Folder Balance

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

I noticed most tend to balance on or around the middle finger. My old Enduras and Voyager were my most used folders and the balance was just ahead of my index finger - little further out for the 4" tanto Voyager than Enduras. They were great for doing all sorts of flipping, spinning, even when going from one hand to the other (lots of fun and I know some of you do it also even though it's never recommended)

Seems in general, not accounting for blade and edge shape/geometry, materials, etc., that a balance around the middle finger is good for fine work and index or further out is better for tough work. Favor going to the ones index or further balance because you can choke up, but tend to run out of handle if you want the balance to go further out with a middle finger balanced folder.

Where do your favorite folders balance and/or where do you like the balance to be? Will be nice to see what you guys list - usually only fixed blades are talked about concerning balance.

 

[Dorito Monk]

In my experience, a knife's balance doesn't make a lick of difference. I guess it would be an important factor if you spent a lot of your time juggling or throwing your knives, but (especially when it comes to folders) I don't find it has any bearing on how a knife performs, how much I like a knife, or what tasks a knife is best suited to.

 

[Tsujigiri]

Sounds like you need a balisong to play with...

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

For me it definitely seems like it is easier to make a wooden tent stake, cut thick plastic, heavy cardboard, etc. with the balance more towards the blade and fine jobs like lightly shaping wood easier with the balance more in the center of my hand.

What type of cutting do you usually do Dorito?

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

Sounds like you need a balisong to play with...

I had a couple balisong knives along with a bunch of others taken by San Diego P.D. a few years ago, a box of knives with a collection spanning over 10 years that I was moving from one apartment to the other - they said I was illegally carrying them concealed by having them in the trunk of my Cadillac....

 

[Reeek]

I prefer the balance point to be at the index finger choil on the handle. Nothing the designer can do when I move my hand around.

 

[unit]

Balance point depends on the blade and its use (for me at least).

 

[Tsujigiri]

I had a couple balisong knives along with a bunch of others taken by San Diego P.D. a few years ago, a box of knives with a collection spanning over 10 years that I was moving from one apartment to the other - they said I was illegally carrying them concealed by having them in the trunk of my Cadillac....

Wow that sucks... and the law says that it's only illegal to have them in the passenger compartment. Haven't had the CA police notice my balisongs yet, fingers crossed.

 

[Dorito Monk]

For me it definitely seems like it is easier to make a wooden tent stake, cut thick plastic, heavy cardboard, etc. with the balance more towards the blade and fine jobs like lightly shaping wood easier with the balance more in the center of my hand.

What type of cutting do you usually do Dorito?

Some of the things I tend to do with my work knives include scoring scrap pieces of drywall before breaking them, opening and collapsing cardboard boxes, cutting caulking around tiles, cutting zip ties, cutting cord (everything from twine to old rope and paracord), cutting carpet, opening plastic packaging (from shrink wrap to the clamshell type stuff), and some light scraping. I do controlled cutting almost exclusively - I don't generally chop, hack, or stab, although I do use my knives to cut smaller limbs off of trees when camping. I'll hold my knife in all manner of different grips, usually either a standard grip with the cutting edge facing away from myself, controlled cuts with the cutting edge facing towards myself, choked up on a choil or even choked all the way up on the blade, like this:

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

Very cool, thanks man. I miss using a knife for work, waiting/hoping on an office job right now...

I can still remember the day my father was teaching me to use pinch/scalpel-grips 20 years ago.

What knife is that?

 

[Dorito Monk]

It's not my photo, but as far as I know it's a Grohmann Model 1 with flat grind and some custom scales.