These are currently my favorite large(r) folders:
top to bottom -
Bill "Gordon" Defreest (Loveless style) stag handled drop-point fixed blade shown for size comparison;
Chris Reeve Sebenza;
Kershaw (Ken Onion designed) Vapor II;
Benchmade 710 McHenry & Williams Axis.
Comments -
(Large) Sebenza - this is a 1997 vintage with the short lived BG42 steel - I had to tighten the pivot screw hard to get the blade not to open so easily - it is still bit too easy to flip out (fine for some) - but overall OK. This is still the benchmark IMHO to judge others by. Price $345 (I've seen it low priced at about ~$310)
Benchmade 710 - an early example with ATS-34 steel (~ Feb/1999) - had to re-profile the blade to make it sharp - the blade did not have a real distal taper toward the point - causing the edge to be pretty thick and obtuse from the belly to the tip. I worked it to get a convexed edge. Despite being big - it is very comfortable in my hand the forward part of the handle at/near the pivot forms a comfortable hand guard and the butt of the handle can still fit in the heel of my palm. (I've seen it low priced at under $94). I like the action/feel of the Axis lock. Once I had re-profiled the edge to convex it is very sharp.
Kershaw Vapor II - at under $25 low price - this has got to be a bargain. Handle feels a bit thin - but otherwise fits better than either above more expensive folders. Both my early smaller Vapor and this Vapor II are exemplary in action/opening/closing/locking - only real dubious part is the use of AUS-6A steel - but for me I find thse cheaper stainless steels like AUS-6A, 440A, Victorinox SAK steels - perhaps not "premimum" but very. very servicable/practical for general purpose knife blade steel. Like I said at $25 this has got to be a bargain.....
A $25 Sebenza? or is this just Vapor too?
Please tell us about (better yet show us too) your favorite large(r) folder(s)?
I know I've said this before - but for quick easy and PGQ (pretty good quality) images - for small objects like knives - use a flatbed scanner, and do a tiny bit of image manipulation - and almost anyone can produce PGQ images for this forum.
Seriously my flatbed scanner cost under $40 - so it's nothing special - and for this image I deliberately used a FREE (but PGQ
) image editor:
IrfanView
Please read this post:
some general flatbed Scanners advice
top to bottom -
Bill "Gordon" Defreest (Loveless style) stag handled drop-point fixed blade shown for size comparison;
Chris Reeve Sebenza;
Kershaw (Ken Onion designed) Vapor II;
Benchmade 710 McHenry & Williams Axis.
Comments -
(Large) Sebenza - this is a 1997 vintage with the short lived BG42 steel - I had to tighten the pivot screw hard to get the blade not to open so easily - it is still bit too easy to flip out (fine for some) - but overall OK. This is still the benchmark IMHO to judge others by. Price $345 (I've seen it low priced at about ~$310)
Benchmade 710 - an early example with ATS-34 steel (~ Feb/1999) - had to re-profile the blade to make it sharp - the blade did not have a real distal taper toward the point - causing the edge to be pretty thick and obtuse from the belly to the tip. I worked it to get a convexed edge. Despite being big - it is very comfortable in my hand the forward part of the handle at/near the pivot forms a comfortable hand guard and the butt of the handle can still fit in the heel of my palm. (I've seen it low priced at under $94). I like the action/feel of the Axis lock. Once I had re-profiled the edge to convex it is very sharp.
Kershaw Vapor II - at under $25 low price - this has got to be a bargain. Handle feels a bit thin - but otherwise fits better than either above more expensive folders. Both my early smaller Vapor and this Vapor II are exemplary in action/opening/closing/locking - only real dubious part is the use of AUS-6A steel - but for me I find thse cheaper stainless steels like AUS-6A, 440A, Victorinox SAK steels - perhaps not "premimum" but very. very servicable/practical for general purpose knife blade steel. Like I said at $25 this has got to be a bargain.....
A $25 Sebenza? or is this just Vapor too?
Please tell us about (better yet show us too) your favorite large(r) folder(s)?
I know I've said this before - but for quick easy and PGQ (pretty good quality) images - for small objects like knives - use a flatbed scanner, and do a tiny bit of image manipulation - and almost anyone can produce PGQ images for this forum.
Seriously my flatbed scanner cost under $40 - so it's nothing special - and for this image I deliberately used a FREE (but PGQ
) image editor:IrfanView
Please read this post:
some general flatbed Scanners advice
