Ginormous Folding Knives?????

Holt

Holt

Joined
Mar 11, 2014
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43
So, over the weekend I was fortunate enough to get to spend a couple days the Blade Show in Atlanta. It was very cool, but it did raise a question. Why have the large folding knives (+ 4”) become so popular? I work in an office environment and feel like the upper limit of what I can carry is maybe 3.5” or so. If I carried much more than that, I’m sure someone would send me to HR! I’m mostly just curious on everyone’s thoughts on the matter.

Thanks!
 
No clue, maybe people want to think that they'll use it in a self defense situation ?
There's no reason to carry anything bigger than a buck 110.
 
Deploying my Spyderco Tatanka is a very satisfying experience, it's so big it is actually funny!
I love this knife, for its ludicrous size and its style. It's a nice collector's piece.

I don't EDC it very often tho, as I rather use a fixed blade if I need a big tool.
 
I'm in an office, dress pants, don't like the weight of large knives. Right now I have a Trapper in my pocket.
 
My carry mostly depends on when, where & what I am wearing. Sometimes carry is task orientated too.
Generally Speaking:
Golf Casual work enviro. CRK Small Sebenza, size wize, is about as big as I can swing with slacks/khakis. Anything else is either too big, wide, or heavy.
At work I normally carry one of the following: Small Seb, Inkosi (personal fav), Mnandi, Curtiss Nano.
At home: Usually carry one of the following: Summer Carry = a Spyderco Salt full size, Hinderer XM-18. Winter Carry = a Medford Praetorian T. The CRK 25 is perfect for anytime.
 
The biggest thing I carry is a Buck 110 and that depends on what environment I'm going to be in. Sometimes I just don't want something that big. I always carry something smaller and less intimidating as well. I don't really get the big knives either. To me, the 110 is big and that's my limit. But, some people don't see the point of a Case peanut either....to each their own :thumbup:
 
When I walked the dog late at night, I would often stuff an old-school Vaquero Grande in my side or back pocket. If it did come to pulling a knife, I figured the immediate intimidation of that big blade popping out would make a knucklehead think twice. And if it didn't, then a pocket sword would be a lot more useful than a Dragonfly. But that blade length--plus shape and serrations--made it an awesome tool for trimming insulation bats. The only other way it actually came in useful was hiking with kids; I could chop things and make walking sticks and such with the ability to immediately render the blade harmless if one of them ran up. Sheathing a fixed blade would have meant getting the edge closer to those kinetic little people who could forget proper safety sometimes. But right now it's a Wharncom in my pocket, and I can't say I really need more at the moment.
 
I'm in a similar position, I have some big folders but rarely EDC them, but everyone's different both in what size/weight they're comfortable with and kind of environment they find themselves in every day. For some people 4" is really the minimum.

Interesting a couple people mention the Buck 110--it's a classic, but IMO with its thickness and weight there are lots of "larger" I.e. Longer blades that carry far more easily--Spyderco's Endura and Military, for two.
 
I was gonna answer this but i have no energy for the nonsense that would follow. 4" blade isnt big or ginormous..ill leave it at that.
 
Personally I have no use for a small knife I got huge banana hands and I like having at least a 3.7 up to a 4.4 I work in the underground mining business and really push knives to their limits for me models like the small inkosi are almost useless unless you need a letter opener I guess to each their own
 
I appreciate the insights. I didn’t mean to stir anything up; it was just something I was curious about.

Thanks
 
Holt said:
I appreciate the insights. I didn’t mean to stir anything up; it was just something I was curious about.

Thanks
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It's just one of those subjects where everyone has differing opinions. Some people don't see the point of a 5" blade and some people wouldn't leave the house with just a 2" slip joint. I think it's a good question and I like hearing everyone's answers....
 
Nothing wrong with your question, OP. I like huge folders just because they are cool and fun. I work in a job where I work alone most of the time and wear jeans every single day. I also live in a place with no restrictions on what I can carry and how I can carry it, so my situation is a bit different from many, and I figure I might as well take advantage of all this and carry whatever tickles my fancy on a given day. Weight is also a non-issue for me. :thumbup:
 
If you are happy with a small knife then you could probably just use your fingernails.

I work in an office and the smallest knife I carry is a PM2. I also have a Military, a couple of Manix 2 XLs, a Benchmade 581 and a Benchmade 913 in my EDC rotation. My dress knife for when I wear a suit is a Benchmade 890 Torrent.

I would like to have a Tatanka to play with, but would probably draw the line there and not carry it to work although I would carry it on weekends. Clipped to my jeans the weight is rarely a problem for me. I did buy a ZT0200 and decided that it was a little big and heavy for my EDC so I found my normal limit there. Maybe the weight played into it but I think the biggest factor was the thickness of the handle.
 
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It's a sad day if we have to start justifying carrying a knife on a knife forum, or have supposed knife folks say that the knife we may like is unnecessary. :thumbdn:
 
Big knives are fun, small knives are fun. 3.5-4" seems to be the sweet spot for most, and a lot of people see knives as items exclusively to be used for totally killing dudes in elite operations and will want the biggest, meanest thing they can get.

I generally find it hilarious when a company precision-engineers and manufactures a $500 knife that is designed almost exclusively for combat when pretty much any $20 pig sticker is going to kill a guy just as dead.

As far as folders go, it's -fun- but pointless and very limiting when it comes to EDC. It's easier to peel an apple or open a package with a Swiss Army knife than it is with a Cold Steel Large Espada. The Espada is way more fun, but you'll actually get use out of the SAK.

The best balance between the two that I have found is an Americanized Tanto. A 4" Americanized Tanto blade will be useful day-to-day and also function as an effective cutting tool. I also like hookbills for this, but those are a touch harder to maintain an edge on (but a fully serrated hookbills is very useful and would make some nasty wounds)

I giggle a little bit when I see things like the Large Espada, but I also love them just as much as any other blade... I just know I have no practical use for them and neither do most people. Then again, there's nothing wrong with affording yourself a ridiculous luxury if you want to and can afford it. What people want or need out of a knife is personal to them and I have learned there is no reason (or success) to be had in trying to tell them what they "should" want.
 
Comeuppance said:
As far as folders go, it's -fun- but pointess and very limiting when it comes to EDC. It's easier to peel an apple or open a package with a Swiss Army knife than it is with a Cold Steel Large Espada. The Espada is way more fun, but you'll actually get use out of the SAK.
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The XL G-10 Espada was actually pretty handy as a folding machete...till the edge got all warped due to the hollow grind they make it with.
With a different blade grind, it would actually be a very useful tool. :)
Wouldn't EDC it though...except that I did forget I had one in my backpack for a month or two, so I guess I was EDCing it during that period of time. :D
 
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