Why not list blade lengths?

G

gomipile

Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
1,343
Why is it that blade lengths are not listed in the manufacturer supplied specs for many slipjoints? Typically the closed length is listed, and that's about it.

I only ask because this practice makes it difficult for me to recommend specific sizes and patterns for people who need to abide by blade length laws.
 
I will take it a step further. Knife manufacturers are trying to sell goods. They (companys that sell knives) miss out on sales regularly for lack of information. It is pitiful that we HAVE to come to a forum of enthusiasts to get the info THEY should provide for us. In the least every manufacturer should have a pic of both sides of knives, blades open AND closed AND list the specs i.e. length of each blade, frame dimensions. THIS should be mandatory by all. I have no idea why its not done and honestly it comes off as lazy. You want to set your company apart from the rest. Start the trend of informing your customers, its good for business. Oh and while I am atop the soap box why not do comparison shots lined up for size? You have every frame at your disposal, use it to help us out. I have past on SEVERAL models because I cant get a grasp on its size, I have no place to purchase most brands locally. I just returned a pattern, it cost me over $10 bucks between shipping and re-stocking fee. Thats 10% of the purchase and well I cant afford to do that often. I just dont get it, you are selling something. Give us the specs of what you are selling. Seams very simple to me, they have created more work for themselves not doing this from the start. Pretty easy to stay on top of with new models, no excuses just start doing it now.
 
Because, traditionally speaking, that's the way they've always been listed. Look at old catalogs. Also, because of multi-blade knives, especially with crimped (bent) blades or 2 blades riding on a single spring, listing blade length isn't really indicative of the knife's overall or even closed length. For example, my GEC Bull Bose and my Case 2004 Bose muskrat both have a closed length of 3 7/8" (actually, the GEC is a hair shorter). But the blades on the muskrat are both shorter than the one on my Bull Nose. Likewise, the master blades on my Case 3.5" closed 64052 (older 2 spring version) are shorter than any 3.5" stockman I own.

I agree it can be irksome if you're more concerned about the length of the blade or legal or compliance reasons. If you need to know the blade length of a specific knife, just ask here. Somebody will be bound to have an answer for you.
 
Planterz said:
Because, traditionally speaking, that's the way they've always been listed.

I agree it can be irksome if you're more concerned about the length of the blade or legal or compliance reasons. If you need to know the blade length of a specific knife, just ask here. Somebody will be bound to have an answer for you.
Click to expand...

Sure thats how its been done, but we evolve. I dont know of any profession that can get away with that argument. They dont even need to list it, take your pictures with a ruler in it. You can set up a tripod so that every photo has the same scale, easy to crop them one on top of the other for size comparisons. This really is very easy and selling us these products, this should be their responsibility. This is the information age after all.

How many consumers do not know about this or other knife forums? Those are lost sales.

My apologies in advance Planterz, not picking on you. This has just been a pet peeve of mine for awhile.
 
Perhaps it'd better to reword the question/answer...

The reason traditional pocket knives are described in closed-length is because that's the way they've traditionally been described.

As for why blade lengths aren't listed as well - at least when it comes to master blades...I honestly have no answer for that.
 
Planterz said:
Perhaps it'd better to reword the question/answer...

The reason traditional pocket knives are described in closed-length is because that's the way they've traditionally been described.

As for why blade lengths aren't listed as well - at least when it comes to master blades...I honestly have no answer for that.
Click to expand...

100% agree :D
 
I don't know how much extra effort it would take knifemaking companies to provide more info on the knives they produce and sell...but add me to those who would appreciate the effort.
In a time when so many of us buy knives (as anything else) online, the more information I get, the safer I feel in buying a knife unseen. I'm not necessarily talking only about blade length: I agree that the closed length should remain the main thing...but blade length (also for law reasons), half stops (why do I have to ask here if a certain pattern has them or not), blade thickness, type of metal used for springs/liners, etc, are all things I'd like to know when deciding whether to buy a knife or not.
I would prefer the company to invest a little bit of webtime on that.

Fausto
:cool:
 
Good point about the half stops. A simple list of specs would be so easy. I am still not grasping how the traditional manufacturers have not taken note of how the prac tac manufacturers operate web sites. In the day and age where every penny counts, especially when you are not outsourcing labor to other countrys. Why would you not do all you can to sell your product? Its not like the vendors shelves are understocked in most cases.

Sorry I am done making my point. Ill shut up now.
 
How do you measure blade length? From the end of the bolster? From the choil? From the notch? Only the length of the sharpened edge? Different law jurisdictions measure differently? e.g., ink the edge of the blade, rock it on paper and that's the length, or measure the sharpened AND unsharpened steel all the way up to the bolster.

But yeah, any or all of these would be helpful for those trying to get maximum, legal length.
 
I wished they would list the weight of the knife more often also because I don't like a heavy knife for edc.
 
A company advertises a blade length at say 3 1/8". When you get the knife, the blade is say 3". You say what the hey!!! You gripe to the company and say they advertised the blade length at 3 1/8" and by golly you want one at the advertised blade length. The complaint department at the company calls down to the floor and tells the blade grinder/sharpener to please be more careful in the funture when grinding/sharpening blades and make sure that all blades are exactly the advertised length. Guess what. It ain't gonna happen.

Go ahead. Take all the knives that you have of a particualr pattern from the same company and measure all the blades on all of them. There will be a slight variance between most of them as they are all ground/sharpened with a different touch by different assemblers/grinders/sharpeners etc. unless a company is so small that they have only one or two people doing that task and even then, there will most likely be a variance between ground/sharpened blades.
 
They give you the length closed cause that's what goes in your pocket, when the blade is closed it goes from one end to the other. Been that way for 200 years, nuff said.
 
Modoc ED said:
A company advertises a blade length at say 3 1/8". When you get the knife, the blade is say 3". You say what the hey!!! You gripe to the company and say they advertised the blade length at 3 1/8" and by golly you want one at the advertised blade length. The complaint department at the company calls down to the floor and tells the blade grinder/sharpener to please be more careful in the funture when grinding/sharpening blades and make sure that all blades are exactly the advertised length. Guess what. It ain't gonna happen.

Go ahead. Take all the knives that you have of a particualr pattern from the same company and measure all the blades on all of them. There will be a slight variance between most of them as they are all ground/sharpened with a different touch by different assemblers/grinders/sharpeners etc. unless a company is so small that they have only one or two people doing that task and even then, there will most likely be a variance between ground/sharpened blades.
Click to expand...

That's a good point.

I had noticed this in the past, but had forgotten about it. The variation in blade length due to factory grinding/sharpening is even more apparent on larger knives, such as folding hunters. I've sometimes seen 1/8" - 3/16" variations in blade length on these, when comparing 'identical' blades on new knives of the same make, pattern and vintage. As we've all frequently commented about, regarding the 'quality' of factory edges, the relative skill level of factory employees 'trained' in sharpening knives varies all over the place. A more highly-skilled sharpener could put a much better factory edge on a blade on the first try, without wasting a bunch of blade steel in the process.

I also agree, most people will be more concerned about the size & bulk of the 'package' in the pocket, which pertains to closed length. As per the comments in many threads started here in the Traditonal forum, the 'bulk' of a particular pattern is more often the make-or-break deciding factor, as to why someone's willing (or not) to carry a particular knife in the pocket, on a regular basis. Edit: And also a deciding factor in purchasing decisions; I'm sure manufacturers are aware of this, and place emphasis on closed dimensions accordingly.
 
Last edited:
I'm with the OP. Some places I go have blade length limits. I would like to know the length of the master blade so that I will know whether or not the knife will meet those limits. It isn't that difficult to measure a blade and post that information.

As for the question on how to measure a blade, it's pretty simple. It is measured from the tip of the blade to the handle/bolster. To put it another way, that piece of steel that includes the sharpened edge is all considered the blade. Once you put it between a pair of handles, the part that protrudes from the handles when the knife is opened is the part that gets measured, and it is a straight line measurement.
 
Last edited:
More information is better for those of us who buy knives exclusively online. There are no dealers where I live so I can't inspect knives prior to purchase.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top