Daggers! Legal! What?

Comeuppance

Comeuppance

Fixed Blade EDC Emisssary
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
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It looks like 2016 OK SB 1159 is going to successfully legalize double-edged knives and I'm shopping ahead of time. I have just flatly ignored double-edged offerings from all companies in the past, but now it's a thing I can legally carry!

So, I need some recommendations! Criteria:
- Kydex or equivalent sheath (absolutely necessary)
- Under 6" blade
- Not "surgical steel" or an equivalent mystery stainless
- Can be had for under $200
- Ideally plain edge

I was looking at the Shanghai Shadow, but then noticed it has a SEVEN INCH BLADE. Wayyyy too big. The Hide Out is much more reasonably sized. Knucks are still illegal, so double-edged trench knives are out of the question (and a bit much for daily carry), but I'm pretty open to any suggestions!
 
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Well a 5.5 inch Boker Applegate Fairbarn can be had for $179.00, they also have some WW2 commando style daggers even cheaper.
 
Lucky!

The SOG Pentagon made in Seki would be what I would get. I already have one but I can't carry it :grumpy:
 
Oooo! Those are very good suggestions and classic designs that I can get behind. I'm also looking at the Benchmade SOCP as it seems to fit all the relevant criteria. It apparently is pretty dull from the factory (designed for stabbing, not EDC) but I have a grinder that I can fix that with.

Hmmm. Maybe a Cold Steel Counter Tac? That's a pretty classic boot knife dagger profile.
 
Withouth considering all the items quite strictly, I'd say check out the new CRKT Sangrador, Böker (Trench Knives, Applegate, LDE), Ontario (M3), SOG (Pentagon, Desert), Al Mar (Shadow, and other shorter daggers), Gerber Mark I and II, Entrek MKII and Commando MKII, and definitely Cold Steel (Tai Pan, Peacekeeper II, OSS), Blackhhawk UK-SFK, the new Steel Will Adept and Fervor, and the new KaBar EK Knives. Return of a classic!

It's discontinued but it's IMO one of the best dagger designs ever made
http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS39LPKB/cold-steel-peace-keeper-ii-9-3-4-inch

They pop from time to time on the big Auction site. If you go for the Counter Tac, have in mind the grind style. Flat on one side, it disappoints many people. Just read a bit about it before deciding! Good luck
 
I had the Boker A/F, and really liked it. Was a bit bigger than I like for EDC, but handled like a dream. There's a trainer for it too.

Also had varieties of A.G. Russell Sting. They are a bit smallish, but pretty cool and an easy carry. Search "Sting" on A.G.'s site... like half a dozen of 'em.

Had the Gerber Mark I and Mark II in the past. Liked the Mark II better, but still a bit long-ish for me to carry. If I went Gerber, I'd get the Guardian backup.

None of these are really overly expensive. If Washington allowed dagger carry, I'd likely still own all of the ones I sold or gave away.
 
Comeuppance said:
Oooo! Those are very good suggestions and classic designs that I can get behind. I'm also looking at the Benchmade SOCP as it seems to fit all the relevant criteria. It apparently is pretty dull from the factory (designed for stabbing, not EDC) but I have a grinder that I can fix that with.

Hmmm. Maybe a Cold Steel Counter Tac? That's a pretty classic boot knife dagger profile.
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I don't know if you know, or if it would matter to you, but the Cold Steel Counter Tac is only ground on one side. The other side of the blade is completely flat.

I was going to buy one until I discovered this fact. I prefer that a dagger have a double-grind on each side of the blade.
 
killgar said:
I don't know if you know, or if it would matter to you, but the Cold Steel Counter Tac is only ground on one side. The other side of the blade is completely flat.

I was going to buy one until I discovered this fact. I prefer that a dagger have a double-grind on each side of the blade.
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The CT2 may be, but all info I can find about the current production counter Tac 1 in VG-1 is that it is double-edged. That's also my favorite one so far!
 
I got the CT 1 vg1 and its ground on 1 side. Guard has no metal core. Doesn't bother me. I'd order it and send it back if you no like.
 
joeldworkin307 said:
Another vote for Gerber Mark I or II.
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Too big! The IIs are over six inches. The Mark 1s appear to be rare and expensive, and come with leather sheaths.

Best options so far:

Counter Tac 1 or 2 (both work!)
Benchmade SOCP
Boker Applegate II

With my current budget, I could get the Applegate and one of the other two! Definitely still looking for more options and looking around for that mystical unknown perfect knife (as always).
 
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Well, the only other "daggers" I ever used were dive knives.

One was the Kershaw Amphibian. It was crap steel for a user (420J2 I think) but for a dive knife it was amazing. Wasn't expensive.

And one from Tekna. Don't know what it was, but I wouldn't buy another one.

Never owned, but looked at: Kershaw Secret Agent; Smith & Wesson HRT boot knife; CRKT Synergist boot knife.
 
Comeuppance said:
The CT2 may be, but all info I can find about the current production counter Tac 1 in VG-1 is that it is double-edged. That's also my favorite one so far!
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Perhaps I was unclear. The Counter Tac series are in fact double-edged, but the edges are ground on only one side of the blade. One side of the blade has the classical double-grind with the groove down the center, but the other side of the blade is completely flat.

I just checked Cold Steel's website, and looking at the pictures of the Counter Tac 1 in VG10, it clearly shows what I described- one side of the blade is completely flat (picture 5 of 6).
 
The biggest advantage of daggers is their low weight to length ratio, easily 30% lighter than a similar weight single edge knife. The smaller they are, the more that size-to-weight advantage is squandered...

To maximize the weight advantage, the blade should be narrow, and the handle should be stick tang only, never full tang, and with as little metal as possible: A small guard and only a small pommel, or even no pommel...

Kraton handles are great, but few are made currently, except one low-cost Chinese-made "Desert Dagger" clone by SOG, and that steel is warp prone, and likely poorly tempered (Chinese-made SOG stuff is to be avoided)... The best factory dagger ever in my opinion is the Al Mar shadow IV, 7.75" blade, with an all zytel handle that makes it weight around 8 ounces... A similar size 1/4" stock single edge knife would be at least 12 ounces... It is hard to find: The earlier nylon sheath versions have an incredible mirror finish that is absent from the leather sheath versions... The nylon has a "felt" inside surface that prevents scratching: Best sheath ever in my opinion...

I have a very sharp Randall Clinton dagger, and I don't like it much: To my mind daggers should not have broad blades, and should be longer than 7", or else be even skinnier-bladed. I did not like the Cold Steel Peacekeepers for the same reasons, and they were much duller than the Randall... A skinny blade generally means a more acute point, and this allows more aggressive point cutting.

The original seki-made SOG Desert Dagger is widely available second-hand, and is another good example, if not that sharp, but is way overpriced compared to most discontinued Seki daggers, maybe due to its appearance in Kill Bill... Most of those have the plastic or kydex sheath, and I don't trust those to keep the finish or edge damage free...

My favourite is the very hard to get Junglee Waterloo, but the sheath is worthless. The Gerber Mark II is much easier to get, but over two ounces heavier. I much prefer the handle of the Gerber Guardian II, as the Mark II handle is quite a bit thicker and heavier. Most Gerbers are dull, but the older ones, or the Cutlery Shoppe or special editions, have zero edges, and that makes them especially valuable as they actually can cut a little, despite the narrow blade. The recent special edition of the Command II was the same.

Gaston
 
Plus a few for "old-school". The Western W75 and W77 boot daggers. They are available on fleabay. The W75 has a 3-3/8" blade (7" OAL). The W77 specs are 4-1/2" and 8-3/8". Handles are cocobolo, rosewood, plastic or rubber, depending on the year made and whether made by Western, Coleman/Western or Camillus. There are also some rare variations, the 757 and 777, CP77 and CP75. If you see one listed as WW75 or WW77, that was just box nomenclature and Camillus inventory numbers. Paperwork-wise, Camillus just added an extra W in of the Western model numbers, but never put the extra W on the knives themselves.
 
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