Another "which knife should I buy" thread

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dkblade

Joined
Nov 7, 2014
Messages
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I've done quite a bit of research the last couple of days and I have narrowed my search down to a few based primarily on testament from the BladeForums community.

Primary uses: Cutting open boxes (tape), some light wood use, stripping wires, random cutting during camping trips
Unlikely Secondary uses: Self defense, emergency situations (cutting seat belts, shirt, etc.), hunting, shaving

I'm replacing my Buck Taclite 886. I have been eye balling some knives from Benchmade, like the Griptilian, as well as basically everything from Spyderco. And then I discovered this type of blade known as "serrated". Sure I have about 20 of them in my kitchen..they're great for cutting through steak and bread. So I dug a little deeper and noticed that Spyderco makes a real nice piece called the C91SBK Pacific Salt Knife, and it really caught my eye. It has a good point, which can be important in a lot of situations, but it also has a great serrated edge which can be very useful in a lot of situations. So I ran a search on here and didn't see a whole lot in the way of reviews. This led me to believe that people on here aren't too keen on serrated edge knives. Of course this is just a suspicion. But I would love to know what you guys think of this knife as an EDC. Amazon says it has an innovative Japanese blade, which may or may not be true. How does the blade hold up on these knives? Are they made in the USA? Is the quality as high in this model as, say, the endura, which is another one I have really been considering? All opinions are appreciated as well as knives I don't even know about but may prefer.

Preferences:
A blade that holds its edge well
I want a medium size, 6" - 8" unfolded, easy pocket carry
Easy one hand open and close
Good grip for my sweaty palms
Cleans up well and isn't prone to RUST
Quality is important

Potential new EDCs (for now):

1. Spyderco C91SBK Pacific Salt
2. Benchmade Griptilian
3. Spyderco Delica
4. Spyderco Endura
5. Spyderco Manix 2
6. Benchmade 530
 
The Spyderco Salt has a blade made of H1, a nitrogen steel. It will not rust. In the plain edge it is very soft but the serrated edge holds up well, it seems. The Spyderco Endura and Delica knives come in serrated and partially VG10. I like them a lot. I also recommend highly the Benchmade Mini Griptilian and Griptilian. They are great knives also. But as far as I know they only come partially serrated. However, if you want to get closer to the cutting power of the Spydercos you will need to buy the more expensive, and not serrated, Ritter models. The Endura and Delica knives are great slicing tools.
 
The Pacific Salt is a Japanese made knife made of H1 steel. Pretty much that knife will never rust, or at least that's the idea. I'm not a fan of serrations. I only have one serrated knife and I dont EDC it. It lives in my bunker pants and is used for cutting seat belts, breaking windows and the like.

Personally, for your intended usage, I'd choose a Benchmade Griptilian. I've had one and the Axis lock is one of the strongest in the business. You can customize them on the BM website to your liking choosing everything from steel to handle color and more.
 
I wouldn't buy a fully serrated blade. If you feel you have need for serrations then get a 50/50 blade.

Any of the knives you have chosen should work fine. The Salt's are a softer "steel" I think.
 
So the serrated blade is not typically a good EDC knife? May I ask what you guys primarily use your EDC knives for? I'm probably forgetting quite a few every day applications which may be a good reason to purchase a straight blade knife.

Also, between the Spyderco Endura, Delica, and Manix 2, which would you guys imagine fits my application the best, and which would be closest in overall use and quality to the Mini Griptilian?

One other thing, I can't seem to find any information on the more expensive "Ritter" models. Please clarify.
 
EChoil said:
I wouldn't buy a fully serrated blade. If you feel you have need for serrations then get a 50/50 blade.

Any of the knives you have chosen should work fine. The Salt's are a softer "steel" I think.
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I do own a Ka-Bar tanto knife with an ~8" blade that has about 20% serration--having hunted crab in Mexico and used it for camping trips, I honestly didn't find much use for the serration. Thanks for jarring my memory!
 
Before this thread heads to the grave, I just pulled the trigger on a British Racing Green Spyderco Delica 4 ZDP edition. BRG is my favorite color, especially on Jaguars. I've read a bit about the ZDP steel, and it appears to hold an edge very well, albeit a little bit more brittle than other steels. One thing I have noticed is that it is a little harder to sharpen. I'll have to read up on the proper way to sharpen this knife, but I imagine it will hold an edge for a while given it's light usage. The only thing I've noticed other than the touchiness of ZDP steel is that with a hard hit on the back of the blade, the back lock blades can close themselves. Any idea if this issue has been remedied or if it's a real problem?
 
dkblade said:
So the serrated blade is not typically a good EDC knife? May I ask what you guys primarily use your EDC knives for? I'm probably forgetting quite a few every day applications which may be a good reason to purchase a straight blade knife.

Also, between the Spyderco Endura, Delica, and Manix 2, which would you guys imagine fits my application the best, and which would be closest in overall use and quality to the Mini Griptilian?

One other thing, I can't seem to find any information on the more expensive "Ritter" models. Please clarify.
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the delica
 
Mostly toting a Grippie these days as my EDC. Also have a Sebbie 21 and Buck 110 (BassPro in CPM 154) in the rotation. Don't care for serrated blades, except the bread knife in the kitchen drawer.
 
Delica on order. Will post pics when it arrives in a week or so. Ordered from Amazon BTW ~$80.00
 
I think I'm in trouble. I got hooked on Torches (candlepowerforums.com) in 2003 and have purchased many a torch since then. They have all gotten amazing use and I wouldn't change a thing. But all I need right now is a new hobby--something my wallet will hate me for.
 
Well I don't have a good enough camera to take pictures of my knife, and even if I did there are a million photos of the Delica4 on the internet so it's kind of pointless. But I did end up buying the Delica4 in british racing green (my fav. color) and the ZDP-189 blade made in seki-city Japan. I received the knife about 1.5 weeks ago and i have used it to cut many boxes since then. I notice the tiniest burrs on the blade but it's still shaving sharp and it's pretty obvious the steel on this knife is insanely good at retaining a sharp edge. I haven't attempted to sharpen it yet because there's no reason to. I suspect it will be months before it requires any kind of sharpening. I can't believe they make steel this strong. I tried to pop a ziptie and missed the angle, bent the blade briefly, but it held it's shape 100% and didn't do any damage to the knife whatsoever. The fit and finish is incredible and the FRN handle doesn't have so much as a scratch after a couple weeks of carry. I really like this knife a lot...so much so that I plan to buy a Sodbuster Jr. in yellow with a CV blade to make my EDC. The Delica will work it's way into the EDC rotation probably weekly but will not see as much work as the Sodbuster because of the price and quality.
 
Get an Endura 4 FFG and a Delica 4 FFG - you're pretty much covered with those two:



If I had to choose just one, I'd go with the Endura.
 
link2derek said:
Get an Endura 4 FFG and a Delica 4 FFG - you're pretty much covered with those two:



If I had to choose just one, I'd go with the Endura.
Click to expand...

Wow really? Looking at your picture the Endura looks big. Not bulky, just long. The Delica fits perfectly in my back pocket and is unnoticeable when sitting even on concrete or brick walls. Endura looks like it would be a better knife for somebody a rough and tumble position where the knife needs to be accessed with gloves on or in a faster paced environment. I'll definitely buy one at some point. I think it will come after I buy my first Benchmade--I wouldn't be a true knife fan if I didn't have a benchmade at some point!
 
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