Usefulness of Sub-3 Inch Blades?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

A discussion I had: It was asked to me: "What use does a knife, specifically Spyderco knives, with a blade shorter than three inches at the minimum length, have?" The person's point seems to be that one needs a blade length at least 3 inches or larger, such as 3.5, and that blades that are 2 and a half inches or shorter are too short to be of practical use. I disagree, from experience and from seeing the experiences of people on the forum. One guy told me he is comfortable with a knife with a blade two inches long. However, I can see it from the "Three inch and greater" point of view. How do you all respond to this idea that in order for a knife to be practical the blade must be at least three inches in length?

What would the main limitations of a shorter than three inch blade be? Someone mentioned that in order to properly butcher meat animals you need at least a 3 to 3 and a half inch blade to do it properly. Is that true?

Example: "Why get a Manbug or Ladybug when you can get a Delica or Endura or Stretch or Pacific Salt?" Was the original asker's main issue.

[gdwtvb]

"Why get a Manbug or Ladybug when you can get a Delica or Endura or Stretch or Pacific Salt?" Was the original asker's main issue.

First is the convenience of the smaller blades, I find hanging a Delica or Endura on a key-chain quite impractical. The smaller knives just disappear in the pocket and can be stashed pretty much anywhere.

Secondly smaller knives are inherently less threatening. Think of something like a church picnic or wedding reception, whipping out a four inch bladed assisted opener to trim a loose thread on your suit jacket cuff is not going to go over as well as using a small discreet blade.

Properly sharpened, a small blade will do most everything a larger one will do. Opening mail, cutting cardboard, cutting cord, etc. I have found only one 'normal use' where a shorter blade falls...well short. That is cutting thick sandwiches/hamburgers.

Finally, many people, like myself, have a fascination with miniature items. (The world is rife with examples, model cars, trains, planes, or even landmarks.)

Grizz

[noseoil]

Try a Delica & get back to us about the small blade's usefulness. It's about a perfect size for smaller stuff & will actually perform like a bigger blade in many cutting chores.

For another good "small" blade, try the Dragonfly 2 in ZDP-189 steel. This is simply an amazing knife for its size.

[toxophilus]

This past deer season I used the first quarter inch of my Delica ZDP-189 to field dress a Muley buck with my Wife assisting while our friend went to get his ATV to haul it out. If we would've boned it out I would have no qualms finishing the job with the Delica. Since then I've quartered out Rabbits using my Dragonfly, most of my use is the first quarter to half inch of the blade so the meat isn't tainted by any internal fluids; mainly use the gutless method on smaller critters.

Tomorrow I'll use my Dragonfly on Pheasants as our Archery Club will host the annual Pheasant shoot :)

[Sharp Guy]

Providing we're considering only pocket/folding knives here, I have yet to really find a need for a blade longer than 3". Not saying 3"+ blades aren't useful, I just to find them necessary for the stuff I'm cutting with my pocket knife. That said I do use longer fixed blade knives regularly in the kitchen, dinner table, cleaning fish, and (at one time) cleaning game.

[Sharp Guy]

Tomorrow I'll use my Dragonfly on Pheasants as our Archery Club will host the annual Pheasant shoot :)

^+1 I'll add to my post of above that, back when I was hunting, if I had a sharp little knife like a Dragonfly or Delica, I wouldn't have hesitated to use that for cleaning ducks, geese, pheasant, etc. I sure wish I would've known about Spyderco back then.

[Doc Dan]

Two to three inches is optimal for most use. Some people get off on the looks people give them when they whip out their foot long zombie killer. But, most people are not afraid of a reasonable sized knife, but may think the zombie killer guy is a bit weird.

[Brock O Lee]

I agree, the small knives are very useful for light and small tasks, and I have a few. I just find I reach for a 3+ inch knife in most situations. I like the minimal amount of stuff in my pockets, and over time I realised that I get by just perfectly without the small blades that everyone seems to carry as a secondary. Few reasons why I prefer the larger ones:

- Longer blades for cutting food without getting food in the pivot
- Wider range of locks and steels
- Beefier locks and pivots can handle harder cuts like blister packs and thicker cardboard
- Larger blades = larger handles = full grip = better ergos
- Larger handles and opening holes = more control = safer to open/close (I dont like lanyards to extend handle length)
- Large blade = longer edge = better edge retention
- I'd rather carry a multifunction SAK instead of a secondary small Spydie for work around non-knife people.

[El Gato]

Perhaps like other things, it's not the size but how you use it. My edc "go to" knife is the Mule that is in my back pocket, but my Chaparral in the front pocket could serve me just as well for many of the things I need a knife for these days. A small sharp blade can do a lot and a small knife can always be with you where a larger knife may not. With a little ingenuity and careful use a small blade can be made to accomplish many of the tasks normally reserved for the larger blade. It's a matter of personal choice certainly, but a small blade can accomplish a lot depending upon how it's used.

[Jazz]

Check out the Manbug thread.

[Surfingringo]

For me, the biggest limitation of smaller blades is food prep, fruit/meat cutting, etc. Over 3.5" just works better in that arena. My preference is about 3.25" or so for a pocket knife. This gives me enough blade length to do most any common chore but is still small enough to be comfortable in pocket and give me plenty of control of the tip in use.

I have cleaned many a deer and squirrel with 2.5"-3" blades. I actually prefer a shorter length for skinning as it offers much more control. There is a "best" knife for any given job but the goal with edc selection is to choose the best knife for MANY different jobs. My thoughts anyway.

Just for fun, here's a dogtag folder doing something it was probably not designed to do. :rolleyes: :D

https://youtu.be/KnX3JzubwgI

[abbazaba]

For everyday mundane tasks, a big blade can actually get in the way. How many times have you hastily cut open a box with an oversized knife and inadvertently cut the contents? As much as I like having a bigger blade, there is no doubt that a sub 3" is more practical and often the better tool for the job.

[bearfacedkiller]

Didn't we learn anything from MacGuyver? I think we learned that in fact a three inch blade is the handiest of all blade sizes.

I have field dressed a deer with a SAK and while that was not ideal I actually prefer about a 3 inch blade for that task. I wish the Sprig was closer to 3 or 3.25 myself.

Seriously though. The humble and unassuming SAK, probably the most ubiquitous pocket knife on the planet has a three inch blade for its larger blade. If I was stranded on a deserted island or some other scenario like that and all I had was a SAK I would consider myself extremely lucky. I would do everything from process game to trim my nails with it.

[Evil D]

I've been using this tap knife for going on 16 years at every job that I wasn't allowed to use a folder.



The truth is, this blade will cut down a box better than any folder on the planet, because the blade is so thin it will out slice any folder...period. The reality is, I use folder over this because I simply enjoy it more, not for all out performance. But, you have to consider how many knives of this type are in circulation being used right now, plus carpet knives and I'd say millions of Case and other brands of traditional slip joint folders that don't have a 3 inch blade on them and they've been used for 100 years just fine. This person needs to understand that before the internet jaded everyone's views on what people really NEED in a carry knife, most men carried those traditional folders or they carried something maybe as large as a Buck 110 but that was typically the largest folder you saw on most guys, or they would just carry a fixed blade in a sheath on their hip.

If the tap knife isn't enough, I can get by with this guy quite well.



That knife has done jobs that no knife that small has any business doing, and the only time it ever felt too small for the job was when I tried to cut through things that were thicker/longer than the blade is. So yeah, you can't cut your sandwich in half very easy with a Ladybug (well you CAN but it's gonna get messy lol) but for general purpose use you can do almost anything with a Ladybug or Manbug.

Honestly, the only reason I ever carry anything bigger than a Ladybug or Dragonfly, is because 1) Those knives tend to come with steels that I like better. Give me a Dragonfly in S110V and this would be a tough call, and 2) I carry larger blades for those off chances that I really do need that much length, and 3) The one undeniable benefit of a larger blade is that you simply have more cutting edge to distribute wear on and that in turn means you can cut more stuff before the edge dulls...if you find yourself in a situation where you're actually going to cut so much stuff that you can dull some of the awesome steels available these days.

[zhyla]

During a regular day at the office a short blade is no disadvantage. And it can sometimes be more convenient.

On the weekend, outside doing yard work or projects around the house a longer blade is helpful. The main reason is you don't have to be very precise when cutting something with a 4" blade vs 1.5", it's less likely to miss the blade or slip off the end as you're cutting it (SE negates the latter quite a bit). But at a certain point I switch to clippers or a machete anyway.

[demoncase]

There's times when a larger blade is more convenient and makes less work.....But let's never right off a small blade just because it's small.

Go to Scandnavia.
Watch a hunter gut, bone, joint and skin a full sized moose with 3" puukko knife....
Then take a moment to think about those 6 to 12"+ monstrous bowies that received wisdom insist are the "minimum for a huntin' knife"

I feel more than capable of dealing with any situation I'm going to get into with a 3" Spyderco-
When I head to South East Asia, I'm in the back of an air-conditioned SUV between airport, hotel, factory and restaurant(s): I'm not cutting brush and creepers in the jungle

[bearfacedkiller]

I am confident that I could field dress a deer with a Ladybug. Heck, I could bone an Elk out with a Delica and a pocket stone. Pocket knives are by their very nature as multipurpose tools a compromise and I find that pocket knives seldom are the ideal tool for a job. They are designed to be able to handle a variety of tasks and not usually one specific task. (I know there are exceptions) Blade length is one of those comprimises. I struggle with picking just one so for me a Para2 and a Delica together is the best combo possible for confronting any unknown chores. There are no right or wrong answers because we all have different needs in a knife. That combo may not be ideal for someone other than myself.

[Able Dog]

I'm loving my Kiwi 4, and it hasn't left my rotation since its arrival. I haven't always been excited about smaller knives, but having something this compact and lightweight is a plus.

Very rarely do my EDC needs require my Military or Police, so a more discreet knife is valuable to have on hand. But that is what multiple pockets are for.

[Echo63]

sub 3" blades are plenty useful.

I use my roadie for most tasks, the only time it is a bit small is cutting sandwiches or burgers (but i typically have a kitchen knife nearby anyway)

[PM1]

Are small blades still useful? Yes. However, I much prefer to have a bigger blade with me (like my HAP40 Endura). I like a bigger handle and the ability to do long slicing cuts. I also find many small knives don't flick open as well as bigger ones.

If the blade is just under 3" then that is still okay with me as a primary carry knife. However, anything under about 2.5" is relegated to back-up status for me.