Mid-Sized Knives

[mac_heath]

Shotgun commented in http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1000630-3-knife-kit-which-tweener
that

Try just using the 2 blade system for a while. IME the medium belt knife is completely useless when you have the other two. There's a reason your Kuk comes with just 1 small knife and not a small and a medium. The medium belt knife is a waste of money and adds unnecessary weight.

I think this is an interesting idea. I EDC a small and medium belt knife (plus a multi-tool, but let's not go there). In my experience, the Becker Necker and EsKaBar can handle nearly the same tasks as the medium knife (BK-16). The 16 has a more comfortable handle, even in comparison to the zytel handle or micarta slabs for the 14. There are certainly some tasks where a longer blade and full-sized handle perform better than the 14 or 11. But if I'm carrying a large blade, like the King, am I really gaining anything by carrying a tweener?

Unless I'm going into the office or to one of our hoplophobic customers, I carry a 14, cross-draw, edge up and a 16 on my right hip. When I need a knife, most of the time, I reach for the 14. It's easy to access, whether seated or standing, and most of my cuts are forward-grip, edge up. When crouching or squatting (e.g. - getting into a cabinet), I use the 16 because it is more accessible. Having two knives also enables me to lend one out and not be hampered.

Most of my tasks are mundane: opening packages, cutting duct tape, trimming cardboard, et cetera. I like using the knives for woodcraft, but don't get a chance to that often. When I camp with the scouts, I sometimes bring the 9, and it stays in my pack. It's not taking up hip space, but weight is always a factor. If I were going ultralight or even backpack camping, I'd probably do well to stick with just the Mora in my pack, discarding the 16 and even perhaps the 14, to reduce weight.

I don't know. I like the advantage of a backup blade, and I carry the pair much more often than I do the 9. But do you think a mid-sized blade is superfluous when carried with a small and large blade?

 

[DerekH]

Here is my take on it.

IF you are taking a big knife for the sake of having a big knife, then by all means, take one, but if you are taking one for utility, leave the big knives out of the equation.

Yes, the 14 and the 16 are very similar in size and function, but ultimately they do have differences. However, if you are not seeing alot of those differences manifest themselves in your regular usage, then you need to evaluate if one of those could be tossed too.

If you are looking to drop weight but still retain utility, I would do the following: toss the 14 for a SAK (farmer of course, as it is the OFFICIAL Beckerhead SAK of choice) keep the 16, ditch the 9 and replace it instead with a Bahco Laplander or other folding saw. Keep the 9 in the car. I rarely if ever have cause for a big knife during our adventures out and about with the Scouts. Your mileage may very, but there are my thoughts on it.

The 16 to me is the best of both worlds as far as large knife/small knife goes. Handy for every task, small enough to be nimble and light, large enough to do more complicated chores.

 

[TwinStick]

Imho:The reason MOST people don't like to carry a big chopper/knife/BK9, is because they just flat out do not have the proper carry set up. It gets cumbersome & awkward to carry comfortably all day. For this purpose (at least for me) a drop-leg-swivel set up is where it's at. I always carry my BK9 when out & about in the woods. It is comfortable & not cumbersome & does not poke me. Carry on.

 

[1066vik]

for me, the 14 is what I use for short, quick tasks -- like opening boxes, cutting line, shaving a hinge mortise, etc...
The 16 (best Becker out there IMHO) is what I use for tasks that take more than a minute or 2, due to the added comfort and safety of the full size handle.

 

[Paws]

I see Shotgun's point. Generally, I can also get away with only a machete and a Multitool/SAK (tinkerer got gipped). Machete clears the way and can break down wood good enough and the Multitool/SAK handles everything else. But I always carry my BK2 in my pack. Although I'm starting to move away from the one knife do it all mentality and focus on specific tools for specific needs, the 2 really can do whatever I need well enough. It brings peace of mind knowing it's there.

 

[Fallbrook Forge]

This is how I do it:

The small pouch on the side holds a folding saw and clips on, I also have a flare pouch and a sustainment pouch that holds a DC4 and some extra bits and pieces.

It's a River-8 modded Junglas sheath drop leg, main pouch holds a modded SAK farmer and basic 10 essentials minus a map.

I've found that I can accomplish just about anything I want to with a folder or multitool and the BK9, and I love me a big knife

 

[Moosez45]

I'm a firm believer that its the skill behind the knife, not the knife itself.

From 9-10" choppers to the 2-3" neck knives, one can achieve much in the way of getting tasks completed, its just how long it takes, and how much energy is expended.

A mid sized belt knife, is many things, handy and functional, being the two most important. Fatigue is the number one reason for injuries when working with large blades, and smaller knives tend to not give you the purchase on the handle that everyone seeks.

Thus, we have the mid sized blade, coming to the rescue. Will it chop? Maybe, but with a baton, it can cut deeper in a single blow than chopper. Can it get small work done, such as carving, and whittling? Yes, and with more handle, you are less likely to fatigue your hands, trying to hold on to it.

I find, a good belt knife a perfect companion to just about any outing, but one must make sure their individual skill level is up to the task, should you find yourself in a tough spot.

Plus, a single knife is lighter to carry than a pairing of a large and small blade.

But that's just me.

Moose

 

[bdmicarta]

#1- carry a knife big enough to do the job
#2- carry a smaller knife if there are jobs that it will do better than the bigger knife
#3- if there is a really big difference between the big knife and the small knife, then an intermediate knife might be worthwhile

If you are carrying a 24" machete then you probably don't want to use it to cut up chicken for your dinner, and your little knife that you use for picking stickers and so forth is probably too small. Then is when the intermediate knife is worthwhile. If you are carrying a BK9 and a BK14, then is there enough difference to really need the BK17 in addition?

But then again right now I'm carrying a Benchmade 581 in one pocket, and a Leatherman Juice and Spyderco Ladybug in the other pocket.

 

[Shotgun]

I agree with what everyone has said and only wanted to add a couple things. I find medium belt knives to be very useful for a variety of things and carry one a lot in the summer months to reduce weight even further. My point was more on the weight of the 3 tool combo and not medium blades in general. A medium belt knife can do all you need if that's what you prefer. Like moose I think most tools will get the job done. The trick, for me at least, is finding a combo(2 for the sake of a backup) that does what I need it to do comfortably and relatively quickly while weighing the least. I also agree that your whittler/fine carving knife should be comfy which is why I personally wouldn't go for the 14. I think you're better served with a mora at about the same weight or even a pocket knife. Something that will fill your hand to reduce fatigue as mentioned.

If you look back at Nessmuk and Kephart you find the 3 tool combo and it makes sense given what they did and what they carried. They had an edc slippy, a hunting knife, and an axe. The axe being the main tool for setting up camp and the slippy the main utility blade. I personally don't think they used the fixed for anything but hunting and eating. Something that an axe really isn't great at and something like guts that would be hard to clean off the slippy. Enter the bowie type knife which is designed to be an axe, a sword, and a butcher knife then the medium knife starts to lose relevance IMO. I think these tools emerged for just what I'm talking about. To simplify and reduce weight but who knows. It's probably just cuz they're cool.

In the end we all hike our own hike and if you like to carry 5 knives, neat. However when someone is asking for advice that means to me that they're unsure of what they need and I will always recommend the lightest setup that will get the job done. The biggest mistake noobs make is carrying too much weight. Heck I carry a knife sometimes just cuz I like it and it makes me feel like a mountain man. Not because I think I need it. In 90 degree weather a bowie knife is really quite silly. I intend to carry it anyway though.

 

[Mistwalker]

I think as far as having that many tools go we're talking about back country type trips...not day hikes. And I think for a lot of people the large knife is often affixed to, or in the pack during travel for use in camp. I use this system a lot myself in specific areas. I like having a medium sized knife on my belt in this carry method because if I drop my pack in camp or just to rest a few and wander off to relieve myself and get separated from my pack...by whatever means...I have a decent sized knife to work with as I work things out. If you're the type to belt carry the larger knife then having the medium knife in the pack gives you something more comfortable in long term use if you happen to break the larger knife, say in heavy use or a sudden fall. Unless you traveling in a more remote area I see no real need to carry a large knife in the first place...though I know a lot of us do

 

[bigghoss]

Everyone needs to evaluate their own needs. I have carried a large chopper knife in the woods for years and it gets used a lot, but it's overkill for most of the stuff I do with it. (but I can whip out a nice hot dog/marshmallow stick really quick.) Last few outings I had the BK9 close by and it was used often enough but I had smaller stuff on me like a BK2, CS bowie bushman or Rajah II. I've always been a proponent of a multi-blade system, and my system is always developing and changing as I learn more.

 

[mac_heath]

I've been thinking about how I use the 14 and 16 together. The 14 I use for small tasks, mostly around the house. It's quick and easy to bring to task. When grip is less important and the chore is quick, the 14 excels. I grab the 16 less often around the house, but more often in the field. In the field, I'm likely to be making shavings and breaking down wood for a fire lay. I'll have the knife in-hand longer; comfort and dexterity become important.

I don't use the 16 as a substitute for a large knife, though it is capable of more baton work than the 14. I carry them as a pair because they act as backup to each other. Each has its own niche, but they can perform the other's tasks, in the main. A large knife has its distinct advantages that the others don't approach. However, I use large knives the least, even in the field.

Back to the original point, I don't see a mid-sized knife as filling in between the 14 (or 11) and 9. It's either the primary and the 14 is backup, or the reverse. Since it's not uncommon for me to lend out a blade, I really like having a backup with a lot of overlap. That's where I think the three-knife combo works best.