Your personal size categories?

[Tucson Tom]

PM2 is perfect, "normal" size to me. Manix is the same category, just "beefier".

Native 5 is small, anything smaller is pointless -- I'll just use my teeth

Military is fine, and honestly the Police seems no bigger than the Mili, and is slimmer.

Beyond that, we are talking fixed blades and machetes and such.

[Mattysc42]

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

This is exactly how I categorize size except I consider 5-7” medium for fixed blades. :p

[Wartstein]

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?

I could live with this breakdown, with the following modifications.

“TOO large”—just the Tatanka. What was I thinking!? Still, I possess one hunk of multifaceted VG10. My Police4 carries smaller than my Millies, so I see it as a large knife. My tolerance for large knive has grown over the years.

“TOO small—not a category I recognize. My super-small Ladybugs and Manbug are effectively made bigger with fobs.

My going-to-Boston carry (2.5 inch limit) is my Techno.

My going-to-Canada carry is my slip-it Urbans/UKPKs, or my production (therefore replaceable) S30V PM2. The latter might get confiscated at the border; the former won’t.

Thanks for sharing your categories!

I have to admit: Never owned a Police (that´s why I wrote "to large PROBABLY"), just figured it would be even longer in pocket than the Millie (which I own, and for me is a tad too long in pocket when wearing Jeans and riding a bike or somethinhg like that).

TOO small: Right, you can make those tiny folders longer in handle with fobs. But just for me personally the Chap ilterally NEVER feels to large in carry, so why should I (again, just personally, to each his own!) carry a knife with less actual edge? Only reason could be for even less weight, but the Chap never felt too heavy for me (though it feels "heavy" in a positive, solid way when you have it in hands in relation to it´s size)

[Ookami]

My size categories differ a bit.

Backpocket: Military, Police etc
Frontpocket: Delica, Native etc

Ookami

[rabbitanarchy14]

XS: sub 2.2" too small for me

S: 2.3"-2.8" Great size for public Perfect lil native, chap, cat, crow 2
M: 2.8"-3.1 great size for work Perfect Para 3, sage 5, sage 1, native

L: 3.1"-3.5" too large . pm2, mantra 3, manix 2
XL: 4"+ ridiculously over sized

[embry386]

Small: Native, Delica. Don't carry the Natives much anymore, looking to buy a Delica to keep in the garage as a box cutter. Not knives I prefer to EDC, but awesome for some tasks.

Too small: anything smaller than the Native and Delica

Medium: Rescue (old lightweight version without liners), Endura 3. Preferred EDC size. The Endura 4 falls somewhere between this category and the next size up because it is heavier, and weight affects my feelings about a knife's size category as much as length does.

Big: Probably the Police, which I have not been able to try yet but would love to.

Too big: I forgot the names of these models -- they're ones that I only handled for a few seconds at a store. They all were very long and much heavier than I like, with thick bladestock and non-FRN handles. Would feel like carrying a brick around in my pocket.

[Naperville]

FOLDER:
XS: sub 2.0" blade
S: 2.5" + blade
M: 3.0" + blade
L: 4.0" + blade
I don't like/buy folders with blades over 5", I'd buy a fixed blade in almost all cases over a 4" blade.

FIXED:
XS: sub 2.0" blade
S: 2.5" + blade
M: 4.0" + blade
L: 5.5" + blade
Machete and Short Sword: 12" to 28"
Sword: 28" +

[bdblue]

I can't remember if I've responded to this thread yet-
My preferences for folders are PM2 and Manix 2 on the short end, Military and Manix 2 XL on the big end. I rotate through all of these for EDC duty to my office.

[anycal]

I think that once I add the Shaman, I will be complete in my most used 'medium' size category... I think? Maybe K390 Endela?

[MichaelScott]

Schempp Bowie

Para 3 G10

Rhino

Lil’ Lum

[TkoK83Spy]

Dragonfly - smallest I'll go

Para3/UKPK/Delica - very nice, but at times a little more to be desired

Manix/PM2/Shaman - my sweet spot

Military - largest I'll go

Those pretty much cover all the sizes I would need, in models I will always have at least 1 of.

[SG89]

Little big knife (lil native)
Smedium (watu)
Chonkk (shaman)

[steelcity16]

It's all about perspective. Carry a Manix XL or Shaman for awhile and the Manix will seem small. Carry a Dragonfly or a Lil Native or even a Native or Delica for a long time and the Manix will seem big. I carried the Delica for many months straight, but now my new favorite is the Endura. At times it seems a little big, but I am mostly used to it. My next "boredom purchase" during the next lull in new models/sprints/exclusives will be a PE VG10 Endela. I still haven't held one yet, so I am interested to see if it is "just right".

[CXXX]

Timely topic for me, My general preference is Medium to Large so 3" to 4". I don't consider the Native to be small. I seem to gravitate toward G-10 and Carbon Fiber. My first Spyderco was the 1st Military in 440c. I recently moved and went through the entire collection and decided the ones listed below don't fit my primary preference. I also pulled out all of the FRCP and FRN Manix2 knives in favor of the G-10. Because of the constant exclusive releases of Paramilitary 2 and Para 3 I can only afford to try to get those leaving all other Spyderco releases on the table.

PRO GRIP #C13PSBK COMBOEDGE FRN KRAYTON AUS-8 2.8125
WALKER LIGHTWEIGHT #C22PBK PLAN EDGE FRN AUS-8 2.8750
PETER HERBST #C53PS COMBOEDGE ALUMINUM ATS-55 3.1250
PEGASUS #37 #C61S / #CX01S SPYDEREDGE STAINLESS GIN-1 2.1250
NAVIGATOR #37 #C62S / #CX02GS SPYDEREDGE G-10 GIN-1 2.1250
NAVIGATOR #C62BLP PLAIN EDGE ALMITE BLUE VG-10 2.1250
MEERKAT #C64JSBK SPYDEREDGE FRN AUS-6 1.9375
MEERKAT #C64JPBG PLAIN EDGE FRN BLUE GRAY VG-10 1.9375
MEERKAT #C64JPBRG PLAIN EDGE FRN BURGUNDY VG-10 1.9375
BOB LUM CHINESE #228 #C65P PLAIN EDGE GREEN ALMITE VG-10 3.1875
BOB LUM CHINESE #94V #C65BKP PLAIN EDGE BLACK ALMITE ZDP-189 3.1875
BOB LUM CHINESE #C65FGP PLAIN FOLIAGE GREEN ALMITE VG-10 3.1875
BOB LUM CHINESE BB #C65FGPBK PLAIN FOLIAGE GREEN ALMITE VG-10 3.1875
BOB LUM CHINESE #C65TIP PLAIN EDGE TITANIUM VG-10 3.1875
BOB LUM CHINESE #C65CFP PLAIN EDGE GLASS FIBER VG-10 3.1875
CENTOFANTE 3 #C66PBK3 PLAIN EDGE FRN VG-10 3.0000
CENTOFANTE 4 #C66PBK4 PLAIN WHARNCLIFFE FRN VG-10 3.0000
NAVIGATOR 2 #37V #37V #C93S SPYDEREDGE STAINLESS VG-10 2.2500
DES HORN #C153GP PLAIN EDGE G-10 CPM S30V 3.1250

[vivi]

Folding:

Small back-up knives (rarely if ever carried, generally desk knives for me) - Delica and smaller.....Caly jr, Micro Dyad, Spin, bug etc.

Compact (but still a full sized knife) - Pacific Salt, Endura, Siren, Byrd Flight, etc.

Regular sized (For my hand / pocket) - Police, Szabo folder, Military, Manix XL

Large (A little too big to EDC, but can still be carried in relative comfort in the right clothes) - Tatanka, Voyager XL, Voyager X2

Fixed:

EDC sized (Comfortable for daily carry while still feeling like a "real knife") - Izula 2, Enuff, Street Beat

Utility sized (Small and nimble, but slightly larger than I'd carry on my belt day to day) - Victorinox 4" paring knife, Landi Bushcrafter, Aqua Salt, ESEE 6HM, Street Bowie

Choppers, etc. Machetes, Hossom Forester, RAT 9, etc.


These are my categories based on my hand size.

I find Para 2's feel a little too small in both the handle and the blade, and Pacific Salt 1/2/ Enduras are as small as I can go and have it feel full sized.

Knives like the Police, Manix XL and Military feel perfectly comfortable in my hand and pocket. The only reasons I go for the compact class over them is corrosion resistance (No Millie / Police salts) and lighter weight when in running shorts.

[Burton Knut]

Regular: Manix, Endura/Pac Salt, Caribbean, Automony2, Para2

Large: Police, Chief, Ulize, Spyderhawk, Manix XL

Too large: don’t own one, though I’d like to see if the Tatanka could be my first

Small: Delica/Salt1, Smock, Para3, Centofante

Very small: Dragonfly (rarely carried, but the SE Hawkbill rides in my pack pretty regularly)

Too small: anything smaller than the Dragonfly

Normally I carry two regulars or a regular and a small. The larges always make me smile when I carry and use them. I don’t have anything against the smalls, but I live in a state with very lax knife laws and a rural area of the state at that, so my options are basically limitless.

[Tgmr05]

Small: Something small enough to fit on a keychain, yet still works in a pocket. Too small to get all fingers on it. Ladybug/manbug/grasshopper

Normal: Can be used clipless in a pocket without being cumbersome. Can fit all fingers- or at least close - like little big knife dragonfly, chaparral/native/delica/para3/sage

Large: anything needing clip to really carry comfortably. Endura/pm2/police/native chief/manix

Too large:: What?

[Wartstein]

I think that once I add the Shaman, I will be complete in my most used 'medium' size category... I think? Maybe K390 Endela?

Nice to see this thread revived.. almost forgot that I started it looooong ago... :p

A bit differently to my original post back then, nowadays the Endura/Pac Salt is "regular" for me. They have the most usefull and most versatile bladelength/edgelength for me for a folder. Longer does not offer much of a benefit anymore, shorter is just "short" for some tasks.

So my Manix, Endela and PM2 are actually already "small" folders in my use, and there are situations where I just have to live with the a bit short edge and happily do so, cause I love these models for other reasons.

[JMM]

Big - Police, Ulize, Military, Resilience, K2, Manix XL, Native Chief, Szabo

Reg - Shaman, Manix2, PM2, ATR, Endura, Endela, Stretch

Wee - Para3, PPT, Native5, q-ball, Delica, Chaparral, UK PK, Lil' Native, Dragonfly, Kiwi3

[JMM]

Big - Police, Ulize, Millie, Resilience, Shaman, Chief, K2, Manix XL, Szabo...

Med - Manix2, PM2, ATR, Endura, Endela, Stretch...

Wee - Para3, Native5, q-ball, Delica, Chaparral, UK PK, Lil' Native...