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Guide
EDC knives under 3 inches
Three inches is the line a lot of city knife ordinances draw, and plenty of workplaces draw it too. These are the knives that stay under it. Blade length is the manufacturer's published figure — measure your own local rule against it before you carry, because some jurisdictions measure the cutting edge and some measure the whole blade.
30 knives · Sorted by blade length, shortest first.
| Knife | Blade | Weight | Steel | Price band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorinox Classic SD | 1.25″ | 0.74 oz | 1.4110 Stainless | Budget |
| Pro-Tech Runt 5 | 1.96″ | 2.09 oz | CPM MagnaCut | Premium |
| Case Peanut | 2.1″ | 1.2 oz | Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel | Budget |
| CRKT Squid | 2.14″ | 3.5 oz | 8Cr13MoV | Budget |
| Spyderco Dragonfly 2 | 2.25″ | 1.2 oz | VG-10 | Mid |
| Buck 55 | 2.375″ | 1.9 oz | 420HC | Budget |
| CRKT Pilar | 2.4″ | 4.2 oz | 8Cr13MoV | Budget |
| Victorinox Huntsman | 2.45″ | 3.42 oz | X55CrMo14 | Mid |
| Cold Steel Tuff Lite | 2.5″ | 2.5 oz | AUS-8A | Budget |
| The James Brand Chapter 2 | 2.64″ | 3 oz | CPM MagnaCut | Premium |
| Havalon Piranta-Edge | 2.75″ | 1.52 oz | 420J2 | Budget |
| Havalon Piranta-Bolt | 2.75″ | 1.9 oz | Surgical Stainless | Mid |
| Kershaw Cryo | 2.75″ | 4.2 oz | 8Cr13MoV | Budget |
| Havalon Piranta-Torch | 2.75″ | 2.16 oz | Surgical Stainless | Mid |
| Victorinox Pioneer | 2.76″ | 1.59 oz | 1.4110 Stainless | Budget |
| Victorinox Farmer X | 2.76″ | 3.84 oz | 1.4110 Stainless | Mid |
| Gerber Vital Pocket Folder | 2.8″ | 1.3 oz | Surgical Stainless | Budget |
| Benchmade Mini Bugout 533 | 2.875″ | 1.5 oz | CPM-S30V | Premium |
| Spyderco Delica 4 | 2.875″ | 2.5 oz | VG-10 | Mid |
| Case Sod Buster Jr | 2.875″ | 2.1 oz | Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel | Budget |
| WE Knife Banter | 2.9″ | 2.86 oz | CPM-S35VN | Premium |
| CRKT Drifter | 2.9″ | 2.4 oz | 8Cr13MoV | Budget |
| Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 | 2.91″ | 2.83 oz | CPM-S30V | Premium |
| Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight | 2.92″ | 2.4 oz | CTS-BD1N | Mid |
| Benchmade Mini Osborne 945 | 2.92″ | 2 oz | CPM-S30V | Premium |
| Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight | 2.95″ | 2.5 oz | CPM-S30V | Premium |
| SOG Terminus XR | 2.95″ | 3.2 oz | D2 | Mid |
| Civivi Elementum | 2.96″ | 2.78 oz | D2 | Budget |
| Civivi Altus | 2.97″ | 3.11 oz | Nitro-V | Mid |
| Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 31 | 2.99″ | 3 oz | CPM MagnaCut | High-End |
Victorinox
Victorinox Classic SD
- Blade
- 1.25″
- Weight
- 0.74 oz
Spear Point1.4110 Stainless
Traditional PocketBudget
Havalon
Havalon Piranta-Bolt
- Blade
- 2.75″
- Weight
- 1.9 oz
ScalpelSurgical StainlessReplaceable
Replaceable-BladeMid
Havalon
Havalon Piranta-Torch
- Blade
- 2.75″
- Weight
- 2.16 oz
ScalpelSurgical StainlessReplaceable
Replaceable-BladeMid
Victorinox
Victorinox Pioneer
- Blade
- 2.76″
- Weight
- 1.59 oz
Drop Point1.4110 Stainless
Traditional PocketBudget
Gerber
Gerber Vital Pocket Folder
- Blade
- 2.8″
- Weight
- 1.3 oz
ScalpelSurgical StainlessReplaceable
Replaceable-BladeBudget
Case
Case Sod Buster Jr
- Blade
- 2.875″
- Weight
- 2.1 oz
SheepsfootTru-Sharp Surgical Steel
Traditional PocketBudget