small knives: is it just me? am i compensating?

vactor

vactor

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i used to have a number of 'larger' folders (blades over 3"). i have recently sold off all of them (other than my camillus edc) in favor of acquiring smaller blades. to date, i have a Perrin Street Surgeon (7/8" blade. this thing is AWESOME!!), a spyderco police necklace knife on my keychain (1" blade), a Camillus Mini Talon (2.25" blade, i LOVE this thing as well), and a Chris Reeve Mnandi (2.5" blade, #127). of course a smaller knife is easier to carry than say a Ryan Biohazard :eek: . but i find something extremely satisfying about an exquisitely well made or functional small knife. i also notice that i have moved away from folders to small fixed blades (see mini talon and Perrin supra). has anyone else changed their carry / purchase practice? anyone have a good / bad reason that they switched? or maybe you went from smaller knives to larger ones ... anyone want to comment on sizing trends? for some reason i just really get a kick out of the smaller knives ...
 
I have been moving in the direction of smaller knives for a couple of years. Smaller knives just make sense to me. Although I love the outdoors, I don't get there that often and I don't really have much daily use for camp/hunting knives. My greatest use for pocket knives is in package opening, string cutting, nail cleaning, light whittling, and box cutting. Three inch or smaller knives fill those roles just fine. The other major factor for me is that I work in an environment where a larger knife would be out of place and construed as a threat by many people. Finally, anyone who travels alot needs a smaller EDC simply because local carry laws are variable. A knife that is 3" or less will simply be legal to carry in far more places than a larger knife.
 
I was going in that direction, and am developing a taste for small blades. Last Sunday Morning I found myself at Meeting, and needing to slice some block cheese. My Calypso Junior, despite being incredibly sharp, just wasn't long enough.

Today at Quarterly Meeting the youth group was selling hoagies, and I made sure to have my Spyderco Wayne Goddard with me!

All the more reason to carry more than one knife!
 
when i was younger i always carried bigger hunting knives when i went to the woods. my dad who was hunter trapper raised in the 2o's and a WWII vet who saw a lot of action in north africa and europe would always make fun of me for carring the large knives. the only knife i ever seen him carry was a old timer stockman. he would skin his game make his snares, his figure 4 triggers and peel his apple or cut up his steak all with the same knife. he would sharpen it with a sheet of sand paper. he always had his knife with him when i would have to go get mine or couldnt carry it to town. now i carry a sak everwhere i still have the big and expenseve knives but i have to make the effort to carry them and am always aware of drawing attention when i do. so i guess dad was right "don't do you any good if you dont have it"
 
I find I like small knives as well. I have been using a Buck knight 505 lately and find the small thin blade much better at cutting than a broad thick one.
 
Yeah, I like small blades too. My two small Sebbies are about perfect EDC when defense isn't a likely possibility. I have a JW Smith that is about the same size as a small Sebbie, similarly perfect daily carry. Kious makes nice small gents folders. Wm Henry too.

But I also like medium sized folders. 3" to 3.5". From JW Smith, to Carson, Lightfoot, Broadwell, Chamblin, etc.

And large ones.... up to about 4", e.g. Spydie Military, JW Smith, Carson, etc.

In fixed blades, I like them from around 2.5" up to about 12" (forged bowie) and on up to 18" and 22" (machete).

Hunting knives in the 3" (bird & trout) and 3.5" to 4" range (whitetail, etc) are just right. Anything past 4.5" and game cleaning is hindered, well, unless it's big game like Elk or Cow.

Fillet knives: from 4.5" up to 9" are useful, depending on the fish.

I guess I'm easy to please. ;)
 
The smaller your carry blades just seem to become. I can recall as a much younger buck, carrying on my belt a 7" Randall #1 up into the hills just to go trout fishing! What was the point of that?!:rolleyes:

Big blades have their place, there's no doubt. My carry blades just seem to be getting smaller. Not to say that I don't pack a huge folder now and then. ;)

AL
 
I guess I'm still going against the trend (I was a Hippie back in the late '60's, early '70's...:D.), as I still carry my monster REKAT Sifu folder, with it's 5.4 inch-LONG blade.
 
I have always been partial to smaller blades. My small Sebenza is the closest to perfect EDC I've found. I just don't have much use for a blade longer than 3 inches.

Paul
 
no need to justify what you carry.It is always good to have enough
in your rotation for a change of pace.Don't get rid of all the others
so you don't regret it later.
 
EDC for me now is:

BM Mini Griptilian 50/50 in the right cargo shorts pocket along with the mace.

BM551S.jpg


& the recently discontinued :( lady bug II on the key chain with the photon II.

LBKII.jpg


You have to go small these days, try cutting a larger hole in your starbucks coffee top for air with a regular sized Tanto MT Socom ... you get some very nasty looks. I know I tried.
 
I carry a Sifu daily also, but in addition to it I carry a small knife (AFCK, 710, LCC, 730, etc.) for those little jobs. Can't have too many knives!
 
For camping and food work, I find myself wanting to carry a 5-6 inch fixed blade knife.

For for folders, I 2.75 - 3.125 inches is perfect. I usually carry a smaller blade as well (2.25 inches for this and that).

As for defense, well I have never faced that. However, in reading Fred Perrin's review of the Sebenza and Umfaan, he refers to the fact that the Umfaan is a good defense knife for slashing (and say "we are not murderer's, right?"" As for the Small Sebenza he says it is "a beast of a knife" and "I don't know anyone that would like it in their posterior". "Nuff said.
 
There’s a lot to be said about variety. My Camillus EDC, Mini-Talon, or Kershaw Double Cross can do 90% of my cutting jobs around civilization. Then there are the unexpected jobs that need a larger knife. I had to try cutting a full-sized submarine sandwich the other day with my EDC. I had mayonnaise up to my elbows after I was done. My large Sebenza would have done the trick without the mess. That’s why I usually carry both a small and large knife. I’m covered that way.

Medusaoblongata – You also carry a small knife like the 710? I guess we all have different definitions of “small knife”. LOL!!! :D :eek:
 
I usually carry a smaller knife in professional settings (basically my entire working day) because of the type of dress (the dress slacks just don't conceal the larger knives - BM 710, Emerson Commander, etc.) and the sheeple factor, especially being a consultant working at other companies' offices.

My favorites for this role usually fall into the just under 3" blade category - Small Sebenza, BM 705, Spydie Delica, depending on my mood. I've been eyeing the little BM 450 (Park Avenue)- anybody have one of these?
 
Wasn't too impressed with the 450 for the price ... go with the big spender 335, half the money and a way better knife.

Ryan
 
From all the knives I have, I seem to be attached to the one I carry the most.
So if I were able to walk about with an 8" fixed blade, it would have been my fav. But living in Israel is tough on the knife lovers,that's why I've got me sevral folders, but now even thats became a problem, and I'm now carry a swiss champ.
what I'm trying to say is, vactor, that your inclination towrd smaller knives might have somthing to do with what you can afford to carry.
 
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