sm
member
Really!
Yes I know about tools for tasks.
I am the one that goes on about "fit" around here, so "knife fit", I understand.
Still...
How much blade does one really use?
The handle is really more important than the blade length and size if one really thinks about safety, control, ergonomics (i.e a butcher on a 8-12 hours shift) and comfort.
Surgeon Scalpels, for instance have more handle, than steel.
Hand carving / Whittling knives they too with wood handles long, and custom contoured, with carbon steel blades less than 2" long, some only 1/2" long.
A knife, is designed to cut, and to do so very well.
Growing up, I recall all this, and while times have changed in some respects, it really has not.
Folks are more "industrialized" or less rural than they used to be.
Some days the most taxing task a knife gets used for by some is cutting a thread, or opening a letter.
Doctors and Surgeons, including Veterinarians, and nurses, I grew up with, they always kept knife on person and always a knife in the Doctor's Bag.
Small knife, usually 2 5/8 to 2 7/8" closed length.
I recall emergencies, and these folks using these knives, like emergency tracheotomies, or something in a barn a Vet does.
Even still, Doctors and Surgeons, including Veterinarians, and Nurses, carry a small , sharp pen knife.
I've been trout fishing with these folks and cleaned all the trout with these small knives. No bigger than 2 7/8", and some just a SAK Classic.
They did the same thing with game birds, waterfowl, small game, and even deer.
I just knew there was no way to take care of a Spike buck as a kid with a small pen-knife, this mentor shot with his .38spl revolver, just sitting on the tailgate of the truck.
He was a doctor, and by golly he did it!
Just a kid I was and I was wide eyed and taking all this in.
Funny, a few of these folks keep a disposable scalpel handy, and they will use these for fish and game, do food prep, and whatever a knife is for.
Being in scrubs all the time, they just got used to not carrying a bunch of stuff and using what little they did have.
Yes some things of late made me think of all this again.
Some of my mentors were in places where concealed meant concealed, checkpoints and other serious things, so a small amount of blade is what they used, survived serious situations.
I was reminded of Chuck Yeager, and his knife for extended trips he and his buddy hiked into for golden trout, a 3" knife , the SAK Executive, is all they used for everything while camping...
Just thinking out loud...
Steve
Yes I know about tools for tasks.
I am the one that goes on about "fit" around here, so "knife fit", I understand.
Still...
How much blade does one really use?
The handle is really more important than the blade length and size if one really thinks about safety, control, ergonomics (i.e a butcher on a 8-12 hours shift) and comfort.
Surgeon Scalpels, for instance have more handle, than steel.
Hand carving / Whittling knives they too with wood handles long, and custom contoured, with carbon steel blades less than 2" long, some only 1/2" long.
A knife, is designed to cut, and to do so very well.
Growing up, I recall all this, and while times have changed in some respects, it really has not.
Folks are more "industrialized" or less rural than they used to be.
Some days the most taxing task a knife gets used for by some is cutting a thread, or opening a letter.
Doctors and Surgeons, including Veterinarians, and nurses, I grew up with, they always kept knife on person and always a knife in the Doctor's Bag.
Small knife, usually 2 5/8 to 2 7/8" closed length.
I recall emergencies, and these folks using these knives, like emergency tracheotomies, or something in a barn a Vet does.
Even still, Doctors and Surgeons, including Veterinarians, and Nurses, carry a small , sharp pen knife.
I've been trout fishing with these folks and cleaned all the trout with these small knives. No bigger than 2 7/8", and some just a SAK Classic.
They did the same thing with game birds, waterfowl, small game, and even deer.
I just knew there was no way to take care of a Spike buck as a kid with a small pen-knife, this mentor shot with his .38spl revolver, just sitting on the tailgate of the truck.
He was a doctor, and by golly he did it!
Just a kid I was and I was wide eyed and taking all this in.
Funny, a few of these folks keep a disposable scalpel handy, and they will use these for fish and game, do food prep, and whatever a knife is for.
Being in scrubs all the time, they just got used to not carrying a bunch of stuff and using what little they did have.
Yes some things of late made me think of all this again.
Some of my mentors were in places where concealed meant concealed, checkpoints and other serious things, so a small amount of blade is what they used, survived serious situations.
I was reminded of Chuck Yeager, and his knife for extended trips he and his buddy hiked into for golden trout, a 3" knife , the SAK Executive, is all they used for everything while camping...
Just thinking out loud...
Steve
