Newbie needs a recommendation for a 3" folder

[johnniet]

What are your exact legal restrictions? I think the Native may be considered 3 1/4" depending on how the blade is measured. (You may want to check the Spyderco site.)
I assume the Okapi is illegal because of the 4" blade, not the mechanism?
If you can get away with a Howard Viele you may like that a lot. Fallkniven also has a nice new folder out, similar to the William Henrys but for less $$.
At a slightly lower price, a lot of people like the Al Mar ultralights (the blade is flat-ground and 1/16" thick, half the thickness of most of the others, so it's a much better "razor" than most).
You may also be able to get a used Boye Dendritic Steel folder, which is plain edge but supposed to have microserrations (I can say from experience that they cut extremely well and are amazingly easy to sharpen). Dendritic Steel refers to specially-treated 440C. Unfortunately they've been discontinued.

 

[drac]

What are your exact legal restrictions?

You may be cited for anything that strikes a cop as being a weapon, right down to scissors and nail files.

You will be cited for certain classes of knives: switchblades, ratchet "flick" knives like the Okapi, and so on. I think that butterfly knives fall into this category.

I assume the Okapi is illegal because of the 4" blade, not the mechanism?

Nope- it's the mechanism.

 

[johnniet]

"Flick knives" are out, but liner locks are OK?
Whatever. We know that knife laws are usually irrational.
In that case I think all of the knives mentioned are solid choices--give each of them some real consideration. (And I hope you're having fun with your fountain pen. )