Optimal user size: a "quantum" gradation?

[littleknife]

I always liked to use pocketknives at least 3.5" closed, but it seems that the optimal size for me is 4 1/4" closed. It is not so much the blade length as the handle length. Even most of the 4" knives feel a bit small.
On the other hand, I have to admit that 4 1/4" for carry is not the most comfortable.

Interestingly, most 3.5" knives are both comfortable for use and still not very bulky.
I tried 3 3/4" closed knives with various handle shapes, and they feel even less comfortable, regardless their handle shape and the slightly different hold they require.

Similarly, most knives under 3.5", while really comfy to carry feel very awkward to hold and use.
Strikingly, the 2 7/8"-3" size (the peanut range) once again fits very well my hand, naturally lending itself to a comfortable grip, albeit quite different from those of the 3.5" and 4 1/4" .

It appears that my knife holding/using comfort range has a "quantum" gradation.

Do you have a similar experience?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

For me, some very subtle differences in the shape/curve/girth of the handle, or in the position/height of the secondary blades when closed, can make more difference than the actual size of the knife. And it can vary by situational differences too. I love the way my Case Sowbelly stockman feels in hand (the length/shape/girth is what 'works', here), but it's also bulkier to carry in the pocket (again, length, shape & girth). With regard to the position/height of secondary blades, I didn't carry my Queen Cattle King stockman as much after it was new, because the the sheepsfoot blade rode very high (somewhat awkward in hand). I ground about 1/16" off the kick of that blade, and lowered the sheepsfoot to be flush with the clip blade's spine. That made a lot of difference in hand, and also how it carries in pocket.

I was recently examining a couple of my smaller knives, a Case Peanut and a Schrade 108OT stockman. Laid side-by-side, they're essentially the same length closed. In hand, however, the Peanut is a little bit 'fuller' in grip, so it's usually the more comfortable one in use.

With all knives, and small knives in particular, I've also realized the benefits of having really sharp blades. Nice thing about a wicked slicer is, you don't feel quite the need to put a gorilla grip on the knife to 'force' the blade through material being cut. A sharp edge and good/excellent slicing geometry make a big difference in ease of use.

In terms of closed length alone, I still gravitate towards knives that are roughly 3-3/4" to 4-1/4" inches closed. That's enough to 'fill' my hand in use, and still just small enough to be reasonably comfortable in the pocket. My tastes have remained largely unchanged in this regard.

 

[Arathol]

I think its more about blade length and what you use the knife for. 3 1/2" frames can accomodate only so much steel. Fine if you are cutting string or peeling apples but I prefer a blade thats a bit longer for some things. I carry a Scagel Dogwood every day, and its fine for cutting up a piece of chicken for lunch or whatever. Its almost perfect for most evey day things. However, there are things it won't do. Slicing up a large potato into fries for instance, the blade is not long enough to cut all the way through. My GEC Whaler on the other hand is perfect for these larger tasks.

 

[jackknife]

Optimal size for me is a balancing act between what feels good vs fitting in my pockets with all the other stuff I carry, and still be able to function as a knife. For years I carried a 3 and 7/8th stockman, and I loved it. It did everything, and had enough handle to hang onto with gloves. But as I got older, my needs changed, and arthritis changed the equation as well. Smaller knives for a more settled life style vs moving all over the world, kids and then grandkids changed things. The peanut I carry now will not do what my old stockman did, but then I don't live that life style anymore. You have to ask yourself optimal handle size for what? I don't do heavy construction anymore, and I'm not a big game hunter. So my 2 7/8ths peanut is enough. A little small, but workable if a little less than optimal. Another inch would be nice, but then it wouldn't be as pocketable in a pocket already half filled with stuff. To me these days, convenient size is more important than having more function. Kind of like packing a 5 shot J frame vs a 6 shot K frame.

Carl.

 

[littleknife]

Obsessed with Edges: I agree that thickness and handle shape influence the way the knife feels in the hand. Even so, I found that knives, which have a nice overall profile and handle shape (e.g. the 3 3/4” copperheads) are just "not right” at the given size. On the other hand I have held 4” knives which had practically the same shape, and they felt “just right”.

Arathol: you are right that for some tasks a small blade is just not comfortable. As we know (for example from the wonderful stories of Carl): a small knife still can do the job, especially if the user is well skilled. Still, for many of us, a larger knife feels more suited to the job. That is why I most of the time carry more than one knife, a smaller and a larger.

Carl: I learned a lot from your wonderful posts. As I age, I also find that I tend to notice and even like smaller knives - your stories strongly influenced me to widen my horizon. I tried out a lot of different patterns in different sizes, but it seems that my comfort zone regarding using the knives is split into several, interrupted size ranges. I still might admire several smaller knives, but while they are comfortable to carry, they just don’t "feel right” when it comes to use, at least for me. I guess, it’s a blessing we have a variety of patterns and sizes to choose from, and the means to be able to try them out.:thumbup:

 

[JAB]

It's weird, but I find different "sweet spots" depending on the pattern:

I like 3 1/2" - 3 5/8" in equal ends (or even up to 3 3/4" or so in other patterns of jacks) but when it comes to serpentine patterns (especially stockmen) 3 1/4" to 3 1/2" is just about perfect and getting up to 3 5/8" just seems too big for some odd reason.

And while I love the peanut at ~2 7/8", I find the smaller pens to be way too small and am happiest with something around 3 1/8".

Like I said, weird.

 

[markpmc]

For me it's about the pants. If I'm in slacks I carry a med 3.5" stockman from either case or schrade. If I'm wearing my wrangler jeans than I can get a case trapper 41/8" or a GEC 4" cigar frame in my coin pocket with no problem.

Overall I agree that while my med stockmans "only carry so much steel" I only carry them when I'm office bound. I carry 4"+ when I'm in roaming mode.

Mark

 

[quattromori]

Again, as for anyone, the fact is finding a balance between use and carry.
As for carry, I grew up using relatively large traditional folders (more than 4" closed, even though relatively slim) but I rarely carried them in my pocket. When I started carrying knives daily, I soon realized that bulk was a problem.
But, use is another thing...and it does depend alot on what kind of cut I'm doing.
I use my knife mainly for food tasks, which involves two kinds of use.
One is a 'frontal' cut (like cutting meat on a plate, or something on a board). For these tasks, I found out that I don't need a big blade nor a big handle. 3" closed is more than enough, and the handle shape matters alot here (same for "mundane" tasks, like cutting cardboard and stuff like that - same "frontal" movement).
The second is a "peeling" cut (like holding an apple in my hand and peeling it). This kind of cut, for me, brings out the advantages of a bigger knife (3,5" closed or even more), and almost cuts out smaller knives (less that 3" closed), although is more "forgiving" on handle shape. This fact, however, fights with carrying comfort, so, in the end, I "sacrifice" a bit of comfort in use to gain comfort in carry.

Fausto

 

[pinnah]

For me, I think it's an issue of how many fingers do the bulk of the holding. Larger folders are 4 finger knives and my pinkie finger is very involved. Smaller knives are held with my first 3 fingers, with the end of the knife more or less between my 3rd and 4th finger. My Schrade 5OT is a 3 finger knife for me. 'Tweener knives can sometimes be just a bit too big or a bit too small to be either 3 or 4 finger knives for me.