Practical Advantages: 3" Fixed vs 3" Folder

[singularity35]

Or any knife is better than nothing. LOL

I can't even really carry a FB these days due to Society here so I carry folders like most others.

Given a choice I would carry a small FB.

For sure, I will too. It's surprising how well folders work when you don't have a fixed blade though.

 

[jackknife]

I like small fixed blades. But I carry small pocket knives. Yes, a pocket knife can do most anything a small fixed blade c an do without the out and out abuse al la Cold Steel videos. I've used small folders for fish and game, and hard work on construction sites.

But...

There are two areas that the small sheath knife excels in. One is convenience. Take it out, use it, put it back. No question of opening or closing, or of it closing before you want it to. I like a small sheath knife when it's really cold, or wet, and my old arthritic fingers are not as limber as they use to be. The other is comfort. The handle of a folder is made around the holding the blade. The sheath knife has no such mandate. You can shape a sheath knife handle any way you want it. Especially if you have a narrow tang knife. I have two small pocket size puuko sheath knives, and they are the most comfortable small knives I have. The handles are contoured like no pocket or folding knife can be.

Of course, rinsing fish guts or deer blood is way better with a sheath knife than a folder with all the nooks and cranies for germs to breed in.

Then there is the question of safety. Age, wear and tear, evan all affect a folder. Locks can develop play, dirt can sabotage the integrity of the lock. Not to mention that when you leave your house in the morning, you never know what fate has in store for you in the course of that day. You may find yourself in a position where you just may have to abuse your knife to pry a bit. You never know.

I love my pocket knives, but I'm a product of my environment. Due to this mostly anglo-saxon society we find ourselves in here in the U.S., people frown on a sheath knife hanging of your belt. I envy our Scandinavian cousins, who go for the puuko in such a way, that pocket knives are not the main stream in some countries. If a large puuko is too big for city use, then they carry a small puuko in a pocket. Much more logical tony mind. But unfortunately for me, I live in the peoples republic of Maryland, where in addition to stifling gun laws, we have some insane knife laws.

While I would give away all my pocket knives to carry a small puuko all the time, in our little peoples republic, it's illegal to conceal any sheath knife. Yet, Maryland considers any folding knife a 'pen knife' and there is no limit on size. So while I can have a number 12 Opinel bulging in my pocket, A tiny Buck Hartsook around my neck if concealed by a jacket, is way illegal. You can have a 6 inch bladed folder and it's okay, but have a 2 inch sheath knife in a pocket and you go to jail. I'd love to know what the state assembly was drinking when they set that up. So I'd I have a sheath knife version of my little Case peanut made up to carry in a pants pocket, I'm going to get arrested. Nuts.

Arguing that a one piece of metal tool is not any better than a two piece tool hinged in the middle, is nuts as well.

Carl.

 

[Hawkings]

I'm maybe in a minority group here, but on a normal work day, I carry my knife for over 7 hours and have it in hand, using it, less then 1 hour. The ease of carry out weights the extra strength in my world. I also carry at least 5 screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and a spanner in my pocket and a lot of other crap I use on a regular basis.
On a normal work day I cant recall having the need of a fixed blade over the last couple of decades, having worked at a riding school as a handy man and a blacksmith/electrician at a sewage waste management plant among other things.
A small slip joint have meet all my needs, with out me loosing any fingers or having broken any knives.

Playing with knives on my free time i use both folders and fixed blades. But I don't really need the extra strength for any real world usage, although I do enjoy beating a fixed blade with a stick, that's me using the wro...eh slower tool because its fun.

 

[killgar]

My knife can beat up your knife. So there.

 

[singularity35]

I dunno I'm probably wrong but it seems to me that most people who use fixed blades are doing so in mostly recreational activities like camping, bushcrafting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. IMHO, 90 percent of people who need knives in their work like craftsmen and other workers use folders.

I dunno just a thought.

 

[PitbullShogun]

Fixed blade > folder

in every catagory accept concealablitiy and mabie cool factor.... alhtouhg i have seen alot of Insanly cool fixed blades.

 

[singularity35]

Fixed blade > folder

in every catagory accept concealablitiy and mabie cool factor.... alhtouhg i have seen alot of Insanly cool fixed blades.

And you are ignoring the biggest strength of the folder which is convenience and ease of carry?

 

[pvicenzi]

Most of us carry a knife more than we use a knife, so convenience is the main issue. After you choose between a folder and a fixed blade, you still have decisions to make. For example if you choose a small fixed blade, do you carry it in a belt sheath, or in a small pocket sheath? If you choose a folder, the carry options are many. In short, there is no universal answer and each peson must choose what is best for their lifestyle.

 

[kawr]

I dunno I'm probably wrong but it seems to me that most people who use fixed blades are doing so in mostly recreational activities like camping, bushcrafting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. IMHO, 90 percent of people who need knives in their work like craftsmen and other workers use folders.

I dunno just a thought.

Thats because the one really practical advantage a fb has over folders is ease of maintenance. Not debatable, especially out in the field.

 

[singularity35]

Most of us carry a knife more than we use a knife, so convenience is the main issue. After you choose between a folder and a fixed blade, you still have decisions to make. For example if you choose a small fixed blade, do you carry it in a belt sheath, or in a small pocket sheath? If you choose a folder, the carry options are many. In short, there is no universal answer and each peson must choose what is best for their lifestyle.

Kudos! This is what I've been trying to say all along. The answer of which is best will depend upon your individual needs and preferences and of which factor is important to that particular individual. It's just that some people will take a particular factor and in their infinite wisdom and ability to recognize universal truth, declare that one particular factor, to be the deciding factor in picking the "better" knife.

 

[singularity35]

Thats because the one really practical advantage a fb has over folders is ease of maintenance. Not debatable, especially out in the field.

The field? The playing field you mean?

To keep it on topic, I wonder if people who don't play in this indefinable "field" would value that one characteristic over another when faced with office carry.

I think that the best knife is the right knife for the job. It's like using a sledge for nailing in a tack or using a tack hammer to do a sledge's job. Which one would be better at the right job? I bet the wrong one would suck at that particular job.

Oh BTW, if you carry a folder, why?

 

[NeoClassic]

At that size it's more for ease of use and cleaning IMO. I doubt you will be able to utilize the extra strength at that size since you can't really chop or baton with it.

Thats because the one really practical advantage a fb has over folders is ease of maintenance. Not debatable, especially out in the field.

I disagree with both statements.

I have cut through tough materials and torqued a folder enough to loosen or damage the pivot. Didn't need 7" inches of blade for the task, which was done inside a house and not "in the field." A 2" or 3" fixed blade would've been undaunted.

Strength is a definite advantage a fixed blade has over a folder. Period.

 

[GLDNDomer]

Now it looks like this thread is back on track. Some answers to my small question on what the 3" fixed blade strength can be utilized for are below...

Here's your answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPgSOQY4CDk

I don't know about you, but I repeatedly find myself needing to break through concrete blocks, demolish homes, and stand on the handle. No folder can do this

This one is just kinda funny haha. Weird music, too, and somewhat of a waste. I just rehandled a 100 year old sledgehammer that would be SO much more fun to use on that than a little knife.

I disagree with both statements.

I have cut through tough materials and torqued a folder enough to loosen or damage the pivot. Didn't need 7" inches of blade for the task, which was done inside a house and not "in the field." A 2" or 3" fixed blade would've been undaunted.

Strength is a definite advantage a fixed blade has over a folder. Period.

I completely agree that a fixed blade is inherently stronger by design of the handle and blade being one piece, but what tough materials did you cut that would break a quality folder (my standard for folder strength is a Buck 110, because I don't have a ZT or Strider, etc.)? Is "torqued" just a fancy word that means you pried with it? I'm asking, because I'm honestly looking for exactly these answers. Thank you.

Your argument is setup to support folders unless someone can prove they use a specific fixed blade does something a folder can't do. I don't know many people who would choose a small fixed blade knife for hard use when they can just as easily use a larger fixed blade knife. The benefit of carrying a small fixed blade knife isn't in what it can do that a folder can't. We are blessed that we don't have to justify such things, we just make our choices based on wants.

Thanks for replying, Sulaco. My argument is PURPOSELY designed to support folders because I already have five or six folders that have a convenient carry size of a 3" to 3.5" blade. Of course, when I find myself somewhere it is convenient to carry a 7" fixed blade around on your waist, I carry my Western Bowie knife. This thread is focusing on 3" to 3.5" blades for the convenience of carry. How does a fixed blade and folder of that size compare, besides the advantages already listed in my first post.

So I'd I have a sheath knife version of my little Case peanut made up to carry in a pants pocket, I'm going to get arrested. Nuts.

Arguing that a one piece of metal tool is not any better than a two piece tool hinged in the middle, is nuts as well.

Carl.

Always a pleasure to see one of your logical posts, Carl. I'm sure those little Nuts with big hearts get people into mischievous trouble all the time. I'm not arguing that fixed blades aren't stronger by design. I hope that you, as the Prince of Peanuts, understand that I'm trying to figure out if a 3" fixed blade DOES anything that a 3" folder cannot.

 

[NeoClassic]

I completely agree that a fixed blade is inherently stronger by design of the handle and blade being one piece, but what tough materials did you cut that would break a quality folder (my standard for folder strength is a Buck 110, because I don't have a ZT or Strider, etc.)? Is "torqued" just a fancy word that means you pried with it? I'm asking, because I'm honestly looking for exactly these answers. Thank you.

Thick cardboard and wood. No prying involved.

Blade would bind in the material and I would power it through to continue the cutting.

After I was done, there was blade play. I suspect this is because I was inadvertently twisting or "torquing" the knife as I applied more force. I wasn't trying to twist the knife, I was just trying to push it deeper into the cut.

I was cutting with a traditional slip joint, which uses nickel silver and brass to create and reinforce the pivot. So it follows that blade play might develop after hard use, considering these metals are relatively soft compared to steel or titanium.

But I've seen modern folders with supposedly stronger pivots and locking mechanisms develop blade play after hard use similar to what I just described.

 

[kawr]

The field? The playing field you mean?

To keep it on topic, I wonder if people who don't play in this indefinable "field" would value that one characteristic over another when faced with office carry.

I think that the best knife is the right knife for the job. It's like using a sledge for nailing in a tack or using a tack hammer to do a sledge's job. Which one would be better at the right job? bet the wrong one would suck at that particular job.

Oh BTW, if you carry a folder, why?

I was referring to the outdoorsmans you were referring to in your posts. Why would they care about office carry when their uses are for bushcraft, fishing, hunting, etc. Why exactly are you throwing a tantrum over this? No matter how functionally comparable a folder is to a fb that doesnt mean its stronger or easier to maintain. It comes down to preferences and what aspects people value over others. At this point you are just crying about how awesome folders are.

 

[kawr]

I disagree with both statements.

I have cut through tough materials and torqued a folder enough to loosen or damage the pivot. Didn't need 7" inches of blade for the task, which was done inside a house and not "in the field." A 2" or 3" fixed blade would've been undaunted.

Strength is a definite advantage a fixed blade has over a folder. Period.

I agree that a fb will always be stronger than a folder. Never said otherwise. In practical terms I dont think strength of fb vs strength of folder matters is all.

 

[NeoClassic]

I don't know many people who would choose a small fixed blade knife for hard use when they can just as easily use a larger fixed blade knife. The benefit of carrying a small fixed blade knife isn't in what it can do that a folder can't. We are blessed that we don't have to justify such things, we just make our choices based on wants.

The fact that you don't know many people who would choose a small fixed blade over a folder doesn't mean that most knife users feel the same way.

I, for one, would absolutely carry a small fixed blade over a folder if my job required frequent cutting of tough materials, say, as a contractor or carpenter or electrician (i.e.: not just tape, paper or twine).

The reasons are: I wouldn't have to worry about the locking mechanism losing tolerance/failing; it would be easier to maintain; and it would cost less--all other things being equal, of course.

Plus, I just think simpler is better.

 

[NeoClassic]

In practical terms I dont think strength of fb vs strength of folder matters is all.

Interesting. If by "in practical terms," you mean "in the way I use a knife" or "when doing typical everyday cutting tasks through softer materials," then I can see your point.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[kawr]

Interesting. If by "in practical terms," you mean "in the way I use a knife" or "when doing typical everyday cutting tasks through softer materials," then I can see your point.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what you mean.

Practical terms meaning practical edc uses of a knife for my personal uses. I only speak for myself. Unless you failed physics, 1 solid piece of material stronger than two pieces stuck together with a screw...

 

[NeoClassic]

Unless you failed physics, 1 solid piece of material stronger than two pieces stuck together with a screw...

My thoughts exactly.