Buying my first folding knife

[Kellso]

Hello I’m new to this forum and also to knives.

Am I looking to buy my first EDC folding knife.
I do not really have a budget, but I would like it to stay under 200.
The SOG Vulcan is one I really like, specially the blade and the locking mechanism.
My favorite knife I found so far are from Rockstead, but they sadly are far to expensive.

However I have some concerns.
Do all folding knives have blade play?
Also with a liner lock it seems like I could accidently unlock it and cut myself. (I’m a rookie)
But some knives have steel pointing down like some of the Zero Tolerance ones.
That should prevent accidently unlocking the blade due to my finger pressing against it ?

Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!

edit: I Forgot to add that I don't like the Spiderco knives, their blades don't look that good.

Sorry for the long post and English!

 

[Armenate]

First off, most quality knives DO NOT have blade play. Also, I have not experience liner locks failing randomly. However, if you are concerned about that there are other lock styles. Now for the knives, my favorite knife to carry with me is the spyderco delica 4 ($60). It has a back lock meaning that you press a lockbar on the back to close the knife. Another locking mechanism is the axis lock by benchmade (my favorite locking system). There is a multitude of benchmade knives but the gripitillian is a one of there popular and budget friendly ($100 or less) knives. Some other knives to look at are:
- Spyderco tenacious (a budget knife that is a great bargain at around $40)
- Ontario Rat Model 1 or 2 (the 2 is slightly smaller) at under $30 this are amazing knives, they do have a liner lock.

I am sure the rest of the forum has lots more to recommend

There are tons of options and you will learn what your preferences are.

My advice would be to start out with a quality budget folder and see how you like it. For under $100 there are many awesome knives. You will then be able to learn what kind of knives you enjoy and can go from there.

welcome to the forum!

 

[Woodcamo Nut]

it sounds like you are looking for a "flipper" when you said some knives have "steel pointing down".

I would not recommend SOG, they are overpriced but if that is the knife you like then you should buy what you want.....Kershaw has some flipper style knives that would be good for a first folder.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Sog Vulcan isn't a bad option. It will give you decent steel and a solid lockup.
As for bladeplay, it really depends on how picky you are. Every folding knife will move if you yank on it hard enough.
Liner locks can, sometimes, come unlocked if you torque the knife but it's not a common problem.
I think you're referring to a flipper when you talk about the steel pointing down. It won't prevent the liner lock from opening, but can act as a partial guard against running your fingers up onto the blade. It's actually a method of opening the knife, as the tab protrudes from the spine when closed. You flip it with, generally, your index finger and it comes open.

Given your budget and lock preference I would take a long, hard look at the H&K 14715. It's made by Benchmade, has a D2 tool steel blade and G10 scales. The only downside is that it may be a bit difficult to sharpen if you're inexperienced. Another option would be the Buck 830 Marksman. It's got a very unique lock, but also features a classic, all-around useful blade shape and 154CM steel.

 

[Woodcamo Nut]

Also with a liner lock it seems like I could accidently unlock it and cut myself. (I’m a rookie)
But some knives have steel pointing down like some of the Zero Tolerance ones.
That should prevent accidently unlocking the blade due to my finger pressing against it ?

If you are most concerned about lock up failure then you should seriously consider buying a Cold Steel knife that has a Tri Ad lock, it's the strongest lock on the market and they have a wide selection of folders that feature the Tri Ad lock. The Voyager series is the best value in their line up.

 

[Kellso]

If you are most concerned about lock up failure then you should seriously consider buying a Cold Steel knife that has a Tri Ad lock, it's the strongest lock on the market and they have a wide selection of folders that feature the Tri Ad lock. The Voyager series is the best value in their line up.

It's not that i'm concerned about the lock failing, but when you press on the liner the blade unlocks right? Isn't that something that could happen by accident when the knife is in use ?

 

[collim1]

I personally am not a fan of frame locks or liner locks. Blade play should not be an issue on any quality knife.

I like the Benchmade Griptillian and the Victorinox Farmer. I carry them both daily and both have been great.

 

[mtangent]

It's not that i'm concerned about the lock failing, but when you press on the liner the blade unlocks right? Isn't that something that could happen by accident when the knife is in use ?

It would be unusual for that to happen. Have you checked out knife ownership laws in the Netherlands? Many European countries have restrictive laws.

 

[Woodcamo Nut]

It's not that i'm concerned about the lock failing, but when you press on the liner the blade unlocks right? Isn't that something that could happen by accident when the knife is in use ?

There could be a lot of deciding factors that can cause a liner lock to fail, it could either be a loose pivot or worn out tang and lock or just a cheap gas station knife that can flat out fail and be dangerous to use.

I have never had a liner lock fail on me when using quality budget knives like the Ontario RAT 1 and Kershaw Tremor.....I have tested those knives extensively and they have proven to be reliable liner locks.

Any mechanism can fail though, so you also have to take that into consideration.

 

[Kellso]

It would be unusual for that to happen. Have you checked out knife ownership laws in the Netherlands? Many European countries have restrictive laws.

Yes I have checked on the web and with my buddy at the police, knives open can be no longer than 28 cm, no auto knives, stiletto's or blades with 2 cutting sides.

 

[mtangent]

Yes I have checked on the web and with my buddy at the police, knives open can be no longer than 28 cm, no auto knives, stiletto's or blades with 2 cutting sides.

That's good. I'm an Aussie, & our authorities have lumped autos, flippers, assisted all in the same category.

 

[Colorodo]

I would recommend the Zero Tolerance, a lot of knife for the money.

 

[Kellso]

Thank you all for your recommendations, I took a look at the knives and sadly not all of them are available to purchase in my country.
Also I took a look at the benchmade griptillian, and it seems people have a problem with blade play so I don't think i'd go with that.
Any more recommendations would be great, the more the better!
And I found Mcusta knives, they look really good, but would the damascus blade rust?

 

[marcinek]

Thank you all for your recommendations, I took a look at the knives and sadly not all of them are available to purchase in my country.
Also I took a look at the benchmade griptillian, and it seems people have a problem with blade play so I don't think i'd go with that.
Any more recommendations would be great, the more the better!
And I found Mcusta knives, they look really good, but would the damascus blade rust?

Welcome.

The Griptilian does not have a problem with blade play. I am not sure where you are getting your information from, but it is inaccurate.

Get the SOG Vulcan. You like it (which is what matters most), it is a fine knife, and no knfe is going to close on you if you are using it correctly. If you are doing things with a folding knife that make you think "Is this going to close on me?", then you should be using a fixed blade.

 

[Kellso]

Welcome.

The Griptilian does not have a problem with blade play. I am not sure where you are getting your information from, but it is inaccurate.

Get the SOG Vulcan. You like it (which is what matters most), it is a fine knife, and no knfe is going to close on you if you are using it correctly. If you are doing things with a folding knife that make you think "Is this going to close on me?", then you should be using a fixed blade.

I read some dutch and english reviews saying they had problems with blade play even after sending it to benchmade for repairs.
After comparing some knives I think the SOG Vulcan is too big to carry around for me, sadly there aren't any mini's for sale here at the moment.

 

[marcinek]

I read some dutch and english reviews saying they had problems with blade play even after sending it to benchmade for repairs.
After comparing some knives I think the SOG Vulcan is too big to carry around for me, sadly there aren't any mini's for sale here at the moment.

Well, Griptilians and Delicas are great, proven choices for EDC and would make a great first EDC knife. Great knives to start seeing what do do and dont like in an edc.

Honestly, I wouldn't spend the amount you are talking about on ONE first EDC.

I bet you might be able to get a RAT-1 with a liner lock, a KABAR Dozier folding hunter (with a lockback), and a Victorinox Swiss Army or Case traditional slipjoint ALL for that price.

With those three you would really start seeing what you like. Then spend more on a knife that has exactly what you have, through experience and use, found you like.

 

[vanslem6]

Are you by chance confusing blade play with blade centering? I know that centering has been an issue as of late, however, blade play is not something I've heard of. I have a mini griptilian with no blade play.

 

[Jesse B.]

And I found Mcusta knives, they look really good, but would the damascus blade rust?

Mcusta knives are quite good, and typically well-made. The "damascus" blade in this instance is actually a core of VG-10 steel with many layers of nickel on top to create the pattern you see. VG-10 is regarded as a stainless steel (it doesn't rust easily), and I believe nickel is resistant to rust, so that should not be a concern. (Just ensure your knives are dry when you store them.)

 

[Kellso]

Well, Griptilians and Delicas are great, proven choices for EDC and would make a great first EDC knife. Great knives to start seeing what do do and dont like in an edc.

Honestly, I wouldn't spend the amount you are talking about on ONE first EDC.

I bet you might be able to get a RAT-1 with a liner lock, a KABAR Dozier folding hunter (with a lockback), and a Victorinox Swiss Army or Case traditional slipjoint ALL for that price.

With those three you would really start seeing what you like. Then spend more on a knife that has exactly what you have, through experience and use, found you like.

I don't mind spending the money on a quality knife, also i've gone out for a moment to test out some knives and I like a lot of the locks. Liner, SOG lock And benchmade.

Are you by chance confusing blade play with blade centering? I know that centering has been an issue as of late, however, blade play is not something I've heard of. I have a mini griptilian with no blade play.

Yes I am sure they talked about blade play in reviews, but since it's the internet I can't trust all the negativity.

 

[Seneca18]

Hello I’m new to this forum and also to knives.

Am I looking to buy my first EDC folding knife.
I do not really have a budget, but I would like it to stay under 200.
The SOG Vulcan is one I really like, specially the blade and the locking mechanism.
My favorite knife I found so far are from Rockstead, but they sadly are far to expensive.

However I have some concerns.
Do all folding knives have blade play?
Also with a liner lock it seems like I could accidently unlock it and cut myself. (I’m a rookie)
But some knives have steel pointing down like some of the Zero Tolerance ones.
That should prevent accidently unlocking the blade due to my finger pressing against it ?

Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!

edit: I Forgot to add that I don't like the Spiderco knives, their blades don't look that good.

Sorry for the long post and English!

If you are concerned with blade play I would stay away from any SOG assisted knife. All of my SOG assisted knives have a considerable amount of blade play. After inquiring about this issue to SOG customer service I was told "all assisted knives have blade play" which I find interesting as none of my Benchmade or Kershaw assisteds have play like SOGS do. Just my experience.