Any small folder better than a Bradley Alias II for $150-$175

cchu518

cchu518

Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
8,331
Hi Folks,
I've been testing out budget folders all summer, in fact some of the most iconic, talked about budget folders on the market

Cryo
Chill
SRM
Mini Grip
Skyline fixed
Drifter
Endura
CRKT Lake
Ambitious
Tenacious
UKPK
Leek

the only thing missing on my list of must try knives were the Rat 2 and the Skyline folder.

What I discovered was that my absolute favorite knife size and handle shape as well as dimension/thinness profile was the CRKT Drifter in steel. Which happened to be also one of my cheapest purchases. I went camping this weekend and didn't want to use any of the folders that I took with me except the drifter.

So I think I want to take the plunge and try to get a knife of that size that is a bit of an upgrade in steel material but not too expensive. I am thinking the Bradley Alias 2. The only other knife that I have found that might be similar is the CRKT Apache with the sub 3" blade. Is there any other knife out there that is not a Sebenza small that might make this criteria. This is unusual in that I am trying to find a higher end knife that mimics a cheaper knife. That said I have found the CRKT Drifter to be an absolute joy in all manners. However finding a favored knife doesn't really help a knife addiction. I would love to hear some opinions!
 
Anyone have both and care to put up a side by side. I'm pretty sure that the Sage 2 is too much knife in the pocket.
 
spyderco Gayle Bradley air. too small?
cpm m4 steel will blow away most other steels in this price range and category.

comparison pic from google, as I don't own one.

InHandCompareAir-UKPK.jpg

IMG_3304.jpg
 
I like the Spyderco's blade shape but already have an ambitious that is doing it for me. I think all of the Spyderco's lack the Sebenza-esque handle thin-ness of the Drifter. Lol, sorry if I keep trying to reference finding a better version of a cheap knife, but that's all that I have to reference.
 
cchu518 said:
Anyone have both and care to put up a side by side. I'm pretty sure that the Sage 2 is too much knife in the pocket.
Click to expand...

Well, you have a Drifter and eyeballing the two on my desk I'd say the Sage 2 is about 1.5x the size of the Drifter, in terms of pocket real estate. Here are a couple of quick, terrible photos to give you an idea, using the Drifter (as you mentioned you have it--sorry, don't have an Alias II handy) for comparison. Side by side:

FASofNY.jpg


Drifter on top of Sage 2 (the dark line at the top of the Drifter is the Sage 2's top edge showing):

aTtFfPe.jpg
 
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cchu518 said:
I like the Spyderco's blade shape but already have an ambitious that is doing it for me. I think all of the Spyderco's lack the Sebenza-esque handle thin-ness of the Drifter. Lol, sorry if I keep trying to reference finding a better version of a cheap knife, but that's all that I have to reference.
Click to expand...

if you look at the comparison picture I posted you might notice it's much more narrow than typical spyderco knives, as it is barely wider than those slip joint knives...
maxresdefault.jpg


specs:

length overall 5.96" (1.51 mm)
blade length 2.55" (65 mm)
blade steel CPM M4
length closed 3.41" (87 mm)
cutting edge 2.37" (60 mm)
weight 1.3 oz (37 g)
blade thickness 0.089" (2.3 mm)
handle material Titanium / Glass Fiber Laminate
 
cchu518 said:
Anyone have both and care to put up a side by side. I'm pretty sure that the Sage 2 is too much knife in the pocket.
Click to expand...

I loved how my sage 2 carried. It's thin enough that it disappears in the pocket. I also like the deeper carry on it compared to other spydercos.

I have had both a sage 2 and an alias 2 and they're both great knives but I would pick the sage without a second thought
 
Thanks for that feedback Brad can you say why you prefer the Sage 2 over the Alias?

Thanks so much for that goodeye, I think the blade shape is not doing it for me on the GB I have looked at it before!

At EvilGreg, first off do you like the Drifter? And what do you think of it compared to the Sage 2? The reason I am liking the Alias 2 and the Drifter is that they kinda come off as smallish knives basically which even when Camping seems to be all that I need. As much as I like fixed blades I felt like a poser with the fixed blade and for chopping I'm happy using a camp axe. The drifter in size is overall really appealing and am just wondering if I missed any knife in my research that might be a little easier to find or attain. A forum member offered an Alias 2 user to me for $150 and I balked when I had the chance. But I've seen them come up regularly at that price. This would be the first and most likely last over $100 knife that I will every buy that isn't a kitchen knife, unless I ultimately take the plunge and just get the Sebenza which is out of my budget or rational price range for buying a pocket knife.
 
cchu518 said:
Thanks for that feedback Brad can you say why you prefer the Sage 2 over the Alias?
Click to expand...

The alias 2 was just too small for my hands. Its a super nice knife that had very good build quality. The sage 2 was better for me personally in size, blade steel, ergonomics and looks. The taller, leaf shaped blade is extremely comfortable to me. It's actually the only spyderco I wish I hadn't gotten rid of.
 
Another vote for the Spyderco Sage 2.
I've owned both the Sage 2 and Alias 2.
The Alias 2 isn't as wide, but just as thick. The Sage 2 feels better and more comfortable in the hand. The size really doesn't take much more space in the pocket and doesn't cause any issues. I also prefer the wire deep carry clip.
The blade shape and FFG really top it off as well.
 
IMO I'd go for the Alias II. I just love the grind and bladeshape, plus the handle looks comfy. And you can get it in blue Ti! lol
It reminds me alot of the Sebenza and i like that. But that is just my opinion. Hope you find the right knife for you.
BradleyCutleryAliasIIBlue1.jpg
 
IMO I'd go for the Alias II. I just love the grind and bladeshape, plus the handle looks comfy. And you can get it in blue Ti! lol
It reminds me alot of the Sebenza and i like that. But that is just my opinion. Hope you find the right knife for you.
BradleyCutleryAliasIIBlue1.jpg
 
cchu518 said:
At EvilGreg, first off do you like the Drifter? And what do you think of it compared to the Sage 2? The reason I am liking the Alias 2 and the Drifter is that they kinda come off as smallish knives basically which even when Camping seems to be all that I need. As much as I like fixed blades I felt like a poser with the fixed blade and for chopping I'm happy using a camp axe. The drifter in size is overall really appealing and am just wondering if I missed any knife in my research that might be a little easier to find or attain. A forum member offered an Alias 2 user to me for $150 and I balked when I had the chance. But I've seen them come up regularly at that price. This would be the first and most likely last over $100 knife that I will every buy that isn't a kitchen knife, unless I ultimately take the plunge and just get the Sebenza which is out of my budget or rational price range for buying a pocket knife.
Click to expand...

I like the Drifter fine, for the money I think it's a great little knife. It's small, and I like the recurve (I'm odd that way, I guess--I find they cut really well) but it's also heavy for its size, at least, the stainless version that I have is heavy. The Sage 2 is slightly thicker, incidentally (8.8mm versus 10.1mm according to my calipers, only a 1.3mm difference).

I favor pocket-friendly folders, and it's taken me a long time to realize that the factors that go into how "big in the pocket" a folder feels weren't really what I thought they were. For example, consider these knives (Benchmade 707, Spyderco Sage 2, CRKT Drifter, Benchmade 940, Kershaw Chill):

ifAzAP5.jpg


The knives are all relatively similar in thickness, so at a glance you'd probably think the Benchmade 940, the longest knife with the biggest blade would be the least pocket friendly and that either the Benchmade 707 or CRKT Drifter would be the best to pocket. In reality, the order for how noticeable these knives are in the pocket to me would be this, going best (most pocket-friendly) to worst:

Kershaw Chill
Benchmade 707
CRKT Drifter
Benchmade 940
Spyderco Sage 2

I always knew that I liked some knives better to carry than others, but sometimes it went against some obvious factor, like when a heavier knife was more comfortable to carry than a lighter knife. After comparing a lot of knives, I've discovered that the actual ordering of what dimension matters most, for me it follows something like this order:

1. Weight
2. Width
3. Thickness
4. Length

The Chill in that photo above feels tiny in the pocket, for example. This makes sense, as even though it's long, it's also the lightest and thinnest of the group, and is about tied with the Drifter and 707 for skinniest, width-wise. The screwiest thing is that the 940, with a much larger blade, actually feels smaller than the Sage 2 (I've carried both quite a bit, trust me on this).

The Sage 2 is IMO a great knife. Top notch fit and finish and great materials at a very reasonable price for the package. At the risk of pitchfork-wielding mobs coming after me, I would have to admit that I didn't see that much difference in quality between the Sage 2 and the Sebenza I bought. Was the Sebenza better done? Sure, but only minutely so and at 3x the price. The goofy-looking (but quite effective) blade shape and fact that it's mostly handle with very little actual sharpened edge make the Sage 2 very people-friendly, and the ergos are IMO superior to knives the Alias, small Sebenza or Drifter style.

The whole giant finger choil design works great for providing a great in-use experience, at the cost of sharpened blade length, but on small knives it can be pretty awesome. I like the Sage 2 a bunch, and carry it regularly, but objectively speaking the two downsides to it are comparative bulk in the pocket and short blade. It really is a lot more handle than sharp steel--if I arrange those same knives open, where the sharpened edge begins you'll see what I mean (the Sage 2 is actually the smallest blade in the group, arranged this way):

rx1GWIX.jpg


Versus the Alias II I'd suggest buying the Sage 2, though if you like the Drifter as much as it sounds, saving up and buying a small Sebenza might not be insane. The Drifter is basically "let's make a small Sebenza out of cheaper materials in China, but with a slightly different handle and a recurve" . . . sometimes it's better to just buy the thing you really want, even if it is terrifically, ridiculously expensive.
 
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EvilGreg I really, really, like your breakdown of things. In terms of logic circuitry my thinking on EDC has basically narrowed very quickly after a summer of trying out knives. I can pull the trigger on a Sebenza now, its less an issue. More the issue is I don't feel compelled or right even - to spend $300 on a pocket knife.

At under $200 I kinda feel less guilty about it. Lol. I don't know it's just how I'm wired right now. For me I think I would just reorder your priorities, 2,3,4 and 1 which is why I feel like I'm leaning towards an Alias 2 still. I will have to continue looking. I really like that AG Russell that someone suggested, but I feel like I would end up trading it if I purchased it. The only knife in my current position that I've had zero inclination to trade is that Drifter for whatever reason. The recurve on it, while somewhat annoying to sharpen, works awesome for when I doing any cutting where I have to flip the blade to face upwards like when I'm cutting rope. The recurve actually digs into the rope and makes for a nice clean cut.

I'm going to try to get my hands on a Sage 2. I've had several Spydercos and unfortunately I think they are hideous. I still have an Ambitious and a UKPK right now. I feel like one can't understand the charm and greatness of Spydercos unless it is sitting firmly in their hands. I.E. the only good looking Spyderco in my opinion is the Techno. I have a UKPK and love it. But I didn't like it until it was in my hand. Same with all of the other Spyderco's that I have held. Like the Endura which is a big knife, feels like something you could win a knife fight with once its gets into your hand. It just feels right, but you would never know it just by looking at the thing.
 
EvilGreg, great post and great analysis! I have the Sage and the Benchmade...off to look at the Chill. :)
 
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