"Side by side" or "opposite" blades? A question on multiblades...

quattromori

quattromori

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May 7, 2011
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The world of multi bladed traditionals is opening up to me, so every now and then I come up with some new questions or curiosities...
So, yesterday I walked into a store that sells knives (along with kitchen stuff etc) and I saw a newly arrived Buck Canoe (I think the model nr is 389). It's relatively cheap and it looks nice (I didn't handle it tho), and since I'm looking for a b'day present for a friend, I thought I might buy it for him. Any feedbacks on it?
Anyway, this is not the topic I want to discuss with u. Seeing the Canoe made me wonder about a thing.
In 2 bladed patterns, some have both blades on the same end (like Trappers), and others have blades on opposite sides (like Canoe).
I have no experience on this. My first American will have both blades on the same end...but does that really matter? or is it just a matter of aesthetics? I thought about many things that could change: opening (the nail nick is on the "wrong" side on the second blade in Trappers), handling (most handles are not symmetrical so on a Canoe one might be more comfy), stability of the blade pivot, looks, and so on. But I have no "first hand" clue...the only multibladed knives I have tried are SAK's. As u know, they usually have the small secondary blade opposite to the main blade. But I have to admit I use the smaller blade very rarely (I'm still a single bladed guy after all), and I never owned a knife with both blades on the same side (apart from the saw on my Trekker but that's another story).
So what do u guys think?
Fausto
:cool:
 
I think it is a personal preference thing. Personally, I've always preferred both blades at one end. I've never been bothered by having a nail nick on the "wrong" side, and I have quite a few jack knives with pile side pen blades. Others prefer the slimness of a single backspring, which pretty much dictates the blades be on opposite ends. That's why they make both kinds, so you can decide for yourself which you like better.
 
I suppose that a pen (opposite end blades) may be potentially thinner and stronger, but in practice, the only real difference I've noticed is handle shape.
On a handle that isn't symetrical, you are usually holding the knife 'backwards' when using the secondary blade.
Whether or not this is a problem depends entirely on the shape of the handle, but I have noticed that some knives feel a little odd or unwieldy because of this.
To me, this is important, because I usually prefer to use the smallest blade possible for the task at hand, as I feel it gives more control.
On the other side of the coin, a jack knife (blades both open same end) if the knife is wide enough, the blade being offset to one side of the handle can feel weird too. On a particularly slender knife, this can give the knife a feeling that it wants to 'roll' in your hand as you apply pressure.
One of the reasons why I love the peanut so much is that this tendency to roll in the hand is mitigated by the comparatively wide handle, as you can place your thumb on the spine for stability.
On smaller, slimmer knives with blades both ends, sometimes the blades are 'crinked' so much that they noticeably stick out of the handle at an angle when open. That can feel really odd.
It depends on the knife pattern, but I have no preference for blade configuration, only for knife patterns.
One of my favorite patterns is the congress, which usually has two blades each end, and thus has both the advantages and (mostly) disadvantages of both :D
 
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If the double ended knives have one spring instead of two, the knife will be thinner in the pocket. Some canoes have two springs some have one. Most of the trappers I have have the nail nick on the pile side of the blades not opposite sides so they wouldn't be "wrong handed". I like both types of knives pretty much equally. My most carried small knife it the Case mini-copperhead; it is a single spring, doubled ended design. But I also like double spring, single end designs like trappers and copperheads and Barlows.

Ed J
 
jamesbeat said:
It depends on the knife pattern, but I have no preference for blade configuration, only for knife patterns.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much the same way I feel about it.

Fausto,
I had one of the Chinese made Buck Canoes that you speak of and I thought it was a fine little knife. It came very sharp too.
 
None of the trappers I've owned have had the secondary nail nick on the "wrong" side....
Blades both on the same end will (generally) allow the blades to be longer inside the frame. If they're opposing, they'll have to be shorter (look at a Congress or a Pen, then look at a Trapper).
Really, it's all personal preference.
 
Thanks for ur answers...it's good to know how u guys feel about it. Personally, I'm a newbie in the multibladed thing so I sometimes wonder about it and come out with weird questions...
Rick, thanks for the feedback on the Buck. Guess it will make a nice gift for a friend.
Since I come from a single blade world, both blades on the same edge look more familiar to me, so that's the reason for my choice. Anyway, since I never handled American patterns, I was curious to know about ur opinions.
The matter of handle symmetry was something I thought about. Of course, I have no such issues on my SAK. Blade length isn't really a problem (2,5" is usually more than enough for any task), it was more a matter of shape and handling in my thoughts.
Fausto
:cool:
 
I like opposite sided blades when there is a single spring, this makes for a knife just a little thicker than a single bladed knife
Jacks side by side are thicker and give more grip for the hand
 
Fausto, you just have to handle them and see what is your preference.
My experience so far was that it was not so much the pattern or even blade configuration was what mattered how comfortable the actual knife felt in my hand, but the size and details like how far the blades stick out, how well rounded are the corners etc.
 
I am a canoe pattern collector. I prefer the single spring canoe for carry. I also own and EDC two of those Buck canoes. They are very sharp, easy to sharpen basically well worth there price. They are not overly thick either.

Herb
 
Thanks everybody for ur answers...it's good to see how different ur views on this topic can be.
Personally, I never had the chance to handle and carry and use both kinds, so that's why I was curious about it. Also, this is just a general thing, cause not all Canoe's or Trappers or Pens or Jacks are identical, as not all the hands that hold them, so in the end the choice will always be a very personal matter between a specific user and a specific knife.
Believe it or not, to me the Canoe/Pen pattern (blades on opposite edges) still looks weird to me...as more than 2 blades seem really too much...but that's just me :rolleyes:
Fausto
:cool:
 
Two blades is usuall plenty for me as well, although I sometime carry a whittler or a stockman. I seem to have wound up with mostly knives that have both blades on the same end, but I have a canoe and a couple of pen knives and I like them as well. My preferences just seemed to drift in a certain direction over time. I agree with the folks who said that the feel of the knife is more important than the blade configuration. I prefer the knife to be gently rounded on all edges. It feels a bit nicer in the hand. Since you've carried SAKs, you know the general feel I'm talking about.
 
Sure I know the feel, and the "handle feel" is one of the most important things in a knife.
I love "rounded" knives too, I know the feel in Opinels, and all traditionals knives around here are gently rounded too. Not that much on modern folders, but that's a whole another story...
Anyway,, I still think there is some "concept preference" on having both blades on the same side, or on opposite side, like for the "single vs multiblade", the "one knife vs multiple knives"...my guess is that, even if we might end up carrying both versions, there is always one we tend to prefer.
As for "same edge vs opposite edge" for 2 bladed knives, I had no chance to make myself an idea on that...and that's also the reason why I started this thread.
Fausto
:cool:
 
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