Best Spyderco for my money?

[dkb45]

manix2 lightweight looks like a good buy also but it has the ball bearing lock.

The Ball Bearing Lock is excellent. More than strong enough for any situation you would use a folder for.

I would second the Manix/XL. I prefer the 154cm Manix, but S30V isn't bad. One thing I will say, though, is that a pocket knife is terrible for SD. There is not enough blade to do much anything. Your best bet is to scare the attacker off, and then you might get assault with a deadly weapon charge. If you want to do SD, you would be better off with a baton or pepper spray. Those are usually more legal.