first real knife advice

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Aug 7, 2013
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Im trying to decide what kind of knife to buy for my dad. Hes not a real big knife guy (which im trying to change), all he ever carrys is a little swiss army knife. I want to get him a good knife for around $80-$120. i want to keep it smaler than 3.5 inches and not too agressive looking. I was looking at either a benchmade griptilian or a triage. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
I'd recommend one of the Spyderco gent's folders. They are small, classy, well-made and no b.s.

My specific recommendations:
-Spyderco Sage 1, 2 or 4
-Spyderco Chaprarral
-Spyderco Caly3
-Spyderco Dragonfly II ZDP
 
Well one thing you might think about is that maybe the SAK is the best knife for him. I have really nice modern folders with great steel, great build quality and they cut like demons but I still carry a SAK because for day to day tasks, it really is the most useful. I'm just saying you may be spending $80-$120 for something that will sit in a drawer. Like my modern folders. Food for thought.
 
Im trying to decide what kind of knife to buy for my dad. Hes not a real big knife guy (which im trying to change), all he ever carrys is a little swiss army knife. I want to get him a good knife for around $80-$120. i want to keep it smaler than 3.5 inches and not too agressive looking. I was looking at either a benchmade griptilian or a triage. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Instead of going full blown tactical, how about "easing him into" the knives you like. He likes Swiss army style knives already, he is old school, 3.5" max length and you don't want something too aggressive looking. Check out the Victorinox Sentinal, and One Handed Trekker (I would get the non-serrated blade version) or the Case Trapperlock.

http://www.gpknives.com/victorinox-one-hand-sentinel-black-with-pocket-clip.html
54885[medium].jpg


http://goinggear.com/victorinox-one-hand-trekker-ns.html
vivtonehandtrekkerns_LRG.jpg


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/27...ock-folding-pocket-knife-325-drop-point-blade
30112_smooth_chestnut_bone_trapperlock_medium_.jpg
 
What will he be using the knife for? Do you think he will mind carrying a small fixed blade?
 
Well one thing you might think about is that maybe the SAK is the best knife for him. I have really nice modern folders with great steel, great build quality and they cut like demons but I still carry a SAK because for day to day tasks, it really is the most useful. I'm just saying you may be spending $80-$120 for something that will sit in a drawer. Like my modern folders. Food for thought.

Nailed it! :thumbup: As I was reading your post ryanb3 (welcome, by the way! :thumbup:), my first thought was "Sounds like you are talking about a Swiss Army Knife."

Get him one that's different than the one he has now. He'll love it. If he doesn't have a Super Tinker or Alox Farmer...get him one.
 
I'm more of a spyderco fan myself, but my dad loves his mini griptilian. I got him a g10 dragonfly because I LIKE IT, but it sits unused because he likes his mini grip...which might lend some credence to what others have suggested, which is to get him a nicer version of what he already likes.
 
Here ya go check it out at a couple oz. weight, fast deployment, 3.4 inch blade, axis lock and several configurations. BM 940 - 135 bucks includes shipping. A great, classy EDC :thumbup:

i-2vgbzSt-L.jpg
 
The 940 or the Caly 3 are both great "Gentleman" folders. The mini grip is very cool and in that price range.

Something cheaper that is good too would be like a spyderco delica in his fav color.
 
Let me reinforce those who have already suggested that you get him what he wants, a SAK of some kind. There are many, many different SAKs. I have an Alox Electrician that I like (two blades, a botte opener, and an awl). It's very elegant and thin; it has only two layers.

My other thought, and this is kind of out there, is that if he wants a SAK, it's because he wants multitool functionality. OK, I happen to like my Skeletool CX, which has a very nice 154CM knife blade with a plain edge, pliers, wire cutters, and a Leatherman socket screwdriver with two bits--and you can buy a bunch of different bits from Leatherman as a kit or individually. It's not as elegant as the SAK, though, nor is it as small, but it does has more capability. Just a thought.
 
As others have said, if he carries a SAK now, I don't think he would be much into the Benchmade thing.

A nice ALOX SAK would be good, especially some of the specialty runs by Swiss Bianco - very classy!

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/850-SwissBianco

Also, a good traditional slipjoint like a GEC or Case would be a good bet in that price range. Quality materials, American made and timeless designs can't go wrong!
 
Get him a higher quality sak of the same size.

maybe he likes the size and functions, just upgrade materials.

he may not want a tacticool knife that teenagers seem to love.
 
In my experience, my father was hesitant about modern pocket-clip knives, but now he loves them.

My grandfather though... he does not like his Delica at all. I should have got him a nice tradittional.
 
I don't know anything about your Dad or how old he is. I'm 55 myself, and I love a good Swiss Army Knife. My favorite is the Victorinox Alox Electrician. That could easily be my one and only knife if I just wanted a good one to use and carry and didn't enjoy the variety so much. Another option that's a bit smaller is the Alox Cadet, which is available in several colors.

As far as more modern folders go, my favorite is a Spyderco Delica. It definitely took me some getting used to the looks of it, but once you start using it the quality and ergonomics make it look beautiful. Dragonfly would be another recommendation if a smaller size fits the bill.

The other route is to go for traditional slipjoints from Case, Buck, Great Eastern Cutlery, Queen, or Canal Street. That all depends on what your Dad would be into.
 
Im trying to decide what kind of knife to buy for my dad. Hes not a real big knife guy (which im trying to change), all he ever carrys is a little swiss army knife. I want to get him a good knife for around $80-$120. i want to keep it smaler than 3.5 inches and not too agressive looking. I was looking at either a benchmade griptilian or a triage. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

What does your dad do for a living? How does he dress most of the time and what does he do on weekends? This may make a difference. Buying a knife for a father is a tricky thing. We have to be careful not to impose what we, as knife nuts, may think is cool, while he may look at it and wonder WTH?

If he likes his little SAK, there's a real obvious clue to what he likes. Maybe get him a nice SAK a little bigger, not much. A different model with a few more tools that may be handy for what he does.

Carl.
 
A little more information to help narrow the results. He is in his late 40s and owns a construction company. the SAK he has now just sits in his glove box most of the time. He likes the idea of a knife like mine (benchmade 275 adamas) but thinks its too big and bulky. I want to get him a solid folder with a really solid lock so that he doesnt worry about it closing on him (a concern of his). Thanks everyone for the help
 
Ahh, thanks for the extra info. That makes it a lot easier. Get him a spyderco Gayle Bradley. Done.
 
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