If laws and public perception were no issue, would you carry a different knife?

[ladybug93]

i forgot where i was once and opened a 5.5" folder without thinking about it. all conversations stopped and all eyes went straight to the knife. fortunately, they were just shocked and not afraid. that's not the kind of attention i want, and i don't really need the extra size for anything in my day-to-day.

Dang. Where I work I've been carrying my XL Voyager and XL Recon here and there the past few weeks, experimenting with 5.5" blades and seeing how they work for daily carry. No reaction at all when I open one up and use it for something. Not even from customers, and we're an open kitchen.

Gotta admit there's a small part of me that's a tiny bit annoyed, lol. I hear these horror stories from people pulling out a PM2 or Endura and no ones cares about my XL 5.5" blade folders. Makes me want to carry something completely over the tip like the two handed Espada and see what happens

to be fair, we were in a classroom environment, so there was less than zero need for any knife, let alone a 5.5" blade. and, on top of that, we were on a break in the class. i was zoned out while everyone was talking to each other. i pulled the knife out and opened it for no reason other than to admire it like i typically would with no one around. it could see it being pretty off-putting. no one really cared, but they were stunned until i was apologetic and put it away. i think that was the first and last time i carried it.

[Woodpuppy]

I’m pretty happy with something the size of a PM2, Endura, or Military. A choil-less PM2 would have more edge length in the same package. Part of carrying a pocket knife is how it fits in my pockets, and these sizes are pretty unobtrusive. A Shaman is bigger. I once had one of the bulky Kershaw/ZT deals, big fat ti frame lock with hex head hardware on the pivot, forget what they were called. I’ve no desire to carry something so bulky again. Luckily in Florida everything up to 4” is no issue, and with a CCW over 4” is not an issue. I don’t honk I’d carry a folder bigger than what I’m already carrying. That said, I don’t live in Chicago or some other restrictive locale. Don’t visit those places either.

[kennethsime]

If laws + perception were no issue, I think I'd carry a fixed blade more often.

I'd like to say that would free up my pocket to replace my Spyderco ClipIt with a true pocket knife, but I really think I'd carry both still.

[vivi]

i forgot where i was once and opened a 5.5" folder without thinking about it. all conversations stopped and all eyes went straight to the knife. fortunately, they were just shocked and not afraid. that's not the kind of attention i want, and i don't really need the extra size for anything in my day-to-day.

Dang. Where I work I've been carrying my XL Voyager and XL Recon here and there the past few weeks, experimenting with 5.5" blades and seeing how they work for daily carry. No reaction at all when I open one up and use it for something. Not even from customers, and we're an open kitchen.

Gotta admit there's a small part of me that's a tiny bit annoyed, lol. I hear these horror stories from people pulling out a PM2 or Endura and no ones cares about my XL 5.5" blade folders. Makes me want to carry something completely over the tip like the two handed Espada and see what happens

to be fair, we were in a classroom environment, so there was less than zero need for any knife, let alone a 5.5" blade. and, on top of that, we were on a break in the class. i was zoned out while everyone was talking to each other. i pulled the knife out and opened it for no reason other than to admire it like i typically would with no one around. it could see it being pretty off-putting. no one really cared, but they were stunned until i was apologetic and put it away. i think that was the first and last time i carried it.

ah ok, that's a little different than popping one open to break down a big box or do an obvious knife related task. Context matters!

[5-by-5]

I don't care about the laws. "I carry what I want"

[kennethsime]

I don't care about the laws. "I carry what I want"

This made me laugh wayyyyyy too much. Well done, friend.

[Enactive]

I don't care about the laws. "I carry what I want"

Quite the Peace officer.

[Matus]

Here in DE there are (to keep it simple) 3 options that are legal to carry. All 3 are limited to maximal blade length of 120mm (what, honestly, is not something that limits my personal choices)
1) fixed blades
2) slipjoints
3) locking knives that require BOTH hands to open.

I only carry a fixed blade when out in the woods. I don't consider it a convenient option for an EDC. 99% of locking folders on the market do NOT require two hands to open (also 100% of all Spyderco knives). Those few knives that do need two hands either don't have a pocket clip, are not particularly attractive design/material wise or of unimpressive quality. So I mostly carry a slipjoint.

If the limitation No (3) would not exist, I would simply carry a knife in a size of Delica / Chaparral from Spyderco and be a happy camper. Maybe sometimes larger instead of a fixed-blade situation.

Honestly - I have been on a search for a decent quality knife that has a pocket clip, usable design and good steel and fulfills the German knife law for AGES. I would love to see a hole-less Spyderco (say a Delica, Chaparral, etc) that I could legally carry. I guess that is not happening anytime soon ...

[ZrowsN1s]

I would carry fixed blades if laws were different.

No legal restriction on folder size here. Only things that keeps me from carrying things larger than the Police, Manix XL, or Chief is... spyderco doesn't make folders that are larger. My pockets are only so deep.

I have always wanted an Espada XL just for giggles.

Public perception is the only limitation on folder size for me, work is really the only place I care about that. We're not supposed to have 'weapons' here. But as soon as I was comfortable that it was known my job required a knife, I began slowly escalating. I started with a ladybug. A year later I carried my Manix XL. Usually I carry a Delica or Manix.

[shunsui]

We don't get to carry guns around here, but large folders are ok. I usually carry a Police 4 for EDC and a Recon 1 as a robust backup.

Occasionally I'll slip a cold steel mayhem in my back pocket if I have to mail a letter at night. Defunding the police made for a lot of irrationally exuberant people roaming about.

[RamZar]

Defunding the police made for a lot of irrationally exuberant people roaming about.

It’s not just defunding the police. There’s no bail, no jail and low bail guidelines by DAs. Also, criminal gangs have figured out that under 18 year olds just get booked and released if they’re even caught. That’s why there’s an epidemic of smash & grab and crash & grab robberies by underage youths.

[Wallach]

We don't have terribly restrictive laws here in Oregon I'd say. I don't care for some of the restrictions that do exist - like the ones on spring-assisted opening knives or balisongs - but I also don't personally have a desire to carry those kind of knives. So while I'd like to see those laws changed, I can't say they affect my own choices in carry.

[wrdwrght]

Neither laws nor public perception here in New Hampshire restrict what folder I choose to carry.

I recently sold my much-loved Tatanka (adopted early to experience the Power Lock), less because it wanted way too much of my RFP, more because its blade’s weighty mass demanded much more attention, especially when closing, than I wanted to give.

My Police, Millie, Native Chief, Manix2XL and similarly-sized (and weighted) Spydies raise no such concerns when I happily choose to carry them. But I’m just as happy to carry sizes down to my Lil’ Temp as my main carry. I’m much choosier with my fairly numerous even smaller Spydies. They had better feel like a Lil’ Native or they’ll more likely be fondling pieces for when I sit around the house thinking about the meaning of life.

Comfortable real-estate in hand, my day’s likely use-cases, an unpredictable desire to renew affection for a model I haven’t carried in a while; how big I need my talisman to be; they are what factor into my choice for the day.

[jmj3esq]

I’d carry this every day. Im a lawyer so it’s kinda frowned upon in my profession.

[Naperville]

I’d carry this every day. Im a lawyer so it’s kinda frowned upon in my profession.

I like that knife. My timing has been off. Every time that I have money I cannot find one.

I'll get one eventually.

[TkoK83Spy]

Is anybody here a police officer? Id be interested in their personal judgement, or fellow colleagues on how or when blade length becomes an issue for them?

[z1r]

I recently traded a forum member here for a 5.5" bladed pocket knife.

I've found that for a lot of things I use a pocket knife for, this size works better than the 3.5-4" blades I'd often carry instead.

One of the reasons he traded it was being unable to carry it legally.

So it got me thinking - would you guys carry a different sized knife if there were no blade length laws and no potential issues with public perception?

Or would you carry the same size you normally do?

Yes, I'd pocket a Stretch 2 XL if the limit here wasn't 3.5" instead of a PM2. At that point, I'd hope Spyderco would turn it into a PM4!!

[Ryder]

No, we are able to carry any sized pocket knife in our pockets in Arizona and no local ordinance can be more restrictive by law.

In 1987 that first Spyderco appeared and I carried that while traveling as an aerial mapping photographer for years, like the smaller pocket knives. It is the Spyderco CoPilot. Then a year ago this Dragonfly in K390 went into my pocket and rucksack. K390 is some crazy stuff and makes the knife a whole different animal, similar but light years ahead on significant levels.

[Notsurewhy]

My carry would not change if laws were different.

Where I live the only restrictions are on ballistic knives and on concealed carry of fixed blades. Neither affects me. Since I don't travel for work anymore, vacation is the only time I have to think about legality.

I do find it hilarious that it's illegal to conceal carry a fixed blade when get a concealed carry permit for a firearm is fairly trivial here. I also find it odd that legislators were concerned enough about ballistic knives to make a special rule about them. I don't think I've ever seen one outside of a punisher comic book I read as a kid.

[DavidNM]

I doubt that what I carry would change if any laws/rules or public perception went away or change drastically to something very liberal. I work in an office and to be honest U don’t really need anything larger than a Dragonfly or Lil’Native. I carry a Lil’Native but I really would like to carry a Dragonfly instead. My issue with the DFly is the horn or point on the thumb ramp. I don’t use pocket clips and simply drop the knife in my pocket. The thumb ramp/horn pokes me and simply drives me nuts. Oh well. I just simply have little need for a larger knife.