The law in the great state of Illinois appears to be pretty much the same way. They outlaw certain types of knifes - daggers, switchblades, gravity knifes - but don't limit the length. The focus is on the intent to commit a crime.

Keep in mind though that cities can - and do - add their own knife laws, so you need to know the laws in every city that you enter whilst carrying a knife. That can be a tough, if not impossible, thing to do.

I myself really like the full size Rittergrip, and if you're carrying on your belt, then certainly I'd recommend the full-size Rittergrip over the junior model. I myself do not like the feel of a large knife in my pocket and it wouldn't be proper to carry a sheath on my belt. I do not carry my Rittergrip on my person as an EDC.

In my own suburban jungle I only carry a Gerber Micro LST in my pocket and then the Rittergrip in a bag that I carry just about everywhere with me. It is almost always close, unless I go to the bathroom or downstairs to the cafeteria - then it stays in my office (I know, I know). My "manbag" carries my cell phone, Palm PDA, pens & a notepad, and my suburban jungle gear - Rittergrip, 55 gal. drum liner, orange bandana, lighter, flashlight, whistle, compass, map of county, a very simple first aid kit, a few, ziplock bags, micropur tabs, etc... all in a few ziplock bags so they are easy to transfer.

When I'm outdoors camping or hiking the same bag goes with, but I carry a Leatherman Micra in my pocket, the Rittergrip on my belt, and often a Leatherman Charge Ti in my bag. If I think I'll be cooking outdoors I'll make sure to have a Mora along, or if going into real back areas maybe a Becker Crewman.

For some reason I only carry fire starters when I'm going camping. I guess I figure I can always turn something into tinder. I probably should reconsider this thinking.

If I need to carry more, sometimes the "manbag" contents are moved to a daypack so I can add water bottles, rain/cold gear, metal cup - the kind that go on the bottom of the Nalgene water bottle, a Sparklite kit, a gps, sunscreen, bug goop, a complete first aid kit, and other gear.