How do you like your knife balanced?

[Lord_Balkan]

Thread title says it all..

I think I prefer it being at either my index finger or middle finger when holding the knife. I like it when it is also closer to my middle finger because that allows a heavier, bulkier knife to feel extremely light in hand. The BM 860 Bedlam is an example of that.... Very heavy knife but doesn't really feel heavy at all because of how it is balanced.

I'm not really sure how a knife 'should' be balanced so if anyone wants to talk about that- it would be great.

 

[Officer's Match]

It depends on the type of knife for me. Some find the Olamic 247 to be "butt-heavy", but I find that perfect for a strong deploying flipper. Same with my Medford Viper - that quarter inch thick blade carries some serious inertia, so I am glad the handle is heavy on it. Other knives I like a sort of "out of balance" feel on: I have a framelock Emerson Horseman (converted by Nath) that has a linerless G10 presentation side scale; it "leans" toward the titanium lock side, which means it leans back into my hand. Sort of like the knife is "trying" to stay in my hand.

 

[jbarsquat]

It might help to get better answers if you give a specific type of knife, or cutting task that you have in mind.

 

[marcinek]

It might help to get better answers if you give a specific type of knife, or cutting task that you have in mind.

Precisely. The way a well made knife is balanced depends entirely on the intended purpose of the knife.

How do I like my knife balanced? In a way that is consistent with the way it it is to be used.

 

[Lapedog]

It depends on what I want to use the knife for. A stabby fighting knife probably abit butt heavy. A regular fighting knife or an EDC knife probably around index finger balance point. For a chopper a balance point maybe a few inches infront of the ricasso.

I definately think in most knives a balance point somewhere between the front and back of where an index finger choil would be.

 

[W. Anderson]

I like my knives to carry their weight in the handle. I also like short, thin blades so I guess physics dictates the rest...

I only carry/use fixed blades at this point, however.

 

[evilgreg]

I'm an Emerson owner, so I'd have to say "neatly between the ribs of my victims". If I was a Strider owner I'd have said "halfway between tactical and cool, let's call it tacticool".

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

A view from this knife maker. Balance point should natural provide best performance/usage in tasks. For instance of these setting based on activator/user manipulates the blade (list in order of precedence within each):

1) hand (behind the index finger): Hand, fingers, arm
2) index finger: fingers, hand, arm
3) thumb index pinch: fingers, arm, hand
4) 1-2 inches in front of index: arm, hand, fingers
5) further upfront - depend on mix-match of: fore arm, whole arm, shoulder, torso

Here is example of 2) where I worked toward balance point at index finger for the 3x 10V hunter util knives (0.120" thick, 5" blade, ~ 4 oz)