A discussion : Can a 3" bladed pocket knife do everything a 3+ inch knife can?

I think a 2.75 or so (SAK sized) inch spearpoint blade is ideal for me personally. I've never needed more blade, and can't imagine any reason that I would besides as previously mentioned) slicing fruit.


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As others have mentioned, I like a more comfortable handle which usually means a slightly larger folder. And then when it comes to food prep a longer blade is handier.
 
22-rimfire said:
... Kind of like auto insurance.... we are required to have auto insurance, but I have never been asked to see proof of insurance in the time I have lived in TN (about 25 years), but I suppose an officer to single out someone and be a PIA.
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Just goes to show how different things can be across jurisdictions. For as long as I can remember, first thing a LEO typically asked is for (vehicular stop in WA State) Drivers License AND Proof Of Insurance. If no insurance card, you are pretty much guaranteed a ticket ($550 or more). If you actually had valid insurance at the time, you bring proof to court and hope for reduction of the fine to something a little over $100, but you're still guilty of not having proof of insurance at time of stop and goes on drivers record.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I have carried a folder...>3" blade...for quite a few yrs. I still do, but now I ALSO carry a Bradford Guardian3 fixed blade in horizontal cross-draw carry. The total blade-length is 3.5", but has a choil that is intended to be used...so the sharpened edge is 3".
Most of my cutting is now with the Bradford. It's a great knife...available in M390 or CPM-3V.

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Nice choice (both knife & carry option).
Friends son makes those knives here locally. On same knife I choose to relief the sharp edges of that G10 & make some finger pockets (handle was a bit blocky for me). 11:00 horizontal is a preferred carry location for me also (from smaller necker types upto and including my ESSE-6). That sheath is awesome for that carry.

A couple videos I shot April 2015 to help promote:
2015 Seattle International Knife Show - Bradford (Sat)
Short interview I did with Brad on Sunday:
2015 Seattle International Knife Show – Bradford (Sun)

Regards,
 
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Although I like to carry 3 inch folders occasionally, I find a 3.5 inch blade with a longer handle more comfortable to use. The ergos of the pm2 are great for me and with the choil, the cutting edge is about 3 inches
 
It's just a longer reach. Sometimes you have to cut a zip tie or tape or something and you can't easily fit your whole hand into the area. Having a longer knife there is beneficial. Like maybe in an engine compartment where you're trying to cut a zip tie off a bundle of wires. Different strokes for different strokes. Personally I look at it the opposite way. If I can carry a 3 inch folder, why wouldn't I carry a 3.5" or 4" folder? It's not like I'm running around in swimming trunks all the time. Legality aside, of course. Most of the time I wear pants and a belt. It's not like that extra ounce or two is going to slow me down or make my pants sag.

None of it is absolutely essential one way or another. Just whatever you find that makes your life easier and whatever you're willing to compromise on.
 
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I generally prefer a pocket knife with a blade length like the mini Grip, but a longer blade is useful for outdoor tasks. Fishing is one case where I prefer a longer blade. There are times when I can use a fixed blade for fishing, but there are others when I prefer to have a pocket knife with a blade that is longer than 3 1/2" or so. One clear instance involves fishing in the surf.
 
I prefer small knives in the case peanut size. Disappears in a pocket, and takes care of breaking down boxes, opening UPS packages, plastic blister packages, cuts rope/twine, and handles some small food duty like slicing pepperoni. If I'm working with food, I'm usually in my kitchen with real kitchen knives on hand. About 2 inches of blade is all I need on a daily basis. Some of the pocket knives I've carried on very long term runs have been the Buck 301 stockman, Victorinox tinker or recruit, and a Case peanut. I currently carry a Camillus made Remington peanut in 1095. There's also a Leatherman micra and Leatherman PS4 in the rotation, and I find them adequate for daily urban edc. I carry a Glock for defense, so a knife doesn't come into that equation.

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My frequent carry Buck cadet stockman has handled anything I've needed a knife for. Usually I use the sheep foot blade that's about 1 3/4 inches long. Makes a great box opener.
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I prefer 3" or smaller. Complies with California laws and is still useful for cutting boxes, etc., which is what I do in my soft urban area. And was a gift from the wife.

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irona said:
I think a 2.75 or so (SAK sized) inch spearpoint blade is ideal for me personally. I've never needed more blade, and can't imagine any reason that I would besides as previously mentioned) slicing fruit.


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Actually, a standard-sized SAK blade is very good for slicing fruit, even things like very large apples. One need not slice in one motion if you work around the fruit, and it's still a pretty quick process. Same with large avocados and other fruits. You can do quite a lot with a small blade.

I like blades from sub-2" length up to 4". All have their places. Though for most daily chores I have, a 2" to 3.5" blade would suffice.

Jim
 
Most food prep is harder with the shorter knives. But you can argue about how much it matters, since most of us don't do food prep in a regular environment with folding knives.
 
madcap_magician said:
Most food prep is harder with the shorter knives. But you can argue about how much it matters, since most of us don't do food prep in a regular environment with folding knives.
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Well, I do all my own cooking in the kitchen, have for years, and I do use kitchen knives. Only 3 of them, all Victorinox knives: a 7" Santoku, a 3" paring knife, and only occasionally a 4" serrated utility. The paring knife gets a LOT of work. I'm not saying use a SAK for all food prep. I'm saying it's not as impractical to use one to slice up fruit in a pinch than some might believe.

Jim
 
To me one of the biggest upsides to bigger bladed knives, that has nothing to do with blade length, is the bigger handles. A 3.5" bladed knife usually has a big, comfy handle. Some 3" bladed knives have pretty cramped handles, and if you have to put a lot of force into cuts or use a knife for a long time that can make a big difference.

That said, I carry everything from <2" bladed folders (a Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite is plenty of knife for a lot of days) to 4+" bladed folders depending on what I think fits the day best.
 
Though I prefer a 3.5" blade for work, I often carry sub-3" knives otherwise. A big advantage with shorter blades is better tip control because it's closer to my hand. Food prep is the one use case where longer is handy, but I just don't do very much food prep with my pocket knife. In a pinch, a 2.5" bladed SAK can handle all my traveling food cutting needs. I did it in Europe with a borrowed SAK, eating on trains and in parks, etc.

The longer work knife is for reach and shear angled slicing. Even then, I don't go longer than 3.5" because control is the crucial factor for me. I carry longer blades on the truck for occasional use, but my folder is a generalist.
 
Most knife related tasks can be done with a 3" blade or less. Just look at all the Spyderco little big knives that are so popular. I like a big knife, but I do not need one. I actually use a small knife far more.
 
James Y said:
Actually, a standard-sized SAK blade is very good for slicing fruit, even things like very large apples. One need not slice in one motion if you work around the fruit, and it's still a pretty quick process. Same with large avocados and other fruits. You can do quite a lot with a small blade.

I like blades from sub-2" length up to 4". All have their places. Though for most daily chores I have, a 2" to 3.5" blade would suffice.

Jim
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Yeah, I was referring to larger fruit like watermelon, where the handle would get in the way and the only real way to go is with a kitchen knife.


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OP "Can a 3" bladed pocket knife do everything a 3+ inch knife can?"

No it CAN'T!
Try cutting multi-layer cake with midget size blade knife without making total mess of things!
Life is too short and you NEVER EVER want to risk missing on cutting bigger slice of cake & eating it too!!!!

PS 90% of all my kitchen food prep is done using only with two paring knives 30% with 3.25" & 70% with 4"
 
My Buck 110 and Bantam 286 are perfect for slicing up my garden vegetables, particularly green peppers and tomatoes. Also, they work great on other garden brush and tree branches when I'm fishing. Better for turning hot dogs on a hot grill too. Buck lists the blades at 3 3/4". Smaller might work, but nearly as well. I can drop down to 3" and under for Jalapenos, Radishes and most other normal day stuff.
 
Wolf7 said:
OP "Can a 3" bladed pocket knife do everything a 3+ inch knife can?"

No it CAN'T!
Try cutting multi-layer cake with midget size blade knife without making total mess of things!
Life is too short and you NEVER EVER want to risk missing on cutting bigger slice of cake & eating it too!!!!

PS 90% of all my kitchen food prep is done using only with two paring knives 30% with 3.25" & 70% with 4"
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You're right. It would make a mess and so would a 4" knife. It would have to be an unusual circumstance for me to cut a two larger or more cake with any folding knife. Hence, I still prefer my ~3" folders. My latest inexpensive larger kitchen knife (Pioneer Woman ~$10) was gotten for chopping and cutting cake. :D Works really well for cake. I saw my wife's daughter using a larger bladed knife on a birthday cake and it struck me..... that be better.
 
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