A question for long time knife buyers.

[Thomas Carey]

For those of you have been into knives for several years. Do you find that you are buying smaller or larger knives than you did say 3 or 4 years ago?

 

[K.O.D.]

Most of my knives are 3.5 inches and under. The only knives I own greater than that are the ZT0561 I just got today, and a CS Recon 1. Most large knives are more than I need. I sold off all my big folders In the last 8-10 months;

Hogue EX01 4"
Lionsteel SR1A
Strider SnG
Spyderco Southard
Spyderco Endura Wave

 

[amg137]

My size preferences have definitely trended upwards over time. I started out carrying sub-3" folders only, and now generally carry knives in the 3.6-4" range. I do still occasionally carry smaller knives (small Sebenza, Protech Half-Breed) when I'm wearing slacks or know I'm not likely to have a use for a large folder.

 

[SpydrMan]

I've always preferred knives in the 2.5-3.5" range.

 

[mr_anderson]

Mine have mostly gotten bigger. I just like big knives now.

 

[mtangent]

My tastes have trended smaller.

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

Mine started all about 3-3.5 inches. Now I have a number of smaller and larger ones and try to keep my knives diverse in size, steel, lock type, brand, etc. as much as possible as long as the knife suits my liking.

 

[gooeytek]

About the same. The last knives I bought were a Northwoods Hawthorne slipjoint and a Manix2 in S110V, so size preference hasn't really changed to favor a trend.

 

[exmaxima]

Started out with around 3" (Delica, Natives, Small Seb, Al Mar, Mcusta, etc), now prefer around 3.5" (PM2, Stretch, Griptilian, Kershaw Knockout). Rarely use the bigger 0561 or Endura.

 

[dalefuller]

I have also moved upwards in size, more for the extra handle than the extra blade. As I've aged, I've lost some fine motor skills and some feeling in my hands. I find that larger handles are easier for me to grip securely and comfortably now. Also, larger blades usually have more room for opening the blade and larger thumb studs or holes. I stay around the 3.5" blade length range now. Used to be in the 2.75 to 3" range.

 

[eschwebach]

I started out carrying a lot of folders in the 3.5"-4" range and now carry more knives that are sub 3.5". On the weekends away from work I tend to carry a larger folder or small fixed blade.

 

[Invective]

I started buying while still in college so I tried to keep my purchases under 2.5 inches so I could carry discreetly on campus. Graduated and moved up in size, but that was also a bit due to moving back in with my parents and having a lot more yard work to do compared to my apartment. Going back to school again so keeping them smaller, although my last purchases were a Spyderco Catcherman and a K2. I've found it's the larger knives that get the fun steels as well so that probably skews my buying habits more towards larger.

 

[SliCed]

I'm only a year into the hobby, but I've pretty much only liked 2.75"-3.50" blades as far as folders go.

 

[bld522]

Smaller, lighter, more pocketable, more expensive.

 

[Blades&Bullets]

While I still carry larger blades, I've come to appreciate smaller knives more. I recently starting carrying a stockman sometimes after years of carrying a 3.5" blade framelock almost exclusively.
Maybe I'll be carrying a butterbean before long.

 

[Rival1314]

I started out on sub 3.25in blades in early 2000's.... stepped up to 3.75-4.25 blades around 2010 when the addiction started to take hold (aquisition of a concealed carry permit contributed to this trend;-) Lately Im hovering between 3.25-3.75. My daily carry is dependent on what im wearing, and what kind of pockets it has. When I have tactical, cargo, or carpenter pants i tend to carry larger knives than when Im in shorts. I have grown to appreciate something for every occasion.

 

[gentemanndvm]

for me folders have trended smaller, and fixed blades have trended bigger. eliminating overlap, I guess.....

day to day use, it's folders.
shorts, slacks, or work clothes I'm carrying a 2.75" to 3" blade, smaller, leaner, and more expensive as the years go by.
jeans/cargo pants I'm 3.25" with a ZT0566 or ZT 0550. that seems to be plenty for me for everything I use an everyday pocket knife for.


fixed blades I've trended out of the neck knives and smaller fixed blades because of the better folders I've trended into. So my fixed blades are more 5"-7" blades now, for camping and woods use. Plus a couple big ole choppers I love and can't get rid of even though I rarely use them except in my imagination.

 

[cbach8tw]

Smaller knives, 3 - 4 blades, just feels light in the handy, very useful and does what you need. Still like medium camp knives, but the smaller ones are getting more pocket time.

 

[strat23]

Definitely going smaller the last couple of years -

 

[Drudge]

I've preferred knives 3.4-3.6in. and still do :thumbup: