Spyderco Forums

So carrying the Endura more. I used to just carry it when out in the woods hiking or mt biking or around the house, where it doesn't matter how big or what a knife is. My "comfort zone" was smaller knives, maybe mid-size, like the native, delica, para3. Part of this was concern over "length" rules, part over not freaking out folk at my work, though it's a warehouse not an office so I had more leeway there... anyhow home with a busted shoulder since before this covid stuff started. So I started carrying bigger knives like my endura more.
'All the "middle" size knives I usually carry -- para3, native, sage, etc- are awesome knives and I'm not knocking them (I have three natives and a lil native and 2 sages so...) but... lately I've found I am more comfortable with larger knives, probably as a result of carrying one more. I still carry a smaller knife (sometimes the dragonflies, love those) esp. while bicycling, but when wearing cargo shorts or jeans am just more comfortable now with a larger knife.
I hope when I go back to work this doesn't end up freakin folk out but what I find more curious is how what I am comfortable with carrying and more importantly using has changed. Any one else notice this? I was under the impression there was a sort of optimal size range for a daily knife but now I'm realizing not so much... it's weird.
I also think it's a function of the slimness of the endura and similar designs as I have similarly sized knives that are much blockier and do not prefer them...
Anyway shoot now I need more enduras only have two...

Lonerider

when i first got my pacific salt, i felt like it was huge. then i got a resilience and the pacific salt felt small. then i got a cold steel recon 1 xl and everything else seems reasonable.

you should carry whatever is legal and works for you. don’t worry too much about other people. i’ve had people look at me sideways for a dragonfly. just use the opportunity to show them it’s utility and maybe they’ll stop being afraid. :)

Glad to know it isn't just me!

I've been carrying my larger knives since I've been working from home... The Lil Native has been neglected as of late in favor of the Manix2 or Para 3

lonerider1013 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:26 pm

Glad to know it isn't just me!

definitely not.

when i use my resilience and people look at me like i’m crazy for having such a large knife, i point out to them the similarities between it and a kitchen knife. it’s small compared to most kitchen knives, but i explain how i most often use it to cut up food for my kids when we’re out and the extra blade length keeps food out of the pivot, which helps the knife function better. i’ve had a lot of moments like this where i see fear turn to understanding.

I am a much in the "a big knife can do everything a small knife can, but a small knife can´t do everything a big knife can" - camp.

For me the Endura has the optimal, "regular" size for a folder, while your "mid sized knives" (Delica, Para 3, Native) for me really are small (as small as I would go actually concerning cutting edge) and more specialized knives for days when a small carry has priority for what ever reason...

As soon as you really use a knife, for me personally a longer blade has
- lots of advantages (for example: cutting stuff with larger diameters; much better in cutting things like cardboard, cause you can do much more of a "drawing motion" and "don´t run out of blade before you run out of material"; after a long day of cutting there will more likely still remain a sharp section on a longer blade than on a shorter and so on)
- but really no disadvantages - again, in actual use. (It might very well have some in carry, in scaring people, legally and so on).
If I really want a "short blade", pinch gripping the knife further up on the blade is totally sufficient, or (I almost don´t dare to say it anymore on this forum ) choking up on the actual edge is no problem at all if you know how to do it (and fortunately quite a few experienced knife users DO know how, and I personally use that choking up on the edge all the time)

So: From a purely practical point of view I personally have no reason to carry a rather "bulky" package with just a short edge and fat blade (like the Para 3) over a slim carry with lots of edge and a thinner, slicey blade (like the Endura).

Spydergirl88 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:28 pm

I've been carrying my larger knives since I've been working from home... The Lil Native has been neglected as of late in favor of the Manix2 or Para 3

interesting. i’m not allowed to carry anything over 2.5 inches at work, but i almost never carry anything larger than the native salt at home. i should be carrying my manix though. it really is the best knife ever made, in my opinion.

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:34 pm

Spydergirl88 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:28 pm

I've been carrying my larger knives since I've been working from home... The Lil Native has been neglected as of late in favor of the Manix2 or Para 3

interesting. i’m not allowed to carry anything over 2.5 inches at work, but i almost never carry anything larger than the native salt at home. i should be carrying my manix though. it really is the best knife ever made, in my opinion.

I think I can hear your manix crying from neglect from here lol. Better go give it some attention :)

Spydergirl88 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:39 pm

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:34 pm

Spydergirl88 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:28 pm

I've been carrying my larger knives since I've been working from home... The Lil Native has been neglected as of late in favor of the Manix2 or Para 3

interesting. i’m not allowed to carry anything over 2.5 inches at work, but i almost never carry anything larger than the native salt at home. i should be carrying my manix though. it really is the best knife ever made, in my opinion.

I think I can hear your manix crying from neglect from here lol. Better go give it some attention :)

on it!

actually, i’ve been mostly carrying my yo2 when out of the house too, so it’s been a while for the manix. i’m getting it right now.

edit: much better...

My blade length preferences are a rollercoaster. I go for periods where I prefer longer blades, then shorter blades, then back to longer blades, etc. I doubt this will ever change for me.

One thing that I've discovered: when it comes to normal everyday cutting tasks, a small blade (Vic Classic, Ladybug, etc.) is all I really need. But, big blades can be more handy while working on projects and are generally just more fun :).

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:32 pm

I am a much in the "a big knife can do everything a small knife can, but a small knife can´t do everything a big knife can" - camp.

The one thing a big knife can't do that a small knife can is be small. :)

I get what you're saying about a big knife being able to do all the cutting chores but there are things I cut (trimming my 3D printed items) that I'd prefer to use a small blade for. Sometimes a big knife feels too cumbersome for me. There are also times when don't want a big knife in my pocket or even IWB. Like when I'm wearing light weight athletic pants or shorts.


I hear ya OP. When I first got back into knives a few years ago I never imagined myself carrying a Manix 2, PM2, GB, etc (those are big knives for me). I can use the Manbug I carry to cut 95% of what I need to cut. A Dragonfly is probably the perfect size EDC for me. Yet here I am a few years later carrying much larger knives often. I've settled on mostly carrying knives with blades approximately 3" blades but knives with longer blades and handles are no longer out of the question for me.

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:14 pm

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:32 pm

I am a much in the "a big knife can do everything a small knife can, but a small knife can´t do everything a big knife can" - camp.

The one thing a big knife can't do that a small knife can is be small. :)

I get what you're saying about a big knife being able to do all the cutting chores but there are things I cut (trimming my 3D printed items) that I'd prefer to use a small blade for. Sometimes a big knife feels too cumbersome for me. There are also times when don't want a big knife in my pocket or even IWB. Like when I'm wearing light weight athletic pants or shorts.
....

Right! :)

But I literally said that in the context "as soon as you''e really using a knife", NOT in carry!

And again, in actual use it is no problem to grab a (bigger or any) knife on the blade either in a pinch grip, or (better for me) choke up on the actual sharp edge with one, two or three fingers even very close to the tip so that it gets a "small knife".
But sure, specifically for solely "small knife tasks" a small knife is of course not worse or even better than a bigger one...

Since I’ve been home I’ve been carrying a Cruwear Military, rex45 PM2, SE Salt 2, and AEB-L Urban. Load those pockets up! The Delica handle now feels too small, even in the thicker salt configuration. The PM2 feels better than the Para 3, and Millie is just awesome. Multiple holds available, can choke up, grip further back, and the handle doesn’t lock your hand into a specific place. The Urban rocks for a small knife, plus its fun to play with AEB-L.

I’ve been waffling over getting a Ladybug; after playing with a Dragonfly a little bit, I don’t think I’ll get either of the ‘bugs. I would never put it on my keychain; I try to keep extraneous keychain stuff to a minimum and hate loose things in my pockets.

Point being, after getting comfy with the Military, and missing out on the hap40 Enduras, I think I’ll be heavily stalking an Endura in K390. Evil’s running Caribbean thread has me intrigued too, though I am generally opposed to Taiwanese-made goods.

I missed out on the Military in rex45; I wonder if there will be a K390 version?

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:46 am

....

I missed out on the Military in rex45; I wonder if there will be a K390 version?

Native Chief in REX 45?! :rolleyes:

The Military really opened up the door to larger folders for me. Once I got used to that size everything else felt small or at least very manageable.

Interesting subject. In the last ten years or so I have started from scratch about three times searching for my perfect sized pocket knife. If you only count the cutting edge, I always end up at around three inches as my preferred length.

I have given the Military and Endura and other longer blades chances, as well as shorter bladed folders, but I always end up with a Caly 3.5 or a Para 3 pocket knife as what I prefer.

In the kitchen, my favorite knife’s blade is about 4.25 inches. For a while, I wondered why that when I took carryability out of the equation, I liked a little longer blade. I came to the conclusion that the difference was application. When I cut food with a kitchen knife, I need a blade that is longer than the food I am cutting is in its diameter. 3 inches doesn’t cut it.

I think of all the things I need a pocket knife for in my day to day life. Nothing I do simulates what I do in the kitchen, i.e., cutting a slice of onion or tomato. I rarely, if ever, use my pocket knife to cut food. I wonder if the picture in the OP explains this.

Edited** I can’t spell

For awhile I would carry something like my Dragonfly or Urban, along with a PM2, Manix or more recently a Shaman. Then I came to realize, when carrying a larger knife...I pretty much never took the smaller one out of my pocket. Didn't see any reason too, as the larger knife is almost always more capable. I guess it was just to feel like I had a reason to carry the other one. Maybe if I owned a smaller, SE knife then carrying one as a sidekick would feel more justified.

I have always prefered larger knives, but 3.5-3.75" range was my cutoff(and ideal) size.

The Ulize changed my opinion. I've had Enduras, Calypsos and other knives, they always felt a bit too long for my tastes. The Ulize showed up and completely shattered my 3.75" limit.

It is seriously doing battle with my Caribbean. I'm torn, they are both absolute workhorses and the Ulize may even be more comfortable. It's smaller in the pocket too.

I can guarantee it won't kick the Caribbean out of my pocket, but it certainly has earned a spot next to it.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:50 am

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:46 am

....

I missed out on the Military in rex45; I wonder if there will be a K390 version?

Native Chief in REX 45?! :rolleyes:

NO! I’ve never held a Native family member, but they don’t do it for me aesthetically. My Spyders need the hump!

Evil D wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 5:43 am

The Military really opened up the door to larger folders for me. Once I got used to that size everything else felt small or at least very manageable.

Agreed, much to my surprise! It plays to my preference that no matter the blade length, I’d rather have a whole handle. So some of the blade chops make real good sense. 4-finger grips and legal knives; also in the carving world, a short blade for precision and control still needs a full length handle. Millie delivers in spades!

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 6:12 am

Agreed, much to my surprise! It plays to my preference that no matter the blade length, I’d rather have a whole handle. So some of the blade chops make real good sense. 4-finger grips and legal knives; also in the carving world, a short blade for precision and control still needs a full length handle. Millie delivers in spades!

This is a big part of why I've moved away from choils on full size knives. On a design like the Caribbean my grip is close enough to the edge that I don't feel the need to choke up, and it gives me max edge length in the smallest size handle possible. When this topic comes up (debating choils) most people focus on grip options and people say that gaining a half inch of edge isn't a big deal, but for me the bigger picture is a smaller overall package while keeping the same amount of edge as a Military. It's a more efficient design overall.


They have the same amount of edge yet look at the overall size difference. It's Military edge length in a Para 2 sized package.