Short Stubby Knives - Did I Miss the Memo?

ALAMEDA said:
A person who absolutely needed a knife at a moments notice (for any reason whatsoever.... and to do whatever they needed to do with it) would never, ever.... wish that s/he had in their hand, at that moment, a tiny miniture knife: instead of a non tiny miniture knife.
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Totally untrue. As I stated, I often *NEED* a small knife. I sometimes have only a large knife on me and kick myself for not bring a smaller one along to do all of the real work.

Also, you fail to mention that knives do not exist soley in your hand. During the many hours leading up to that "I need a knife" moment, you have to carry the thing, and a small knife can be far more practical.

The *ONLY* real answer is this:

Larger and smaller knives have pros and cons. Those pros and cons are obvious, so I am not going to list them. Sometimes a larger knife is better, sometimes a smaller one is. Sometimes a larger knife is practical to carry, sometimes it is not. Whichever type you prefer (and keep in mind, I do prefer larger folders), you must be able to see the need for the other, and the reasons why some people prefer them.

Saying one type is better than the other, period, is simply not allowable and not a true statement.

Smaller knives will do almost everything larger knives will do in EDC circumstances... and in fact, I think they do more, better. They offer more than enough blade, can get into tighter spaces, and offer better control (very important). They are also far easier to carry. You may not like them, but they are not useless nor less useful than larger knives. Period.

I usually carry more knife than I need since I am drawn to large folders. I have found that carrying more knife than you need (and you actually need very little) can actually get you into situations where the knife is too much. Too long, too wide etc... to get the job done well, or even to get it done at all. Big knives are better at some things, but believe it or not, they are also worse at others. It just depends on your wants and needs. Different people have different wants and needs, and thus, many types of knives exist. My wants and needs change depending on my mood. Sometimes I want a Rukus in my hand, and sometimes I want an Activator.

Do you carry a full-size bowie every day? Probably not. It is probably too big for you and offers far too little control for most cutting tasks. Well, just as a bowie may be too big for you and a Rukus is just right, a Rukus might be too big to someone else and the Sebenza is just right. And to another person a Sebenza is too larger and a Leek is just right. And to someone else a Leek may be too big and a Chive is just right... see where I am going with this?

People that want and need nothing bigger than a Chive are no more "wrong" or stupid than you are for thinking a bowie is too much to carry everyday, and too long to do more EDC tasks.
 
AmadeusM said:
I don't think we deserve any better. We call people that are afraid (more like hateful) of knives "sheeple" on these boards, yet we bend over backwards, and find creative ways to accomodate "sheeple" and anticipate what they will object to, instead of resisting their BS. Who's the real sheep in that scenario?
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There is a big difference in "bending over backwards" and making a product that meets requirements defined by law. :rolleyes:
 
Memo:

Short stubby knives rock! They provide as much edge as needed in many cases; they rarely violate laws regarding knife size (up to user to not violate other laws); they're seen as 'cute' by loved ones of knife owners; they're just great.

They also make your larger knives feel that much more primal when you get to use them again, even if you're just making fluff'n'nutter sandwiches.
 
I believe the discussion was on smaller knives and why.

I believe the answer was due to laws and public opinion of large knives, as well as smaller knives functioning better in many situations.

Whether or not these "laws" or "public opinions" SHOULD BE the way they are is a separate discussion.

If resisting these laws is a passion, then I suggest that you should join AKTI and be active in the club. I believe they are the only organization at this time that is focusing on laws and they will appreciate your assistance.

I believe the "new" reference for "sheeple" is NKP (Non Knife People), to avoid possibly insulting people that are simply afraid of knives. Being afraid of knives is not a crime.

We have received many letters from people that were fighting court battles for posession of an illegal knife. At best, it is very expensive, at worse, there has been jail time. In Denver, possession of a "deadly weapon" (illegal knife)adds 5 years to the jail sentence over a "dangerous weapon" (knife). A pretty stupid expense.

"Big Brother" may be a B*st*rd, but "big Brother" is BIG!

I cut hanging 1/2" diam hemp rope in a single pass with a serrated Jester (2" blade). The Jester blade is about as long as the claw on a leopard and 10 times sharper. Cute? Perhaps you should think again?

As companies, we must try to anticipate the future demands of our customers. If many of them "choose to carry" smaller knives, we must make them.

We've been making small knives (2.5" blade & shorter) for more than 20 years. Many other companies make thousands of small knives. Somebody must want them.

Sorry for the rant.

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
I cut hanging 1/2" diam hemp rope in a single pass with a serrated Jester (2" blade). The Jester blade is about as long as the claw on a leopard and 10 times sharper. Cute? Perhaps you should think again?
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Sorry for setting you off. The thread's originator said he missed the memo, so I issued one.

I'm very glad to read that the Jester is much sharper than the claw of a large cat, but I still think the Jester and other small and little big knives are cute. I also think leopards are cute so long as they're not latching their teeth and front paws into anyone's upper body while eviscerating the lower body. And even then, they're cute, but won't be getting petting.
 
I've tried some of those "stubby" knives, and they definitely have limitations. The blades tend to be all belly, which is fine for slicing I suppose, but it's hard to bring muuch of it to bear on a flat surface like a cutting board. Also, for cutting things like rope, you need more of a straight section of edge; thick rope tends to roll right off the belly of the edge. And of course, the point is almost always very blunt.

Some "little big knives" make up for these failings by adding a strolng recurve, like the Spyderco Dodo and Cricket. The Cricket in particular is the only LBK I carry regularly.
 
Well, short bladed knives have there uses.

My gripe is usually handle length. When Big Brother mandates I carry less than my preffered length (approx. 4-inch), I still want the hand-filling handle.

The Dodo fills my hand, the U2 does not. Like both knives, but I prefer the Dodo's handling.

Note too, the wood carving knives I've seen have short blades and longer handles. It's all about control.
 
It's all about control. Two of the smallest knives I own are the Cricket and the Kiwi. Both have exceptionally short handles yet both are completely secure in my otherwise clumsy grip. THAT'S all about design. Granted, I now carry the DoDo rather than the Cricket.
 
Hair

Smaller knives will do almost everything larger knives will do in EDC circumstances... and in fact, I think they do more, better. They offer more than enough blade, can get into tighter spaces, and offer better control (very important). They are also far easier to carry. You may not like them, but they are not useless nor less useful than larger knives. Period.
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First off:

Much thanks for your response! You covered a lot of ground, (for certain)....and made some good points. And you took the time to cover the ground.

However, Hair, I'm not totally convinced.

You said above: "They offer more than enough blade".

They do!

Miniture knives and the "blades" are not the problem!

Please find and grab ahold of a (if you have access to one) an Al Mar Sere SLB.

My problem with tiny....little....cute...."miniture knives", is NOT the blade!

It is the part of the knife that you are supposed to hold onto (the handle).....when you are in need of that blade.

I will stand by by my opinion that these knives (if they are built similiar to the Al Mar SLB) are nothing more than jeweler's tools!

Think of a screw driver needed to work on the innards of a wrist watch.

Yes, Hair, I agree! The blade works!

But generally people who need the use of a knife (in a hurry: I hope not) are not getting prepared to do work on a wrist watch.

Dan
 
I agree completely. I like short stubby blades, but I am not very fond of those three (or 2.5) finger handles.

As to the old argument: A large knife can do all that a small one can, but a small one can not do all that a large knife can. I think it is totally bogus. If you had to have an operation, would you want the surgeon to use a sterilized Busse Battlemistress to cut you open or would you rather prefer for him to use a scalpel? If you take a look at many knives designed for specialized tasks, they all vary in length and many are quite small (e.g. woodcarving knifes).
 
Big blades are very impressive and I like to make them but the small ones see much, much more use. While I like to test a 10" chopper potential and see how it performs, the knife I use at he shop and to make packages has a 2 1/4" sheepfoot style blade.
Also, I usually sell one 6 " long blade knife for each four or five under 3" ones, and that should mean something.
 
HoB said:
I
As to the old argument: A large knife can do all that a small one can, but a small one can not do all that a large knife can. I think it is totally bogus. If you had to have an operation, would you want the surgeon to use a sterilized Busse Battlemistress to cut you open or would you rather prefer for him to use a scalpel? .
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Which one would you prefer to use if your life depended on it?
 
Sal Glesser said:
I
I believe the "new" reference for "sheeple" is NKP (Non Knife People), to avoid possibly insulting people that are simply afraid of knives. Being afraid of knives is not a crime.

We have received many letters from people that were fighting court battles for posession of an illegal knife. At best, it is very expensive, at worse, there has been jail time. In Denver, possession of a "deadly weapon" (illegal knife)adds 5 years to the jail sentence over a "dangerous weapon" (knife). A pretty stupid expense.
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First of all, I hope I have not offended you personally, as you are a genius in the knifemaking world.
Sometimes in life we have to insult some people, especially if they are the type of people who perceive kindness and compromise as a weakness which they can exploit (in this case to pass more laws), so when I read from forum members who seek a knife that will not "offend" (yet is perfectly legal), it strikes a nerve.
Sorry to hear about the folks in Denver. I would consider moving.
 
I like my short stubbies , such as my Spydie Meerkat. There are times when a small package like that can come in handy , like when I dont want to lug around my larger blades :D

IMO a free man carries what he chooses when he chooses whether it's big or small. Laws be damned.
 
Sall Glesser, please keep making small knives. My Salsa and Blue Almite Walker are among my favorites.

I love small knives. The majority of my collection is made up of small folders. I carry a Swiss Army Knife and a Superknife to work everyday. Large folders are overkill for my cutting tasks which mainly consist of opening boxes and cutting my Starbucks scone into small pieces during coffee break. Also, I do care what others (non knife people) may think of my knife. If they feel uncomfortable, I feel uncomfortable. Sorry but I'm just not a bad ass knife carrying rebel. My large folders and fixed blades come out during camping trips. For real world everyday knife usage I'll slick to my small folders.
 
Just for the point of asking the question, maybe someone could give an example where someone's life depends on the size of the blade? When we say this, are we talking about day to day situations, or are we talking about situations that aren't typical? Like when Aaron Ralston cut his arm off while having a climbing emergency that left him pinned? Oh, that's right. He did it with a knock-off, POS little knife...Might have been easier with a bigger knife, no doubt. But why not carry a machete? A hatchet? An axe? This arguement can't rally be won, as I see it. Too many variables and too many opinions.Fun, though.
 
I have to say that after reading this thread I'm leaning more towards smaller knives.

I'm going to have to try out some little big knives like the Dodo. The only little knife I have right now is a Scallion and it's a great knife but the handle is not long enough for my liking.

Hey, I might as well have an open mind when it comes to knives.
 
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