Blade Length?

JK Knives

JK Knives

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What is your opinion on the ideal blade length for an all purpose knife? This is kind of an “if I could only have one knife” question. Also, give your reason why you chose it.
This is sort of a survey for a future design.
 
My perfect blade on a fixed blade is probably 3-3.5". It provides enough length to have a decent stroke through thicker/bigger items, but it is still short enough to have great control for close-up detail work. There's very few times I wish my Bluegill had a touch longer blade, and there's a few times that I wish my Pocket Chef had a little bit shorter blade.

I think my biggest hang up with most fixed blades is proportion. I don't like a knife that has, for example, a 3" blade and a 4.5"+ handle. It doesn't look proportional to me. Maybe that's an influence from traditional folders that makes me that way.
 
I used to be more of a 5" knife guy for all-around use but I think I've shortened it up to around the 4.5" area. I think an adequately short blade width could combine well in a longer blade length, like a leuku, but there does seem to be a trend of increasing blade width and thickness when blade length increases, for an exponentially more clumsy knife as they get longer. I hope to test this theory out soon with a thinner width blade that's a little longer but acts like a little blade. I think Mora has done well here with some of theirs, they feel small because they're so lightweight but they are still quite agile. I had similar feelings with an HK feint that was a 9.5" fighting knife. I really liked the knife overall, but how many knives of that size does one really need?

I think a 4.5" blade with a 4.5" handle and multiple grip points, maybe even a little longer on the blade, would make a really nice "most uses" knife.
 
A large fixed blade with a 10-12" blade will do just about anything. Why would you want to go short?

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
A large fixed blade with a 10-12" blade will do just about anything. Why would you want to go short?

n2s
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Counterpoint: my everyday knife needs include peeling apples, open letters, breaking down the occasional box, and trimming my nails. Why would I want a 10-12" blade as my "I can only have one knife"?
 
If I was only allowed to keep 1 knife it would be a folder, lets say a Gerber FSIII, or maybe a Bucklite. These would have approx. 3.7" blades
If I can have just one fixed blade knife it would be my JK Improved Bowie, 5" blade, do anything knife.
Yes, it is the humped version!
 
Wurrwulf said:
Counterpoint: my everyday knife needs include peeling apples, open letters, breaking down the occasional box, and trimming my nails. Why would I want a 10-12" blade as my "I can only have one knife"?
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Your present knife needs are based on the ready availability of additional tools. If we are truly limited to the single knife then your needs for the knife would be broader then they are at present.

n2s
 
And this is where opinions differ. I think a 10-12" knife can do a lot of things, but most things I use a knife for it would do poorly and thus wastes a lot of time and convenience. When I was more limited on the knives I had, I did most things with a 3.5" folder. But, having something bigger is a lot nicer for kitchen tasks. Besides chopping and such for fun more recently, kitchen knives were the biggest I used.

I think if we look to South America, they would probably agree on the usefulness of a longer, thin blade (I added the thin part because I'm referring to machetes they use for so many of their cutting needs).
 
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3 3/4” is my preferred blade length for a all around knife be it fixed blade or folder. Probably because I’ve used a 110 so much and It was always enough. That’s also probably why I like my Michigan Trail so much.
 
I think a 3 to 3.75 inch blade is best, and with a handle that fits four fingers for more control. A good knife can be ruined by an ill-conceived handle. It also has to be aesthetically pleasing overall as mentioned by Wurrwulf. So I think a 4 inch handle or close to it so you can get that grip. I think that would be good for every day small jobs that are routine and just need quick access to a knife.
 
For me the one-knife-only-for-everything would be an 8” knife (9” max) with a deep belly and NO CHOIL. Shaped similar to a kitchen chef’s knife but more robust. I can do a lot of fine work with the butt edge of a blade as long as there isn’t a guard obstructing it. No need to choke up - ever. While I can do smaller tasks more easily with a 4-5” blade, I can still do them well with a big blade. On the other hand, a small blade can’t do some important tasks a big blade can like chop wood.

Yeah, I really love a couple of my 4-5” knives and find them very versatile. But I’d still choose a larger knife if I could only have one.


(Bark River Crusader “turning” mushrooms after chopping through 2.5-3” diameter Western Dogwood tree limbs that are nearly as hard as mesquite: 2130 on the Janka Hardness Scale) P.S. Those are tiny bits of mushroom on the edge, not chips or rolls.
9A177204-D26D-45AB-9A22-EDD19FAD84A6.jpeg
 
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panella said:
For me the one-knife-only-for-everything would be an 8” knife (9” max) with a deep belly and NO CHOIL. Shaped similar to a kitchen chef’s knife but more robust. I can do a lot of fine work with the butt edge of a blade as long as there isn’t a guard obstructing it. No need to choke up - ever. While I can do smaller tasks more easily with a 4-5” blade, I can still do them well with a big blade. On the other hand, a small blade can’t do some important tasks a big blade can like chop wood.

Yeah, I really love a couple of my 4-5” knives and find them very versatile. But I’d still choose a larger knife if I could only have one.
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+ :thumbsup: ^ This would be my answer if I could truly only have just one. BUT for the knife that I would really use if I tossed or lost my existing line up I would prefer a fixed blade 3-3/4" to 4-3/4" long, with a handle no less than 4-3/4" (I just deleted all my other criteria because John didn't ask.) The Rule# 9 is a perfect all purpose knife to my way of thinking. I have a puukko that does just fine too.

Ray
 
Mine would be that 4-5” mark. Seems to be just about right for most tasks especially if you have an axe with you.
 
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