Do Big Knives Make Little Guys Look Stupid?

I never really thought about this problem before. I love Bowies & for the most part, my Bowies reside in display cases & being 5'6" I'd probably look kinda stupid wearing any of the real large ones. Not because of the size but the weight. No doubt I'd be 'leaning' to one side causing me to walk in circles!;) I could rectify this problem by wearing two Bowies, one on each hip, but would I look stupider?:D If it bothers someone to much, they should probably just carry a good ol' pocket knife & be happy!
 
Im 6'3" and 280 and if I want to carry a pen knife or a calvery sword and I dont give a damn what other people think.I like knives and dont carry or not carry because it will make me look stupid.Your kidding right?:confused:
 
Horizontal stripes on the sheath can make you look fat. You want vertical stripes or polka dots for that lean and mean look.

;)
 
Howard is on the right track, but then so is blackeye.

I do think a sheath in well finished chenille would really be something, also. Now THERE'S something Paris could handle, eh?
 
I hate to say it, but in the Northeast, if you're outdoors and carrying some big honking fixed blade or machete, the more seasoned outdoorsmen tend to view you as some city yahoo or greenhorn. The general consensus amongst older outdoorsman is that if you need a knife that big, you really should learn how to use a knife.

As for city carry, any huge @ss knife should be concealed. Walking around with a giant fixed blade on your belt makes you look stupid in the city, no matter how big you are.
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
I hate to say it, but in the Northeast, if you're outdoors and carrying some big honking fixed blade or machete, the more seasoned outdoorsmen tend to view you as some city yahoo or greenhorn. The general consensus amongst older outdoorsman is that if you need a knife that big, you really should learn how to use a knife.

As for city carry, any huge @ss knife should be concealed. Walking around with a giant fixed blade on your belt makes you look stupid in the city, no matter how big you are.
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I've tried going with smaller blades, which knife afficionados like Buzzbait espouse, but I'm 6'4" with hands to match. Knives like the Delica and mini-Griptilian, while perfect for most tasks, just feel tiny to me, and I wonder if a small knife in big hands is more dangerous for the user.

So I prefer the full-sized knives, because a tool should fit your hand, not someone else's eye. Endura, Griptilian, CRKT M16 and a decent size fixed blade for the woods. Because sometimes it's fun to play Davy Crockett. Perhaps old timers who live in the woods just don't understand that.;)
 
Anything out doors and you can bring a sword and be at home. But i dont think i would want to walk around the city with a large bowie. Then i would need something a little more hidden, like a folder or boot knife... my two cents.
 
knifedaddy84 - Hehehehe..... Handles are a big problem. Everybody seems to think that you have to have this amazing handle to blade size ratio in a knife. I never understood this line of thinking. I prefer a handle that will fit my hand, and a blade big enough to do the job. That's probably pretty hard to find though, if you have a really large hands.
 
Big hands...
That's why Spyderco made the Military and the Police models!
I can't imagine someone's hands being too big for those folders.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
I'm with knife size = knife function school of thought. It is when the purpose of the knife is out of whack in the environment you are in that you will look strange (silly, immature, delusional etc). Body size does not matter unless it prevents the proper use of the tool.

-- Dizos
 
Originally posted by allenC
Big hands...
That's why Spyderco made the Military and the Police models!
I can't imagine someone's hands being too big for those folders.
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By the way, how does the Military compare to the Endura...are they the same size? Is the military just a more industrial version? Thanks.
 
I always make it a point to wear an outfit on Holloween that goes with a full-sized Bowie. There's always a huge, somewhat crazy mob scene here in the streets of Santa Cruz that night, but I feel very comfortable and secure in the crowd wearing the Bowie. I've even gone over and chatted up several LEOs and never had them look twice at my "accessory". I dressed up as a "Gentleman Jim Bowie" last time. Lots of fun.
 
Originally posted by allenC
Big hands...
That's why Spyderco made the Military and the Police models!
I can't imagine someone's hands being too big for those folders.

Good luck,
Allen.
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Well, youre definitely correct here! Im 6'8, 375 lbs. size 17EEEE feet, and my hands are definitely in proprotion to the rest of my body and i have to admit, the Police fits me perfectly, so i imagine it's a mite large for some others. The Strider AR also fits me like a glove, and it is a HUGE folder.

And folks, it is my very sad duty to tell you that the myth about big hands, big feet, well, just a myth, god's little joke... :) Hey, no complaints, but I think we all know bigger is better... :)
 
Originally posted by knifedaddy84
By the way, how does the Military compare to the Endura...are they the same size? Is the military just a more industrial version? Thanks.
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The Military is much bigger than the Endura, and has quite a few more special design elements. Both are great knives, but I'd take the Military in a heartbeat. Here's a quick comparison shot.
 
I've had my experience with knives and big knives. In Kosovo, one of my friend used a Rambo 3 bowie, with not so much success. Actually, all you usually need is a 4-inch folder.

My average carry, but remember I'm in the army and use a knife extensively, is 1 bayonet in a holster and 1 folding knife in my chest pocket. To do small things, I use the smaller knife, and so forth...
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
I hate to say it, but in the Northeast, if you're outdoors and carrying some big honking fixed blade or machete, the more seasoned outdoorsmen tend to view you as some city yahoo or greenhorn. The general consensus amongst older outdoorsman is that if you need a knife that big, you really should learn how to use a knife.
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I wonder if they'd tell that to a Filipino outdoorsman, or better yet, a Moro.:D

I'm 5'7", and being half Filipino am taller than the average Filipino. People I've seen in rural areas are much shorter than me yet they carry bolos with 15" blades, larger than the typical 9" Bowie people use as a survival knife. I wouldn't say they look stupid, are city yahoos, or greenhorns. IMO they are probably better outdoorsmen than these seasoned outdoorsmen who like mini knives.

The typical survival knife is NOT designed for outdoor sporting activities but for emergencies, such as when you are stranded on your own and have to rely on the knife. People also want a knife that can take extreme use so it will do what they need it to do. When you need a larger blade and only have a smaller one, you've got problems.
 
Originally posted by gris91
I've had my experience with knives and big knives. In Kosovo, one of my friend used a Rambo 3 bowie, with not so much success. Actually, all you usually need is a 4-inch folder.
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A Rambo 3 "Bowie" is a POS made by United out of 420 J2. It is a display piece and not a knife. It would be like buying one of those $3.00 fake SAKs and saying that SAKs can't cut. A Cold Steel, Becker, Busse, TOPS, Livesay, etc. would be much more useful. If I had to carry a rifle and ammo I'd probably use one around 7in to reduce the weight.
 
No one looks more stupid than another wearing a big knife! Ofcoarse if a short person carries a ten inch bowie blade,the knife looks bigger than it actually is,than if a tall person carries the same blade. Many people,mostly of them are city people who don´t have any knives their own and have zero experience of the outdoors,thinks that big knives make you a "Rambo type".

I think there are no more practical tool than a big knife,and i am certanly no Rambo type.Usually it´s the persons who laughs at you and your big knife,that wants after a while borrow your knife,because they don´t eaven have any blade them selfs!And when they have used it for a while,they are stuned by it´s great chopping potencial,and want´s to borrow it more.Thumbs up for big knives(and no one looks stupid with one)!

Manowar
 
One rule of thumb that I learnt from my dad is that if you want to be able to control your knife, don't use a knife with a blade longer than your hand, with fingers extended. I have small hands, so that would put the CRKT Sawtooth and Cold Steel Recon Tanto at my maximum, which feels about right. This rule is what works for me, I've found I can't do much with a bigger knife other than chop firewood. Of course, bolos and machetes are a different story, being used only for chopping.
 
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