Best High End Knife (over $500) for Actual Use

Lenny

Lenny

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Oct 15, 1998
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I've been drooling over all the Shiragorovs, Holts, Olamics, and Koenigs that get posted here.
Just wondering, which one are actually great for everyday use.
Which ones are comfy in the hand, hold an edge for a long time, take up little pocket space,
and can take some harder use. Nothing fancy, just extremely well designed and made for actual use,
not just looking at.
Thanks all.
 
Depends what type of work you have in mind. Materials, environment etc. I would like a Mayo folder some day because I like punched titanium framelocks and hollow grinds. But Sebenzas and Inkosis with inlays are perfect for hard use year around, because they will repair any damage, so no worries. Most everything in that price range is not too bad would imagine. You should get what you pay for.
 
I would use my Large Sebenza micarta for anything a knife could be safely used for, no matter what conditions. They are beautiful and made to very tight tolerances, but they are absolutely “hard use” pocket knives if you can bring yourself to do it.
 
All of them? That being said, I think once you get past the Hinderer and CRK level, you're putting money more into artistic flourish than into functionality, so unless you have oodles of money to spare on functional pocket jewelry, you're just making tools prettier by carrying a dressed-up Olamic or Koenig vs. a Hinderer or CRK.
 
madcap_magician said:
All of them? That being said, I think once you get past the Hinderer and CRK level, you're putting money more into artistic flourish than into functionality, so unless you have oodles of money to spare on functional pocket jewelry, you're just making tools prettier by carrying a dressed-up Olamic or Koenig vs. a Hinderer or CRK.
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Flashlights, watches (even though your phone can show you the time), pens, beads, etc. all constitute functional pocket jewelry and a lot of folks are into spending a lot of $ on it. I just like a very nice knife. Hinderers and CRKs will certainly get the job done, but I personally prefer to pull out and use a beautiful knife that does not suffer in use because of its beauty. As some have stated elsewhere, I like to own my stuff rather than have my stuff own me.

OP, if you can, look at Holt, Brown, Jason Guthrie, Grimsmo, etc., I think ultimately you will find what excites you and suits you best for your intended use. I have found some that were beautiful, but to put my hand in my pocket when the knife was clipped there sometimes felt like rubbing the edge of my hand against a dull saw blade. Other times it's aesthetics, weight, how a knife feels in my hand, action, or a myriad of other things. I would just say that if you are going to spend the $, be picky. If a knife does not move you, move it along to someone else. Life is too short to do otherwise. Good luck in your search.
 
Wrong subforum! But
They probably all function about equally well, but "comfort in hand" depends entirely on YOUR hand.
 
madcap_magician said:
All of them? That being said, I think once you get past the Hinderer and CRK level, you're putting money more into artistic flourish than into functionality, so unless you have oodles of money to spare on functional pocket jewelry, you're just making tools prettier by carrying a dressed-up Olamic or Koenig vs. a Hinderer or CRK.
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Completely agree, a CRK PJ Sebenza checks all the boxes regarding extreme quality/tolerances and will last decades!!! Extremely simply built with minimal parts so not much can ever go wrong.
 
At this point in my collecting career, I've got quite a few knives that cost me more than $500, and at current*, my favorite would have to be my Spartan Harsey SHFs, with my Shiro F3 in strong second. I won't lie, though. Most evenings, I'll have three or four knives on my side table and I'll just sit there and fidget with them, strop one or two, and call it good. It's one of my favorite forms of relaxation.

As for actual use, SHFs can handle that quite well, and so can pretty much all of the others I own. Olamics, my CRKs, my custom Doziers, several others.




* Which, let's face it, is the only objectively relevant metric with knife guys because you know it's going to be a different answer next month! LOL
 
I'm going to assume that "actual use" involves some degree of dirty work.

That being the case, I'd avoid bearings of all types. I love the action of a bearing knife but grit and grime take their toll. I'd go with conventional PB washers or bushings.

I'd avoid anything with proprietary hardware. For light use knives, proprietary might be ok but for hard, regular use you really need something that can be disassembled with ease. Goofy hardware may look great, but isn't functional in practice. Star shaped hardware, propeller shaped hardware and even Torx Plus are problematic.

I'd want the knife to be easy to take apart and put back together...in the rain, in low light, in a hurry. Tricky connections and complex parts don't really match up with knife in use. High tolerances that fit together the same way every time are important.

I'd want a knife that performs well in basic knife like activities. Thick, chunky blade stock is hard to cut effectively with. Tricky ergos and ineffective clips are useless on a knife that's in use in a human hand/pocket.

I'd like basic, sound design design cues that are assembled with good materials with good fit and finish.

I'd like a knife that is supported by a user friendly warranty that's accessible and available to the first owner or the fifth owner

There you go, I've described the flavor of CRK that fits your personal preference. I'm sure some of the other brands mentioned meet this criteria, but I know that CRK does.
 
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Oklahoma Outlaw said:
A large Sebenza is going to be hard to beat. That said, have a look at Medford Knife & Tool, especially the Theseus.
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Speaking from personal experience only (I don't own any Koenig, Holt, or Shiros); large Inkosi or Sebenza most definately. I also carry a Medford On Belay or 187 fairly regularly and as mentioned a Spartan SHF. I have no doubts about any of them. I have a few Hinderers as well and don't for a minute doubt their "stout-ness" but I personally don't find them to be as comfortable as the others - mostly due to the angle of the flipper tab; I really don't care for the way that the tab angles backward into the finger.

The nice thing about anything mentioned so far is the customer service of all these companies is outstanding; I can use them with confidence knowing that the manufacturers encourage them to be used and stand behind their product.
 
Of all of my over-$400 knives, I think my large PJ Inkosi is the most capable. Not only is it very well put together but it also sports a decent steel that is easy to sharpen. It's a really nice knife that is made to work.
 
Lenny said:
I've been drooling over all the Shiragorovs, Holts, Olamics, and Koenigs that get posted here.
Just wondering, which one are actually great for everyday use.
Which ones are comfy in the hand, hold an edge for a long time, take up little pocket space,
and can take some harder use. Nothing fancy, just extremely well designed and made for actual use,
not just looking at.
Thanks all.
Click to expand...

My custom Laconico EZC fits your description. It’s been in my pocket every day since I got it a couple of years ago.

So do several others I own. Production, mid tech and custom. Shirogorov, Anso, Burger, CRK, and more.
 
For a folding knife, I'd absolutely go with a Sebenza. Why not also consider a fixed blade? If I know ahead of time that I'll want a comfortable knife to gets lots of work done, I bring a fixed blade. A "full" handle feels so much nicer in the hand. Check out the makers on this site and the amazingly beautiful work they put out. You're more likely to find that exact fit you're looking for between functionality and beauty. ;)
 
i al partial to Chris Reeve and Hinderer
Get the one from them you like better and you should be fine

at the crossroads of EDC and user the Hinderer Jurassic and the Hinderer firetac are often overlooked or underestimated but they are IMO some of the best choices you can make for an actual user

honorable mention to the XM-18 no choil spanto if you can get one and for CRK the Large Inkosi drop point and Umnumzaan tanto
 
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