What are the practical reasons to get large folders versus fixed knives?

So, here's a partial list of the interesting responses I've seen for why folks still like to carry a large folder, despite the heavier weight, greater cost, and trade-offs versus a similar-sized fixed blade:

* Concealment. You can more easily conceal a 4" to 5" folder than a fixed blade of the same size.
* Convenience of carry. Because a folded 4" blade is more compact than its fixed counterpart, you can fit even a good sized folder in an ordinary jeans pocket, or in a convenient belt sheath, in a small side pocket on a backpack, etc. Gives you more flexible carry options than with fixed blades. It is not really practical to pocket a medium-sized fixed knives with blades of 4" or longer, since they are usually a minimum of 8.5" long and often more.
* Some like folding knives as precision craftwork or even as art.
* Some don't like the added bulk of a sheath on a fixed blade, so the folder seems like a less bulky carry option.
* Some believe that a folder, even a large one, does not appear as threatening to the general public when they see the knife. I don't know about this one: when you open a large blade, it's big and intimidating to sheeple, whether it's fixed or a folder.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
I'm not an engineer, so I can't show you charts and statistics, but a solid piece of metal (full tang) is stronger than a blade on a pivot with locks and pins. You can baton with a fixed blade--for example--and if the steel is appropriate and heat-treated properly you only have to worry about chipping the blade. If you baton on the back of a folder hard enough, you will break the parts.
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Well I'm not an engineer either, but I do have a doctorate in Physics from Cornell Univ. and I can assure you that a solid piece of metal is not always stronger. The pressure exerted by batoning for instance has a lot to do with the technique and tensile strength of the steel and type of handle material and type of lock. Length and thickness of the blade and agian steel type will determine performance. I would trust my ZT 0300 to baton more than a Mora and as an Izula, but I wouldn't really baton with either unless I had to. I wouldn't hesitate to baton with my Scrapyard SOD Sr-77 steel .25 thick. I'm not gonna carry it to work every day. Batoning is not the only measure of strength and at the pressures most would be using them (the two examples) I would expect blade failure first.
 
Maddogg774 said:
Well I'm not an engineer either, but I do have a doctorate in Physics from Cornell Univ. and I can assure you that a solid piece of metal is not always stronger. The pressure exerted by batoning for instance has a lot to do with the technique and tensile strength of the steel and type of handle material and type of lock. Length and thickness of the blade and agian steel type will determine performance. I would trust my ZT 0300 to baton more than a Mora and as an Izula, but I wouldn't really baton with either unless I had to. I wouldn't hesitate to baton with my Scrapyard SOD Sr-77 steel .25 thick. I'm not gonna carry it to work every day. Batoning is not the only measure of strength and at the pressures most would be using them (the two examples) I would expect blade failure first.
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As a PhD from Cornell, you have publications you can cite, I'm sure. Do you mind providing us with links to your website and a few of your most important academic publications?
 
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Hey Magnaminous_G order a coldsteel spartan and thump on it, including batoning and let me know if you still feel the same.I can link you to a place you can buy it for under 50$ including shipping.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
As a PhD from Cornell, you have publications you can cite, I'm sure. Do you mind providing us with links to your website and a few of your most important academic publications?
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What? Why should I, the oness is on you...you made the assertion of "fact" that a fixed would always be stronger than a folder. My point doesn't need citation (that your making an assumption based on unlearned opinion) yours does. What I would be very interested to know is what experience you base your opinion on and what folders and fixed blades you own and have experience with. As for my website??? As for publications I frequent but am unpublished the Journal of Particle physics because my degree is theoretical physics of solid state matter (waste of time and money btw,I am not in "the business") especially the articles about carbon cage distribution and sub-zero quenching, and tensile strength of metals with uniform carbide distribution.
 
[video=youtube;GFSQIXby518]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFSQIXby518&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;CMBTPo2Xgh0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMBTPo2Xgh0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL2F035453A29037D2[/video]
 
Maddog, you have a "doctorate in physics" and you're spelling "onus" as "oness"?

Dissertation titles at public universities are published, so they should be on the public record. I look up dissertations sometimes on Proquest. What's your dissertation subject and title, if you don't mind?
 
maximus83 said:
Maddog, you have a "doctorate in physics" and you're spelling "onus" as "oness"?

Dissertation titles at public universities are published, so they should be on the public record. I look up dissertations sometimes on Proquest. What's your dissertation subject and title, if you don't mind?
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Yes and sorry my iPad likes to autocorrect what it thinks it means, and I don't spell no good...lol. I do mind, if I wanted everyone to know my real name and everything about me I would use my real name as my handle. I notice you don't either. While you may be ok(that I don't know) there are some real freaks out there who could find out almost everything about me from just the title of my dissertationsssss...lol...I have more than one. Btw Cornell is not a public univ. it is private.
 
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Maddogg774 said:
Yes and sorry my iPad likes to autocorrect what it thinks it means, and I don't spell no good...lol. I do mind, if I wanted everyone to know my real name and everything about me I would use my real name as my handle. I notice you don't either. While you may be ok(that I don't know) there are some real freaks out there who could find out almost everything about me from just the title of my dissertationsssss...lol...I have more than one.
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If you don't want to reveal your private information publicly, just send me an e-mail/PM with your name and the name of your dissertation. In return, I'll give you my real name and the title of my Master's thesis, which you can easily verify with the school. Or--if you don't trust me--I'm sure one of the mods would gladly act as a third party arbitrator and verify your claims for us. Does that sound fair?

If you're going to claim to be an expert with a PhD in Physics, I think you should be ready to prove it.
 
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Magnaminous_G said:
I don't believe you have a PhD from Cornell or any school. And based on your lack of command of the English language, I'm not even convinced you graduated from high school. And I really resent you pretending to be an expert and claiming degrees you do not have. That is as bad as pretending to be a SEAL; it's called "stolen valor" for a reason. Do you have any idea how much sacrifice and work is required to get a PhD in the hard sciences? People spend 11 years in school working on their PhD's. How dare you claim such a thing and expect everyone to just believe you without offering any proof. That is just insulting.
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So mature...I dissagree and ask you to prove your point and you attack me, not prove your point. You can assume anything you like about me, I have nothing to prove to some name on a forum. And as far as how much work (money) it takes, do you? What is your level of education and would you prove it mister??? O that's right I don't know or care what your real name and education background is...your just some dude who EDCs a buck 110 and thinks folders are weak. Ps. As bad as "Stolen Valor" really?
 
I prefer a small fixed blade and about a 3 to 4 inch folder for edc. But I will be the first to admit that I love flicking a big folder just for the hell of it. With that being said...
How many times is this topic going to get kicked? The horse is dead already.
 
I dig both...but if I could I'd carry a fixed blade all of the time. Guess I can but it sucks how a folding knife and a fixed blade of the same size get such different responses from the public. Folders kind of have a built in sheath and even the big ones look a bit more practical then most fixed blades IMO. I've never had one fail and I use em hard...no abuse or baton stuff, just work. I suppose I carry pretty good quality ones though. I get attached to my knives so I guess the main reason I carry a large folder instead of a fixed blade is because no matter what I'm wearing or where I'm going I feel like I can take my knife along. I've tried and struggled to do the same with my fixed blades. I live in area where a lot of guys carry fixed blades but I also travel a lot and it bums me out to have to leave my knife when I go elsewhere. I recently realized though that with all of the knife laws coming in and rights that we're losing, us knife lovers (that still can) should make it a point to carry fixed blades out in public to show people that knives can be tools used by responsible people and not just weapons. If more people carried em and use them properly then public perception would change, and laws might have to reflect that. If all we carry is light, tiny little knives then pretty soon we won't have a choice to carry anything larger...guess some of us already can't.

Just as I posted this the local news reported a multiple stab wound death. So that's all the greater public sees and hears about knives.
 
Maddogg774 said:
So mature...I dissagree and ask you to prove your point and you attack me, not prove your point. You can assume anything you like about me, I have nothing to prove to some name on a forum. And as far as how much work (money) it takes, do you? What is your level of education and would you prove it mister??? O that's right I don't know or care what your real name and education background is...your just some dude who EDCs a buck 110 and thinks folders are weak. Ps. As bad as "Stolen Valor" really?
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I edited my original post while you were responding. If you are going to be claiming that you are an expert on knife metals with a PhD in Physics, who specializes in carbon cage distribution and sub-zero quenching and tensile strength of metals (basically meaning that you are an expert on this thread topic), you should be prepared to prove that.

So, are you willing to have a mod act as arbitrator and verify your degree? If you really do have a PhD in Physics from Cornell, I will publicly apologize to you and accept your opinion as expert. But since you can barely spell... I need that proof.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
I edited my original post while you were responding.
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Sorry, no I don't know you, and I really don't know or have been here long enough to trust the Mods with my personal info. I understand why you would like proof, but it is not germaine to the topic, as Nternal pointed out. And you have yet to answer my questions, that are on topic, you just seem to deflect.
 
Maddogg774 said:
Sorry, no I don't know you, and I really don't know or have been here long enough to trust the Mods with my personal info. I understand why you would like proof, but it is not germaine to the topic, as Nternal pointed out. And you have yet to answer my questions, that are on topic, you just seem to deflect.
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Actually, it is very germane (you misspelled it "germaine," professor) to the topic because you are claiming to be an expert on the tensile strength of metals with a PhD from Cornell. But that's a hard sell... especially if you can't spell. That's a big red flag. I'll gladly answer all of your questions here:

1. And as far as how much work (money) it takes, do you?
Yes. It can take four or more years after getting a Master's (or five years or more if getting a combined Master's/PhD). And it can cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars.

2. What is your level of education and would you prove it mister???
Yes. I already said I would be willing to. I have a B.A. in International Affairs from GWU and an M.S. in Asian Studies from UVA. I'll gladly let a mod verify my educational claims for you. Or I'll swap you my info for yours. All you have to do is call GWU and UVA. And I'll call Cornell. :D

3. As bad as "Stolen Valor" really?
Yes, really. There's too many folks running around claiming to be Navy SEALS, doctors, and PhD's, and it's shameful. If you make a claim like that, you better be ready to prove it. And it's not hard to prove. Schools keep records. So what are you afraid of?
 
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