best hard use small edc?

mrandolph

mrandolph

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Mar 22, 2011
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Good morning. I need some input on my next knife. I want a small, hard use, heavy duty folder that will last the rest of my life. I am partial to the tanto blade. I feel like often in life you get what you pay for so I'm looking at fairly high end stuff- a Chris Reeve small sebenza tanto from truenorthknives, a Strider pt tanto or an Emerson mini cqc 7. The Emerson is the only one I've actually had. Honestly, I was a bit put off by the chisel grind and the fit and finish was a little less than I expected. Right now I'm using a Mini grip. I love the axis lock but loathe the handle and the blade is too thin. For the price of custom G10 scales, I'm now in Emerson price territory.
Please offer any input, thoughts, advice, etc. Thanks.
 
Benchmade 912BKD2 OR 913BKD2 very good hard use edc. 912 is tanto 913 is spear point. Check out knifeworks they have them in stock.
 
I would save up and go with the sebenza or Strider. I would personally stay away from tanto. Regular droppoint/spearpoints are better for all around use and much easier to sharpen. IMO
 
Why not just cut to the chase and get a drop point* small Sebenza. You won't find a better knife for the money, nor a better company to back it up.


* Per bd51's suggestion.
 
Thanks. Point taken. Directed toward bd51 but interested in any opinion- between Chris Reeve & Strider, personal preference and why?
 
I would go with the Drop Pont Strider PT, easier to sharpen and more of an all around use blade than the tanto.
 
Chris Reeve small Sebenza, easy in the pocket, easy to take apart, looks good in a suite or in the bush doing some hunting and work on the farm.

Pt is a good option as well, but also a small Yuna blade imo.
 
I would go with the Sebenza. Outstanding fit and finish with a great company to back it up. They have outstanding costumer service and you can get your knife refurbished. Striders customer service is basically non existent from what I hear. I don't think they have a working website either.
 
If you don't want to drop that much money the Benchmade 707 is about the size of the mini grip and should hold up to more abuse than a knife should get. If you don't mind something a little bigger the Benchmade 14205 has a thicker blade than most folders have and is a really under rated knife. The AXIS lock is my favorite and I personally like it quite a bit more than a frame lock. Since I'm not a fan of frame locks I can't answer your question about the knives you listed, but CRK is a reputable company which it can be argued that Strider is not.
 
I appreciate the opinions. I think of the Sebenza as more refined, perhaps, and the Strider as more rugged. I just watched an interesting video on youtube comparing the Strider SNG to the Large Sebenza. The narrator said, in his opinion, they are of relatively equal quality and which knife one prefers depends on how one sees himself. I don't mean to get all philosophical but I think that is a valid point. I am a Consumer Reports fan and one of their biggest value factors is 'service after the purchase' and long term reliabilty. Which is why Consumer Reports will never recommend a Lamborgini over a Benz. Which is why I'm leaning toward the Sebenza. Any thoughts? As far as blade toughness and thickness, are they not equal?
 
I actually have both a 707 Sequel and a HK 14210 (smaller version of the 14205) on order from gpknives. I figure whatever I don't keep I can sell on ebay.
My wife just got a fairly expensive smartphone which she doesn't need but loves. Which is my own justification for buying an expensive pocket knife.
Thanks for your comment.
 
Your heading in the right direction. As far as the blade toughness, I have never heard of a sebenza breaking so I am sure you will be fine. The Strider will be the "tougher" knife because it is thicker than the Sebenza but the Sebenza will be a better slicer. You will probably using your knife to slice more than pry also.
 
While you are cogitating on a spendy knife, get yourself a Cold Steel mini Lawman for $43 + s/h. It hits your parameters of small, hard use and lasts forever. You may decide that you don't need a $300 knife.
 
The Benchmade MPR is small and tough. The ZT 055x is a little larger and also great.
 
On the path to buy an Emerson, I picked up an Al Mar Mini SERE instead. Might be worth looking at if you are looking at liners and hesitating on higher prices.
 
not sure if ZT0551 count as small for you? I think that will be a better bang for the buck.

Another suggestion: Bradley Alias 2 if you'd like some spare cash for other goodies.
 
Never owned a sebenza but have been wanting one for awhile... I noticed they're making some starburst grip models for wilson combat, I assume they're of the same quality but I'm not sure... (not sure of the difference in price either)... I have heard that for the money, striders are overrated, as in you could buy a knife of equal quality/ruggedness/fit&finish and a wicked edge sharpmaker... For a production knife to be $400+ w/ the lack of Cust Service, it better have cable tv
 
I actually have both a 707 Sequel in D2 and a HK 14210 and for a hard use knife that will get through pretty much anything you throw at it, I would take the HK14210 every time. The 707 is a pretty knife and a GREAT blade matched to a handle that is too small for your hand and uncomfortable. The HK gives you a solid 4-finger grip on G-10 scales with the added security of a choil for your index finger. I don't care what you are cutting, the thing is solidly in your hand. Conversely, the 707 is a 3 finger grip with aluminum scales (yes there is a small insert of either wood/G-10/CF, depending on your choice, but it's insignificantly small) that hurts if your doing any twisting or cutting in hard wood. Both knives open smoothly, but when you flick the blade on the HK, it just explodes out and locks up with a solid precise klunk like a bank vault. There are 2 things you may not like about the HK, non-issues for me when I'm doing heavy duty cutting, is the knife has a thumb ramp and the blade has a slight recurve. Personally, I think the recurve makes it a better cutting instrument. I also think that HK14210 is one of the best knives BM makes!

Having said that, the OP says they want a small knife, currently carries a mini grip. No mention of gentlemanly, classic, or tactical looks, but mentions thinking about a small Sebbie. I gather frame locks are gtg, and if that's the case, I don't think you could possibly go wrong with a Bradley II, or for twice that price, the real deal, a Seb.
 
Spyderco Paramilitary. Maybe not technically small because the blade is a bit longer than 3" but it is smaller and lighter than let's say Buck 110. Pretty hard use if you don't pry with it.
 
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