What’s the smallest EDC knife you can get away with? Fixed or folding are fine.

[el gigantor]

As small as I go:

 

[DangerZone98]

As small as I go:

Seems good enough.

 

[vnvman]

When we are talking small knives, in my book nothing can even touch the almighty Cold Steel Hold Out 3.

2.3 ounces in weight for a knife thinner than a small size Bic lighter, but with a full size handle, S35VN and a triad lock that will even take batoning (small pieces given the length but still) with no wiggle no nothing afterwards.
It's lighter than a Delica 4, yet slimmer and WAY tougher at the same time: in my opinion it should outsell a knife like the Delica by millions and millions of units, instead it's some kind of a well kept secret, weird.

I carry it all the time, regardless of what other knife I may have on me because at that weight and thickness it doesn't make an actual difference to have it on you or not...it also allows me to edc bigger knives that I can't show when people are around, this knife is invaluable to me.

 

[Railsplitter]

When we are talking small knives, in my book nothing can even touch the almighty Cold Steel Hold Out 3.

2.3 ounces in weight for a knife thinner than a small size Bic lighter, but with a full size handle, S35VN and a triad lock that will even take batoning (small pieces given the length but still) with no wiggle no nothing afterwards.
It's lighter than a Delica 4, yet slimmer and WAY tougher at the same time: in my opinion it should outsell a knife like the Delica by millions and millions of units, instead it's some kind of a well kept secret, weird.

I carry it all the time, regardless of what other knife I may have on me because at that weight and thickness it doesn't make an actual difference to have it on you or not...it also allows me to edc bigger knives that I can't show when people are around, this knife is invaluable to me.

I agree. It’s a sleeper. I bought mine online and I really didn’t expect to like it half as much as I do.

I took the clip off and carry it at the bottom of my pocket. I’m glad I got one after the upgrade to S35VN because I would have wanted a second one for the better steel.

Excellent EDC knife.

 

[Venice]

Oh wow! Ain't that the Ti flashlight from Arc?

It's the evolution of it; the Mcgizmo Sapphire.

 

[Skar]

A dragonfly is perfect.
I can carry a slip joint but… I just never carry a slip solo.

 

[DocJD]

I do usually carry a keychain folder , under 2" blade . But only as backup , or in case I forget the big ones .

 

[Maximumbob54]

I find that the vast majority of my life's needs are met with a Delica but I'd still rather carry a Stretch.

 

[cbach8tw]

I can get by with my Opinel 6 just fine, and my SA Alox Pioneer.

 

[vnvman]

I can get by with my Opinel 6 just fine, and my SA Alox Pioneer.

Came back in to post just this. And pretty much like the Hold Out, it's also very much of a "big EDC knife enabler", and it's under 30 grams! If only they made a flatter, thinner handle one, in order to print less in the pocket...obviously not possible because the rotoblock would be no longer viable, but still...

 

[cbach8tw]

Came back in to post just this. And pretty much like the Hold Out, it's also very much of a "big EDC knife enabler", and it's under 30 grams! If only they made a flatter, thinner handle one, in order to print less in the pocket...obviously not possible because the rotoblock would be no longer viable, but still...

There are many who who carve the handle or make some small changes to the wood, a whole thread, I believe, on Opinel mods in the Bushcraft web site, and I think here as well.

 

[vnvman]

There are many who who carve the handle or make some small changes to the wood, a whole thread, I believe, on Opinel mods in the Bushcraft web site, and I think here as well.

I know that but because of how the lock is designed you may be able to thin out the body and the bottom but you can't touch the pivot area without compromising the lock.

At that point you're probably better off with a Bantam Alox if you wanna go super thin and light. Now that I think of it, I need to get one of those right now as well lol.

 

[cbach8tw]

I know that but because of how the lock is designed you may be able to thin out the body and the bottom but you can't touch the pivot area without compromising the lock.

At that point you're probably better off with a Bantam Alox if you wanna go super thin and light. Now that I think of it, I need to get one of those right now as well lol.

True about the pivot area, if thinness is main goal, but there are ways to make it unique and thin ….thin enough….without nearing the lock, I find that the area is thin enough for me, your mileage may vary. Good luck with finding what works best for you and show us if you find something cool.

I have also found that my spear point MAM folder with locking liner, also available with out the liner, to be relatively thin, but not the greatest steel but useable.

 

[vnvman]

True about the pivot area, if thinness is main goal, but there are ways to make it unique and thin ….thin enough….without nearing the lock, I find that the area is thin enough for me, your mileage may vary. Good luck with finding what works best for you and show us if you find something cool.

I have also found that my spear point MAM folder with locking liner, also available with out the liner, to be relatively thin, but not the greatest steel but useable.

True that, experimenting around with Opinels doesn't break the bank anyways haha.

For this kind of of item steel isn't much of a concern, I just need that little something if for any reason I need to use it in public, around and/or for people around me...Just so I don't have to go like "sure thing Ma'am, let me just whip out my 7.5" Espada and help you out with that price tag" while I proceed to slash to death 10 people around me when it wave deploys from my pocket.

 

[cbach8tw]

True that, experimenting around with Opinels doesn't break the bank anyways haha.

For this kind of of item steel isn't much of a concern, I just need that little something if for any reason I need to use it in public, around and/or for people around me...Just so I don't have to go like "sure thing Ma'am, let me just whip out my 7.5" Espada and help you out with that price tag" while I proceed to slash to death 10 people around me when it wave deploys from my pocket.

I know what you are saying, I just remembered a small SA which is a gardener’s knife with a single blade, red handles, the pic is from another person but this one I like for awhile in my pocket I could slip in and out fast.

 

[cbach8tw]

I also almost forgot about the the thinnest I have a Black Kat German soldiers knife, I think Otter makes them now.sgsin, not my pic but the knife at the top.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Native 5 is about as small as I go.

 

[cbach8tw]

Ok, I have not mentioned about fixed blades, my idea is one about 2.5 to 3.25 inches and a good sized handle to grip, I cannot say how many cool little knives are hard to use when the handle is too short or not designed for a comfortable grip. My Horsewright Sonoran belt knife is a good knife and a good handle for me. He has several models that would be a good small fixed blade. Secondly I enjoy anything from Daado and my Red Meadow Cowbell. The knives of DW Childress are what got me into small fixed blades.

 

[David Mary]

Bitty Bitey Baby Birdie,

Bitty Bitey Baby Birdie

This knife, 4.9" overall, 2.6" cutting edge, originally happened by accident. I had a cancelled order for a camp chopper. Someone asked for a chef. I said sure, I can mod the chopper. I was left with a small piece of the handle. What to do with it? It was magnacut, and longer than 4 inches, so too valuable to throw away.
View attachment 2183848

Find a knife in it then! And so the Bitty Bitey Baby Birdie was born (with some name inspiration from our beloved @Crag the Brewer ).
View attachment 2183850
View attachment 2183849


I ended up making two chefs from these blanks, and so two of these Birdies were born. These prototype were in .140" MagnaCut.

View attachment 2183851

Going forward I'll make them from stock thicknesses ranging anywhere from .06" and up. There are two more in process at the time of this post in .08" AEB-L, awaiting plasma cutting and heat treatment. Future iterations will not have the "eyeball", and will have two pin positions instead of one.

Long overdue update:

A few recent additions to the BBBB flock:
View attachment 2479811
View attachment 2479812
View attachment 2479809
View attachment 2479810

or Fried Liver Attack:

Fried Liver Attack
This is a knife I came up with as a spontaneous thought experiment and challenge to myself involving two things I love: knives, and chess. I decided to make a knife with this name, which is the name of an opening in chess. After a brief brainstorm, I determined that the knife profile should occupy all of the squares on black's side of the board that initially were occupied by black's pieces, but which are vacant after white has given checkmate using the Fried Liver Attack (black has to be kind of inexperienced at chess to allow this to happen).

I believe this 5.3" knife with a 2.5" cutting edge will be a super handy and effective little utility knife easily carried on a keychain, in a pocket or around the neck.

View attachment 2183837

View attachment 2187240
View attachment 2187242
View attachment 2187241
View attachment 2187243
View attachment 2187244
View attachment 2187245

 

[vnvman]

Bitty Bitey Baby Birdie,





or Fried Liver Attack:

for a fixed one this is as small as I can go:

Less than that you don't really gain a real advantage over a small folder, and you still have to get over the hassle of fitting a sheath, figure out how to carry etc etc.

I gotta say the Fried Liver Attack looks pretty rad tho.