What size blade do you EDC and why?

99% of the time I carry two knives-always an Alox Cadet in my change pocket and then a medium to large sturdy folder in my back right pocket. Usually 3.5" to 4.5". A Mille, PM2, Manix, Police 4, Sebenza, or Endura are common fare. If I'm hiking it's usually a Cold Steel Recon 1.
 
Where I live the carry laws regarding knives are really screwy. You can literally conceal carry a gun without a CCW as long as you're legally permitted to own one. You can open carry pretty much anything.

Regarding concealed carry of knives though, only folders and must be under 4" in length. All kinds of wording about no daggers, no "dirks", no "stilettos", no autos, no gravity knives, etc. It's like our gun laws are cutting edge and our knife laws were written in the 20's.

That being said, I have really big hands and I like to carry something as close to that 4" length as I can.
 
I think more in terms of edge length than total blade length, and blade shape impacts how useful the entire length of the edge may be. Also the handle/grip area needs to be sufficient, and while handle length may generally correlate to blade length, they're not directly related. In addition, "pocketability" depends on more than just handle length: like handle thickness and shape, clip design, and scale surface. My decision on which knife to carry often comes down to prioritizing pocketability vs. edge length.

But the original question was regarding blade size. I like having a 3-inch edge length, but even the 2.35-inch edge of the Chaparral usually works for my EDC needs. Plus its grip area (handle plus choil) is comfortable, and it disappears in the pocket. For me, EDC blade edge length varies between that of the Chaparral and the 3.3-inch length of the Spydiechef.

However, at work I sometimes limit the length to 2.5 inches due to a general university rule that sets that restriction. It doesn't apply when I carry the knife for work purposes, which I do, but if I want not to worry about being confronted on that matter and needing to justify the added length, I'll carry a small knife.
 
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3.5” is that sweet spot for me. I will carry around this. Above 3.75, it will start to get too big for me. There have been those that near the 4” range that are literally too big for me to comfortably deploy. I will rarely go all the way down to 3.25” unless I really like that knife simply because I like a bigger knife. I tell myself that I should get more 3” to conform to laws of nearby counties, but in the end, I can’t get myself to spend money on em.
 
7-8" (blade length) is my happy place.
 
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Not sure why this 6 yr old thread got dragged up from the depths; but, as long as a bunch of people have already gotten sucked in, I'll join.
In modern folders, I prefer a 3.5" blade...and would generally prefer to go up a quarter inch, than down. Recently though, I've come to appreciate a couple of specific 3 and 3.25 inch blades for work carry.
Fixed blades - while I still have a fondness for the 5-8" blade range, I generally carry something in the 3-4" category. In recent years, that size has proven itself to be the best for me in terms of comfort, convenience, and usefulness.
 
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I prefer 3.0-3.25" folders for regular carry (Delica-Native size). I sometimes go smaller depending on the situation, but seldom larger. Probably said the same thing 6 years ago. :D
 
I have a rotation

The following pic has my three current carry pieces

I always have a larger blade in my brief case or vehicle currently it’s a Winkler Sayoc Hawk

The current rotation is for dress a 3 1/2 inch NYS from TK or a 5 inch Hartsfield Kwaiken

Reason is that they carry well

The NYS horizontal leather cross draw

The Kwaiken IWB or sash .....it disappears

For knocking around and field a 5 inch Hurak from Sam Lurquin

Reason it’s a bug little knife ..... packs a lot of power in a medium size blade

 
Like others, I have a rotation of knives that I carry for one reason or another. I tend to favor a big knife for riding on the belt, like the BK9 and the SP10. They provide superior chopping power when trees have to be dealt with in my line of work, and with all manner of knives being legal under Kansas state law, I see no reason to refrain from such.
 
3.75" to 4" or a bit over if a slim design. I started out with more traditional folders and "gentleman-style" knives, but I'm so used to large knives now everything else just feels small in my hands. It's just whatever you're used to. If you've carried small folders for 20 years, I'm sure my edcs would feel like carrying a bastard sword in your pocket, though I do have my limits too.
 
Usually something in the four inch range. Currently a Recon 1. The smallest I will carry is a ZT 0566, or a Manix 2.
 
3.25"
Either my Link M390 (today) or my ZT0450CF.
Backup, SOG Centi @ 1.4"
I find I don't need anymore blade than that 99% of the time.
 
My preferred EDCs are all 3.5" - 3.75". I also work in a professional office environment. Quite often I use my knife to slice fruit, my sandwich, etc.. 3" or less is just a bit too messy; 4" is just too much in an office, especially around non-knife people.
 
If I'm in the office, and I usually am during the week, my carry maxes out around 2.5 inches. I can get by with my Classic or Squirt, mostly because they fly under the radar, and don't weigh down my slacks. Unfortunately, the short handles on these make popping the plastic straps on boxes of printer paper kind of uncomfortable. My Executive is in a sweet spot for office carry, and I've taken to carrying a Bermuda green Russlock on the weekends. Anything bigger just gets in the way.
 
mini grip 2.9”, jk element 01 3” , and sebenza 3.6”
One or two of these are on me daily.
 
Most of the time I carry knives with 3 to 3.25 blades if I am at work. It's rare but I'll bump it up to 3.5 on my days off. If I carry fixed, it is still less than 5 inches.

I've tried smaller knives and have found that a Vic. Cadet is about as small as I am willing to carry.
 
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