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Chill, Skyline or Zing for semi-Gentlemans knife EDC in office environment?

If you go to You Tube and look up Nutnfancy they did an interview at this years shot show with the Kershaw folks. It goes over the 2011 new knives and the 2010 knives. If I recall corectly the Kershaw employee showed and recommended a knife for your situation on this interview.
 
With a quick search I came up with these two.

Sog Flash II?

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Schrade IMP22Y?

416Cyew1fsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
ncbcymtechie - Great post man, that was exactly the kind of subjective info that I was looking for. That comparison of the Chill and the Skyline was very helpful, thanks!

mqqn - I am very aware that using a knife in the office is something that needs to be handled with care. However, I hadn't thought about the extra mass of the blackout being part of the problem. Are you saying that smaller blades make less noise than the larger ones with an AO? I'll keep thinking about that knife you suggested in that case.

Slowrid-Der - I hadn't considered the color of the knife (other than making sure it was less black and tactical looking than the blackout), thats an interesting idea. I have been considering the idea of a "classy" looking knife though (CRKT Delegate for instance), but hadn't thought of going the opposite direction with a caution tape colored knife. My only concern is that it would draw more attention to itself, then again, it might be a different type of attention.

And I will have to check out that video, I hadn't thought about looking on youtube for recommendations like that.

And thanks for the help guys (ncbcymtechie especially, you've been really helpful). I've been working 2 jobs for the last while, so I have less time to devote to looking into things (and ironically, more time feeling like I would like one of said knives).
 
Hi guys -

You are very welcome, oncLogan -

I was given an OD-2 (thanks seelow!) and that is another great choice that I had not thought to add for your consideration.

That knife is about the same size as the Centofante. The Centofante is made in the USA and the OD-2 is made overseas, but my example is a very well-made knife.

I also have a Sog Flash, and while it is a decent knife, I prefer the Kershaw knives.

best regards -

mqqn
 
I've carried my skyline for around a year and a half now and must say it makes a great every day knife. Ordered a Chill just because I could not pass it up for 17 shipped should be here tonight for comparison. The Skyline is plenty thin and light and has a great blade. The only other knife I recommend you consider would be the small Buck Vantage line the large pro model is on my want list as buck has never let me down however the small Avid model might fit your needs perfectly.
 
I use the OD-1 in an office environment and to me it's the perfect low cost gentlemans folder.
 
Hacked- If you look at my other thread, I have finally also found the knife that you have suggested, as it seems like it might be ideal. I am however attracted to the slimness of the knives mentioned in this thread, and have been curious of how it compares. I am actively looking into that one as well, although I've never owned one of their knives, and would be a bit more nervous about one than a kershaw.

vba- Thanks for the input. I had looked into the OD1 initially because I thought that it was a bit too large (before I found out that finding that the selection of 2.5 in knives was almost non-existent in this price range and style). And now its almost come back full circle. I'll look more into this one as well. Although my thickness concern is still there with the OD1, but perhaps not as much because it is a larger knife than the OD2.
 
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Can't say anything about the size here is a good picture though. I will say Buck is a reputable company just like Kershaw and they both make outstanding knives.
 
Sweet photo, that was a great find. I've been looking at reviews for the knife, and have yet to find one with a photo like that. Thanks! I'm still looking into this one, and have heard about some FF issues (at least with the plain normal version). Is the FF of the higher end knives generally better?

Also, since this is the Kershaw subforum...

I've been looking into the OD1 again, and have found some interesting information about it. For instance, I finally saw a photo of the other side of the knife. I was so confused because I had never heard anything about it having G10 on only one side! I have also managed to find thickness listed for the knife. The problem is that the data I have found is conflicting. One thread says it is 3/8 (.375) thick, and another says it is .4125. I know that it isn't a huge difference, but I was wondering which was correct.
 
I apologize if I am mistaken, but wasn't it the OD-2 that you were considering, not the OD-1? The OD-1 is the larger of the two and is a frame lock with only one side in G-10, while the OD-2 is the smaller one with a liner lock, and glass-filled nylon on both sides.

Hey, what about the Kershaw Ener-G? It is discontinued, but still available from a number of places. Like gpknives.com for example. I know its a few bucks over your $40 limit, but there are a few NIB ones on eBay for closer to $30...

I own this knife, and I can definitely say it is an excellent piece. Granted, I don't have anything even remotely high-end to compare it too, but out of the box this knife was perfect. Perfect lockup, perfect action, perfect build. Needless to say I was very impressed with this knife that I only paid $30 for. Obviously though I can't guarantee that everyone's experience with a certain knife will mirror my own...

The Ener-G is similar to the OD-2 in that it has a disconnected flipper. I.E. the flipper isn't physically part of the blade. The descriptions I have seen call this: Lee Williams patented "pseunetic" opener. It is a little bit bigger than the OD-2, but a bit smaller than the Zing. It comes in several versions that I have seen, including: Gray G-10 with Trac-Tec inlays, Plain Black G-10, and black coated or satin blade finish. It is USA made and has the 14C28N steel (or possible some in 13C26N, from 3-09 or earlier). Here's the link to Kershaw's official product page.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw another knife into the mix for you. Just to make it more confusing. ;) But, like I said, the Ener-G is a really nice little knife, and worth taking a look at, in my opinion anyway. :)

Because I own an Ener-G and a Zing (tanto), here are some pictures comparing the two (click images for full-size versions):
 
IRZ28 - That is a great recommendation! I really like the design, as well as the smallerish blade size (closer to the 2.5 inches that I feel is ideal for a gentilemans EDC for some reason). I was going to ask the thickness, but after some googling, I found (on the amazon customer photos no less) that it is 3/8 inch thick. That is a great recommendation, and I really appreciate it. Now I just have to start thinking about if the price is worth it. I mean, I could buy THREE Chills for that price (not counting the ones off of the bay).

And you're right, I was originally looking at the OD2, but then realized that one of the reasons I tossed the OD1 out of the mix was because it was "too big" at 2 15/16 inches. Then I realized that I was looking at knives larger than that, so my reason that was out of the hunt was completely gone. So I decided to look it up again. And to be honest, both are in the runnings still.

In other news, I have been looking in to the buck (lurking in the buck subforum, reading all the old threads), and it seems that the Vantage has some serious issues with consistent F&F, which to me might make the blade feel cheap.

I guess I'm mostly considering the Chill (just seems like so much knife for the $, and I like the look for my intended use), Zing, OD1&2 (the one is a bit pricey, while the 2 is a bit small), the Buck Vantage Avid small(poor construction likely), and the Ener-G(pricey).

Great... I started with three knives to choose from... and now I've now narrowed it down to six.

Thanks for the help!
 
I have both a Zing and Skyline, due to personal convictions (noted above by another poster) no Chill for me thanks. Both models can be had for the cost of a Chill anyway. With regards to carry, I like the weight and thiness of the Skyline, but prefer the less noticeable carry positioning and size of the Zing. Often wonder why the Zing doesn't get any love, although I have a guess. I like the blade on the Skyline but really the size of the Zing is plenty adequate for MY daily office environment tasks. Truthfully (but one must be secure enough with their manhood :-p) a Case peanut could fit the bill AND can be had in yellow.....but I digress.
 
Ok so the comparison between the Chill and the Skyline.

First off the Chill is as expected a great value for the money spent. There are also some things I like better about the Chill such as the lack of thumb studs and he surprisingly sturdy pocket clip. Another note it is much less noticeable in the pocket because of the narrow clip. However in my experience narrow clips tend to get caught on things much easier it is also harder to slip in and out of your pocket. It is just a little slimmer then the Skyline as well due to super scary thin G10 scales*and has solid lockup with a blade that is almost center.

Now that being said the fit and finish is no where close to the Skyline hands down. The G10 is extremely thin and I have to wonder how it would hold up to harsher use. For some reason they machined the G10 behind the lock even though at lest on my knife there is no need. This is the last place I would want it to be even thinner. The edges of the G10 are not smooth and rounded off like on the Skyline instead the edges are squared and then angled if the makes sense.
The handle is still quite comfortable on the Chill even with it's smaller form factor and thinner handle. I would like to note because of the curve in the handle it will take up about the same amount of pocket space as the Skyline.

The grind on the blade was a little sloppy at the bottom of the blade *but other then that It came razor sharp and I am happy with the blade. Also the flipper is super smooth and worked well even with the knife not broken in.*

The hardware is not as nice IMO on the Chill including the pivot and all other screws. They are all standard hex bolts not Torx. They have a chrome finish which makes me doubt they are made of stainless. The last thing I noticed that bugs me is that the washers do not seem to match up. One is a standard PB while the other looks like it is a spacer with a very thin PB washer on top no clue why this is.

So for what you pay you can't go wrong either way but just remember you do most defiantly get plenty more knife for your money with the Skyline.
 
Logan, my OD-1 measures 3/8" thick not counting the clip. Your second measurement would include the clip.
 
I like the OD-1. The issue I have is that it is not an easy knife to open without it looking like an automatic. The OD has a cool flipper that when pressed, the blade jumps to the locked position. There is no thumb stud. If you are in a sensitive office environment, people will talk about your switchblade, even though the OD is not even spring assisted.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate all of the help. Its been very helpful to me as I try to make a decision.

Right now I'm just mulling things over, and will probably make a choice somewhere in the next week or so. I just need to decide what I want, and if I want to pay for what I want (some of them, including the OD1 and Ener-G are over budget).

Thanks again, this has been great.
 
ocnlogan- i have an od-1 that i'm not using at the moment. if you'd like to try it out, i'll send it to you and when you're done testing it, just send it back. pm me your address if you're interested.
 
If I may suggest a knife not on your list. The new frn ukpks by spyderco are outstanding. They are light weight, have subdued color, and have a very nice deep carry pocket clip. They are as gentleman as you get while remaining in the price range of the other three options.
 
Thanks for the recommendation Murdamook, but I don't think that is quite what I'm looking for. I have always disliked the looks of the spyderco knives (I hate how thick the blades are vertically, and I despise the thumb holes) although I for sure respect the fact that they are quality blades, they're just not for me. And also, I found out that the UK knives are slipjoints, which is another detractor. Other than that, I do like the knife.

Notsobrite - Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it. I think I'm going to keep thinking about it for right now, but I will for sure PM you if/when I am interested in making that happen.

Once again guys, thanks for the help!
 
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