smaller fixed vs folder

I think a lot about the question of fixed vs folding. I often bring both a fixed blade and a couple of folding knives on wilderness trips. I started my knife collecting a long time ago as a fan of fixed blades. I still appreciate them today but my views have evolved over the years....I have come to the conclusion that if true heavy duty use is required, like splitting small limbs or battoning, nothing beats a good medium-large fixed blade. If you're hunting and plan to dress game, the right fixed blade is a must. But, the other 99% of my life when light to medium duty use is all that is required a good folding knife does the job as well or better while taking up less space, adding less weight, being less intimidating, and carrying more easily. For those reasons I don't see where small fixed blades have much value at all...other than they are really cool looking and appeal to me from an eye-candy perspective...especially the little Bark River fixed blades...I've bought a few, I'll admit it.
 
I greatly prefer a fixed blade. Honestly, my carry depends on my outfit. Haha. Typically what I'm wearing directly corresponds with what I'm doing at the time. If I'm going out on the town I'll carry a folder. If I'm wearing board shorts I'll carry a folder.
One thing that is a big deal for me too is gunk. There are two kinds of gunk. ...gunk that d!cks up your pivot and gunk that d!cks up your sheath. Foreseeing certain tasks will also affect my carry, or I'll just carry both. If I know I'll just be gunking up the blade I'll likely use my folder because I can just fold it between tasks and clean it later. Those same tasks would cause me to completely clean my blade each time I sheath a FB as to not cause a major PITA cleaning a sheath inside. If I'm going to completely slime the whole knife I'll use a FB and just set it down between uses.
 
I live within a 30 min drive from a major city. My edc is one of a few folders I rotate.
For fishing, hunting, hiking I carry a fixed blade of 4.85". Anything larger is unnecessary
size and weight to me. I modified the nylon belt sheath so that I can attach and remove it from my
belt with a tek lok. This works great when I have to get out of the car on my way home.
As others have pointed out it's not just a matter of what's legal or not, it's to avoid any issues
with the public. I know that I could legally wear my 9 " chopper on my belt in town but I limit
that to doing yard work at home.
 
I haven't found a fixed I like to edc. A small pocket knife does everything I would need a small fixed blade to do. I do have an esee 3 I carry when I think I'll be doing heavy work like remodeling a house.

I do like my folders. And I carry whatever I want. Including OTFs.
 
Leather pocket sheath for a small fixed blade (an Avila necker) and a SA knife. Best of both worlds. KSF leather, a little bulky but fits the front pocket of my jeans. I have wondered if a horizontal carry on a belt would work. I have also really enjoyed looking at all the Childress neckers too.
 
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I've been carrying a Fallkniven juni for at least a year and love it. Never go anywhere without it. Add a folder and am good to go
 
I love my Dart EDC for neck carry. This one was the prototype and I thinned the already 3/32" thin stock down considerably while tapering the tang. Combined with slightly to many lightening holes in the tang equals a knife that is under one ounce.

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Ronnie Hale from Hale Storm Custom Kydex made a sweet sheath for it. Pictures are on my facebook and Instagram link in my signature. I like this one in 52100, but my next one will be a CPM20CV version. All my steel should be here soon, so example versions and the actual sale/order thread will be up in the coming weeks.
 
I've been thinking about this lately as well. I usually carry just a small folder and its perfect for my day to day needs. I've always wanted to carry a fixed blade, but never knew which knife I should get or its worth it.
 
I find the idea of a small fixed EDC to be interesting, but I haven't tried it yet. Partly because I can't settle on a model to carry and partly because I'm not sure that it would work out for me.

I would have to carry in a pocket, I don't want to use a belt sheath, so that would limit me to a knife of 6.75" to 7.00" overall length, and would also require a fairly minimal sheath. I'm afraid that a 7" fixed blade would compromise the handle size too much.

Secondly the main advantage I see to a fixed blade is the added strength, so I would want a FB that would have the strength and that means a relatively thick blade. It is a little hard to find a 7" FB with a somewhat thick blade in a tough alloy, and with a blade shape that I like. (I've found a few by TOPS and Bark River that might work.)
 
I typically carry a medium-to-large folder along with a small fixed blade - that combo works well for me:



 
link2derek said:
I typically carry a medium-to-large folder along with a small fixed blade - that combo works well for me:
Click to expand...

This is what I do, too. My Bradford and Essentials are shorter than the folders I typically carry (Emerson mini-15, large micarta Sebenza, Para 2, etc.) The small FB gets most of the work, though. I haven't had any trouble with the handle being too short. If it's well designed, 3 1/2" is enough handle for a 4-finger grip in my hand.
 
I carry both whenever I have pants on. I have a Manix 2 LW in S110 that is clipped in my Cargo Pocket, A Leatherman Wingman clipped in my pocket, a neck knife that I EDC, and a fixed blade hanging from my belt. This is my EDC, 4 knives all day everyday.

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The top and middle knife were my belt knives, but I recently sold the top knife. This is my current belt knife,

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I have made up a dangler attachment for the kydex sheaths that I love. The knife hangs at my side and is rarely in the way when sitting.
I have found that a neck knife in the 4 ounce range is perfect for me. The bottom knife pictured above is 4 oz and I do not even notice it. It is also a full 8.5" OAL with a 4.1" blade.
 
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