Handle Size--does it make a difference

F

Flashman

Joined
Jun 6, 1999
Messages
19
A lot of importance is placed on steel type, blade configuration in this forum. How about handle size and shape? An article in the April 2000 Fur, Fish and Game stated a 4" handle is too small. The writer felt 4 1/2 to 5" were the minimum, with 3/4" thickness. He cites meat packers knives. My Buck 110 makes length but is narrower at 5/8", close. It is fairly comfortable to use gutting and skinning an elk. Most of my kitchen knives are about this thickness too. What do you think? Is 4" too short for extended use?
 
Well, surgical gloves come in different sizes. Further, Mad Dog makes knife handles in different sizes. If you send him some xerox views of your hand, he will specially make a handle to fit your hand. No extra charge.

Of course handle size and configuration have a tremendous effect on ergonomic compatibility. Walt
 
Walt, I know you are a physician so let me ask this. Scalples I have seen have small, narrow but long handles. Is this for control and delicacy? On the other hand, I suppose most surgeons do very little cutting. Do Pathologists use boning knives?
 
No matter what you've been told, size DOES make a difference. Yeah, knowing how to use it count's too, but it IS size that matters.

Oh wait... knives. Nevermind.
 
It's really just personal preference.

I like knives with handles that are around 5" or so. This length usually allows for at least two distinct grip positions.

The latest trend in folding knives is to make the handle as thin as possible, probably for carrying comfort. With most modern folders, you can't even open the knife one-handed sans clip. Just because modern materials, like G-10 or carbon fiber, allow you to make a skinny knife, that doesn't mean that a skinny handle is better than a fat one.
 
A longer handle means better leverage. I believe that was Sal Glesser's reason for designing the Military with such a big handle and Bram Frank's reason for having a long handle and a 3 inch blade on his Gunting design. Well, the blade part was to make it legal just about anywhere but the handle part has to do with leverage and control.

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Simon Yu

"I look at it this way. If things get much worse I'll be too dead to care."
 
There are a number of factors that go into this issue.

1- What grips will be used with this knife? If you were to take a full sized grip made for a chopper, that grip may not comfortably accomodate a flipped grip, say edge towards you.

2- Looks

3- The handle in relation to the use, is it for concealment or neck carry or boot carry etcetera.

4- Other dimension of the handle, the width of the handle, a cant it relationship to the blade.

5- Different hand sizes.

I say, grab the knife, if it fits great, if it does not, move on.

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye, Cd'A ID, USA mdpoff@hotmail.com

Talonite Fire

"Many are blinded by name and reputation, few see the truth" Lao Tzu
 
I sometimes like knives with small blades for a variety of cutting tasks. You ever notice how many knifemakers think knife has to be evenly proportioned? Just because i want a small blade it didn't shrink the size of my hands.
A fixed blade knife I'd have to hold with 3 fingers to use is pretty much useless but they sure make plenty of them.
 
BUt in addition, you need to pay attention to how the knife fits in your hand. A short handled knife that is proportioned to have the end of the handle fit comfortably into the palm is very different than a knife with the same length that must be positioned differently in the hand. For example, I have a Texan made by Lynn Griffith that has a handle length of 3 1/2" but, with the thumb ramp, it feels like an extension of my hand. I have another knife, by a different maker, with a similar size handle that I can't figure out how to hold comfortably
Davy
 
Good point Dave. There are some good handle designs and there are sure a lot of horrid feeling knives in the hand too.
 
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