Pocket Brick - Friend or foe?

Dan of Bazz Clazz

Dan of Bazz Clazz

Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
736
I realize I might be pushing on a rope here, given all the ZT, CRK, and otherwise "over built" apostles we have on BF; But I for one favor the "less is more" philosophy when it comes to knifes. Far happier with 7" OAL than 10". NOT an anatomical reference btw. :cool:

So that being said, I dislike having a big heavy knife in my pocket. They tend to make me walk in circles. Still I have a couple in my collection, often because I wasn't paying attention to the specs at the time.

Anyone else feel the same? What knives do you have that seem too heavy or large? As for me, here are my bricks -

Buck 110 - (and its baby brother the 112).
Got it because it is a classic, and have no intention of getting rid of it,
but at 7.5 oz. there's a reason it comes with a belt sheath. Hands down the heavyweight champion and the gravitational center of my entire collection. Even beats out my SOG Team Leader at 10.25" and 7.4 oz, as well as every other one of my 100 + blades, fixed & folders.

Buck_110.jpg



Boker Magnum Milan. 5.28 oz. And that is with large micata scales. Probably the most annoying of my knives weight-wise. Wish I had paid more attention to the specs on this one. A shame because I like the look of the knife and could have considered it a gentleman's knife if not for the weight and size. Has none of the F&F issues that others report with Boker.

Boker_Mag_Milan.jpg



Real Steel Sea Eagle. 6.4 oz. Again, bought it on looks before checking the specs. *note to self* find out if this behavior is just with knives. May also be happening with wives, girlfriends....

Real_Steel_Sea_Eagle.jpg



CRKT Large Fulcrum II - 4.7 oz. This got added to the collection based solely on uniqueness. If it is different or quirky enough, it gets a pass. But the fulcrum opening mechanism certainly adds to the overall size and weight of the knife.

CRKT_Fulcrum2.jpg
 
I routinely carry a 6.11 oz knife, a 6.34 oz knife and occasionally aa 9.31 oz knife, all folders. I no longer mind the weight at all. For me it comes down to the space the knife takes up in the pocket. I wear Ariat jeans and they have a separate pocket in the right front pocket for knives (I’m assuming that’s what it’s for...), so the space that larger knives take is minimized due to this.

I remember 5 years ago when I used to carry a Leatherman Skeletool everyday and thought that “this is just too damn heavy to carry in my front pocket”. It often went to the back pocket when not sitting often. Funny how we change.
 
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I'm with you. A small 3"ish blade is all I need to get through most of my normal days tasks.

I love XM 18s but simply find the 3.5" to be too much knife to carry. I realize that everyone has different tastes, but my collection has really drifted to smaller knives as I find they get carried and the rest sit.

That said, like Scooter pointed out, it isn't the weight as much as the pocket space they take up.
 
I use my knives only for light cutting tasks, mostly slicing.
So I dislike blades that are too thick or have thick edge.
I probably don't mid the weight, but these knives tend to be bricky.

My light weight slicers.

Slicers.JPG
 
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Edit : messed up post long post.

Yes a pocket brick is a hinderance.
Different knives can be pocket bricks to different people for different reasons, but if you don't like how it carries or if it's edge is too thick for you it's a hinderance.
 
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All depends on what I'm wearing. Jeans or cargo shorts, then weight isn't an issue. Athletic shorts, then something under 4oz.
 
Knives heavier than about 4.8 oz. land up sitting in drawers until they are sold, and I prefer them closer to 4 Oz. or less. I too found the 3.5" XM-18 too heavy for my tastes, though I liked the knife otherwise. So these days a large Sebenza is about the max. and I am likely to be carrying something smaller and lighter, though the lg. Sebenza does carry well for the weight.
I am usually in cargo shorts, and carry in the front cargo pocket, so this is a factor in my weight preference.
 
I like the lighter knives for my hiking anymore. You're not giving up that much to get from over 6 oz. to 3 oz as you can see from this Strider at 6.10 and Spyderco at 3. Haven't had any problems cutting what needs cutting with the lighter knife.

dgktwy.jpg
 
I’ll add that when I wear shorts, I carry a PM2 (3.8 oz) or smaller. It all depends on the situation. Big knives, medium knives and small knives are all useful in their places. There is not winner/right-wrong.
 
I don't have a scale and don't order my knives , so I don't know knife weights.
Because of this i don't have a personal weight limit.
They don't say on the package, so I just check a knife out and if it's too large or heavier than I like for loose in pocket it's a no go.
It all just depends but I know a pocket brick when I know it.
When I'm carrying my smaller " just enough " 2"-2.5" blades they're such a joy to carry and the feeling of " just enough " is freeing, but again larger knives are fine if size, shape, weight...ect are just right.
Most of my knives are larger than 2.5" but they carry fine.
 
maybe it's the pants and shorts I wear ... maybe it's because I'm a big man ... but in all honesty I can't ever feel the weight of any knife I have clipped in my pocket ...

I can feel and get more annoyed by a knife loose in my pocket and has nothing to do with the weight ... I solved that by using leather slips for traditional knives like the SAK Farmer I have most everyday ...
 
I dislike chunky pocket knives too.
When those handles are too thick for edc
they become comfortable beater knives
to me , here is my pocket brick..
Yjouw20.jpg


Rubbery Brick Compared to Edc. (Gerber Gator and Douk Douk)
NhseJYf.jpg

OF6VbsP.jpg
 
I like bigger knives but they don't have to be heavy. My bigger knives are the Military and Manix 2 XL. I previously had a ZT 0561 and never considered it to be heavy. The trick is that I always use pocket clips. On occasions when I've carried a knife like this in my pocket it does seem like a heavy lump. I once bought a ZT 0200 and found that it was a bit too thick and heavy for my ED carry.
 
I never feel the weight of knives in my pocket at all, including the ludicrous Microtech DOC.

Since you called out ZT, here’s a 5.57oz, 0562 model to deliver perspective.

Width reference, next to a Wenger Esquire:

wKGTSKBh.jpg


Also, I’m going to bring up something any hiker or gearhead worth their salt knows: weight is felt far less when it is close to the body. With that in mind, here’s the 0562, clipped inside *loose fitting* cargo shorts. Note that it’s pretty flat, and as with all knives, most of the weight is below the clip. The knife rides right up against my leg. It doesn’t swing out to the side. It doesn’t lay at a cant. It lays flat against the leg. This is easy to note in the pic as there is no gap between the G-10 side and my leg, despite the loose fitting clothes.

L5Diabah.jpg



Another often ignored piece of perspective: the % of weight I carry each day which the knife accounts for.

Note: the more you weigh, the less the knife factors in as a % of total weight supported by your body.

I’m a health and fitness guy. I weigh 175.

Here’s the math:

175 pounds = 2800oz
0562 = 5.57oz

5.57 divided by 2805.57 = .0019

The 0562 represents roughly .2% of the weight my body supports.

That’s nothing.

You literally add and subtract more than that over the course of a day, just by consuming food and drink.

The difference between a 2oz knife and a 5.57oz knife that lays flat is negligible.
 
RBid said:
I never feel the weight of knives in my pocket at all, including the ludicrous Microtech DOC.

Since you called out ZT, here’s a 5.57oz, 0562 model to deliver perspective.

Width reference, next to a Wenger Esquire:

wKGTSKBh.jpg


Also, I’m going to bring up something any hiker or gearhead worth their salt knows: weight is felt far less when it is close to the body. With that in mind, here’s the 0562, clipped inside *loose fitting* cargo shorts. Note that it’s pretty flat, and as with all knives, most of the weight is below the clip. The knife rides right up against my leg. It doesn’t swing out to the side. It doesn’t lay at a cant. It lays flat against the leg. This is easy to note in the pic as there is no gap between the G-10 side and my leg, despite the loose fitting clothes.

L5Diabah.jpg



Another often ignored piece of perspective: the % of weight I carry each day which the knife accounts for.

Note: the more you weigh, the less the knife factors in as a % of total weight supported by your body.

I’m a health and fitness guy. I weigh 175.

Here’s the math:

175 pounds = 2800oz
0562 = 5.57oz

5.57 divided by 2805.57 = .0019

The 0562 represents roughly .2% of the weight my body supports.

That’s nothing.

You literally add and subtract more than that over the course of a day, just by consuming food and drink.

The difference between a 2oz knife and a 5.57oz knife that lays flat is negligible.
Click to expand...
That’s like a nice fart on a good day :D
 
I EDC an umnumzaan with a suit sometimes, so weight is really not a big factor. How a knife fits in my pocket is more important to me. A few ounces makes absolutely no difference to me.
 
I have to agree with R RBid on weight being negligible on such a relatively small and light object.

I learned about carrying heavy things when I tried to carry a full sized steel framed 1911 on a regular basis. I tried different pants and different holsters and it turned out that the BELT made the real difference.

I eventually settled with Ares gear and Volund Gearworks belts and I can carry knives, firearms,and magazines with little to no bother.
 
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