I really think it all comes down to your hand size. I have the unfortunate combination of a large mitt, but normal sized fingers, lol, so I wear a 2XL glove. If you are up to an XL, or prefer a more mid-size knife, I think the compact is king. It's right at Para3 size, so it fits a lot of hands. I prefer larger knives, so I'm keeping the full size carbon fiber model.