Small blade, first choice?

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
17,508
Somebody said something to me just this morning that made me think. I was opening a mothers day gift of roses for Karen from the kids that arrived at the front door, when she asked me why I always used the small/second blade of my pocket knife instead of the main blade. I had taken out my Victorinox executive and used the small blade to cut open the long florist box.

Thinking back, I have indeed always used the smaller blade of my pocket knife most times I cut something if I thought that was all I needed. On my old Buck 301 stockman the sheep foot blade was the fist choice in tools. On the little peanut I carried for years after my dad passed away, it was the small pen blade that got used the most. And since July 18th, 2018 when I started carrying the executive, its been the small blade like 75% of the time.

Anyone else do this?

I wonder if its some subliminal thought process to preserve the main blade, or some unconscious evaluation of that small blade is all thats needed?

Kinda weird, huh?
 
I think I pick the small blade most often too, maybe 60% of the time. If I think of my GEC14, I used the pen more often. In my stockman, I grab the sheepsfoot. The peanut is probably whichever one was sharpest, since both blades are small. On my Half Congress I favor the larger sheepsfoot brocade it’s way easier to open.

the majority of my cutting tasks don’t require much blade, which is why I strongly favor a small knife disappearing in my pocket. I am sure if I carried larger knives I would use the smallest Blade much more often.
 
Carl, I find I am often using the smallest blade first. Sometimes it's a conscious choice to use the best blade for the job, the sharpest blade available or the smallest blade possible, just for the challenge. Other times the small blade is selected without any reasoning, just the first blade I got too. Either way I have noticed a higher level of satisfaction when I realize I can do very well with a small blade. And that's because, like your Dad said, "It doesn't have to be big, just sharp." :)

Secondary Blades
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edit; R rishma response hit the nail on the head but I must have been typing when it was posted.
 
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Some knife guys are probably practical and use the smaller more appropriate blade for the job. Others like me are always overkill and use larger just because I’m more of a knife dork. I don’t think I cut anything that warrants my 46 whaler but I reach for it a lot. It has 2 blades but I always go for the HUGE one. :D
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Having a preference for single blades, it's a non-issue for me. Large or small, I don't have a choice in the matter. But back when I used to carry a stockman, the vast majority of the time I'd opt for the large main. I don't like small fiddly knives, I guess I don't really like small fiddly blades either. Those habits have carried on to pen knives and premium jacks as well.
 
Handiest blade for me today is the little Wharncliffe on the peanut. I find that in general I have better control with a smaller blade. I like to be in control. :D
If I have a smaller blade with me, it gets the nod, unless it just can't handle the task.
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My small blade choice has been the SAK Ambassador for many years and before then, the Classic going back to the 70's. I've always carried a little SAK along with a larger single blade knife (Buck 501 for at least 25 years, then the Mini-Grip, and today, either the Bugout 535-2 or Mini-Presidio). Then, as now, the small SAK gets 99% of the use.
 
I tend to use a small blade when I open letters and packages, cut a sheet paper in two. The sheepsfoot blade on a stockman is good for that but I really like to have a thinly ground pen blade on my knife. Great for "skinning" tangerines (I won't go into detail because you'll think I'm crazy). The small blade is also what I use to cut threads and such. The big blade is for outdoor tasks, cutting twigs or whatever, maybe cutting some fruit.
 
I'm a devout stockman user, because I thoroughly enjoy using the "right" blade for the job. I wouldn't say I use the smaller blade or blades the most, but the sheepfoot does do a lot of box opening and cutting. The clip main gets used for food prep and opeing larger envelopes. I've never been much of a pen blade guy, but for the third blade I really like the pen clip, as found on this 1999 S&M.

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not usually, my first choice is to buy the knife in single blade, but otherwise I have the second blade removed from a knife that is offered in two blades.
 
Amongst the pocket knives I carry, I generally am apt to use any of the blades except the spey blade if the knife has one of those. Just depends on what I am doing. I have a special fondness for straight-edge blades like the sheepfoot/lambfoot/coping/wharncliffe/box-cutter. Meanwhile, I do study and/or collect old jack knives and I see that the smaller (pen, usually) blade is almost always more worn. So the old-timers liked the small ones, also.
 
I use whatever blade is appropriate for the task.
For example, it would be rather silly to use the main blade to open a can of chew when there is a SPEY or Sheepsfoot available in the same knife, or to bring out the Buck 110 or a longer bladed than the 110 two blade slipjoint folding hunter for that task.
 
Peregrin said:
Handiest blade for me today is the little Wharncliffe on the peanut. I find that in general I have better control with a smaller blade. I like to be in control. :D
If I have a smaller blade with me, it gets the nod, unless it just can't handle the task.
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Oh man, I could never get myself the shell out the cash for pinched peanut and I regret not picking one up. That is a beauty.
 
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