Choosing a gift

B

Beanie

Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
4
Hi! I'm new to this forum and knives in general, so bear with me a bit, please.

I currently own a few knives (all Spyderco :D ) and am very pleased with them, but really don't know much about them. All that aside, here's my real situation:

One of my close friends is entering the military (airborne, I believe) soon, and as a token of appreciation and support, some of us are collecting some money to buy him a nice gift this Christmas. We have absolutely no idea what would be useful to him once he gets out of basic, so I hope that you guys can help me out with some suggestions. It's been suggested that we buy him a Spyderco Military or get him an engraved Harpy, but as I said earlier, we don't know what would be useful to him, and we'd like to get him a user if at all possible.

Thanks for any suggestions you guys may have! :)
 
Beanie,
Not sure how much you're going to collect. A choice that would be a little less expensive is the Endura. I just send a 50/50 Tan one in a care package to an eagle scout from our troop that joined the AF. This is his first Christmas away from home.
Chris
 
Thanks for the ideas. We've collected about $100 or so, so I think we're going to go with a military after all. He'll get a kick out of the "military" on the blade.

Take care, and happy holidays!
 
Either the Combo Edge Manix or the Combo Edge Military would be more than useful to him.
 
Welcome to the forum Beanie. The Military is an excellent choice if your friend is right handed, otherwise do consider the Manix.
 
Purely functional and the added weight isn't an issue: the Manix CE

lightweight and slightly thinner blade (cuts better, but pries worse): the Military CE, this one has a very good long track record in the field though, whereas the Manix is a new model, but on paper I prefer it. It was specifically designed for Military use, but now we have better and more reliable locks.

Cheaper (not afraid to abuse or get lost): an FRN Endura, for the price you could maybe get two, for left and right hand, SE and PE? That would be a pretty cool setup. FRN Enduras are thoroughly proven cutters in the field.

How about a fixed blade, if funds allow it, a Temperance fixed blade in PE and a FRN Endura in CE would make a nice combo as well.

Actually, by now I am not too sure and helpful in what to suggest. Personally, I would take a CE Manix. But if I wanted my non-knife interested friend to have some really useful knives, that he wasn't afraid to use in the military I think I would get him two Enduras or a combination of Temperance FB and Endura, or Delica and Endura. Like they say in that GI Jane movie "two is one, one is nothing"! BTW I keep reading how soldiers all have and appreciate their multitools, does he already have one?

Let us know how you decide!

Wouter
 
Hmmm. I hadn't even considered multi-tools. Thankfully I haven't picked up the gift knife yet ;) .

I do like the idea of giving two knives as opposed to only one. So many new things to discuss with the group. Good thing Christmas is more than a week away, eh? :D

Great suggestions, you guys have given my friends and me some more things to consider. And thanks for the welcome! What a great forum.
 
I'd start with a multitool, if he doesn't have one. My personal favorite is the Sog paratool - one of the most compact out there, with good handles. If you get a good deal, there might still be money in the kitty for an Endura.

Next item would be a tough fixed blade, especially if he's likely to have an assignment "knocking on doors".

Top of the Folder list would be a Manix or Military, maybe a Chinook. Lower price point would be the Native.

Some sort of small sharpener would be a useful addition, as well. Where he's going, any knife he takes is going to get used hard, and sending it back to the factory for a quick touch-up is non-optional. DMT Diafolds are pretty easy to find (Blue/Red double sided would be top of the line, though pricy) There are also various credit-card sized diamond plates and small ceramic rods that are very compact and inexpensive. A Spyderco product would be the double sided pocket hone or an EZ-Lap diamond rod. I personally prefer the Spyderco hone, but I don't let my knives get too dull.
 
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