Under knifed?

Okay folk I'm not a native english speaker and I think I'm not quite right with my "under knifed".

I meant it as a blade too small/thin/weak for the task. I didn't knew there was self defense is implied in that.

Also I do prefer longer over shorter blade, I think a ~4 1/2" fixed blade cover the vast majority of just about any task.

I was simply curious to know if there was something I didn't learned about knife that make most people buy 3-4" folder.
 
WeekSecret said:
Okay folk I'm not a native english speaker and I think I'm not quite right with my "under knifed".

I meant it as a blade too small/thin/weak for the task. I didn't knew there was self defense is implied in that.

Also I do prefer longer over shorter blade, I think a ~4 1/2" fixed blade cover the vast majority of just about any task.

I was simply curious to know if there was something I didn't learned about knife that make most people buy 3-4" folder.
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That 3 to 4 inch range (I believe) bridges the gap for most people between ease of carry and functionality. I personally find about a 3 inch blade on a folder to be the sweet spot for what I need a folder to do. Outside of those parameters I keep a sheath knife in my bag and an Imacasa cuta machete for the really ugly stuff. Obviously this is one of those mileage varying subjects, but there's also those places with draconian knife laws that dictate what the average law abiding citizen can carry as well.

Edited for some redundancy.
 
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sgt1372 said:
No -- because if I feel the need to be "armed," I usually also carry a gun, which I can do legally in all 50 states under LEOSA. ;)
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Just like the line in Glen Fry's Smuggler's Blues: "You've got to carry weapons 'cause you always carry cash".

I don't generally like carrying knives under 3.5", but it really depends on what I'm doing. In my showroom, I mostly use a Kizer Mini Sheepdog in friendly blue, because it raises less eyebrows than the much more fun Sheepsdog XL...

When I worked in a warehouse, where knives were common, for what we did you just wanted a small cutter like the Gerber EA (the only good thing they ever made). A big hunk of steel would have been unnecessary and less desirable in a drive-in warehouse freezer, where it might be subject to embrittlement, compared to a tiny knife deep in a pocket, closer to the body. I had the feeling that warehouse managers were also concerned about arming warehouse workers in what could at times be described as a gulag, given that cutters were kept under lock and key like they were guns or something.
 
I don't believe I've ever felt "under knifed". I have typically chosen my carry knives based on what I thought I would use/need them for that day. If I thought I would need a heavy-duty fixed-blade that day, that's what I carried. If I thought I would need a small knife for light cutting that day, that's what I carried. I usually get it right.

I've never suddenly found myself stranded in the woods, needing to build a shelter with only a small folder, or equipped with only a big fixed-blade, and needing to perform emergency surgery on someone šŸ˜.

The only time I can think of when I might have come close to feeling "under knifed" was when I got trapped in my home bathroom by a busted door knob. All I had was a folder. But I was able to use that folder to pry the door just enough to get it open. I guess maybe I had plenty of knife after all. In fact, if the blade had been any thicker, it might have been too thick to fit between the door and the door jamb. So maybe it was actually the perfect knife for the task.
 
killgar said:
I don't believe I've ever felt "under knifed". I have typically chosen my carry knives based on what I thought I would use/need them for that day. If I thought I would need a heavy-duty fixed-blade that day, that's what I carried. If I thought I would need a small knife for light cutting that day, that's what I carried. I usually get it right.

I've never suddenly found myself stranded in the woods, needing to build a shelter with only a small folder, or equipped with only a big fixed-blade, and needing to perform emergency surgery on someone šŸ˜.

The only time I can think of when I might have come close to feeling "under knifed" was when I got trapped in my home bathroom by a busted door knob. All I had was a folder. But I was able to use that folder to pry the door just enough to get it open. I guess maybe I had plenty of knife after all. In fact, if the blade had been any thicker, it might have been too thick to fit between the door and the door jamb. So maybe it was actually the perfect knife for the task.
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Would a chainsaw have been more appropriate?
 
I generally carry a 3 1/2" fixed blade in Scout carry, as well as a folder with 3 1/4"-3 1/2" blade. ,A thinner blade, of 1/8" thickness or less, cuts much better than a thicker one, assuming casual need.
 
Not really. Most of my carry knives range from 2" to 3.5". I don't remember the last time I felt like I didn't have enough knife on a given day. Generally, those are EDC folders and have nothing to do with cooking or defense. I do sometimes carry a fixed blade instead of a folder but rarely with more than 4" of blade. The exception is if I'm traveling to or through a place where the natural rights of ordinary citizens to carry a firearm are violated.

The kinds of tasks where I might need a longer knife don't usually come up while I'm out and about.
 
Bob Denman said:
Would a chainsaw have been more appropriate?
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The door was still good. I wanted to keep the door. Otherwise I could have chiseled my way through it.

And I don't normally carry around a chainsaw šŸ˜.
 
I wonder if this guy was feeling "under knifed". šŸ¤” If so, I guess he fixed that.

onLiOt7.jpg
 
WeekSecret said:
Anyone ever really felt under knifed?

I'm not a seriously experimented guy but I don't see the need for knife over 3" and by 3", I mean 1 1/2" straight and 1 1/2" upward. I'd go as far as saying I don't see the need for over 2" if it's a seax blade. I sometime feel like my 3 1/2" blade is too long for precise task.

Of course I take out food and fighting knife, both having different construction need.

Any other thinking like me?
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No, never, not even when Iā€™m only carrying my Victorinox Rambler. But, itā€™s a rare day when thatā€™s the only knife on my person.
 
Our ā€œknife needsā€ will obviously vary depending on profession, hobbies, circumstances, and laws. Running the risk of oversimplification though, I think all you really need for pocket EDC is a Para 3 or something similar in size (Mini Grip, small Sebbie, Mini Recon 1, etc.). I would not feel under-knifed with a Para 3 or Native 5 in non-SHTF situations. Think about it this way: jaguars get along just fine with 1.5ā€ claws. Your 3ā€ blade will do the job just fine. Probably.
 
WeekSecret said:
Anyone ever really felt under knifed?

I'm not a seriously experimented guy but I don't see the need for knife over 3" and by 3", I mean 1 1/2" straight and 1 1/2" upward. I'd go as far as saying I don't see the need for over 2" if it's a seax blade. I sometime feel like my 3 1/2" blade is too long for precise task.

Of course I take out food and fighting knife, both having different construction need.

Any other thinking like me?
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In donā€™t care about knife fighting, but why do you exclude food ?

Peeling apples or oranges, slicing bread, opening a bottle, etc., very important part of a pocket knifeā€™s duty, IMO. Best folder length for me is 3.5 - 4ā€ (BL), and fixed 4 - 6ā€. For fine work, you can choke the blade.
 
I usually always have a couple of knives, they don't really do anything different from one another, I just have a clipped and a slipped one and it's because I like them. They're just for my own enjoyment, I don't see a scenario where I would need to use them like a weapon and I don't do the kind of chores that require any particular blade length, so they're often basically the same kind of knife but just different designs.
 
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