How importance is knife balance on smaller knives?

[peripatew]

While I'm stuck not moving for at least a few more days, I've been fondling all my knives. Thinking of my smaller knives, 3-5" blades, I'm just curious how much balance effects their performance? Specifically in cutting and whittling performance. In number of years, my knife knowledge and experience is relatively low. So I just wanted to learn from our collective wisdom.

L

 

[Fonly]

I think Ergo's effect out come more than balance. I haven't found the balance for me anyways to effect my finding with a knife that size.

Actually Ergo's and Geometry of the knife, grind degree's and blade thickness.