Use for small blade

P

Paul SAK

Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
17
A post in one of the threads (I don't remember which one) questioned the usefullness of the small blade on a Swiss Army Knife. I worked in an office setting for over three decades and I used my small blade like an Exacto (sp?) knife. I only used it for point-cutting paper which meant that the point was always pristine. Fellow workers would borrow my knife just for this purpose. PC's and their printers have, to a large degree, replaced the need for the old-fashioned type of "cut and paste", but I still from time to time have use for that perfect point.
 
I also generall reserve the small blade on my multiblades knives for fine work. Also, this tends to preserve the edge, thus providing a nice backup if the main blade ever getting FUBAR'd afield.
 
On my SAKs, the small blade does 90 percent of the work.
In the office it draws less attention and takes care of the business.

:)
 
I'm with plowboy, the small blade does must of the cutting for me, but most of my cutting tends to be light duty or finer work. I save the large blade for food related cutting.
 
I use the small blade way more often than the large blade. Good for carving stuff, precise exacto type clipping (we think alike:cool: ), and most cutting tasks in the presence of sheeple.
 
I use the large blade more but the small blade is usefull and I keep it shaving so its ready when I need to do finer work.
 
I've used the blade on my Classic and the smaller pen blade on my Executive to cut up medication. It works much better than the pill-cutter made for that purpose. And now since I'm weaning myself off the medication bit by bit, I'm taking only a small, tiny chip of the pill a day now, and the SAK pen blades cut the pill not only in half, but in 1/8s as well.

When in a crowded area and if I need to cut something without drawing attention, I often use one of these pen blades. They are almost invisible when held with the back of the blade at finger pad.
Jim
 
I actually use the small blade for heavy duty cutting. The smaller length gives me better control particularly with plastic clamshell and blister packaging. It allows me to cut the object closer to my hand without having the blade jab into the packaging too much.
 
I don't like it becuause I use my knife often at work, and the hollow grind dulls too quickly. I also use my knife to pry a lot at work,a nd a SAK would just break.
 
I find that the screwdriver (especially the one on the soldier) works great for prying, better than either of the knife blades.
 
on two bladed SAKs I will very rarely use the small blade. That way it stays wicked sharp for very fine work.

Off Topic: That being said, I usually prefer another tool in that layer instead of a 2nd blade.
 
I use the small blades often, like mentioned above. I also learned that when carving trigger notches for snares, the small blade, being narrower, was better suited. Bushcraft practice helps one figure out what does/doesn't work.
 
Never gave it much thought, but I wonder if anyone else had the this idea about the smaller blade: it was to be kept pristine/clean and sharp to be used for emergencies like snakebites or emergency tracheotomies:)
(I realize cutting x's on snake bites is no longer recommended practice.)

Anyway, somehow I had that conception for the smaller blade and it's interesting to read how others are using them, thanks.
 
Ultraman said:
Never gave it much thought, but I wonder if anyone else had the this idea about the smaller blade: it was to be kept pristine/clean and sharp to be used for emergencies like snakebites or emergency tracheotomies:)
(I realize cutting x's on snake bites is no longer recommended practice.)

Anyway, somehow I had that conception for the smaller blade and it's interesting to read how others are using them, thanks.
Click to expand...

Tracheotomy is what I had in mind, too, as a possible emergency, although if it actually happened, damned if I would know how to proceed. :eek:

Decades ago, when I first started carrying a pocket knife, that was my very idea of how to regard the smaller blade. For most of my life, I have carried some form of multitool for utility, but until a few years ago was not much interested in knives as a subject, only if they worked, held up and were affordable.

My sharpening skills were spotty, at best, so it made sense to keep a blade in original condition for just in case. Lately, though, after several years of actually taking some interest in knives and knifecraft, it occurred to me that my sharpening skills have improved to the point where I could likely produce a sharper edge than on my carefully hoarded original. Testing the notion with a 14 year owned, never used Vic small blade, I was delighted to discover that this was indeed the case. So now my several little SAK blades get used (good pencil sharpener, among other uses) and sharpened, when needed.

Knowledge is power. Sure wish I had stayed awake during field brain surgery class, tho. ;)
 
znapschatz said:
Tracheotomy is what I had in mind, too, as a possible emergency, although if it actually happened, damned if I would know how to proceed. :eek:
Sure wish I had stayed awake during field brain surgery class, tho. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm with ya, I always considered the smaller blade the "sterile" one, and yes, I wouldn't know how to do a tracheotomy and more likely would do a "carotidotomy" :D
 
Uses for small blade?

I just cut open a bag of dark chocolate about 20 min ago with the small blade on my Vic. Executive...Now that's a good use for the blade!

:)
 
I also use the SAK small blade for precision tasks. However i have recently acquired a OH Trekker and an Alox Soldier both without small blades. At first i missed the small blade (and corkscrew) quite a bit but i'm getting used to it not being there. You can choke up on the longer blade and it is almost as good as the small blade for precision work.
O.T. all my celidor SAK's are surprisingly tough but damn that alox soldier is super tough, "built like a brick shithouse" as they say!
:)
 
Yah I always use the small blade, unless I have to struggle through some plastic or something. I dont like the feeling of a long blade on a folder.
 
It can be re-shaped to a fine pointed edge,
As a craft or carving tool there is no better,
So that when you cut fine work will not be a wide wedge,
But for rough work and opening a letter,
The large blade is the one that is used,
The SAK will never leave you out on a ledge.
The SAK is a knife that is tough to abuse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top