Handle Length...What is Your Preference?

[tippit]

I have a hard time forging capers & skinners with normal handle lengths.  I always use a three finger grip with my index finger on top of the blade and the Keeslar flare between my thumb & second finger.  Guess too much surgery through the years to change my style.  But I know a lot of people like a longer four finger grip...so I did a little comparative forging this week.  

The top knife is my favorite style...seven inches OAL with three finger handle.  The others are about an inch longer to fit the entire hand.  Two middle blades are quenched & tempered.  Bottom is ready to quench.

What do ya'll like for cleaning & skinning?  tippit

 

[akaboomer]

Nice knives. On knives about this size I prefer about 4 1/2" handles. That is what I find most comfortable and balanced in appearance.

Chris

[kansas stik man]

kind of a wierd comparison doc but for me a small handle is a must.  makes me feel as if its just part of my hand instead of a huge blade flying all over the place while trying to work.

[tippit]

These handles run 3 3/4" top knife to 4 1/2" bottom knife.  I'm probably in the minority as the bottom knife feels to long in the handle for me  :rolleyes:

[Frenchymanny]

I like a full handle myself, but I bet I could get use to a short one too!            

F-Manny

[Smithhammer]

4" to 4-1/4" is just about perfect for me.

[Bladepeek]

I like a shorter handle also. I've never seen anyone use it with their entire fist wrapped around it, but I'll be darned if that isn't the way most of my customers hold it when they're trying to decide what to order.

[kbaknife]

Lots of variables, Jeff.
Oddly, most of us don't USE a knife the way we often just pick it up and hold one.
Seldom do we use a knife the way we so frequently judge them by the way we grab them.
As well, the profile/ergonomics come into play as well.
It's a tough call.
And we tend to make knives the way they feel comfortable to US, and it may not be that way for others.
I have one customer who says he just can't believe how every knife I make for him seems to fit like I made it just for his hand!!
What that tells me is that whenever I make a knife for him, I just make it so it feels good to me!
I concern myself more with visual proportions than anything else.
If one guy doesn't like it, I know there'll be someone down the line that will like it!

[onemississipp]

I think a handle length depends on the job a hand, meaning for animal work, I like you and many others hold the knife as you stated. Making the knife an extension of our index finger. For camp or other work a full handle is needed, such as light chopping.

Guess we need two knives, wonder why I have so many.

I like the shorter handles 3 1/2 to 4 for animal work.

[David Yukon]

I have huge hands and still like a shorter handle, like your first one!

[amar911]

Love the top knife, Jeff. That size is my favorite, and the shape is close to perfect.

Allan

[Arrowest]

I guess for me it all depends on the job at hand.

For general all round use as a hunting knife, 3 3/4" to 4 1/4" with a blade of similar length.

For skinning I often use the same knife but will frequently pull out a skinner with a shorter handle in the 3 1/4" to 4" range, blade will be about the same.

If i'm caping then it's definitely a smaller knife, 2 3/4" to 3 1/2' at most with a narrow 2 1/2' to 3" blade.

I like all of your knives, but if given a choice....aaawwww heck, i would take them all.  I would probably lop off 1/2' of the bottom ones handle though.

[Roughcountry]

I also like the top one. For me it all hinges on the blade, bigger blades demand more handle to control it.
A sharp small blade with the three finger hold is pretty tough to beat for most jobs.

[sinawalli]

Originally posted by tippit:
I have a hard time forging capers & skinners with normal handle lengths.  I always use a three finger grip with my index finger on top of the blade and the Keeslar flare between my thumb & second finger.  Guess too much surgery through the years to change my style.  But I know a lot of people like a longer four finger grip...so I did a little comparative forging this week.  

The top knife is my favorite style...seven inches OAL with three finger handle.  The others are about an inch longer to fit the entire hand.  Two middle blades are quenched & tempered.  Bottom is ready to quench.

What do ya'll like for cleaning & skinning?  tippit

   

Whoa!! That top one is beautiful!! What is the wood, steel? Excellent job! FWIW, I prefer a 4.5" handle, that's usually what I make mine at! Good work!!

[tippit]

All these blades are 1084.  The top is finished in curly maple, stained with Fiebings dark brown leather dye, and finished with multiple coats of Tru Oil.  That 3rd one down has a false top edge which will start a skinning job like opening with a zipper     I'll probably leave a few handles longer but my carry is like the top knife.  Three finger stag horn made from an old file has already proven itself...tippit

 

[Scott Teaschner]

Through the years I have figured out I do not like big knives. That is big handles or big blades. Now I am talking a belt knife. Not a knife I will chop an onion with back at camp. I think Karl is correct on proportions I think a smaller handle with a longer blade visually is not pleasing. I have found that I really never use all of the blade exspecially on big knives. I would say I typically use top 1/2 to 1/3 of the blade.So why tote around all that extra steel? If I have a knife that is to long and can not get my finger to the tip ar very close I will poke or cut myself every time I reach up in the cavity of an animal. When field dressing I do not split the rib cage I jst reach in grab the esophagus with my left cut with my right and start pealing it out. If I dont know where the tip of my knife is I will always poke myself. So in other words i work like you Jeff so I like the same style of knive for percision work. But I guess not every one is the same so you need both. I think all the knive sizes you have are with in good using sizes.

[Benjy]

Jeff , I like your 3 finger style handle on the top knife. I do not like a big knife. After working on a big old boar that someone killed, I do like that false top edge style for working on hogs.    

Benjy

[BowHuntingFool]

I'm liking the top 2 you have here, I get a little more control if need with a little bit longer handle!

Nice work!