Recommendation? Back up Knife

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ZtCubster

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Jul 25, 2017
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Im looking for a secondary knife, I know im not the only one to carry more than one . My emerson cqc 15 with serrations is my baby but i want a back up knife. Currently my back up is a benchmade contego in m390. Im looking for something similair to a kershaw link, griptilian (had one before but sold it) , pm2 (also had one in the past before). I tried to carry a manix 2 but didnt work out for me. I need something thats a good slicer, good ergos, and people friendly. I fidget a lot so the axis lock is good but benchmades dont really catch my attention. oh and i prefer bigger knives but im willing to give a small knife a chance
 
I fidget with spydercos sometimes, why not try a Para3? Yep you can fidget/operate with the hole or the compression lock. Maybe a dragonfly 2 or customize a Pingo.
 
ZtCubster said:
Im looking for a secondary knife, I know im not the only one to carry more than one . My emerson cqc 15 with serrations is my baby but i want a back up knife. Currently my back up is a benchmade contego in m390. Im looking for something similair to a kershaw link, griptilian (had one before but sold it) , pm2 (also had one in the past before). I tried to carry a manix 2 but didnt work out for me. I need something thats a good slicer, good ergos, and people friendly. I fidget a lot so the axis lock is good but benchmades dont really catch my attention. oh and i prefer bigger knives but im willing to give a small knife a chance
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Personally, I like to carry a Swiss Army Compact or Huntsman as my backup knife when I don't have a Leatherman on me, but that doesn't seem to be the kind of backup knife you're looking for.

Controversy aside... Have you looked at the new Hogue Doug Ritter RSK? It has the same ergonomics as the Griptilian (lol?), m390 steel, and has an Able Lock which is an Axis lock for all intents and purposes.
 
Two knives that I have purchased this year might qualify. I like both. One is the Boker Urban Trapper. It's in VG-10 and would prefer a slightly better steel like M390. I wouldn't consider it a hard use knife with the thin handle, but it certainly carries nice. The other knife is the Benchmade Mini Presidio II which is a manual one hander with about a 3" blade.
 
You might consider learning new knife fidgeting techniques as a way to expand the horizon of what you can carry.

Small traditional slip joints offer all sort of fidgeting opportunities limited only by imagination. I can keep one by my keyboard and pick it up by the end, let it rotate through my finger pinch and clunk down on the desk, grab the other end and repeat for hours on end. Or pinch it between my thumb and middle finger at the balance point and then "spin" it with my index finger. Busy mind. Nervous hands.

The world of smaller traditional slip joints can make a great pocket friendly back up to a large folder. The blades are thin and good for apples and such. And they offer the possibilities of multiple blades and tools for different uses. Lastly, they as super people friendly.

The Leatherman Micra is my "back up" carry. I like it for the tool selection and won't enter the day without a cap lifter on my person for obvious reasons. But there are a bunch of smaller slip joints and SAKs that all have their place.
 
What about a Benchmade Bugout or 530 Pardue? Both under 2oz with a good sized blade. Skinny as hell and not mean looking. I know you mentioned you like the Axis but not 100% sold on BM but these are great knives worthy of a look IMO.

Beyond that, maybe a PM2, PM3 or Delica...
 
pinnah said:
The world of smaller traditional slip joints can make a great pocket friendly back up to a large folder. The blades are thin and good for apples and such. And they offer the possibilities of multiple blades and tools for different uses. Lastly, they as super people friendly.
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Couldn't agree more with that. I carry a larger knife clipped to my pocket like a ZT, Cold Steel, or one of my other larger work knives. Although no one here (S. Texas) has even raised an eyebrow at my using a large knife in public, these days more than ever I don't want attention from someone that could perceive it as a weapon.

So if you are already carrying a larger knife, why not mix it up and carry something different to explore another area of the knife world?

I carry a medium stockman, small congress, a canoe, etc. that I pull out to use when I am not on site. The only eyebrow that is raised is if someone compliments me on the knife, or tell me is reminds them of some family member that carries a traditional. 55+ years of carrying a traditional, never had a bad comment or created a problem when using it in public. And their utility is unparalleled. You can buy a traditional pattern that can do just about anything.

Robert
 
midnight flyer said:
Couldn't agree more with that. I carry a larger knife clipped to my pocket like a ZT, Cold Steel, or one of my other larger work knives. Although no one here (S. Texas) has even raised an eyebrow at my using a large knife in public, these days more than ever I don't want attention from someone that could perceive it as a weapon.

So if you are already carrying a larger knife, why not mix it up and carry something different to explore another area of the knife world?

I carry a medium stockman, small congress, a canoe, etc. that I pull out to use when I am not on site. The only eyebrow that is raised is if someone compliments me on the knife, or tell me is reminds them of some family member that carries a traditional. 55+ years of carrying a traditional, never had a bad comment or created a problem when using it in public. And their utility is unparalleled. You can buy a traditional pattern that can do just about anything.

Robert
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Ditto.

But hey, if the Emerson CQC 15, erm, breaks then I guess the OP wants something similarly tough. :confused:
 
SharpieB said:
What about a Benchmade Bugout or 530 Pardue?
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Good suggestion and it's funny you mention those two knives. I just pulled my Pardue 530 out of storage today to put back into my rotation. If anyone looks at the specs for both these knives, they're just about identical. Yet everyone seems to be all in on the Bugout, while the 530 gets less than stellar reviews, and was in fact modified (and some say improved) with the 531. My opinion, FWIW, is the 530 is a fine knife just the way it is, what with it's cool spear point blade, and in some ways better than the Bugout, for example, the handles don't flex nearly as much as the Bugout's.

But I digress. I think the OP would do good to look into either one of these knives, and maybe get a better look at what Benchmade has to offer.
 
Fidgeting aside, maybe a rat 1 or Esee avispa in D2. Very flickable. The Esee has a thinner stock.
I carry two knives, a folder and a small fixed blade.
 
Fixall said:
Personally, I like to carry a Swiss Army Compact or Huntsman as my backup knife when I don't have a Leatherman on me, but that doesn't seem to be the kind of backup knife you're looking for.

Controversy aside... Have you looked at the new Hogue Doug Ritter RSK? It has the same ergonomics as the Griptilian (lol?), m390 steel, and has an Able Lock which is an Axis lock for all intents and purposes.
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I also carry either a SAK or peanut as back-up to my primary blade.
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I see backup as reinforcements for when my lightweight EDC no longer cuts it.
Top to bottom:
Backup backup CPM 20CV, backup K390, EDC VG10.
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I like those little SOG Access Card 2.0 or whatever they are called now (bottom knife above). Mine has a sheepsfoot blade and I use it frequently at my desk for routine things like opening mail and the occasional box. Definitely not a hard use knife.
 
ZtCubster said:
Im looking for a secondary knife, I know im not the only one to carry more than one . My emerson cqc 15 with serrations is my baby but i want a back up knife. Currently my back up is a benchmade contego in m390. Im looking for something similair to a kershaw link, griptilian (had one before but sold it) , pm2 (also had one in the past before). I tried to carry a manix 2 but didnt work out for me. I need something thats a good slicer, good ergos, and people friendly. I fidget a lot so the axis lock is good but benchmades dont really catch my attention. oh and i prefer bigger knives but im willing to give a small knife a chance
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Spyderco Chaparral in FRN or maybe CF. It's a perfect second knife.
 
22-rimfire said:
I like those little SOG Access Card 2.0 or whatever they are called now (bottom knife above). Mine has a sheepsfoot blade and I use it frequently at my desk for routine things like opening mail and the occasional box. Definitely not a hard use knife.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Hard use requires the backups.
 
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