Spyderco knives

[earlschmidt]

What use does a knife, specifically Spyderco knives, with a blade shorter than three inches at the minimum length, have?

[sal]

Hi EarlSchmidt,

Welcome to our forum.

The function of any knife is to cut stuff. Blade shapes are often the result of the type of function the blade will be required to perform. The size of the blade will often be the result of local laws as to what blade size can be carried.

In many Jurisdictions a blade length limit is 3". When Gail and I were testing response to blade sizes, we learned that 3" was the tipping point for most people. Over 3" was intimidating and under 3" was considered acceptable.

I will add that the trend has been to smaller and smaller knives since the 60's. There seem to be a new trend for larger knives, 4" (blades) have been more popular in the last year or two.

sal

[Bolster]

Welcome Earl. You are fortunate to have *the man* answer your first forum question! You'll also find out that there is a camp of people here who say that "anything a sub 3" blade can do, a larger blade can do just as well." I call them the "XLerators." Then there's another camp who want shortened versions of everything, I call them the "Lil'iputians." The blade size I carry the most is, well, hate to be boring and predictable, but it's 3".

[VooDooChild]

Ok...

Do you only use kitchen knives?

I guess first off I would say pocket knives are always going to be size limited due to both design and convenience.

Second, most of the cuts done with pocket knives don't usually require a large blade. Cutting a ziptie or something along those lines.

As far as specifically spyderco goes, there's a number of things I would say.
One handed operation.
Salt series.
Super steel options.
Warranty.
Good materials.
Great ergos/designs.

[Wandering_About]

There are a great many uses for a knife with a blade length of less than 3 inches. They have their limits, to be sure, but are capable of more than one may initially think. Legality also can come into play, but even aside from that small knives can be far more useful than one may think.

[JSumm]

I actually prefer 3" or less for home improvement projects. I feel like I have more control of the tip of the blade when choking up. My current favorites for that is the Rock Jumper and Native 5.

For EDC I prefer more edge (3.5"+). Especially if you occasionally use your knife for any food prep.

[The Deacon]

What use does a knife, specifically Spyderco knives, with a blade shorter than three inches at the minimum length, have?

While there have probably always been pocket knives with blades over 3" long, until recently they've been the exception rather than the norm. Pocket knives with blades of 3" or less have been in general use for centuries and there are still a lot of people whose only pocket knife is a sub-3" SAK.

[kobold]

Welcome aboard! 3" is my ideal urban EDC size. Smaller knives are also great as companion knives for larger ones.

[Manifestgtr]

For me, sub-3” blades are entirely a matter of legality. I work a lot in Boston, travel for work to New York and Chicago, blah blah blah…

If it were up to me, I’d always have a shaman, police or manix (and in fact always carry a shaman in my bag as long as it’s legal). But you need to be under 2.5-3 in certain places which is fine…I love the dragonfly and lil native, too

[JRinFL]

Why specifically Spyderco sub-3" knives? The phrasing of this question is odd.

[TkoK83Spy]

I prefer smaller blades for making very precise cuts. I may carry a Native Chief for most tasks during the day, but if I have some fine cutting in small spaces around new electronic equipment or delicate instruments, then I'll opt for a Dragonfly if I'm carrying it, for that task. (always have a SAK with me though as emergency backup)

[lilshaver]

Let me make it quite simple and say the vast majority of tasks that a blade over 3 inches can perform.

[Vaugith]

My daily carry at work or otherwise is usually around 3.5" blade length. However I will always keep a Lil native at 2.5" blade length around. I find it to be very good at some tasks. First, it fits in the 5th pocket of jeans very nicely as a backup. Second, when I'm wearing basketball shorts or other thin material pants, large knives bounce around in the pocket and are pretty inconvenient. The Lil native is perfect for those situations. It's the smallest knife I've found where I can get a full fist grip on quite comfortably. And the blade is still very useful for nearly all of my regular cutting tasks. Think about the things you cut on a daily basis. How many of them do you need a long blade length for? How many of them might benefit from a bit more precision gained by having a grip closer to the tip?

[Eli Chaps]

Drop a Dragonfly 2 into your pocket as your only knife for six months and you'll get it.

[Naperville]

There are many uses for small knives, just as there are many uses for larger knives.

Some major metropolitan areas in the USA have 2.5 inch max blade lengths, some 3. In some areas just carrying a knife of the wrong length is a CRIME in and of itself. In other areas unless a crime has been committed you can carry a 3, 4, or 5 inch blade, but then the prosecutor following LAWs on the books gets to decide on whether to upgrade charges from a misdemeanor to a felony.

1st, find out what the laws are for carrying knives in your area. 2nd, find out what the laws are for using a knife in self defense in your area. They vary quite a bit by city, county and state.

If you don't have $5,000 to $10,000 burning a hole in your pocket, don't commit a crime with a knife because that is what it is going to cost you to defend yourself in court.

@earlschmidt, all is not lost. As long as you follow the laws on the books in your city, county and state you will be fine for the most part.

Some of us have been discussing the desire for a larger 5 inch Native Chief XL here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=91315

[Wartstein]

Let me make it quite simple and say the vast majority of tasks that a blade over 3 inches can perform.

I have to agree, when talking about EDC folders, despite I prefer to carry knives with actual cutting edges of around not 3 but 3.4 " or more (which with Spyderco means blades coming close to 4" - exceptions do exist, like the Tenacious)
And I do think longer blades in the end just are more versatile, stay sharp longer and so on.

[Pokey]

What use does a knife, specifically Spyderco knives, with a blade shorter than three inches at the minimum length, have?

Welcome to the forums, earlschmidt.

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused by your question. When you ask what a Spyderco knife, "with a blade shorter than three inches at the minimum length, have?," I was wondering if you meant are there any Spyderco knives with two blades, one long and one short, a nail file, or a small screwdriver like Swiss Army knives?

Edit: Pardon me, I didn't have my glasses on when I read this, nor my first cup of coffee.

As others have said a shorter blade would work well for opening packages where even the blade shape would help to keep you from cutting too deep into a box.

These are two that come to mind. The Roadie on the left has a blade length of 2.09" (53mm). The Squeak on the right has a blade length of 2.0" (51mm).

[Evil D]

All of the same uses that a 10 inch blade would have, just shorter ones.


That may be the most unintentionally sarcastic but true thing I've ever typed, but that's basically how it sums up. You lack reach in some situations, you can't cut some things in one slice, you have less actual edge to distribute wear along so in essence you have less overall edge retention to use.

On the plus side beyond the legal BS, in some situations you can have more control over the blade especially when making cuts with the tip of the blade. A shorter blade also limits how much leverage you can apply to the pivot which may allow you to beat on a knife harder with less concern about breaking it. Smaller generally means lighter but not always, and they're usually easier to carry.

[kennethsime]

Welcome, Earl!

I use may small knives mostly for opening packages and cutting media at work.

Cheers,
Kenneth

[lilshaver]

All of the same uses that a 10 inch blade would have, just shorter ones.


That may be the most unintentionally sarcastic but true thing I've ever typed, but that's basically how it sums up. You lack reach in some situations, you can't cut some things in one slice, you have less actual edge to distribute wear along so in essence you have less overall edge retention to use.

On the plus side beyond the legal BS, in some situations you can have more control over the blade especially when making cuts with the tip of the blade. A shorter blade also limits how much leverage you can apply to the pivot which may allow you to beat on a knife harder with less concern about breaking it. Smaller generally means lighter but not always, and they're usually easier to carry.

Yes David. That pretty much sums it up from my viewpoint.