Choosing A Knife For My Travels

J

justin.h

Joined
Apr 17, 2012
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4
I have recently left my job and I am going out on the road indefinitely for some travel here in the states. I have a Spec Elite I by SOG but I want something a little smaller to carry so I can avoid any legal issues and/or harrasement from the law while traveling state to state. I want it to be a quality and well built knife that is solid and doesn't rattle in any way, have about a 3" blade, good steel and for it to fit well in my hand. I love the oversized nuetral designed handle on my SOG, is there any 3" blades with oversized handles and good grip that come to mind?
 
id look for something that will fly under the radar. something that isnt black, exotic or tacticool
 
How about a nice custom slipjoint. Classic. There are some makers putting pretty high-tech steel in their knives these days.
 
Oh, another requirement is that it could be opened easily and quickly with either hand and used in either hand... and I want a pocket clip.
 
justin.h said:
Oh, another requirement is that it could be opened easily and quickly with either hand and used in either hand... and I want a pocket clip.
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Why are you in such a hurry to get the thing open, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm with woody and climbingrocks, if you want to almost guarantee that you are not going to get any flak, carry a nice slipjoint like a Case stockman or a some sort of Victorinox SAK.

Your desire to carry something that deploys quickyy is going to get you just the kind of attention you seem to not want.
 
I guess I just don't like dicking around opening a knife, but you do make a good point. I guess a knife that has a smaller blade but still is all "tactical" is gonna be viewed the way I don't want it to be viewed. I mean this is first and foremost and hopefully only ever a tool but If I ever had to use it to protect myself from getting my head smashed in I absolutely would. I'm planning on traveling around the western half of the country and then through B.C. to Alaska all by my lonesome over the course of the next year... hmm. Those Emersons look like great knives btw, a bit outta my price range. I'd like to keep it under $100. Thanks for the replies I'm sure you realize I just signed up. I did search around the forum for a bit but you can't beat real time conversation.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums.

There are several offering from a few manufacturers. For what you are saying, I think a Spyderco Delica fits the bill. Their Paramilitary is quite a blade as well.

There's nothing wrong with several blades from Kershaw either. The Skyline is a great knife for the money, and very unassuming.

Good luck in your adventures and your knife purchases, let us know what you decide.

Moose
 
Spyderco Calypso 3. 3" blade, and although the handles aren't "oversized", the way it's made with the finger choil makes it grip like a much larger knife. It's pretty much exactly the same size as the Delica (including cutting edge length), yet fits anybody's hand better. In fact, that could be said about almost any 3" blade knife, such as the Benchmade 705/706. Same length, vastly different feel in hand. Except for a few cities (Chicago, Boston), the Caly 3 is legal anywhere in the US. The deep-carry wire clip is very discreet. Alternatively, there's the UKPK if you don't need a lock (find an orange handled one and nobody will think it's a weapon), or one of the Sage series knives (practically the same ergos as a Caly 3) if you prefer something other than a back-lock.

I'd recommend complimenting any such knife with something completely inoffensive like a wood or bone or yellow delrin handled Case Stockman or a Swiss Army Knife. These knives are completely off (most) peoples' radars as being "weapons" and won't cause a batted eye when you pull one out for a simple cutting task.
 
Yep a leatherman is a good choice. I have a wave and the blade can deploy just as quick as the modern folders I've tried. A pocket clip can be added for 5 bucks or so. Not the most ergonomic knife but it is hand filling. For something nicer I always thought the Delica is a good little folder. The handle is thin but the shape of it makes it pretty comfy to use.
 
I've never really been a folder kinda guy but I have always liked the look of the Benchmade Bone collector folders, they are listed as a little over your budget but I bet you can find them cheaper !

http://www.benchmade.com/products/15030

[youtube]_Oa3H1PoSFw[/youtube]

Did a quick search and found them as low as $114.
 
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Anything from kershaw or the phat bob from Ka-bar is a great knife. I second the traditional recommendations get a trapper and you will have a knife big enough to do most cutting chores yet small enough to fit in your pocket unnoticed.
 
I've done a bunch of travelling through Alaska, Canada and Europe, and regardless of what kind of clip pocket knife you choose - make sure you have some sort of multi-tool with you also. I can't tell you the number of times I've needed a screwdriver/pliers/etc and been glad I had it on me. The old leatherman crunch or one of SOG's geared multi tools makes a heck of a difference when fighting a tough bolt - or clamping a broken part together until you get to the next town.
 
Hard to go wrong with a spyderco delica 4 or a benchmade mini griptilian in terms of a tried and true affordable 3" edc blade. As mentioned earlier a caly 3 or 3.5 or a paramilitary 2 would be a great choice as well as the sage series by spyderco. The kershaw skyline gets great reviews as well and is available at many Walmart stores so you could definitely pick up one of those on your travels if need be..
 
Moosez45 said:
Welcome to Bladeforums.

There are several offering from a few manufacturers. For what you are saying, I think a Spyderco Delica fits the bill. Their Paramilitary is quite a blade as well.

There's nothing wrong with several blades from Kershaw either. The Skyline is a great knife for the money, and very unassuming.
Click to expand...

Since you mentioned Skyline, why not the Bladeforums Skyline? (although it may not fit your timeframe)
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...w-Skyline-PREORDER-Thread-S30V-Blue-G10-90-ea
 
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