One Blade, Two Blade, Three Blade, Four

I've been carrying a Case medium stockman lately. I use the Spey for any rough, dirty work. The main blade gets used for food or anything that needs a larger blade. The sheepsfoot I reserve for tasks that need a very precise, incredibly sharp edge.
 
I have a strong affinity for all my knives from single to four bladed models.

Single blades are light and elegant and are usually sufficient for most tasks. When they can be pinched open they are great companions especially in cold or inclement weather.

Two blade knives offer lots of options in terms of pairing of various blade styles. Probably the best bang for the buck overall in terms of economy of size, weight, price and utility.
You can dedicate each of the two blades to a particular task, save one "clean" blade for food or reserve one for emergency use.

Three blade knives just rev my motor...from stock and cattle knives to the well designed whittler. They are beautiful, functional works of art and with the right combination of blades just a joy.
I like to use the sheepfoot for mundane tasks such as box and package duty, the small spay or pen blade for routine tasks and the long clip or spear for tasks requiring a longer blade.

I don't ordinarily carry four bladed knives as a rule but by far my favorite knife for whittling and working with wood is the four blade congress.

If I were going to be stuck with only one of the patterns as a desert island knife it would be a three blade stockman, cattle knife or whittler (with blades of my choosing).
 
Blues said:
I have a strong affinity for all my knives from single to four bladed models.

Single blades are light and elegant and are usually sufficient for most tasks. When they can be pinched open they are great companions especially in cold or inclement weather.

Two blade knives offer lots of options in terms of pairing of various blade styles. Probably the best bang for the buck overall in terms of economy of size, weight, price and utility.
You can dedicate each of the two blades to a particular task, save one "clean" blade for food or reserve one for emergency use.

Three blade knives just rev my motor...from stock and cattle knives to the well designed whittler. They are beautiful, functional works of art and with the right combination of blades just a joy.
I like to use the sheepfoot for mundane tasks such as box and package duty, the small spay or pen blade for routine tasks and the long clip or spear for tasks requiring a longer blade.

I don't ordinarily carry four bladed knives as a rule but by far my favorite knife for whittling and working with wood is the four blade congress.

If I were going to be stuck with only one of the patterns as a desert island knife it would be a three blade stockman, cattle knife or whittler (with blades of my choosing).
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Well said in that it reflects my feelings. (I gotta quit hanging around that guy)
 
Since I carry a 3 blade stock or equal end cattle style most often I'll go with it. I use the main blade for general and heavy use most of the time, rope etc. I use the sheepsfoot blade for precise cuts. Currently I don't have a 3 blade that has a pen blade but I use the spey for nearly anyway I would use a pen, except for a punch. To me the spey when you look at it depending on the knife is a cross between a drop point and a skinning blade, more skinning on sowbelleys. I use this for another hard use blade just for smaller uses. I'm going to tell on myself a little I have been known to use the spey, for lightly tightening philips head screws just enough to get a proper tool on it. Do this at you own risk but some speys can do this if you do it gengerly, and it depends a lot on the screw head. I do use all the blades at different times for some light use cutting regardless.
 
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I think way to much thought is put into this idea. I say that because I let it drive me insane :)

When I have a single blade knife with me I always find myself needing a multi blade. When I have a multi-blade I find myself not needing it and wondering why I didn't just stick with the simplicity of a single blade knife.

You can do just about everything with a single blade knife IMO. I like the stockmans, but I really love the whittler pattern. I go back and forth though. The ones that really get me going are jacks with two almost identical blades. I DON't GET IT.

I look at it like this, a mechanic can go out with an adjustable wrench and monkey things up or they can take the right tool for the job. I feel like a single blade is an adjustable wrench and the Multi-blade is the proper tool set. Or something like that :) (please remember I am the mechanic monkeying things up with my single blade :p)

I guess lately I have just been finding a lot of times I wish I was carrying one of my multi blades, but I had a single blade. I got the jobs done but I KNOW how much better the multi blade would have handled the tasks.

Rambling complete :-p
 
PocketEdge said:
Modec Ed, please don't misunderstand me. I'm only making fun of myself. I know what the spey blade is for and I know many people use it for its intended purpose. Although, I come from a family of farmers where my father and grandfather would rutinely spey hogs, I am merely poking fun at myself with my inept ability and inexperience with the spey blade. As with many (most) farming families in the midwest, farming has changed and we have had to find other ways to earn a living.
I love the spey blade but since I don't work in a field that requires its specific function, what do I use it for? I know I'm not alone and thats where I intended to plant the question.
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I understand where you're coming from and agree with your thoughts.

I forgot to say in my first post that that spey blade comes in darn handy for skinning small game (squirrels, rabbits, etc.) and hopefully, I'll have plenty of those to skin this season.

I'm not stuck on a stockman knive though. I also like a good size 2-blade jack knife -- say 3 3/4" to 4".
 
I carry stockmen as much as anything else, and if I carry a single bladed knife, then there isn't much to talk about-- one blade does it all.
My favorite stockmen have a muskrat clip (California clip) which I use for opening mail and whatever else I need a long blade for.
The sheepfoot is used for rough tasks like cardboard and for precision straight cuts.
The spey gets little use, but is kept VERY sharp for removing splinters (FOR FLESH ONLY).
 
Single blade here... I just don't like the feel of multi-bladed knives , when it use , the ergo's just don't work for me.

I love the Remington Baby Bullet Trapper , but always had a gripe about how it felt in use , had John Lloyd make me a single blade version and now it is great.
 
I feel for my intended useage a stockman is just about perfect I don't think I could live without the sheepsfoot blade but lately I've been toying around with large single blades like sodbusters and while I understand their purpose and intent I still find te Stockman pattern to be a more useful and practical pattern, IMO it's like carrying 3 knives in one handy package.
 
I like two blades the best though I do like sodbusters and slimline trappers. I typically carry a barlow or small trapper, or like today, a canoe. I use the larger blade for most utility chores and the small one for intricate work. I bought a Congress - pretty knife but I have not used or carried it - will probably sell it. I do carry a Moore Maker whittler - a small three bladed knife, at times but three blades is as much as my pea brain can handle. I was shopping Queen serptine jacks earlier - probably a birthday gift to myself.
 
when i carry my large trapper i mainly use the cali clip blade for pretty much everything. But the spey blade is used alot for anything that could break the clip blade. lol. I use it alot as a philips head screwdriver, knail cleaner, to cut up fish or bait, untying knots, and opening soda cans that the tab is being stubborn. ;D.
 
I grew up on a farm that raised both cattle and hogs and used the three bladed stockman for everything from whittling, castrating, cutting rope, opening bags and bails of hay, scraping bearing shafts and plough points, and field dressing deer. Years later I found out that I had more than one pocket and they deserved a knife as well and I have become a big fan of multiple single bladed knives. How could you go wrong with more than one knife!:)
If forced :grumpy: to choose only one knife I would revert back to a three bladed stockman though!;)
 
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