we should be packing a box cutter to prove how ''bush crafty'' we are. Hey, if some guys feel safe\prepared in an area of temperature extremes with large predatory animals, a tiny knife and no fire arm, cool, my hat is off to you. I do not and will not feel safe\prepared with a tiny knife in some environments. Hey, if I was in a regional park around other campers, I'd feel foolish running around with a big chopper. I really don't see why a guy couldn't have both, say a necker and a chopper. Why compromise?, why not have both? But I suppose this comes back to the original premise of the thread, weight reduction.
 
I think I've always preferred the smaller knives myself. I've held dozens of large knives (6" or longer) at my local knife store and even bought a few here and there. I rarely ever use them though. Certainly don't need them. My preference for fixed blades is usually a 3.5"-4" cutting edge. My preference for edc folders is usually a 2.5"-3" cutting edge.
 
I find I hover around the 3.5" mark for my every day carry. Unless I am wearing dress clothes in the office. In that case I'll usually carry a <3" blade.
 
I wanted a good camp/outdoorsy fixed-blade (never really had one before) so I bought a BK-2 this summer. I haven't even had a chance to use it yet and I've already replaced it with an ESEE Izula 2. Despite never having used it, I think the Becker is a great knife (there are many videos and reviews out there that can back up my untested opinion) but it's an absolute brick and borders on being 'novel overkill' for my practical uses of a knife. I believe my Izula and SAK combo will serve just fine. The only other blade (besides a saw or axe) I'd consider packing on top of the Izula/SAK combo would be a fillet knife when fishing is on the docket.

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So, yeah... I'm also looking at smaller and more compact options these days. My EDCs are also getting smaller, thinner, and more 'traditional' looking. :)
 
powernoodle said:
I've found the same shrinkage thing going on with concealed carry weapons generally. When a guy first gets his concealed carry license, maybe he packs a 1911 or Glock 35 in a belt holster, because its fun. If he's still carrying 15 years later, often he's reduced things down to a small revolver or 9mm in his pocket. Size and weight constraints enter into the equation as time goes on. Same thing with blades, I think.
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I think this is largely true for people who've never actually been in a fight. If you've ever had bullets coming your way--well, I was going to say that I think you'd feel differently but I won't speak for you--I, at least, do not feel any reassurance from a dinky little pocket pistol. It's hard enough to hit somebody with a full sized pistol when you're scared and your adrenaline is flowing without compounding it with a tiny sight radius (whether or not you actually use the sights, a longer gun points more naturally), a tiny grip, and tiny controls. Not saying small pistols are useless, I have several and it beats having nothing. And, realistically, an actual gunfight is pretty unlikely in a non-military/police encounter; defensive shootings are usually over in one or two rounds. I've been carrying twelve years in civilian settings, however, and still port a full sized pistol every day. I'd much rather port a real gun like an M1A, but there are limits to concealment. ;)

As to knives, my little custom pocket scalpel's blade is less than an inch long and it gets used more than almost everything else. I still tote around a large folder, though, and a leatherman. If comfort is the main reason anyone has moved away from large knives, I highly recommend they embrace IWB carry--frees up your pocket, is far less visible, and is ten times more comfortable to me; a nice, thin knife like the Lionsteel SR-1 disappears in th 5 o'clock position: I'm wearing it right now and can't feel it. Of course, if it's just preference that's a different story.

I suppose military involvement just gives me a different attitude towards carrying weight. I had to haul so much for so long that I just really can't look at anything that can fit in a pocket as being "heavy." Well, a pocketful of gold would be pretty damned heavy...but you know what, I'd manage. :D
 
upnorth said:
Yes, I understand the premise of this thread, and basically agree. In most cases there is no need for anything longer than say 4 inches or so. But There are times\places were a big knife is needed so I suppose the choice is regionally influenced. I think that it just rubs my fur the wrong way when the prevailing opinion edges toward were we should be packing a box cutter to prove how ''bush crafty'' we are. Hey, if some guys feel safe\prepared in an area of temperature extremes with large predatory animals, a tiny knife and no fire arm, cool, my hat is off to you. I do not and will not feel safe\prepared with a tiny knife in some environments. Hey, if I was in a regional park around other campers, I'd feel foolish running around with a big chopper. I really don't see why a guy couldn't have both, say a necker and a chopper. Why compromise?, why not have both? But I suppose this comes back to the original premise of the thread, weight reduction.
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Well for predatory animals I'd never choose a knife which reminded me of a story I heard on the radio. This guy called up the show and said that every Thanksgiving he and bunch of his buddies would go out to get a christmas tree. What did they use to cut the tree down you may ask. 12 gauge shotgun would be the answer. One shot to the base and the tree comes down. So, maybe a 12 ga for ya. And plenty of ammo. :D
 
I still like the sense of security when I EDC a large folder like by zt500 or zt303. I know it can handle a lot more than slicing packages open.

When it comes to bush craft, I carry what I need. A foldable saw, and my Tak-1 (sometimes a hatchet if I want to carry it). . I found my bk7 is a little to large for what I need, but my tak-1 is a touch on the small size. I'm thinking a bk5 would be just right. :D
 
All my outdoor gear has been downsized. I just don't need that much stuff anymore. Most of my edc carry pocket kni ves have gone down to a two inch blade. Most of the time I have a Case damascus peanut in my pocket and a Victorinox classic on my keyring. Gets it done for me.

If I go off in the woods or camping, I still don't carry that much knife. I will add a 4 inch sheath knife to my belt, but that's it for knives. I don't even own anymore big choppers, and my only sheath knives are a well used Buck 102 woodsman, and a wood handle old Mora with a laminated blade. If I need to deal with wood, I just use a saw. Both my better half and I carry a folding saw in our day packs, and sawing wood is way easier for senior citizens like us. If wood needs to be split, just saw it halfway through, and then bang it on the ground or against a tree, and it will split up the length of the grain. No fuss, no muss. I stopped beleving in big chopping knives a very long time ago. 99% of the time, if I have my 2 inch bladed pocket knife and a folding saw, I'm good to go.

Carl.
 
After a twenty knife buying orgy of the past two months, I've discovered a 3" to 3.5" blade suits me best and I like a handle that fills my hand, but only just. I have no need for longer folding knives because anything that needs that stout of a blade also needs a fixed blade, IMHO. And while I carry a tiny Byrd Finch or a tiny SAK sometimes, I prefer to carry locking folder with about 3". Also larger knives just project "macho" more than I need and sometimes seem like small-body-part compensation pieces.
 
I was carrying a umnum tanto for a while but found it way too heavy and overbuilt for EDC. Its a beautiful knife but I'm back to keeping a Spydie Lum Chinese on me every day. Its light, one handed and cuts great. I guess it depends what you do with your knives, upsizing is easy enough when you know you'll need it. Most could get by with a peanut these days. Its been proven by the peanut mafia.

By the way the last knife I recieved was a Siegle SAR 4 so don't get me wrong here. There's a tool for every job, and if I was out with one knife and my life depended on it I wouldn't have no light duty folder, I'd have a well balanced fixed blade in a length that can be most versitile in that environment... Still figuring it out.
 
Mud Shrimp Moe said:
After a twenty knife buying orgy of the past two months, I've discovered a 3" to 3.5" blade suits me best and I like a handle that fills my hand, but only just. I have no need for longer folding knives because anything that needs that stout of a blade also needs a fixed blade, IMHO. And while I carry a tiny Byrd Finch or a tiny SAK sometimes, I prefer to carry locking folder with about 3". Also larger knives just project "macho" more than I need and sometimes seem like small-body-part compensation pieces.
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Much like people who constantly make jokes about homosexuality may be in denial about their own preferences, I tend to wonder about some who continually challenge the lengths of others' anatomy as a means of disagreement. I have no idea if YOU constantly do this, by the way--not pointing the observation at you-- I just often wonder. :D
 
I'm the opposite. Mine are slowly getting bigger in a sense. I like my "tactical" knives and their designs so as I find cooler ones they seem to be getting bigger. I think that will soon change as I will be buying a "gentlemen's" knife soon for other occasions when my Black Knives aren't socially acceptable.
 
I forgot to clarify my post for EDC purposes.

I live and work in suburbia for the most part, and I find that for folders, I quite like 2.5-3in blades. I also strongly prefer the thing and light knives. For folders, I'd rather not notice that I have them.

For outdoors (camping, and like I said, generally jeep camping for me), I like larger blades. I do think that the 9 is a bit large for me many times around camp, but like I said before, it has replaced my hatchet, and it has more uses.

Cheers!
 
My EDC knife has been a Schrade Cliphanger for about 12 years now, it has a 3.25 in blade on it. If it wasnt for the cliphanger system it would probably be too big but at the same time i wouldnt want to go much smaller than it.

For woods choppers ive been steadily going more and more massive myself, in fact im in thinking of getting a custom built one that is huge. In my situation though i live up north and have heavy brush everywhere.
 
If i remember right, women's libbers were the ones that started the thing about compensation for size and machismo. That makes me think that people who use these euphemisms are effeminate, consciously or not. regards Henry
 
Idunno about the Freudian phallic overcompensation thing.

What I worry about is the whole "mall ninja / 30 yr old virgin / dungeons & dragons geek living in his moms basement" thing.

I think big choppers are cool but I don't want to carry an actual sword. I don't want to be that guy.
 
Thanks for the input guys but this has taken a turn into territory that can eventually lead to trolling. Thread closed
 
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