What's the largest belt knife you'd comfortably EDC on your hip

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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What's the largest ( In overall length and in blade length ) that you have or would EDC In a utilitarian capacity ?
Will you carry something larger and less practical on occasion just because you like it and can , do you just stick to what's practical ?

I've got an Ontario 498 on the way and am going to carry it a little bit when it arrives just because I can , but the largest knife I've carried before is 10.5" with a 5.75" blade and this knife is 12" with a 7" blade.
I can do everything I need with a peanut so this is definitely way overkill, but what the hell it's legal and in my rural little town nobody will bat and eye so why not.
I'm most comfortable carrying smaller B&T sized fixed blades because they're more practical and are handy at work, I won't carry the large ones at work but at home and running errands around town or walking the dog I will on occasion.
When I do of course they don't get used as much as whatever is in my pocket, but that doesn't prevent me from carrying them occasionally.
 
I generally stick to a 4" blade, or less; but I'll go to 4.5ish inches without giving it a second thought.
I do, however, carry my Busse Urban Grudge (listed as 5.49" blade length, measured ~5 7/8"... guess they didn't go scale to tip) just because I like it. I actually carry it more often than a RMD (or any other >4.5" blade) I own.
I might bring a larger knife when camping (or whatever)... but I don't typically have those on my belt, and I don't consider those circumstances to be EDC.
 
I won’t wear a knife on my belt. There is a small Anza (7” OAL) on my shelf that has a crossdraw sheath, but I have never worn it except to try it around the house.
 
For EDC I consider 4” my limit to carry on the belt
It is more a question of weight than length

My most ”belt-carried” EDC is a folder in a pouch - a large sebenza.
 
I've carried a khukuri with a 12" overall length many a time, for weeks at a time. Not very practical though, and I ended up resorting to the folder in my pocket.

Fixed blade knives are funny things. I will carry a 4" folders no problem, but I feel like Crocodile Dundee when I draw a 4" fixed blade in public. On an edc belt knife, 3" is my limit.

I love my Fiddleback Hiking Buddy for this application.
 
I split my time between NYC, STATEN ISLAND the forgotten borough whose claim to fame was.the.largest landfill in the world and Lake George, NY. In the city I carry anything.from a Fallkniven juni to Dpx hest4. Also always have a folder or two. When upstate, I almost always have my Fallkniven volcano on my belt along with a few.other knives as.well. A little known fact is that autos are legal in NY state when in use during fishing and hunting. So I am always AHEM doing one.or the other!
 
Two things come to mind, I think it is wonderful you can carry such a blade in the area you live, and I could not help but think of Charlie Mike (RIP) with his carry larger blades, and he usually did not care what people thought. I like a knife four inches or under, but smaller fixed blades with 3.5 and under especially like Bird and Trouts are more practical, but rarely carry one on the belt, maybe stuck in my front pocket. I want to see how I like horizontal carry. But a folder is usually more convenient. My ideal set up is a small fixed blade and a folder, so how to carry them is a question. I have a few Childress & JK small knives. I do have a few KSF leather pouches I have tried this, usually a bit awkward or heavier than I like but still worth a try. See what best fits your needs.
 
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I don't mind wearing a fixed blade in the 3-1/2" blade length on my belt when I am out and about. It's handy and durable for any use and can be concealed well with a long shirt so as not to raise any eyebrows, not that I care. Weight is my consideration since back surgery because even a very small amount of weight can feel like a ton and cause that nagging twinge feeling in the spine.I used to think 4 inches was my limit in blade length but anymore,3 and 3-1/2 does just fine for just about any hard chore I put it to. A fixed blade is still much sturdier then a slip joint for hard use and this is where I have grown fond of my Battle Horse Pit Bull with a saber grind. It's a pretty tough knife but a little heavy in the handle area, though , I just absolutely love how it fits my hand with the feeling of a good grip of security. My LT Wright Genisis is just shy of the 3-1/2 inch limit, I place on it but it is so much lighter with it's flat grind and somewhat smaller and not so pleasing handle as is the handle on my Battle Horse. Still, when you really consider how much you will actually have to draw your knife from the sheath for any kind of chore then you might as well carry light and be comfortable doing so. Even my belt carrying deer hunting knives are only 3-1/2 inches long. Well, I do have a Buck Vanguard but because it's a 4-1/4" blade it sees more drawer space then anything.
 
cbach8tw said:
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While I usually do not care what others think of my knife carry, I still want to carry without being obvious to avoid the always annoying questions of why I need a knife or comments that I am a Rambo type. And not being so flamboyant by whipping the knife out goes a long way. Common sense use prevents such things. And in the end, I am the one they usually ask to cut something, I'll say no if it wire or thick plastic containers, etc. i did use my 110 Slim Pro to cut open a plastic jug to help get the coin out.
 
I live and circulate in a NE US urban/suburban (i.e: bleeding heart liberal, anti-“weapon”) area, so I don’t go trying to make the soccer mommies get hysterical or looking for police-involved trouble by carrying a knife on my hip. Discreet concealed carry is necessary in my world. I carry my EDC in my right front pants pocket and blades in the 3.5”-4” range work best for me. The largest blade I’ve carried (only just a couple times) is a 6” CS Luzon, but carrying it was more of a “because I can” exercise than that knife is a well-chosen EDC.
 
OP,
I went through this scenario a couple of years back. Decided that no larger than 3” would be best for EDC. Something like a TOPS Mini Scandi or the little Backpacker from White River, horizontal or cross draw carry.
When not in the woods, folders are just so convenient.
With that said, a RAT RC6 and a machete are always in my truck.
 
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I generally carry my FB in a pack when hiking -- it gets in the way of the pack's hip belt, and it's more secure. Around town I may carry a small FB (Dozier K1) in a jacket or vest pocket.
 
Depends on what I am doing and where I am going. For true every day carry around our city I carry a 4"-5" blade length knife, usually CM style. Out of town for hiking/camping, the sky is the limits.
 
For a fixed EDC, I prefer horizontal cross draw, which limits me to about a 3" blade. I'm fairly skinny (6'2" with a 34" waist), so anything larger just seems to get in the way, snags on seat belts, doesn't let my shirt fall over it nicely, or just feels wider than I am. 4" blade or more, and I need to carry vertically, which, living in the suburbs, becomes a bit more conspicuous than I car for. Camping, hiking, etc, the sky's the limit.

Right now, my favorite EDC fixed is a BM Hidden Canyon, which works really well for my day to day needs. Though I am currently looking for a classier bird-and-trout style knife, I just can't afford what I want at the moment.
 
jfk1110 said:
I split my time between NYC, STATEN ISLAND the forgotten borough whose claim to fame was.the.largest landfill in the world and Lake George, NY. In the city I carry anything.from a Fallkniven juni to Dpx hest4. Also always have a folder or two. When upstate, I almost always have my Fallkniven volcano on my belt along with a few.other knives as.well. A little known fact is that autos are legal in NY state when in use during fishing and hunting. So I am always AHEM doing one.or the other!
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I grew up in Staten Island back in the 70's, when the landfill was active.
Now I work in NYC , but live in Dutchess County. Much different knife culture 90 miles north of NYC.
I was actually thinking of carrying an auto when I go hunting this Saturday. Just to supplement whatever else I carry to dress a deer.
Well back to the topic...
The largest belt knife I can tolerate is a Buck 110 and the largest folder I actually carry and use is a CS Rajah.
The largest fixed blade I'll put on a belt is anything with a 4 or 5 inch blade.
 
I used to carry a Marvin Poole drop point with a 3.5" blade. I carried it for several weeks at work. I wouldn't want to carry much bigger for everyday use, 4" maximum probably. I work with a couple of people that carry Damascus blades made from crane cable. They had 4" blades or so, from the same local maker.
 
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