Small fixed blades - underrated and underutilized for edc.

[FortyTwoBlades]

I've been carrying this li'l dude (a pre-production Grimalkin) in my pocket every day for about a year now. I much prefer it over a folder.

 

[herisson]

Also the Swedish knife law is not as definite as one would expect. What is ok is purely connected to the occasion where the knife is in use/carried. I for sure would be questioned if they found a fixed blade in my laptop case.

I would go as far as assuming one of these would not rise an eyebrow if found in your laptop case :
A.G. Russell Woodswalker (second from top) :

Böker Beauty Steel (the one in the middle) :

And, Don Hethcoat small hunter by Böker (second from top) :

All these are diminutive knives. They shouldn't stress anybody. But behold, they punch way above their weight.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I usually find a large fixed blade to be totally niche for me. I dont get out and about enough to enjoy using one, and if I am totally honest with myself, there isn't a thing that I do hiking/camping that requires more than 4" of blade short of having a nice khukuri or boys axe to make a fire at the campsite.

Smaller fixed blades do tend to get more use and carry by me. I have a couple of teeny ones like the Tops Ferret I got a couple of months ago. Very handy for probably 90% of my cutting needs and Sports about a 2" blade. Stout little prybar of a knife.

I visited Spark's shop again about a week ago and was actually in the market for a fixed blade under 6" of blade and around 4" would be better. I mentioned that what I really wanted as a ZT fixed blade I missed the boat on a year or two back. He says, "You mean the ZT0180..."
<THUNK> as he lays the NIB knife on the counter.

Sold

A touch over 4" of blade, but really not an overly large knife at all. Its HEAVY but super solid and can handle everything from hiking to emergency use to SD. It's pretty much indestructible since it's made out of .2" thick Vanadis 4 Extra steel.

The 0180 is filling the role of an edc knife that backs up my large Inkosi. If I need to do something that requires more muscle than the CRK, it should have enough horsepower to get it done. It came with a really nice but REALLY tactical Spec Ops ballistic nylon sheath cordage and a huge velcro pocket for gear. Pretty much only good for hiking, IMHO. So I made an IWB sheath and have had it on my person every single day since the 15th.

Still, despite its robust build and perceived size, it's not an overly large knife at all. Here it is next to my Inkosi. Lining the butts up, there isn't a huge difference.

Laying the Inkosi on top of the 180 really shows how close in size they are, and keep in mind the Inkosi has a 3.6" blade.

If you dont include the striking end of the 180, they really start to look similar. Here they are lined up with the end if the Inkosi lined up at the end of the 180's scale.

But the 180 is a chunky monkey. No getting around that

Even so, it doesnt carry too badly IWB

 

[herisson]

Not quite the infamous "unobtrusive carry", but hey, when you like a knife you must carry it.
I carry often this in waistband, at home only, because the wild pampas are long gone. Feels good !

 

[herisson]

Apologies to this thread dedicated to small fixed blades, but... the above knife (with sheath) is 5.64 oz (with a 6" blade) while this here under (my favorite pocket fixed blade currently) weighs in at 5 oz (with a 3.6" blade).
Size is not all, weight matters, too. Speaking of "small" fixed blades...

 

[jfk1110]

Love.my lil' guys

 

[Hurrul]

Although I have recently bought some Spyderco folders, my preference for some years now is biased towards small fixed blades for daily carry.

For me, they are simply easier to keep clean and they don't have any moving parts to ware, get gunked up or (not very likely) fail. But, having a tool that does not harbor food residue has been important to me as a backcountry mountain and desert guide when preparing multiple meals on trips lasting 5 days to up to a 30 days. Staying sanitary meant staying healthy for myself, my clients, students and colleagues. For that purpose, I carried a Falkniven WM 1 (I don't have a handy picture of it).

In February, picked up these:

Alfa-Knife AK-5 variant

Crisswell Blades

Rainier Knives Fastpack

I regularly carry:

Enzo/Brizza Trapper

Fiddleback Forge Sylverfalcon

Fiddleback Forge Pocket Kephart

Fiddleback Forge Pygmy

(middle knife) Fiddleback Forge Bushboot

I certainly benefit from not having large hands, but the FF Pygmy does need the lanyard to give me greater grip security.

 

[22-rimfire]

I've been carrying this li'l dude (a pre-production Grimalkin) in my pocket every day for about a year now. I much prefer it over a folder.

Have you gotten handles for them yet?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Have you gotten handles for them yet?

Yessir. They're just not up on the site yet 'cause I aim to launch them simultaneously with revised sheaths. I've got the cutting die en route right now so it's just a matter of waiting for it to get here.

 

[psmith27]

In my opinion- anyone interested in pocketable fix blades needs to obtain a Tom Krein knife. To me, he is the king of the genre. Tk1 is my EDC and is an amazing blade. Check him out, helps he is an awesome gentleman as well.

 

[jstrange]

Apologies to this thread dedicated to small fixed blades, but... the above knife (with sheath) is 5.64 oz (with a 6" blade) while this here under (my favorite pocket fixed blade currently) weighs in at 5 oz (with a 3.6" blade).
Size is not all, weight matters, too. Speaking of "small" fixed blades...

I like that. Who made it?

 

[22-rimfire]

Yessir. They're just not up on the site yet 'cause I aim to launch them simultaneously with revised sheaths. I've got the cutting die en route right now so it's just a matter of waiting for it to get here.

Glad to hear this bit of news. You can probably count me as one of your buyers when your sheaths become available.

 

[herisson]

I like that. Who made it?

Paul Baleta from our own Blade Forums' Knife Makers' Market. It's a piece of art but it's also a very effecient EDC. It sits just there in my pocket and that's the knife I will grab when there is something to cut. It bonded good !

 

[jackknife]

I have always loved the small fixed blades. To me, I'd rather have a small fixed blade in a pocket or on a belt than any locking folder. Just way more efficient. No hidden areas for gunk, as mentioned, absolutely no possibility of failure of a lock, and almost always lighter weight in addition to being stronger. There seems to be a lot of people on this forum that use the term "hard use" when looking for a folder. To me, that seems just contradictory in desires. The folder was invented for the pure connivance of carry, not any kind of hard use.

A light weight flat fixed blade in a keys sheath in a pocket seems like a way way better knife for anything than any folder. I've tried a Buck Hartsook, Boker Gnome, and a A.G. Russell woods walker with the kydex sheath, and they made me swear off all folding/pocket knives except for the smaller SAK's that give me a few basic tools on hand. The unbelievable connivance of just taking knife out and cutting, and putting back in sheath is very quickly habit forming.

These days my EDC knife carry is a Victorinox executive in my jeans watch pocket, and either my old Buck 102 woodsman on my hip, or if its a dress up occasion, the Boker gnome, Eussell's woods walker, or the Buck Hartsook in my right hand pocket.

The un-folding pocket knife rules.

 

[herisson]

I couldn't say it better. My evolution, too. But I still carry some folders...

 

[22-rimfire]

I have always loved the small fixed blades. To me, I'd rather have a small fixed blade in a pocket or on a belt than any locking folder. Just way more efficient. No hidden areas for gunk, as mentioned, absolutely no possibility of failure of a lock, and almost always lighter weight in addition to being stronger. There seems to be a lot of people on this forum that use the term "hard use" when looking for a folder. To me, that seems just contradictory in desires. The folder was invented for the pure connivance of carry, not any kind of hard use.

A light weight flat fixed blade in a keys sheath in a pocket seems like a way way better knife for anything than any folder. I've tried a Buck Hartsook, Boker Gnome, and a A.G. Russell woods walker with the kydex sheath, and they made me swear off all folding/pocket knives except for the smaller SAK's that give me a few basic tools on hand. The unbelievable connivance of just taking knife out and cutting, and putting back in sheath is very quickly habit forming.

These days my EDC knife carry is a Victorinox executive in my jeans watch pocket, and either my old Buck 102 woodsman on my hip, or if its a dress up occasion, the Boker gnome, Eussell's woods walker, or the Buck Hartsook in my right hand pocket.

The un-folding pocket knife rules.

This has been my evolution as well. I think it helps if you are retired to move to a fixed blade since you generally are not in an office environment where their rules apply to employees. It also helps to live in a rural setting as fixed blades are generally more accepted. I think if you are aging, choosing a small fixed blade for regular carry is incredibly useful as hand dexterity slowly reduces.

I don't think in terms of "hard use" with folders. It is so rare that I would use a folder hard that it is not in my search requirements.

I can't predict the future, but I am certainly leaning toward a small fixed blade being my primary knife along with a small SAK. I could substitute any small knife for the SAK if it fits my watch pocket (jeans). But for the most part, right now it's the SAK Small Tinker getting the pocket time. I find that I use it much much less now that I have a fixed blade on my belt. In the past, I simply always reached for the folder. That is changing.

The evolution has been somewhat drastic and I have no folders on my want list at all. I guess if GEC comes out with something that appeals to me and fits, I may get one. I am always looking at SAKs in the store and want to look at other small examples, in particular the three layer ones. That will happen during my next visit to the big knife store in Sevierville TN. My Smoky Mountain NP visits tend to be few and far between until Mid-March and we are rapidly approaching that time when things begin to green up in my part of the world. All it takes is to set aside some time for the drive to Sevierville or schedule a park visit in the Gatlinburg area.

 

[jfk1110]

I have always found a small fixed convenient, handy and just less offensive to all the "sky is falling" little piggies out there!

 

[Old Biker]

I switched it up and have been carrying this one the last couple of days.

O.B.

 

[Frailer]

...Speaking of "small" fixed blades...

I came very (*very*) close to buying this knife. I’m very glad it found a good home.

Congrats!

 

[herisson]

I choked a bit on the price but couldn't resist. It's the Sgian Dubh I have been looking for for years. Beautifully made, it's as big a pleasure to use as to look at. Paul Baleta will surely make another one, one of these days, he has already made two others (check out his gallery).