To Have and To Hold: Getting a Grip on Small Trads

AFAustin

AFAustin

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I have a special fondness for the smaller trads and own (way) too many. I love how unobtrusive and easy to carry they are, and admire how just plain useful the good ones are.

In my mind, a small trad is one that is less than 3 ½" closed; others may draw the line at a different point. Many of the most popular small trads are 3" or less. Two that come to mind are the hall of fame Case Peanut at 2 7/8" and the GEC #25s at an even 3". I own and appreciate those, and many of their equally or even smaller sized brethren, but I do have an issue with them: they are pure 3-finger knives for me and getting my pinkie on them at all is awkward and impractical. This may be trivial to some, but I really appreciate being able to get that fourth finger on the end of a knife, even partially, as it greatly enhances the control and comfort I feel in using it.

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For my hand, the smallest of increases over 3", even to just 3 1/8", allows that fourth finger to at least touch the butt of the knife enough to significantly enhance the grip. A "case" in point is one of my current favorite small trads, the Case Mini Copperhead. It is a little fellow (and incredibly handy knife, IMO) right at 3 1/8", but allows just enough of my pinkie to make contact to noticeably improve the grip.

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So while I’m always a sucker for a good looking small trad of any size, the choicest for me are the little beauties of 3 1/8", 3 1/4", and 3 3/8". I should also add that I’ve owned a few 3" knives which, due to their design, allow a bit of participation by the fourth finger, for example this A.G. Russell small lockback. The exceptions, though, are very few.

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I’m wondering if anyone else has similar (or different) thoughts on this "small matter"?

Thanks,

Andrew
 
As a teacher I'm permitted to carry if the principal to the school allows. More often than not a small 3 1/2 knife is ok but some have frowned on any knife.

To most the 3" to 3 1/2 just states "non-treating" when opened.Yet, I much prefer a 3 5/8 to 4" but for work and church a small knife carries better and is more accepted.

I find the Clip and spear 25s odd and chunky with a pull that is to stiff for a small one. All 25s may not be as such. It may only be my experience. I carry a 73 so I like a stiff pull but not a small knife.

The peanut is great though the secondary blade is pointless to me. I don't mind a two bladed knife but on the peanut it's annoying imo

I really like the 83 and 14 for small knives. I may pick another up one day but for the moment I prefer larger knives.

As far as the grip is concerned I've never needed nor attempted to fully grip a small knife. Most work for that blade only required a thumb, index, and middle finger.
 
I am a great fan of this size knife and I usually carry a peanut-sized traditional in my right front pocket with a larger sized (Medium Stockman or larger) knife in my right back pocket.
Although the 25 is only 3", I think since it's "beefier" i don't view it as a small knife.
I think the recent 14 run of Lick Creek Boy's knives are a great blend of "small knife / big-enough blade".
I recently picked up an Imperial Frontier peanut at a flea market for $5 and plan on cleaning it up for a place in my front-pocket rotation.
I don't have any mini copperheads, but have long admired that pattern.
 
I find that the deciding factor on whether I carry a knife or not is how thick it is. I pretty much carry single blade knives now, unless there's a good reason for a multi-blade.

That said, here's a few small ones that find their way into my pocket now and then. For the most part they serve my daily needs around home or in town. If I'm travelling by plane one of this size will be in my checked bag for use on the trip.
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Andrew, I'm in 100% accord with your original post. I have tried several sub 3⅛" knives and have not found one yet that I really like to carry and use. I wear a Large or XL glove, depending on maker, and at 62 have a good amount of arthritis as well. The smaller ones just don't work well for me. Really, the alox Cadet at 3.29" is about the smallest I regularly carry. This coupled with a large or XL stockman is my normal EDC.
 
Andrew, I agree that a Peanut is too small for a 4-finger grip. But when using a small knife I often have my index finger extended along the spine of the open blade, and then my other three fingers fit on the handle. I think I actually have more control of the knife with the guiding-finger-on-blade approach (and sometimes even use that grip on much larger knives, depending what the cutting task is).

FWIW, if a small knife has a bail, lanyard tube, or other way to attach a fob, I find that the fob sticking off the back of the knife often serves to extend the grip. At least, it feels better to me to have my pinky holding the fob than to have my pinky hanging "in space" off the end of the knife. Here's a photo of my Vic Minichamp with the sort of fob I have in mind.
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Your mini copperheads are awesome! :thumbsup::cool: Do you have a preference (like about 3-to-1 ;)) for the wharncliffe over the clip main blade?

- GT
 
I find my 25 with the E.O. notch works well for me. My 3rd finger fits nicely in the notch, also I loosened the spring tension so that's not an issue.
That being said since I rescaled my Wharncliffe mini trapper it has taken over as my EDC. I am not sure what length it is. Probably about 3 1/4 I would think.
 
5K Qs said:
Andrew, I agree that a Peanut is too small for a 4-finger grip. But when using a small knife I often have my index finger extended along the spine of the open blade, and then my other three fingers fit on the handle. I think I actually have more control of the knife with the guiding-finger-on-blade approach (and sometimes even use that grip on much larger knives, depending what the cutting task is).

- GT
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I use this guiding-finger-on-blade approach a lot too. I've gotten into the habit of doing it almost exclusively.

I appreciate small knives but I'm very picky about them when they get under 3 inches closed. I've been carrying the Peanut in my avatar daily for a little more than three weeks and I'm still not quite used to the small size yet. It's in my pocket because my wife picked it out herself and I like to have something on me that she picked out. We are not permitted to wear our wedding rings at the workplace so a knife from her is the next best thing.

I've never dropped a sub 3 inch knife but I always feel like I'm going to because I can't seem to get a good grip on them when opening and closing the knife. I'm bound determined to get used to that Peanut though. It's just taking a little longer than I thought.
 
I have had a love/hate relationship with knives in the 3" category. Equal ends and sleeve boards are nice as long as they are not chunky, think vintage here. Peanuts and I have never really bonded as they feel to slim at the pivot. I much prefer a serpentine pattern to have the main blade on the fat end ala' this Catt whittler. Hasn't left my watchpocket since I got it a couple months ago.
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A bit over 3" closed is as small as I carry, typically single blades. Since retirement I prefer to carry larger knives. In my part of the county they don't garner much attention.
 
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Really like smaller knives mostly due to ease of carry. I get annoyed when a 4" turns sideways in my pocket. Smallish blades handle almost all my needs.

Case peanut has been carried most over the past year due to being in dress slacks most days. On days off, the Schrade 834 at 3-3/8" is a favorite.

 
My favorite traditional knife is a Case Medium Jack - basically the Jack version of the Mini-Copperhead you mentioned. The size is right in the sweet spot for me, It's small enough to be unobtrusive to carry, but big enough to get a good grip on it.
 
blademan 13 said:
I have had a love/hate relationship with knives in the 3" category. Equal ends and sleeve boards are nice as long as they are not chunky, think vintage here. Peanuts and I have never really bonded as they feel to slim at the pivot. I much prefer a serpentine pattern to have the main blade on the fat end ala' this Catt whittler. Hasn't left my watchpocket since I got it a couple months ago.
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That's an impressive oldie, really beautiful!

I've never got on with Peanuts, too fiddly even though I have smaller hands with slim fingers, don't work somehow. A lot has to do with proportions on a small (under 3 3/8th) knife, really crucial. GEC's Coyote was a severe disappointment to me, the Blackwood Northfield is beautifully turned out, irreproachable finish BUT the skimpy scales render it toy-like. So too with their 14 single, it just doesn't work but it's beautiful-the 2 blade Jack version is much superior being thicker. With their 25s I much prefer not to have an EZ open notch/gouge..not only due to aesthetic reasons but my ring finger gets in the notch and it was almost severed over 30 years ago, the scar still feels uncomfortable:eek: The GEC Conductor is about perfect for me in handling though.

My over small favourites are CASE's Penknife, really fantastic but so disappointing that Yellow D is the only choice, bone needed! Their Mini Copperhead is v.good too and having the smaller bolster in the hand makes it very suitable. The Swayback Jack looks great but it's not so good in the hand I find, if it were 'upside down' like a mini Saddlehorn it would be prefect-but I suppose it's for draw cuts. Rough Rider's Mini Barlow is very decent and due to its bolster you can choke up on it and its small size is fine.

Thanks, Will

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Finally, this Old Gent gets out from time to time, an old Rem Sleeveboard. His snap is a bit tame but the size of the frame is good, and the bone's nice!

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Thanks for all the excellent comments and beautiful pics, gents. I'll have to give more thought to the "index finger on spine" grip for these little ones.

GT, at the moment I am favoring the wharnie version of the Mini Copperheads, but I also really like the clips. (And I have more of both versions that didn't make it into the pics!)

On a side note, I really like the blade combination on your 3" Dunlap, Charles. I imagine that beautiful clip and stout little sheepie can handle just about every chore! His knives probably aren't within my budget right now but I would l love to find a small production knife with that combination.

Andrew
 
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IMG_0051.JPG Letters, string, unfortunately a snuff can, the occasional bag of mulch etc. I really don't need the pinky to be engaged to carry out my cutting needs.

Come to think of it I usually "choke up" on a 15 size of knife or if I'm carrying a seb I'll leave an inch or so blade from the tip.

If I need to put that much pressure to achieve a cut (on a regular basis) I've got a pair of Klein side cutters. Good day
 
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Around 3" is a nice, convenient size for general use. I think I prefer slightly larger for whittling, but we shall see once I put my new ones to the test.
Got a couple new ones for my birthday (last saturday). Just arrived today.

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Very nice! The Mini Copperhead is crimson barnboard? And is the pretty blue number a Half Whittler?

Andrew
 
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