Does a giant folder have its place?

I EDCd an XL Voyager,with 5" blade and zytel pocket clip,from 96 to 99.I liked the knife and still have it.I'm thinking of getting one of the new versions with that wonderful Triad Lock and laminated blade.Practical really has nothing with it,I just want one,in each size!I like big folders.
 
STR said:
Very funny. NO! Not on anyone's payroll. Never met or spoke with LT once. Only know Andrew and we've never met either. We have spoken on the phone and in email. Once was the other day when I ordered my own custom Triad American Lawman. STR
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Custom AL....???

We require pics of that. Board rules! :D
 
I have a few 12" balisongs: that's the classic size for one in the Philippines. Also have a cheap (but very overbuilt) Chinese folder with G10 and a black tanto blade my brother gave me that is around a foot long.
 
NDJeep said:
Custom AL....???

We require pics of that. Board rules! :D
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Oh figure when I get it there will be some floating around. In the mean time there is a thread going on "Worlds strongest folder" or something to that effect that has pics of one. Well, there are a few threads by the title so you have like a one in three chance of finding the right one on the first try. :D

STR
 
STR said:
Oh figure when I get it there will be some floating around. In the mean time there is a thread going on "Worlds strongest folder" or something to that effect that has pics of one. Well, there are a few threads by the title so you have like a one in three chance of finding the right one on the first try. :D

STR
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Tell me about it! :D
 
STR - have you had the opportunity to compare the Rajah I with the Rajah II? Curious if the RI is appreciably stronger or in some other way "better" than the RII.

Thanks for the review!

Andy
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
STR - have you had the opportunity to compare the Rajah I with the Rajah II? Curious if the RI is appreciably stronger or in some other way "better" than the RII.

Thanks for the review!

Andy
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Oh I don't know if there is a lot of diff in performance or strength to be honest with you. I have yet to see a II model personally. I don't particularly care for the Grivory material as much as the G10 and the solid milled out aluminum made to look like dovetailed bolsters on the first model. I normally don't care for bolsters which is why you hardly ever see me use them on my own knives or buy them on knives I do purchase but it was the build of this one that attracted me being that the entire thing was CNC machined out of an aluminum billet as I understand it. Also at that price it was on close out I felt it hard to refuse and it spelled out a chance to get a new toy for a while that I knew I could unload and not take a loss on if I didn't care for it. Seemed like a safe bet anyway. In some ways I'm still shocked I bought a folder this big. Generally speaking discontinued knives do tend to sell a bit better if you are selective about it. Not always of course but I thought this one would be a easy unload if I needed to do that. My EDC is 4 and 3/8" closed and overall I tend to be rather conservative about my normal carry folder needs. Go figure. Guess even the conservatives have to play now and then. :)

The question of one being better than the other. Based on the test of the Espada in the closest size to this RI I'd have to say its quite possible the RI is the stronger of the two but I really don't know. Just guessing I'd have to say this one could probably hold quite a bit of free weight before it showed any signs of being affected by it. My guess is between 450 and 550 pounds based on blade and rocker arm thickness, and build similarities between the Espada we all watched hold over 600 pounds. However, according to the specs this RI has a thicker blade and a thicker rocker arm than that Espada so it could be the RI would hold just as much or more. I really don't have a clue. I do like the price of the RII but without seeing one I can't really speak to how it compares to mine. Sorry.

I know I was giving my RI some full arm swings out there in the yard and it was not phased by it. I'm a fairly big guy too and I leaned into it pretty good there for a while. I'm sure it has a limit. I sure didn't find it though. I'd love to see a video of the performance of the RI similar to the XL Espada we saw and I've looked for one but can only find the R II videos so unfortunately it appears thats the only one we have to go on unless someone has better luck or knows something I don't. If so post it.
STR
 
Haze said:
For me personally, I would start looking at fixed blades once the blade on a folder gets much over 4 inches. There are
defo. a few large folders in the 4-5 inch range I like but I just don't see me carrying a folder any bigger than that.
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+1

I have some large knives - they are fixed blade.
I have some folders - they are small enough to fit a pocket easily.

The large folder doesn't seem to be suitable for either category, if it is too big for my pocket I might as well go with a fixed blade. I love my BK-9 - such a cool knife, no worries about pivot or lock failure either! :thumbup:
 
babakanoosh45 said:
Sure it does, I couldn't survive with mine...:eek:

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:D
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Lol...even has a lanyard hold. :p

But can it whittle hair? :P
 
I'm another one that sees the utility of a big folder. California knife law places no limit on folder size (some local jurisdictions do limit blade size), but a fixed blade must be carried openly. A concealed carry permit in San Diego County is not going to happen for the average law abiding citizen. People around here tolerate all kinds of crap, but legal open carry of a big fixed blade or unloaded handgun (legal here) are not on the list of diverse ways to behave, lol. Anyway, off my soapbox, still packing for my move to Idaho in six weeks. Also, the real reason for this post, a pic. :)

IMG_0242.jpg
 
I'm a big guy that loves big folders. I have a Rajah 1, 2 skirmishes, a cuda maxx 5.5 and a sog pentagon elite. The Rajah is my hiking knife. It's big when folded but it's still a lot smaller than a fixed blade in a sheath, and even though it has a 6 inch blade when you use the secondary grip it gives you almost 9 inches of reach and a lot of leverage. The Rajah is crazy, but it so well designed that is very practical too.

Rajah 1- $100 on closeout
friends freaking out and saying stuff like" are you a crocidille hunter?" - priceless
 
I think a folder up to about 4 to 4.5 inches is big enough. If you need to go bigger, get a fixed blade. I folder shouldnt be used for batoning or really even chopping (unless you have no other option). My Millie was 4", my CQC 11 is 4", my Endura is almost 4". Thats as big as I need folders to be.
 
I think large folders have place: in my pocket. I have several CUDA MAXX folders in the 5.5 and 7" sizes, but I am trying to find a 9" version. Tall grass fears me, and watermelons run for their lives.
 
glockfire said:
I think a folder up to about 4 to 4.5 inches is big enough. If you need to go bigger, get a fixed blade. I folder shouldnt be used for batoning or really even chopping (unless you have no other option). My Millie was 4", my CQC 11 is 4", my Endura is almost 4". Thats as big as I need folders to be.
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I believe this was true probably three or so years ago. Seems it was about that time that I first started seeing videos showing up of guys using folding knives to baton logs. At first some didn't fair well. Now they have made a lot of improvements. With design improvements it appears things have bumped up some at least socially. I have broken knives batoning them in the past and seen what appeared to be good lock systems totally fail after some bangs to the spine of the blade splitting wood like in Ankerson's video. I've watched supposed bull pivots pop apart with screw heads going sideways and locks shear from that feat. I've seen several videos now of guys using Cold Steel folders to split wood, both two by fours and logs and not one of the CS knives seem affected by the baton or by the task. While I can't say I agree that this would be the case forever, as sooner or later I do believe that this will cause some problems with a folding knife lock up, if not other problems as well I think the point is that in a pinch if you had to do this the fact is you have a knife fully capable of taking the place of a fixed blade in a pinch to get a signal fire or emergency heat fire going. There is something appealing about this to me. I was of like mind to some other posters here a few years ago. That being that I too believed the only larger folders good for anything were the folding saws. The Triad lock has really done some serious things here and I see it becoming the standard for a long time. I look forward to seeing what may come up next that can out perform this lock because honestly its already exceeded weight limits I never thought I'd live to see happen in lock designs. What was it that was hanging on that one Espada video of the XL? I want to say 663 pounds but don't hold me to that. Whatever it was it was so heavy Andrew had to stand on the other end of the table to keep it from flipping the metal table over and the lock or knife did not break or reach a limit they ran out of weights! As Crocodile Dundee said, but changed by me to suit the event, "Now thats a lock!"

STR
 
Batonning with a folder... ugh, the horror!

I guess big is relative. That huge folder must be big in anyone's world... my screen is too small to do it justice!

To me, a B-M 610 Rukus is pretty darn big. I consider mine my 'bushcraft' folder. Gotta admit, if possible, when you start getting over a 4" blade for 'heavy' woods use, you really need a fixed blade.

Stainz
 
When I saw CS Spartan when it was released, I thought it was ridiculous. Slowly it started to grow on me - it's sheer ballsyness. Last night it haunted in my head and ordered it this morning. :eek:
 
Hindsight is always 20/20. While the Strider grinds are a little too thick for my tastes, I really liked the blade design of the SMF/SNG and PT. I am going to check out the thickness of the blade of the SNG CC BTW at the Chesapeake Knife Show, one of the table holders brings Strider knives. The SMF that I had was too big for my pants pocket, but just right to carry in a coat pocket. I really liked the Benchmade Skirmish, great design. I prefer tip up carry clips, but what're ya gonna do? The Benchmade Rukus had my favorite blade design, and while the handle was God awful ugly, it was ergonomic, just like the Strider handles. Right now, my largest folders are the 710 and Military, and those are fine for carry, no where near as big as the three mentioned.

I would like to see folders like the Sibert Monster Rocket, I think I have the right name. Folders with a five inch blade are a little much to carry, but they look neat. The Ontario Hossom folders were a bit big, but neat. I am looking at getting an Umnumzaan, but I would say that, along with the 710 and Millie are the largest I will go. If I like the grind on the SMF CC, I might get that one this December.
 
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