Small fixed blades - underrated and underutilized for edc.

Under-rated, I don't think so. Under-rated suggest that people low ball the utility, which I don't think many people do. They have other considerations, but not the utility.
I think that there are a few factors, and these have probably been mentioned by others, legality; lots of places restrict fixed and not folders, and so it can be harder to carry if you don't really know all your local laws. I cannot carry a fixed as an EDC, but if I'm fishing, its totally okay. Quality and design, I think for a long time, smaller knives have just been scaled down big knives, and so you end up with durability, or geometry problems, egros that don't work because of "balance" You think of how many small knives now that have full four finger grips but only an inch or two of blade, its more than it was, but still not as many as 1:1 blade:handle size.

All that said, I've been noticing a bit of a trend of lightweight backpackers moving from the ultralight folder to the ultralight fixed, you sacrifice a bit of blade for a hell of a lot of durability for the same weight. You'll never convince the single edge razor blade guy, but anyone carrying more than a SAK classic has a lot more serious options in their weight class now.

You can get far more out of even "low end" steels than you could a few years ago. I have a BK13 (the less good version) that is a little beast, take that into 3V and it would be a whole other monster. Take that same knife in the metallurgy of the early 00 or late 90s and I suspect it would have cost a lot more to get it as good. We often forget how much a difference in cost can be just manufacturing process. The fact that 3V went from "ooh fancy" to a commodity steel within 10 years should say a lot, and that's just one example. 1095 is great, but there are a lot of tool steels eating a lot of lunches.
 
What has the world come to !!! Even cowboys use Glocks instead of their old trusty wheelguns
;)

Horsewright said:
Aw heck no! Glock 43 holster:

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Beltless sheath, attaches to the belt loops so can be worn with or without a belt:

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Glock 43:

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Horizontal knife sheath:

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Gordo sheath, bottle feeding a leppy (orphan) calf:

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EMP on the other side:

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Course a guy could always go small and just have a slide for the 3" Kimber:

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I haven't been doing the fixed blade as much lately as the crossdraw and pants pockets are a little harder to get to with layers of coats and vests so it's been a lot of folders on the vest and jacket pocket. My work doesn't like knives exposed but they don't seem to care about a clip.

Around the house or woods, I usually have a fixed blade in the pocket on the waist. My 1 year old kept getting enticed by the small lanyards though so I had to do a better job hiding them. He kept pulling them out of my pocket, with the sheath, but mom didn't like that at all.

This is my belt carry using a spyderco g-clip.

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I've been carrying a simple pocket slip sheath more often instead of a clip sheath, but I like the clip sheaths quite a bit as well. I need to get a better style though as I've been using the CK clip sheaths and the clip does stick out a bit and can scratch furniture and things around the house, but the big curve fits over waistbands nicely when in sweats or workout shorts.
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I think I would carry my small fixed blades more if I could get the carry meathod thing down better. For now, I slip the small blade in my left front pocket, but I do take it out and leave it on the desk or table as it can get heavy. I really need to find an answer and get Dave Ferry to make me one...some day. Recently my Jk Hurley Creek has found the most pocket time, and I keep going back to my Blind Horse Maverick Cub.
 
cbach8tw said:
I think I would carry my small fixed blades more if I could get the carry meathod thing down better. For now, I slip the small blade in my left front pocket, but I do take it out and leave it on the desk or table as it can get heavy. I really need to find an answer and get Dave Ferry to make me one...some day. Recently my Jk Hurley Creek has found the most pocket time, and I keep going back to my Blind Horse Maverick Cub.
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Well, I kept my Drop Forged Hunter in my front right pocket usually. With 200g of weight you would always know it's there.
I made transition on Boker GoBag and I like it. It is even smaller in total, but much much lighter too. Some people might get repulsed by Tanto tip, but I don't really care, I have nothing against Tantos.
 
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I like Bird and trout knives for small chores, I do not hunt or fish ( for safety reasons.......to keep others safe as I do not want to hurt them.) My two JKs on top are the Hurley Creek and my extended Worker, those are the ones I wanted to show. The other is made by forum member Redsquid, the other by O'Neall, and finally a Grohmann carbon steel #2.
 
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Butch said:
What knife is this? Thanks.
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cbach8tw cbach8tw is right, it's a @JK Knives Deluxe Hurley Creek Lite (the hurley creek lite doesn't have handles I think) with customization for a slightly longer handle at 4" (standard is 3.75") and S30V steel when he offered some stainless options last year. I have another with a wharncliffe blade since he wasn't sure he would do another S30V run for a while and I like wharnies for EDC. I'm actually not sure where I put it as I've been constantly re-organizing my desk now that the baby can start climbing more and I've had to hide things so well I don't even know where they're at. I have the same setup with the wharnie with the kydex and g-clip.

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bikerector said:
cbach8tw cbach8tw is right, it's a @JK Knives Deluxe Hurley Creek Lite (the hurley creek lite doesn't have handles I think) with customization for a slightly longer handle at 4" (standard is 3.75") and S30V steel when he offered some stainless options last year. I have another with a wharncliffe blade since he wasn't sure he would do another S30V run for a while and I like wharnies for EDC. I'm actually not sure where I put it as I've been constantly re-organizing my desk now that the baby can start climbing more and I've had to hide things so well I don't even know where they're at. I have the same setup with the wharnie with the kydex and g-clip.

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Thank You.
 
bikerector said:
cbach8tw cbach8tw is right, it's a @JK Knives Deluxe Hurley Creek Lite (the hurley creek lite doesn't have handles I think) with customization for a slightly longer handle at 4" (standard is 3.75") and S30V steel when he offered some stainless options last year. I have another with a wharncliffe blade since he wasn't sure he would do another S30V run for a while and I like wharnies for EDC. I'm actually not sure where I put it as I've been constantly re-organizing my desk now that the baby can start climbing more and I've had to hide things so well I don't even know where they're at. I have the same setup with the wharnie with the kydex and g-clip.

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cannot remember where you place things? Welcome to parenthood, it happened to me 23 years ago and I am still misplacing things....Notice that I did not say lose things, they really are just misplaced...much like my memory. :D
 
bikerector said:
....I'm actually not sure where I put it as I've been constantly re-organizing my desk now that the baby can start climbing more and I've had to hide things so well I don't even know where they're at. I have the same setup with the wharnie with the kydex and g-clip.

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That's a nice little knife. On the hiding things topic.... I sometimes place something important to me somewhere "special" so it doesn't fade into the pile, and then forget where it is. Can't find it because it is not one of my usual spots. They usually turn up months later, but it's frustrating. So, now I don't hide anything.
 
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22-rimfire said:
That's a nice little knife. On the hiding things topic.... I sometimes place something important to me somewhere "special" so it doesn't fade into the pile, and then forget where it is. Can't find it because it is not one of my usual spots. They usually turn up months later, but it's frustrating. So, now I don't hide anything.
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If I don't hide it my wife will, and she's even better at hiding things than I am.
 
ESEE has recently released an interesting contender for consideration in this conversation - the fixed Xancudo.

I like spear points and another personal preference is the full height primary grind and thinner blade stock, all of which has me considering this on my list.

Looks to be a little longer than the Bradford Guardian 3 spearpoint. Some on sale https://www.knifecenter.com/item/RC...achined-orange-black-g10-handles-black-sheath.
 
Hurrul said:
ESEE has recently released an interesting contender for consideration in this conversation - the fixed Xancudo.

I like spear points and another personal preference is the full height primary grind and thinner blade stock, all of which has me considering this on my list.

Looks to be a little longer than the Bradford Guardian 3 spearpoint. Some on sale https://www.knifecenter.com/item/RC...achined-orange-black-g10-handles-black-sheath.
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Looks like a winner. Flat ground S35VN. Thin steel. I like spear points for general woods use quite a bit (Kepahrt pattern) and this is similar. Depends a lot on the sheath if it will work for regular carry.

If you get it, I would be very interested in your impressions.
 
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