The Long and the Short Of It

Clay Kesting · Mar 17, 2000

I found Sal's rationale for the design of the Military very interesting. It reminded me of a previous post in which he commented on the advantages of a small blade with a long handle, I think he used a scalpel as an example. Bram is another who has extolled the virtues of a large handle/short blade when talking about the Gunting.

The Military has been criticised on the forums (well not this particular forum

) for having a poor blade to handle ratio, and I will admit to being one of those who had thought that it was important to get as much blade as possible for a given handle length. However I've been using my Military a lot lately and have learnt to really appreciate that long handle. It allows the knife to be held in a large variety of grips and, along with the flat ground blade, makes the Military an extremely versatile and useful tool. In short if I could only have one knife (shock, horror

) the Military would be it.

My other regular carry is my BF Native and I think I like it so much for the same reason, using the choil makes the knife feel as though it has a much longer handle with a relatively short blade. Also the long awaited and much admired Chinese Folder has a fairly short blade for its handle length (31/8"blade, 43/8"handle).

I'm not sure why I decided to write all this down

. Maybe it was just to suggest that blade to handle ratio is an over rated criteria for judging knife design. Thanks for listening

.

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Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow....in Australia it's tomorrow already.

anthony cheeseboro · Mar 17, 2000

I think people get concerned about blade/handle ratios because of aesthetics and not performance. Folks just like the way a close blade/handle ratio looks. The reality is that even many fixed blades have proportionately large handles. The Military, the Wegner, and Starmate along with the CQC7, and BM Ares/730 are good knives because of their large handles as much as anything else.

Sal Glesser · Mar 18, 2000

The Blade / handle ratio question is based more on appearance than use. Knives almost always look better to the eye when the blades are larger and the handles smaller. That is why knives are rarely photographed with the handle forward.

I believe that to the eye more interested in useage, the ratio is less important.

Some of the designs with very large blade to smaller handle ratio: Laguiole is among the "best" in achieving a good "eye" ratio. In fact, the knife handle is so narrow that control is achieved by thickness of the handle. The Spyderco Police Model rates high in this area with a blade that is simply a "skin" wrapped around the blade. The Bradichansky designed "Shabaria" is also good.

An example of the other extreme is the Spyderco Pegasus & Navigator models with a very short 2" (Pegasus) & 2-1/4" (Navigator) blade and a farly large handle. Truly a "tough" scalpel when it comes to control. (made for airlines)

I don't mean to say that one criterion is better than another, "all good, just different"

sal

Clay Kesting · Mar 18, 2000

Yes, that may be it, a high blade/handle ratio is more a matter of aesthetics than function, although I have a feeling that, for some, it is more a matter of principle

.
In the Best Looking Spyderco Thread I voted for the Viele as my first choice. Probably one of the contributing factors to its appeal is the high blade/handle ratio, you just couldn't cram any more blade into that handle. My second choice, however, was the Military which seems to me to be an excellent example of the principle "form follows function". It appears to have been designed as a no compromise tool (correct me if I'm wrong, Sal

) but the end result is a simplicity of form and flowing lines which are aesthetically very pleasing, despite the larger handle.

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Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow....in Australia it's tomorrow already.

leroys_45 · Mar 19, 2000

"Yes, your honor, I plead guilty to size descrimination. I was biased against the Military because of it's blade to handle ratio. I have seen the light, however and promise never to do it again."

In the past, this has been one of my main criteria for knife selection. Not because of looks, but because I am an efficiency freak. Having a large blade in a relatively small handle is a great expression of efficiency. However, they do not always make the best tools. I always found the Military to be comfortable, but I couldn't handle carrying that big handle. (sorry about the pun, it was pretty bad.) Right now, I'm at college and carrying comfort is very important as I carry a lot and use relatively little. The Military is a working knife and were I back doing agricultural work, I'd trade in a bunch of knives for one in a heartbeat. I have seen the error of my ways, can you all forgive me??

To prove that I have been converted, I present the following evidence: I love the Calypso series, the Jot Khalsa, the Native and I'll soon be getting a Navigator.

On the other hand, Spyderco also makes some folders that are very good in the size ratio department. My Harpy comes immediately to mind.

Sal Glesser · Mar 19, 2000

I am also an efficiency freak and certainly early Clipit designs reflect this, especially in the Police Model.

When I stated to design the smaller knives, I realized that purchase in the hand was control over the blade.

In a small paring knife, for example, I learned that the pinky against the rear of the handle is where the control over twist comes from. That is why the length of the handle is so long in comparision to the blade length (eg: Spyderco K09).

In an "appearance" knife, ergonomics are not really important. In a knife designed to be highly functional, ergonomics is very important.

In a large blade folder (3.25 - 4.0), making the handle an efficient size to the blade is an option. As the blade drops below 3", the handle now can easily become too small to provide enough purchase for effective use. One begins thinking about purchase locations through out the hand.

Some design thoughts to share.

sal

ptn · Mar 19, 2000

I must confess to judging the Military by it's initial aesthetic appeal. When I first stumbled onto this forum and read the many threads praising the Military, I went looking for a picture and at first look wondered why so many people liked such an ugly knife. My curiosity grew as I read posts about the uses owners put their Militaries to. It began to dawn on me that this knife would be a good replacement for my aging outdoor chore knife. Once I had a Military in my hand, I began to appreciate the long handle. By moving my grip forwards and backwards, I obtain the best "hold" for a particular type of cut. I was especially surprised at how much tip control I could obtain for more precise or delicate work. Today I find great beauty in the Military design.

Roger Blake · Mar 19, 2000

This is an interesting thread. Two of my favorite Sypydercos are the Calypso Jr and the Navigator. Very ergonomic. Also on the favorite list and currently my daily carry is the Rookie g-10. I find it very ergonomic as well. I guess it kind of has the best of both, great blade handle ratio and ergonomics.

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Roger Blake