ATR - mini SOCOM - Yojimbo - Gunting??? help plz!

J

justPAT

Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
29
Hi everyone!

I am in desperate need of help in choosing a pure last resort SD folder. And yes, i have read the countless very helpful reviews but all of just seems to make things worse for me..for example, i hadn't thought about the Gunting until i came across it in a Yojimbo review, which makes things worse for me for now i have 4 choices to choose from instead of 3 :(


As most of you have probably noticed, 3 of the choices are Spydies, and one MT. I would go to a outdoors/survival shop to check it out personally and get a feel for it, but the knives that shops here carry are somewhat limited so I have to rely mostly on knife reviews and and questions i sometimes post.

In a pure last resort SD folder I want to be able to quickly deploy and have the knife out and ready in a dynamic situation, to have a 100% secure solid "it-won't-budge-unless-I-want-it-to" lock, and lastly, for it to last and least likely go wrong.

Now here are a few things i'm worried about in the knives I have selected:

ATR - slippery stainless?
Yojimbo -fragile tip? hole close to handle resulting in difficult openings?
mini SOCOM - only things i'm worried about here are random QC problems such as blade play(if any) because i don't wanna be sending my knife back to the US via mail from here. Things sometimes have a tendency of "geting lost" in the mail here.
Gunting - ramp and horns snaging on clothing?

Anyways, i'd really appreciate hearing your opinions and comments on the selected folders because going back and forth through the reviews, picts and all those anooying pop-ups are starting to give me a headache :D Thanks so much.

Cheers! Pat.
 
i would get the ti ATR first, then a SS ATR or a mini socom elite, the gunting isnt very good for edc because it opens in your pocket, ya must carry them in either a pocket or belt sheath or tighten the pivot so tight it wont hardly open, and the gunting is now discontinued by spydie, i like the ATR a lot myself, just got my wife a mini socom elite and its a good one too, IIRC its a little bigger than a mini socom, get the elite imho. the elite is also a frame lock which is good, not sure if the std mini socom is or not though.

know nothing about a yohimbo.
 
The Gunting would be my suggestion. It is specially designed for SD / MBC. However, in order to benefit from its features, you need to understand Bram Frank's philosophy regarding this particular aspect and to attend some training. For more details regarding the Gunting and the way it's meant to be used (as well as colateral infos, MBC and stuff)click here
 
Choosing a folder for self-defense by elimination of possible problems seems to be backwards. First, you need to study self-defense as a discipline in itself: alertness and physical training, then adapting your moves to the weapons best suited to what have learned.

The knives you are looking at now are very different in the kinds of defensive arts needed to apply each on best. Why buy a knife and then find the training needed to use it does not come naturally to your size or mobility or interests?

Also, you wrote about "a pure last resort SD folder" which seems to mean a knife you will only use for self-defense. But that means a knife you hardly ever use. it sits in a pocket, forgotten day after day, until you need it -- and have no idea it's still there.

Pick a great utility knife, which will have all your pure last resort SD folder's capabilities, but will be familiar and comfortable and in your hand as soon as you need it, without thinking twice.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

dialex> Thats one of the things that I'm worried about, and I agree that in order to benefit from Gunting and the ways in which to utilize it I'd have to get specific training on the Gunting. But the problem is I'm not living in the US. As for the instructional DVDs, I don't want to spend a hundred dollars (call me cheap if u want :P )on a set of instructional DVDs while for the same amount I can get on-hand Amok! training here for two months. That being said, with Amok! training will I be able to fully utilize the Guntings benefits? If not, I guess that narrows the choice down to 3.

Esav Benyamin> I totally agree with you and I have thought about what you said. I am currently training in BJJ and I already have an Endura as EDC utility knife. The Endura will still be doing most of the heavy cutting, while I want to find another folder that will be used for lighter tasks such as loose string, plastic bags etc. but still be dependable in a SD situation.
Considering what both you and dailex mentioned, since I am able to get Amok! training here in Bangkok which out of the knives I have mentioned am I able to apply on which best?

I appreciate everyone's posts and if my post seems somewhat confusing I really do apologize. Thanks

Cheers! Pat. :D
 
The Yo doesn't have fragile tip if you don't drop it on concrete or try to pry with it and the penetration power is mind boogling. Unfortunately I know now what I am talkng about since I dropped the Yo yesterday and it sliced neatly into my leg....deep....through my pants. You can inertially open the blade without much thinking, so the hole position doesn't slow you down in the least. Lock is of course MBC rated, 'nuf said. The traction on the handle is superb due to the large choil for the index finger. Indexing is ok, I like the Lil'T better.

Speaking of which. The Lil'T is Mr. Sal Glessers idea of a SD knife and I am sure it will work as such very well. One of the strongest locks ever build big sturdy blade and a handle that is something to hold on to.
 
I carry a Gunting about 1/2 the time, and although I agree you need training to use all the Gunting's features - most of those "advanced" features (pain compliance holds, etc) are of most value to LEOs. Even without specialized training, the Gunting offers a lot (strong lock, useful as impact tool in opened position). However, the Gunting is big and awkward to carry if you don't have a sheath for it - if that's a problem I'd go with the Yojimbo.
 
I think HoB and Julian said it all. The ATR and Gunting are heavy-duty. You want stealth, speed, mobility.

The mini SOCOM and Yojimbo and the Endura will give you that slash and burn capability, and are handy little knives to have around anyway.

Since you are already using an Endura, stick with Spyderco and you'll see the Yojimbo is not a delicate knife at all. Out of all your choices, the Yojimbo was the most specifically designed for what you want.
 
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