Folder advice.

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
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If you were to take just a folder in the woods with you and a hatcet, what kind of steel would you rather have, 154CM or VG10? What type of lock would be your preference? I have my eyes on either a Spyderco Delica or Benchmade Grip. Tasks would be food prep and carving/notching. Looking for something to take on hikes around the beach in the summer.
 
You have 2 good choices there. I am partial to VG-10 and the Delica, but I think this choice (these two knives) falls more in the opinion and personal preference category (It is not so much about the tool, but how you use it and how it fits your style).

FWIW, I carry a Spyderco Salt 1 every time I go to the woods. It is H-1 which will not hold an edge as long as VG-10 (but it is incapable of rust and you said "beach"). Otherwise it is basically a Delica and I use the heck out of it...and it works fantastic for my wants and needs.
 
Get what fits best in yer hand, especially if carving is the knife in questions main duty.
Either steel would do, but VG10 has always been easier for me to resharpen.
And since the two knives are made by two of the best production companies around just go with the lock that you like, they're both reliable for the intended tasks.
As to the two knives both are good enough at carving and notching but my FFG Delica slices way better than my Hollow Ground Griptilian does.
Which might be helpful with food prep.
But you could get the 550 variation which is flat ground as well.
Which brings us back to the original point of get what feels better in your hand and floats your boat. Good luck :)
 
I have a full sized grip as my EDC. I like it alot and it's really comfortable to hold and flip the blade open/closed. I like 154CM, so the blade is great for me. I'm not sure I'd rely on it as a woods knife, because I think it's just not that strong (pivot and liners). I'm not sure how the Delica is, but I love VG-10. The grip makes a good quality beater knife.
 
Either on the steel front. I really like 154 CM [ATS 34] and have a bunch of experiences with knives made from those. I have a single experience of VG 10 and that was with my old F1. Sharpening wise I don't use a sufficiently sensitive apparatus to detect a significant difference. I usually sharpen with various grits of wet-n-dry paper quitting at 2000 [laziness] and then strop. I get a pretty refined edge doing that but the method lacks the sensitivity for me to be able to tell 154 CM from VG 10 in a blind testing of sharpening difficulty. It's so easy with both. In terms of edge retention, well I didn't notice any significant difference I'd attribute to the steel there either. Both seem to stay sharp a wee bit longer than the 440 C knife I use the most when cutting rope down the beach but that's about it. I think the way I refine the convex plays a much larger role in edge retention than whether it was VG 10 or 154 CM.

I have an older Delica not a VG 10 one. I like it for it being handy for the one handed stripe and return thing but for what you're after I'd get the Grip.
 
I usually just carry a folder. In the woods, I always have a Victorinox Huntsman and some sort of one hand opening folder. I like Spydercos a lot. I carried the Endura VG10 for years until about a year ago when I've been carrying a Military S30V. I like both steels but S30V is better IMO.
 
raylaconico said:
I usually just carry a folder. In the woods, I always have a Victorinox Huntsman and some sort of one hand opening folder. I like Spydercos a lot. I carried the Endura VG10 for years until about a year ago when I've been carrying a Military S30V. I like both steels but S30V is better IMO.
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I've thought about the military I just don't know if I'm into something that big.
 
Perhaps the ParaMilitary then? The larger handle makes this knife VERY user friendly. Lots of belly on the blade makes it great for small game processing too.

The Military is great too...ask around...many will tell you that it looks huge at first and then seems to shrink over time and use. I have several versions of the Military...fantastic user!
 
Shotgun said:
I've thought about the military I just don't know if I'm into something that big.
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The Military is the most lightweight folder for it's size that I've ever handled. I like the bigger blade. I just feel better with a bigger blade. I don't know if it weighs more than the Griptilian although it's a bit bigger.
 
I really like my Spyderco Chinook III. I don't even know what steel it is, I just like how it fits my hand, it's heavy duty and the blade works for what I need.
 
I pretty much gave up on folders in deference to the simplicity and durability of a fixed blade years ago.

Then, I found the Ritter Grip' and bought one. I liked it so much that I carried and used it every day and eventually got the smaller version, which I now carry and use every day. These are the only two folders I actually ever carry now. I have a couple Vic Farmers that tag along in a bag, but never give up the Grip' to anything else.

Among other things, I can get either Ritter out and deploy it with either hand - even with gloves on and then close is and return it to my pocket. I have not owned another knife that I could do that with. They may be out there, but I am so happy with these knives that I have nopt looked and have not even been interested in but one other folder since - an Enzo Scandi folder that I have yet to buy.

Can't say the Ritter Grip' is better than anything else because I just haven't tried once I got one. They are S30V, which makes no difference to me, but I would buy one in a heartbeat if D2 were an option. VG10 is great too, just can't get all flavors in all folders, so I took what they gave me - S30V. Seems to be just as good as any other steel I think I have some well-founded preference for.
 
I would prefer a Benchmade Presidio with 154cm steel (the full size one). The Griptillian is a great EDC but I think the Presidio is tougher.
 
I've carried both the Delica (6 years) and Griptillian (1 year) as EDC's. They both went to the woods with me as well. I much prefer the Delica and traded off my Griptillian after a year of constant use. I can understand how others might prefer the Griptillian but for me it was to wide for pocket carry and I hated the Axis lock.
My current favorite EDC is the Spyderco Military and it carries better than the Griptillian did.
S30V, 154cm, VG10, that wasn't really a factor to me. My delica was ATS-55, it did everything I needed a knife to do and after 6 years showed no signs of wearing out.
 
I'm a fan of VG-10 a little more than 154CM, but that is just me. Axis Lock ispretty heavy, and I'm a fan of the Chris Reeve Frame Lock.

For me, if it had to be only that knife, I have a kinda warped view- Spyderco Chokwe, Emerson a-100 (scandi ground), Rucksack, or just a cold steel pocket bushman.
 
Joezilla said:
I'm a fan of VG-10 a little more than 154CM, but that is just me. Axis Lock ispretty heavy, and I'm a fan of the Chris Reeve Frame Lock.

For me, if it had to be only that knife, I have a kinda warped view- Spyderco Chokwe, Emerson a-100 (scandi ground), Rucksack, or just a cold steel pocket bushman.
Click to expand...

That Emerson A-100 is tight. I liked that setup alot.

Moose
 
154CM. In my limited experience it seems a bit "tougher".

Are you limiting yourself to those two steels only ?

If not, the AUS8 in the KABar Mule is a great combo.
 
I do not own a Grip (had the opportunity to handle them a couple of times and am convinced that it is one of the best lockups you can get on a folder.) My current folder is a Delica 4. I do want a grip, but there's no reason for that. The Delica is a lighter blade. The length will allow you to carry in almost any state. I am a big fan of lockbacks, I think they're very reliable. I've no experience with a 154CM blade but I've no regrets about carrying the VG-10, it's a very nice blade steel in my experience. I hope this helps you out some. If you do pick up a grip and don't like it depending on what you want to unload it I may be willing to help you with that. If you get the Delica and don't like it you're on your own, I love mine too much to replace it.

God bless,
Adam
 
How about the spyderco stretch I've heard it's based of the old hunter model and does great at finer task.
 
Let me start out by admitting I am far from an expert. If I were stuck in the woods/ bush/ etc. I'd feel most comfoertable with my Sebenza in my pocket but I do have to say my Spyderco Manix 2 is a very very close second. I think maybe the Manix might even outshine the Seb in bushcrafting, but like I said, I'm far from being anything close to an expert.
 
The Spyderco Paramilitary 2 of course :p

With the slightly longer handle and blade than the original Paramilitary, it's the perfect knife (for me at least) and is easy to clean and disassemble with the compression lock and open build construction.

For an outdoor folder (to me) it's important that it's easy to take apart and put back together in case it's used for food prep where it could get gunked up at the pivot.

Out of the two listed I'd say you can't go wrong with either :)
 
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