A couple years ago, I cracked the code for Christmas gifts for work and family. I buy a dozen and a half pocket knives from smoky mt or Kennesaw and hand them out.
I buy them for less than $10 each, and they all fall in the jacknife category (trapper, stockman, Barlow, etc) from rough rider and schrade. Decent enough quality to last a year or so, no collector grades that you're afraid to use.
These usually have blades longer and shorter than 2.5 inches, and I find the smaller blades more useful for most tasks. I honestly never think about length, but also don't travel to Boston.
My goal is to start people carrying a knife again. I find that people who usually do something, or try to fix something are usually carrying a knife, and at least own a gun. Must be that self sufficient streak us clingers have.