Spyderco Forums

Michael, it seems to me, from my experience, that the best utility cutting blade length is in the 3 to 4 inch range. Generally more like 3.5 to 4 inches. That is why I am an advocate for Spyderco to make more folders and fixed blades with that range. Also, in some places as people on here have mentioned, a fixed blade that has a 3 to 4 inch single edged blade is perfectly legal, and in other places even folders with those blade lengths are.

I would like to see more Spyderco-made fixed blades with the 3 to 4 inch blade length, in both serrated edge and plain edge, and part serrated "combo-edge", with FRN grips. I think there is still room for more designs.

My job is in a parts warehouse that requires constant feeding of parts to other production warehouses during the day. I cut so much, to the point that my Tenacious rattles so badly I don’t trust it’s locking mechanism, my co workers inexpensive knife fell apart yesterday. This job pure kills knives, unless it is a good knife. I use my PM2 Blurple everyday and the 3.44” blade is fantastic. I did just purchase a Military in the same S110V steel to use as well. I a need 3” blade at minimum! I’m excited to try out the Military Blurple with its 4” blade whenever it comes in the mail.

Blade size helps a lot in cutting a variety of things with 1 slice while using a pulling motion and not running out of blade before you get through your object.

For EDC, personal protection I'm always looking for new knives to test out. I recently bought two new fixed blade knives. They do not have every attribute that I am looking for in the 3 to 5 inch FIXED BLADE and they are not perfect, but they sure are nice.

The two knives are Bradford Guardian 3 and 4, and I ordered Armatus Architect Sheaths Black Carbon Kydex for each knife. The Bradford Guardian 3 and 4 are both in M390 - Black G-10 (that looks like a waffle texture) - False Edge - Stonewashed. The jimping on the 4 model is impressively sharp and the grips are just what you need when the SHTF!

Guardian 3 Specs:
Blade Length: 3.5"
Overall Length: 6.5"
Cutting Edge: 3"
Edge Style: Plain
Blade Thickness: .142"
Tang: Full
Blade Steel: M390
Sheath: Leather
Country of Origin: USA

Guardian 4 Specs:
Blade Length: 4.625"
Overall Length: 9.125"
Cutting Edge: 4.125"
Edge Style: Plain
Blade Thickness: .165"
Tang: Full
Blade Steel: M390
Sheath: Leather
Country of Origin: USA.


I'll be picking up whatever Spyderco has in the near future within this range that is fixed to compare them. I'd really like Spyderco to roll out something in M390(204P / 20CV), M4, ... in this competitive area. I KNOW that Sal and Eric are some of the best designers there are and I'm chomping at the bit to buy them.

I'd say most people do not need large knives. I'd also say people technically don't need knives at all, so this is certainly a strange thread.

We are here because we like knives, not because we need them.

In my case, I benefit from having large knives. Cutting rope 4-5 inches thick with a police 4 is much more pleasant than attempting to do so with a pm2. Again, I don't NEED a blade over 4 inches long to cut the rope. I could eventually cut it with a man bug or a box cutter. However, not being able to cut a line quickly on a ship or dredge is a safety concern.

I also like larger knives. I prefer more cutting edge for the ability to slice large things easier and increased cutting ability/sharpness lifetime (more edge to be dulled = more cutting). I also think that larger knives have an easier time accomplishing tasks meant for a smaller knife than small knives have accomplishing tasks meant for a larger knife.

Of course, my opinions are based on (my personal) use. I am not a collector. I feel collectors are less likely to realize the usefulness of large knives.

I would also add this: Do you think a good size range for a utilitarian knife is in the 3.5 to 4 inch, and, a knife for realistic combat is in the 4 to 6 inch range, and knives with blades over 7 inches are too unwieldly or it depends on the situation?

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:31 pm

I would also add this: Do you think a good size range for a utilitarian knife is in the 3.5 to 4 inch, and, a knife for realistic combat is in the 4 to 6 inch range, and knives with blades over 7 inches are too unwieldly or it depends on the situation?

I'm no Janich, but I've studied at least 5 Filipino edged weapons arts.

re "combat": It depends on the aspects of the combat. If in close and tight a Bastinelli Blade of 1 inch could kill you. I have a PiKa Picoeur Karambit Fixed Blade Neck Knife from Bastinelli, 1 Inch Blade, Bohler N690, and it's deadly.

As far as "what works" it all depends on what martial arts you have studied as to what works. Filipino arts use edged weapons that range from 1/2 and inch all the way out to a staff with a 6 foot reach, but the most common is Escrima length which is right around a two foot long blade.

I prefer an edged weapon between 1 inch and two foot. For EDC I like the 1 inch to 5 inch blade length.

Pelagic wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:15 am

I'd say most people do not need large knives. I'd also say people technically don't need knives at all, so this is certainly a strange thread.

Yeah, they've got people programmed all sorts of strange ways these days, don't they ?

I, for example, feel it would be downright irresponsible to leave home without one.

Funny world, huh ?

Besides, there might be cheese cake.

I was once called out for carrying a giant 3" blade. I consider that a reasonable minimum. My response was to ask if all of the knives in this person's kitchen were smaller than that, or was there a range, with some considerably larger. Then if you could only have one, which one would it be?
I actually think 4" is about perfect for the vast majority of my chores, but it is the size of a modest paring knife! Some jobs don't even need that, but some need more. A Mili can handle just about anything I would do with a knife. I carry a PM3 in the office mostly for appearances, but would rather carry a PM2 at least. More cutting length is handy. At home it is always a Mili plus something else. Longer than 4 can be useful at times, but then pocket carry becomes more challenging.
So like many here, I carry a range, and usually at least 2! Around the property I like to have a 12" machete in my field bag too :)

shunsui wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:09 pm

Pelagic wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:15 am

I'd say most people do not need large knives. I'd also say people technically don't need knives at all, so this is certainly a strange thread.

Yeah, they've got people programmed all sorts of strange ways these days, don't they ?

I, for example, feel it would be downright irresponsible to leave home without one.

Funny world, huh ?

Besides, there might be cheese cake.

Aside from the cheesecake, I feel the same way. You however have not described a need.

Pelagic wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:03 pm

You however have not described a need.

Oddly enough, I don't feel the need.

I guess either you're needy or not.

I'm not sure if I need cheesecake. I take that back -- I do need cheesecake.

Some economics teacher said that all you need is a roof over your head and a 100 pound sack of beans each year. Everything else is wants. I am not willing to argue the details, but I do get the point. Saying you need something is a pretty strong claim -- it implies that you won't be able to go on living without it. Thinking about all this is what made me realize that I do need cheesecake.

Tucson Tom wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:57 pm

I'm not sure if I need cheesecake. I take that back -- I do need cheesecake.

Some economics teacher said that all you need is a roof over your head and a 100 pound sack of beans each year. Everything else is wants. I am not willing to argue the details, but I do get the point. Saying you need something is a pretty strong claim -- it implies that you won't be able to go on living without it. Thinking about all this is what made me realize that I do need cheesecake.

Hold the cheesecake, not a great fan.

Was just having a think about my knife uses.

I could get by with my Endura SE, Green River 6" Skinner and 6" Filleter (substitute any 1-2 large Spyderco's for these)

Filleter and Skinner can be used (and do) in camp if needed as well as cutting up any animal or fish.
And the Endura could probably do the rest.

I don't need anything more than a dragonfly or delica if I am being realistic.

I also don't need a truck or more than one pair of pants

Large is relative. If carving a turkey, I can generally get by just fine with a 7” slicer, but a larger bird could require a 9” carving knife. I have never needed a larger carving knife than this, even though I own one. I like an 8” heavy bladed western deba for breaking down chickens.

I generally like sub 4” handled pocket knives, with a blade of 2.8-3” but I like larger pocket knives when fishing or in the yard. I wouldn’t carry a Pinuti or a Gladius in the yard, but I might want a heavy Machete or Kukri at times.

There is no clear rule about what size works, but I never use pocket knives when fixed blades work better, as in the kitchen. Here, a 3-4” blade is what I like for my paring knives, and I like to use what works best. I view a 3” paring knife as often optimal, but I sometimes like to use a larger one. These are very small kitchen blades. I wouldn't try to carve the Thanksgiving turkey with one of my paring knives.

It's not the size of your blade that counts, but rather how you use it. :)

Crux wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:20 am

It's not the size of your blade that counts, but rather how you use it. :)

That is the essential point. While a larger knife is nice to have and possibly more convenient and effective for certain tasks, it is generally not necessary. I refer you to Lance filleting a mackerel with his Dogtag folder. Sure, a Waterway would have been more efficient but he obviously didn’t need one.

I stopped by a friend’s household one day near Ward, CO, high in the foothills. He was preparing to butcher a sheep. I volunteered to help. He had a Buck fixed blade, I had a Gerber gent’s folder with a 2.5” blade. I held up my end fine. Would have been easier with a larger fixed blade, but I didn’t really need one.

So, I maintain that although a larger folder is nice and perhaps more convenient, nearly all of us who carry a knife daily don’t really need one. We just want them for various reasons.

MichaelScott wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:55 am

So, I maintain that although a larger folder is nice and perhaps more convenient, nearly all of us who carry a knife daily don’t really need one. We just want them for various reasons.

How much do you need the carbon fiber on your Rhino, or filework on the One Eyed Jack? What do these knives let you accomplish that a Ladybug & Delica couldn't for half the price?

Aside from food prep, a Jester would do the job for me 50 tor 60 percent of the time and a Kiwi or Chaparral would do the job for me 99% of the rest. But I still carry a Stretch any time it's legal to do so, because I never know if today will be the day when that fraction of 1% where I need a larger knife occur. To me, it makes sense to do so since, aside from things best done with an X-Acto, there's generally no penalty for using a larger knife when a smaller one "would do". Kind of the same reason I drive a midsize 5 passenger SUV even though I rarely have even one passenger or more "cargo" than I could carry on a motorcycle.

I’ve carried a pocket knife since around 5th grade. That was a different time 40 years ago.
I’ve never carried anything larger than 3” and have gotten by just fine.
For me, I don’t care for anything larger really for a pocket EDC.
Local/state laws likely dictates what someone carries.
Also I can see where different occupations is a factor.

OK I'm convinced. Any knife with a blade longer than 2 inches should be made illegal. Any car with more than 4 cylinders also. All guns banned. No more concealed carry permits unless you can demonstrate a real need. No more frilly carbon fiber or titanium. No more meat either, people can eat beans. Heck, no more cars, people can walk. No reason to own more than one knife. See how much you can accomplish when you head down this road!