Best high end knife?? Midtechs/customs

E

Envy Sam

Joined
Nov 26, 2014
Messages
63
I'm looking to purchase my first high end mid-tech/custom "grail" knife, but I honestly have no clue where to start. My price range is $400-800ish, this opens up A TON of knives and I just don't know which ones are worth it and which aren't. So I'm pretty much looking for testimonials for which knives in this price range are best value. I will list my preferences to narrow it down:

-Prefer around a 3.5 in blade, 3.25-3.75 is fine.
-Weight does not matter, I am kind of into the "overbuilt" style
-Love flippers
-Smooth action is a MUST
-Must be easy to open and close (no sticky lock or uber strong detent unless it's a flipper of course)
-Prefer frame lock or beefy liner lock

Before you say sebenza, I had one and ended up selling it because I didn't care for it. I am however considering giving CRK another chance with the Umnumzaan as I totally dig the design. However, I want to know if the Umnum is prone to having a sticky lock and if the detent is very strong. Those were the 2 things that made me sell my sebenza, the pointy thumbstud in combination with the super strong detent hurt my thumb opening it and it developed a sticky lock after awhile.

Here are some knives I'm considering:

-Curtiss F3 Flipper
-Umnumzaan
-Todd Begg Bodega
-Midtech Redención
-Newer model Striders (non radius lock bar)

Thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
Midtechs by Les George (VECP 2.0 and Talos) are an excellent bang for the buck if you need an EDC folder, imho, though I wouldn't call them overbuilt folders.
 
Agurami said:
Midtechs by Les George (VECP 2.0 and Talos) are an excellent bang for the buck if you need an EDC folder, imho, though I wouldn't call them overbuilt folders.
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Thanks for the input, I'm digging the VECP. It's a shame a lot of the knives I'm looking at are never in stock anywhere. What's the best place to buy knives like this?
 
Ummm, Les has them in stock every now and then (check out his website for lotteries). Monkeyedge also had some a while ago. 2ndary market is bound to have them :)
 
Todd Begg Bodega Field Grade.... super smooth and extremely well built
Jake Hoback Kwaiback Mid Tech... Smooth, built like a tank, caged bearing flipper, beautifully designed Ti
Andre Thorburn... The absolute smoothest (bar none) some of the most incredible workmanship you will ever see (at any price)

I have one of each and since you asked for flippers, in your price range I feel comfortable suggesting these.... word of caution. Once you go into the mid techs, it is very hard to go back to production and it won't be long before you start with customs. Mid Techs are a gateway knife :eek::D Lol. Welcome to the sickness!
 
When I had my zan it never had a sticky lock. A hinderer might be up your alley. I'll have to check out the third and fourth knife listed.
 
dcmartin said:
Todd Begg Bodega Field Grade.... super smooth and extremely well built
Jake Hoback Kwaiback Mid Tech... Smooth, built like a tank, caged bearing flipper, beautifully designed Ti
Andre Thorburn... The absolute smoothest (bar none) some of the most incredible workmanship you will ever see (at any price)

I have one of each and since you asked for flippers, in your price range I feel comfortable suggesting these.... word of caution. Once you go into the mid techs, it is very hard to go back to production and it won't be long before you start with customs. Mid Techs are a gateway knife :eek::D Lol. Welcome to the sickness!
Click to expand...

Yeah the field grade bodega and Mid Tech Kwaiback are definitely being considered if I see any pop up that are in a configuration I really like. I'll have to check out Andre Thorburn, haven't seen his work.

The_Knife_Man said:
When I had my zan it never had a sticky lock. A hinderer might be up your alley. I'll have to check out the third and fourth knife listed.
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Thought about a Hinderer but I hear they don't flip very well, that's a big minus for me :thumbdn:.
 
I can't say enough good things about Dave Curtiss or the Curtiss F3. You really need to handle one to appreciate the perfect executionof a flipper.

I would also suggest looking at a Calavera Custom El Patron.
 
The Umnumzaan has rounded thumb lugs which are also blade stops. It does come with a stiff detent and requires a break in time. That may be a deal breaker for you.
Or one of these, which will top your price range, the MSC performance series SnG
 
Darrel Ralph... there's a reason why I have 3 with a 4th on order :D

 
Why not an Olamic Wayfarer? Don't like flippers, then get the Olamic Bravado.
Some even have moonglow, they're really awesome knives:thumbup:

Pretty big with a 4" blade, but Olamic is releasing a 3.5" version around spring. Email Eugene and get on that list man!

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This stuff really glows bright, and for a long time.

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Lightfoot, Elishewitz, Weiland and Pohan Leu will make you am excellent folder in the range of $500-800.
 
asdf12345 said:
Lightfoot, Elishewitz, Weiland and Pohan Leu will make you am excellent folder in the range of $500-800.
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Reese Weiland is awesome. I have 2 folders in that price range from him on order.
 
I have to second the Jeremy Robertson knives. I absolutely admit to a bias; I have 4, and one on the way. I have 3 El Patrons and 2 Model 4's. The model 4 is not a flipper, but it is an absolute beast of a little knife. Super smooth, very heavily built, but a nice thin edge. Mine are CTS-XHP. The El Patron can be had in a flipper. They are in PD1 and 3V steel. Very well made, and not a ton of money for a handmade knife.

The model 4 is rapidly becoming my favorite that I own. That's saying something for me.

I can't agree more with the statement about mid techs being a gateway knife. Customs will follow, just wait. 😆
 
Envy Sam said:
I'm looking to purchase my first high end mid-tech/custom "grail" knife, but I honestly have no clue where to start. My price range is $400-800ish, this opens up A TON of knives and I just don't know which ones are worth it and which aren't. So I'm pretty much looking for testimonials for which knives in this price range are best value. I will list my preferences to narrow it down:

-Prefer around a 3.5 in blade, 3.25-3.75 is fine.
-Weight does not matter, I am kind of into the "overbuilt" style
-Love flippers
-Smooth action is a MUST
-Must be easy to open and close (no sticky lock or uber strong detent unless it's a flipper of course)
-Prefer frame lock or beefy liner lock

Before you say sebenza, I had one and ended up selling it because I didn't care for it. I am however considering giving CRK another chance with the Umnumzaan as I totally dig the design. However, I want to know if the Umnum is prone to having a sticky lock and if the detent is very strong. Those were the 2 things that made me sell my sebenza, the pointy thumbstud in combination with the super strong detent hurt my thumb opening it and it developed a sticky lock after awhile.

Here are some knives I'm considering:

-Curtiss F3 Flipper
-Umnumzaan
-Todd Begg Bodega
-Midtech Redención
-Newer model Striders (non radius lock bar)

Thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Its hard for me to recommend something because I am so into value these days. Many midtech offerings these days are IMHO quite diluted. The term midtech to me means little more than limited production model based on custom design. When I see midtechs today all I see are tumbled finishes and thick slab scale handles. I look at it this way. If you look at a ZT0562 with satin blade, m390, titanium oversized unique pivot and carbon fiber and built really tough. What does a mid tech have on that if the mid tech is made at some random machine shop by random people and then you get a tumbled finish. What are you getting for that premium? Most midtechs to me dont offer ANYTHING more than what a high end production knife offers sans maybe exclusivity. But how many of these flavor of the week knives are we going to remember in 5 or 10 years?

Im not trying to talk you out of a mid tech. But given the stupid prices they are pulling in and just how little you are actually getting I would recommend either going balls to the walls full on custom or just a high end production. Lets face it many production companies are just killing it with what they are putting out quality and materials wise. When you look at what some crap is actually being called a mid tech or semi-custom (or any other random term created to imply something extraordinary yet rarely delivers something more than the ordinary) you might as well get something that you either know is going to hold its value or at the VERY least will be around in 10 years to uphold the warranty. Most knives these days have a lifetime warranty but with so many companies coming and going that warranty now applies to the life of the company and not the knife.

Now if you want something that truly offers something interesting at a really great price then i would look at the Custom knife factory MORRF. Sure parts are made in china. But you get premium materials, amazing build quality in a unique design and a price that is really appealing. If you need USA made then I would resist going with a flavor of the week maker. You cant tell who is going to be popular in 10 years but its usually pretty easy to know who will at least be around. I cant recommend specific models or makers as I stopped with customs a few years ago and I have a big rule about not recommending a knife I have no experience with. Im not one of these guys who is going to recommend you a knife that hasnt even been released. How does one vouch for anything that they havent used, held let alone even seen in person? I just thought I would try and give some advice before you decide which direction to go. Its a big step to take and I think you would be best served getting something that is truly worth its asking price rather than something that very well may not be worth the hype.
 
PURPLEDC made come good points about the relative value of high quality production knives as compared to mid tech. Hard to distinguish quality from promotion sometimes. I do not like knives that only open with a flipper, but I was able to handle a Zero Tolerance 562 cf at their display table at Blade 2014 before it came out. I didn t realize at that time that it couldn t be opened with the studs. But it flipped beautifully and and seemed very well balanced and had the excellent m390 steel. You might like that knife. I didn t get one because of the lack of thumb stud opening, but I was tempted. Very tempted.:rolleyes:
 
I would highly recommend going to a custom knife show and spending time handling as many folders as you can, as well as talking to custom makers about what you like and don't like. The Little Rock, AR show is Feb 21-22 and is one of the best show around.

If that is not an option, I recomend checking out Bruce Bingenheimer's flippers. He is a member of ABS and forges his own Damascus as well as other plain steel. Top quality, smooth action and reasonably priced in your target range. He goes by Bing and there are several threads of his work.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies. PURPLEDC, you brought up some excellent points that I had already been thinking about, I love my production ZTs and wasn't sure if the quality was going to be a big step up. So, I am going to wait for a deal to pop up and jump on a custom. I'm leaning towards the Curtiss F3, for $500 a full titanium custom is pretty sick and I just keep hearing how amazing it flips. Anyone who owns an F3 please chime in :D
 
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