Anyone have a S&W Black Ops 2?

S&W's were my "Gateway Knives" I went from a S&W to a CRKT Apache II, then to a Benchmade Griptilian and haven't looked back. Save your money or get something from Kershaw as said before.
 
Wow, lots of stuff to look at. Thanks everyone! :-)

Still haven't decided what to get; there's just so much out there. Just check, and the Recon's blade is 4" - illegal where I'm at, and a little too big for EDC anyhow.

I'm really stuck on a few things: spring assit w/ flipper, tanto-styled black 3.1-3.5" blade, and good looks. All for around $50. Hard to find...

So yeah, looking around. Kershaw RJ1 (wish it had a black/dlc blade), maybe a Volt II, I don't know.
 
You could pick up a Benchmade Griptilian with a Black Tanto blade for about $70 all day long. The only thing is it's not assist, but mine's so smooth you don't need one.
 
Second on the grip. Try raising your price point...you won't regret it. I have a mini grip I absolutely love, and it was worth every penny. No regrets. Cheaper knives I've bought, however, I have many, many regrets about.
 
If you want a spring-assisted knife, the Kershaw SpeedSafe assisted-open mechanism is by far my favorite of the ones I've used.

Kershawguy has the tanto Blur (blem) for just a little more than the S&W you mentioned. It's about the same size as the S&W. There's also a version of the Blur that uses 420HC steel (non-blem) that costs a little less. A SOG Flash II also runs around that same price (although for the combo edge only, plain edge tends to be a bit more), and that's also an A/O knife with a similar sized blade. If you prefer the flipper instead of thumb studs, the Kershaw Shallot (blem) can be had for just a little more than the S&W as well.
 
I was disappointed with my mini-grip. It was too "mini" for me. It sits in a drawer now unfortunately. I'd recommend picking up a cheap Kershaw blem from Kershawguy if you wanted something a little out of your budget without actually spending that much money. Of course you won't get the warranty for the knife, but you'll be paying a substantial amount less than retail.
 
I'm gonna go ahead and be that guy that everyone yells at for trying to talk the OP out of something:

I have a handful of AO knives, and they're all pretty good: they're fast, smooth-opening, and they look cool. The second name-brand knife I bought was a Kershaw Leek, and for a time, I was completely enamored with it -- the whole, pretty-much-a-legal-switchblade thing was a real kick at first. Honestly though, after I bought my first few assisted-openers (Leek, Flash II, Heat), the novelty wore off, and I found myself moving on.

Limiting yourself to an assisted-opener really cuts down on dozens of absolutely phenomenal knives at the exact same price point. If you buy a good knife from a good company, you'll find that thumb studs, axis locks and "holes" can be just as fast as flippers and yes, even AOs.

I realize that you're probably going to buy an assisted opener no matter what, and I can understand that; I very likely would've done the same thing. But it'd be a real shame to see you limit yourself to just a handful of folders based on that feature, when $50 will land you all sorts of cool knives. I highly recommend that you choose a blade and handle design from a reputable manufacturer first, as that's all that matters once the knife is open and, you know, being used.

And if you absolutely have to have an AO, Kershaw gets my vote. Their customer service is excellent, their assisted designs are pretty good (although yuck on a lot of the clips) and their knives have been some of the sharpest out of the box that I've ever bought. Don't think they've got too many tantos, though (which I also think you should reconsider, unless you're strictly going for SD).
 
Wow, thnx for the info flarp & 00chevyscott. Didn't know I could get blem knives, looking at getting one from Kershawguy now. Awesome!

I'm looking at a Kershaw Black Shallot, the Tanto Blur. They also have a CRKT Apache II (discontinued): not sure if it's AO, but it looks awesome: http://kershawguy.com/products-page/columbia-river-knife-tool/crkt-apache-ii-ats34-limited-edition/


Any opinions on the Shallot? Looks like it might be kinda tough to get a good grip on it, otherwise I love it...

allyourblood: I actually sorta agree with you. Lots of people seem to think the AO thing is just a fad. But hey, I think it's cool and I'm gonna get one :-) I figure I'll get over it later, and buy something nice (and a bit more expensive). But until then, I'll keep it cheap.
 
cdst said:
allyourblood: I actually sorta agree with you. Lots of people seem to think the AO thing is just a fad. But hey, I think it's cool and I'm gonna get one :-) I figure I'll get over it later, and buy something nice (and a bit more expensive). But until then, I'll keep it cheap.
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Go for it! But don't forget, cheap doesn't mean bad, and vice versa. There are tons of excellent knives of the highest quality to be had for $50 (and under!). Of course, throw a few more bucks at it, and you really start to get into the fun stuff!

That tanto Blur would make a great choice, if you like a combo edge (1/2 plain, 1/2 serrated). It's got a fairly large handle and tons of grip. The Shallot is very comfortable, but is a thinner handle all around, but because of its smooth stainless steel handle, it doesn't provide nearly as much traction (it's similar to the Leek in that way, but it's handle design does give you a more secure grip than the Leek due to its shape and size).
 
cdst said:
Any opinions on the Shallot? Looks like it might be kinda tough to get a good grip on it, otherwise I love it...
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I used mine very briefly. The handle did not fit my hands well and was really uncomfortable in use. Things like that are different for everyone, though - it might be the comfiest thing on the planet for the next guy.
 
cdst said:
Any opinions on the Shallot? Looks like it might be kinda tough to get a good grip on it, otherwise I love it...
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I think it's one of the best knives out there for the money. It was actually my first good knife (I was pulled in after seeing a friend's A/O, too), and I still find it a useful piece. The handles aren't really grippy (more grippy than Spyderco's SS, though), but that shouldn't be a problem unless you're doing something really rough with it. I kind of like the smooth handles because it makes the knife slide in and out of my pocket more easily. I found the ergos fit my hand well (YMMV as seen above), and I really like the simple but clever design and high, slicing grind. It's well-made, built in America, and has a great warranty, so even though I've shied away from A/O's now and have much more expensive knives, I don't regret the purchase at all.

One of my non-knife friends thinks it's the nicest knife I have for some reason...
 
I say if you’re going to find that "cheap knife" that works for you, you should. I checked out the Boker Urban Tank, Great Knight and the Steelmariner. They are what they are. The blades were dull and I'll never be able to get rid of them, but 2 of them found their way to my car kits and I dont get the urge to dig em out to paly with em that often. I’ve seen reviews of some of the S&W knives and some look like they are worth what you pay, like that S&W HRT dagger, it’s probably not that sharp, but I hear that the blade is thick enough to get the job done. The problem is that I like knives of all types.
 
you can this A/O Kershaw Speed Bump with g10 scales, for $6.00 more than the S&W knife ( same web site).

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Trail Edge said:
I say if you’re going to find that "cheap knife" that works for you, you should. I checked out the Boker Urban Tank, Great Knight and the Steelmariner. They are what they are. The blades were dull and I'll never be able to get rid of them, but 2 of them found their way to my car kits and I dont get the urge to dig em out to paly with em that often. I’ve seen reviews of some of the S&W knives and some look like they are worth what you pay, like that S&W HRT dagger, it’s probably not that sharp, but I hear that the blade is thick enough to get the job done. The problem is that I like knives of all types.
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I own 2.. they come RAZOR sharp.... but they are such thick stock that they are still not great cutters... i'm keepin em... they make great throwing knives
 
Wow, great stuff. So hard to decide, might have to start a collection ;-)

I'm thinking either a Kershaw Shallot blem, Turbulence blem or Brawler. All affordable from kershaw guy: none of them are serrated, which is less than ideal but it will be ok.

I'm leaning towards the Shallot still, but the Brawler doesn't look too bad either. Pocket clip on the Turbulence looks a little weak, but otherwise it looks good.

So I'm not sure.

AMJPD1998 from what I can find, the SpeedBump has a 3.6" blade; fine with me but illegal in my state (as I understand). Sadly...
 
FYI, the black Shallot is coated, and the handle is a bit grippier because of it.
 
"AMJPD1998 from what I can find, the SpeedBump has a 3.6" blade; fine with me but illegal in my state (as I understand). Sadly... "

Yes that could be a problem (if it's illegal)...well the Shallot is an excellent knife too and Kershaw Guy is a great dealer.

You might want to have a look at some of the RJ Martin designs made by Kershaw too. I like the Groove and the Zing. The Groove comes in a few different versions, I have a gray scaled version with a satin blade. It's very nice.

Well , good luck in your search and post some pics when you get one.
 
Well, I went ahead and bought a black Shallot. I'll post a new thread when I get it...

Thanks for all the suggestion everyone! Glad I didn't buy that S&W.
 
cdst said:
Should read 'I was never much into Kershaw'. I tried to go back and edit that, page wouldn't load.

That's exactly what I'm saying though. I always looked at Kershaw as a kind of Cheap-ish brand. But hey, guess that's what I'm gonna get if I don't wanna pay ;-)

I really want a Cold Steel Recon. Just can't bring myself to pay that much.
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It just hows people are fed up I guess?
 
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