Little man syndrome

I never got around to getting a Ramora. How do you think it compares to an 11 / 14?
 
I have like three but this is the first with its own sheath. It's great for cleaning fish and fine capping but it's primary use for me is a back-up blade. It's small enough to go just about anywhere!
 
rkmoore said:
I never got around to getting a Ramora. How do you think it compares to an 11 / 14?
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The Remora is significantly smaller than the 14. In my hands the Remora is a 2 finger knife, normally I hold the blade between my thumb and index finger, and palm the rest of the knife with my middle and ring fingers around the handle and my pinky curled up behind the knife. The BK14 is a three finger knife (plus a smidgen), which I pretty much hold in a normal grip fashion. Because of the difference in grips, the knives have significantly different uses for me.

I sharpen the BK13 blade at a significantly finer angle than the 14, it is scary sharp, not just shaving the hairs off your arm sharp, but take a single hair and make a miniature feather stick with it sharp. It is not a blade you touch to your skin to see how sharp it is, as it will split it wide open, just like broadheads. Even though I keep it that sharp, I've never rolled the edge, partly because of how well tempered it is, and partly because I just don't use it for things that call for a stouter blade.

So for me the Remora is part of a multi-blade system, its not that it couldn't be sharpened differently and used in a more utilitarian way, but given the small handle size, it just wouldn't be comfortable to use in situations that call for lots of hand strength.

The BK14 on the other hand is my primary tool for starting fires, I subsidize my home heating with a wood stove, I light somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 fires a year, almost all of them are a single match fire. Now I don't baton rounds of firewood with my 14, I've got a splitting maul for that, but I do use it to make a pile of shavings, and split off a bunch of pencil sized kindling to get the fire going... I "could" do this work with the 13, but the 14 is better suited to the task.

One of the really nice things about the Remora, is its stainless, so it gets kitchen duty. I don't 550 or bank line wrap any blades I might use for food prep, there's something about using a knife, and having old chicken blood oozing out of the handle while I'm gripping it (or while its in my pack or pocket, or hanging around my neck) that just never appealed to me. I used my BK13 two nights ago to part and bone a chicken, washed it up when I washed my hands, stuck it back in its sheath, and back in my pocket, I wouldn't even consider doing the same with a cord wrapped handled knife. Same reason I avoid using folders for food prep, I'm just not willing to take the time to clean them up properly after use.

I'm not sure I consider the BK13 a backup blade, for me, its more like an accessory blade that I use to do some of the finer more detailed work that would be doable, but clumsy with a full sized knife. Conversely, I wouldn't want to have to do too many "big" knife tasks with it. I think one of the best things about the sheaths for the larger Becker's is that they accommodate the BK13. Drop one in there, and it will just be there when you want/need it. From my point of view, if you are not carrying a BK13 (or some other small blade you may prefer) along with your big chopper, you are going to be working harder than you need to, trying to do all your cutting chores with a single large blade. Besides, its another knife, and thats always a good thing, isn't it? ;)

Erik
 
Hunter Sharp said:
I have like three but this is the first with its own sheath. It's great for cleaning fish and fine capping but it's primary use for me is a back-up blade. It's small enough to go just about anywhere!
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Yup. Totally blade length legal on.....Federal Property. :D
 
Thought this thread was about Dubz......

Moose
 
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