Spyderco Forums

When browsing the forum, I find it funny sometimes how different the definitions of "big" or "small" knives are, due to the personal needs and preferences.

So I thought it could be interesting to hear which knives fit YOUR personal size categories: What is your "regular", most used, preferred size for an EDC knife?
What is a small or big knife, you rather only carry on certain occasions? What is TOO small or TOO big for you to be usefull?

For me personally I can say:

- Regular: Stretch 1, PM 2, Shaman, (Endura 4): That size/ bladelength is what I want to have with me on a regular day and find most usefull for the tasks I encounter; Endura 4 maybe already a little too long in the pocket
- Large: Military. I like it, but almost never need a folder that big
- TOO large: Police probably; Tatanka for sure
- Small: Delica, Native 5: To little cutting edge for my needs usually, only carry those when I want explicetly something smaller and I know that just occasional cutting will occur on that day
- X-small: Chaparral: A size that is very usefull (to be honest MORE usefull than the "small"-categorie"), but just in certain situations: IWB, unclipped in pocket and so on
- TOO small: Dragonfly, Ladybug and so on. Carrying a knife as small as the Chap NEVER bothers me, so why go even smaller and loose cutting edge?

Tiny:
Lady/Man Bug, McBee

Small:
Dragonfly, Lil Native, Rhino

Regular:
Delica, Native 5, Para3

Large:
Manix, Para Military 2, Shaman, Endura

XL:
Military, Police, Manix XL

I generally think in terms of where I'd carry a given knife.

Key Chain - Jester, Ladybug, Baby Goddard, etc.

Watch Pocket - Kiwi, Micro Dyad

Back Pocket: - Anything too big for the watch pocket and under 4.75" closed.

Too big: - Anything over 4.75" closed.

The ones I carry in my back pocket get broken down into two sizes. The ones, like the Stretch, that I carry most days are "large". The ones, like the Chaparral, that I carry when going into Greenville with it's 3" blade limit are "medium".

- Regular: Para 3 / Lil Native
- Large: Para 3 / Mantra 3
- TOO large: PM2 - everything over 3 oz / 100g
- Small: Dragonfly
- X-small: McBee
- TOO small: Ladybug (not flickable / not great to operate one handed)

Maybe Para 3 will be my large option when Para 3 LW will be the regular - lets see :-)

Too small in general: Ladybug

Just right for key-chain: Dragonfly

Too small as main blade in a pocket but also too nice to be relegated to the key-chain: Rhino

Just fine in pocket: Urban (it's a bit small, but I still like it), Para 3, Native, Caly 3, Delica

Not too big in pocket: Manix LW, PM2, Kapara

Not too big, but might need to go in cellphone or cargo pocket: Endura, Military

Too big: Depends on jurisdiction

I've always categorized by blade length:

XS: sub 2.5"
S: 2.5"-3"
M: 3"-3.5"
L: 3.5"-4"
XL: 4"+

For fixed blades this is completely skewed and in my collection 7-8" blade lengths are considered "medium." :D

Easy one for me


(Pingo is as small as I would go and I think it’s a great little knife. I have probably had the most comments about this knife by non knife folks and never a bad reaction to opening it in public)

Delica = Small
(Salt1, para3, with a few Delicas)


Endura = large
(GB1, PM2, pacific salt)

Anything bigger is a fixed blade job in my book

attila wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:46 am

Too small in general: Ladybug

Just right for key-chain: Dragonfly

Too small as main blade in a pocket but also too nice to be relegated to the key-chain: Rhino

Just fine in pocket: Urban (it's a bit small, but I still like it), Para 3, Native, Caly 3, Delica

Not too big in pocket: Manix LW, PM2, Kapara

Not too big, but might need to go in cellphone or cargo pocket: Endura, Military

Too big: Depends on jurisdiction

Seems like you have roughly the same categories as I have... Ideal (blade-) length the Kapara- / PM2 - / Stretch - / Manix size range?

The Deacon wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 4:29 am

The ones I carry in my back pocket get broken down into two sizes. The ones, like the Stretch, that I carry most days are "large". The ones, like the Chaparral, that I carry when going into Greenville with it's 3" blade limit are "medium".

OT, but being European and out of interest may I ask quickly: So in the US knife-laws are not consistent (if that´s the word?) over a certain state, but can change from city to city ?! Or from outside to inside the city limits?!

I find the actual edge length to be the main determining factor for me. Under 3 inches edge length is a small knife. Definitely useful for some tasks and circumstances, but not as well suited to all around use. An edge length between 3 and 3 1/2 inches is what I'd call a medium knife, which I find useful for a much wider range of tasks. Over 3 1/2 inches edge length is getting into big knife territory. This can be very helpful for some tasks, but the size starts to be a liability for others. There are, of course, a number of other factors in the mix, but this is a good rule of thumb for me.

For EDC:

Too Small: Chaparral
Too Big: PM2

Just Right: Delica 4

CG

Just right, my everyday EDC: Military Ti/CF S90V

Small: PM2, Manix 2


Too Big: Tatanka

Too Small: Anything smaller than a PM2

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:20 am

attila wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:46 am

Too small in general: Ladybug

Just right for key-chain: Dragonfly

Too small as main blade in a pocket but also too nice to be relegated to the key-chain: Rhino

Just fine in pocket: Urban (it's a bit small, but I still like it), Para 3, Native, Caly 3, Delica

Not too big in pocket: Manix LW, PM2, Kapara

Not too big, but might need to go in cellphone or cargo pocket: Endura, Military

Too big: Depends on jurisdiction

Seems like you have roughly the same categories as I have... Ideal (blade-) length the Kapara- / PM2 - / Stretch - / Manix size range?

Blade lengths of 3" to 4" all work well for me. The model that I usually want to carry is some flavor of Manix LW, followed closely by the Cruwear Para 3. I carry others to experience and appreciate variety.

Tiny: DF2, Lil’ Nilakka, Stainless Clipitools
Small: Delica, Wolfspyder, Native5 (my 3 main edc)
Medium: PM2, Manix2, Yojimbo
Large: Military, Endura, Manix2XL
X-large: Tatanka, K2

regular size: Police and Manix XL

a bit small, but still full sized: Pacific Salt

too small for me to want to carry Anything smaller than a Pacific Salt. Para 2, Delica, Caly 3.5, etc.

lol why?: ladybug :D

Easy: Tiny ~3", Small (for the office, etc) ~3.5", Normal Size ~4", Large ~4.5". Blade length, that is. I don't see the point of going below 3".

My favorite Normal Sized ones are Military, Chinook [14], the Snake, and the Ulize. Probably my most carried knife is the ZT0452 (in different incarnations with multi-row bearing upgrade). I love that thing.

Roland.

Add to my op: For "regular use" I want at least 3 "of actual edge, but really don't need more than 3.5.
That's also the main reason why I did not keep a Manix: Just sacrifices a tad too much edge to the undisputable great ergos.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:35 am

OT, but being European and out of interest may I ask quickly: So in the US knife-laws are not consistent (if that´s the word?) over a certain state, but can change from city to city ?! Or from outside to inside the city limits?!

Yes. But that's also true in Europe. When you move from one EU state to another (Denmark to Italy, for example), the rules change dramatically. The same is also true within cities of a certain state (Paris to rural Normandy, as another example).

My categories tend to be grouped by both use and jurisdiction:

Keychain: Ladybug
Bag/Glovebox: Dragonfly
European carry: UKPK or Urban
California carry: Chaparral
Home carry: Manix 2, Police, various fixed blades, or whatever I feel like carrying that day.

Bigger: Tenacious, Rescue 3
Big: Mantra 3, Para 3
Regular: Lil Native, DF2 HB
Small: McBee, Squarehead