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

Magnaminous_G said:
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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Deflect, deflect, deflect... Because your argument is weak and you have no proof for your assumption. Btw your arguments were spanked by the videos me and Nternal posted. Soo weak!
 
Anyway, back to the thread subject. Thanks for the comments.

I think after discussing this from several angles and thinking about it, it has made me rethink the area of owning large folders (this is for me, not trying to suggest what somebody else should do). Other folks can carry on here, but in my case there's not a serious NEED for larger folders. I get it that a lot of folks like them for the reasons mentioned earlier, and more power to you. That's all good. For me, I'm planning to sell the few remaining large folders I have, and then stick with medium folders (plus a MT, of course) for EDC, and then rely on fixed blades for outdoor use. The way I use knives, that's a reasonable "division of labor" as any quality folder of 3" to 3.75" is long and strong enough to do the kinds of stuff I need it to for EDC purposes (I work at a software company). I don't want or need larger in my EDC situation, and I don't want to deal with the added weight and cost given that I don't need the larger blades. When I'm outdoors, I transition to a medium-sized fixed blade, so again, a large folder is not useful or necessary. During EDC I always have a go bag close at hand, even at work, and if I ever need something larger/stronger as a blade, my Swamp Rat RMD is in the bag. On outdoor trips, the folder still comes along, but the RMD (or my Doug Ritter MK3) will be on my pack and so again, there's really no situation in which a large folder would add some capability that I need. Even in the area of potential "defensive" use, I personally kind of agree with George (Mercop) who teaches combatives. George doesn't believe that folders are a great defensive option (because you have to first draw, then open them, etc.), and ESPECIALLY for those who are not well trained. For that reason, I no longer really view my folders as primary defensive tools (the length of the blade is irrelevant, it's just folders in general). so I have even less reason to want a larger bladed folder. I have also begun carrying a small fixed blade in a Mercharness as a last ditch defensive option, but that really has no bearing on folder use.

That's me. I get that some people still get large folders just because they LIKE them and enjoy the craftsmanship. That part I fully understand; I have a couple of 1911's that I keep and use for the same reasons, even though "modern" plastic pistols are lighter, cheaper, less complicated to keep running, and have higher ammo capacity. But the 1911 well fitted is a such a piece of craftsmanship, it's a joy to shoot and use. I think for guys that enjoy large folders, that IMO is one of the most compelling reasons.
 
singularity35 said:
Whenever someone asks about lock strength, you always get a multitude of responses saying that it is quite seldom that a "quality" folder fails. Especially the "use your knife like a knife" folks. We always hear that most locks are strong enough for people's uses. However just ask about a "hard use" folder and a lot of the same people will say that "hard use folders" don't exist. Which is it really?
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I think people are referring to strength between a FB and folder given knives of equal blade thickness etc, the fixed blade will always be stronger given they both are quality products.

The lock will break or the handles will come apart (Fail) with much less force than it would take to break a solid piece of steel, that's not even really debatable and I seriously doubt that will ever change.

Not talking about lateral forces here (Prying).
 
OK, so I'll throw another opinion into the mix. I carry both a fixed blade on my belt(under a suit-jacket) and a folder in my pocket. The folder is for daily tasks that require a blade and the fixed is for those times when self defense is needed....I'm an investigator so they do present. I'm glad to own and carry both and while nothing beats the dependability of a fixed blade, a folder is like all my many tools......it occupies a niche that makes me feel comfortable. In the end, isn't comfort and preference what life is all about? By the way, my folder is a strider smf which is built like a tank/fixed blade so I guess maybe I get the best of both worlds in that one tool?? Regardless, I'd feel naked without both and a naked redhead is not something anyone wants to see without going blind!!
 
Legal aspects? In california, it's illegal to conceal a fixed blade, and I don't like walking around with an open blade, since many people are disturbed by it.
 
Minibear464 said:
Legal aspects? In california, it's illegal to conceal a fixed blade, and I don't like walking around with an open blade, since many people are disturbed by it.
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I don't like compromising myself for the peace of mind of others.
 
brandonc said:
I don't like compromising myself for the peace of mind of others.
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Yep. Life is too short to go around obsessing over what "the people" may think. As long as you're not causing a situation that will make them call 911 on you, or doing something that will get you fired or blacklisted at your workplace, aside from those cases, who CARES what someone else think? If what you're doing is legal and also is not rude or bizarre, then I don't see the point of worrying about whether it makes someone uncomfortable when I flip open my 3.5" or larger folder. If they want to whine about it, they can get therapy or learn to live with it. I'm not changing what I do if it's not wrong or illegal in the first place.
 
Ankerson said:
I think people are referring to strength between a FB and folder given knives of equal blade thickness etc, the fixed blade will always be stronger given they both are quality products.

The lock will break or the handles will come apart (Fail) with much less force than it would take to break a solid piece of steel, that's not even really debatable and I seriously doubt that will ever change.

Not talking about lateral forces here (Prying).
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That would depend upon your use would it? If 90 percent of the guys in the EDC thread are carrying folders, it's probably safe to say that those guys are not finding that their folders are falling apart from use.
 
in a lot of areas, a fixed blade may be illegal to carry. A large folder like an espada xl will be plenty big yet legal to carry at the same time.
 
The first time I feild dressed an animal I realized that I needed to get a fixed blade knife. My 110 folding hunter worked okay but was a mess to clean afterwards. That was many many years ago.
 
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