Why do I almost always choose a 3" EDC blade?

[bearfacedkiller]

I thought almost everybody on here carried two knives.

Maybe we need a poll for those of us that do?

What is your favorite size for your large knife?
and
What is your favorite size for your small knife?

I carry both a 3" for my smaller knife and a 3.5 for my larger knife most of the time. Today I am carrying a Stretch SB and a Delica4 SB.

I always carry a SAK or a multitool so that does add a couple more blades as well. They are what I use when I need to be innocuous.

[RanCoWeAla]

I carry a 3.5" blade for my tactical clipped to my rf a Case Peanut in lf when I don't want to pull out a large knife, a Jester on keychain when I'm sitting in car with seatbelt on and large German Eye Sodbuster in Rb for heavy use and fruit. I never use my tactical because I want it to have a straight razor edge at all times. And that's why everyone should carry four knives

[flash900]

Love the Techno, but can we have a 3-inch Bowie?

My sweet spot is 2.75 - 3 inches.

[RamZar]

Love the Techno, but can we have a 3-inch Bowie?

My sweet spot is 2.75 - 3 inches.

A Slysz Bowie with a just under 3" blade would be very sweet.

[tap78]

Although I've got better knives, my Black Delica 4 is always in my pocket... good little knife :)

[Bolster]

Slysz Bowie with a just under 3" blade would be very sweet.

If this data is representative (and it's probably not, we're enthusiasts, not the general public), the blade size Spyderco should concentrate on is 3.2-3.3 inches.

I've been trying to guess which way enthusiasts would go: larger or smaller than the general public? If enthusiasts like knives in-and-of themselves, then a larger blade gives you more to look at and play with. I'm certain the SD crowd would choose larger, for reasons of effectiveness. But so would the mall ninja/ego-need people, who want to be thought of as "dangerous." On the other hand, if enthusiasts represent sophisticated and knowledgable users--people who actually perform work with their knives--these folks know that smaller blades can accomplish much of what larger blades can, and with more blade and tip control. So I figure enthusiasts are a mix of large- and small-blade fanciers.

I wish the polling software was sophisticated enough to allow for a crosstab. I would have liked to have asked, "For what use?" I'll bet the SD crowd went for the longer blades, and workers/users like myself went for smaller blades with more blade control.

The categories 3.0 and 3.5 have been running neck-and-neck throughout the poll. But another interesting way of looking at the data is simply small/large:

Small (3" and smaller): 41 votes
Large (3.5" and larger): 32 votes.

[Evil D]

It is funny that 2 out of my 3 favorite knives (Yojimbo 2 and Manix 2) both come in at around 3 5/16, right about in the middle of this 3-3.5 debate. They're both also within about 3/16 of each other in edge length. So why did I vote 3.5? Because edge length doesn't necessarily dictate what I carry, and if I could get either of those 2 knives with 3.5 inch blades I'd jump on it with both feet. In the end, that 1/4 inch or so doesn't make that much difference anyway, and it keeps me legal in most places outside the state I live in so I don't worry about it.

[RanCoWeAla]

I have sold or traded all my Spyderco's but Delica Dragonfly (which I consider a keychain knife), Caly 3.5, Sage, Small Plum Chinese which I consider to be the best Spydero's and they all fit within the mid 3-3.5 group.

[elena86]

Slysz Bowie with a just under 3" blade would be very sweet.

......If this data is representative (and it's probably not, we're enthusiasts, not the general public), the blade size Spyderco should concentrate on is 3.2-3.3 inches...

.

Agree.We need more 3.1-3.3 inch blades.I miss my Para 1.I was stupid enough to give it away.

[gaj999]

... But another interesting way of looking at the data is simply small/large:

Small (3" and smaller): 41 votes
Large (3.5" and larger): 32 votes.

Or ...

Small(<3"): 13 votes
Medium(3"-3.5"): 63 votes
Large(>3.5"): 3 votes

Gordon

[Waco]

I've been carrying my new Manix. I like it, but I think my Endura blades are better for food prep. My Millie is even better, but not always comfortable to carry.

[BTG]

My two favorite. Lil lionspy and native 5.

[bdblue]

I like 3.5-3.75" blades better. My Para 2 is the smallest knife that I carry now.

I can get by with a smaller blade for a lot of my use but a larger blade is easier. I carried a 3" blade for several years but recently I've gotten into buying larger knives. I like larger knives because they come with larger handles and are easier to hold onto. Sometimes I cut things that need longer blades to go all the way through. For instance even slicing a big apple works better with a blade nearly 4". Also when cutting cardboard I find that a shorter blade frequently comes out of the cardboard before I've cut all the way to the edge.