Why Two Equal Length Blades?

Okay I am listening to everyone here. Let me mention even though the forum trapper got my mind going I'm not worried about the outcome. I do appreciate the historical definition of a trapper. Leave that aside though and just speak of a general slipjoint with two equal length blades was more my mindset.

I'm listening :)
 
Kevin, I am in total agreement as well, the two blades the same whether they be spey/clip/wharnie....
I was right into two-bladed Trappers, but I find now that I cant be bothered with a two bladed Trapper because the blades are pretty much the same - ( although I still own a few twin Trappers), but I find a single edged knife, or the big difference in blades such as a Jack or Harness Jack.
The Wharncliffe blade should be a real Wharnie blade with a very accented curve in the spine...not just a dropped curve at the tip end of the spine so it HAS to be called a Wharncliffe.
 
Personally I can do far more with two full size blades than just one.
On most of my traditional's, with a smaller pen style blade, the small blade hardly gets used. I like the idea of two full length blades so that one or the other is always razor sharp and ready to work.

With around 100+ sales of the Traditional Forum knife every person has their idea of what they want. So we all have to compromise somewhere.
 
If I carry a 2 blade slipjoint, it's going to have one curved and one straight blade. It could be a SBJ, or a half-congress, or a Hawbaker muskrat, or my newly acquired Case wharncliffe mini trapper. I personally don't have a purpose for carrying a knife with only 2 curved blades. That is to say, I see purpose in it, but I'd rather have 3 blades in a stockman or whittler, adding the straight blade, because that straight blade adds so much purpose and usefulness.

But in a 2 blade knife, why not have them full length if the pattern allows it?

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Smaug said:
Some folks just like a spare blade, and there's nothing more to it.

I didn't understand Muskrats either, but I think I've figured out a reason for their existence, or rather a couple reasons:

  • No matter how one pulls the knife out of one's pocket, the first blade one grabs is the long clip. One never has to turn the knife around after pulling it out to get the blade.
  • Since there's no penalty in thickness, and very little penalty in weight, why NOT have an identical second blade, if that's the one you like?
  • Lots of us use a large clip blade for 90%+ of our cutting. So why not just have two of them, and there's a good chance one will be super sharp when needed?


In my recent poll about Slimline vs. regular trappers, one person said he uses the spey blade for just about everything, and holds in reserve the sharp and pointy clip blade. That also makes sense. Over multiple sharpenings, I find it hard to maintain the sharpness of the tip of the clip blade. So if one holds that blade in reserve until one really needs the clip, that won't be a problem.

That said, I tend to go with the majority here. I either like a single blade or two different length blades. I tend to use the large blade (usually a clip) for just about everything. The small blade is a back-up that is always sharp, and one with which I can accomplish precision work due to the shorter length.
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The muskrat,like most traditional patterns,is basically a working mans knife. In the Golden Age of the American Knife Industry,[more or less 1920's, to 1960's] a lot of men in rural areas supplemented their income with trap lines. After running the trap line of an evening,they might have 20 or 30 muskrats to skin out. They needed a knife that was dependable to get their work done. The Muskrat pattern knife,with 2 long,narrow clip blades was perfect for the task. The blade profile is perfect for skinning small game with out damaging the hide. The hide was where the money was at. And when one became dull,the man just turned the knife around and opened the other blade,no need to stop what he was doing to re-sharpen his blade. You have to remember,almost all of the Traditional Patterns are working knives.
 
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To me it makes since on a more hunting oriented traditional knife like the trapper and folding hunter etc. I can still take a trapper and get about the same utility our of it; like others have said in depends on the design.
 
Patterns such as full size Trapper, Copperhead, Muskrat, Saddlehorn, that tend to have equal size blades, I admire, but I seldom find myself using them. I've got an early 06 GEC 73 Scout in stainless that has some wonderful bone, but the weight of the knife and the close similarity of the blades means I don't use it. I've been toying with the idea of having it converted to one blade, but the fear of the scales being wrecked prevents me.

I like different blades and sizes. For instance, one knife I like a lot is the Schatt Morgan Horticultural knife: long slim Turkish Clip and small Sheepfoot, really useful. Spear or Clip with Pen, or this Sheepfoot is ideal, or Wharncliffe & Pen. Seems the next Forum Knife will be a similar sized blade affair, I don't think I'd be using it much. Would like Wharncliffe /Pen or Clip/Pen, better still single blade, but.......

That said, I'm interested in the next run of GEC 66 in Moose form. Somehow, having blades at opposite ends that are different Spear/Clip for me is better than having them in Jack form. That 66 Harness J stirs interest too, and they are certainly different 'blades':D:thumbup:
 
Hello my friends,
I think the two primary reasons for having two blades of equal lenght are:
1º they allow you to have two different kinds of edge, for different purposes.
2º You can keep one of blades clean for eating and preparing food, and the other one as a dirty blade for all the remaining every day tasks.
see you
 
A short blade in anything other than a stockman just seems like a waste of space to me. A long blade is more useful to me, and a short blade gives up a lot of slicing ability.

I don't think I'll ever own another congress. I bought a couple of cheapies (RR and a boker) and gave them both away. Too much handle, too many itty bitty blades.
 
Will, As far as a Clip/Pen or single blade, GEC already makes both of these on the #48 frame. A Clip/Pen #48 is one that I usually carry at home. Queen also makes/made one in D2 on the 3.5" Mini Trapper frame. Right now, Case and tru-sharp are the only options for a wharncliffe trapper other than going custom. I've thought about buying 2 of the GEC Scagel knives, one with a clip and one with a wharncliffe to make a franken-wharncliffe trapper but it is cost prohibitive. For the price I'd likely be able to buy a few 2012 WTs or go for a full custom for just a little more.

Regarding your #73, I'd use the spey for food prep and the droppoint for work (or the other way around).:)

As for the topic, I'm pretty ambivalent regarding the lengths of the 2 blades. As long as there is one long one with some belly then I'm happy. I can make do with the other blade as needed.
 
It depends on the tasks I gonna use the knife for that day.

I have a couple of trappers. Regular and Mini Trapper. Sometimes I prefer it, because a full length blade and having two of them gives a great possibility to use them for everything. I don´t own a Muskrat, til now.

BUT normally I prefer knives with different blades lenghts.

Kind regards
Andi
 
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