What do large knives do that small ones cannot?

Fred Sanford

Fred Sanford

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Sep 3, 2006
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I searched and couldn't seem to find any good threads on this question.

So, how many of you use larger folders like the Spyderco Military and may I ask why do you carry them? If it's for self defense I can understand. If it's for general use I wonder if a 3" blade knife or even something like a SAK blade can get just about everything done we would need?

I would say unless I'm using a folding knife to cut a bagel or other food in half I don't ever need a blade longer than 3". In fact I've tried to come up with reasons that my Military needs to be carried rather than my Paramilitary or my Salt 1. I really cannot find any.

So, I just wondered how many of you carry a large folder and actually use it? Could you get the same thing done with a smaller knife or do you really "need" the length of the larger blade?

Just curious. :)
 
You don't really need any more than 2.5 inches for most EDC tasks. However, I find that packing a 3.5 to 4 inch folder makes may tasks easier and less clumsy. Everything from cutting something into pieces like a sandwich or fruit, to cutting a thick string, to cutting down large boxes to cutting open bags is easier with larger blades that have more cutting edge and blade length at your disposal. 3.5 to 4 inches is my ideal size because of that. Plenty of cutting edge and length without being excessively heavy, pocket cramping or scary looking. I EDC a large Sebenza, and feel it has the perfect blade length.
 
I like being able to get all four fingers around the handle and rally having the bulk to lock into. Yeah, bigger knives are also better for tactical situations. Not to mention, big knives are just COOL.

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It's funny how different people are, because my opinion is almost completely the opposite of yours. It's the mid-sized blades I don't find much use for. For really delicate work I want a small blade that I can choke up on, almost like a scalpel or X-acto knife. For other stuff I generally reach for the longest blade available (within reason, of course). You can do most of the work of a short knife with a long one but the reverse often isn't true.

Longer blades mean more surface area for the edge, so you can take a longer draw and make a longer continuous cut. Small knives force you to hack away a little at a time. Think about the knives that chefs usually use--most of their daily work is done with 9-10 inch blades.
 
I guess you could look at it this way. In the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" The main character fella digs through a stone wall with a jewelers hammer (Very very small hammer) Now he was able to get it done, but it would have been easier with a sledgehammer or some explosives.

Another way you could look at it is thinking of the car you drive. For most days a super tiny one seater vehicle (like a motorcycle with a bubble around it) would be sufficient for most people. But it is nice to have the much larger size of a pickup truck for some things :D

That was the devils advocate talking. I was just trying to come up with things. I'm finding I like non-locking traditionals these days. A knife is to cut with in my book, and nothing zips through cardboard like a peanut blade! Or a swayback blade!

Then again, I had the Benchmade mini-lum and kept the full size. Those 4 inch blade knives have handles that are not compromised for sizes sake.

I talk too much sorry guys! (and gals)
 
A lot depends on the person using the knife. I once new an avid hunter that could field dress a deer quicker with his 2.5 inch slip joint Case than I could with a average sized fixed blade knife.
 
In a word - Fruit.

One main reason I switched from a small SAK to a larger model (the rucksack I think it was) was it's ability to cut through a whole orange or apple in one go.

The Spyderco MIlitary is a great food prep knife for that reason. It works really well as a fishing knife for one example.
 
I cut a lot of rope at work, and when cutting thick rope the longer the blade, the more rope gets cut. I find a long blade generally only good for slicing, as mentioned before a short blade is good for delicate point work. I got a Rukus yesterday and it hasn't left my pocket since. I tend to lean towards bigger knives as well because they usually have more hand filling handles and stronger construction.
 
A four inch blade reaches to the bottom of the peanut butter jar, and has more surface area to spread condiments smoothly. The longer, wider blade does not drag and tear the bread when you are trying to cut the PB&J sandy, nor will it mash a grilled cheese sandwich either.
I don 't do combat, hope never to, and would pretty much just fall over on my back and pee all over myself before engaging in hand to hand skin slicing, blood flowing, screaming like a flayed kitten personal warfare.
I do like to carry a smaller knife for whittling, string cutting, and box cutting, and I think any blade between the length of my finger tip to the first knuckle would be fine for edc, unless I was preping food.
 
Personally, I sometimes like to carry one of my large knives, and do so. UNLESS, I am going somewhere in MA. w/ a 2.5 blade limit, such as Boston.
 
A big use for my pocket knives is prepping food. I have great kitchen blades, but I'm not always around them when I eat. A longer blade can handle food like onions and bagels easily. Dicing is much easier with a fairly large folder. Spreading cream cheese is also easier with a wide, flat-ground blade. (My current favorite for these tasks is the ZT 0500.)
 
I like how the handle fills my hand. I could probably make due with a 3" or less blade but they aren't as comfortable
 
I like 3 1/2" to 4" folders. Food prep is much easier and cleaner. Cardboard cutting goes much quicker. And pretty much any cut that does not require a maximum amount of precision goes much faster with a large blade. But I get clumsy when the blade is over 4", and begin to lose the ability to perform many of those precision oriented tasks.

The Military is great example of a large folder. With the finger choil on the blade, you can choke up on your grip, and get your hand much closer to the tip than on most large folders. This translates to better precision on smaller detail cuts. Yet it also has a very large handle for a tight grip on larger cuts. The Millie is a large folder with much greater versatility than other folders of the same size. It does both small cuts and large cuts well.
 
I find that a longer blade reduces the amount of sawing you have to do to get through an object, saving you elbow grease. It just ends up reducing a lot of strain that would be caused by using a smaller blade during extended cutting periods and gives you extra reach.
 
I like knives with longer blades, and there're few things more monotonous than looking at a Spyderco catalog. Just about all the blades are roughly the same size and shape, and you can get the handle any color as long as it's black. You can get their Byrd Cara Cara with an almost 4-inch blade, but my EDC is a 5-inch Cold Steel Gunsite. I also have a few 4-inchers from the Voyager line, CRKT's M21 and M16 lines and a Benchmade Ascent. And of course I have the Cara Cara and a few others. I very rarely carry anything three inches or less in blade size, but it all depends on each individual and what type of cutting he or she will be doing.

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Bumppo you need the Spyderco Blunty! Unless you are the one who designed it!?!
Check youtube if you don't know what I'm talkin about.
 
Personally I don't care for big knives. I like smaller (around 4 inches closed).
Easy to carry, still big enough to get a good hold on, and I like being able to "feel" the work I'm doing.
IMHO, most tasks that the average person does, don't require a large blade and I don't think there is really much time saved. As mentioned though, for people that are chefs, or in a position where the knife is used hard, it would probably be beneficial
The main thing is, If you like it, carry it......
 
I actually see a need for three sizes of knives. A 2.5-3" for light pocket carry. A heavier duty longer blade 4" fixed preferably in the truck. A small blade (stockman design/SAK) to get into those hard to reach/clean spaces.
 
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