whats a good sized fixed blade for general utility work

R

Rifter

Joined
Dec 15, 2001
Messages
774
I want something smaller than my SRK but still big enugh to be useful, whats a good length for task from cutting food to cutting rope/line/cloth/etc. Im thinking 4".
 
i was thinking 3.5, is there much differnce between it and 4", anything the 4" is better for?
 
Anything over 3.5" is a "knife" here in Colorado -- I had been calling it a "weapon", but this months Blade quotes the statute as "knife". So if it's less than 3.5" it's a....?

Anyway, with that in mind, I've found several in the 3.625" range that are quite useful. I suspect if I COULD find something at exactly 3.5", that would be plenty.

Mike

P.S. Can't say enough good stuff about this new NNHD from Neil Blackwood, and this Tops Sea Wolff with the sheath from River City is GREAT. I stashed my 154CM Talon in my "emergency" kit, so I haven't used it much, but it seems like a very useful size / shape.
 
here in canada you can carry anything if you have reason to do so, there are no lenght restrictions, you could walk around with a katana as long as it wasnt concealed. you have to open carry here, anyhting concealed is illegal.
 
Rifter: the laws are a bit more confusing than that, but hey, it's Canada!

I think that you should carry a blade as long as you are comfortable carrying. Longer always (within reason) is more useful. I think that 4" is a magic nomber... a great size for EDC in folder or fixed, not too scary, could still save your ass if needed. A great, all round length.
 
Rifter,
I agree about 4 inches - the most versatile size for utility tasks. 5 inches is my absolute maximum of blade length. If someone says that he (or she) needs longer blade for certain utility tasks - in my opinion this displays the task confusion only. This job simply is not for the knife.
 
I lean closer to the 3" side more and more each year for general utility, but one man's general utility not the same as another's.

When I worked as a restaurant manager, my general daily utility was cutting lemon slices and cutting boxes. That made 4" ideal since few lemons had wider diameter than that.

Now that I'm an Engineer working in an office, my daily tasks tend to require more precision and the shorter 3" blade length is much easier to work with. A 4" blade would just be too big, forcing me to choke too far up on it - a handle is much more comfortable to hold than the spine of a blade.
 
That Camillus Talon in 154CM would make a great user for your needs. I'm don't remember the blade length exactly but, certainly remember how handy it is stashed on a neck sheath when I need cut a tough piece of meat from the company cafeteria or pop shipping bands on shipping boxes.

Outside, I find I like something a little larger in the ~5 inch range. The extra length and blade weight makes a chopping cut much more practical on vines and branches. I used a Livesay model this past weekend and it performed wonderfully. I has also used an AllenBlade in the past with similar great results.
 
I've been experimenting with this lately. I have fixed blade utility knives ranging from 2.75" to 6". For the usual box, string, package, cutting, especially in an urban context, I find 2.5" to be perfectly adequate, easily reaching the middle of an apple or bagel, etc. Outside, around the farm, and for more versatility in the kitchen, I find 3" to 4" is even better, and in the woods, hiking, etc., I prefer something in the 4-5" range. In the winter (snow camping) the extra reach of a 6" knife can be useful if its otherwise light (weight) enough.

Over-all, and for 90% of the uses to which I put a utility knife other than camping, the 3.5-4" blade is the best for me.
 
I love my Greco companion and my Becker Campanion so the answer for me is 4.5 to 5 inches.

Ben
 
The 3.5-4" range is all most folks will ever need for the vast majority of their knife needs,IMHO.
 
for utility 3.5" or less. Actually like a 2.5-2.75 inch blade a lot.

for outdoor recreation may add a 5".
 
You might look into the handy little Mora blades, which are great beater/utility knives. Probably one of the best bargains in steel, to boot, whether stainless or carbon. Check ragweedforge.com or the Martiini website. James Mattis thought the little red handled utility knife Martiini makes was one of the best cutters around. I rehandled a couple of those for friends and agree.
 
You might look into the handy little Mora blades, which are great beater/utility knives. Probably one of the best bargains in steel, to boot, whether stainless or carbon.
Click to expand...
I agree, we often ignore some of the best deals out there for real cutting (maybe not chopping and wood splitting) because a sub-$30 knife just isn't "cool" enough. My Mora2000 did a lot of work last summer. Sure it had to be sharpened a little more often, but then that was easy to do! The 5" long 1/16"-thick blade even did a little lite wood splitting, not to mention <i>cleaning off a bar-b-q grill</i>, something I would never even <i>dream</i> of doing with any of my more expensive knives! Yet it came through the abuse pretty well! Indeed its handle and grind is so unusual that it has a "cool factor" all its own even at $25!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top