Ideal size slippy

I prefer knives 3.5-4". Smaller knives are wonderful for carry, but when it comes to using, I find that they are not as comfortable to use. I agree that you don't need a large blade to handle everyday tasks, but you do need a sufficiently sized handle. Smaller knives like the peanut just don't do it for me.
 
I've found that 3"+ range is better for me, but that's because of my lg. hands & needing more handle. I can live with a 3" handle or so (My SWJ CV & mini Copperhead work just fine), but around 3.5" seems to be ideal.

However, Case's Seahorse Whittler is a nice design. Its slim 4" handle carries well & the Wharncliffe main blade's about 2 3/8". I wish they'd do a CV version.

I do agree that "we" seem to get anamored with more blade than we probably need. An earlier poster mentioned having a BM Activator (5.5" OAL FB with a 2 1/8" blade). I have the D2 version with Winewood scales. Nice little knife & pretty takes care of whatever I need to do, for the most part.
 
Given enough time I am sure I could fell a redwood with a peanut, but it would be easier with a chain saw. There is always a small slippie in my pocket but there is also a trapper sized knife in a belt sheath. The pocket knife may be a peanut or medium sized stockman...normally 3-3 1/2 inches max. Belt sheath might be a trapper, sodbuster, Twistmaster...even a Case Sharktooth. There isn't a surcharge to carry more than one knife...no extra "blade tax" so why not carry two tools that fit a wider range of jobs?
 
Although most tasks can be accomplished with Peanut sized knives, I prefer knives that around 3 1/2 inches closed for the smallest. I have big hands, and they just feel better in hand to me. For me, that size still disappears in pocket and I forget its even there.
 
I have gone to smaller knives in my old age. I have large hands but I find a knife about a 3 and half to 3 and 3/4 inches closed work great. I have been using the Case Tony Bose Sway Back Jack and love this this little knife. It is a little smaller than what I prefer but it works fine. I am looking to get a SBJ from Rick Minifee in a few months that will be a little larger. Too large a knife causes accidents. At least for me and I prefer a knife I can control.

RKH
 
jackknife said:
Over the past few years, my two friends Chet and Don, have been coaching me on knapping, and it's amazing what can be done with a little sharp tool. I've got a little obsidian blade I made with a 1 1/2 inch blade and a wood handle fixed on with artificial sinew. It's about the size of a Buck Hartsook. I made a deerskin pocket sheath for it, and it's cut some things well.

I've also been using the heck out of my sak classic for most of my light pocket knife cutting. Mail, twine, breaking down boxes after a trip to Sam's Club. Just as an exersise in maximum minimalisim.

For most cutting, you don't really need much blade, the handle size is the more limiting factor; what can you hold onto with your hand size? There's where it get's personal.

On the 4th, we had a BBQ for the family, and I had a couple of large fillets of salmon that I'd marrinated, and before putting them on the Weber, I cut them up to smaller pieces for easier handling with tongs. I did the cutting with my little obsidian knife, and it went right through the raw fish. Then I cut up the marrinated sirloin into peices because some wanted medium, others well done. It went right through the raw beef like a...for lack of a better phrase...a sharp knife.

It's a ballance of needs and wants. What do you need, and how much do you want to carry around. My own view of this has changed greatly over the course of my life. These days I want the smallest lightest tool that will still let me do the job if I'm careful.

When I was a kid, the standard deer knife was Little Finn. About a fingers worth of blade. The Icemans flint knife was about a 2 inch blade. He must have skinned that bearskin cloak he was wearing with it, and whatever game he killed. He was well dressed for the cold with some nice hide/fur clothing. If he had not been shot in the back with that arrow he would have been okay.

I can get by with a pen kinfe size blade if I have to.
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You should come up to N. ON. the 1st Nations would LOVE you. I like to watch stone work, the Montagnais sometimes will use a shell to cut.
 
jpvjr said:
I met a guy I went to grade school with here. He's now a 1SG in the Marines. His guys bought a goat, & the I butchered it. He had his Camillus sheath knife, I had my peanut. Yes they all laughed at me, til they saw what could be done with it. My peanut will do 99% of what I ask of it, but a 3-3.5" is more practical, probably ideal.
What thinkest thou?
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I did en entire good size Deer with my Case Autumn Bone Seahorse Whittler....people were amazed and stopped laughing after about ten seconds...and I'm no real skinner either. Was only about the third deer i ever did. I usually talk someone else inot it!
 
I like 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 for a walking around knife. If I am going to the woods and taking a knife in a pocket, 4 to 4 1/4 two blade trapper, opposite or same end. Bigger if I have to do any Grizzly fightin' but prefer it on the belt. Have watched four elk gutted with a 303 Stockman without problem.
300Bucks
 
On the other hand, here on my neck of the woods just about everything is done with a machete, even fixing the car's radio. However, for a pocket knife for dressing game, 3.5" to 4" (closed) I'd say is fine. And the shape of the blade also makes a difference. Of course, it's different to dress a deer than to dress a duck. In any case, carrying my Bose Backpocket (4") is all I need.
 
I carry a lot of small knives. There is a rule at work against carrying a pocket knife that is more than 4 1/2 inches overall when open. That makes for about a 2" blade with a 2 1/2" handle. I find that a bit too small. The handle is too small for me to really control the blade if I want to peel an apple. But it will let me cut open a package.

In the evenings and on weekends I usually carry a knife that is 3 1/2 inches or larger when closed.
 
Well I will through my two cents in. Of course I like the peanut and it will do 99% of what you need. And I carry one often. But if I could have just one, I would use the Copperhead. I think the 3 1/2 - 3 3/4" is about perfect comprimise. big enough to do what I need it to. Nice size to fit the hand well. And small enough to not scare people half to death. It has a large clip blade to do almost anything. And a nice smaller pen blade to do smaller jobs when a small blade will do a job better. Years ago I would have never said that about a smaller blade. But I have learned, finally. LOL
 
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1st things 1st, that sounds really nifty to do flint knapping. 2nd I'm fine thanks. 3rd I guess a 3.25" is what I'd think is perfect as a HEAVY DUTY knife. If it had 3 blades like a stockmen all the better. I told my dad that & he laughed his head off. He uses his CV Soddy Jr heavy duty, and keeps his 3318CV I gave him for everything else.
So to summarize, the Peanut for 99%, & a 3.25" for heavy duty stuff.
I don't have any real use for a sheath knife, the only advantage is they're easier to clean fish/guts out of. (I'm a Central PA ridgerunner through & through, you couldn't PAY us to carry a sheath knife).
That's a whole other topic though.:D
 
jpvjr said:
1st things 1st, that sounds really nifty to do flint knapping.

I don't have any real use for a sheath knife, the only advantage is they're easier to clean fish/guts out of. (I'm a Central PA ridgerunner through & through, you couldn't PAY us to carry a sheath knife).
That's a whole other topic though.:D
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Some of that PA attitude must have bled downhill to Maryland. Almost all the men I knew growing up did everythng with whatever pocket knife they had in thier pants. Somehow getting the knife knut disease at an early age, I ended up carrying a too large sheath knife in my 20's and 30's, till some older mentors kidded me out of it, and made me see there was a different way.

One day while home on leave, I went fishing with dad, and I had a sheath knife on my hip. Dad looked all around at the woods, down the river, up river. I asked him what the h--l he was looking for. He told me he was keepng a good lookout for the savage heathens that was lible to attack at any moment. He then proceided to use his trusty peanut all afternoon, with good effect.

On a deer hunt in the shadow of Mt. Rogers Virginia, I offered my custom Randall to my friend Andy to dress his downed buck with, and he said in a good natured tone, he wasn't planing on skinning any brontasouris's that day. He then did a very neat job with a Buck 303 cadet. I guess he got some PA attitude as well.

Nowadays, I just use whatever little pocket knife is in my pants. If I can get a good three finger hold on it, it seems to work well at most things. A pinky size flake of good flint or obsidian is very sharp, and does not require a lot of pressure to cut through hide and meat, or fish bellys. In fact, on slippery fish guts, it works better than some knives.

Since Maryland is downhill from PA, I guess the attitude flowed downhill to us.
 
{Almost all the men I knew growing up did everythng with whatever pocket knife they had in thier pants.}

Where I'm from the ONLY knife you could buy with out a special order was a Case CV Soddy Jr. That's what we all carried and used for eating opening mail butchering, everything.
 
{A pinky size flake of good flint or obsidian is very sharp, and does not require a lot of pressure to cut through hide and meat, or fish bellys. In fact, on slippery fish guts, it works better than some knives.}

How did you come to pick this little skill up? How long will it take, I'm guessing a year to knap, and 1 or 2 more to get good at it so you can use your stone blade.
 
jpvjr said:
{A pinky size flake of good flint or obsidian is very sharp, and does not require a lot of pressure to cut through hide and meat, or fish bellys. In fact, on slippery fish guts, it works better than some knives.}

How did you come to pick this little skill up? How long will it take, I'm guessing a year to knap, and 1 or 2 more to get good at it so you can use your stone blade.
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PM incoming.
 
A-Ha! You DO like a big knife (@3.25"):D
Why don't you like the Vic Cadet? (My favorite).
Jackknife that is really interesting using stone knives. I've never seen that done except on PBS.
 
HMC said:
A-Ha! You DO like a big knife (@3.25"):D
Why don't you like the Vic Cadet? (My favorite).
Jackknife that is really interesting using stone knives. I've never seen that done except on PBS.
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The Vic Cadet is too thin. I do like a spear point better than a clip though.
 
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