My EDC folder...why did you select yours

Doc_Savage

Doc_Savage

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May 18, 2009
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Well... I'm not so special, but I wanted to share one of my EDC folders.

I was reading the recent folder thread, and went and bought a SAK Alox Farmer.... its ok... I will tote it around a while and see what it does for me.

But.. one of my oldest EDC knives is an Uncle Henry 897UH.

Front
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Back
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With my New Alox Farmer
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So why the thread on this?....

Good question.. I have carried many a different blades over the years... Some I liked, some I could live with... or without.. and others.. well you know... they were just shit...

I always searched for that perfect EDC pocket knife. Started this search back in Cub Scouts...and it wasn't till high school that I found it, with help. I pretty much read everything that was written about about blades when I was in school... I even personally interviewed Frank Centofante for an article I had wanted to write... I was around when Massad Ayoob started his career in writing (I wasn't impressed with his writing then, or now, although his credentials are impressive).

I found this book on knives, I believe it was "The Practical Book on Knives" by Ken Warner... and amidst all the wonderful information he expounded upon, was his description of a perfect EDC pocket knife. I read earnestly about his ideas, and reasoning. The 897uh has these features, that first attracted me....

The main blade is a long clip, thin, long, yes even long enough for the best slicing; Sheep's foot blade for cutting boxes, paper, and thick cordage. Spey bladefor delicate cuts, or even cleaning a pipe bowl... I like my pipes...

Not too large or bulky, streamlined, and rounded bolsters that work in jeans, but won't wear out dress pants pockets. And, it won't freak out the other people (sheeple), as its just small enough, and elegant enough to be a gentleman's pocket knife, but big enough to mean business.... I have had two...

My first was lost or taken within a year of procurement, my second, pictured here is over 30 years old...

I bought the Alox for another reason.... I like it so far... but I can't see it replacing my 897UH...


And of course No Becker thread can be complete without a BK shot... My newest Becker.. the BK17
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What's your EDC story...

Doc
 
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It took me many years to find the perfect folder for me, and it happened to be the last place I would have bothered to look. I have always liked smaller folders, Never had much need for a large folder.

I carried this guy for over ten years, even though the frame lock was absolute crap and folded up on me and cut me a half dozen times over the years. I can be a stubborn idiot at times.

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About a year or so ago I decided to upgrade to the new and improved version of it after seeing one online somewhere.

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This is actually a pretty good small folder but I started wanting something just a little bigger for edc so I did some research for a few weeks and finally found what I was looking for.

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Spyderco Para 2, Now the ironic part here is that I absolutely hate Spyderco knives. Over the years I have handled a lot of then and I just hated them, the shape and feel just sucked for me. When I first saw the Para I barely glanced at it before almost closing the page but something about it caught my eye. After a lot of thought I went ahead and picked one up and I love it. Jimping and a choil when it's open, s30v and made in the states. It comes extremely sharp but a few more minutes with stones and a strop and you've got a serious pocket tool. Until Uncle E comes out with one, this one and my Skeletool will be with me.


Size comparison

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Skystorm said:
It took me many years to find the perfect folder for me, and it happened to be the last place I would have bothered to look. I have always liked smaller folders, Never had much need for a large folder.

I carried this guy for over ten years, even though the frame lock was absolute crap and folded up on me and cut me a half dozen times over the years. I can be a stubborn idiot at times.

DSC_0001.jpg


About a year or so ago I decided to upgrade to the new and improved version of it after seeing one online somewhere.

DSC_0002-1.jpg


This is actually a pretty good small folder but I started wanting something just a little bigger for edc so I did some research for a few weeks and finally found what I was looking for.

DSC_0003-1.jpg



Spyderco Para 2, Now the ironic part here is that I absolutely hate Spyderco knives. Over the years I have handled a lot of then and I just hated them, the shape and feel just sucked for me. When I first saw the Para I barely glanced at it before almost closing the page but something about it caught my eye. After a lot of thought I went ahead and picked one up and I love it. Jimping and a choil when it's open, s30v and made in the states. It comes extremely sharp but a few more minutes with stones and a strop and you've got a serious pocket tool. Until Uncle E comes out with one, this one and my Skeletool will be with me.


Size comparison

DSC_0004.jpg
Click to expand...


Cool sky...great choices..I like all of those too...

Doc
 
Sky, are those little ones the K.I.S.S. knives? I think I had one that had rosewood on it.

If I'm carrying a folder these days it is usually a ZT0350. Great little blade. When I get my budget all squared away I'll be getting another one. Be getting a NIB instead of a blem though. If I'm not carrying that I'm usually carrying an 11/14. If I have to carry a folder and the ZT is too big/bulky/not sheeple friendly, I have a couple of smaller gentleman folders. Sometimes I carry my old Buck 110 that my grandad left me when he died.
 
I'm in the process of choosing my preferred EDC folder. Right now I have 2 candidates, a Gerber Ti-grey Paraframe I, and an M-Tech el-cheapo.

The deciding factors: large enough for me to open one-handed with my giant paws; long enough blade that it's useful for small and medium-large tasks; is comfortable to hold for a few hours at a time; strong yet smooth lock.

Nice-to-haves: Finger flipper for ease-of-opening; ambidextrous thumb-studs; easily removable yet stable pocket clip; carbon steel blade with good coating; smooth transition from spine to handle; jimping;

Traits each have so far:

Pros:

Gerber Ti-grey Paraframe I: Pocket clip; fine edge blade; ambidextrous thumb-studs; good coating on blade; (mostly) smooth transition from spine to handle; legal to conceal; very very light; .

M-tech thinga-ma-jigger: Pocket clip; fine edge blade; ambidextrous thumb-studs; tough-ish paint; large enough for me to hold comfortably; heavy enough that I don't forget it's there when I need it; illegal to conceal.

Cons:

Gerber Ti-grey Paraframe I: VERY crappy coating on handle (rust spots broke out from me holding it); smaller than I would prefer; legal to conceal.

M-tech thinga-ma-jigger: metal scale slabs (very slippery); tough-ish *paint*; inferior metal to Gerber's mystery metal; illegal to conceal.


I'm leaning towards the Paraframe I for EDC and the M-Tech for camping, mostly because the M-Tech will scare all the sheeple away, not that the Paraframe I won't, it's just not a 'machete'.
 
oXide said:
Nice-to-haves: Finger flipper for ease-of-opening; ambidextrous thumb-studs; easily removable yet stable pocket clip; carbon steel blade with good coating; smooth transition from spine to handle; jimping;
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Dude, I can't recommend enough that you check out an Ontario Rat 1. It sounds like you are looking for a great budget EDC, I have never handled one that is better than the Rat 1. It is like 30 bucks from the famous giant online retailer and while it lacks a flipper it has ambidextrous thumb studs (some folks even sand down the grips near the studs so they are easier to deploy), easily removable yet stable pocket clip is a check (I've had Spyderco and Benchmade clips go wiggly faster than the Rat 1, but it still has removable torx screws), the blade is AUS8 which is a great value steel in my experience (YMMV), coating is kind of eh to be honest but all coating wears eventually, top jimping, just a great affordable knife. I'd consider it before you pull the trigger!
 
it used to be SAK spartan. i had one since i was in JHS. that one got lost. than sometime soon, SAK locking blade came out. i think i was totting picnic or something. i liked having corkscrew in case lady friend asks for wine. that one got lost.. then i smoked enough to get free marlboro SAK spartan. that one got destroyed at work due to abuse. then spyderco became pretty popular and i had one of their first rescue with plastic clip. i still have it but no longer carry that one needs to send it in for sharpening. since, i've been carrying kershaw skyline until aug of this year. now i carry zt 550. i like zt 550 a lot.. only thing is it's little heavy in my pocket.
 
Boker Hyper, tho I haven't actually worn it in a month or two now.
it has to be flat, one-handed, deep-clipped, stainless, , and not bulky.
I miss having a SAK on my belt, but I can't get away with the dork belt sheath anymore.

Ox, the Paraframes suck. Upgrade. We've had several around as essentially disposable knives. They're crappy. However I DID have to service one, and Gerber sent me a replacement for the broken pivot pin for NO charge. So Gerber as company I like, but I'd get one of their better tools. I used to be partial to the EZ-out - it's ergo, decent steel, and US-made. A bit too long for my state. Now I have the serrated version which I hate. The plain edge was a good, reliable, replaceable EDC.

-Daizee
 
buckbantambu284bkcoutea.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]i chose the buck bantum mostly because its light, very light also because here in australia if we get caught for some, or any reason by the police carrying a knife they get confiscated and we get a fine so being a cheap knife i dont mind tho it does suck but like i say if your not carrying it,it cant save your life also i carry i crkt neck knife .
 
mr-hurty said:
here in australia if we get caught for some, or any reason by the police carrying a knife they get confiscated and we get a fine
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Crocodile Dundee is rolling over in his retirement.
 
Right now I carry a Buck Folding Bucklite Max (Medium). It's alright as an EDC and certainly a very good value. But, I am also looking for an upgraded EDC folder.

Ideally I would get something in the 3.5ish inch range. Good single hand operation for both opening and closing. Ambidexterous thumb studs are nice, but at least a right side stud. Solid locking mechanism that can be operated with one hand (lockback knives are nice and reliable, but I'm tired of needing two hands). Movable pocket clip is a nice feature although I can do with just right side carry (either tip up or down). I like it when the clip allows very low carry in the pocket. Plain edge. Made in the USA. (Or the UK, Germany, Switzerland... you get the idea. I can deal with something like that, but I don't want a budget outsourced knife from China or Taiwan.)

So, a CRK Sabenza would be nice and it meets my needs... but my final criteria is that I need it to be less than $100.

I'm leaning toward a Benchmade 551 Griptilian. Thoughts? Does anyone carry this?

Also, I'm moving to the UK for a few years. The knife I described won't be EDC legal there, so I may be looking at a Spyderco UK Penknife in addition to a knife I really want. I hate the idea of dipping into my limited budget for a knife I don't really want. Ugh. Stupid knife laws.
 
I started out with gas station specials, TBH. I eventually graduated to a Benchmade Monochrome that I found in a Army/Navy Surplus store, and carried that for a couple years, until it was stolen while I was in the doctor's office. I bought another one, but also picked up a few other Benchmades, and then got bit by the knife bug bad. A few highlights:

BM HK 14650--opens so silky smooth. Still one of my favorite small knives.
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Ritter Griptilian--still love that knife in the 120 dollar range. Slicy, gorgeous, and one of the classiest knives out there if you pay for the custom scales. Ended up putting on homemade G10 scales:
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I also hated the looks of Spyderco. But, I wandered into the Spyderco Factory outlet and ended up picking up a Manix 2. Spyderco will sell you on performance alone. Manix 2 was love at first cut. I do love the choil that allows you to choke up, AND prevents the blade from closing on your fingers. Good design. I ended up shelling out a bit more to pick up an S30V sprint run. That was my go-to folder for quite a while.
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Somewhere around this time, I bought a Phat Bob on Moosez recommendation. It's a great and affordable knife; very slicy. I just don't like the looks. I may go back to it and do some more modding now that I've got knifemaking tooling, but the blade shape bothers me. It's also a blocky knife, as is. I ended up rounding it off. It's a great Beckerhead knife though, since it's perfect for modding:
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Finally, I gave in and bought a knife from one of my all-time favorite designers: Darrel Ralph. Darrel's the guy responsible for the knife that Jason Statham uses to stab the basketball in the first Expendables movie (AXD), and his Madd Maxx is just a sweet knife. I mean, who DOESN'T want a folding dagger? The Gun Hammer is my favorite design of his, because it has the attention to detail that many other knives seem to lack. Most other knives are just machined in 2 dimensions, and you end up with blocky knives. Darrel's handles are 3D machined, and fit more blade in their handles than most other designers. Big knife, small package. The ETAC texturing is grippy, but not uncomfortable, and I've been lucky to get great F&F on all of mine, although he recently has had some issues culminating in the firing of his QC. Hopefully that all gets squared away.

Anyways, I've got 3 Gunnies, and nothing has come even close to making it into my pocket. Had an opportunity to buy a Sebenza for a very good price, got to handle it and cut with it, and still just couldn't justify it, because the Gun Hammer just speaks to me. I'm currently carrying one in M390, although I've got another sprint run in S90V on order. For me, this one is love. I know I will be buying a custom from Darrel some day, when I'm not pinching pennies quite as hard to fund my own knifemaking...
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The Ritter Grip to me is the perfect folder. I carried one for a while until I lost it, still waiting for the right time to get a new one. Until then the Spyderco Native is a very nice second. I have carried the one in my pocket for close to 7 years if i am remembering right. It is light weight and the S30V steel is tougher than nails. I have cut everything from boxes to cutting down a 4 in tree with it. After so long it is still in relatively great shape. The only complaint is the pivot is not really adjustable.
 
I have a sog flash 1, and cold steel ak-47 2nd Gen.

*sry phone cut off half my post*

I carry my sog flash1 because it fits nearly everywhere, and my ak-47 has a nice belly on it and gets super sharp and feels insanely comfortable in hand
 
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I carried this Spyderco UKPK for about 2 years. Freaking loved it. I completely mutilated the edge and brought it back several times. Super comfortable to hold.

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Earlier in the summer, I decided to try something different.
This Schrade 8OT turned up on an auction site, and I couldn't pass it up.

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It does what I need it to do, without trouble. Plus, carrying a pocket knife that is older than my parents, but was in like new condition when I got it is pretty cool.
Carrying non locking blades is a good incentive to keep me from doing stupid stuff with my folders.
 
c10darren said:
Ideally I would get something in the 3.5ish inch range. Good single hand operation for both opening and closing. Ambidexterous thumb studs are nice, but at least a right side stud. Solid locking mechanism that can be operated with one hand (lockback knives are nice and reliable, but I'm tired of needing two hands). Movable pocket clip is a nice feature although I can do with just right side carry (either tip up or down). I like it when the clip allows very low carry in the pocket. Plain edge. Made in the USA. (Or the UK, Germany, Switzerland... you get the idea. I can deal with something like that, but I don't want a budget outsourced knife from China or Taiwan.)

So, a CRK Sabenza would be nice and it meets my needs... but my final criteria is that I need it to be less than $100.
Click to expand...

Kershaw Junkyard Dog II.
 
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