Giants of June / Big Blades Challenge - June 2026

[nate j]

For the month of June, carry and use only a knife or knives that have a minimum 4” blade length.  Use the same knife all month, or switch as often as you would like.  Fixed or folding, traditional or modern, all are welcome.

If you’ve always preferred smaller knives, here’s your chance to get out of your comfort zone and channel your inner Crocodile Dundee.

Of course, no one should risk legal trouble or their job, so if the only place you can carry and use a knife this size is your own home/yard, it would still be great to have you participate.

Use the AKTI Protocol for Measuring Blade Length (link below) to determine whether a given knife meets the minimum 4” blade requirement.

https://www.akti.org/resources/akti-protocol-for-measuring-knife-blade-length/

All the other usual challenge rules apply.

[nate j]

If anyone wants to whet their appetite, here are the links to previous challenges:

2024 - https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,92255.0.html

2025 - https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,93744.0.html

[nate j]

1.  nate j

[WECSOG]

In!

1. nate j
2. WECSOG

[nate j]

In!

1. nate j
2. WECSOG

Welcome aboard!
 

[WECSOG]

Welcome aboard!
 

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it.

[nate j]

Now, some of you may be thinking, “I’d like to participate, but I don’t have a suitable knife and money is tight.”

I understand, and I’m here to help.  Below are some of my favorite budget large folders (prices as of this post):

(From top to bottom)

Cold Steel Kudu Lite, just over 4” blade, $10

Rough Ryder Deer Slayer, about 4 1/4” blade, $15

Opinel No. 12, almost 4 3/4” blade, $25 for carbon steel or $30 for stainless

[WECSOG]

Now, some of you may be thinking, “I’d like to participate, but I don’t have a suitable knife and money is tight.”

I understand, and I’m here to help.  Below are some of my favorite budget large folders (prices as of this post):

(From top to bottom)

Cold Steel Kudu Lite, just over 4” blade, $10

Rough Ryder Deer Slayer, about 4 1/4” blade, $15

Opinel No. 12, almost 4 3/4” blade, $25 for carbon steel or $30 for stainless

[IMR4198]

    Sometimes you can read something two ways.  When I saw friend Nate's photo with the three knives I thought he was offering them for sale to encourage someone to join in the challenge.  An affordable way to get in. 
    Then the idea occurred to me that he was just demonstrating that it wouldn't break the bank to buy a large folder.  I had never seen the Ruff Rida before.  That is a great looking knife for $15.  The Okapi copy (Kudu) is something I was introduce to by friend WECSOG in this thread as well.  I wonder why they don't seem to come with the ring?  Our friend Humayd has posted some photos and info about the South African versions. 
     June is a long way off for me.  I might come in.  Depends on external factors.  I was in the challenge last year and it was a hoot. 
Best wishes.  Gary
 

[nate j]

    Sometimes you can read something two ways.  When I saw friend Nate's photo with the three knives I thought he was offering them for sale to encourage someone to join in the challenge.  An affordable way to get in. 
    Then the idea occurred to me that he was just demonstrating that it wouldn't break the bank to buy a large folder.  I had never seen the Ruff Rida before.  That is a great looking knife for $15.  The Okapi copy (Kudu) is something I was introduce to by friend WECSOG in this thread as well.  I wonder why they don't seem to come with the ring?  Our friend Humayd has posted some photos and info about the South African versions. 
     June is a long way off for me.  I might come in.  Depends on external factors.  I was in the challenge last year and it was a hoot. 
Best wishes.  Gary
 

Yes, the second interpretation is correct.  Even better than me offering my used ones for sale at these prices, anyone who wants one can buy one brand new from a distributor at those prices.

I concur the RR is quite a knife for $15.  This version features 440(A) stainless steel and brown burlap micarta slabs.

As to why Wes’s Kudu came without a ring, I can only assume it was either an oversight or cost cutting measure.  I have seen some reports of folks using a small loop of cord instead of a ring. As to why mine came without a ring, the short answer is that it doesn’t need one…

Cold Steel offers two very similar models:  the Kudu and the Kudu Lite.  They are nearly identical, except that the Kudu features a ring lock, and the Kudu Lite (shown in my pic) functions essentially as a slip joint (no lock).

Would be great to have you in the challenge, Gary.  I always enjoy reading about Ms. Phoenix and all your other adventures there on Werecoyote Trail!

[AzteCypher]

Well... I have a rather large fixie, that looks like it could pass for a small machete....   

This might be interesting.

[WECSOG]

Well... I have a rather large fixie, that looks like it could pass for a small machete....   

This might be interesting.

That sounds like an interesting knife!

[nate j]

Well... I have a rather large fixie, that looks like it could pass for a small machete....   

This might be interesting.

You’re certainly welcome, AC!

Happy to have fixies in the challenge as well as folders, as long as they meet the minimum 4” blade length requirement.

I have a couple of large fixies I’m planning to show during the challenge as well.  At least one is properly referred to as a short sword.
 

[IMR4198]

   When you think about it, a four-inch blade isn't exactly huge.  Especially on a fixed blade.  Lots of them out there in the hands of our members.  There were several contestants in last year's challenge.  Our friend Reamer helped us by making a nice badge for the challenge. 
    My state is one of the few that frowns on carrying a fixed blade in public.  Any size evidently.  One in your pocket, under a jacket, or in a pack looks like it might be a no-no.  Concealed weapon.  Ordinary folding pocketknives only.  What is ordinary?  That could be interpreted as almost anything, or disallowed by almost anything.  Anything that can be opened by 'throwing' is naughty too.  What is opening by 'throwing'?  You tell me.  I doubt the architects of that law knew themselves.  Does it mean having a flipper or thumb stud?  Gravity knife?  Assisted opening?  Balisong?  Any prosecutor could take one of those and demonstrate opening it by making an exaggerated 'throwing' motion with it after a little practice.  See, members of the jury, I opened it by 'throwing'.  Get the state guillotine out of storage and send someone to buy some cabbages for practice.
    I carried a CASE 6265 last year.  'Throwing' is not an opening option with that one.  The only law applicable to that one is the law of gravity.  It is so doggone heavy that it pulls your trousers down.  Whoops!  See, members of the jury, public nudity.  His jeans went flop at Wally World right in the checkout line.  Persecution rests, your honor.
    That makes something like the Cold Steel Kudu look very attractive for this challenge.  Too bad.  I'm sure there isn't a single one at Walmart.  Best wishes.  Gary
 
   

[nate j]

You’re in NC, right?

[WECSOG]

When I added the Kudu to my order, it was with the thought of using it in this Challenge. Same with the Case 6165 I bought recently. I'm glad this challenge allows more than one knife. Although, if I keep going, I might end up running out of days before I run out of knives! 

[IMR4198]

   Out in the far western part in the mountains.  Law enforcement here doesn't bully anybody.  They will take your stuff when you get booked of course.  I never heard of anyone being stopped just to see if they had a knife.  I carried a knife all through school after I was about 8 or 9 maybe.  It was just a bother to carry a knife when I was younger than that.  I didn't need one at school for anything. 
    Guys would park their pickups in high school.  Rack in the back window.  22 Marlin.  Fishing rod.  I had a rack in my first Ford pickup.  Got to be a bother, so I took it out.  I still see a window rack now and then.  Beater type fishing rod and baseball caps hanging on the rack.  No knives in school now.  A plinker in the window would get all the law dogs on your trail.  Barney and Goober.  Might need Gomer if there was a need for a citizen's arrest. 
 

[nate j]

 

I might end up running out of days before I run out of knives!

I suspect I’m already in that boat, and it’s not so bad.


For practical reasons, I probably won’t end up switching every single day, but it’s nice to have options.

[nate j]

   Out in the far western part in the mountains.

Well, I am not a lawyer, but the LegalBlade app suggests you would be legal in NC with a standard type manual folding knife regardless of size.  Anything else is questionable, especially if “concealed”.

[IMR4198]

NC used to be death on crossbows.  Those and 'ballistic knives' that shoot a blade (never seen one) are instruments of the nether region according to our lawmakers.  They really don't like concealed.  Rules out things like a neck knife or boot knife.  Best wishes.  G
 

[AzteCypher]

I'm grateful to live in Texas.  We can open carry a sword, though I fear it would get in my way at the check out line so I usually don't.   

I think I started carrying a pocket knife around the same age.  Mostly for fishing and such.  I remember trucks having gun racks when i was in high school.  My son asked to take his SAK to school after I gifted him his first one.  I have to explain why he couldn't now-a-days.

[WECSOG]

We had gun racks in our trucks at my high school, too. One of our build projects in shop class was a rifle rack for home. And quite a few of us, myself included, brought guns to school to work on them.
We all carried an assortment of knives, too. Even switchblades were/are legal in Alabama. But they were a felony to even possess a few miles north in Tennessee. There was also no provision to legally carry a handgun in Tennessee, period. In Alabama, open carry of a handgun has always been legal; no license necessary. Back then you had to have a license to carry concealed. Now we have true constitutional carry, concealed or not.

I think the blade length restrictions most states have for carrying a knife are the reason folders with a blade length of 4 inches or more are somewhat uncommon.

[IMR4198]

   NC has laws against brass knuckles and 'slung shots'.  Not sling shots.  You could make a slung shot by taking a big egg fishing sinker or a nut from a grader or something and tie them to a leather strap or a piece of rope.  Might even call a rock in a sock a slung shot.  Who knows?  I remember the day of the guys making rifle racks in shop class.
   Naturally a big portion of the guys in school had a pocketknife.  I carried a Kutmaster jack knife.  A hardware store went out of business, and my Dad bought it for me for 75 cents.  I started carrying it when I was about 11, then found some better choices.  Best wishes.  G
 

[nate j]

I think the blade length restrictions most states have for carrying a knife are the reason folders with a blade length of 4 inches or more are somewhat uncommon.

I dunno Wes…
 

There are plenty of states that don’t have blade length restrictions.  There are also quite a few options on the market for, say, automatic knives, in spite of those being illegal in a number of states.

I suspect the single biggest reason we don’t see more very large folders is lack of demand.  Really big folders just aren’t that popular, as evidenced by the mere few who typically participate in this challenge.

The components of a large folder must take a lot more force than the components of a small folder, so they must be carefully designed to avoid potentially catastrophic failure.  Also, because of this, the weight advantage smaller folders often enjoy over smaller fixies mostly disappears as the knife size goes up.

I also believe that, for a lot people who really need a large knife (chefs, butchers, hunters, bushcrafters, etc.), fixies make a lot more sense than folders most of the time.  They have clear advantages in terms of ruggedness and ease of cleanup, and portability/ease of carry may be less of a priority.

[WECSOG]

I dunno Wes…
 

There are plenty of states that don’t have blade length restrictions.  There are also quite a few options on the market for, say, automatic knives, in spite of those being illegal in a number of states.

I suspect the single biggest reason we don’t see more very large folders is lack of demand.  Really big folders just aren’t that popular, as evidenced by the mere few who typically participate in this challenge.

The components of a large folder must take a lot more force than the components of a small folder, so they must be carefully designed to avoid potentially catastrophic failure.  Also, because of this, the weight advantage smaller folders often enjoy over smaller fixies mostly disappears as the knife size goes up.

I also believe that, for a lot people who really need a large knife (chefs, butchers, hunters, bushcrafters, etc.), fixies make a lot more sense than folders most of the time.  They have clear advantages in terms of ruggedness and ease of cleanup, and portability/ease of carry may be less of a priority.

No doubt there's a lot of truth to that, Nate. But I've noticed that a lot of large lockback hunters, Soddies etc. come close to 4 inches but don't quite reach it. That's even true of the large slipjoint hunters on the pattern of the Case 65s. The Case and maybe one or two others (like your RR) reach 4 inches, but most of the others on that pattern don't. Closed length is still the same, but the blade is just a bit under 4 inches.

[nate j]

No doubt there's a lot of truth to that, Nate. But I've noticed that a lot of large lockback hunters, Soddies etc. come close to 4 inches but don't quite reach it. That's even true of the large slipjoint hunters on the pattern of the Case 65s. The Case and maybe one or two others (like your RR) reach 4 inches, but most of the others on that pattern don't. Closed length is still the same, but the blade is just a bit under 4 inches.

Well, it’s an interesting observation.

Out of curiosity, I thumbed through the LegalBlade app to see what states actually had blade length limits, and what they were.

Disclaimers:
- I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
- I was looking for blade length limits that seemed to apply to common manual folding knives.  If there were limits specifically for automatics, daggers, gravity knives, fixed blades, etc. I didn’t count those.
- Just because a state doesn’t have a blade length limit does not make it knife-friendly.  Some states without specific blade length limits are still quite hostile to knife rights in general.
- In states without knife law preemption, cities and other localities are free to enact knife laws that are more stringent than state law (and some of them have).  These are outside the scope of my analysis here, but be sure you understand and follow the local laws wherever you live, work, or travel.

Findings:
- Exactly one state, Connecticut, has a 4” blade length limit.
- 5” - Iowa, North Dakota
- 3.5” - Colorado, Nebraska, West Virginia
- 3” - Delaware, Rhode Island
- All other states - no defined blade length limit for manual folders

So, absent something more than empirical evidence to the contrary, I’d suggest we consider the myth that knife designers are working to stay under 4” for legal reasons busted.

Moreover, virtually all the companies that make larger folders also make smaller options.

Perhaps there is something to be said for the diminishing marginal utility of extra blade length.  I’d argue a 2” blade is a lot more useful than a 1” blade, but a 6” blade is maybe only slightly more useful than a 5” blade.

I used to have a camping book from probably the 1950s or 1960s.  Unfortunately not sure where it is at the moment.  But I do recall that some of the advice around knives was more or less as follows:  “Leave the bayonets and foot-long hunting knives at home.  Anything a four-inch blade can’t handle is probably better done with an axe.”

[WECSOG]

I queried the Brave AI about 4 inch blade restrictions, and here's what it returned:

Connecticut restricts the carry of any knife—open or concealed—with a blade over 4 inches.

Montana prohibits concealed carry of knives with a blade 4 inches or longer in most areas, though local ordinances (e.g., Bozeman, Butte) may extend this to both concealed and open carry.

New York City bans possession of any knife with a blade 4 inches or longer in public, whether concealed or visible. Open carry is effectively prohibited; only individuals carrying for work, military personnel, or EMTs on duty are exempt.

California has no statewide blade length limit for general carry, but prohibits knives with blades over 4 inches in state or local public buildings, including schools and government facilities. Airports and public meetings follow the same rule.

Florida allows concealed carry of folding knives with blades under 4 inches without a permit. Fixed-blade knives and longer blades require a concealed weapons license.
4 inch blade knife laws
knife laws by state

Keep in mind too, that state knife laws have changed significantly in just the last several years, and it can be difficult to find what the law was even 20 years ago.

[nate j]

I queried the Brave AI about 4 inch blade restrictions, and here's what it returned:


Keep in mind too, that state knife laws have changed significantly in just the last several years, and it can be difficult to find what the law was even 20 years ago.

Interesting.

Connecticut - Both sources agree.

Montana - After further investigation, it looks like the AI is correct and LegalBlade app was wrong.

NYC - Correct, though city/local laws were outside my original scope.  Some cities have even shorter limits.

California - Both sources agree no statewide limit for general carry; the 4” limit for public buildings specifically applies to fixed or locking blades; for schools, the limit is 2.5” blade and must be a non-locking folder.  This is a good example of how convoluted these laws can be.

Florida - I’m going to say AI is wrong on this one, and LegalBlade is correct.  For starters, Florida is now a Constitutional (permitless) carry state, i.e. for someone not otherwise prohibited from doing so, a license is not required to carry concealed weapons.  There is also no blade length limit in the Florida statutes.  However, the laws use (but don’t define) the term “common pocket knife”, and courts have ruled that any folding knife with a blade of 4” or less is presumptively a common pocket knife.  Another example of how convoluted these things can get.


As far as figuring out what the law was 20 years ago, it is apparently plenty difficult to figure out what the law actually is today.

[Farmer X]

I haven't been able to check in as much as I'd like lately. But if that changes, I'll be in. My Opinel No. 12 sees pretty regular use, as it works so well in the kitchen.

[nate j]

I haven't been able to check in as much as I'd like lately. But if that changes, I'll be in. My Opinel No. 12 sees pretty regular use, as it works so well in the kitchen.

Of course it would be great to have you participate, FX!