The ever shrinking pocket knife.

SilverFoxKnows said:
I think I'll stick with my single blade trapper. Too much shorter and it wouldn't be good at food prep. That and I have fairly large hands. The 3 1/4" stockmen just don't give me enough to hang on to.

Frank
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I'm in the same boat. Only way I can use 3 1/4" was when I had a scaleless SAK Recruit I used as a scalpel in lab. Pinch grip for delicate cuts, but I couldn't use it for anything rough.
 
Great post JK. I carry a small folder and a large folder, modern designs, but sometimes I get by with a small neck knife, or a small traditional. You are right, but I do like carrying a larger folder.
 
Sword and Shield said:
I'm in the same boat. Only way I can use 3 1/4" was when I had a scaleless SAK Recruit I used as a scalpel in lab. Pinch grip for delicate cuts, but I couldn't use it for anything rough.
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I EDC a 3.25" (closed) stockman. It doesn't fill my hand, but I like the slender look and the smaller size carries very easily. I have larger stockman and I just don't like them as much,.
 
I can't stand a slipjoint over three inches for EDC. If I carried a larger knife it would have to be a tactical folder and I carried such for years. I much prefer a small slipjoint for EDC.

I have never and I mean NEVER "needed" a knife bigger than a Case peanut for daily pocketknife chores. If I am hunting I carry a hunting knife. If I am doing work that requires a large work knife I carry such in a belt scabbard. For EDC I have yet to see the need for a knife bigger than a peanut.

If you "need" a large stockman or full size trapper for EDC then I think you actually would be better served with a lock blade like a Buck 110 or a large tactical. They are much stronger than the large slip joints and are far more capable of the bigger jobs than a large slip joint.
 
I'd agree about small knives doing the job well, but with larger hands I prefer a knife that is at least 3.5" long. A Canoe or Mini-trapper is about the shortest thing I normally carry. I like the 3 7/8 size trappers. A 4" or close to it handle feels MUCH better in my hands. I tend to cut my hands all up with a peanut size knife.
 
I can not resist.

I have been toting that little Canal Street ring knife for a couple of weeks now along with my ever present Carson lock back.

Small blades are more versatile for me than the big ones and 3" or maybe a little less (peanut) seems to work pretty well. I also like to carry older '83 pattern whittlers. (and old case and one from Tony Huffman see carry quite a lot.)
 
Wow, I never thought this thread would go this long!

Looking back now over the past couple of months since I wrote the original post, I don't think I've carried a knife with much over a two inch blade more than once or twice.

Some of the knives I've carried of late are Andy Worden's old Buck cadet at 3 1/4 inches, a Victorinox small 84mm tinker at 3 1/4 inches, my dad's old brown bone Case peanut, my yellow CV peanut, a small Kissing Krane brown Mule, small Case sodbuster 3 3/8 inches reground to a spearpoint making it a bit shorter, and the little Buck Hartsook that a friend gave me in early December. I've surprised myself by becoming fond of the little fixed blade Hartsook with a blade of 1 5/8 long. In truth, its done the "unfolding pocket knife" chores its been put to. If my pocket knife is too small, then I should be using my old Buck woodsman or Mora belt knives.

I now understand how my father and gentlemen of his era got by with small penknives. With a moment of thought about what you're doing, the small 2 inch blade will get it done. Maybe thats really what I love about all slippys- it makes you slow down while opening it to think about it. Like with a single shot break open shotgun, you have to plan your action.
 
FlyingMuskrat said:
Have you picked up an Ultimate Pen Knife Jackknife?
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No, not yet. I've looked at them, but the plain metal handles don't push a button for me. My next purchase may be a Case amber bone CV peanut. I think I saw them in a Smoky mountain catalgue.
 
I'm being drawn to the Queen Schatt & Morgan reverse peanut! Pics look great! Any comments on this little puppy?
 
hwp said:
If you "need" a large stockman or full size trapper for EDC then I think you actually would be better served with a lock blade like a Buck 110 or a large tactical. They are much stronger than the large slip joints and are far more capable of the bigger jobs than a large slip joint.
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My single blade trapper only weighs 2.5 oz. where a 110 is 8 oz. I've carried Spydercos, Benchmades and SOGs but in a university setting they tend to raise eyebrows where the traditionals don't. And for food prep the longer, thinner blade is king. The trapper is plenty strong for the office, breakroom or kitchen. When it comes time to work in the yard or go camping I do dig out a fixed blade.

Frank
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
My single blade trapper only weighs 2.5 oz. where a 110 is 8 oz. I've carried Spydercos, Benchmades and SOGs but in a university setting they tend to raise eyebrows where the traditionals don't. And for food prep the longer, thinner blade is king. The trapper is plenty strong for the office, breakroom or kitchen. When it comes time to work in the yard or go camping I do dig out a fixed blade.

Frank
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I gotta agree with that. I guess I'm the odd man out as I never cared for the brass framed Buck 110. Just too darn heavy. But the Buck 301 I carried for 25 years was only a tad over 3 onces and took care of some things it should not have been asked to. But I could carry it anywhere without undue attention. The big lockblades get too much of a hairy eye these days. But a medium traditional is under the radar.

And another funny thing- If the knife is some bright color rather than black, it gets a whole different reception. I have a Buck cadet in a white synthetic pearl, and another in a red delrin like material. They never get a comment exept from females of course, that they are a "pretty" knife. Same with the sak and its red handle, it's viewed as more friendly.

Go figure.:confused:
 
Here are a few of my small knives. Not sure when they were made, but probley before 1960. The Case knife in the photo is a full size copperlock.





John
 
Excellent thread, very thought provoking
.
But let's face it, all knife enthusiasts like to have as many knives as possible...but small knives are really attractive. Of course hand size is key, my palms are small but digits long.

I recently got a tiny Böker Tree from Germany with stag scales. A lockback too which always reassures me more than a slipjoint. Measures 4.5" 11.5cm fully open. The Camillus (R.I.P) Yello back single blade lockback works well too. Another small knife I enjoy owning is a Bark River Mikro slither fixed blade, a tiny wonder of workmanship. Spyderco Dragonfly offers good power in a small size and probably the Byrd series Finch and Starling do as well.

I would like to know more about small but good binoculars or monoculars,they are a real boon on short hikes where weight is the enemy.How about small packs as well?
 
willgoy said:
I would like to know more about small but good binoculars or monoculars,they are a real boon on short hikes where weight is the enemy.How about small packs as well?
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I've been playing with a Ziess mini-quick monocular for a while now. In spite of the tiny size, they have razor sharp optics and bright imidge. I like a monocular for when I don't bring binoculars along.

I have not found many small binoculars that I like, they give up too much in brightness, so if I'm going to tote bino's along I carry my Steiner 8X30 Military-Marine. For full size, they are light (17 onces) and are really sharp. The exterior dimmensions are just compact enough that they fit in the side pocket of a field jacket. (Milspec U.S. M-65 type).
 
I've had good experiences with the Brunton Eterna 8x25 binoculars for packing along the mountain trails around these parts.
 
jackknife said:
I've been playing with a Ziess mini-quick monocular for a while now. In spite of the tiny size, they have razor sharp optics and bright imidge. I like a monocular for when I don't bring binoculars along.

I have not found many small binoculars that I like, they give up too much in brightness, so if I'm going to tote bino's along I carry my Steiner 8X30 Military-Marine. For full size, they are light (17 onces) and are really sharp. The exterior dimmensions are just compact enough that they fit in the side pocket of a field jacket. (Milspec U.S. M-65 type).
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Thanks for the info and it's whetted my appetite:thumbup:

Could you give any more info about the Zeiss mini quick please? Magnification, price where to get etc? Any thoughts about night vision monoculars? But I suspect they are all heavy around the 400g 1 lb range:eek: So that's a no-no
 
willgoy said:
Thanks for the info and it's whetted my appetite:thumbup:

Could you give any more info about the Zeiss mini quick please? Magnification, price where to get etc? Any thoughts about night vision monoculars? But I suspect they are all heavy around the 400g 1 lb range:eek: So that's a no-no
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I bought mine years ago for something like 70 bucks. I see them now for like a hundred in the Cabellas catalogue.

Its about 4 1/2 inches long, thick as a magic marker or felt tip pen, is about 1 once in weight and is 5X. It has a 300 foot field of view at 1000 yards. 5X is a little low power, but the Zeiss makes up for the 5X magnification by being so sharp that you think its gonna cut your eyeballs looking through it. Being so small is the other thing, it clips in your shirt pocket like a big pen.

Super trim, light, and sharp.
 
Darn it, I can't use my peanut!!! I've been edcing it for a while now, but never really had a chance to use it. Anything I normally need to do at work requires a big blade, so I use my Leatherman Blast. However, the past few weeks I've been using my Peanut for certain things, and I have to tell ya, it's just to small to be comfortable. Heck, today I was whittling a little, and the fact that I can't use my whole hand to grip it made it so uncomfortable. I don't trust it because I can't grip it right, you know? The little pinch grip just doesn't do it for me. Bummer. My bigger knives like my soddie jr., and the stockmans I own just are too bulky in my pocket. Maybe I'll go back to my SAK SI. Damn.
 
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