What advantages has a fixed blade over a folder?

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453

This question has probably been asked before but I have not come across it.

Anyway, I have observed that folders seem to be gaining popularity among collectors, or is it my imagination?

There was a time when fixed blades rule the roost, so to speak. These days, folders have surged to the fore and dominate the bladeland.

Folders have the merits of being convenient in terms of storage and ease of use. But what are the really major differences between a fixed blade and a folder?

Personally, I collect both types. Folders, to me, seem to be the "flavour of the season" but my fascination with fixed blades has not diminished.

I like fixed blades for their strength, and should I say unbreakable dependability? Folders, of course, are sturdy when well constructed but are no match compared with a full tang fixed blade in some aspects of usage.

I know there will be some who will beg to differ. I would really like to hear those views.

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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
I like both fixed and folder. But a fixed blade may have some advantages:

- will never close on your finger
biggrin.gif

- doesn't have moving parts (no need for lubricant)

 
One of the biggest advantages is that, with no joint in the middle, the blade is very strong, and can handle stresses of chopping, slashing, etc. much better. No matter how good the fit, the joint is really only as strong as the pivot pin...

Aside from that, though, the fixed blade will generally give you better leverage, more force, and can be of thicker stock, since there is less concern on how heavy/slim/thin it has to be. I've seen a number of 1/4" thick blades come out recently, and even a very few 5'16" monsters!


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Kalindras,
Washroom Attendant to the Nazgul
and
Holder of the Iron Key to the Men's Room of Mordor...
 
The fixed bladed knife is faster to deploy, safer, stronger, and more versatile. They are an absolute must have for any type of serious woodcraft. The folding knife is a convenient, easy to carry, low profile pocket tool. As we became more urbanized, our practical need for a serious field knife diminished, and the virtues of the folding knife have put it in the forefront.
 
I think those posts hit the nail on the head, they are simply made to be best in different applications and/or scenarios.

During the normal day I carry a folding knife with me since I work in a horrible part of town, simply because a fixed blade isnt feasible. However when i go out on long camping trips, I'll be damned if I'm going without a fixed blade for strength. Its simply stronger than the folder because its full tang.

Dark Nemesis

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Crimson Horizon
Nothing but edge baby...
dark.nemesis@home.com
 
If someone wants to get into collecting custom or handmade knives, for the most part fixed blades cost a lot less. I started buying handmade knives last year and ended up with eleven, ten fixed and one folder. I have three on order now all fixed blades. One of the things that make neck knives so popular is that they are probably the least expensive way to move up from production knives.

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"Will work 4 Knives!"
My PhotoPoint Site
 
As cutting tools, the advantages of fixed blades, other than durability, are that the blade doesn't have to be designed to fit in the handle or visa versa. You can have a 4.5" handle and a 6" blade, a handle that's shaped like a handle, and a blade that is shaped like a blade.

The advantages of folders is that they are easy to carry inconspicuously, just fold em up and drop em in your pocket. As collector items, folders have more advantages. They are more complex mechanisms than fixed blades, and the collector can enjoy the craftsmanship of the maker to a greater extent. Also, folders are more fun to play with.
 
I agree with all the previous posts about advantages in terms of strength, maintenance, speed of deployment, price etc. But there's another one. Some fixed blades have an incredible, smooth flowing line to them that is really appealing and rarely found in a folder. Wolfgang Loerchner's integrals are one example.
 
I perfectly understand the practical advantages of fixed blades over folders but I simply like folders much more. I enjoy the mechanics that go into making folders. I especially enjoy different types of locks. From a practical standpoint, folders are much less conspicuous and face fewer legal problems when carried off private property or anywhere outside of a camping or hunting situation. For my purposes which are light to medium utility, folders have more than enough strength. Outside of cooking, the only fixed blade that use around the house is a machete that I use on the bushes around the house.
 
A fixed blade IS a knife.

A folder is merely a compromise between having a cutting surface and having something that fits in your pocket. Also what Steve said.
 
Folders are little machines. The sensibility they appeal to is different than fixed blades; they elicit a different instinctive appreciation.

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Cerulean

"My good reason to carry a knife is that God gave me rather weak teeth and rudimentary claws in an evolutionary trade-off." - J.K.M.
 
I wrote a short piece on this very subject- should appear in the next issue of KI. I can't quote myself here because of copyright issues, but I've thought about it a lot. Truth is, I love 'em both.

Don Cowles
www.cowlesknives.com
 
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