Workhorse Blade: Large or Small? A Victorinox question.

C

Carloxicus

Joined
Oct 3, 2011
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175
Here's a simple question for all you guys out there who use Victorinox knives, specifically the ones that come with both the large blade and the small pen blade like the Spartan, or the Climber or Tinker models... which one of the two blades do you use more often? The large blade or the small pen blade?

I've heard of different opinions on the matter. Some people, maybe most people really, use the large blade as their everyday blade. Most of these people love the length of the blade and prefer to have to only maintain one blade. They use the large blade for everything and they reserve the small blade as a back-up blade. Most of these people reason that they preserve the sharpness of the small blade for when they need something really sharp on a rare occasion or another. For all other instances, whether it is for cutting open boxes or cutting rope or food prep, the large blade is there and is single-mindedly ready to deal with anything. These people think that the large blade is not threatening when pulled out in public simply because it is already a swiss army knife anyway. (These are probably also people who are used to swiss army knives that have a single large blade only like the Compact.)

On the other side of the fence, there are some people who use the small blade as their workhorse. They use it to open boxes, cut cord and other daily tasks. These people reason that the small blade is wonderful for these everyday tasks because it is long enough to fulfill these jobs anyway. Furthermore, there is easier control when using a small blade with a handle that is longer than it. Most of these people reserve the large blade for food prep or food related tasks such as peeling apples or cutting onion. Also, taking out the small blade when you need to cut something in public, something that the scissors might not be the best idea for, is less threatening to those who really never use knives.

I myself am slowly leaning towards the other side. I've always loved the small blade on my Climber.

How about you? What's your take? :D
 
As I wrote somewhere else, I use the small pen blade on my SAK's at least 99% of times for trivial cuts (which lead me to say that, eventually, and since I carry another traditional folder, I could live easily without the main blade).
The pen blade, to me, is always long enough to do the job, and short enough to be safer, especially when cutting in "busy" situations, where other people are moving their hands and so on. As for the threatening issue, I don't recall seeing anyone scared by a SAK, no matter which blade was used.

:cool:
 
Well I'm currently carrying an Alox Soldier so it's big blade only for me. When I carried a SAK with 2 blades, I always used the large blade for most cuts. Kept the small blade sharp for special uses. It's easier to control, the tip is usually sharper, and the tip does not smack the inside liner dulling it like the big blades tend to. So for say trimming cuticles, the small blade is best.
 
I like the Vic Spartan. And the Climber.

The big blade is often used for food prep or things like that. For dirty jobs, I use the small blade. It´s a little strange, but the little blade is always razorsharp. The big blade is sometimes not as sharp as it could be.

Kind regards
 
Always used the small blade all these years. Non threatening, great for a socialist state like the KAlifoЯniA ЯequbliK. The large blade is for emergencies.
 
quattromori said:
A I don't recall seeing anyone scared by a SAK, no matter which blade was used.
Click to expand...

Ah, well, there was the day I pulled a OHT out of my pocket in a busy cafe to open a clamshell pack - my wife started hissing at me to put it away. That probbaly was a lot of blade to be waving around a room full of latte drinkers.
On topic... I'm not that fond of the SAKs with two blades. I'll usually choose the larger one for most tasks - but my true EDC is a Classic SD which is good for most jobs.
 
I can't really remember the last time I used the small blade on one of my SAKs. I've got lots of Wengers that don't have a small blade (they've got a nail file instead) and I've never missed it. Some of my favourite Victorinox SAKs don't have a small blade either (like the Farmer).
 
On the Spartan, Recruit, Tourist, and Camper, I sometimes forget that they even have a small blade. For me, the bigger the better (within reason, of course). If they weren't so bulky, I would EDC a 111mm Vic with the big locking blade.
 
I carry a traditional folder, and use that for most cutting tasks, so the non-blade tools are what get used most on my Victorinox knives. When I do open a blade on my Huntsman or Fieldmaster it is almost always the small one.
 
On my Victorinox Swiss Army Electrician, I tend to use the larger blade more often than not and in fact caught myself doing so today. Mostly for cutting open/apart cardboard boxes, shipping straps, mail and common things like that. Nothing to aggressive or "hardcore" slicing with it.
 
I tend to use the large blade the most, but I use the small blade for anything rough or abusive (so as to preserve the large blade).
 
I use the large blade for everything and keep the small one virgin and razor sharp. I'm saving it up for real emergencies like a tracheotomy or other kinds of high-priority field surgeries that need to be done before help could possibly arrive.
 
Small blade here, mostly for opening boxes and clamshell packs. I also carry a one-handed locking folder. So the large blade I could actually do without.
 
Large blade. I seldom use the small blade on any pocket folder. I also prefer the 110mm SAKs as well which gives me a larger blade than the regular size. It still isn't very large.
 
Often carry a Climber, and find myself using the small blade for most tasks while keeping the larger one for food. It's surprising what the smaller blades (even the Rambler/Classic) can do.
 
My three favorite SAK's are all just one blade. Bantam, Wenger SI, and classic SD. I do sometimes carry a recruit or tinker, and then I still use the large blade for most cutting, keeping the small bade for fine use.

Carl.
 
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