How long is long enough for you?

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Kyui Su Kim

Kyui Su Kim

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From what I have seen, a lot of the knife industry tends to lean toward smaller bladed folding knives. That would lead most to believe that this is what most folks want. So I present the question, how long do you like your folding knives to be?

Personally I am one of the bigger the better folks, but the most useful size for me is around 4 inches. 5 inches is nice but begins to not fit in some of my pockets.:D
 
3.5-4" for everyday work. 5" is nice for more outdoorsy stuff like hiking, etc..... 5-6" is the absolute limit for a folding knife for me. Anything more balances oddly and just doesn't feel right to me.
 
I think the "pocket" part is the answer. I top out at a blade length of 4 inches. That means the closed knife is at least that length, and that's about as long an object as I care to fit in my pocket. I suppose you could put a longer folder into a sheath, but if I wanted to wear a sheath, I'd carry a fixed blade.
 
I like folders with blades up to 4.25". Although my favorite folder has a 3.45" blade (BM 551). Anything bigger doesn't fit in my pockets well.
 
I do alright carrying a 5.5" or 6" bladed folder. But Most of my favorite knives have 4" to 4.25" blades.
 
In terms of practicality, anything longer than 3 inches is overkill for anything I could conceivably use a knife for in my daily routine. I don't pretend that my knife buying is in any way practical though ;) I have a Rajah I sitting next to my Swiss Army Knife.
 
I carry a small stockman. As a suburban office worker I get by just fine with a 2.5" main blade. I used to carry a large stockman, with a 3" blade, but it was too heavy in the bottom of my pocket. If I'm doing yardwork or camping I have a fixed blade on me but I still have the little Hen & Rooster in my pocket.

Frank
 
Up to 4" blade is cool.
As it gets over 4", I find it less useful for most pocket-knife tasks.
 
I like 3.25-4.00 inches. Cutting sandwiches and fruit is more difficult to do with a smaller blade, though still possible. Anything beyond 4 inches, and I personally thing that a fixed blade is a better choice.
 
I like 3.25-4.00 inches. Cutting sandwiches and fruit is more difficult to do with a smaller blade, though still possible. Anything beyond 4 inches, and I personally thing that a fixed blade is a better choice.
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My rule of thumb is that it has to be able to cut all the way through an apple. So 3.5-4" is my usual. As Cynic said anything smaller makes cutting fruit more difficult.
 
Blade length doesn't matter as much as closed length to me. A knife can have a short or long blade for the handle, but the closed knife is what I have to hold on to and fit in my pocket. I like a closed length of 4.75" +/- 0.25". The more blade that is squeezed into the handle the better. I have always wondered why the closed length isn't the focused on dimension for a folding knife. Some manufactures don't even list it in the knife specs.
 
3.25 up to 3.75 usually. In CT its legal to carry up to 4", but I'm usually plenty happy with a 3.5" with a recurve.
 
If its under 3 ounces, and folds, I don't care how long it is. I like the 3 inch range tho
 
No shorter than 3" but no longer than 3.5" for me. I am very adamant about the size of knife I carry and so far folders like the spyderco para 2/manix 2 and CR Sebenza are the most perfect sized knives for me.

For the folks who like ginormous folders (4"+) I'm really curious as to why you like them that big. I had a full sized BM onslaught and hated it because of how ridiculously big the knife was.
 
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