How does Bark River measure blade length?

daizee

daizee

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
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Hi Folks,

I'm drooling over the Fox River. However, I'm thinking it might be more sensible to drool over the Highland Special, which is listed as having a 4" blade - more legal carry areas.

Is that 4" from the tip to the start of the handle, or is it the edge?
It would be silly to downsize my selection just to discover that the 4" blade was legally 4.25". If that's the case I might as well keep the Fox River in the queue.

Does anyone have both, and how similar are they?

Thanks

-Daizee
 
Pretty much everyone in the USA measures blades the same way: tip of the blade to start of the handle.
 
I was bitten by this in the past when selecting an EDC (CRKT). When it arrived I discovered the legal length was 3.2" or so, and I live in a 3.0" state.

Thanks for the info.

-Daizee
 
I'm pretty sure the highland special is 4" to the start of the handle, so the fox is probably bigger. I say this because I compared the online HS measurements to my EDC Saex, which I measured myself. They are really lovely in person, much nicer than in the pics
 
puukkoman said:
Pretty much everyone in the USA measures blades the same way: tip of the blade to start of the handle.
Click to expand...

The reason they do this is so that the blade length, when added to the handle length will equal the overall length. Any other kind of blade measurement leaves a question mark. The more salient question is how does law enforcement in your community measure it.
 
Knife Outlet said:
The more salient question is how does law enforcement in your community measure it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I would say measuring blade tip to handle is probably the safest bet. A non-blade savy LEO is quite likely to ignore things like unsharpend choils or other non-edge sections of the blade.
 
Ever since I got my first BRKT I've been hooked. Great blades! I've hacked the crap out of everything with my Gunny and Bravo 1 SS and can't get the blades to dull for anything!
 
The law in my state is written tip-to-handle, hence the question.

Kershaw has a nice statement on their site, on the FAQ page. Alas, not everyone is so clear:

"How do I measure blade length?
When Kershaw measures blade length, we abide by the protocols of the American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI), of which we are members. The AKTI defines knife blade length as “the straight line extending from the tip of the blade to the forward-most aspect of the hilt or handle.” Given the variation in blade and handle shapes, this is a very useful and reasonable standard for blade measurement."


-Daizee
 
Hm, Connecticut, the nearest state to me with a 4" limit (where I might plausibly carry such a tool while hunting), measures the edge, not tip-to-handle. The actual edge on the Fox River looks to be about 4.0.

-Daizee
 
Have carried and used both FB and folders for hunting; see no problem with either. Concerns over blade length interest me; I have never had anyone LEO or otherwise even ask about a knife I was carryingjust as I have never had a Game Warden check the caliber of the rifle I carry. Have no idea if there is a mximum length for a folder/knife here; do know caliber designation for big game is .23 minimum. Now realize I live in Wyoming. BTW I love my Orange Ritter Griptillian.
 
Now realize I live in Wyoming.
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welcome to southern new england. :-(
I've yet to be hassled either (never even met a game warden), but want to keep it that way and have peace of mind.
Mimimum rifle caliber for deer? You can hunt deer with a cartridge rifle?!? ::-(( *sigh*

I shouldn't frown, I was born around here and there's great history. However I'd love to jump north of Mass to actual Eastern Freedom.

I'm torn on these two knives. The Fox River really seems like the Perfect Knife. The Highland Special seems like the practical legal compromise (not to run it down, you understand). But I'm not gonna get the Perfect Knife if I can only use it in the kitchen. I've already got a 5.25" Becker BK2 that I'll probably never need for quartering a moose. Heh.

On the other hand, in my tiny corner of New England we have to check all our deer before doing anything beyond field dressing, so butchering would be done at home anyway, so maybe the Fox River would get just as much use in the end. I long for something I can strap by hunting pack, though.

Even though I'm in a 3" state (RI), I'll get something for the more common 4" legal standard in the hope that I'll be living/hunting elsewhere someday. Even my Becker Necker is too big.

-Daizee
 
That would be great, Stretch.

From pictures (I've never held either), the Fox river appears to have a longer, gentler belly curve than the Highland - sort of like the Highland was curved faster to meet the shorter 4" length. The Fox blade seems more of a cross between the Highland and the North Star. Would you say that's accurate, or am I just not seeing things accurately from these dang intertube pictures?

-Daizee
 
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