Recommendation? First Neck Knife

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NeckKnife

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I’m new to knives. I bought my first 2 pocket knives in March. Last week I learned about neck knives and now I would like to purchase one. I’m trying to decide between 3 options. I understand they are made of 3 different metals. Other than that, I’m having a hard time determining pros and cons for each neck knife.

Esee Izula in Stainless Steel - $70 - https://www.bladehq.com/item--ESEE-Izula-Knife-Stainless-Steel--15222

MT Knives Genesis - $160 - https://mtknives.net/product/genesis-1/

MT Knives Genesis II - $126 - https://mtknives.net/product/the-genesis-ii/

Which one would you recommend, and why? Thank you for your help.
 
The Izula is a classic model, pretty inexpensive but reliable, and very customizable. Personally I wouldn't neck carry it but on a belt sheath. I can't speak for the other two but they look more suited to being neck knives, but that's just my opinion
 
Neck knives and their cousins, pocket fixed blades, make up a sizeable genre. I would feel remiss in recommending something to a first time poster with two pocket knives. My suggestion is to read up on the topic for a while. The search function here is your friend. You should find many threads on these topics. There are some remarkable blades available at the upper end of your budget.

That said, if you have to get it now, spend $70.
 
Either an ESEE Izula, or the TOPS knives MSK.

Yep, that's what they call it. When Imughurr stops being Windows-ey, and lets me post photos, I will edit this by adding a picture. For now, my thinking is that you're going to accumulate knives while you're in the process of deciding what you like. There are some expensive options which will always hold pretty good value on the re-sale market, but the buy-in is higher. If you've got cash, then I say give 'er, and post photos for the rest of us!

If you're looking to take a more conservative approach, then stuff from ESEE, and TOPS, as well as Becker, Condor, Bradford, will always let you get back some of your investment, if you decide to sell in the future.
 
There’s a member on here that’s been carrying the Bradford neck knife ... @TheFactor
Maybe he can weigh in.
 
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Only one I own is a CRKT minimalist. It’s really well done and pretty cheap. Check them out.
 
The Izula is a classic choice. My personal favorite is the TOPS Tibo, but there are plenty of great knives in this category. A Blackjack 155 or White River Backpacker might fit the bill for you too if you want stainless.
 
Of the 3 mentioned, I'd vote the ESEE. If you aren't used to carrying a neck knife, you might find you don't like carrying a neck knife. I'd start with a less expensive option (hence the ESEE vs the other two options).

I'll throw another recommendation out there. Linked from BHq for easy reference.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Real-Steel-Connector-Drop-Point--81632

Real Steel seems to do a decent job with D2. I also like having G10 scales vs the skeletonized metal of most neck knives. I find it makes using the knife more comfortable. At 2.14 oz, it doesn't add a lot of weight vs some other neck knives. Again, a good budget option to see if you like neck knives.
 
BK14 over the Izula. It’s thirty bucks cheaper. As pointed out, it’s also a pocket knife. Any front pocket knife can also serve as a neck knife. Two I have actually used as neck knives are the Marttiini Lynx Lumberjack and the Mora Original Classic No.1. They will drop into a front pocket just as easily. Both slim and light, with light, close-fitting sheaths.
 
I tried the neck knife thing for a while, but the biggest issues I found (for most) are
A: they are often too big to comfortably wear around your neck
B: the retention of factory kydex/gfn sheaths is often suspect at best, especially as they wear in a bit, they get looser, which leads the increased chance that your knife falls out when dangling upside down and bouncing around. Especially if they have more weight to them.

So I steered away from them, outside of the tinier ones like the TOPS bartendee defender or Boker+ Newton Martin K-bit, which are so small they actually wear just like a pendant... Just something to keep in mind....

In any case, that said all 3 you mentioned are about the same size and weight w/ sheath, so I would personally go with the MT Genesis (or II)... The finger grooves would provide a better grip and control with such a small knife, and also by design it looks like it would help give the knife better natural retention in the sheath...

Also, while no knock on ESEE's 440c or N690, the OG Genesis is made with CTS-XHP, which is a far better all around steel choice IMO...

The Izula does get a lot of great reviews though, so honestly you probably can't make a "wrong" choice out of the 3...
 
I tried doing the neck knife thing a couple years ago and didn't like it at all. Somebody can grab the knife and control you. My suggestion is if you are serious, get the smallest and lightest stainless fixed blade for this purpose. The neck knife I wear is a Blackjack 155 when I wear one and that is pretty much when I'm kayaking. But it is not really imperative as I keep a small knife attached to my flotation vest. The vest knife is serrated for cutting rope or cloth in a pure emergency. It basically never gets used.

Many people pocket carry their "neck knife" and a good one for that is the Kabar Becker BK-14.
 
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In case you haven’t seen them, you can get breakaway clasps for paracord. Paracord by itself isn’t the safest thing to wear around your neck.

Don’t have a knife recommend for you. The only neck knife I own is the CRKT already mentioned, but I haven’t worn it enough to form an evaluation that would meaningful to someone else.
 
I dislike how neck knives can move around under your shirt and make it hard to access reliably, plus awkward to resheath.
 
I’m a sucker for small skeletonized fixed blades however I much prefer carrying them in my front pocket rather than around my neck. Of your choices I would go with the Izula mainly due to the fact that I don’t have any experience with MT and am just not a big fan of pronounced finger grooves.

Another option that’s been mentioned is the Bradford G Necker - currently my favorite of the breed. The thing that really separates it from most of the others out there is the fatter handle which makes for a really comfy/usable grip while still maintaining a slim, light & easily carried profile. Plus, depending on the finish, it’s available for not much more than the stainless Izula.

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Good luck with whichever you decide!
 
I rarely recommend cheap tools. But in this case, I'd say buy cheap and see if you can tolerate a neck knife first. I couldn't. Two ounces of steel bouncing around in my shirt, awkward deployment (unless you aren't wearing a shirt), two hands to put it away? And do you leave your shirt untucked, so you lose your knife or cut off your toe when the sheath lets go? Or tuck your shirt in, and Bobbit yourself? Maybe it'll work for you. But I can think of a half dozen other ways I'd rather carry a knife.

That said, I'd lean towards the ESEE or Bradford.
 
I think the Ka-Bar 1117 was never given the recognition it deserved and why it went out of production. I carried one for about 2 years and it was one of the better knives i have ever had. If you can find one i recommend it.
 
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