Choosing an every day carry knife

T

Tethyss

Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
1
Greetings,

I've read quite a bit here and this post may be too basic for these forums. If so, please direct me to another thread, forum or web site. In my google searching this thread proved most useful so I stuck with it:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/667760-Best-folding-knife-for-daily-carry

However, my question is, how do you choose a knife to carry? The options in terms of use, build, construction, materials, manufacturer can be bewildering. I'll step through my wish list and perhaps you will have some guidance or corrections.

-I'd like an EDC knife that fits in my pant pocket
-I'd like a folder so it will be 'slim' and unobtrusive
-I need to be able to open and close it with one hand
-I work in IT but also do a lot of fishing -- most knives will cut mono/flouro, can any cut braided line well or is that a separate device?
-I would like to spend less than $100

Any my general newbie question would be:

Why is the blade shape/composition important and how do you choose the correct one?

To add to this, I will not buy a knife on the internet unless I have handled it first. I don't mind paying a bit extra from a local vendor or knife/gun show. I live in FL so if you know any good vendors let me know. Thank you very much.
 
You could pick up a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 for around $100 pretty easy and it may be one of the best EDC choices available right now. Or if you expand your budget a little more, you can pick up an M390 Benchmade 710 for around $150 at a popular online dealer.
 
Anyone of the Al MAr ultralights, or if you're willing to spend say like 35-45 more.... benchmade 940 series... any of them.

ALl of those are slim n light
 
Look at the Kershaw Skyline, and Kershaw Zing, they might fit your bill. They are also quite a bit cheaper than your budget allows.

Also look at the Sypderco Tenacious or Persistence.
 
Tethyss said:
To add to this, I will not buy a knife on the internet unless I have handled it first. I don't mind paying a bit extra from a local vendor or knife/gun show. I live in FL so if you know any good vendors let me know. Thank you very much.
Click to expand...

Is anyone reading this part??????

Most sporting goods vendors will carry Victorinox Swiss Army knives. I pretty sure they have a one handed opener that would work that you should be able to get your hand on. They're very high quality for a very reasonable price, well below the $100 mark.
 
I would get a Spyderco Endura or Tenacious. Both are fine models for under $60 (personally, I like the waved endura). The Endura will give you good rust resistance in VG10 steel. The lock-back may take a few tries to get a hold of opening and closing one handed. The Para 2 (previously mentioned) is a good choice for around $100. I would try a few models under $70 before getting something more expensive.
 
If you're really wanting to find a knife at a local B&M store you're going to be missing out on a LOT of very nice knives.
 
I just recently started looking around for a couple nice knives too. I ended up buying online, but I did try a lot of local options first. Most have a poor selection, or only one or two of the brands you may be interested in. I'm in Ohio and the closest "knife shop" is about 100 miles away from where I'm at. Best places to look though are sporting goods/outdoor stores. You can also try gun shops in your area. Walmart of all places will have some Kershaws you can check out. The problem I found with all these options was the lack of selection. I watched and read a bunch of reviews and ordered a paramilitary 2 from knife works. I don't regret it one bit.
 
Welcome fellow Floridian! Check out the Suncoast Gunshow. Last time I went there was a few vendors that had a decent selection of knives.
 
Choosing a knife is ultimately up to personal preferences. Size, blade & handle shape and material, opening & locking mechanism, weight, etc. Just handling the knife briefly in a retail store or at a trade show won't necessarily give you a good feel for how well the knife carries and works in your EDC applications. You really need to just carry and use it for a while to get a feel for it.

If you know someone who's willing to loan you a couple different knives to try out, that'd probably be your best option if you don't want to pay anything and still get a working impression of a knife. Otherwise, try to pick some up inexpensively (blems or used - check the Exchange forum here or auction sites), and use those for a bit to see what characteristics you like. There are also some pass-arounds here on the forums, but you'd have to check the rules for those. The Chinese knives are also a way to try out all sorts of different designs relatively cheaply.

Personally, I like thin and lightweight knives that carry unnoticeably in my pocket and fit my hand well for general EDC. My current favorites are the Kershaw Leek (thin, narrow handle and blade, but a bit heavier than some others), Spyderco Delica (thin and light, but a bit wider when closed), and SOG Flash I (very light and practically disappears in pocket, but the handle is a little short for my hand). When at work, camping, or doing yard work, I have a few larger knives I carry: Ontario RAT-1, Spyderco Endura, and CRKT M21. Those are a bit larger and bulkier, but in those settings, having a larger knife is more useful to me than a smaller, more easily carried one.
 
If your going to use the knife for fishing, the Spyderco Pacific Salt or if thats too large, the Salt 1. Both use H1 steel that wont rust, these 2 knives are available in yellow or black handles and plain edge or serrated. I would suggest plain edge because its easy to maintain a sharp edge - which leads me to my next suggestion. You should also pick up a Spyderco Sharpmaker to go with it.

Pacific Salt.
IMAG0305-1.jpg
 
What I'd do is go through a week and make note of all the tasks you do that require cutting on a weekly basis. Then I'd consider choosing a blade design and steel type suited to your needs, and then go from there. And I'll throw in the fact that a vast majority of my fixed blade EDC knives have an overall slimmer profile than any of my folders. You can carry a fixed blade knife in your pocket, withdraw and resheath it with one hand, and you have all of the reliability, none of the maintenance headache, no chance of ever having blade play or lock issues, and much more utility. Check out the AG Russel Woodsman, the Buck Paklite Skinner, the ESEE Izula, the Becker BK11, the DPX HEST, the Blackjack Neck Knife, the Bark River Bravo Necker, Blind Horse Tiger Knapp Scandi and Wharne... some ideas to broaden your possibilities and capabilities. All are well under your price range, so if you really wanted to you could pick up a nice Swiss Army Knife to accompany your fixed blade. I pack one of the above listed knives with a Vic Spartan, but there are lots of other folding knives that would go well paired with a good fixed blade.
 
I agree with Payette Rucker on this one. A fixed blade of about 3 1/2" would be an excellent choice. An after market pocket sheath like the ones made by sharpshooter sheath system would be a great addition.
 
Nothing wrong with starting cheap and small. How about a Spyderco Delica (several color options). Gives you a chance to find your own preferences without hurting your wallet. They are non-threatening, have great steel IMO for every day tasks, very thin, four-way pocket clip positioning, light-weight, and steel liners. This is just an idea that may help lessen you search time for a knife.

Good luck there are many options out there.

I don't know what knives are in your area as far as "feeling" the knife first.

That's the great thing about trading knives on this site. Gives you a chance to try several while on a budget. If you hate it, trade it.
 
This one was a one-hit wonder, apparently. That's a shame. I hate to see a thread fill up with useful info and kind suggestions, only for the OP to disappear without so much as a word.
 
Yep, a one and done! Course there was some great info laid out there that may have helped someone else. Do hope that there is nothing wrong with the op.
 
farmboy said:
Is anyone reading this part??????

Most sporting goods vendors will carry Victorinox Swiss Army knives. I pretty sure they have a one handed opener that would work that you should be able to get your hand on. They're very high quality for a very reasonable price, well below the $100 mark.
Click to expand...

Get you hands on anything Kershaw...for $100 dollars you can get just about anything they offer... or just get 6 Crowns!!! Keep one in your tackle box, one in your hip pocket, one in your glove box, one in your wife's purse, another one in your tackle box, one for safe-keepings, and one to literally use as a pry-bar/chisel!! Also you can get them at any Wal-Mart! They're great little folders, come sharp, and are easy to re-sharpen, Cheap(price not quality), and feel great, in hand/pocket(tip up only clip). And cuts 1/2 inch static rope all day!! Aside from that, It's ez to open/close one handed! (just my .02cents)

"Better to have 6 knives you don't need than 1 good one you forget"...
BagofDeadCats
 
BagofDeadCats said:
Get you hands on anything Kershaw...for $100 dollars you can get just about anything they offer... or just get 6 Crowns!!! Keep one in your tackle box, one in your hip pocket, one in your glove box, one in your wife's purse, another one in your tackle box, one for safe-keepings, and one to literally use as a pry-bar/chisel!!
They're great little folders, come sharp, and are easy to re-sharpen, Cheap(price not quality), and feel great, in hand/pocket(tip up only clip). And cuts 1/2 inch static rope all day!! Aside from that,It's ez to open/close one handed! (just my .02cents)

"Better to have 6 knives you don't need than 1 good one you forget"...
BagofDeadCats
Click to expand...

Ditto on the Kershaw Crown. I recently got one and I am very happy with the overall quality. The polished G10 is a delight to see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top