EDC? Reliable, Tough and Value?!?!?

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ford3825

Joined
Apr 30, 2015
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I'm Looking For;
A nice, decent knife to take to work, and use, as a KNIFE IS MEANT TO BE USED... was thinking Spyderco PM2 or Manix 2? Any suggestions? Need it to be easy to clean, since my field of work is a CNC Machinist, I get a lot of dust from metal all over!!! My knives get very sandy/dusty throughout the day! Plain blade, no serration... And it must be, reliable and under $120.00... I am interested in Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, or any other great brands... Open to any suggestions! Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions!!!
 
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there are so many good knives out there, to narrow it down do you have any preferences in:
blade/handle size?
handle material?
blade grind?
blade steel?
blade shape?
lock type (liner, frame, axis-type, lockback - though lockback is hardest to clean so you probably want an open-back style)?
opening mechanism (hole, stud, flipper, assisted)?

knifecenter has a pretty good search function for options once you narrow it down a bit
 
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Hello there! You came to the right place to ask that. You will get different answers from different members but one knife in particular you will hear get mentioned quite a bit for EDC is the Paramilitary 2. I have been knife collecting myself for 20 years. I have hundreds of knives of all kinds and rotate my way through them all to make sure they get used from time to time. I have EDC'd or tried to EDC most popular knives over the years some ended up being worthless some surprised me but ONE knife over all those knives over two decades of collecting just gets it right in all categories for a good EDC knife and that knife is indeed the paramilitary 2! Why? Many reasons the first of which is cost. For how good the knife is in design and the execution of said design the PM2 is dirt cheap! I paid an average $130 for mine a couple of months ago. Spyderco could have easily wanted $100 more for it and nobody would really complain. The PM2 is extremely well made of all premium materials in a dead on perfect ergonomically pocket knife. Having a forward choil as well designed into the blade/handle gives you a big advantage because it means you have a solid forward grip on the knife while your thumb moves further up the thumbramp that is the spine of the blade. In that forward grip position one can control much finer movements far better.

The Standard grip alone is just as good and solid. The G10 handle gives exellent grip. The knife has full stainless liners so the handle is quite strong despite being so light for a knife of its size. For overall EDC tasks the blade shape is nearly perfect and has enough belly to dig in blade shape. It also stabs very well and the blade is made of premium S30V steel which is the best overall EDC blade steel. It is premium stainless steel but is not so tough that you cannot touch up and sharpen yourself. More expensive ultra hard stainless steels would hold their edge longer but would also take much longer to sharpen.

In the end the PM2 is the best overall EDC knife on the market and likely will be for a long time. You just cannot not have a solid hold on the knife in 2 dedicated positions. You can do all the other grip styles with it and it will still be a rock solid grip.

They come with a well done cutting edge from the factory so no having to worry about that
 
I suggest taking a look at the Colt liner lock in D2 steel; comes either with a nylon handle or aluminum frame with non-slip grips. Sharpens easily to a razor edge. My aluminum frame one get a lot of metal dust and wood dust - I just blow it out and occasionally oil the pivot. Alternately, look at the variety of Colts and Rough Rider knives; good knives; good value.

Forgot to mention the Kershaws. I've several of them. The Oso-Sweet and Volt II are A/O's, the Skyline and Chill are flippers. Again, all good knives. I assume since you work in a machine shop (my father was a machinist), that you have a air hose to blow out dust and dirt from your knives. I just use a air can made for computers. IMHO, no need to send a ton of money to get a good functional knife like any of the above mentioned. Also since they are inexpensive, you can easily replace them instead of spending a lot of time maintaining a high dollar knife and may be afraid to use it at times. I sharpen all of mine to a 1000 grit with a 15 degree bevel (30 degree total); they cut anything I've ever needed to cut. I just don't feel the need to shave with my knives :-) Just some things to consider.
Rich
 
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ford3825 said:
I'm Looking For;
A nice, decent knife to take to work, and use, as a KNIFE IS MEANT TO BE USED... was thinking Spyderco PM2 or Manix 2? Any suggestions? Need it to be easy to clean, since my field of work is a CNC Machinist, I get a lot of dust from metal all over!!! My knives get very sandy/dusty throughout the day! Plain blade, no serration... And it must be, reliable and under $120.00... I am interested in Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, or any other great brands... Open to any suggestions! Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions!!!
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You'll probably hate this recommendation....

The best knife I've found for using in dirty, gritty places is the Opinel. In basic, non-locking friction mode, it is nearly impervious to getting fouled with grit. I use mine on sandy beaches regularly and it's the only style of knife I'll use in those situations now. Frame locks and lock backs are the worst, since they can get so fouled as to not be safely stay open. With the Opinel, friction alone is enough to make the knife safely useable.

I've never had mine so badly fouled that the lock ring siezed. Makes noise but if you understand the mechanism, you understand the grit isn't damaging anything, unlike the case of a slip joint or locker.

The Opinel #10 is the big worker of the Opinel line. I generally flattend the sides of the handles for more torsional control and better pocket carry. Easy to add a lanyard too. Here is a #10 with sides flattened and an extreme easy open dent added for easier opening with work gloves on. It's next to a Buck 110 for comparison.
Buck 110 and Opinel #10 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Note: Never ever rely on the Opinel lock to keep the blade open under hard pressure. That's not what it was designed for. It's more like a slip joint. But then, I don't recommend ever relying on any folding knife to stay open. If you need to pry on a knife in that direction, a fixed blade is the only reasonable option.
 
I'd lean towards the PM2 rather than the Manix if ease of cleaning is a concern.

While Axis- and ball bearing locks are extremely sturdy, they are more difficult to clean and more involved to disassemble should deep cleaning or dislodging debris be necessary.
 
At $350 to over $500, I think the Sebenza is a bit over the price limit you mentioned. May be a fine knife, never owned one; never saw the need for super expensive blades when good inexpensive blades are available.

Rich
 
The PM2 or if you can find one in the price range the Military. I'd consider the Military since it's bigger and concealment isn't a concern.
 
asdf12345 said:
I'd lean towards the PM2 rather than the Manix if ease of cleaning is a concern.

While Axis- and ball bearing locks are extremely sturdy, they are more difficult to clean and more involved to disassemble should deep cleaning or dislodging debris be necessary.
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If I'm not mistaken, both the Manix and PM feature a "fluted" lanyard hole, making it nearly impossible to remove the scales. I know 3 of my Manix are like this, and I'm pretty sure I've read the same about the PM.

The Manix can be disassembled on one side allowing the entire liner to slide opened, exposing the lock for easy cleaning. I've never had problems with the BB lock though, and I use a Manix as a beater knife in pretty gritty situations.
 
The Paramilitary 2 is a very, very good choice. Easy to clean and a great value at under $120.

I have brought mine to work a couple times and it handled dust just fine. Cleaned out easily with running hot water.No need to disassemble.

I use it's bigger brother at work, the Military. About $30 over your price limit.

I also have a G10 Manix 2, don't use it at work since the BBL isn't as glove friendly as the liner or compression lock.


I can understand your dust concerns though.

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Blues Bender said:
If I'm not mistaken, both the Manix and PM feature a "fluted" lanyard hole, making it nearly impossible to remove the scales. I know 3 of my Manix are like this, and I'm pretty sure I've read the same about the PM.

The Manix can be disassembled on one side allowing the entire liner to slide opened, exposing the lock for easy cleaning. I've never had problems with the BB lock though, and I use a Manix as a beater knife in pretty gritty situations.
Click to expand...

I actually didn't think of using that strategy to clean the lock by itself. Thanks.
 
The Spyderco knives you mention are top notch. However, the Cold Steel American Lawman or Code 4 are stronger and you have a choice of AUS8 (cheaper) or CTS-XHP steels. Spyderco uses XHP in many of its knives. I am a Spyderco fan (my favorite brand) but the new Cold Steel line up is hard to beat.
 
Does it have to be a folder?

What about a fixed blade of similar blade length? Like a KaBar Becker BK24 in D2 steel.

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100% honest with you I'm in love with my Manix. However for what you describe I'd recommend a flow through design, which the P2 is.

As much as it pains me to say so, I'd say go with the Paramilitary. Still an incredible knife, but like I said I'm in love with my Manix.
 
I use my ESEE 3 as a work mule for the last year, haven't cleaned it once and it gives me no trouble. Just hone it once in a while and it cuts everything, plus vg/bo color combo screams work.
 
+1 for Benchmade H&K 14715.
+1 for Cold Steel American Lawman.

Both Goldilocks size, tough folders. :thumbup:
 
I would envisage a Cold Steel folder over a Spyderco in such a hostile environment. Cheaper and probably a bit street-tougher.
 
OoHhHHhhhh!! He meant a folder! Thats easy Paramilitary 2! That or any Buck 110 with a Kwik Thumb screw on Thumb stud I have 7 set up that way plus 5 custom shop 110s. A custom shop 110 S30V with G10 and finger grooves can be had for roughly $150 now. Add said thumb stud and youre in biz. Still PM 2's come in S30V and are far far easier to open and can be had for a bit cheaper. The PM 2 is the best all around EDC folder on the market
 
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