Primary role for 5 to 6 inch fixed blades

Your focus would be on --ahem, self defense then? ;-)

Mine is craft work and home use, cutting hoses, wires, wood plastics, prying things.
 
klute said:
Your focus would be on --ahem, self defense then? ;-)

Mine is craft work and home use, cutting hoses, wires, wood plastics, prying things.
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As a personal friend known as The Rabbit says... It's gotta be able to reach the koolaid at the bottom of the peanut butter jar.
 
I don't understand the OP but that's perfectly fine, we are in different arenas doing different shit with our blades.

Our mileage varied! Who knew, lol
 
A 3" fixed blade? what is that? Is there something my ZT 3.5" folder can't do that a 3" fixed CAN?
School me. i'm guessing there must be something [things].
 
klute said:
A 3" fixed blade? what is that? Is there something my ZT 3.5" folder can't do that a 3" fixed CAN?
School me. i'm guessing there must be something [things].
Click to expand...
Um, not fold in half.
Not cause any concern about accidental lock disengagement.
Reduce the maintenance required by >50%...
 
klute said:
A 3" fixed blade? what is that? Is there something my ZT 3.5" folder can't do that a 3" fixed CAN?
School me. i'm guessing there must be something [things].
Click to expand...

I think if you give small fixed blades a shot you'll see what people like about them. In my case a small fixed blades is more comfortable to use for all day type efforts.

@OP that size and up are Jeep knives I keep one between the passenger seat an the console with the sheath tied off to the seat frame.
 
The longer the blade, the better it cuts without being hellish sharp (and without playing violin...). A small blade must be kept very, very sharp to be actually useful. So yes, a 4 to 5" blade is a sweet "do it all" knife if the blade is not thick as brick.
 
I should try one.
So what is being said is, if you have to cut alot with a small blade then a fixed is a smoother alternative than a folder. That's my problem I just use knives momentarily so I couldn't see the benefit.
 
The primary role of my knife to to cut things (any knife can excel at this). Next, I use a knife for fire prep. I have big paws so a 5-6" blade is just fine. 4" is just fine too but there are some advantages to some extra length.

Honestly 99.9% of the time almost any sized fixed blade will work for me. Although I don't think I've even cried "oh my, this knife is just too big for me".

Also, I don't chop
 
klute said:
Your focus would be on --ahem, self defense then? ;-)

Mine is craft work and home use, cutting hoses, wires, wood plastics, prying things.
Click to expand...

5-8" is a length range for defense/fighting knives, it doesn't really have anything predominantly related to utility... I also find, like Charlie Mike, that 7.5" is ideal for a fighter, though I lean towards narrow-blade stick tang daggers with synthetic handles. 7.5" is a good blade length for a dagger, but few are made in that range, the Peter Beauchop Warlock and Al Mar Shadow IV being rare exceptions.

Gaston
 
Charlie Mike said:
6-7" is ideal for a daily carry fighter.
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Maximus, I believe you're interested in fighters and this is where their effectiveness lies or maybe a tad bigger as Charlie Mike says.

For me, my standard choice for an outdoor knife has a 5.5" blade. It can do just about everything I need short of chopping. For hunting, I choose something smaller. For chopping, something in the 10" class.
 
Folder for the city, and usually a fixed under 4" for the outdoors paired with a hatchet. The extra length doesn't seem to add anything and just makes the knife heavier and more cumbersome to me.
 
I like 5inch blades. Or lets say 4.5-5.2 inches. I find this to be my sweet spot between the utility and the looks. I primary use fixed blades for camping chores paired with a hatchet/axe.
 
in the kitchen I use a 6" cleaver and a 5" chef's knife. I usually only cook for 2 and the knives work just fine
 
It really depends on personal usage, but I can say that blade width is a considerable factor for me. Too much width gets a little clumsy and overkill for my needs. My favorite camp knife has a 5" narrow blade - perfect length and width for being able to cut through larger veggies and fruits like potatoes and apples in one pass without being awkward, yet works great for general cutting and whittling.

jmdWZRE.jpg
 
Love that classic Buck, thx for the pic. Do you find that the hollow grind contributes anything useful over say a flat grind, or does it not really matter for your usage?

TAH said:
It really depends on personal usage, but I can say that blade width is a considerable factor for me. Too much width gets a little clumsy and overkill for my needs. My favorite camp knife has a 5" narrow blade - perfect length and width for being able to cut through larger veggies and fruits like potatoes and apples in one pass without being awkward, yet works great for general cutting and whittling.

jmdWZRE.jpg
Click to expand...
 
plue said:
Folder for the city, and usually a fixed under 4" for the outdoors paired with a hatchet. The extra length doesn't seem to add anything and just makes the knife heavier and more cumbersome to me.
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This is about what I've gotten to. Folder for EDC, fixed in the 3.5" to 4.5" range in the outdoors. I keep experimenting and trying to go smaller with the fixed, just as a challenge I guess to see what's the smallest/most minimalist load-out I can come up with that still gets the job done. :p A few guys I've seen are carrying fixed as small as 3", the few times I tried this, I ended up wanting the extra length for light camp duties including splitting kindling. The Bradford I just ordered has about a 4.5" blade, that right now is probably my sweet spot and from there, I'd jump up to a folding saw, a large knife, or both, for bigger tasks.
 
maximus83 said:
Do you find that the hollow grind contributes anything useful over say a flat grind, or does it not really matter for your usage?
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Good question, never really thought about it. The blade has a high hollow grind and is only 1/8" thick - great geometry for a very sharp edge. All I know is that it prepares food and makes fuzzy and hot dog sticks with ease. However, it's lousy at chopping. :D
 
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