An idea for those with blade length laws

[swigert]

A Yojimbo 2 bobbed like that is exsctly what I had in MN and earlier in the thread when I suggested there bobbed Yojimbo.

[Northglenn500]

I love that bobbed Yo. Now if we could get one with denim blue G-10 and a stone washed clip, it would be the ultimate urban defense blade.

[VashHash]

Emerson actually made a knife like this before. I can't recall the name but it featured a full size handle and a short blade. I'll unleash my Google fu in a bit but judging from the fact that it's no longer available i would think sales weren't so great. Found it. The Emerson snubby also apparently it's available at a few places. Still not sure on the sales though.

[Holzfaeller]

I like the grip on my Manix 2, but I really don't need more than three inches of blade. My Delica is a great size, but my fingers don't wrap around it as well as they used to. I'm still waiting for the Lil Temp 2, if it will ever see the light of day. In any case, put my vote in for a three inch blade with a robust grip that is not dedicated to using a choil.

[Surfingringo]

I don't really have any restriction to deal with, but I'd likely buy one simply because a shorter blade with a large handle makes a very useful tool.

[RexGig0]

That could certainly be true. I know I had a co-worker back in NY who loved the (Dxxx.)

NY, or at least NYC, is one place where I would most hesitate to carry an (extinct flightless pigeon wth grotesquely curved beak.) I am not sure about the current version, but the original version, of which my wife and I have two or three, has a particular feature that an, uh, creative gendarme or persecutor might find a bit too interesting. (Creative terminology intended to make this less searchable.)

Edited to add: When the original (extinct flightless pigeon) was quietly discontinued, I thought it might be because of that above-mentioned feature. I never worried about this, within Texas, myself, as Texas exempts Texas peace officers from virtually all state weapons laws, so I can carry anything and everything, most places here.

[RexGig0]

On the original subject, I like the idea of a shorter-blade knife with a full-sized handle, especially a handle completely identical to that of a normal-length knife. Knowing this would not likely be realized as a production item, I had considered having a local custom maker re-grind a Gunting to make it a bit less than three inches,or perhaps even a bit less than 2.5 inches. With Guntings being so rare, and valuable, after discontinuation, I have thought a Yojimbo might be a better candidate for this treatment.

We would, really, only need such a knife for traveling, as Texas has a quite generous blade length limit, as those things go.

[DougC-3]

I don't really have any restriction to deal with, but I'd likely buy one simply because a shorter blade with a large handle makes a very useful tool.

That's the way I feel. I've liked the looks of the Kahr Arms Delica ever since it came out but haven't got around to getting one yet. I've never seen the logic behind the idea that a blade should be as long as you can possibly get into the handle. I agree that this is sometimes the case, but I think in general, handle design should favor hand size and gripping and holding needs and the blade length should be determined by whatever the cutting needs are. One reason I like the PM1 better than the PM2 is that I find its shorter blade handier.

Once, in a discussion like this I brashly informed forumites that "handles are for holding and blades are for cutting," and wished I hadn't said it. Then a couple of months later I saw a place in an old thread where Sal had said, I think, those exact words and then gone on to mention the scalpel as an example :D Wood carving is another example.

[The Deacon]

That could certainly be true. I know I had a co-worker back in NY who loved the Dodo.

NY, or at least NYC, is one place where I would most hesitate to carry an (extinct flightless pigeon wth grotesquely curved beak.) I am not sure about the current version, but the original version, of which my wife and I have two or three, has a particular feature that an, uh, creative gendarme or persecutor might find a bit too interesting. (Creative terminology intended to make this less searchable.)

Edited to add: When the original (extinct flightless pigeon) was quietly discontinued, I thought it might be because of that above-mentioned feature. I never worried about this, within Texas, myself, as Texas exempts Texas peace officers from virtually all state weapons laws, so I can carry anything and everything, most places here.

I was in the Albany area, which is about 120 miles north of NYC . Totally different from NYC when it came to attitudes toward knives, at least up to the time I left, 5 years ago. The Walmart in East Greenbush, where I lived, still carried a bunch of Kershaw AO's. Heck there was a small dairy farm less than a mile from me, couple of horse farms just a bit further, and a buffalo farm about 5 miles away.

I suspect the Dodo was dropped from the lineup for the same reason 99% of all discontinued Spydercos have been dropped, lack of sales. As for "flickability", lots of models back then were more flickable than today, some more so than the Dodo.

[harronek]

This link is interesting .

http://www.ammoland.com/2014/06/story-b ... z46mjHNOrF

Ken

[RexGig0]

Actually, issue with the original (extinct flightless pigeon) is not its "flickability." What did the apple do to somebody named Isaac, and why? No flicking is necessary. No centrifugal force is necessary.

[Surfingringo]

I don't really have any restriction to deal with, but I'd likely buy one simply because a shorter blade with a large handle makes a very useful tool.

That's the way I feel. I've liked the looks of the Kahr Arms Delica ever since it came out but haven't got around to getting one yet. I've never seen the logic behind the idea that a blade should be as long as you can possibly get into the handle. I agree that this is sometimes the case, but I think in general, handle design should favor hand size and gripping and holding needs and the blade length should be determined by whatever the cutting needs are. One reason I like the PM1 better than the PM2 is that I find its shorter blade handier.

Once, in a discussion like this I brashly informed forumites that "handles are for holding and blades are for cutting," and wished I hadn't said it. Then a couple of months later I saw a place in an old thread where Sal had said, I think, those exact words and then gone on to mention the scalpel as an example :D Wood carving is another example.

yeah, I agree with most all of that. I think there's a bit too much preoccupation with "blade to handle" ratio on the forums. That's just my perspective though. Like you said, sometimes it is nice to have as long a blade as possible for a certain handle. Other times its useful to have more handle and less blade. I just think its silly when folks dismiss a design because it doesn't have a good "ratio". I think it all depends on what the knife is to be used for. A wood carving knife wouldn't be very good at filleting fish; a fillet knife wouldn't be very good at carving wood. Horses for courses.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Surf and others, if Spyderco were to make an "Extendable Blade Knife", say, a fillet-type knife with H1 stainless steel and where the blade was made in sections with some form of screw or other fastener that could extend and lock, from, say, 3 or 4 inches up to even 7 or 8 inches, would that be a useful design, or most likely not? I have seen this done on some other knives over the years. Then it could also be collapsed back and locked into the legal length limit of say, under four inches in some areas, and extended for use in areas where the law does not limit it.

What sort of maintenance/sharpening challenges would such an extendable knife offer for your use?

[Surfingringo]

Surf and others, if Spyderco were to make an "Extendable Blade Knife", say, a fillet-type knife with H1 stainless steel and where the blade was made in sections with some form of screw or other fastener that could extend and lock, from, say, 3 or 4 inches up to even 7 or 8 inches, would that be a useful design, or most likely not? I have seen this done on some other knives over the years. Then it could also be collapsed back and locked into the legal length limit of say, under four inches in some areas, and extended for use in areas where the law does not limit it.

What sort of maintenance/sharpening challenges would such an extendable knife offer for your use?

In theory it could be useful, yes. But that would be contingent upon many things that I don't think are yet possible with today's technology. The joints would have to connect seamlessly so there were no gaps. For a fillet knife you would have to be able to create this without affecting blade flex or strength while flexing. It would have to deploy/retract in a simple and fluid way so you weren't out on a boat trying to screw your knife blade together, etc. As far as sharpening and maintenance, sharpening should be a non issue but it would need to be a rust proof steel that wouldn't corrode from gunk in the joints. Those joints would also make it much harder to keep clean and sanitary.

Anyway, in theory, sure it could be useful but there are a lot of issues that I don't think we have the technology to deal with and even if we did, I doubt the usefulness would outweigh the cost of creating it.

[Evil D]

yeah, I agree with most all of that. I think there's a bit too much preoccupation with "blade to handle" ratio on the forums. That's just my perspective though. Like you said, sometimes it is nice to have as long a blade as possible for a certain handle. Other times its useful to have more handle and less blade. I just think its silly when folks dismiss a design because it doesn't have a good "ratio". I think it all depends on what the knife is to be used for. A wood carving knife wouldn't be very good at filleting fish; a fillet knife wouldn't be very good at carving wood. Horses for courses.

For me there is definitely an aesthetic appeal to knives that have a nice blade to handle ratio. I have a bit of an obsession with things like that even outside of knives, I like when things are balanced. I like when a knife is closed and I can see they designed it in such a way that the handle swallows up as much blade as possible. It just feels "efficient".

But, in many other ways I like this idea. Shorter blades offer a lot more control over cuts. By design this would make the weight of the knife balanced into the handle which also gives a knife a more agile feel and aids in control. The scalpel is a great example of this.

[Squawk]

Well, it totally depends on the knife and i'm always happy to try out new stuff. If the knife works as a whole i'm fine with weird blade to handle ratios - i often carry a squeak on me for example and really like it. The laws regarding knife carry are absolutely ridiculous where i live. You may carry folders, but only if they either have one handed opening or a locking blade or neither. can't have both. So it's either slipjoint/friction folder or going with a 2 handed folder. It's a shame, really. For fixed blades, there are other measures. You may carry a fixed blade with up to nearly 5 Inch. blade length. On folders on the other hand, if they are either slipjoints or two handed opening, you can carry a blade as Long as you want.

Think about that:

legal:



illegal:

[SpydieJay]

I don't have a length law (except 4"+) here in NYC (yes that's the official law on the books). The powers that be get you with calling any knife than can be opened by holding the blade not the handle and flicking it, a gravity knife if it locks. Also, no clip exposed or your 'menacing'. Hence the reason Slip-Its can get around that (I would love a 3 7/8" heavy duty Slip-It like the PITS on steroids!). Anyway, since I am going to Boston's surrounding areas this summer, I found out they have a 2.5" length limit. A will have to take a Dragonfly, so if someone put a 2 3/8" blade on a Lil' Temperance handle, I would be fine with that - Tremendous power AND control! Better than the bobbed Kahr for sure.

[Northglenn500]

It certainly looks like the non-locking and or 2.5" blades will become more and more common. I'm glad we're talking about this now, and planning on models rather than waiting until after the laws are changed and trying to play catch up. I understand that most knife users can make do with a 2.5" blade and a little handle. For cutting loose threads, cardboard and opening envelopes, they work fine. But for defense, Mr. Janich understands what is actually needed in order to be successful.

[PM1]

Although I have yet to handle one, from its looks the upcoming 2016 Spyderco Introvert should fit the bill of being a full-sized handle with the added bonus of a finger ring and yet the blade is small and should be legal in most places. I'm looking forward to this knife.