What are the uses of the Lum Chinese folder?

F

fight4right

Joined
Nov 9, 2000
Messages
99
I am not trying to start a fight but I would like to know what the Lum was made to do. I know it looks good it a knife case but what is the proposed use of the knife?

A general utility blade?
Fancy dress blade?

I just don't see what it is designed to do.

Waiting for the answer behind a solid object (hopefully bulletproof),
Zach
 
Well, I'm not a knife designer or an expert of any kind, but the Chinese folder was designed around the long time working pattern used by the (!!) Chinese. So, it's a utility knife, at the very least. As with any utility knife, the uses are limited only by your imagination.
Hope this helps.
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Buck Collectors Club Member # 572
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Knifeknut(just ask my wife)
 
The Chinese have used the design for a few hundred years(I think). So if it works for them, it works for me.
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I think I'll just sit and look at mine(when I finally get one).
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Blades
 
Hi Fight. I have to agree with previous comments. The general shape has served in larger form for cutting brush like a machete, in smaller form as an all purpose folding knife.

Perhaps because it is different in appearance and shape to your experience, it is perceived as odd. However, I'm sure many of the modern models of folders (Clipits in particular) were odd when being introduced to a different set of memory inputs.

Bob Lum, my wife Gail, Vince (R&D/Eng) and I used the models extensively before going into production. We found them to be a highly functional shape both for use & carry.

sal
 
The main thing I wanted to know was if it was built toward one particular task.

I actually like the knife and the blade shape. It is a lot different than all the other knives in the line up. I just wanted to know a little more about the reasons behind the design.

Thanks.
 
If you go to the basement of the Nat History Museum in NYC they have (or used to have) this display of specialized traditional Chinese work knives.

The Chinese of late dynastic times (up to 1911 or so) were very fussy about using the proper knife for a specific task. That is, if you were gonna castrate a pig you'd better use the knife designed for pig castrating, etc.

The broad leaf shape and its variations are often associated w/food preparation. The broad blade allows for a very shallow edge angle and good control when using off hand fingers for positioning on straight cuts or chops.

The general utility leaf shape of the Spy/Lum comes from a southern Chinese (Cantonese) design and was likey adapted, in dynastic times, from some type of food preparation blade.

The northerners, generally speaking, prefered straighter and narrower blades for utility. These were often sheathed in a trousse that was cliped by a hanger to a belt or sash. The trousse usually contained a pair of chopsticks, "ear spoon," tooth pick and whatever else they wanted to fit in it.

Of course this is sort of a general breakdown. Knife types and usage varied by provence and not just a north/south division. A lot of Chinese utility blade designs probably depended on how much it actually had to do and was a function (like anywhere) of the type of food and fuel available in a given provence as well as the crime rate, etc.

[This message has been edited by booshank (edited 12-17-2000).]
 
http://knifenut.idv.tw/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000424.html

This knid of design is just like the chinese version of the Hawkbill knife

only the belly is upward instead the curve shape

That means you can use it for wider range task,
in the chinese design they come with 4 size about this knife shape

The smallest one is around 1" they can use as a bird trout knife

The largest one you can use it as a chopper

The Lum's design is comes with lock the original one don't ......that is way people like the Lum much ...
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Thanks


jonny
 
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