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Pictures can be deceiving
- Thread starter jmclfrsh
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Going just by the specs doesn't always do justice to it. I think the most surprised I've been was with the AG Russell Ultimate Pen Knife. Spec-wise (going by blade length), it seemed to be between a SAK Classic and Ladybug, but in reality, it's substantially smaller than both. It is a really cool little knife, but definitely smaller than I was expecting.
When I do comparison pics, I try to put things into context by including knives that the OP has mentioned or other fairly well-known knives or other objects. Using a grid background can also help put things to scale.
A random grid, without knowing its scale, though, seems to mess up the perceived size of the objects even more.
True... A grid by itself doesn't help much. For relative comparison, though, it can still serve a purpose. In that particular shot, the comparison was between a Ladybug, Ultimate Pen Knife, and Classic SD. For anyone who hasn't seen any of those three, it wouldn't be of much use, as there is no basis for reference. The SAK Classic is pretty common though, and I'd guess most people (knife nuts and otherwise) have seen one before.
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Isn't that a Spyderco Manbug?
The one I have is a Ladybug. The blade on the Manbug has a more curved belly, and the handle is also thicker towards the base. Here are the pics Spyderco's site:
Ladybug:
Manbug:
There are some pics posted by another member here that show a Ladybug and Manbug side-by-side.
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Microtech UTX-70. They say it's 70% the size of the ultratech, maybe I don't know how % works, but I think it should be called 40 instead of 70.
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The one I have is a Ladybug. The blade on the Manbug has a more curved belly, and the handle is also thicker towards the base. Here are the pics Spyderco's site:
Ladybug:
Manbug:
There are some pics posted by another member here that show a Ladybug and Manbug side-by-side.
Ah, thanks.
100% is the full size of the object being compared, 50% is half the size.
Going just by the specs doesn't always do justice to it. I think the most surprised I've been was with the AG Russell Ultimate Pen Knife. Spec-wise (going by blade length), it seemed to be between a SAK Classic and Ladybug, but in reality, it's substantially smaller than both. It is a really cool little knife, but definitely smaller than I was expecting.
When I do comparison pics, I try to put things into context by including knives that the OP has mentioned or other fairly well-known knives or other objects. Using a grid background can also help put things to scale.
Take the blade length and subtract it from the overall length.
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I look at the specs before buying, I can then relate it to a knife I already own that is similar in size. If I don't have anything close in size I search for comparison pics of said knife online with a knife I currently own. Worst case draw it out on a piece of paper.
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I was going through my safe tonight and came upon a small satchel with my two Beretta mouse guns. As I looked through the canvas bag, checking my magazines, I felt something in one of the side pockets. I unzipped it and dug out a tiny Cold Steel Voyager with a 3-inch blade -- the older model with a metal clip and a polished plain edge. Brand new. Felt very well built, but geesh it was tiny! I almost never buy a knife with a blade less than 4-inches, and have had a problem understanding why anyone would spend a lot for a knife with a 3-inch blade. It's not that they're not handy; it's that even an el cheapo knife that small will do pretty much everything that a much more expensive knife will do.
A few years ago I found I'd left home without my 4-inch Voyager. I was peeved to find that when I needed it, it had been left behind. Being on a vacation, I was stuck. So when my wife stopped at a Starbucks, I went into a Dollar Store and found a small Chinese liner-lock with a 3.5-inch blade. Coughing up the buck fifty and change, I bought it (better than nothing, right?). It had a polished blade that was surprisingly sharp. The frame was plastic and spray-painted silver, and the lock was what it was -- still better than a slipjoint. The thing is, that knife pretty much saved the day every day of the vacation. Now, years later, I still have that knife socked away. And it was surprising how much a half-inch on a blade can make on a knife. I routinely carry a 5-inch Cold Steel Gunsite Voyager now and occasionally a 6-inch Ti-Lite IV. The 4-inch blades still look substantial, but I would never pay a lot for a teeny 3-inch. It's like those cheap cameras you used to see in magazines years ago in the monster magazines. They took real film and worked...you could even get a little leather case for it. Strictly novelty. Anyway, that's what these tiny locking knives remind me of. So before I buy any knife, I know its blade size.
Others actually prefer these little things and will pay outrageous prices for them, and that's fine if they like them. But they almost always look bigger and more detailed in the ads and magazine articles.
A few years ago I found I'd left home without my 4-inch Voyager. I was peeved to find that when I needed it, it had been left behind. Being on a vacation, I was stuck. So when my wife stopped at a Starbucks, I went into a Dollar Store and found a small Chinese liner-lock with a 3.5-inch blade. Coughing up the buck fifty and change, I bought it (better than nothing, right?). It had a polished blade that was surprisingly sharp. The frame was plastic and spray-painted silver, and the lock was what it was -- still better than a slipjoint. The thing is, that knife pretty much saved the day every day of the vacation. Now, years later, I still have that knife socked away. And it was surprising how much a half-inch on a blade can make on a knife. I routinely carry a 5-inch Cold Steel Gunsite Voyager now and occasionally a 6-inch Ti-Lite IV. The 4-inch blades still look substantial, but I would never pay a lot for a teeny 3-inch. It's like those cheap cameras you used to see in magazines years ago in the monster magazines. They took real film and worked...you could even get a little leather case for it. Strictly novelty. Anyway, that's what these tiny locking knives remind me of. So before I buy any knife, I know its blade size.
Others actually prefer these little things and will pay outrageous prices for them, and that's fine if they like them. But they almost always look bigger and more detailed in the ads and magazine articles.
Mkay? Size has nothing to do with quality. It's the motion of the oce......oh uh....hmm sorry, wrong saying
In all seriousness though, not all small knives are the same quality.... That makes absolutely no sense. People who pay more for them aren't paying for the amount of blade they're getting, but the quality of the materials and the fit and finish.
Some people just don't have the need for large folders in day to day life. Doesn't mean they should have to settle for cheapo knives
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I wasn't suggesting that they should settle for el cheapo knives. I was merely saying that the OP is right in saying that some small knives can be made to appear larger in photos, and that sometimes disappointment results. For me, 3-inchers are where this most often happens, whether the knife is a CS Voyager or a Sebenza. EBay ads and photos are where this happens most. I was saying that, for me, I'm not too much interested in quality until the knives get into the 4-inch category. Again, for me, I don't much care about quality until a knife has a 4-inch blade or longer (though others may feel differently).
The budget Damascus knife below appears significantly larger in the photo than it actually is. But I saw the description said the knide had a 3.5-inch blade, so I knew what I was getting. Still, it does appear larger, which is the point of the OP.
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The budget Damascus knife below appears significantly larger in the photo than it actually is. But I saw the description said the knide had a 3.5-inch blade, so I knew what I was getting. Still, it does appear larger, which is the point of the OP.
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For me it was the Brous Division flipper it's huge. I guess it was the blade shape that through me off I just wouldn't expect the type of knife to be so big. luckily there is a mini but an even smaller one that has less belly would make an ideal gentleman's folder. Still its a beautiful knife, smooth as butter.
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My Microtech UTX-70 was smaller than expected but i like it. Actually gave it to my wife and its on her keychain. The Umnumzaan I got from someone the OP may know was just, wow, bigger than i thought. I just kept picking it up and handling it and saying....WOW, what a beast. Love it.
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I imagined the spyderco delica to be smaller than when I held it which is why I bought it because wasn't as small as thought
BluegrassBrian
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No specs prepared me for how the Medford viper felt in my hand the first time I picked it up.
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Meaning the Medford Viper? I was not surprised by the size (had received a Medford Arktika a few weeks earlier - that one did surprise me quite a bit), but I was surprised by how nicely it carries and performs for EDC tasks. Mine went straight to my rf pocket and has stayed ever since.
BluegrassBrian
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I'm very glad you enjoy it as much as I did.
Boker Rampage... I love the knife, but when I bought it I was sure expecting it to be a bit larger than it ended up being.... I know the websight gives measurements on length and I always physically try and draw it out based on photos and given measurements to get an idea for what an internet bought knife will look like in actuality now.... but it was this knife that started that practice for me.... VERY deceptive picture, and slightly disappointing knife... it really NEEDED another 2 inches total
