Endura 4 vs more expensive knives?

Lol your funny
o4tg said:
Obviously when I say it's a decent cutter, it means exactly that. It's pretty good at it. I have some fillet knives that are pretty good slicers. Got rid of my Opinel. I think I have a box of razor blades around here as well.

For me there's more to a knife than just cutting. A dragster may be the quickest vehicle you can buy, but I look for more than just one feature. I respect the Endura, but mine wore out and I found other knives I like more. It's a hobby we all share, and it still baffles me how rabid the traditionalists can be towards other segments of tye market. Post your opinions about knives, not people.
Click to expand...
 
Stays Sharp said:
I think you would agree that there's a difference between tacticLOL knives and tactical knives. The Endura has been around since 1990 and still a best seller to this day. It may have been marketed partly as a tactical knife and would serves that purpose well (SS, G10, serrated, coated versions) but it clearly has succeeded because of it's other virtues as well.
Click to expand...

I never said it didn't have good aspects to it?

But does that justify posting that I masturbate with other men because I like my ZT 0350 more? Pretty stupid assumption, wouldn't you agree?
 
Yes buddy you did....And I didn't say you did not. Just discussing things worth mentioning. We're on the same page more or less, I know what your saying.

Add: Another version is the Emerson wave that excels in either tactical applications or just plain convenience.
 
Bugout Bill said:
expensive does not mean better. Yes, the Endura could readily out perform many other knives in term of pure cutting ability.
Click to expand...

Well by expensive I mean more along the lines of the Benchmades or like the spyderco manix. Maybe something such as the Benchmade Osborne or something
 
Stays Sharp said:
Yes buddy you did....And I didn't say you did not. Just discussing things worth mentioning. We're on the same page more or less, I know what your saying.

Add: Another version is the Emerson wave that excels in either tactical applications or just plain convenience.
Click to expand...
Ah, gotcha.

I liked my Endura but it developed some fore and aft blade play. Back when I got it though, it was pretty much ground breaking and no one had really made anything like it before. If I said I knew of a knife that fit ke more at the time, I'd be lying. Seems like the Endura, Buck 110, or Gerber Gator were the common knives to have back then in my area.
 
breakdown52 said:
Well by expensive I mean more along the lines of the Benchmades or like the spyderco manix. Maybe something such as the Benchmade Osborne or something
Click to expand...

I really like the blade shape on the military and the PM2. The geometry on those are just about perfect for slicing and you get a little more robust handle material. I've never had an endura but I've had a delica and I just don't trust FRN to hold up all that well. After about a year it's started to show a little more wear than I liked so I gifted it to a friend.
 
A loooong time ago I used to think Enduras were cheap, plastic handled pieces of crap.... then I bought one and used it. Boy was I wrong!

They can most definitely keep up with damn near anything in a similar size range. They are worth the money and then some.
 
Come to think of it, I didn't even buy that one! My brother gave it to me. He had bought 2 of them to get them at a special price. He wanted me to try one and tell him what I thought. I told him - "I don't want this cheap, plastic handled piece o' chit", but he insisted that I take it. So I did, and the more I used it, the more I liked it. I eventually bought several more!
 
When it comes to slicing and piercing, the FFG Enduras hold their own against most, regardless of price. Wouldn't use them for prying or other hard-use tasks, though - that's not what it's designed for.
 
My waved Endura 4 was my work knife for quite a while. It cuts fine but the sabre grind doesn't lend well to slicing. It's a good knife for the money but I won't say it's better than some of my more expensive knives.
 
I have three Endura's, I think. Maybe four, but I'm pretty sure it's only three. Good knife. I put it in the high value category because you get an awesome, proven knife for a very low price. None of mine are VG-10, and I like VG-10. I just like ZDP-189 and Super Blue more and they were available, so I snapped them up! (The third one is a Damasus blade with jigged bone handle for fancy dress occasions.)

That said, my EDC Endura (a ZDP) is sitting in my EDC bag instead of my pocket because this isn't it's day in the rotation. Today is the ZT0777. Yesterday, it was the ZT0561 (with a weak detent, which led me to slicing open my finger tip when it opened in my back pocket--annoying).

The Endura won't pry worth a darn, IMO. It's one of those "use the right tool for the right job" knives. Me? I'm a serial knife abuser and I don't mind prying stuff with my knife if that's what I think needs doing in the moment. I would avoid prying with an Endura, even though I'm reasonably sure it can take oodles of abuse. Except at the tip.

Setting aside my emotional issues with prying, the Endura is pretty awesome. It's reliable, and a fine slicer in FFG. Some people love the wave and think that qualifies it as a worthy self defense knife (I just shake my head). I'm another fan of the FRN handles. The Endura is nice and light, lays flat in the pocket, and is easy to sharpen. It's available in a staggering variety of steels, edges, grinds, and coatings. Honestly, what more do you want your knife to do?
 
I have allot of blades and I just EDC'd an Endura for the past few days, great knives...

[video=youtube_share;I8c3dtgZPv8]http://youtu.be/I8c3dtgZPv8[/video]
 
Stays Sharp said:
I like the fancier knives as much as the next guy but there's a reason (many actually) why the Endura gets a lot of use and pocket time for me.

In before the negative FRN comment guy. Call it cheap or whatever but a lot of that is far from the truth. Not fancy but unless you baton the freakin handles of your knives in end of the world scenarios, FRN is strong, light, durable, and offers positive grip patterns other materials usually cannot match. Just like polymer pistols, I've come to appreciate FRN for its advantages.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. the Endura in vg10 is a great value. The Endura in zdp189 is an outstanding value. I m not aware of anywhere else you can buy a super steel this cheap.
 
In my opinion a Endura in ZDP is one of the best general use knives you can possibly buy, but, if you expect to do any sort of picking or prying with the blade, I wouldn't advise it. I cannot speak for the pivot strength having not owned one, but I am genuinely curious how it would hold up cutting stuff like rubber or aggressively carving hardwood compared to a heavier duty knife. Its a little long for my tastes though. only reason I haven't bought one.
 
I carried these two EVERY day for over 2 years (ZDP-189 Endura & VG-10 Delica), and I never ran into a task that one of these couldn't handle.



 
Its give and take. As far as prying goes, I much prefer a sharp pointy tip on my edc knives so I wont always have the luxury of being able to pry. Thats ok though, right tool for the right job right?I do have knives that are referred to as tanks that I suppose excels in prying but the tip is compromised for other tasks that knives are used for.
 
This is a Franken Endura with a ZDP-189 modified saber blade and a G-10 handle. It is a lot of knife for the money, and it bones chicken like a laser. I also have a couple of flat ground ZDP Enduras with G-10 handles. Part swapping opens new vistas.View attachment 425262
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top