[Skunkabilly]

Just wondering, if y'all prefer smaller 3"-ish knives over the mega 4"+ knives out there?

I like the smaller blades for ease of handling since they're usually doing something untertactcal like opening stubborn bags of chips and prying open cans of salsa :o

You?

[Billmanweh]

I prefer a folder with a ~3.5" blade

[Moondancer]

My little knife is a Kershaw Chive. Absolutely great little knife, but I gotta emphasis "little".
Wearing dress pants to work means most of the time my EDC is <3", usually closer to <2". On casual Fridays, and during weekends my EDC changes to either a Spyderco Endura or my latest, a CRKT Crawford Kasper Fighting Folder. I don't think I even own a "carry" knife that goes over 4" unless you count what I carry when I'm hunting.

[Skofnung]

Depends on what I'm doing. That's why I carry two knives. :)

9 times out of 10 I will use the 1 1/2" blade on my SAK. That sucker is like an exacto knife.

[TrapperReady]

I find that most of the time I carry my mini-Grip (2.9") over the mini-AFCK (~3.5"). Part of it is the AXIS-lock over the liner-lock, but it's also that the mini-Grip just seems the most handy. BTW, I got my brother-in-law a regular Griptilian prior to his deployment, and personally I don't like it as much as its smaller brother. Too much flex in the handle.

I like bigger knives, and when hunting or camping I've always got a 5" fixed blade with me. But even then, I find myself grabbing the smaller knife for a lot of tasks.

It's also a little less hassle when you travel to/through areas which have moronic local laws. It seems (at least anywhere near enough to drive to) that under 3" is generally safe.

[Little Loudmouth]

I carry a Ka-Bar lockback with 3" blade. I like that knife/length. My friend's Winchester 3.5 bladed knife with half the blade serrated just seems clumsy and pointless.

[Kingcreek]

I find the most useful size for me is around 3" in a folder and maybe just a little bigger in a fixed blade.
One of my favorites is my medium folding hunter by Bob Dozier

[garrettwc]

I've had both, but for everyday use the 3-3.5" have stuck around the longest.

When you get much longer than that, the handle is so long you might as well get a fixed blade. At least that's how they feel to me.

[Highpower1]

I carry my Emerson Commander 99.9% of the time.

Although, I have been thinking about a Dalton Militia CS, since I saw that one for sale. Anyone have one of these??? Thoughts, comments?

[Xander27z]

small but awesome....
just got this... so it will be my new EDC for a while...

http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/files//489255-Tantilla_keychain_f2.jpg
http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/files//489243-Tantilla_keychain_s2.jpg
also carry one of these:

[Xander27z]

...

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=1293406

[Flashpoint]

Either a Kershaw Vapor with a 3" blade
or
SOG Sculptura with a 2" blade

I have found that most knives that are 4" or longer can get uncomfortable.

[Zackmeister]

Xander, could you give us a rundown on what those knives are?

[Guns_and_Labs]

Usually a 3" blade folder, since they conceal better. Right now it's a Tighe Tac. Scary sharp and pretty durable. I carry the Walker Bladelock 2 and the Viele Wasp, too, sometimes.

Heck, even my fixed blade skinning knives of choice are less than 3.5" (Bark River Mini-Canadian or the CRKT Chugach).

[Cosmoline]

My favorite is a little pre 1970 Case XX I've got. Knife collectors would be deeply upset to see I've sharpened it and allowed the metal to patina, but it serves me very well indeed. Its yellow handle makes it easy to find on the forest floor if it falls down. And the steel is excellent. Holds a razor edge better than any "tactical" knife I've seen.

[MrMurphy]

I carried a 2-and-something inch Spyderco Delica for seven years around the world and back and it did everything I needed. It finally wouldn't keep an edge so it was honorably retired and a Spyderco Lil' Temperance (3") replaced it.


For daily use, a 3" or 4" is more than enough. As a utility blade for a cop or grunt, a slightly larger blade could be justified.

[TrapperReady]

Cosmoline - A couple weeks ago, I decided that I would go through my "Box o' Knives" and generally sharpen them up and clean 'em up. This is a small toolbox containing most of the knives I have obtained over the past 30 years. There are a couple Swiss Army knives, my Randall #3, some Leatherman tools, a couple old (WWII-vintage or before) fixed-blades, a POS survival knife, a handful of plain old pocket knives, etc....

Anyway, as I sharpened them I would do the normal tests (shave arm hair, cut paper) as I finished with each one. Of all the knives, the one which took the best edge was a beat to hell Case electrician's knife of my dad's, which is God-knows how old. Even though it was dull to start with, it took the edge fast and was scary sharp in no time.

The next best was an old Marbles Fieldcraft, followed very closely by my Randall #3. After that, it was difficult to tell much of a difference. I did notice that the Schrade's and Leatherman blades took a better edge than the SAKs, though.

[CRridermike]

most of the time, even to school , i carry my benchmade griptillian 551 with about a 3.5" blade but alot of times i carry the benchmade in my pocket a my gerber gardian backup in my waist band on the back. the reason for that is since im 16 i cant carry a gun (not even suppose to have a knife) and in my neighbore hood alot of people start stuff and last time i had to "handle" someone he somehow felt my Gerber applegate in my pocket and took it from me and i couldent get it back, so know my gardian back up is my back up.

[hso]

Xander's knives, from left to right, are a MT Nemi and customized Ultratech, Protech MiniCupid, TR1, and Godfather, and an Al CRKT M16 and Zytel M16.

Nice knives Xander.:) Who did the UT?

[MrMurphy]

CR, carrying to school is an excellent way to get arrested, and in post-Columbine days, become a felon.

I was arrested for it when I was 17 because they changed the fine print between school years about having a knife on you after school hours on the property and never told anybody. It wasn't worth it.

[Alfadog]

My EDC pocket knife for the past year has been a Spyderco Delica, which replaced the larger Endura. I have yet to find the Delica wanting. The new Delica, with its VG10 blade, seems to hold its edge considerably better than my old G2 Endura.

[Xander27z]

hso> you got most of them right....lol....

the red one is a MT Makora some call it a Fire Ant.... originally it had non-slip skateboard tape inserts which i replaced,
and the little one it's a Protech Tantilla..... i actually like it more then the original Dalton Cupids.... :p
http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/files//490884-tantilla_usa22.jpg

[CRridermike]

mr.murphy, 4 out of 6 or my teachers know i have it and 2 borrow it quite often. the principal has even seen me with it and just said to leave it in my pocket. i cant carry it now though cause saterday i lost my benchmade in a corn maze :banghead:

[Pete1953]

I carry a Benchmade mini griptilion ~3" blade clipped to one pocket and a Kershaw Blur assisted open ~3.5" on the other side.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I carry an Emerson LaGriffe. It's a knife with a blade a bit shorter than 2 inches, though it's probably not the kind of knife you were referring to. I have no doubts about whether its short blade can handle the task its intended for.

Blade length isn't as important as blade shape. Handle shape and ergonomics are also more important than blade length. I'd say that blade steel and how well you sharpen your knife matter just as much as blade length.

In short, blade length is pretty meaningless. At least, that's what I think.

[saltydog452]

I've carried a small Spiderco Co-Pilot for several years now. I use it as a money clip that just happens to have a durable blade with a sharp edge. The only downside that I've had with this little folder is that I often forget that I have it. Its kinda embarassing when you have to go through metal detectors.

Different states have their own laws regarding weapons, and possession of some of the pocket kniveswhose photos have been posted in this thread could land you in jail. Automatic knives, spring loaded assisted opening, gravity kinves, double edge, crossguard, or a dagger blade configuration, are considered weapons rather than tools. A little novelty 1 1/2'' spring loaded key chain knife could land you in jail just as surely as a chopped 12 guage.

The short version of this rant is that we need to be aware of local law.

salty.

[mtnbkr]

On the custom side, I have a Jens Anso Personal Sheepsfoot (fixed blade). The blade is about 2" long. Mine has cocobolo scales and a lizardskin covered half-tanned leather sheath. You can check his work out at www.ansoknives.com

Chris

[Rupestris]

EDC for me is a Bechmade Mini Griptillian 556 (2.91" non serated) and a Leatherman Squirt P4 with a 1.5" blade.
I don't carry for defensive reasons so anything over 3" just feels a bit too bulky.
cs

[MP5]

I carry a Mini-Griptilian. Really nice blade in a small, lightweight package.