First EDC

I

inspekto

Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
9
Hello, as you can see I'm a new guy here :) Need some advice on choosing my first EDC. Actually I have some $5 chinese folding knife, but it's time for something more solid as I use it every day. After some research I found out that the best EDC knives that fit my needs would be:

Spyderco Tenacious
Spyderco Endura 4
Benchmade Griptilian 551
Cold Steel American Lawman
Boker Plus Titan Drop

I know their prices are quite different (for example Boker is 2x cheaper than BM), so I'd like to be sure that it's worth paying for more expensive one. I'm a student and price is quite an important factor. Help me to decide between these five. Also I could have missed some good ones as I've started searching for EDC only 2 days ago.

Thanks for help!
 
inspekto said:
Hello, as you can see I'm a new guy here :) Need some advice on choosing my first EDC. Actually I have some $5 chinese folding knife, but it's time for something more solid as I use it every day. After some research I found out that the best EDC knives that fit my needs would be:

Spyderco Tenacious
Spyderco Endura 4
Benchmade Griptilian 551
Cold Steel American Lawman
Boker Plus Titan Drop

I know their prices are quite different (for example Boker is 2x cheaper than BM), so I'd like to be sure that it's worth paying for more expensive one. I'm a student and price is quite an important factor. Help me to decide between these five. Also I could have missed some good ones as I've started searching for EDC only 2 days ago.

Thanks for help!
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Welcome to the forum inspekto :thumbup:

I would choose the Spyderco Endura 4, Benchmade Griptilian 551 and Cold Steel American Lawman - in that order if I was only buying one out of your list. I have owned them all and that's the order I like them in. My Endura 4 is the G-10 ss lined model so that was a no-brainer. I hear that the FRN handle version is just as hearty and very affordable.
 
Welcome to BF!
I'm not going to suggest any of those knives...just point out a few things.
First...be careful. Surfing this website, u will soon find urself spending even the money u don't have on knives and such...the dark side is mighty...jokes apart, this is the best place on the net to follow ur new addiction (what? u are not addicted? yes u are...u just don't know yet) :rolleyes:
I suggest that u invest some money and time in sharpening. This is something I have done way too late...and I have spent alot for having my knives sharpened, since even the best knife in the world is useless when it's dull. On this forum u will find tons of info.
If this is your first EDC knife, don't expect it to be ur last one. U will make "mistakes", meaning that in time u will understand better what u want and need in a knife. So take a look, choose, but don't take it "too seriously" if u know what I mean.
Since eventually u have to choose one, start from the knives u have carried and used so far. Even if they were very low quality knives, using them should have taught u a few things about ur own needs. Size, for example. Opening. Locking. Blade shape. Start from there. From what u already know about "ur EDC".
One last thing. Use ur blade responsibly. For urself, and for all the knife users in the world.
:cool:
 
I would go for the Endura 4 as well. For an EDC knife, I would get the FFG (full flat ground) model since they're a bit better at slicing. They also come in a variety of colors so you can get a more "people friendly" color. Keep in mind though, the Endura is a realtively large folder. Its still pretty thin and light but for legal reasons, make sure you can carry it where you live. If you need a shorter blade, I would recommend the Delica 4. I've found that I prefer the Delica in size for EDC. Its plenty of blade for everyday tasks but a more "managable" size compared to the Endura. By the way, welcome to the forums!
 
quattromori said:
This is the best place on the net to follow ur new addiction (what? u are not addicted? yes u are...u just don't know yet) :rolleyes:
If this is your first EDC knife, don't expect it to be ur last one. U will make "mistakes", meaning that in time u will understand better what u want and need in a knife. So take a look, choose, but don't take it "too seriously" if u know what I mean.
Use ur blade responsibly. For urself, and for all the knife users in the world.
:cool:
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These are great points. Remember these! ;)
 
If price is very much an issue, I was impressed with the quality of the Tenacious... a real value at 30 bucks or so. But if you're like me (and cringe and buying things not USA made) I'd spend the extra dough and go with the grip or mini grip. Just my .02
 
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Thanks for useful advices, I'll keep em in my mind :thumbup: For now, I'm leaning to Endura. After reading this forum a little bit, I realised that Spyderco would be the favourite manufacturer of the majority of you guys, so I guess I wouldn't go wrong with any Spyderco model. However, I'm little concerned about Endura's handle material. I've never had an oportunity to touch Endura myself, but to be honest, the handle doesn't look solid to me :confused:
 
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Best value = Tenacious
Strongest = American Lawman
Best Steel (arguably) = Endura 4
Easiest to open and close = Griptilian
I don't know and don't want to know = Boker
 
inspekto said:
Thanks for useful advices, I'll keep em in my mind :thumbup: For now, I'm leaning to Endura. After reading this forum a little bit, I realised that Spyderco would be the favourite manufacturer of the majority of you guys, so I guess I wouldn't go wrong with any Spyderco model. However, I'm little concerned about Endura's handle material. I've never had an oportunity to touch Endura myself, but to be honest, the handle doesn't look solid to me :confused:
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The handle has full length, nested steel liners under Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN). It is plenty strong.
 
Boker makes good kit. You have to look for a best price with them. I have the endura, grip, and lawman, and like each (and edc each) pretty equally.
 
Tenacious is a great starting knife. I'd go for that to see if you like Spyderco (which you will).

My current EDC rotation includes Spyderco Manix 2 (Stag Arms S30V FFG sprint), Zero Tolerance (Kershaw) 0350, and Benchmade Ritter Griptilian. Handled the Endura in the factory outlet, and didn't like it, but that's more personal preference than anything. It's still a great knife. I just don't like how long those handles look, and it just wasn't as comfortable as the Manix 2 for me. Those are all around 120, and I think that's about the price range that you hit where you're dealing with pretty top quality stuff before you are looking at Sebenzas, Striders, etc.

But really, ask yourself what you're looking for in a knife, and buy one that calls to you. There are a LOT of great EDC's out there for a wide variety of budgets and needs.

Things to consider: How it opens (thumbstud, flipper, hole, assisted vs manual, etc). Blade profile (which is largely aesthetics for me--I like wide blades with drop points, personally), what kind of edge, where the jimping is, how comfortable the handle is (and how long it is), handle material and contouring, blade thickness, type of grind, etc. There's a lot of things that go into making a knife really feel like yours.
 
A.P.F. said:
The handle has full length, nested steel liners under Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN). It is plenty strong.
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I never knew the FRN handle of the Endura 4 FRN contained steel liners? Are they full length or would you plz elaborate on them if possible? :)
 
cziv said:
I never knew the FRN handle of the Endura 4 FRN contained steel liners? Are they full length or would you plz elaborate on them if possible? :)
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Yes indeed, cziv, (says he as he reaches for the ZDP Endura in his pocket), full ventilated steel liners, secured with four bolts and the pivot. When I first saw the Endura, I expected some handle flex, but it is as stable as my shrink's shrink. An interesting feature of the Endura handle design is it's two position grip - forward so you can choke-up on the blade and rearward for an extra bit of reach should you need it. The Endura has a minimal print in the pocket and the clip is so placed that it doesn't shred pockets. All in all a hell of a knife and one of my favorite Spyderco offerings.
 
I like many of Boker's knives, but in this case, I would go with the Endura or Griptillian, and of those two, the Spyderco Endura would be my choice. I've never handled an Endura, so why suggest it? Suggested because when you read the reviews here, you rarely, if ever, read anything bad about this knife. It is universally accepted, respected, and carried. Get the Endura.
 
A.P.F. said:
Yes indeed, cziv, (says he as he reaches for the ZDP Endura in his pocket), full ventilated steel liners, secured with four bolts and the pivot. When I first saw the Endura, I expected some handle flex, but it is as stable as my shrink's shrink. An interesting feature of the Endura handle design is it's two position grip - forward so you can choke-up on the blade and rearward for an extra bit of reach should you need it. The Endura has a minimal print in the pocket and the clip is so placed that it doesn't shred pockets. All in all a hell of a knife and one of my favorite Spyderco offerings.
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That's funny.
 
I would take a look at the Buck Vantage series, namely the Vantage Pro. Buck makes some great knives for the money and the Vantage Pro is made in the USA. One thing I really like about the Vantages is the pocket clip. It is a low ride clip so the body of the knife is concealed. This is excellent for those who EDC in an office environment or at college. I feel that the blade length is perfect (3.25" for the large) and the S30V holds a really sharp edge. The G10 scales look awesome. I have a Vantage Force Pro as well and really like the blue and black G10 scales. Overall they are very good looking knives. I really enjoy mine.
 
If you got the cash shell out for the Endura. My next pick would be the Grip then the other 2 are a toss up. Spyderco FTW :D
 
if you want cheaper, look at the kershaw skyline. it is solid, made in the usa, easy to carry, has good steel, and carrys very nicely. also, see if you can go to a knife store and handle the knives. that will be huge if you can.
 
I like the Buck Vantage series a lot but all too often you have to adjust the pivot screw to center the blade. It is not a big deal though because they come extremely sharp and it does conceal well. I have one and I like it.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned more Kershaws.:rolleyes:
 
i have both a delica and a large version griptilian. to me the delica is a lot thinner, lighter and easier to carry. i will admit the benchmade seems stronger but i am confident that anything i need to do the delica can take care of. btw i have the older 3 without the ss liners.
 
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