Have you ever felt 'under' or 'over' knifed???

BOSS1

BOSS1

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Sep 16, 2008
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Greetings,

With all this chat/questions about how much knife is needed, this length vs. that length, etc etc etc, how about looking at it from the reverse: When out in about doing whatever knife related activity you were engaged in, did you ever feel under equipped by your blade selection at that time? That you needed more length, strength, different handle materials, etc?

Or perhaps even over knifed--just too much knife for the job?

Personally, I haven't, but I usually carry at least two blades with me (folder/fixed), so I can cover a pretty broad spectrum. And admittedly my field time as of late has been pretty limited by work/family, etc.

What say you good forumites?

BOSS
 
I have to admit, I have never been "under-Knifed" but I definitely have been "over-knifed". I was carrying a ZT0550 (the only knife I had on me) and we were sitting around with a bunch of people at a bar and someone asked to borrow it to cut something really small. I got the feeling that I wish I had a smaller knife on me since there were many non knife nut friends around and there were a couple comments.
 
For me it's a sort of endless tug of war between having too thick of a tip (ZT 0350, DPX HEST) and too thin of one (Kershaw Leek, Kershaw Talon). I constantly feel over knifed when I have something like the HEST, and there's been times where the obtuse tip was actually quite a hindrance for my EDC tasks. However, whenever I used to carry a Leek, I was afraid to use it for anything serious because of the constant fear of damaging the tip. I think I've found a nice middle ground with the Para 2 that has assuaged my endless worrying.
 
A few weeks ago I was doing some yard work and was using a Cold Steel Rajah to hack some branches hanging over the driveway.
When I finished I put the Rajah away and replaced it with a regular sized folder and took my ATV out for a ride.
Well I got the ATV stuck and needed to cut some sapplings down, so I reached for my knife and realized I switched.
So I was very under knifed for that situation.
 
The only time I ever feel under-knifed is the rare occasion when I need to do something like cut a cake or watermelon that requires a little bit of blade length. And that almost never happens, because my EDC knife stays away from food unless there is no other choice. I'm never over-knifed, because I always also carry a Victorinox Classic for the small stuff, or if I'm around hysterical women.

I do think its possible to be over-knifed, because an XL Espada is not very efficient at removing a splinter. Removing a hand, yes. But not just the splinter.
 
My XL Voyager makes me feel overknifed almost all the time I am carrying it, but I don't carry it much.

I feel underknifed with only a small slipjoint or anything less than about a 3-inch blade... I usually pair a larger and smaller knife.
 
I've never felt under knifed, but I have felt over knifed. In my younger day, I used to carry some large cutlery on outings. Randall number 14 for backpacking, and such. Large stockman for everyday. As I got older, I downsized a lot of things, knives included. Now I carry faily small edc pocket knives and I'm fine with it. So far in modern suburbia I've found that I can get by just fine with 2 inches of blade. If I go out in the woods I have a belt knife to handle heavier stuff.
 
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I edc a slipjoint like a GEC #85 or Queen mini trapper and a modern folder, usually a Gayle Bradley, sometimes a Sage 2 or ZT0350. The slipjoints handle pretty much everything aside from taking down boxes. I always have a slipjoint on me so the modern folders are overkill because I don't like using them for small tasks, which is mostly what I use my knives for. I'm pretty much always overknifed.
 
My first season deer hunting as an adult (stopped after high school for about 8 years), I went out to my stand and forgot to put on my hunting knife. As it turned out, an 8-pointer walked in front of me right at sunrise and I turned him into freezer meat. After I got down to him, I realized my mistake and had a combo-blade Benchmade Mini-Grip in my bag. Either I walked back to camp (about 60 minutes round-trip) or take care of it right there. I field dressed the whole thing with a Mini Grip and though it did the job, I was severely under-knifed. I now double-check my belt every time I go out hunting for my fixed blade.
 
Sometimes leaving the house just to grab some milk or something and come right back I will just throw something simple like my Boker Classic Barlow or Case Sodbuster Jr in the pocket and go. I always feel under-knifed with just a small slip joint but have never actually been under-knifed. Can't recall ever being over-knifed.
 
It's a rare thing for me to feel under-knifed. Generally, the multi-tool on my belt can handle 95% of what I need or at least well enough.

Now, that said, on rare occasions I might go off without my multi-tool and only have a khukuri on me. I won't forget the laugh my buddy had when he asked to borrow my knife to cut the plastic ties off his daughter's new toy, and I sheepishly drew a khuk with a 10" blade out from a shoulder holster under my shirt. Let's just say it was a bit overkill for what we needed to free Elmo from his plastic bonds. :o
 
ive had to use a two foot long machete to open a ups package and a three inch folder to cut vines out of a tree. both times i was vaguely amused but didnt feel over or under prepared. i was just glad i had a cutting tool available.
 
I was intentionally over-knifed this past weekend when I cleaned these squirrels with my BK9. Just because.

20120908ac03.jpg


Dressed them; skinned them; processed and parted them all with the BK9. It actually ended up being easier than I expected though I'd still typically use something much more appropriately sized (like my BK11, for instance).


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Beckerhead #42
 
I'd rather be over knifed than under knifed. Most people at my office are cool with my zt 0350.
 
I usually carry two knives on me and that feels about right. On the occasion when I carry a third then I might consider myself over knifed.
 
mrn8 said:
My first season deer hunting as an adult (stopped after high school for about 8 years), I went out to my stand and forgot to put on my hunting knife. As it turned out, an 8-pointer walked in front of me right at sunrise and I turned him into freezer meat. After I got down to him, I realized my mistake and had a combo-blade Benchmade Mini-Grip in my bag. Either I walked back to camp (about 60 minutes round-trip) or take care of it right there. I field dressed the whole thing with a Mini Grip and though it did the job, I was severely under-knifed. I now double-check my belt every time I go out hunting for my fixed blade.
Click to expand...

Why is that under-knifed? I feel anything over 3-3.5 inches has no business as a deer knife. Especially working inside the ribcage. A Minigrip is just fine.
 
Lol one time I was stopped by the police and I had a large Sebenza, a hide away knife, a cold steel kobun, and a leatherman charge TTI. I felt a little over knived. In fact I felt like a fool. :o
 
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