Obsession with little cutters.

[cbl51]

Okay, in some way all of here are knife nuts. No matter SAK's, multitools, or the "real" knives like Spyderco's, or the traditional pocket knives from Camillus, Schrade, and others long gone out of business. I've owned all kinds of knives, from Randall bird and trout knife to the model 14 for backcountry woods bashing. But after a certain point in my life, my desire for the compact, the small, the light weight, became an obsession. Okay, while serving in the army combat engineers, my right foot and ankle got really smashed up in a construction accident, leaving me 50% disabled and limping around on a cane.

But...my love of backpacking and woods walking in general didn't die, but had to be re-configured. I went from backpacking to ultra light backpacking. Yes, I became one of those maniacs clipping off the paper tags in tea bags, cutting down my toothbrush handle, and ready to eat foods like dried fruits and jerky, and bagels and cheese. My trusty old Optimus 8R got replaced by a soda can alcohol stove for heating water for tea. Surprising  how far you can go on a cheese sandwich and cup of tea.

But it also meant binoculars got replaced by monoculars, large fixed blade knives got replaced by an Opinel pocket knife, and the 2 cell AA mini Maglite got replaced my a single AAA flashlight little bigger than the AAA battery. I had an original Arc light for a while, then got into tiny flashlights. But about knives;

I came to love the little coin pocket size knives like the Buck 309 companion, the Victorinox secretary and classic, alox bantam, Christy knife, Opinel number 5, and like sized little pen knives. For years I got by very well with my little Case peanut. If I needed a bigger knife than my  itty bitty little slicers, then I'd have my Buck 102 woodsman on my hip. With a fixed 4 inch blade on hand, I found my tiny cutters did 98% of what I had to cut in my day to day life in suburbia, or on the trail. Doesn't take a big knife to make a cheese sandwich out in the woods. Or get some sardines out of the tin and onto a cracker. Or in modern suburbia, to open an Amazon box or cut off those plastic price tags, or open my mail that is moistly bills.

One thing I found out about the tiny cutters; they are so small you can carry more of them for a variety in your daily life, for the same weight and bulk of the bigger knife.

Sooooo, who here is a fan of the pint sized slicers like the Christy knife, tiny Opinels, and pen knives like the Victorinox pocket pal, secretary, or excelsior?

[old Lefty]

Whilst not a fan of the small blades per se, I think you're 100% right that in many cases a small blade will get the job done. Classic sorts out many a problem without breaking a sweat. Personally, I have few very small blades that I carry when travelling by air. Don't want to risk losing a nice Classic to over eager official...
Naturally, situations where a bigger blade or real knife would work better do occur, but many times a small pen knife or tiny Spyderco will suffice, and comes with the weight/size and stealth benefit!

Of course, if considering stealth/usability ratio, it is hard to beat a properly carried SwissCard

[Aloha]

  I also very much like little knives.  I carry my Pemberton daily.  I also carry a Squirt daily.  My Spyderco Dragonfly is a perfect size and my Esee Izula fixed blade can handle quite a lot.  I still love my larger blades but I've always had a soft spot for the little ones and typically are the ones I carry most. 

[VICMAN]

Here is another good small pocket knife originally designed by Ted Dowel and made lfrom 1973-1978.

AG Russell currently sells it as the AG Russell Funny Folder.

It is just under 3" closed and the blade is 2 3/8". It is a very solid little knife with a deep hollow ground blade.

[nate j]

I'll take the counter point.  I'm not really a fan of very small knives.  I prefer something a bit larger, for the following reasons:

• While it's true that a small knife can handle many tasks, a larger knife (and we're talking folding pocket knives here, not machetes, swords, etc.) can handle everything the small knife can, as well as other tasks the small knife can't do (or can't do as efficiently).
• A larger handle provides better comfort and control, and the ability to exert more force (if needed).  I want to be able to get a minimum of three fingers on the handle, which for me means a knife no smaller than about 3.25" closed.  Ideal size is being able to get all four fingers on the handle, which for me translates to around 4" closed.
• All other things being equal, a larger knife is more quickly and easily located by the fingers in pocket than a small one.  The absence of a larger knife is also more likely to be noted by the owner, as the larger knife is more conspicuous in pocket than the smaller.
• If you use your knife to cut food (or anything else messy), it makes cleanup much easier and quicker if you have a long enough blade to cut what you need to cut without making a mess in/on the handle.

And, with modern materials and designs, it is possible to carry a somewhat larger knife that is still quite lightweight.  Just a few examples:

• Cold Steel Lucky Two - 3 1/4" closed, two 2 5/8" blades, 1.2 ounces
• LionSteel Shuffler - 3 3/4" closed, 2 7/8" blade, as light as 1.2 ounces depending on handle
• Buck 110 Slim Pro or Select - 4 7/8" closed, 3 3/4" blade, about 3 ounces depending on handle

[ElevenBlade]

I'm certainly a fan of smaller knives. 

I had a Buck 309 Companion, that was small enough to be misplaced in a week. 

My Leatherman Micra blade gets used quite a bit at work - I've taken to carrying that in my pocket at work for the last few months, and because it's so useful, I ended up getting a couple of backup Style CS.

The small blades on my SAKs get used whenever I have them, and one of my more recent purchases is Bantam. 

Even when it comes to fixed blades, the only one that catches my eye is the Mora Eldris. 

I'd say that I am fully obsessed with small knives.  I obsessively search for a pen knife knowing full well that I am going to need a screwdriver and scissors to round out my EDC.  But I keep looking anyway. 

[pipedreams]

Large or small, I love them all.

[cbl51]

I'm certainly a fan of smaller knives. 

I had a Buck 309 Companion, that was small enough to be misplaced in a week. 

My Leatherman Micra blade gets used quite a bit at work - I've taken to carrying that in my pocket at work for the last few months, and because it's so useful, I ended up getting a couple of backup Style CS.

The small blades on my SAKs get used whenever I have them, and one of my more recent purchases is Bantam. 

Even when it comes to fixed blades, the only one that catches my eye is the Mora Eldris. 

I'd say that I am fully obsessed with small knives.  I obsessively search for a pen knife knowing full well that I am going to need a screwdriver and scissors to round out my EDC.  But I keep looking anyway.

Your last paragraph says it all. I know I will need a screw driver or a bottle opener, or a scissors, so my Leatherman squirt is always with me. But I like to have a dedicated slicer with me, but I don't want it weighting down my pocket. So a small pen knife size cutter is a nice thing. The Victorinox secretary, and Christy knife, or even my old beat up Buck 309 companion works for me. Small pen knife size cutters are great tools for the urban/suburban dweller. A little pen knife teamed up with a squirt or micra is a dynamic duo.

[haackeg]

I totally agree with you guys.  I've always been obsessed with smaller knives (not counting a brief digression in my early 30's).  Not only are there few jobs that my CRKT Scribe, Buck 33, SAK, or Case Medium Stockman cannot do, but in my job (teacher), I probably shouldn't even have a blade on me, let alone a large one.  Even my "big knife" that I take hiking is my Mora Eldris.

I'm finding as I get older, I hate having the weight, and I don't even need it.

[William]

This lil` guy cuts like the dickens.

This one is old but still works.

[Aloha]

I love seeing your old Case.   

[pfrsantos]

Large or small, I love them all.

 

[William]

I love seeing your old Case.   

Thanks. It's pushing 50 years old!!

[cbl51]

Thanks. It's pushing 50 years old!!

But still moe than capable of getting the job done! 

And I do love that little X-acto bladed thing. I may have to get one yet. Is it one hand opening like a Christy knife?

[William]

But still moe than capable of getting the job done! 

And I do love that little X-acto bladed thing. I may have to get one yet. Is it one hand opening like a Christy knife?

Yep. Pretty easy opening one hand but a bit less so closing but can be done. Made in the US and comes with replacement blades of different types. Blade changes only require a coin.