First Folder for EDC Urban / Wilderness Survival

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DavezFever

Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Messages
24
Well as some of you may know i just got a mora 2000 and #860 and couldn't be any happier with them. However now im looking for a folder to carry everyday that can be used in urban survival and wilderness / backpacking survival situations. Im not looking for a SAK or leatherman type multitool right now as i plan to get a small sak later on (for edc with whatever folder i decide on) and am trying to focus on the folder first.

Ive been looking threw the forums and trying to search for folders but havn't found much, just a lot of random threads. One thread focused on the "Ultimate" folder for survival use which would be a perfect place to start researching but most of the knives in discussion were very expensive and way out of my price range, like the lovely sebenza. On my tight college budget im looking to spend under $100, unless there is a reallly good reason to go over that, for something like the Doug Ritter RSK Mk1 BT etc.

This is going to be my first EDC and it needs to be legal which i think is under a 4" blade (im in California, US). I dont want anything serrated and want this knife to last for a long time. I like a lot of the benchmade folders ive seen and the Columbia River M21 and Lightfoot M1, though i dont know much about them. Anyway i hope this topic hasn't been beat to death and i hope this starts another good discussion, hopefully you guys can help me out. :)
 
My guess is that if Ritter is pushing a knife, it's probably a pretty good one. That said, I've never handled the RSK MK1 and I've never known anyone who has. If you get one, do please let us know what you think. :)

Also, my understanding of CA state law is that there is no length limit on a folder. As long as it's folded and in your pocket I believe it's legal under state law (well, just don't take it to a restricted area such as a school). However, different counties can have more restrictive laws so you really should check with your local county before making a purchasing decision.

Finally, if you want my opinion of the "ultimate" folder for survival purposes, and we're restricting the criteria to non-multitools, then I'd have to say a Chris Reeve Sebenza. I'm unaware of anything that's as strong as a sebbie. But then again, it's also hard to find a folder that's as expensive as a sebbie ....
 
get yourself a spyderco Delica 4 and dont look back. i must own at least 15 folders....all brand name.....the Delica 4's ergonomics and quality steel are the tops. get the plain edge.

when your're ready to buy a SAK.....look at the Compact in black cellidor.
 
I own the Lightfoot M1, and whilst it is a very sturdily built knife it is also very heavy and not particularly practical as an EDC.

I also own a Delica, and can second what bill G said - its a fantastic little knife, weighs barely anything, gets razor sharp, easy to open one-handed and the ergonomics are great. If you feel you need a larger blade go with the Endura, but I bet you'll find the Delica does everything you need it to.
 
I like the delica suggestion. However I don't think it's strong enough for repeated hard use in the woods. I have a mini manix for a few months now, seems pretty solid, had not developed any blade play from uses in the field.
 
Doug Ritter had a Sebenza before he redesigned the Benchmade Griptilian into the RSK Mk 1. The RSK is a very good knife; the S30V blade steel flat ground and is an excellent slicer. I've never had an axis lock fail, it is very strong. But now that the standard Griptilian comes in 154CM, if you like that blade style, there's a good option that's less pricey than a Ritter.
 
My advice: get a normal MiniGrip - a lot of websites still have the older style with the oval thumbhole and the 440C steel. This will run you about $60±, and you'll still have $40 to invest on something like a Spyderco Native (available for $40 at WalMart), a used Spyderco Endura or Delica, a Spyderco Jester or Ladybug, or a Benchmade Vex.

I've had my eye on Doug Ritter's MiniGrip for a while. I'd really like one, but I can't justify the extra $50± over the cost of a normal MiniGrip:eek: - and I'm not in college any more!
 
If strength is a concern I add another vote for the Spyderco mini-manix.

Not from experience though, just what I have read about it.
 
I would go with the griptillian myself. I got an older BM551 (440c) a few months ago used and im loving it. While im sure the Ritter version is nice, i think i would rather have a steel thats easier to sharpen in the feild. The 440c sharpens up nicely and easily. I dont have any experiance with the newer 154cm version though. The D4 is nice as well but i dotn own one myself yet and my only experiance of it is the short time handling and sharpening it for my friend. Still, it seems like a nice knife, something you wont regret getting.
 
Another option would be the D2 griptilian from cabelas I ordered one and I love it. Its lighter than my manix and easier to sharpen. I am wanting a ritter grip myself. Any of the grips are light and the axis lock is strong and all but the ritter grip are reasonably priced.
 
ziptrickhead said:
I would go with the griptillian myself. I got an older BM551 (440c) a few months ago used and im loving it. While im sure the Ritter version is nice, i think i would rather have a steel thats easier to sharpen in the feild. The 440c sharpens up nicely and easily. I dont have any experiance with the newer 154cm version though. The D4 is nice as well but i dotn own one myself yet and my only experiance of it is the short time handling and sharpening it for my friend. Still, it seems like a nice knife, something you wont regret getting.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: :thumbup: Griptillian all the way baby. Step it up and get the D2 version from cabelas for around 70$. It's my EDC and it see plenty of outdoor survival skill work:D
 
+1 on Grip, Mini-grip, and Delica4. For the Native, I much prefer the NativeIII for ergos and blade strength.

I have them all, (plus the original Delica & the Walmart Native) and love them all, but, for what it's worth, the Mini-grip gets the most pocket time by far.

We live in a great time for knife lovers! Let us know what you end up with- but I'll bet you eventually get them all!
 
DavezFever said:
This is going to be my first EDC and it needs to be legal which i think is under a 4" blade (im in California, US).
Click to expand...



Just a heads up...California doesn't have a blade length restriction. I've lived there very recently, and having talked to the police there, after looking up the law myself, they indeed verifed that as long as a knife folded, there was no blade length restriction.



You might want to check out Jim March's page:

http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html
 
I went through the same gamut and came up with the medium size Spyderco's and the BM Griptilians too. I also like the Buck Strider. I looked at knives on line this weekend until my eyes were blurry and I compared those knives against the Boker Trance. I bought a Subcom a few months ago and I really like it. I was looking for a very pocketable knife that was slim and lightweight, with a flat ground blade with no serrations. The Trance is a little shorted than I wanted, but it is certainly a useable length, decent stainless steel (AUS8) and you can get one for $25-$30 plus shipping. If you're on a budget and want a good folder, give it a look.

The German site had the best photo:
http://www.boker.de/index.php?c=16,15,&a=01BO590&p=2&pp=10
 
sickboy88 said:
Just a heads up...California doesn't have a blade length restriction. I've lived there very recently, and having talked to the police there, after looking up the law myself, they indeed verifed that as long as a knife folded, there was no blade length restriction.



You might want to check out Jim March's page:

http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html
Click to expand...


I believe the legal length applies to autos and I think its a 2" limit. Dotn know 100% though since I dont like in California.
 
Hey guys thanks for all the responses, im really looking forward to getting a folder now. Im a little confused on the griptilian, is there more than one model? I thought it was just a benchmade griptilian and a mini griptilian? I do really like the spyderco Delica 4 but i think the blade might be a little too small. The spyderco endura also looks real nice. I would get a mini manix of regular manix but they are out of my price range. Im gonna have to look into these knives more and see if some local stores have them to go get a feel for them. :thumbup:
 
If you go to the Benchmade website and do a search for "Griptilian" you get these search results It shows eleven models, but some have been discontinued. Note that BM includes the Ritter RSK Mk1 in the list. The 550HG (link above) looks like the way to go, but I like the Grip's.
 
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