How do you measure blade length?

PSU · #1

While looking at my Caly3 I wondered what convention is typically used to measure the length of a blade, especially knives with a choil. For a knife with a choil it seems to me like there are two main ways to measure its blade length. One is to measure the straight line from the tip of the blade to front of the handle. Another method involves measuring the the straight line from the tip the blade to the farthest portion of the choil (blade) that juts out from the handle.

From what I can remember for the Caly3, these measurements yield blade lengths of approximately 3" and 3.2", respectively. Spyderco lists its blade as 3" so I can safely assume that they use the first method.

I am wondering if there is an accepted convention for measuring this length? From a legal standpoint, this measurement might be important in some areas.

Fred Sanford · #2

From the end of the handle to the tip of the blade.

It doesn't matter if the knife has a choil or not the blade is still the same length. You will notice on the Spyderco website that they list a blade length and a cutting edge length.

cgjones · #3

I was under the impression that there was no definitive definition of blade length?

wec12 · #4

Yeah, what David said. When I first got my Salt I, I thought the length of the blade was "cutting edge"; apparently, it's not

.

Chucula · #5

[quote="David Lowry"]From the end of the handle to the tip of the blade.

It doesn't matter if the knife has a choil or not the blade is still the same length. You will notice on the Spyderco website that they list a blade length and a cutting edge length. ]

Yeah thats what I thought. Blade length is always from tip to handle.

Monocrom · #6

Open knife part way, and measure from the very back of the blade (not the cutting edge) to the very tip.

The Deacon · #7

Open the knife fully, measure from the most forward point on the handle to the tip of the blade. While there is no guarantee a "beat cop" would measure that way (or that they measure at all), it would probably be the standard the DA and courts would use.

At the prisons where I use to work, employees were expected to carry a knife, but there was a 2" blade limit. There was also a very simple device to test whether a knife was OK to carry. It consisted of a 2" high block of wood mounted on a board. The knife was opened, held point down, and the side of the blade slid down the block. If the handle struck the block before the blade touched the board, the knife was OK to carry. If the blade touched the board first, you were SOL.

smcfalls13 · #8

I believe the AKTI definition is the foreward most part of the handle to the tip. Depending on tip placement, that could be shorter or longer than its official length fromt he manufacturer.

zenheretic · #9

All these different methods of measure remind of all the different ways to hunt snipe.

huugh · #10

I once heard the blade length limit was intended for measuring how deep can you stab a person = how dangerous the knife can be :confused:

However it may be only a rumor.

zenheretic · #11

huugh wrote:I once heard the blade length limit was intended for measuring how deep can you stab a person = how dangerous the knife can be :confused:

However it may be only a rumor.

Well since, at least in this country, most knife attacks occur with kitchen knives that are often long enough to pierce the entire torso (usually family on family violence) any limits on pocket knife length is meaningless drivel.

PSU · #12

Ok, from the consensus it seems like the correct measurement is the distance from the tip of the blade to the front of the handle. It makes sense.

Now I can measure blade lengths correctly :cool:

Thanks for all of the replies!