The Optimum Number of Blades?

What is the optimum number of blades for a pocket knife?

  • Single Blade

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Two Blades

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Three Blades

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Four Blades

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Five or more Blades

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
eisman

eisman

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or some time now I've been contemplating exactly what is the optimum number of blades for a pocket knife. A single blade is fine but often too specialized for all-around carry and used. I really like whittler's and slim stockmen patterns and have carried them for decades. I love a nice Congress pattern due to it's utility, but often miss the larger blade the true versions carry. Lately knife in my pocket is more likely to have two blades; one large, one small. Blade length doesn't seem to matter as much, nor does the over all length (within reason).

I realize it's very subjective, but what do you all find to be the best number of blades on your regular carry pieces?
 
I've carried everything from a 4 blade/tool scout knife to a single blade Opinel and liked them all. But when I boil it all down and look at what's left in the bottom of the pot, I've spent most of my life carring mostly two or three blades. From age 12 to 20 I carried a scout knife my dad gave me. It saw a heck of a lot of service. Wnen I joined the army, I left it home, fearing t would disappear in the barracks. For several years then I carried the all steel army issue MLK knife, also called a demo knife. sometimes I carried a Camillus TL-29. Both the TL-29 and the MLK knife was issue gear in the supply room of most engineer companies. Late in the Army career I carried a Buck 301 stockman. That was a great knife, and if I needed a can opener or screw driver, I had my P-38, which would do both.

In middle age I made a radical switch to a peanut. My dad had passed away, and his old one was sitting there, so I started carrying it, for reasons I'm not sure of. But I made the switch to two blade jacks then. Had a barlow for a while, and another peanut.

I had an on and off affair with Opinel's from 1982 to recent. I love them, but for some reason I just feel better having some second blade available. I like the jack layout, with both blades on the same end, vs the pen layout. Don't really have a reason, just like ti that way. Like the way some folks like chocolate ice cream and others like vanilla, or even mint chocolate chip. Serpentine jacks, barlows, Texas jacks, all have an appeal to me. I still have a few single blade knives around, and like them, and use them. But the epiphany came to me last month when I was setting out on a cross country trip that would mean my being away from home for 5 weeks. I was going to set out with a single blade knife in my pocket, but at the last minute, literally, as I was carrying the bags out to the car, I had a anxiety moment and went back and grabbed my little serpentine jack, the peanut. I wanted that second blade.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Carl.
 
I like two bladed jacks best, with the three bladed stockman pattern trying hard to be my favorite as well.
 
2.5 (I just can't come up with a satisfactory answer between 2 and 3 so I will have to forgo my vote in the poll.)
 
My vote goes for two, ideally one flat edge (wharncliffe/sheepsfoot) and one with a little belly to it. Ironically, when I carry a 5-blade Sowbelly I always use the short clip point. Sure, I have all options available but that's the easiest one to reach the nail nick on!
 
IMG_20131003_133435_zps13e89cb2.jpg
 
I would say two large, wharncliffe and clip (although actually I think my ideal would be yatagan-style clip) and a small pen for when you don't want to bust out something that scares sensitive folks.
 
Three blades is optimum for me, I like the layout of the Splitback Whittler, or the Medium Stockman, I like to keep one blade razor sharp and the other two with heavy use edges.

If I had my choice it would be, wharncliff blade for a primary, clip for the large secondary and a coping blade for the smaller blade.
 
RT, keep your answers forum appropriate, this is the traditional's forum, L**k is a four letter word here... ;)
 
Two, but can't be answered out if context of the question, How many knives/tools do you carry.

This my recurring carry and picture for the modern/traditional thread. I won't go on about my non-traditional tool other than to say it has a fantastic small blade that I reground to a pen/wharncliff type blade.


EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr

With the pen blade and small tool needs covered (that would otherwise push me back to a 4 "blade"'camper), I find I get frustrated with anything other than a big single blade Opinel.

Obviously, different folks will carry other pocket tools and this will change what makes sense in terms of pocket knife.
 
2 or 3 for me. A wharncliffe trapper, Hawbaker muskrat, or half-whittler or half-congress with 2 blades, or a stockman or whittler with 3.
 
Three blades for me. I've carried knives with more blades and knives with less. Many years ago I settled on one pattern that works best for me. A three blade premium stockman.

mh4x1h.jpg


I keep a few spares on hand in case I lose one or it gets stolen.

a43qr9.jpg
 
I chose 2-blade as two of my three most-carried folders are 2-blade (the other - the #55 - is a single blade). My Pemberton and Eureka Jack are both outstanding companions. The 55 is still my most-carried knife of the three, but the 92 Eureka Jack is a very close second with it's Pen/Coping blade combo.

All of my GEC's (I have seven of them total) are 2-blade at the most. Five of them are 2-blade and the other two are single blade. I don't lik a pocket knife to be too "fat", so never more than two blades for me.
 
I said two.
I like a large stockman for camping as I find it easier and lighter to have three blades than to bring sharpening equipment. However most of my use for folding knives is not out in the woods, it's for food prep and opening packages. For those purposes I like a long blade with belly and a short, straight edged, pointy blade.
If I'm only going to get one blade I prefer a modern folder, but I did just order a single spey Charlow from GEC so we'll see, and the upcoming #44 looks like it'll be a good one.
 
I answered 2. I hare single blade knives and carry them a lot, and I like three or more bladed knives, but two is best for me. One main blade and either a second one of the same size (I don't own anything like this at the moment) for a sharp backup or a smaller blade again as a back up, but also for tasks where a smaller blade is better suited or less likely to draw negative attention, like on campus.
 
I'm partial to Jacks, but lately, I've aggregated a small cluster of Moose that serve well as my traditional carry.
The newest member of the herd:

IMG_2114copy_zpsebec8624.jpg




So.....Two blades are preferred.
 
Since it's a multiple choice poll, I voted for both 2 and 3. My usual rotation includes 2-bladed jacks and trappers, and 3-bladed stockmans and whittlers. Though the occasional single-bladed knife does make it into the mix, and I carry a Case Slimline Trapper in my work bag every day for slicing apples and other food prep tasks.
 
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