[Todd A]

Peanuts have been discussed alot on this forum,mostly its sm's fault for that.:)

But believe it or not there are many other choices out there. I'd like to know (and see) what 3" or less closed knives you guys carry. Tactical or Traditional don't matter.I really think this size class is overlooked and underrated. These are mine.

For a sense of scale the lockback is the largest at 3" closed.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/todda/littleones.jpg

[The Tourist]

Little knives are a "big deal" for me.

I routinely carry a Graham Brothers Stubby, which has 1.5 inches of bevel. I never fell "under knifed" when it's with me.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/TheTourist_bucket/IMG_2469.jpg

[TimboKhan]

I have a Boker Subclaw that I am pretty happy with, although I wish I had bought the Subcom instead, because the Subclaw just isn't as utilitarian as I would like. Good knives, not real expensive at around $30.00 or so, and if your into modding, they can be made to look pretty darn cool.

At some point, I am going to get a Case, in part because I have always wanted one and in part because SM has convinced me that I need one...

[Valkman]

I am going to get a Case

LOL, I bet many have said that and a year later can't even tell you how many they have! If you're going to dive in, just know there are many sweet patterns and never-endind variations of each. :D

Now not to toot my own horn (and the last thing I need is more orders!) but my Small Skinner fits right into this thread. 2 1/4" blade but with a 5" handle it will skin and clean everything up to Elk and is good for myriad jobs. Doesn't look scary or tactical - just like a knife with jobs to do. :)

http://usera.imagecave.com/Valkman/4_Skinners/left_side.jpg

[Dave Markowitz]

My Boker Barlow knife is just over your 3", 3-1/4" closed to be exact. It's still a pretty small knife.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/davemarkowitz/Cutlery/DSC00008.jpg

[sm]

I was born with a Case Peanut in my dresser draw crib, along with a .22 revolver and other items a baby boy born a bit early needs.
Somewhere amongst the gun, knife, boxing glove, stuffed quail ...was me.

Little knives hold a special significance in my life, some know more of the why this is so.

Hen & Rooster and Boker are two other brand names that hold a special place in my life, besides Case.
Tuxedo pattern is another pattern that used to run 3" or less, today these seem to run 3 1/8" .
This is a best kept secret in a very useful knife that will fool folks...for lady or gent!

So while folks think they know me...say hello to my little friends.

i.e. Boker BK8288I with Rosewood handles.
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?Mode=Cat&Brand=&CatalogName=&PriceStart=&PriceEnd=&Feature=&Cat=85&SearchText=pen&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0&list=50&range=1&order=Default&SKU=BK8288I
Boker 240 is just like this one, just a tad bigger.
http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=4227
Yes, I like the Rosewood series.

i.e Hen & Rooster.
Hen & Rooster® Gent's Knife with Stag Handle
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?PriceEnd=&order=Default&CatalogName=&range=81&list=20&Feature=&Cat=80&SearchText=hen%20%26%20rooster&Mode=Cat&PriceStart=&Brand=&SKU=HR241D

Hen & Rooster Mini Stockman
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?PriceEnd=&order=Default&CatalogName=&range=141&list=20&Feature=&Cat=80&SearchText=hen%20%26%20rooster&Mode=Cat&Brand=&PriceStart=&SKU=HR303B

Hen & Rooster® Pen Knife with Mother of Pearl Handle
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?PriceEnd=&order=Default&CatalogName=&range=141&list=20&Feature=&Cat=80&SearchText=hen%20%26%20rooster&Mode=Cat&Brand=&PriceStart=&SKU=HR302ME
[I had one with Ivory handles as well].


Now some patterns have changed some over the years, and back in the day Carbon Steel or Chrome Vanadium was the steel.
For example a Case small pen or small stockman, had CV blades, today these are only offered in a stainless.


Steve

[SAG0282]

I'm a huge Victorinox fan...they're so handy. I usually carry an Explorer, but often the Farmer pictured, and I also have a Recruit, Soldier, and Champ.


http://a57.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/22/l_102e6e7cd72ef9a0e18e0d15905aa358.jpg

[DeTerminator]

I've got the big stubby coming tomorrow ((2.1 " blade). Thanks for inspiring me to get one!

Kerry (70 miles north in Manitowoc).

[22-rimfire]

I'm partial to the Dozier Canoe model.

Since the Graham brothers are full time knife makers now, maybe the waiting time won't be so long. I need to stop by and pay them a visit.

[Skofnung]

In truth, most cutting chores can be accomplished well with 2-4" of blade.

I like big knives, but for most jobs, a smaller blade is better.

Valkman, those look like well thought out pieces.

[The Tourist]

I've got the big stubby coming tomorrow ((2.1 " blade). Thanks for inspiring me to get one!

LOL. I hope you told Josh that he owes me a commission!

[wuluf]

i've had this Boker in my pocket for 15 years now...it's just 2 1/2 inches of blade and flat as can be..

[TimboKhan]

Now not to toot my own horn (and the last thing I need is more orders!) but my Small Skinner fits right into this thread. 2 1/4" blade but with a 5" handle it will skin and clean everything up to Elk and is good for myriad jobs. Doesn't look scary or tactical - just like a knife with jobs to do.

Dude, trust me, the minute I have some spare change to rub together (which may not be for awhile, haha) I am going to order one of those Small Skinners. I don't have to hold one to know that is a knife that I will like very much.

[DeTerminator]

Hello everyone!

Today my Stubby arrived. Awesome! Very heavy duty. A lot of knife in a small package. I don't think anything could break on this one!

Highly recommended to those that want high quality. I used it a few times already; first to cut open some ground beef in a plastic tube, then to sharpen a pencil a few times.

Very handy, and fun!

Later,

Kerry

[Valkman]

Anything from the Grahams is first rate!

[The Tourist]

Today my Stubby arrived.

Do you have pictures?

[eliphalet]

Unless I am hunting a "little" knife is All I ever carry as it is all I ever need. A three bladed medium stockman is my choice, has been well over 40 years.

[DeTerminator]

No pictures, sorry,

Not that edjumacated!

Mine looks just like yours, with minor differences.

I took a bit of angled ceramic rod to it, and got it sharper still! Now it easily removes the hair from your arm.

A great knife!

Kerry

[gripper]

i've had good luck with Cold Steel (plain edge) Spikes( scimitar pattern ) and the K4.Previous to that I thought ( and still think )CRKT neck knives offer big value for small money.

[The Tourist]

it easily removes the hair from your arm.

If you get the chance, try some Japanese waterstones and perhaps a bit of chromium oxide paste.

I find that it easily removes arms from your hair.

[Todd A]

You guys got some nice little knives.Good choices all.

I am abit surprised at sm though. I really thought he worked for Case an got a commision on every yellow CV peanut sold. :) ;) Boker and Hen & Rooster, nice knives. That gent is really nice. And I do need a knife for when my better half makes me dress nice.:rolleyes:

[soccergod04]

SAK Tinker, Boker Subclaw, R.A.T. Cutlery Izula

[DeTerminator]

Thanks for your recommendations for sharpening, as I understand that you are the sharpening guru!

I was going to email you until I saw your reply. It seems like the Stubby was a bit more fussy as far as sharpening compared to my other blades. A more extreme angle solved the problem. I think there is great potential in this blade, though! I don't think I have it totally solved for sharpening, but it is a bit better.

Any further suggestions would be appreciated. I realize there are other forums concerning sharpening.

One other question: How do you normally carry the Stubby? Do you put sheath into your pocket, or under the wasitband?

Thanks!

Kerry

[The Tourist]

How do you normally carry the Stubby?

I have Josh make me both kydex and leather sheaths with the clip affixed for right front pocket carry. That is, the entire knife within the sheath goes into the pocket with only the clip showing, just like a regular clip folder. The knife would be drawn with the right hand, the blade edge down.

BTW, if you wish to meet other professional sharpeners, go the the "Keeping Sharp" section of KnifeForums.

Think of us as derelicts, cut-purses, highwaymen, degenerates and minstrels, except we have a skill...

[DeTerminator]

Thanks for your fast reply!

I'll check into the forum as far as sharpening. I find the Razel sharp at this point, but think it could be sharper.

Also, thanks for the info on how you carry yours.

I see your Kydex sheath is slightly different than mine. The knife itself is practically the same, with the lettering on the side of the blade different. On mine, the left side shows "CRKT" on the blade, and "Stubby Razel" with the Graham Knife symbol on the right . My sheath is more streamlined on the left side, with 5 rivets total as opposed to your 6.

Later, Tourist!

Kerry

[sm]

Think of us as derelicts, cut-purses, highwaymen, degenerates and minstrels, except we have a skill...

I read that forum and quite informative indeed.
Rebel, outlaw, desperado, with skill here.

Maybe that is why I understand a lot of what you folks share. *wink*

[CZ.22]

My Case Medium Stockman isn't exactly huge. Niether is the Sodbuster Jr. I asked for a peanut for my birthday, hopefully I'll have one soon.
I also dig the Vic Classic, but, ironically, I don't have one. Nope, when it came time to buy, I could only find a Wenger. Not a bad knife at all, but still, I like the Vic. I also know the Vics screwdriver can be used to remove a bottle cap, something the Wenger can't do.
My Bick 303 isn't exactly big either.
Neither are my M16, Sapphire, Ripstop.
Or my Vic Recruit.
I have some big knives- Benchmade Vex, Buck Mayo Hilo, Remington 9501 (large stockman, anyone have any info on it) Byrd Meadowlark, which is quite a hunk of steel, Vic Helmsman, Leatherman Kick.
All of these are good knives, just don't get carried a bunch anymore. I like lighter knives, smaller knives that take up less space in my pocket. Big knives have their place, but I like small ones for EDC.

[ArfinGreebly]

So, I had to pick up my daughter and her two girls at the airport today.

Gettin' ready to leave from work to head over, and I realize, hey, she won't have her knife -- can't carry it on the darn plane!

Quick, run over to the hardware store, grab a Case Sharphorn (hey, only $10), and stuff it in my pocket.

Get her and the girls from baggage claim, trudge down the concourse alley a bit, and once we're away from the crowds . . . "uh, hey, I reckon you're missing some hardware after your flight, so I brought you this to tide you over till you can get unpacked."

Awesome! Cool beans!

And we proceeded on to the car for the drive home.

We had to stop and get some ad hoc groceries on the way, 'cuz one of the kids was fussy, and she had the knife she needed to open the stuff that needed openin'.

It ain't a sodbuster or a peanut, but I should probably keep a fistful of them on hand.

Why?

Well, You Just Never Know™.

[The Tourist]

I read that forum

I found from both personal experience and also in discussions with vendors, that the world of tinkers is very small indeed. In fact, despite being spread out over two countries, we know each other by name and talk routinely on the telephone.

Case in point, a new shop opened on the west side of Madison just a few months ago. My wife and I went to check out the place, and I introduced myself to the owner. His response? With a straight face he asked, "Are you Bada Bing?"

It shouldn't have surprised me. Ben Dale believes that there are only five tinkers who support themselves utilizing waterstones. Don't bother looking for us in Forbes.

The curse of the tinker. If you are good, people what your service. But if there are lots of people, you will not have enough time to be good.

And somehow actually going out and looking for honest work seems so "untinkerish."

Tinkers of history searched garbage dumps for pots and pans, which they repaired. If you needed a pot, you didn't order one, you looked at the tinkers wagon--you picked one that he had.

And so it is now. Tinkers jump from project to project, by whim or by wind, more of a need to sharpen than a need to please anyone. I tell people that if they want a specific knife, a tinker is the last guy to ask. You go see a tinker for a repair, or to see what he found to be a sharp knife.

He will have a smattering of very sharp knives, and if that's what you find valuable, then secure that service. And remember, professional sharpeners are about the only trade that "fires" its clients. This year so far, I have fired two of them.

[Scotticus]

The Gerber Ridge (partially serrated) is usually in my pocket. It's small and light, but sturdy enough to cut heavy clam packs or that plastic strap stuff. I like the smaller Case and the stockman type knives, but those blades aren't nearly as sturdy as the Ridge.

[Carl Levitian]

One other advantage of small knives that I haven't seen mentioned yet; they are small and light weight enough that you can carry a couple of them for the bulk and weight of a single larger knife. Like a sak classic on a keyring, a small two blade pen knife like a peanut in a watch pocket, and a "larger one like a sak bantam or Buck Hartsook in the right hand pants pocket. All together, these three or similar don't weigh much, but give alot of versitile cutting.

Early man used to skin game with a single sharp obsidian or flint flake. Peter Capstick, last of the great white hunters of the old days in Kenya, once wrote about watching a native helper skin a giraffe with a sharp arrow point. I wonder how many hunters and sportsmen carry a way bigger knife than they really need because they don't really know how to use one.

I was looking at a copy of the Smithsonion Magazine about a year ago, and they had an ariticle about the ice man, Otzi. There was a photo of the stuff found along with him, including his flint knife. It looked smaller than a Gerber LST.

I love little knives. :D

[Brian Dale]

My pocket knives generally run just over 3" closed. The first one that I carried in a work setting was a Gerber LST with a two and a half inch blade. I once ran gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers to test various things for toxic compounds. On my first day in that lab, the gentleman who taught me to run the GC/MS systems told me to remove a part that was changed every 12 hours "with your knife."

Being a goober, I replied that I didn't have one with me. :uhoh:

He told me: "Can't be a chemist without a knife."

I bought a Gerber LST that evening and carried it from then on. I've kept the habit in other jobs, too; his words stuck with me. Thanks, Vance, wherever you are. :)

[Rupestris]

Brian,

Sounds like you had the Gerber LST Magnum Jr. I only know because I carried the same knife for years. That little blade served very well.

Years ago I ordered a Bark River Woodland. This was when BRK&T was a young start-up and they hadn't even started production of the Woodland yet. I wanted the knife to take to Kentucky for my son's first Turkey hunt. Unfortunately, when May rolled around the Woodland still hadn't arrived. (I ordered it in January IIRC)

Left with few options, the Gerber LST Jr. was the knife that ended up on that trip. For a rather cheap, lightweight knife, that Gerber made short work of my son's first bird.

My son is 19 now and the LST Jr. has been turned over to him. It still serves well even though he prefers his Kershaw Chive. The Gerber still gets some pocket time once in a while.

Chris

[Exmasonite]

I just became of this little beauty here (http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=3000&a=01BO530&s1=keycom&s2=0&s3=9999&p=&pp=0).

Boker Keycom... seems like a nice little addition to the pocket or keychain.

[CZ.22]

Boker CLB designs.
I do not own one (the only Boker I own is a Stockman)
I have handled several of the CLB designs, and liked them.
The Subcom series are very popular, especially over on EDC Forums.
The Keycom seems like a nice knife- a little more cutting power than an SAK classic.
I have an SAK classic, but I carry the sciccors and screwdriver from my Swisscards, along with a P-51, in my wallet.
Keycom, I would carry it on my keychain.
I wish Case would make a penknife (even Tru--Sharp would be okay, if it was cheap) with yellow handles, two blades, and a keyring.
Or even better, brown Delrin like on Todds Old Timer. The pen knife with the keyring could be a Boker or Moore Maker too,

[Fred Fuller]

One of my favorite little knives is a Spyderco Dragonfly (currently riding in my daypack along with the water purification tabs, bouillon cubes, lifeboat matches etc. since our cross country trip last summer). I field dressed my wife's first buck with it a couple of years ago, and she was impressed.

When I hung the deer, skinned it and took off the head and legs with the same blade, she was amazed 8^). She liked the little knife enough that when we went by SMKW, she bought one too.

lpl/nc

[Tom Krein]

I am particularly fond of the Queen Knives with D2 blades. I carry a stag whittler on a semi regular basis...

Tom

[Zeke/PA]

For a small pocket knife I of course like the Sodbuster but another favorite is the Muskrat pattern especially the Schrade 770T.
Zeke

[sm]

Keep in mind we have restrictive areas where locking knives are not allowed in reading what I post here.

- I miss the small carbon steel knives like the Midget that had a single blade , bail and came with a beaded key chain.

-Old Timer of yesteryear with offerings such as Mighty Mite with a brass lock, and Pocket Pal.

These knives and similar are proven, what I would like to see:

-SAK does the SAK Classic, and Escort ( no scissors), I would like a small, aluminum handled single blade with a key ring on it, in this size.

-Spyderco does the LadyBug.
Now I need one of these and after testing two, one in Green and the other in Orange, I am impressed.
I want the green one that locks...

Do a yellow handled one that does not lock, akin to UK Pen Knife.

-
Fixed.
One of the handiest small knives to me, is a "whittler's knife", just a small blade, no more than 1.5" long with a wood handle.
I like the 1095 steel.
These in a nice sheath, are downright handy!
Mine is gone, and I miss it, still that little knife handled so many chores, kept an edge and was easy to maintain.
Not just making wood shavings either, all sorts of daily chores.

I had a custom once upon a time, that was basically a Case Peanut, except fixed, with a tad more handle.
Nice leather sheath and that sucker did a lot of chores and did so well.

[JohnKSa]

I carry the smallest Swiss Army knife in the "watchpocket" of my jeans. The tweezers, toothpick & scissors come in handy on frequent occasions, and the little blade is great for delicate work that requires extreme sharpness.

The Swiss Army knife blades are extremely good cutters when properly sharpened but are very brittle and will chip or break easily if used for hard duty. Fortunately I also carry a multitool with replaceable blades for the times when I need to do something that might damage a more refined cutting implement.