Blade-to-handle ratio: does it matter?

For me "ideal" ratio is about
3 7/8" blade - 5" handle

of course if you are talking about folding knives ?

Other "good ratio" knife got
3 1/2" - 4 1/2"
still acceptable, but it's borderline
for me of course
 
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Blade to handle ratio is fairly important to me. More specifically, handle length is important to me. I have a big hand (xl or 2xl glove) and dislike a small handle. I'm not a fan of 3 finger handles.
 
jideta said:
You say ratio I say proportion. A good design should have visual and physical balance.
Harmony is difficult to achieve usually because of physical and engineering limits.
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I like that comment about proportion. Never considered that before. I think it’s more of an art than a science really. That’s why some designs work and some don’t. An Espada XL with a 2.5” blade wouldn’t make sense haha.
 
Zulus said:
For me "ideal" ratio is about
3 7/8" blade - 5" handle

of course if you are talking about folding knives ?

Other "good ratio" knife got
3 1/2" - 4 1/2"
still acceptable, but it's borderline
for me of course
Click to expand...
I actually had folding knives in mind, but fixed blades are more than welcome to the discussion as well.

This topic hit me when I noticed the “terrible” blade-to-handle ratio of my CS AK-47. 3.5:5.5
 
DangerZone98 said:
I like that comment about proportion. Never considered that before. I think it’s more of an art than a science really. That’s why some designs work and some don’t. An Espada XL with a 2.5” blade wouldn’t make sense haha.
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Espada XL with 2.5" ring a bell !!
I bought few months ago such strange kitchen knife
May I call it double hand kitchen sword !
Will take pic later today.
Anyway it has 8" blade on 10 1/4" handle :^D
So even triple hand wife's revenge
Made by Washington Forge, USA
 
Zulus said:
Espada XL with 2.5" ring a bell !!
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Cold-Steel-CA-Legal-Espada-XL-Tri-Ad-Lock-Black-G-10-Black-BHQ-83225-jr-large.jpg
 
On a side note a one handed sword has a handle the same length more or less as an "average" knife but with a blade up to 40 inches in length and they can be as light & nimble as all get out in the case of a style like a rapier.
 
For me, it depends on the knife. On a much smaller knife, I am generally more interested in ergos. A knife like the Dragonfly 2 sacrifices some blade length and adds some handle specifically for good ergos. I consider this a more than an acceptable trade off as I can't really do much with a knife if I cannot get a good grip on it. But if we are taking about folders over say 3.5 inches, if the handle is massively bigger than the knife, then it is potentially consuming more real estate in my pocket than my pocket is willing to allot, as my hand is not all that large. So on those folders, I tend to prioritize this more.
Screen Shot 2020-07-05 at 3.26.54 AM.jpg
 
If the blade is longer than the handle it is a problem;)

Seriously it really depend on the intended use and what is important for it: to be more compact or to have superior ergonomics.
For sure a good design should ideally have both but sometime there is where a balance is to be found

the PM2 is often pointed at as having poor blade/handle ratio whereas for me the larger handle provide improved ergonomics that is a strong point of this model

In general has I like knives that carry light and compact in the pocket I like a good blade/handle ratio but it is never a blocking point for me as long as it works with the general design of the knife
 
pnsxyr said:
What kind of food is that intended to tackle?!?! Where do you store it?! I am not even sure if I have a drawer deep enough to fit it.
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You will laugh, but it parked in my knives block on the counter !
BTW - never used it yet, not idea for what ???
Search internet few times for any info or something close enough - not a chance yet
 
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