When is a knife no longer considered a knife in terms of blade length?

XQ42A said:
ex) is this still a knife


http://www.3riverblades.com/3_river_blades_BigBlades.html

Also I'm new here
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Of course that's a knife. It has a 9 inch blade, what else would you even think it was? There's quite a few knives in that size range, and a fair amount even larger.

For me, up to an 11 inch blade is a knife. 11-13 inches is borderline, can go either way, depending on design and function(ie, Cold Steel Natchez Bowie is a knife, Condor Village Parang is a machete), over 13 inches you're most likely in machete territory.
 
Welcome! Interesting question, I assume there is a cut off at some point. I believe the OP was wondering when it becomes a sword instead of a knife. Maybe someone else knows the exact length, just like a pig becomes a hog at 120 lbs.
I would still consider a blade a knife until about 12 inches or so.
 
Welcome! The answers above seem reasonable to me. You could also ask in the Sword subforum, they might have more specific guidelines as to blade length.
 
From the best of my knowledge there is no established length of what determines when a knife becomes a sword. Truth be told it is really up for the maker to determine if it is to be considered a sword. Interestingly enough though traditionally only a sword smith can make swords but a blacksmith can make every other blade under the sun including knives. So it might really be determined as to what qualifications the maker has.
 
I dont really consider my 2 Busse Gladius's a knife, but a short sword. I have several of the 9" CRK OPK, so its somewhere inbetween.
 
I agree with just about all the above posts.
I consider a blade to be a knife out to 12"-13".

Now this may seem like high numbers, but there are some Western Bowies out there that are 12"-13" and it's hard to call a large Bowie knife anything but a knife.

Otherwise, I lower my personal limits to about 11". Everyone has their own interpretation, but I believe there is no set limit.
 
If you wouldn't use it one-handed to sharpen a toothpick, it's no longer a knife. :D
 
When a knife ceases to be a knife due to length, then it's typically classified as a sword. That said, the very definition of a sword can be difficult to define...we know it when we see it, but is it really a sword, or is it still a knife. As a rough rule, a knife of 0" - 6" is considered a short knife...6" - 12" a long knife...12" - 24" a short sword...greater then 24" it's classified as a sword or long sword. But the Japanese have made tanto swords that were typically in the 9" range, so one has to shitcan the general rules of thumb. So, my rule of thumb is a knife is a tool that one can use for any number of tasks...slicing, dicing, skinning, puncturing, cutting, de-boning, shaving, filleting, carving, whittling etc. Most swords are useless in these tasks, and are most suited for one thing, and one thing only, combat; but then we have what some call "combat" knives, so there really is no easy definition. Is there anything left of your brains yet?
 
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I agree that it is around the 12" mark. Obviously there's no exact cutoff but this seems to be about as big as knives get for the most part. Of course every rule has exceptions. I don't agree the the sword = weapon, knife = tool definition though, since there are a significant number of knives that are designed primarily as weapons.
 
Moses2792796 said:
I agree that it is around the 12" mark. Obviously there's no exact cutoff but this seems to be about as big as knives get for the most part. Of course every rule has exceptions. I don't agree the the sword = weapon, knife = tool definition though, since there are a significant number of knives that are designed primarily as weapons.
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....and that's why I mentioned "combat knives" in my post. RTFFP.;)
 
When I said that I was mostly referring to blades over 16 inches long, it's where the difference starts getting fuzzy and that's the only REAL distinguishing characteristic, design intention. I do have trouble calling anything with a blade smaller than 14 inches a sword, so that's the closest to a "limit" I could define.
 
yoda4561 said:
When I said that I was mostly referring to blades over 16 inches long, it's where the difference starts getting fuzzy and that's the only REAL distinguishing characteristic, design intention. I do have trouble calling anything with a blade smaller than 14 inches a sword, so that's the closest to a "limit" I could define.
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Tell that to a Samurai with his 9" tanto.
 
Alnamvet68 said:
....and that's why I mentioned "combat knives" in my post. RTFFP.;)
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Aha I guess I wasn't reading too carefully. I guess you could also make the point that alot (not all) of combat knives are designed to be effective as both a weapon and a tool, in fact I'd say a significant number of modern knives fall into this category, although the emphasis on its function can go either way. On the other hand swords are pretty much always weapons only.
 
yoda4561 said:
It depends on the intended use really. There are swords with 16 inch blades and knives with 60 inch blades. One is for killin, the other is for utility. I present you the longest "knife" that I'm aware of. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maguro_bōchō
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I was thinking of the maguro bocho too. As long as it is meant to be used as a tool, it isn't a sword.

Alnamvet68 said:
When a knife ceases to be a knife due to length, then it's typically classified as a sword. That said, the very definition of a sword can be difficult to define...we know it when we see it, but is it really a sword, or is it still a knife. As a rough rule, a knife of 0" - 6" is considered a short knife...6" - 12" a long knife...12" - 24" a short sword...greater then 24" it's classified as a sword or long sword. But the Japanese have made tanto swords that were typically in the 9" range, so one has to shitcan the general rules of thumb. So, my rule of thumb is a knife is a tool that one can use for any number of tasks...slicing, dicing, skinning, puncturing, cutting, de-boning, shaving, filleting, carving, whittling etc. Most swords are useless in these tasks, and are most suited for one thing, and one thing only, combat; but then we have what some call "combat" knives, so there really is no easy definition. Is there anything left of your brains yet?
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We can always define a combat knife/dagger as a sword below a certain length, if that helps any. Of course, we also have things like Bowie knives that blur the line between tool and weapon.
 
Around 12" blade length is where I draw the line, but if the manufacturer calls it a knife, I stick with knife. If they call it a sword or short sword or whatever, it's a sword. Is a machete a knife or sword? To me it is a sword made to cut things other than people. Or is it? :)
 
When a blade is this tiny, it's safe to stop calling it a knife.

precision-ceramic-cutter.jpeg
 
Alnamvet68 said:
the Japanese have made tanto swords that were typically in the 9" range, so one has to shitcan the general rules of thumb.
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Tanto's are considered to be knives/daggers. Wakizashi's are short swords, usually ranging from about 14" - 20" blade length. There is a degree of overlap depending on period of manufacture and you get additional classifications of "O" (long) and "Ko" (short).
 
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