Why do "LBK" people look down on people who like larger knives?

singularity35

singularity35

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Mar 1, 2010
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I'm probably wrong but I sometimes feel that LBK(little big knife) people look down.on us people who prefer bigger knives. Any thoughts, feedback, or violent reactions?
 
What is a little big knife? I'm sure others here know already, but I don't. What is an example of an LBK (could be large-bladed knife! ;) ) vs. a bigger knife? I carry knives with at least 3.5 blades and like them closer to 4", I don't think many here look down on me for it... not that I go on about it or anything though.
 
I try to respect everyone's differences here, especially when it comes to something as trivial as knife preferences! :)

I'm also unsure of the official definition of a LBK however I prefer a 3.5" folder almost 100% of the time. Can go down to 3" but the handles are often too small and can go up to 4" but sometimes it just seems like too much blade.
 
Blues Bender said:
I feel like the "strictly SAK's" crowd looks down on anything that's not a SAK:D
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Nah, just knives that aren't red.... :D ;)

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Personally I never understood any kind of knife snobbery, which definitely exist but isn't very present here. Fixed blade vs folders, mid-tech vs handmade, stainless vs carbon, production vs custom... there is a knife for every situation and a situation for every knife.
 
I personally prefer large knives, but not actually due to the blade length. For large hands, I need a sizable handle to be comfortable, and in turn, the blade then has to be proportionate. As such, I have gotten used to 4" blades for the most part. At the same time, one of my all-time favorite knives to which I often return is the Brous Blades Silent Soldier Flipper. It is laughably small in overall and blade length compared to my other knives, but it is extremely comfortable in hand and function. Thus, I base my choices of knives on what's comfortable to use and handle, so long as the blade has a usable shape and length.

While I, also, don't understand much of the snobbery of that which does exist, I don't see all too much in this regard. I'm personally interested in what people's choices are in knives and what their reasoning is behind them.
 
SAK's are nice knives. I bought a collection once; I carried one small multi-bladed one for a week or so along with my "main" EDC. I used the scissors once or twice, but finally left it at home. I carry a folder that's at least 4.3 inches closed length, and prefer a blade-length of 3-3.5". I'm carrying a flipper right now, but the flipper aspect had no play in why I purchased the knife. I just like the knife, and stud or flipper...all the same to me.
 
OP, you're probably talking about fixed blades?? How 'big' are you talking? In town, I won't wear a fixed blade that's over about 4". Even when it's legal a blade beyond that size begins to draw stares, often understandably so. What am I going to run into day to day that requires a knife that looks like it's on loan from the kitchen?

As far as folders, over time I've evolved toward the 3.5" + as far as blade preference on a folder. I have some <3.5's that I like a lot and find myself wishing they were a little longer, one case in point being my Buck CSAR Liason. Right now I consider a 4" blade as about right. There's a limit to what is practical for a pocket.

Only exception I might make would be for a bigboy Espada.
 
First time I've heard that term actually.

I'm a "small folder" guy I guess (biggest folder is a svörd peasant). My edc is 2.75in, but could legally carry more (although I live close to other places with a 3in limit). But I carry the smaller one because its... Smaller. Less space in the pocket, less weight, and still has done everything that I need. I have gone as small as the case peanut, but that doesn't work for me. Peasant mini is about as small as works for "my" uses.

And I guess personally I feel like functionally, if you're needing a 4in folder for tasks, then you're starting to get into fixed blade territory. If you like big folders (or have legal reasons) that's fine, it doesn't bother me at all. But beyond about that size range you might want to at least start looking into a fixed.

I get the handle size "argument", but I guess since my uses for folders are pretty light, I am fine with even a 3 finger grip (when I open a box I don't hold it in a full grip anyway).

Anyway, to each his own. I at least don't feel like I look down on larger blades, but I guess that doesn't mean others don't. And honestly, I feel like all the popular choices for blades fall into the roughly 3 - 3.5in range, so it would seem that both small folder people and large folder people are in kind of similar situations, just on opposite sides of the coin :/.

And my tastes for fixed blades is on the large side (BK9 = :)).
 
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And I have definitely noticed a certain vibe amongst some who carry smaller knives. If you carry something much above 3.5 inches some guys tend to just crap themselves with disbelief.

I caught a lot of flack (and straight up disbelief) when my EDC was a cold steel recon 1 xl. I carried it just fine, and used it just fine with no problems. For some reason some guys just can't wrap their mind around carrying something that big every day.
 
I believe that the o.p. is referring to how Spyderco referred to some of their smaller models, including the Dragonfly, Salsa, Techno, Spin, Co-Pilots, etc. as "Little Big Knives" in that they make up for their 'Little' profiles, by having 'Big' cutting performance.
-I don't know about anyone "Looking down on" a larger carry knife, perhaps maybe either a fear of a larger blade,
ie: Large blade = weapon, or maybe their mindset is that the larger blade is overkill (no pun intended) for their everyday tasks. B.T.B.
I personally can appreciate both, especially when they are both carried together, and the need dictates which blade will be
best suited for the task.
 
Best thing to do is NOT worry about what others think of you, good or bad. Certainly don't worry about what they think of your knife, one way or the other.

Be honest, honorable, and ethical, and screw what others think either looking up to you or down on you.

I really don't care what someone thinks of a knife I carry and certainly not what they think of me for carrying it. There are SO MANY MORE IMPORTANT things in life to concern myself with and to influence.
 
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I don't exactly know what that term means, however on certain days when I know I will need a larger knife I carry one with another smaller,or a multi tool. For example here in Central NYS it has been cold a snowy, therefore heavy winter gloves are needed for outside chores. I was cutting some twine off bales of hay yesterday to feed our horses and my 4 inch knife fits perfectly into a gloved hand.

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Yes, I was kind of referring to the dragonfly sized knives. I guess it was just wrong impression on my part
 
5 to 5.75 is the fixed blade length cut off for me, but only because Im so used to it. Samw in a folder, I would guess. All in all, I think its absurd to look down on someone due to a preferance.
 
People carry what they like and are comfortable using. The small ones have their place. Me, I look down on anyone who looks down on somebody who likes SAKs. This is a non issue to me.
 
I carry what I like, within legal guide lines of course. So for every work day carry its a just under 4" edge blade. A Military. Days of I usualy go with a PM2 at about 3 1/2".

When spending the day in the state next to mine its a little 3" Native 5 Lightweight for legal reasons.

I personally don't like SAK's, splipjoints, or Moras for my carry uses. Others do and thats perfectly fine for them. Their choices don't have to be the same as mine.

I admit I do sometimes get annoyed when people get " preachy" in posts on why others only "need" to carry a certain type or length of knife.

But really I just don't care if they don't like my choices.
 
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