Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

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Wartstein
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Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#1

Post by Wartstein »

Stimulated by some recent posts and discussions I´d like to adress a question to all of you who like to carry folders with blades of 4 inches or longer:

What are the actual advantages of such a long blade in various EDC-scenarios compared to a not short, but around 3.5 to 3.8 blade ?

Let me specify my question:

I came to prefer a quite narrow range when it comes to length of the actual EDGE (so not blade) of my main EDC knives, and that would between 8 and 9 cm. ( about between 3.1 and 3.5 in inches) of EDGE, normally that means 3.5 to 3.8 overall BLADE length. (for reference: That's the PM2 to Endura size range)

Anything noticeable shorter has its limits when it comes to for example minor food prep on the road, or generally in many cutting tests really.

But anything LONGER (so 4 " and more) does not give me personally really even more benefit, tends to get a little long in the pocket and a little less good for finer tip work and the like.

That´s just my personal preference and opinion of course, and I am aware of that many even think, a 3.5 to 3.8 blade is unnecessarely LONG for a regular EDC-knife.

Still ,I´d really appreciate the input of you out there who like to regularely carry even longer blades than I do!
Last edited by Wartstein on Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#2

Post by ladybug93 »

the only longer blade i actually carry is the resilience. i don’t carry it often because i have knives i like better for edc, but i really like it. the moments it has really shined for me is cutting up food for my kids. it’s like a folding kitchen knife. the best part is the extra length keeps my pivot far from the food. for example, i was able to cut large slices of pizza in half without getting cheese or sauce on anything but the blade. and, since it’s a relatively cheap knife, i just wiped it enough to not transfer food into my pocket and cleaned the knife later when i got home.
i have larger folding knives, but anything bigger than the resilience is too inconvenient to carry. i was thinking about this the other day and was wishing the caribbean was shaped like the resilience. it’s such a great knife that could really be amazing if spyderco gave it a golden and/or salt treatment. it’s a great size and carries smaller than you might expect for its size.
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current collection:
C253GBBK, C258GFBL, C101GBBK2, C11GYW, C11FWNB20CV, C101GBN15V2, C101GODFDE2, C60GGY, C149G, C189, C101GBN2, MT35, C211TI, C242CF, C217GSSF, C101BN2, C85G2, C91BBK, C142G, C122GBBK, LBK, LYL3HB, C193, C28YL2, C11ZPGYD, C41YL5, C252G, C130G, PLKIT1
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#3

Post by Wartstein »

ladybug93 wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:53 am
the only longer blade i actually carry is the resilience. i don’t carry it often because i have knives i like better for edc, but i really like it. the moments it has really shined for me is cutting up food for my kids. it’s like a folding kitchen knife. the best part is the extra length keeps my pivot far from the food....
Yes, you´re right, food prep is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of advantages a longer blade has, and your example is a very good one (especially the pivot-issue).

That´s why in my use the Endura is my favorite when it comes to pure blade- and egde length: I do a lot of minor food prep on the road, for I ride by bike or drive by car from appointment to appointment, and when I have a break I really like to get some food and prepare it in my car or even better walking a bit into a wood or something, maybe even start a little fire (seldom, to be honest) and prepare lunch there. So the knife in my pocket should be capable of both a little "bushcraft"-tasks and also cutting a loaf of bread or other food.
But as said, while something like the Delica is a bit short in that capacity, I never wished for something longer than an Endura-sized-blade. Sure, for cutting pizza and keeping the pivot clean, the longer the blade is, the better...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#4

Post by Wartstein »

Let me add some points (to my own thread... ;) ) I could think of why a really long blade (for a folder) could have advantages over a just "long" one:

- Reach: Maybe good in a sd-scenario, but that is nothing I ever consider when choosing a knife; Reach could also be of an advantage, when you want your hand to be as far away as possible from the stuff you´re cutting (like when it is hot?), but that´s also not a very realistic scenario for me. Or when you´d have to cut something placed at the end/bottom of a very narrow space, too narrow for your hand?!

- Whittling, or even cuttting cardboard: You can do longer cuts before you have to start over again with a new cut.

- Sharp areas on the edge: When you do a lot of cutting and do not have the opportunity to sharpen the blade, the longer it is the more likely you´ll find some still sharp areas / spots on the blade when it is starting to get dull?

- Potentially a longer straight section before the belly, which may be better for some tasks? Or on the flipside, more belly than on a shorter blade?

- And of course, as already mentioned above: Food prep.
Last edited by Wartstein on Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#5

Post by Wartstein »

... Plus: A long bladed folder obviously will always feature also a long grip, which offers more grip positions and may be better for larger hands..
(Do I really have to answer my own question by myself here? :p (or, to put it differently: Should I have THOUGHT myself BEFORE asking it? ;)... just kidding, still would like to know what you are thinking!)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#6

Post by soc_monki »

Looking cool... That's really the only reason. And food prep. And box cutting. Lol!

Seriously though, I bought my resilience because I saw they made a bigger tenacious and I just had to have it! I still pull it out, open it up, and think "that's a big blade!" I don't carry it much, but i love it's ridiculous size!

Generally a 3 to 3.5 blade is more than enough for me. Usually carry something like my para 3, Sage, or persistence and they handle everything. I'll carry a slightly bigger knife for bigger tasks, but the smaller ones see the brunt of the work during my days. Much easier to strip cable with a shorter blade, much more precision.

Love the big blades though. I think of my resilience as my spydiechef!
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#7

Post by ferider »

I dont really believe in knives for SD, still i like to EDC larger knives (Military etc.). And yes, some food prep and whittling is easier, but thats not the only aspect. It comes down to ergonomics and handle size: i’m most comfortable with handles 5 1/4 “ and up, and like to have a proportional blade. For example, i feel a Manix XL to be more comfortable than an Endura, while the Endura actually has a longer cutting edge.

Roland.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#8

Post by steelcity16 »

Wartstein wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:47 am
Stimulated by some recent posts and discussions I´d like to adress a question to all of you who like to carry folders with blades of 4 inches or longer:

What are the actual advantages of such a long blade in various EDC-scenarios compared to a not short, but around 3.5 to 3.8 blade ?

Let me specify my question:

I came to prefer a quite narrow range when it comes to length of the actual EDGE (so not blade) of my main EDC knives, and that would between 8 and 9 cm. ( about between 3.1 and 3.5 in inches) of EDGE, normally that means 3.5 to 3.8 overall BLADE length. (for reference: That's the PM2 to Endura size range)

Anything noticeable shorter has its limits when it comes to for example minor food prep on the road, or generally in many cutting tests really.

But anything LONGER (so 4 " and more) does not give me personally really even more benefit, tends to get a little long in the pocket and a little less good for finer tip work and the like.

That´s just my personal preference and opinion of course, and I am aware of that many even think, a 3.5 to 3.8 blade is unnecessarely LONG for a regular EDC-knife.

Still ,I´d really appreciate the input of you out there who like to regularely carry even longer blades than I do!

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I carry my Natives or Chap LW for EDC and only really feel lacking for blade length when it comes to food like out at a restaurant that may not have knives and I need to cut things up for my kids. These knives get the job done, but a little longer blade is easier to use on food in a lot of cases. That is why I carry a PE Pacific Salt in my briefcase for use at the office in cutting up my lunch. The extra length is nice in that regard.

I agree about not liking to carry longer blades in my pocket and generally prefer a shorter blade. In the kitchen I do however do 90% of my cutting with an 8" chefs knife.

I do like and use longer blades around the house and outdoors like a SE Pacific Salt and Military. I just don't like to carry them as they aren't as comfortable for me.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#9

Post by Evil D »

I don't know about 4+ inches as I don't think I have any that large but in general I prefer larger blades for the same reasons (as oppose to smaller). I can do most things with a large blade that I can with a small, but not always the other way around. There are gobs of examples in other parts of life that fit the "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it" mentality. I don't need 4wd year around but it sure is nice in snow and such. It's a fair argument that you're carrying something that's ultimately unnecessary 99 out of 100 uses but if it doesn't inconvenience you to carry that extra inch of handle and extra ounce of weight then if it's legal I'm all for it.
Last edited by Evil D on Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#10

Post by TomAiello »

There are a lot of yard work chores where a larger blade is very handy. Things that involve digging stuff out or cutting turf, for example.

And food prep. Cutting apples with a 3" blade is a pain.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#11

Post by Wartstein »

ferider wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:52 am
I dont really believe in knives for SD, still i like to EDC larger knives (Military etc.). And yes, some food prep and whittling is easier, but thats not the only aspect. It comes down to ergonomics and handle size: i’m most comfortable with handles 5 1/4 “ and up, and like to have a proportional blade. For example, i feel a Manix XL to be more comfortable than an Endura, while the Endura actually has a longer cutting edge.

Roland.
Hi Roland,

Danke für Deine Antwort. ;)

Yes, that a longer bladed folder also logically has to feature a longer handle came to my mind only later (and I wrote it in my third post I think). And sure, a Manix XL handle is more comfortable than an Endura handle, but when it comes to pure length (not ergos!!) I guess it should be more than enough for even XXL hands... ;)

But I hear you!
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#12

Post by Wartstein »

steelcity16 wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:03 am
Wartstein wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:47 am
Stimulated by some recent posts and discussions I´d like to adress a question to all of you who like to carry folders with blades of 4 inches or longer:

What are the actual advantages of such a long blade in various EDC-scenarios compared to a not short, but around 3.5 to 3.8 blade ?

Let me specify my question:

I came to prefer a quite narrow range when it comes to length of the actual EDGE (so not blade) of my main EDC knives, and that would between 8 and 9 cm. ( about between 3.1 and 3.5 in inches) of EDGE, normally that means 3.5 to 3.8 overall BLADE length. (for reference: That's the PM2 to Endura size range)

Anything noticeable shorter has its limits when it comes to for example minor food prep on the road, or generally in many cutting tests really.

But anything LONGER (so 4 " and more) does not give me personally really even more benefit, tends to get a little long in the pocket and a little less good for finer tip work and the like.

That´s just my personal preference and opinion of course, and I am aware of that many even think, a 3.5 to 3.8 blade is unnecessarely LONG for a regular EDC-knife.

Still ,I´d really appreciate the input of you out there who like to regularely carry even longer blades than I do!

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I carry my Natives or Chap LW for EDC and only really feel lacking for blade length when it comes to food like out at a restaurant that may not have knives and I need to cut things up for my kids. These knives get the job done, but a little longer blade is easier to use on food in a lot of cases. That is why I carry a PE Pacific Salt in my briefcase for use at the office in cutting up my lunch. The extra length is nice in that regard.

I agree about not liking to carry longer blades in my pocket and generally prefer a shorter blade. In the kitchen I do however do 90% of my cutting with an 8" chefs knife.

I do like and use longer blades around the house and outdoors like a SE Pacific Salt and Military. I just don't like to carry them as they aren't as comfortable for me.
Thanks for your reply! As said, I actually DO like longer blades and carry such most of the times (Endura has the perfect blade length for me), but not what I consider REALLY long blades (Police...)

Native would definitely be to small for my regular EDC.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#13

Post by Wartstein »

TomAiello wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:38 am
There are a lot of yard work chores where a larger blade is very handy. Things that involve digging stuff out or cutting turf, for example.

And food prep. Cutting apples with a 3" blade is a pain.
I am with you on that, that's why I carry Endura sized blades mostlly, but I wondered if even larger really does offer noticeable more benefit?
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#14

Post by PeaceInOurTime »

To be honest, all I need in my day to day cutting jobs is a blade similar in length to the ladybug. However, having a knife with a full size handle is far more enjoyable.

Thankfully, I live in an area where I can carry any size blade, but if I ever move to a more restrictive city I will probably cut down the length of my longer blades to make them legal to carry and still benefit from the full size handle. I may do this soon with a Cara Cara 2 just to try it out.

Being a "knife enthusiast" who honestly doesn't have a lot of cutting jobs in my day-to-day life, I like using my edc blades in the kitchen just for the fun of it. I'm excited to try out the Cutlery Shop Hap40 Zome Endura I just ordered! (My first sprint/exclusive and first Endura!)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#15

Post by Bill1170 »

Yardwork and food prep are the only tasks I do with a folder where a >4” blade would be useful.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#16

Post by ladybug93 »

the resilience is not a ridiculous size. it’s not much longer than the endura. i feel it’s a more robust and durable knife though. personally, i’d rather use the resilience than my pacific salt in the woods. i love my pacific salt for its intended purposes, but it’s not a hard use knife. i’ve grown a little skeptical of the resilience (see what i did there?) of frn backlocks. they are great for edc, but they are not confidence inspiring (to me) for anything that pushes the limits of a knife.
i also own a cold steel recon one xl. maybe that’s why the resolience isn’t crazy big to me. my pacific salt was my first knife that approached 4” and i remember thinking it was big when i got it. now, i find the pacific salt and resilience to just be a really nice and comfortable size. with that said, i still mostly edc my manix lw or yojimbo though.
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current collection:
C253GBBK, C258GFBL, C101GBBK2, C11GYW, C11FWNB20CV, C101GBN15V2, C101GODFDE2, C60GGY, C149G, C189, C101GBN2, MT35, C211TI, C242CF, C217GSSF, C101BN2, C85G2, C91BBK, C142G, C122GBBK, LBK, LYL3HB, C193, C28YL2, C11ZPGYD, C41YL5, C252G, C130G, PLKIT1
spyderco steels:
CPM 20CV, CPM 15V, CTS 204P, CPM CRUWEAR, CPM S30V, N690Co, M390, CPM MagnaCut, LC200N, CTS XHP, H1, 8Cr13MoV, GIN-1, CTS BD1, VG-10, VG-10/Damascus, 440C
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#17

Post by Mako109 »

I depend on long blade folders for cleaning and filleting small game fish (eg. crappie, trout, surf perch, pompano, herring) and for prepping bait.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#18

Post by bearfacedkiller »

A long blade can do more than a small blade. A smaller blade can do things with more control. Sometimes I want the control of a smaller blade but most of the time I want the versatility of a longer blade.

A Military paired with either a Delica or a Native is my go to combo. Today it is an M4 Military paired with a Maxamet Native5LW. Not much I cannot handle with that combo. :)
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#19

Post by zhyla »

A full sized handle cannot be underestimated for a knife that gets used for long durations. The extra reach of a long blade is nice in some situations too (brush/branches).

I don’t think I would want something bigger than a Police.
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Re: Advantages of 4 " (plus) blades?

#20

Post by Wartstein »

zhyla wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:56 am
A full sized handle cannot be underestimated for a knife that gets used for long durations. The extra reach of a long blade is nice in some situations too (brush/branches).

I don’t think I would want something bigger than a Police.
OP here, I am with you on the advantage of a long handle that a long folder will always offer. But I like blades / handles in the Endura size (so blade length around 3.8) anyway, and was wondering if even MORE length than the Endura offers, in the blade but as well in the handle really gives even more benefit. Maybe in the blade, but the Endura handle is already really long I'd say.. ?
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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