Is a bigger blade better?

D

Dude Crush

Joined
Nov 22, 2004
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I thought I had local law restrictions on the size blade I could carry, but I was wrong. Anything under a 4” blade is fine as long as I don’t stab someone (then anything over 2” is considered a “deadly weapon” and I’d be in a lot more trouble). So my EDC choices are more open.
I was sold on the Ritter Mini Grip. Now the choices also include the Ritter Grip (regular), Spyderco Manix and the SwampRat Rat Trap. These are all very similar knives, size being the major difference, and there in lies the rub.
I’ve been carrying a folding box cutter from Home Depot for the past year +. I carry it loose in my front pocket. I would think anything much bigger would be uncomfortable to carry. Though I’ve heard of people forgetting they are carrying the Rat Trap it’s so light and thin. I imagine there is an optimum balance between size, utility and comfort for a EDC. I also assume that it depends a lot on the individual. However, as I can’t handle any of these knives before I buy one I rely on your opinions.
I’m a big believer that the best knife there is, is the one you have with you when you need it. If it’s to big I’ll leave it at home. Where is your perfect (or as close as you’ve come so far) balance? Is a bigger blade “that” much more useful/versatile?
:rolleyes:
 
a big blade is better for more demanding chores where you need a strong grip & lots of edge like really thick cardcoard or a thick rubber hose..
mostly, in every day jobs i found than there's nothing a 4" can handle that a 3" blade can't.. that said, i carry a serrated ss spyderco cricket with a blade of under 2"... works perfectly for me, small, light, very thin & very comfortable to carry.
 
A bigger blade is not necessarily better. In fact, although I usually carry a folder with a 3.5" to 4" blade, I also carry a smaller knife, with a blade 2" or less, for ordinary tasks that a bigger knife with a heavier handle would be clumsy at.

For example, a Spyderco Native has a broad, strong blade, but the whole knife is light and compact, and the blade is more than big enough for ordinary use. If I were carrying the Native, I probably wouldn't bother with a smaller knife like the Spydie Cricket.

If your knife needs have been covered by a boxcutter, you aren't skinning rabbits or carving furniture. You will probably be happy with that Ritter Mini Grip, which is a great knife, and could skin rabbits and carve furniture if you had to, and you can always decide to move up in size later, when you develop a real use for a bigger knife. You may even decide to move up to the full size Ritter Grip, in which case you would have two sizes that worked the same, so you would be familiar and comfortable with whichever you happened to have with you.
 
I carry a 4+ inch blade on a daily basis and am as comfortable as can be with it. But, like Esav, I carry a smaller slipjoint which takes care of most, if not all, my daily needs.
 
My EDC Dodo has about a 2" edge, and I've never found myself wanting.

I've carried bigger knives, and occasionally wondered just why I was using a 3-4" blade on something as simple as opening packages or breaking down cardboard boxes.

I find the smaller knife to be generally more convenient and useful than the larger ones were, with no real reduction in capacity to do work.
 
I think the greatest advantage of most large blades is that they tend to have better grips. A longer, thicker, and more ergonomic grip goes a long way toward making any knife work better. This is why Spyderco's Mouse, Dodo, Salsa, and Lil Temperance perform like much larger blades.

That said, there are some tasks for which a larger blade is also an advantage. Push cuts tend to use the same section of blade throughout the stroke. Pull cuts make use of more of the edge and therefore benefit from a longer blade.

Cutting thicker materials, such as fruits, vegetables, breads, and cakes, is definitely easier with a longer blade. Even a 4" blade is short enough to be awkward for a lot of food prep tasks.

And for self-defense, a longer blade offers greater reach and penetration.

Shorter blades can generally perform the same tasks, but they require more effort and time to do them. If you can carry a longer blade in comfort, and you are legally allowed to do so, why not take advantage of it? I carry a Rob Simonich Bitteroot, but my Camillus Aftermath is what gets used at least 90% of the time. There are very few tasks for which a well designed 5-1/2" blade is any less convenient.

--Bob Q
 
bquinlan said:
Even a 4" blade is short enough to be awkward for a lot of food prep tasks.

There are very few tasks for which a well designed 5-1/2" blade is any less convenient.

--Bob Q
Click to expand...
My two best food prep knives right now are a CRK Sable III and a Bark River Highland, both 4" fixed blades.

My favorite backup to these is the CUDA Maxx bowie at 5.5". For most fruits and vegetables, 4" is plenty, and a longer blade just sticks out further, giving me more tip to avoid. But the Maxx cuts so well! :D
 
I mostly agree with you guys. Even though I always carry a Sebenza, 99% of my cutting outside a kitchen is done with a 2" SAK blade :rolleyes:

However, in the kitchen it's quite another story. Except for peeling potatoes, I always use an 8" chef knife for food prep :confused: Strange... In the kitchen I reach for the biggest knife, and anywhere else I use the smallest.

Guy
 
IDK, I'm EDCing a Dodo. It's been my experience that a shorter blade is better for me. I just open packages and stuff, and once when using my friends 4 1/2 in. boot knife to open a box of popsicles, I was having some trouble.

So, I don't need a long blade, and the Dodo provides a super positive grip. I love my dodo. :D
 
As long as we're not talking about extremes here, I say that in most cases a bigger blade is better.

A well designed large blade can do just about anything a large blade can do, but a small blade can't always do what a large blade can.

Just my opinion,
Allen.
 
Denix said:
I mostly agree with you guys. Even though I always carry a Sebenza, 99% of my cutting outside a kitchen is done with a 2" SAK blade :rolleyes:

However, in the kitchen it's quite another story. Except for peeling potatoes, I always use an 8" chef knife for food prep :confused: Strange... In the kitchen I reach for the biggest knife, and anywhere else I use the smallest.

Guy
Click to expand...
Just what I wanted to say. Whan it comes to food preparation, I preffer a bigger knife. Which in this case it would be a Spyderco Military (long blade, full flat grind, maybe a serration or two...) ;)
 
the problem i find in food prep with EDC type knives is that the blade is too thick for a lot of cutting tasks, say splitting a carrot or something. I always reach for a nice thin paring knife or chef knife when cooking in the kitchen.

I EDC a larger blade (BM710, cuda maxx, or cs ti-lite) and i have a leatherman squirt on my keychain. I use the larger knife for most cutting tasks, including peeling apples and things, and the small one to open boxes since i find it awkward to open boxes with a 710, plus i don't want to mess up the BT coating by scraping it against packing tape and cardboard.
 
i personnaly prefer my EDC blade around 3.5" (Spydie endura, BM940, DoukDouk).
I find it usefull for fooding (preparation of sandwichs or whatever), smaller, i put tomato juice everywhere !
The SAK blade is a bit "too small" to my personnal taste :)
 
I don't really like large knives outside the kitchen (apart from my kukri)

One thing to consider is most larger folders are also a fair bit thicker. This doesn't help with push cuts. My knife cuts paper, tags of cloths etc and fool. All this works just as well if not better with a thinner blade thats more delicate
 
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