Cheap "fighting" folder

I own several tactical folders, and my favorite is the Emerson Mini Commander. It has the most ergonomic and secure grip of any of my folders.

I don't think I would choose the S&W FL-2 for self-defense purposes(no offense, misque). I have not held one, but from the pictures I have seen it does not appear to have as secure a grip as some of the other choices that have been mentioned. One's hand might slide forward onto the blade during a hard stab.

I have a similar knife, the Camillus Cuda, and I don't think the Cuda's grip is as secure as those on my other folders. It is a great utility knife, but I wouldn't carry it for self-defense.
 
W. T. Beck wrote:
I don't think I would choose the S&W FL-2 for self-defense purposes(no offense,misque).
Click to expand...

None taken W.T.B.
You actually have a very good point I hadn't considered because I immediately give all my bare metal handled folders the traction tape treatment the minute I get them home.
I tend to forget that others may not do this.
I would not use a bare metal handled knife that might get blood on it as that bare metal handle is slippery enough without the addition of a lube.:D

BTW,
I use the 3M brand of traction tape that has a rubbery rough textured face. It does not tear up one's pants pockets and provides a super good grip. It also sticks firmly to a metal handle until you decide to replace/remove it. It's really good stuff.
 
Hello misque,

Can you get that traction tape at Walmart? It sounds like just the stuff to put on those slippery BK&T handles. I would like to put some on my Camillus Arclite neck knife handle, too.
 
W.T.B.,
mad-dog20/20 sent me about a foot of the stuff he had laying around in his office. I really don't know who has it on the shelf, but I would imagine Lowe's or Home Depot would be a good place to check. I'm not too sure about Walmart.

It is made by 3M and the bar code # is 051131595088.

Sorry I can't point you in a more definate direction on this.


All the best,
Mike U.
 
Man, there are a LOT of choices out there for this type of knife! If you want to go totally cheap and still have a great knife, here are some suggestions:

CRKT KFF, M16 or Ryan
Cold Steel Voyagers
Spyderco Endura
Kershaw Blackout

If you want to spend a little more, there are a TON of knives out there! Here are some suggestions toward the upper end of your budget:

Benchmade 710, AFCK, etc....
Al Mar Sere 2000 (Can't wait for the new Shrike!!!)
Spyderco Chinook, Wegner, Ayoob, Starmate, etc....
Buck Strider
Kershaw Boa
Emerson Commander, P-Sark, SOCFK, CQC7, etc....
Microtech SOCOM, LCC, etc....
Masters Of Defense - just about any of 'em
Rekat Sifu, Carnivore, Pocket Hobbit (discontinued)

There are a lot more out there, but that's all I could think of right now. I've owned and used most of the knives in both the lists and the ones I still have are CRKT KFF, Spydie Endura, Benchmade 710, Al Mar Sere 2K, and the Emerson P-Sark. It's really all about personal preference. If you can, go to a knife store and handle everything that catches your eye. You might even try out some that don't appeal to you - I have a few knives that I think are ugly as sin, but they perform darned good.

Let us know what you end up with. Happy Hunt'n!
 
If you can't find non-slip tape at any hardware stores around you,
find out where the kids in your neighborhood get skateboard tape. Works great on slippery knives and Glock grips.
Give the Spydercos a chance. It took me awhile, but now, that stupid hole in the blade is essential to any serious duty knife I own. And, the Chinook is perhaps THE strongest lockback ever made.
 
I started out with a Gerber EZ-out back in '95. It served me well for five years. It was strong enough to cut through a restaurant size can of olives and I never asked more of it. I adapted to the right handed clip and got quick with it, as quick as my northpaw friends with costlier knives. When I got the bug to get a new knife was when my wife got her Kershaw Speed Safe. I had never seen the assisted opening before that. It hasn't failed her in the three years she's had it. What prevented me from getting one- not lefty friendly. Along the way I got a Hibben Pro-folder for a b-day. Really neat but not as an EDC. I finally replaced the Gerber with a CRKT spearpoint M-16-03Z. I dig that flipper. It's been a great knife for real life (but lately the Chive has been following me to the office). Of the Gerber, Kershaw and CRKT; the M-16 is the heaviest and easiest to hang on to. I stabbed it into a Hibiscus tree hard enough to put the tip .5"-.75" into the tree without my hand slipping on the handle. Good enough for me (and my budget). The knives by Spyderco, Benchmade and Emerson that I've handled were sweet but beyond my immediate means and I'm sure they would serve well for years. In the end, though, buy what calls out to you because THAT will be the knife that finds its way into your pocket. Happy hunting.

Frank
 
The more I look at that Al Mar SERE 2000, the more I like it.

How is the Cuda EDC for a little bit smaller of a knife?


Mark
 
The CUDA is a good knife, but has a similar design to the S&W knife mentioned above. The handles are metal and I don't think the grip would be very secure in a stab. You would need to put some traction tape on it like misque suggested.

For self-defense, in a knife, bigger is better. If you go with a smaller knife then choose a hook bill type which can do more damage for a short blade. The Emerson La Griffe neck knife is the most popular of that type. Spyderco makes some hook bill folders.
 
I concur with WTB - if you are looking primarily for a small folding "fighter" rather than a utility knife, then a hookbill / hawksbeak knife like the Microtech Kestrel is the best option. The small curved blade lends itself best to slashing attacks, which is really all you can do effectively w/a small blade unless you've spent some time practicing knife combat techniques.

You also want a knife that opens FAST, so you will need to handle the proper knife before you purchase, in order to insure it has slick action. I found the Camillus EDC to be a nice knife, but much slower to open than a mini-AFCK for example.
 
Originally posted by W.T. Beck
For self-defense, in a knife, bigger is better.
Click to expand...

I dunno, depends on whether you're trained or not. I think it'd be terribly easy to knock a large blade out of my scrawny arms. :)
 
I think it'd be terribly easy to knock a large blade out of my scrawny arms.
Click to expand...

AlphaphalpaPB,

In that case you might want to go with a neck knife like the La Griffe or S&W Badge Knife. Those have finger holes which give a more secure grip.
 
If you're looking for a folder with a (slightly) curved hook bill type blade that opens VERY fast, you ought to think about getting an Emerson P-Sark. It has the wave opener on it so when you pull it out of your pocket it's ready to go! I have one and it is one of my favorite knives. The handle is very well designed, secure, and ergonomic. I think it would make a very effective self defense folder. Plus the wave is just too cool - try it out & you'll be hooked!
 
AlphalphaPB,

One other question: Excuse my ignorance of martial arts or knife fighting principles, but would it necessarily be easier to knock a folder with a 4 inch blade out of a person's hand, versus one with a 3 inch blade like the Cuda? It seems the grip would be more important than the size of the knife. If someone can strike you in such a way as to make you drop your knife, how much does the size of the knife have to do with it?
 
After much internal debate and considering buying a cheapo, I decided to just pony up and get a good knife. As such, I've made a final narrowing down to a couple knives. They are all similar in size, abilities, and price. I wish I could handle each and decide in person, but none of these are locally available. I'm hoping that there are some people who have handled a couple of these that can help me narrow them down. I've put them in curent order of preference. Thanks.

1. Al Mar SERE 2000, plain edge (probably black blade if that coating is known to hold up, but the satin looks so good on this knife). I'm really leaning towards this knife because its supposed to be very durable and the edge profile looks to be the easiest to sharpen of this group (since I'm not good at sharpening).

2. Spyderco Chinook, plain edge. Looks to be an awesome knife!

3. Emerson Mini-Commander, plain edge, black. I really like that Wave feature.

4. Kershaw Boa, plain edge, black blade, black handle. I like the SpeedSafe opening and the large finger guard.

There are a lot of other knives that I like but their size is just a little bit small or just a little bit big for my current tastes (AFCK and mini-AFCK spring to mind).


Based on this thread and other threads, I'm definitely going to pick up a fully serrated Endura with fiberglass handles for times when I know I'll need that kind of utility.

Thanks again.

Mark
 
Save your money! Your Gerber may work just fine for you. Buy the "One Armed Bandit" opener that SMKW sells to mount on the blade. You have toughness, easy openning, and a solid lock back.
 
Hello Minjin,

That SERE gets great reviews. It ought to be a great choice. Of those you have selected, I own the Mini-Commander, and it is my favorite knife. It's ergonomics can't be beat.
 
Out of the four you narrowed it down to, I'd go with the SERE. It is in my right front pocket right now. I have the one with the black blade, and even though I'm the second owner of this particular knife, the coating looks great! No worries about it rubbing off easily.

The SERE opens like silk, and locks up rock solid. The VG-10 blade steel holds a very sharp edge for a long time. If you want a well made workhorse of a knife, the SERE is the one to choose.
 
The wide range of responses, all great suggestions BTW, shows just how many great knives there are for such a wide range of tastes.

These days I lean towards Spydercos although, like Minjin, I didn't care for them before. Yeah, I used to think the Spydie hole was weird too and just a cheap way around having to put on a thumbstud. Boy was I wrong! The only time I would probably prefer a thumbstud is if I wore gloves; which I rarely do.

This said, however, it sounds to me that Minjin couldn't go wrong with a Benchmade 710 Axis. There are more expensive and esoteric knives around but they'd be hard pressed to beat a 710. Even though I prefer Spydies these days, I have to admit that the 710 is a near perfect folder IMO.

Everyone I have ever shown this knife to were blown away regardless of whether they were knife knuts or not. They include: martial artists, outdoorsmen, military/tactical guys, and gun and knife enthusiasts. One person commented, "Was it this smooth when you got it?" They can't believe the silky smooth opening of this knife. It also appeals to their macho side because they think it's kinda cool that it is a gravity knife if you pull the lock back while opening...not that you should do that!

PROS:
- True full 4 inch blade with excellent geometry.
- Excellent handle design prevents slippage.
- One of the strongest locks on the market (refer to several tests done at bladeforums two years ago. It beat every other liner and lockback tested at that time). Ambidextrous too!
- Excellent either as a tac/fighter folder OR for general purpose.
- Robust build and materials used - thick stainless liners!
- Available in ATS-34, or M-2.
- Can be found for under $100.

CONS:
- Not the most comfortable EDC due to it's length (hard to sit down with it in your pocket!). I don't use it at all (kept mint in box) and prefer smaller knives (Spydie Native in my case)for EDC; of course there's always the smaller 705...
- Basic black G-10 scales not really eye-pleasing by today's designer-colored G-10 models. Then again, if you like basic black...
- I recall a couple of bladeforums people reported that one of the Axis lock Omega springs broke. Apparently the lock will function safely with only one of the two springs but you have to go to the trouble of shipping it back to Benchmade for repairs.
- Benchmade's factory grounded edge sucks. I've had sharper Swiss Army pocket knives.
 
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