I thought it would be good to show my EDC blades, and to compare them side-by-side to see what's what and what's the best for my tasks. These aren't full reviews, but I've provided them where available. Maybe you have some of these and would like to give your impressions.
CRKT Edgie Model 6442, China-made, self-sharpening knife. It costs between $15 and $25. Blade is 2-7/8" long and made of 420J2 stainless. It has a sheepsfoot shape and a thumb oval. It's sharpened on one side only; a chisel grind. No lock; it's a slipjoint. The knife is 4-1/8" closed and has stainless steel liners under black Zytel handles. A stainless steel pocket clip is mounted in the right-hand tip-down position, and is removable but not reversible. The self-sharpening mechanism produces a rough burr that won't cut anything finer than cardboard. I really dislike this knife, and it's now my loaner. Avoid it if you can.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6006650#post6006650
Manufacturer's link to the Edgie... http://www.crkt.com/edgie.html
Camillus CUDA EDC US-made, discontinued. It costs between $35 and $50. Blade is 3-1/8" long, flat ground, 154CM stainless steel. It has a slight recurve and a nice tip. Dual thumb studs make opening nice with either hand. A frame lock keeps it open. The knife is 3-7/8" closed and has a skeletonized handle of 420HC. The back is open. The pocket clip is stainless steel and attached to the right-hand tip-down position, and it's removable but not reversible. There's a lanyard slot in the butt of the handle. Nylon washers make opening the blade easier. I like this knife; it's a great value for 154CM. While I've thought about keeping it solely as a collectible due to the death of Camillus, it keeps finding its way into my pocket.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6004972#post6004972
Benchmade Mini Griptilian Model 556. US-made, costs between $55 and $75. Blade is 3" long and made of 154CM. It ends in a clip point and is flat ground. Dual thumb studs make it ambidextrous. It locks open with the very nice AXIS Lock. It's 3-7/8" long when closed, and has black Noryl scales over stainless steel liners. The pocket clip is blackened stainless steel and reversible for left or right hand tip-down carry. A lanyard hole is provided. The blade is surrounded on both sides with phosphor bronze washers. The handle is very nicely textured, and the AXIS Lock is a perfect example of true ambidextrousity and solid lock-up. This knife cuts like a laser and fits my hand very nicely.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583424
Manufacturer's link to the Mini Griptilian... http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=556
Schrade Switch-It Model SW7. US-made, discontinued. Costs between $12 and $25. Blade is 3-5/8" long and is made of 420HC. It has a spear point and has a slight hollow grind. Dual thumb studs make it easy to open with either hand. It locks open with a lockback positioned near the butt of the handle. The knife is 4-1/2" long when closed and the handle is made of black Zytel. There are no liners. The pocket clip is black Zytel and is not removable, but swivels on a hinge to either the left or right side, and is tip-up carry. It carries deep in the pocket. I rather like this knife; it seems to be a very nice folder for even twice the money.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583441
Spyderco Sage Model 123CFP, Taiwan-made. Will cost you around $95. Blade is 3" long and made of nice CPM-S30V. It's leaf-shaped and flat ground. The Spyderco hole is 1/2" in diameter, and there are phosphor bronze bushings on each side of the blade. It locks open with a liner lock. Jimping on the choil and thumb rest give it a good area to work with. It's 4-3/16" closed, and has stainless steel liners under some of the nicest carbon fiber scales I've seen. The back of the knife is open, and has hourglass-shaped spacers. The pocket clip is wire, and reversible for left or right hand tip-down carry. This is probably the best knife I own in terms of appearance and cutting ability.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581533
Manufacturer's link to the Sage... http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=332
Spyderco Tenacious Model 122GS. China-made, costs around $35. Blade is 3-3/8" long and made of 8Cr13MoV stainless. It is flat ground and has full serrations, although a plain edge and combination edge are available. The Spyderhole is 1/2" in diameter, and phosphor bronze bushings make the blade easy to open. Locks open via linerlock. There is jimping on the thumb rest and linerlock. It's 4-1/2" long closed, and has an open back design. The liners are stainless steel, and the handle scales are black G-10. The stainless steel pocket clip is reversible for tip up or down, left or right hand carry. A lanyard hole is located in the butt. This is a nice knife for $30, and while the China stamp scares away some people, everybody who has tried the knife has loved it.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=571697
Manufacturer's link to the Tenacious... http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=294
Buck Odyssey II Model 186FL, US-made, costs about $25. Discontinued. Blade is made of Buck's nice 420HC and is 3-1/2" long. It's hollow ground and has a spear point. The blade opens via thumb oval, and has phosphor bronze washers on each side of the blade. The blade locks open with a linerlock, which is jimped. The closed knife is 4-1/2" long, and has stainless steel liners underneath black Zytel scales. The back is open. The pocket clip is stainless steel and is removable, but is tip-down right-hand only. There's a slight choil if you want to use it. This is a very good EDC, especially for the price.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533005
Opinel #8 Garden Knife Made in France, costs about $10. Blade is Sandvik stainless steel (according to the manufacturer), spear-pointed, and 3-5/16" long. There is a very nice flat grind that's extremely sharp and easy to resharpen. The blade opens with a nail nick. The blade locks with unique ring lock, which can lock the blade in both the open and closed positions. The handle is one round piece of varnished beech, and is 4-1/4" long. There's a small lanyard hole in the butt, and the handle is actually comfortable to hold and use due to the curved shape. This is one of the most useful ten-dollar knives you'll find.
No review, but here's a link to my pocket clip modification of this knife... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579085
Manufacturer's link to the #8 Garden Knife... http://www.opinel.com/fiche-A|OPINEL|133080-030300000000.html
Victorinox Spartan Model 53151, Swiss-made. Costs around $15. Large spear-pointed blade, small spear-pointed blade, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opner / wire stripper / large flathead screwdriver, toothpick, tweezers, keyring, reamer / sewing eye, corkscrew. This SAK (Swiss Army Knife) is 3-1/2" long when closed, and has red cellidor (like nylon) handles over stainless steel liners. I find this an almost-ideal EDC for sheath carry.
Manufacturer's link to the Spartan... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=everyday&product=53151&
Victorinox Recruit Model 53241, Swiss-made. Costs around $15. Think of this as a Spartan, but smaller and no corkscrew or reamer. Large spear-pinted blade, small spear-pointed blade, toothpick, tweezers, keyring, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opener / large screwdriver / wire stripper. This SAK is 3-1/4" long when closed, and has the same red cellidor handles as other SAKs. It's a nice tool, but a little small for my liking.
Manufacturer's link to the Recruit... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=everyday&product=53241&
Victorinox Explorer Model 53791, Swiss-made. This SAK will cost around $30. It has a large spear-point blade, small spear-point blade, scissors, Phillips-head screwdriver, magnifying glass, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opener, wire stripper / large screwdriver, keyring, tweezers, toothpick, reamer with sewing eye, and a corkscrew. It's 3-1/2" long, and has the standard red cellidor scales over stainless liners. It's a bit bulky for pocket carry, but it works quite nicely in a sheath.
Manufacturer's link to the Explorer... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=outdoor&product=53791&
Kabar Folding Hunter Model 4065, Taiwan-made. Sells for about #20. The AUS-8 blade is 3" long and hollow ground. It has a satin polish and a thumb slot for opening with either hand. The handle is a piece of black Zytel, which is 4-1/4" long. The knife locks via lockback. The black steel pocket clip is reversible for left or right hand tip-up carry. A lanyard hole is located in the butt of the handle. This is a surprisingly well-made piece of cutlery, and finds its way into my pocket when I go to work. Razor sharp.
Link to the manufacturer's page on the 4065... https://www.kabar.com/product_detai...egoryId=2,3,7,9&categoryName=Hunting/Sporting
Boker Subcom Model 589. Taiwan-made, sells for around $25. The blade is AUS-8 and 1-7/8" long. It's flat ground and has dual thumb discs to open the blade. Jimping on the back of the blade and the back of the handle help a lot with control. The knife is just 2-11/16" when closed, but cuts like a larger one. It locks via frame lock, which also has jimping on it. Nylon washers are on each side of the blade. The back of the handle is open to blow out debris. The stainless frame holds a single scale made of black FRN. The stainless pocket clip is reversible for tip up or tip down carry, right-hand only. There's a lanyard hole and a very substantial choil for a really nice grip. This knife hides in my backpack and has a wickedly sharp edge.
Link to manufacturer's page on the Subcom... http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=3000&a=01BO589&s1=subcom&s2=0&s3=9999&p=&pp=0
CRKT Edgie Model 6442, China-made, self-sharpening knife. It costs between $15 and $25. Blade is 2-7/8" long and made of 420J2 stainless. It has a sheepsfoot shape and a thumb oval. It's sharpened on one side only; a chisel grind. No lock; it's a slipjoint. The knife is 4-1/8" closed and has stainless steel liners under black Zytel handles. A stainless steel pocket clip is mounted in the right-hand tip-down position, and is removable but not reversible. The self-sharpening mechanism produces a rough burr that won't cut anything finer than cardboard. I really dislike this knife, and it's now my loaner. Avoid it if you can.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6006650#post6006650
Manufacturer's link to the Edgie... http://www.crkt.com/edgie.html
Camillus CUDA EDC US-made, discontinued. It costs between $35 and $50. Blade is 3-1/8" long, flat ground, 154CM stainless steel. It has a slight recurve and a nice tip. Dual thumb studs make opening nice with either hand. A frame lock keeps it open. The knife is 3-7/8" closed and has a skeletonized handle of 420HC. The back is open. The pocket clip is stainless steel and attached to the right-hand tip-down position, and it's removable but not reversible. There's a lanyard slot in the butt of the handle. Nylon washers make opening the blade easier. I like this knife; it's a great value for 154CM. While I've thought about keeping it solely as a collectible due to the death of Camillus, it keeps finding its way into my pocket.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6004972#post6004972
Benchmade Mini Griptilian Model 556. US-made, costs between $55 and $75. Blade is 3" long and made of 154CM. It ends in a clip point and is flat ground. Dual thumb studs make it ambidextrous. It locks open with the very nice AXIS Lock. It's 3-7/8" long when closed, and has black Noryl scales over stainless steel liners. The pocket clip is blackened stainless steel and reversible for left or right hand tip-down carry. A lanyard hole is provided. The blade is surrounded on both sides with phosphor bronze washers. The handle is very nicely textured, and the AXIS Lock is a perfect example of true ambidextrousity and solid lock-up. This knife cuts like a laser and fits my hand very nicely.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583424
Manufacturer's link to the Mini Griptilian... http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=556
Schrade Switch-It Model SW7. US-made, discontinued. Costs between $12 and $25. Blade is 3-5/8" long and is made of 420HC. It has a spear point and has a slight hollow grind. Dual thumb studs make it easy to open with either hand. It locks open with a lockback positioned near the butt of the handle. The knife is 4-1/2" long when closed and the handle is made of black Zytel. There are no liners. The pocket clip is black Zytel and is not removable, but swivels on a hinge to either the left or right side, and is tip-up carry. It carries deep in the pocket. I rather like this knife; it seems to be a very nice folder for even twice the money.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583441
Spyderco Sage Model 123CFP, Taiwan-made. Will cost you around $95. Blade is 3" long and made of nice CPM-S30V. It's leaf-shaped and flat ground. The Spyderco hole is 1/2" in diameter, and there are phosphor bronze bushings on each side of the blade. It locks open with a liner lock. Jimping on the choil and thumb rest give it a good area to work with. It's 4-3/16" closed, and has stainless steel liners under some of the nicest carbon fiber scales I've seen. The back of the knife is open, and has hourglass-shaped spacers. The pocket clip is wire, and reversible for left or right hand tip-down carry. This is probably the best knife I own in terms of appearance and cutting ability.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581533
Manufacturer's link to the Sage... http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=332
Spyderco Tenacious Model 122GS. China-made, costs around $35. Blade is 3-3/8" long and made of 8Cr13MoV stainless. It is flat ground and has full serrations, although a plain edge and combination edge are available. The Spyderhole is 1/2" in diameter, and phosphor bronze bushings make the blade easy to open. Locks open via linerlock. There is jimping on the thumb rest and linerlock. It's 4-1/2" long closed, and has an open back design. The liners are stainless steel, and the handle scales are black G-10. The stainless steel pocket clip is reversible for tip up or down, left or right hand carry. A lanyard hole is located in the butt. This is a nice knife for $30, and while the China stamp scares away some people, everybody who has tried the knife has loved it.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=571697
Manufacturer's link to the Tenacious... http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=294
Buck Odyssey II Model 186FL, US-made, costs about $25. Discontinued. Blade is made of Buck's nice 420HC and is 3-1/2" long. It's hollow ground and has a spear point. The blade opens via thumb oval, and has phosphor bronze washers on each side of the blade. The blade locks open with a linerlock, which is jimped. The closed knife is 4-1/2" long, and has stainless steel liners underneath black Zytel scales. The back is open. The pocket clip is stainless steel and is removable, but is tip-down right-hand only. There's a slight choil if you want to use it. This is a very good EDC, especially for the price.
My full review here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533005
Opinel #8 Garden Knife Made in France, costs about $10. Blade is Sandvik stainless steel (according to the manufacturer), spear-pointed, and 3-5/16" long. There is a very nice flat grind that's extremely sharp and easy to resharpen. The blade opens with a nail nick. The blade locks with unique ring lock, which can lock the blade in both the open and closed positions. The handle is one round piece of varnished beech, and is 4-1/4" long. There's a small lanyard hole in the butt, and the handle is actually comfortable to hold and use due to the curved shape. This is one of the most useful ten-dollar knives you'll find.
No review, but here's a link to my pocket clip modification of this knife... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579085
Manufacturer's link to the #8 Garden Knife... http://www.opinel.com/fiche-A|OPINEL|133080-030300000000.html
Victorinox Spartan Model 53151, Swiss-made. Costs around $15. Large spear-pointed blade, small spear-pointed blade, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opner / wire stripper / large flathead screwdriver, toothpick, tweezers, keyring, reamer / sewing eye, corkscrew. This SAK (Swiss Army Knife) is 3-1/2" long when closed, and has red cellidor (like nylon) handles over stainless steel liners. I find this an almost-ideal EDC for sheath carry.
Manufacturer's link to the Spartan... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=everyday&product=53151&
Victorinox Recruit Model 53241, Swiss-made. Costs around $15. Think of this as a Spartan, but smaller and no corkscrew or reamer. Large spear-pinted blade, small spear-pointed blade, toothpick, tweezers, keyring, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opener / large screwdriver / wire stripper. This SAK is 3-1/4" long when closed, and has the same red cellidor handles as other SAKs. It's a nice tool, but a little small for my liking.
Manufacturer's link to the Recruit... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=everyday&product=53241&
Victorinox Explorer Model 53791, Swiss-made. This SAK will cost around $30. It has a large spear-point blade, small spear-point blade, scissors, Phillips-head screwdriver, magnifying glass, can opener / small screwdriver, bottle opener, wire stripper / large screwdriver, keyring, tweezers, toothpick, reamer with sewing eye, and a corkscrew. It's 3-1/2" long, and has the standard red cellidor scales over stainless liners. It's a bit bulky for pocket carry, but it works quite nicely in a sheath.
Manufacturer's link to the Explorer... http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=outdoor&product=53791&
Kabar Folding Hunter Model 4065, Taiwan-made. Sells for about #20. The AUS-8 blade is 3" long and hollow ground. It has a satin polish and a thumb slot for opening with either hand. The handle is a piece of black Zytel, which is 4-1/4" long. The knife locks via lockback. The black steel pocket clip is reversible for left or right hand tip-up carry. A lanyard hole is located in the butt of the handle. This is a surprisingly well-made piece of cutlery, and finds its way into my pocket when I go to work. Razor sharp.
Link to the manufacturer's page on the 4065... https://www.kabar.com/product_detai...egoryId=2,3,7,9&categoryName=Hunting/Sporting
Boker Subcom Model 589. Taiwan-made, sells for around $25. The blade is AUS-8 and 1-7/8" long. It's flat ground and has dual thumb discs to open the blade. Jimping on the back of the blade and the back of the handle help a lot with control. The knife is just 2-11/16" when closed, but cuts like a larger one. It locks via frame lock, which also has jimping on it. Nylon washers are on each side of the blade. The back of the handle is open to blow out debris. The stainless frame holds a single scale made of black FRN. The stainless pocket clip is reversible for tip up or tip down carry, right-hand only. There's a lanyard hole and a very substantial choil for a really nice grip. This knife hides in my backpack and has a wickedly sharp edge.
Link to manufacturer's page on the Subcom... http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=3000&a=01BO589&s1=subcom&s2=0&s3=9999&p=&pp=0
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