Some of you have responded to my question about carrying a knife in California. So now I'm looking for a folder with a 3" blade. It's sad that I am being compelled to buy a new knife.

So what do you recommend? I am hoping to spend under $100. The top runners for me right now are the Spyderco Delica, Spyderco Mini-Persian, and the Benchmade Swale. I think the Mini-Persian may look a little too scary, and I'm worry that its big tip might break off. I like the Swale, but it's a bit on the thick side, and I need to carry concealed because of the law. I'd look at the smaller Griptilian if it is 3", but I already have two big Griptilians...

Thanks!

Doug Ritter Mini RSK Mk1 It's a little more than $100, but it helps support the Equipped website.

Unless you just want to spend more money, I'd recommend a Byrd Meadowlark (made by Spyderco):

http://newgraham.com/store/product/7859/Meadowlark-2-PE-Black-FRN/

I love mine (and also it's smaller brother, the Robin) for EDC. Good little knives. And because they are inexpensive, you will USE them, not BABY and PROTECT them. I stopped carrying my Spyderco Native in favor of the Byrd Robin and Meadowlark. The Meadowlark is a good alternative to a Delica if you want something less expensive.

That Doug Ritter knife looks great.

My EDC knife is a CRKT M16-01KZ. This knife is about perfect for me after experimenting with about 15 folders. EDC knives are so personal. Some knives that have gotten rave reviews did not work for me.

For $100 you can buy five kabar dozier folders, in a variety of colors. Best buy on the market.

+1 I EDC the -01T. The blade is right at three inches if you measure from the start of the cutting edge. Once you get used to the auto-LAWKS safety, It is easily opened and closed one handed. It locks and stays locked until you release it.

first choice is a Kershaw Leek (bottom) ... assisted opening and very sharp... metal scales

top is a Spyderco Michael Walker lightweight...

Ever since losing my $250 titanium/tungsten carbide knife in a stupid parking lot, I've understood cheap is good. Man, I never used that knife anyway, because I was afraid to dull the edge. And it's not like I'm a navy diver who needs a non-magentic knife to do work around a mine.

That's pretty much my philosophy nowadays.

I had a Spyderco Delica, never really liked it because the thumbhole made the overall knife too wide when folded, and the handles were too flat and thin for my preference. Also because the handle was much lighter than the blade, it always felt front heavy. Ended up chipping the tip of the blade while doing something then lost it somewhere.

My current knife is a Benchmade mini-griptillian in D2. It's a nice knife and the handle is really comfortable, but other than that I really don't see big difference between it and a lot of the cheaper folders I used to have. One of my biggest pet peeves is the blade choil? the part of the blade that connects to the handle. Rather than transitioning to the unsharpened part of the blade, the edge just ends at a groove. This is extremely annoying when cutting cardboard,paper, string, etc, as the material tends to ride up the blade until it's caught in that groove.

The two knives that I like are well below your budget. The Mini Gerber EZ-out I had was a very comfortable knife because of the rubber inserts, and was fairly lightweight so you wouldn't feel it as much in your pocket. Unfortunately I loaned it to someone when camping and they liked it so much they never returned it. The only flaw was the clip would loosen over time, didn't really bother me. I also like the CRKT B.U.L.L. On sale, they were about $15, so I never really worried about damaging them or losing them (and I have lost a couple of knives to the TSA). The blade shape is a little harder to sharpen because of the recurve, but not impossible. The opening mechanism, once you got used to it, was a lot quicker and easier for me than a thumbstud. It's the knife I take when travelling, since I won't worry too much if it gets lost. If you're buying a knife for your trip to CA, I don't see an advantage to spending more than $20-$25 because they all cut about the same.

I have both the Delica & Doug's mini grip. I like both knives. Both are under 3".

The delica rotates as EDC quite frequently because it is small, lightweight, doesn't show in jeans or dress pants and is very sturdy. The thumb hole makes it an easy open. Another poster said the thumb hole makes it wider which is true but I like a wider blade and the flatness of the rest of the knife is a plus for me, ymmv. The scales are grippy and the pocket clip can be switched for tip up or down if that matters to you but unless in the woods it's shoved all the way in my pocket. Most importantly the blade stays Sharp and is not too thick for finer uses. I like the blades slight curve. I have the plain edge. I have some combo edged knives but find the plain edge more useful.
I don't like the lockback lock. It is not the sturdiest design and can't be easily closed one handed. I clean out the pocket lint often to make sure it doesn't get caught in the lock mechanism.

Doug's knife is very sturdy. I like the shape of the blade better and the axis lock makes it easier to open and close. The axis lock is more bomb proof. I like the fact that the mini has a full liner as opposed to the full grip. The blade stays very sharp, it is a thinner design making it easy to use for fine work. I own Doug's full grip too but I find I carry the mini more.
I don't like that It is much wider for urban carry. The handle is ok but not as well made as the delica, I get bringing it in at a certain price point and it's not made to be a show pony, but I would have paid $10-$20 more for a better handle.

The delica sees more urban work and the mini grip spends more time in the woods.

Good luck with whatever you purchase.