EASILY Concealed Tactical Blade?

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Jul 25, 2013
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123
Hello all,

I currently EDC a Spyderco Endura 4 FRN for my tactical blade but I am looking for an upgrade (maybe not an upgrade but just a change to switch things up).

The Endura disappears in my pocket, it is still razor sharp and its easily concealable (I love it but I've had it a while). My budget is roughly 100$. I would love to carry a CS recon 1 or Spyderco Military but they are HUGE.

I need a knife that fits comfortably in my jean pocket next to my wallet and classic SAK like the Endura does; so preferably small like the Endura but with better blade steel and preferably with a cool factor.

What would you guys recommend as a competitive option or upgrade for my Endura?

Thanks,

Jay
 
I was just given a really neat knife by a member here. It's the Cold Steel Counter Point 1. It's big, but I don't have any issues carrying it. The handles are smooth, but because of their shape they're comfortable and secure. Plus the Tri Ad lock is really stinking strong. I've actually used (a different) triad locking knife to baton 2x4's with no damage. Another option might be some of the Kershaw knives, they're inexpensive but well made and well designed. The shallot for example is very slim, with a blade nearly as long as the Military and Recon 1. It packs as much blade as possible into it's handle.


Sorry, I missed where you said that you wanted an upgrade form VG-10. :o I'm out of the loop on $100 knives with "better" than VG-10. I don't care for the super steels since they seem to dull just as fast as the "cheap" steels on rough materials, but sharpen a lot slower. Even the lowly VG-10 has given me much trouble with chipping.

If you don't need a pocket clip you ought to check out the German K55K. I really enjoy mine. It's got a lot of blade in a little package. And the carbon steel version holds an edge very well.
 
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Thanks for the input, the counter point looks AWESOME and I'll have to check out the kershaws.

I know the skyline, piston, blur, and knockout have a following but I have never heard of the shallot. I'll check it out!

Thanks!
 
I noticed this has 92 views and 2 replies.... Haha, I would really appreciate anybody's input!
 
Any fixed blade that has a kydex sheath in a paracord harness. Comfortable, concealable, and easy to access.

The spyderco military actually carries really well for its size.
 
Something like a Becker Necker with a Tek-Lok for the sheath would probably conceal quite well. The knife is quite concealable when worn around the neck too.
 
simple, get an endura with super blue steel or zdp-189. same knife that has worked so well with you, with "upgraded" steel and cool factor.
 
Spyderco Yojimbo 2 or a Paramilitary 2.
Both are excellent knives. The yojimbo is a
self defense knife and the paramilitary
is more of an EDC knife but can be used in a
tactical situation very well. Both have S30v Steel, Made
in USA.




I hope this helps.
 
I agree that the Military carries surprisingly well for it's size.

And I'll echo the Cold Steel Kobun as a fixed blade option. Very hard to go past and won't break the bank.
 
If theEndura is working great then I would agree with the comment of just getting an upgraded steel Endura. The Blur in S30v steel is great too and should conceal fairly well.
 
At this moment, 260+ views, 13 replies.

There are some trip wire words in the OP's question. A lot of experienced posters are taking a pass on this because of them.

First, "tactical." There's no real definition of that, it's like trying to define "porn." Most of us know it when we see it. In this case, it's mostly just looks - not really any specific feature or special ability, other like some subdued coloration, a non shiny blade, and a tendency to too much aggressive embellishment. That means the knife is likely really meant to make a highly subjective visual representation. How far do we take that? I won't even suggest a brand at this point, it would tip the discussion to far.

Second, "concealed." The concept there is to hide from plain sight, and and that directly leads to Why? A lot of us have no reason to carry a concealed knife, but that doesn't mean we all share that right across the board. Some areas impose ridiculous penalties for it, like the schoolgirl with a SAK in her pack to trim a rosin block for her violin bow.

Without some explicit guidelines why these two conditions are the only ones mentioned in the post, some of us are left wondering what's up? A wide spread of reasons to explain it would actually be insulting on both ends of the spectrum, and we've seen discussions blossom into flame wars in a NY minute.

My advice: It's Just a Knife. Sure, I've run down the garden path looking for the coolest tactical knife I could ever get my hands on, what I discovered is that the entire effort is to have something no one else has, made by a maker who was considered top of the pecking order, yet who never sells to the ignorati or gets copied. It's basically impossible to find that knife - even with a blade made from unobtanium with grips from panels off a spacecraft reputedly recovered from a crash site in New Mexico.

A tactical knife is one that you can carry and no one bothers to think about because it blends into the surroundings. Carrying a Strider fixed blade on a sheath while walking in the Mall would be just about the worst "tactical" application, a Benchmade Risk would be nearly invisible, exposed clip or not. The object fails in being tactical if it's out of place - it's really a matter of fitting into the environment, not being built to overcome it. No knife is ever good enough to do that, it's just a tool for the user to use in normal everyday tasks.

Applying the concept of "tactical" with "concealed," nope. If it's concealed, it could be a bright polished blade with orange G10 grips. Concealed means can't be seen, and at that point, being insignificant if it was observed has no importance.

Sorry for the long rambling post, but that's why the lopsided ratio in views vs replies - no one wants to address the elephant in the room. A concealed knife is problematic in many jurisdictions, and if it's concealed, what it looks like means nothing - you never see it, so what it looks like has no importance.

That leaves the last issue - upgrading to an expensive high alloy steel, which is another subject of competitive viewpoints. A "superior" steel in today's hierarchy is one that doesn't need to be sharpened often, but that is because it's extremely abrasion resistant. That makes it expensive to grind to shape, and hard to resharpen once dull. The constant drive to own a high end steel is really a quest for social enhancement - I've got one, you don't - which doesn't really address whether it's a good steel for someone to carry and use. After all, if it takes two hours to get the edge back, maybe a lesser steel would be a lot easier to carry. I've gone that route, I likely won't ever buy a S30V blade again, just stick to ATS34 or 154CM - at least I can get the edge back in a few minutes time to use that day.

I've seen this question more than once here over the last ten years, it's a nest of complications and meaning, which seems to change with each case. That makes recommendations pretty useless, they become a recitation of "Mine's best!" because they have one.
 
Get a used PM2, they can be had for close to $100. Cold steel Recon1 etc are gr8 value for the money. If it is a tactical last ditch deployment then why go for any premium steel, You can buy 3 Ontario RAT1 for that money! They are build like tanks!
 
I can't say I agree entirely.

Tactical means of applied use.

Concealed means obfuscated.

Neither is mutually inclusive, or exclusive.
 
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