Weight fanatics...

dkb45

dkb45

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Joined
Dec 16, 2012
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I will preface with saying that I have no clue what forums this belongs in.

Why are some people so insanely obsessed with the weight of a knife? Almost daily I will see posts where a person asks for a knife suggestion with a stipulation of max weight of X oz. I can understand not wanting a heavy knife, but when a knife is under about 8 or 9 oz., you are just nitpicking. If you are that super concerned with weight, you should also go barefoot, not carry cash or change, and not eat to save any possible extra weight.

I have handled some quite heavy folders, and some incredibly light ones, and the extra weight made zero difference in how the knife handled and carried. The only place a heavy folder makes a difference is in running if you wear loose clothing because it will smack against your leg a lot.

What really gets me about weight saving is when a knife has overly milled liners. Is the weight saved really worth that liner now being less structurally sound? Is milling the handle to the extreme worth it now being possible to break? Honestly, how much weight is this milling saving, an ounce or two? Is that worth the added cost of manufacturing? I think the answer to all of these is a No.

I am not saying don't mill anything and save no weight, I am saying don't go overboard.
 
Nit picking?

I can tell the difference between a Benchmade 300SN at 4.85 oz and a full size Griptilian 550 at 3.76 oz.

YMMV.
 
I do not worry about weight myself. I can tell a difference. But it does not bother me either way.

As far as milling, if you are somehow able to break a g-10 scale and bend the liner, you are doing something seriously wrong with a folder.
 
dkb45 said:
I will preface with saying that I have no clue what forums this belongs in.

Why are some people so insanely obsessed with the weight of a knife? Almost daily I will see posts where a person asks for a knife suggestion with a stipulation of max weight of X oz. I can understand not wanting a heavy knife, but when a knife is under about 8 or 9 oz., you are just nitpicking. If you are that super concerned with weight, you should also go barefoot, not carry cash or change, and not eat to save any possible extra weight.

I have handled some quite heavy folders, and some incredibly light ones, and the extra weight made zero difference in how the knife handled and carried. The only place a heavy folder makes a difference is in running if you wear loose clothing because it will smack against your leg a lot.

What really gets me about weight saving is when a knife has overly milled liners. Is the weight saved really worth that liner now being less structurally sound? Is milling the handle to the extreme worth it now being possible to break?
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I'm in LE, and before I started using a tac-vest, the weight of a standard duty belt was always uncomfortable to say the least.. Especially in summer months.. I also used to carry larger blades, but then I asked myself... Why? Because I'm a man and need a BIG knife? lol.. No, and I couldn't justify it.

I'm a firm believer in carrying the right tool for the job, and a knife's purpose is.. lets face it.. for cutting. Carrying a folder over 6 ounces is pointless IMO, when I can carry something like a BM 940 that weighs only 2.90 ounces or a 530 for less than 2 - and I won't even feel it on my person, while still being able to accomplish cutting tasks.

Once you go light, you can't go back. You can carry in b-ball shorts without your shorts falling down, and you can still cut as well as other larger blades.. It all comes down to what you like. You might like a design on a larger knife that isn't offered in a smaller version - thank God BM sometimes accommodates to this! I personally don't mind milled out liners, I'm not gonna beat the thing to death anyway :rolleyes:

Don't fall prey to Rambo-syndrome!
 
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I have a guy at work that carries a key ring that would be the envy of any janitor, a flashlight, money clip, cell phone, spare magazine for his .380, a can of skoal and a small gerber pocket knife all in his front pockets. I showed him my adamas and he was like I don't know how you carry that big old thing. :confused: Yeah it's big but 2-3oz isn't make or break for me if I like the knife.
 
dkb45 said:
I can understand not wanting a heavy knife, but when a knife is under about 8 or 9 oz., you are just nitpicking.
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Tell that to my pants. Spydie millie, just fine. Leatherman Wave, pulling pants up every few minutes. Plus, I hike so the weight factors into a total load out that I'll have to carry. On the flipside, why in the heck would somebody actually WANT a heavy folder? :confused: :p
 
I care more about how the knife carries in the pocket, flatness etc than about weight.
 
When I carry in jeans or cargo pants I really don't mind the weight, but I wear scrubs to work and anything much over 5oz starts to get obnoxious in those. And considering the relatively absurd strength of some totally linerless models like most of Cold Steels G10 triad lock lineup I question how necessary full, unmilled liners really are. I rarely, if ever, do anything with a folder that requires that degree of strength from the handle.

Essentially, I see weight as something I put up with as a tradeoff for other attributes I value more, but if I can get the same stuff in a lighter package it's pretty much always a good thing.
 
Weight is one factor in how a knife feels. An unnecessarily heavy knife can feel clunky, while too light a knife can feel delicate. IMO, The "right" weight for a given design is usually the one that in use causes it to feel like a natural extension of your hand and your body; (at least for an EDC).
 
I care about weight because I when I am running or generally being active, a heavy knife is annoying or even painful.
Try running with a full-size multitool in your pocket, or worse... your cargo pocket.

I guess I also generally prefer things that aren't bloated. If I can get the same strength at 2oz lighter, I would feel foolish if I didn't.

High-performance means that something is only built as strong as it needs to be, no more. It's up to the user to know the limits.
 
An 8-9 oz. pocket knife is pretty heavy ,unless of course suspenders are in your everyday clothing line-up :)
 
I like heavy and lite for certain things

For instance, if I'm doing yard work outside around my house in the thicket, woods, brush, I want to always be able to feel my knife on my person. I hade a delica pulled out of my pocket and had know idea until I came in several hours later. I found it cause it was bright orange.

Also depends on my shorts , or pants, what kind they are, how much room is available in my pockets, what else am I carrying, where am I going too. If I'm going out to dinner and a movie most of the time I'll just edc my bm mini grip.
 
I guess I'm a fanatic, because it makes a difference to me. There are knives I like a bunch, but mostly wouldn't carry due to their weight and or size in pocket (I'm looking at you, ZT 0560).

I like thin, light knives for all the time carry.
 
For folder I prefer light... ehy titanuim is good I suppose.

for my work knives, they also must be light.

my chopper (kukri) is heavy but also considered a light kukri.


I guess it's just my preference.

I like being light?
 
At work I have to wear dress slacks, and the weight of my knife makes a HUGE difference. My work knives have to under 3 oz or they pull too much on my pants. Out of all of my knives, I am not even sure I have one that is 9 oz! That is a lot of metal
 
evilgreg said:
I guess I'm a fanatic, because it makes a difference to me. There are knives I like a bunch, but mostly wouldn't carry due to their weight and or size in pocket (I'm looking at you, ZT 0560).

I like thin, light knives for all the time carry.
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I edc my zt0561 a lot, guess it's like asking someone what ice cream they like, vanilla or chocolate.
It's just a personal preference. Neither is wrong.
 
I'm not saying there is not difference between between a heavy and light folder. I am saying that fretting over an ounce or two is kind of dumb. Also, obviously there is a noticeable difference in the pocket between a 6oz and 3oz knife, there is just a time and place for either knife. You don't carry a tanky massive knife into your desk job, just like how an EMT knife wouldn't normally be a Leek.

People are just, with this like all things, taking specifics to the extreme. If you are seriously impacted over a whole day by the extra 2 or 3 ounces imparted by a knife, then you are going too close to your physical limits. If you are really that concerned about weight, then you should be concerned about all weight, not just a few measly ounces from one single thing.
 
dkb45 said:
I'm not saying there is not difference between between a heavy and light folder. I am saying that fretting over an ounce or two is kind of dumb. Also, obviously there is a noticeable difference in the pocket between a 6oz and 3oz knife, there is just a time and place for either knife. You don't carry a tanky massive knife into your desk job, just like how an EMT knife wouldn't normally be a Leek.

People are just, with this like all things, taking specifics to the extreme. If you are seriously impacted over a whole day by the extra 2 or 3 ounces imparted by a knife, then you are going too close to your physical limits. If you are really that concerned about weight, then you should be concerned about all weight, not just a few measly ounces from one single thing.
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I think most of us who commented on your original post explained why weight is important, and answered you're original question:
dkb45 said:
Why are some people so insanely obsessed with the weight of a knife?
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But since your opinion on the matter is obviously very strong (and probably irreversible), why did you ask in the first place? You have your own answer lol, - you like large knives, people who fret over weight/few ounces are "dumb." Lol

I simply choose comfort when carrying ;)
 
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I personally don't have a weight limitation, but I see why some people prefer light knives. In one day I could carry a ZT 550 and a SOG Flash I. There's a 5 ounce difference there. I think to me it depends on how it carries
 
I don't really care about the weights of my knives. I do notice the difference, but it just doesn't matter to me when the knife is clipped into my pocket.

The only time it makes any difference to me is when I want to carry a knife loose in the pocket (ie: without a pocket clip). For those times I carry something light and compact.
 
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