Weight obsession?

B

basmca

Joined
Aug 1, 2017
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Everyone has things they like and dislike in knives, some want flippers, some hate it, some only carry fixed and some won't even take them out of the kitchen, ect ect.

Most things i can understand, but the one thing i just don't get is the obsession over a few grams. It's not like you're going to notice the difference between the token light knife(benchmade bugout) and a mini grip, delica or ZT 0450 (Cf)

Personally i want a knife that's at least 100 grams.

So please explain to me why so many of you guys want lighter and lighter knives, at the cost of quality and strenght.
 
I usually carry a ZT 0450,Spyderco Mantra or a mini grip g10 none of witch are weak or bad quality.I prefer light knives.
 
I appreciate light folding knives but heavier folders (up to 5 ozs) are no bother.
Size and feel in pocket seems to be more important to me than weight.

The weight of my GB1 is over 5 ozs which is no problem but it's a little large in pocket for EDC.

I don't feel that lighter equals less quality.
 
basmca said:
Everyone has things they like and dislike in knives, some want flippers, some hate it, some only carry fixed and some won't even take them out of the kitchen, ect ect.

Most things i can understand, but the one thing i just don't get is the obsession over a few grams. It's not like you're going to notice the difference between the token light knife(benchmade bugout) and a mini grip, delica or ZT 0450 (Cf)

Personally i want a knife that's at least 100 grams.

So please explain to me why so many of you guys want lighter and lighter knives, at the cost of quality and strenght.
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I carried my Bugout the first half of last week everyday @ work, and finished the week with my 0450cf. Call me crazy but I could definitely tell the difference in weight. Not that it matters to me as both are incredible carry knives. Just saying......
 
You can definetly tell the difference. I used to carry a 250g pos and then got something like 150g and am weight addicted since then. The grip weights more than double that of the bugout! If you can't tell the difference you may want to have yourself checked :P
 
When I'm working hard, moving around a lot, and sweating, a few grams does make a big difference believe it or not, as well as what material it is. I notice a titanium or aluminum handled knife in my pocket much more than FRN or G10 while I'm working, just due to density. Don't get me wrong, casually strolling around down I don't care how heavy the knife I'm carrying is, it's not a bother.
 
I don't carry knives over about 4.7 OZ. above that I feel the weight and it drags down my pocket-due to carrying in cargo shorts in the front cargo pocket. I have found that I prefer around 4.2 OZ or less- at that weight I don't notice the knife in my pocket. I have found knives that fit this criteria and do not give up strength quality or performance.
Those are just my preferences and others can do as they like.
 
When the weight of a folding knife starts to equal that of a stout fixed blade, I'll carry the fixed blade and not deal with the compromises of a folding knife.
 
basmca said:
So please explain to me why so many of you guys want lighter and lighter knives, at the cost of quality and strenght.
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I wouldn't say I want it at the cost of quality and/or strength but I typically carry to an office job and don't need anything heavy duty nor do I want a knife that I can feel weighting down my pocket. I generally look for knives under ~5 oz it isn't an absolute but typically somewhere past that 5 oz mark is when it begins to feel weighty in/on the pocket.
 
As a general rule, I don't care much about the weight of my primary folder - two of my favorites dance around the 8 oz mark. At work, however, I've recently been appreciating slimmer and lighter...e.g. my GM3 or Anthem.
 
I never gave as much thought to the weight as much as the balance. Being retired my EDC needs have changed, so weight depends on where I'm going. Out of curiosity I weighed my heaviest and lightest folder (1.05 to 8.3 oz)
What I'm wearing, where I'm going, and what I'm planning to do decide which knife ( for me these days almost a functional jewelry decision) and how much weight and blade is appropriate.
(Fortunately this puts me on a level playing field with the wife's shoe obsession as far as buying knives )
So with so many choices , I'm at 50 and counting, they are all works of functioning art, that are " worth the weight"
 
A couple of my reasons for preferring lighter pocket knives:
  • Wardrobe flexibility: in jeans even a Medford folding club/knife is fine, but if you have to wear dress pants or workout shorts a 5+ ounce knife feels like a boat anchor
  • Trimming total weight of stuff my belt is supporting: I carry a firearm as much as legally possible, plus my wallet, my keys, my phone, and my knife, all of which are supported by my belt one way or another (I carry 1 o'clock AIWB, 4 o'clock IWB, or front right pocket). Even light guns are pretty heavy and the 9mm guns I usually carry weigh a fair chunk. The Walther PPS M2 weighs about 25 oz loaded, the Kahr CM9 weighs about 18 oz loaded, and the may-explode-it's-so-unsubstantial Diamondback DB9 weighs about 15 oz. Even a minuscule .380 like my Ruger LCP II weighs 13+ oz loaded. I carry a small wallet, I carry only my car key and my house key on my keys, and I don't want my phone to be any smaller than it is. Saving a couple of ounces wherever I can (light gun, light wallet, light knife) all adds up.
I generally try to carry knives that weigh about four ounces or less where possible. I don't find this particularly limiting, I have multiple ~3.75"+ bladed knives that fit under my weight preferences (e.g. customized Southard Tolk, ZT 0454, CKF Milk, CKF customized SSE, perforated version Olamic Swish, etc.) and they're all plenty sturdy for any practical folding knife use.
 
When looking at knives, weight is probably the last thing most shoppers use as a criteria when browsing for a new purchase. It's not like people will see a new knife and like the design and aesthetics but decide to opt out as it is 3.4 Ounces instead of 2.4. Someone may get a knife and wish it was a little lighter maybe but its probably rare to find people who shop by weight.
 
BubbaGump said:
When looking at knives, weight is probably the last thing most shoppers use as a criteria when browsing for a new purchase. It's not like people will see a new knife and like the design and aesthetics but decide to opt out as it is 3.4 Ounces instead of 2.4. Someone may get a knife and wish it was a little lighter maybe but its probably rare to find people who shop by weight.
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FWIW, I do this. My process is more like "Oh, that looks neat, wonder what it weighs?" followed often by "5.4 oz? No thanks." It's usually the very first thing I check after seeing a picture and being interested. I still buy some of the heavier ones, but I do so less and less these days as I know I just won't carry them often.
 
I think my Gayle Bradley carries substantially better than my CF Manix 2, even though there is a "significant" weight difference with the GB being heavier. Dimensions of the knife matter a lot more than the weight. Carry preference and what pants you are wearing will also play larger impacts than weight alone from my experience.
 
I don't seem to notice the weight of my knives in jeans, but in shorts I definitely can tell the difference between 2 ounces to 5.

That doesn't mean I get all hung up on the weight, though. If I like a certain design and it's a bit fatter than my usual carry I'll still probably get it.
 
My cut off is 7.2 oz. :D

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It only matters to me if I'm in gym shorts. A Manix 2 is just not gonna work in gym shorts, but a Delica would be just fine.

That said, I wear gym shorts around the house, and at the gym. That's it. If I'm out, I'm wearing more substantial clothing and then, no, it doesn't matter to me at all.

QAJAQ said:
Every ounce counts to a backpacker . . . And every gram when you get older!
Click to expand...

Ounces count to me. I measure in 'Murican.:p
 
basmca said:
Everyone has things they like and dislike in knives, some want flippers, some hate it, some only carry fixed and some won't even take them out of the kitchen, ect ect.

Most things i can understand, but the one thing i just don't get is the obsession over a few grams. It's not like you're going to notice the difference between the token light knife(benchmade bugout) and a mini grip, delica or ZT 0450 (Cf)

Personally i want a knife that's at least 100 grams.

So please explain to me why so many of you guys want lighter and lighter knives, at the cost of quality and strenght.
Click to expand...
I would like to know how you equate weight with quality?

One has nothing to do with the other.
For the record, I don't carry anything over 4.5 oz's and I only buy quality knives!
 
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