Code 4: the (almost) perfect gentleman's folder?

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tess_lawrie_fan

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In my country you can't carry a blade bigger than 10 cm. The American Lawman isn't available here, but I was lucky enough to put my hands in these 3 Code 4.

I'm enjoying them a lot and, of course, the "Sold Steel" (clip point) is my obvious victim to be carried outdoors.

It's the beefier thing I can carry with comfort and legally.

It's the perfect gentleman's folder, because it could also be helpful in those hours in which you cannot be a gentleman.

The Sold Steel clip point came in an Old Steel package, which is perhaps a good sign. :thumbsup:

Do you guys have other suggestions below 4" / 10 cm?
 
tess_lawrie_fan said:
3-Code-4-folders.jpg


3-Code-4-boxes.jpg


In my country you can't carry a blade bigger than 10 cm. The American Lawman isn't available here, but I was lucky enough to put my hands in these 3 Code 4.

I'm enjoying them a lot and, of course, the "Sold Steel" (clip point) is my obvious victim to be carried outdoors.

It's the beefier thing I can carry with comfort and legally.

It's the perfect gentleman's folder, because it could also be helpful in those hours in which you cannot be a gentleman.

The Sold Steel clip point came in an Old Steel package, which is perhaps a good sign. :thumbsup:

Do you guys have other suggestions below 4" / 10 cm?
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Not as nice, but the Air Lite is more compact for a 3.5" blade.

Would also check out the Silver Eye (or the older Golden Eye Elite) if you can find a good deal. I was able to get a GE Elite a few years ago for $99, and a SE last year for $125. Great knives for those prices, but wouldn't go much higher.
 
jlauffer said:
Not as nice, but the Air Lite is more compact for a 3.5" blade.

Would also check out the Silver Eye (or the older Golden Eye Elite) if you can find a good deal. I was able to get a GE Elite a few years ago for $99, and a SE last year for $125. Great knives for those prices, but wouldn't go much higher.
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The Air Lite caught my attention at first, but I can't find it here.

The two "Eyes" are cool, but here the prices are very high. I bought these Code 4 at a very reasonable price, which (for me) is a crucial factor for knives you intend to use outdoors.

It's worth to mention I also got the "Plastic Eye" for outdoor use. It's more like a toy, and kind of ugly, but I like it a lot. Great design. As you have guessed, I'm talking about the Grik.
 
I really like the Code 4's, a lot of people complain about the slippery surface, I have no problem with it. I don't know if you can find them but the Recon1 is 4", AK 47 I believe 3.5" and the Voyager Series has many 4" models. I also like the underdog Swift with its assisted opening.
 
^yeah I wouldn't call it a gentleman's knife by any means...maybe a culture or language translation deal going on here?

great knives though when found at the right price. I dont find them slippery either.....hear it a lot but never experienced it myself even with wet and sweaty hands in the swamps. could also be the thinness of it that leads to that complaint? while its strongly built the thin grip doesnt exactly lead to a great harder user. not thats its bad at all....just maybe this is part of the complaint by complainers wanting pocket shredding textures on everything?

if op is wanting under 4" blade and kinda thinner....those mini recons are 3" blade i think. should carry pretty light and comfortable. still no gentleman's knife though.😉
 
tess_lawrie_fan said:
That's an interesting point... What, in your opinion, declassifies the Code 4 as a gentleman's knife?
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What is a gentleman's knife?

We've all seen threads about gent's knives, the "show us your gentleman's folders" threads, etc, and many of us have been a bit surprised at just what some people consider (or say they consider) to be a gentleman's folding knife. So, I thought maybe we could just discuss what exactly we mean by...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
A “gentleman’s knife” is generally thought of as smaller, office-carry type knives… smaller slipjoints like most GECs, small case trappers/peanut/Texas toothpick… Benchmade proper… and similar type knives. Basically, if you could take it out in a room full of people and no one shudders or makes a dash to call the police. Something you could carry in dress slacks, and hand to most people to use without fear they’ll cut their finger off.

I consider the “Code 4” basically a “go to war” type knife. Code 4 is a police response for “no further assistance needed”.. as in the knife handles the situation. Not exactly something named after slicing apples.
 
Some "Gentlemen" will see it as a Gentleman's Knife, but here is a good definition.

"The concept of a Gentleman’s Folder is simple – smaller knives that focus on quality of materials and a dressy ‘public-friendly’ look that pairs equally well with your suit or jeans pocket. Tacticool has no place here, these knives are not intended for gutting deer, piercing body armor or accompanying mall-ninjas. Gentleman’s knives are purely small, simple and stylish."
 
Fallkniven Gentlemans Linerlock may be a good example

BTW - many traditional folders are just gentleman's knives
Medium size, classy, sleek, ornate, great materials
But blade super steels aren't important at all !
 
nephron said:
Some "Gentlemen" will see it as a Gentleman's Knife, but here is a good definition.

"The concept of a Gentleman’s Folder is simple – smaller knives that focus on quality of materials and a dressy ‘public-friendly’ look that pairs equally well with your suit or jeans pocket. Tacticool has no place here, these knives are not intended for gutting deer, piercing body armor or accompanying mall-ninjas. Gentleman’s knives are purely small, simple and stylish."
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Here (and below) are many examples of "gentleman's knives"... The Code 4 is much more elegant than most of them, and I would die if I had to carry many of them. It's a matter of taste, which is something that nobody (not even a "gentleman") can buy.

I admit, however, that the Code 4 is perhaps half an inch bigger than required.
 
Paratrooper06 said:
A “gentleman’s knife” is generally thought of as smaller, office-carry type knives… smaller slipjoints like most GECs, small case trappers/peanut/Texas toothpick… Benchmade proper… and similar type knives. Basically, if you could take it out in a room full of people and no one shudders or makes a dash to call the police. Something you could carry in dress slacks, and hand to most people to use without fear they’ll cut their finger off.
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You have a point. I wouldn't hand any Cold Steel folder to someone who is not used to them. Even if closed. This is a real problem which escaped me.

Regarding fears and police calls, I think that the manners are more important than the object per se. Even a smaller folder, if opened in a mall ninja style, would call the attention in a negative way.

Paratrooper06 said:
I consider the “Code 4” basically a “go to war” type knife. Code 4 is a police response for “no further assistance needed”.. as in the knife handles the situation. Not exactly something named after slicing apples.
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That's the CS marketing we all know. Regardless the name, my idea is to carry a beautiful, elegant folder that is also useful.

However, as I said, he Code 4 is perhaps half an inch bigger than required.
 
If I were a knife snob, my nitpicks of it would include the blade-to-handle ratio and the “slick” scales. But I’m not a snob and the Code 4 is one of my favorites.

Is it the perfect gent knife? Well, I wouldn’t know about that. But it is a damn fine knife.
 
DangerZone98 said:
If I were a knife snob, my nitpicks of it would include the blade-to-handle ratio and the “slick” scales. But I’m not a snob and the Code 4 is one of my favorites.

Is it the perfect gent knife? Well, I wouldn’t know about that. But it is a damn fine knife.
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If the "gentleman's knife" is a thing that pertains necessarily to a snobbish world, and must be expensive, or be made with exquisite materials and stellar workmanship, then I was really wrong by using that expression.

I'm not a snob in any way, but I always valued elegance. And, most of the time, elegance is simplicity.

The Code 4 does not have a coated blade. The aluminium handle is ergonomic, but not "tactical". Not simple enough? The clip may be removed.

But I can't make it half an inch smaller. Lesson learned.
 
PirateSeulb said:
I will say for me a gentleman's knife if anything you can carry while in a suit and it doesn't look out of place and to me this knife would absolutely look out of place with a suit.
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I would use the spear point, with the clip removed, in the flap pocket.

But if the whole knife community disapproves this, who am I to disagree. After all, that half an inch in excess does make a difference.
 
In the end it is about you, what your comfortable with, what is legal around you, and how people react to your knife and how that reaction matters to you if at all. I am not knocking the knife and it can certainly fit for an EDC as it is not a very Tacticool knife and certainly not by CS standards. If it fits and feels gentlemanly to you then it can be such for you. Much of what we try and define and place into categories is more than where we place it music and really any art highlights this as art is an expression of an artist they rarely seem to set out with the goal of conforming to a category.
 
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