Length ?

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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Feb 11, 2016
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When you mention the length of a knife are you referring to its overall length or just it's blade length ?
When someone says a fixed blade is 6" to me that means that it's a 6" long knife, same goes with a 9" fixed blade or what is commonly referred to as an 18" machete which i call a 24" machete.
This why I usually refer to a knife as ?" Oal, as there'd likely be some confusion otherwise.
 
When someone says "girth," do they mean the width at the widest point, or all the way around? :confused:
 
We need some sort of universal measurement system. Length + diameter + circumference = size, maybe? Maybe just use displacement, a'la Archimedes.
 
Mecha said:
We need some sort of universal measurement system. Length + diameter + circumference = size, maybe? Maybe just use displacement, a'la Archimedes.
Click to expand...

Thats similar to how they measure yachts I think. Lol

OP when I state 'knife' measurements I state blade length or OAL, width, etc.
 
Girth is the measurement around the middle of something. It is an expression of circumference of a non-circular object on a 2D plane. Like the distance around your waist, the girth of a fish, etc. So for the girth of a knife you'd have to say if it is the girth of the handle or blade you're after. IOW, most knives have TWO possible girths.
 
I think that the length of the knife refers to the blade length. When, however, I watch the stores pages in their advertising, I see that they usually refers to the entire length of the knife beeters. If they intend only blade they swots write out this measure as well as the measure of the entire knife.
 
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Is this really an issue? Communication is key. When I speak on blade/knife length I usually will mention if I am talking about OAL or blade length. When someone asks about length in relation to a knife, if they don't specify OAL or blade length I will ask for clarification. Simple really.
 
I give 2 measurements... Overall and sharpened.
 
Mecha said:
We need some sort of universal measurement system. Length + diameter + circumference = size, maybe? Maybe just use displacement, a'la Archimedes.
Click to expand...

Please do not that ,it s enough complicated system you have now . Like 3/16.......... whatever that means:D
 
My problem is that I see threads asking what's your favorite ?" Knife then I go to post my favorite and realize that they were referring to blade length. Sometimes they say what's your favorite ?" Blade, but the problem with this is that blade is another term for knife and they could still be referring to overall length.
I'm just trying to get a general idea of what most people on the forum mean.
 
Natlek said:
Please do not that ,it s enough complicated system you have now . Like 3/16.......... whatever that means:D
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Haha! That means three 16" knives, right?
 
Coke said:
Girth is the measurement around the middle of something. It is an expression of circumference of a non-circular object on a 2D plane. Like the distance around your waist, the girth of a fish, etc. So for the girth of a knife you'd have to say if it is the girth of the handle or blade you're after. IOW, most knives have TWO possible girths.
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Oh girth is definitely not 2D. :D
 
If nothing else is specified, I assume that when someone asks for a certain size knife, they are talking about blade length. Based on what I've seen/read around here, it seems that this is probably how "most" people see it.

I think I do that, because that is the functional aspect of the knife in my mind. Same thing for lots of other products as well.

When I talk about performance cars, I generally assume a volume given is the engine size, not interior volume. Because for that genre, it is a "key functional description", similar to blade length. Same thing with cameras. If someone tells me they want a "35mm" camera, I don't assume a tiny camera. I assume they want one that uses either 35mm film, or one that has a digital sensor of that size. And again, same way I see it happen with TV's. When they say 55in, I assume that means screen size, not the screen size plus the bezel (border) around the screen.

Anyway, I could go on, but in my mind, that's how I think about it, and why I think I understand it that way. I see no problem using oal, but if I use that, I will always label it explicitly as oal, since I think most people understand it the same way that I do.

I could be horrifically wrong though. There is always that option.
 
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Hickory n steel said:
My problem is that I see threads asking what's your favorite ?" Knife then I go to post my favorite and realize that they were referring to blade length. Sometimes they say what's your favorite ?" Blade, but the problem with this is that blade is another term for knife and they could still be referring to overall length.
I'm just trying to get a general idea of what most people on the forum mean.
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Not a problem. Simply ask for clarification if you don't know :)
 
Hickory n steel said:
My problem is that I see threads asking what's your favorite ?" Knife then I go to post my favorite and realize that they were referring to blade length. Sometimes they say what's your favorite ?" Blade, but the problem with this is that blade is another term for knife and they could still be referring to overall length.
I'm just trying to get a general idea of what most people on the forum mean.
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So what's your favorite?
 
I believe the proper way to measure girth of a tree is at about head height above the ground. So measuring other "trees" such as CM mentioned becomes problematic. :D

As for knife terminology, a 6" fixed blade has a 6" blade. Any other way of referencing it is confusing unless defined. A 18" machete has an 18" blade. A 4" folder has a 4" blade unless you mention specifically a closed length or overall length.
 
Knife length should equate back to length of blade ALWAYS. Nobody ever got busted and went to jail because their handle was too long ;).
 
Hickory n steel said:
When you mention the length of a knife are you referring to its overall length or just it's blade length ?
When someone says a fixed blade is 6" to me that means that it's a 6" long knife, same goes with a 9" fixed blade or what is commonly referred to as an 18" machete which i call a 24" machete.
This why I usually refer to a knife as ?" Oal, as there'd likely be some confusion otherwise.
Click to expand...
I think most of the confusion is in your mind. :D Ever seen a law regulating overall knife length?
 
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