Folding 5 inch blade EDC knife?

I understand where you're coming from, and I too carry a knife for SD here in Hawaii. Just the thing is, carrying a knife solely for SD typically leaves you with a knife you won't use 99.9% of the time if you have sense enough to avoid conflict, and also because you'd want to keep the thing razor sharp and not risk blunting it from utility use.

This will be a Prac Tac topic eventually so...

I would recommend the Cold Steel Ti Lite. They only seem to have the 4" and 6", but nothing in between. If you're clever with a belt sander you could probably grind it down to a hair under 5.5" to be on the safe side, or have someone regrind it for you. Another one would be an Endura Wave. But if possible, I would consider a fixed blade and go for a Spyderco Moran or Gryphon M10.

My requirements for an SD knife is that it is quick to deploy, outstanding slicing ability, and LIGHT above all else. Remember, if you're carrying it for SD and nothing else, having 10 oz of knife in your pocket everyday will just be dead weight. I would also think I could slash faster with a light knife as opposed to a literal pocket brick.
 
I have the Retribution 1, Rajah 2, Voyager XL Clip Point, Ti-Lite 6". Get the CS XL Voyager, $55, 5.5" blade, light enough to carry all day. Tri-Ad lock, very grippy compared to Rajah 1 or Retribution 1. My 2¢.
 
guy-montag said:
I once thought the same as you, but every police officer and firearms instructor in Texas has disabused me of this notion. It really does make more sense to carry less-than-lethal force, but in Texas, it appears that the spirit of the law that judges stick with is either:

'It wasn't bad enough that it required lethal force, so no force should have been employed at all' or
'It could have been fatal for you, so you should not have used anything less than lethal force'.

They're very pro-self defense around here, from the police to the courts, but there are a few 'gotchas' that seem strange to non-Texans. I think some of it stems from the fact that defending yourself with lethal force is so enshrined in state law that anyone who gets into a situation where force is called for has some means of lethal force on hand. And bowie knives aren't legal. That's also really strange.

I wouldn't say it's a 'if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail' situation at all. It looks more like 'is it realistic that this person could fatally injure me?' If yes, 'employ lethal force'. If no, 'avoid situation and / or de-escalate'. It definitely makes you more responsible as far as defending yourself goes - if you have to draw your gun, it has gotten truly bad indeed. Anything else, you can walk away from.


It is a tip-up carry knife. I'm more of a 'flick' type person, but the guards on either side of the blade do indeed make it fairly easy to 'wave'.
Click to expand...

Maybe it is just a different attitude in a different state then

And thanks for the info on the Great Knight
 
res1cue said:
Maybe it is just a different attitude in a different state then

And thanks for the info on the Great Knight
Click to expand...
I have a Great Knight, it came pretty dull. its okay overall, its more of a sitting around the house type of knife for me though. The guards are pretty symmetric if you don't clip it in your pocket, also when its closed the back of the blade is higher on the opening side
 
Trail Edge said:
I have a Great Knight, it came pretty dull. its okay overall, its more of a sitting around the house type of knife for me though. The guards are pretty symmetric if you don't clip it in your pocket, also when its closed the back of the blade is higher on the opening side
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had to sharpen mine up. I've carried it daily for seven months or so, if it hadn't been for the screws coming loose and getting lost, I'd still be using it. It's a great EDC knife in my opinion. It fits my hands very well, where most other knives tend to disappear in my hand and have a unpleasantly small amount of grippable surface.

I tend to go by the 'how hard would it be to wrench it out of your hand' metric when judging EDC self-defense knives. If it would be problematic to hold onto in a struggle, I don't want to carry it. I've got a small multi-tool for daily tasks, so I don't need to worry about having my EDC self-defense knife fill any other role.
 
guy-montag said:
Yeah, I had to sharpen mine up. I've carried it daily for seven months or so, if it hadn't been for the screws coming loose and getting lost, I'd still be using it. It's a great EDC knife in my opinion. It fits my hands very well, where most other knives tend to disappear in my hand and have a unpleasantly small amount of grippable surface.

I tend to go by the 'how hard would it be to wrench it out of your hand' metric when judging EDC self-defense knives. If it would be problematic to hold onto in a struggle, I don't want to carry it. I've got a small multi-tool for daily tasks, so I don't need to worry about having my EDC self-defense knife fill any other role.
Click to expand...
Buy another one and loctite the screws?
 
I have a Benchmade LFK folder with a 5" blade and a very grippy handle. It's a super-cool, quality folder with a wicked blade--if you trust the liner lock.
 
I'm Here Again And Have To Say That My Personal Choice Would Be The Spyderco Resilience, Super Grippy, Easy To Keep A Hold Of, Large Blade, Would Make An Awesome Slicer, Comfortable In The Pocket, And Just Over-All GREAT.
I Love It And Am Playing With Mine Now.
 
I purchased two of those Great Knight folders, knowing that they would be crap, but hoping I could piece a usable model together out of the two.

Needless to say, no dice.

Even then, it wouldn't have been a EDC carry blade for me. I usually carry a folder for SD, and a knife that has liner lock issues and falls apart would not fill me with a great deal of comfort.

Like some of the other posters said, there are other folders out there that would be much better choices, although they will be more expensive.

I have owned both the SOG Spec Elite 2, as well as the Spyderco Military. The SE doesn't carry very well, due to it's handle shape, and the handle itself seems flimsy. The Military is amazing. Even though it was not made for SD, it excels in that role. Carries well, quick to deploy, ample grip, and an amazing blade shape that cuts and pierces extremely well. I also own the original Spyderco Manix and Chinook. Both are amazing SD blades, but again much more expensive than your Great Knight.

Another option might be the Cold Steel Hold Out 2. 4 inch blade. Very much suited for SD. No guard, but the G10 handle is textured so well retention shouldn't be an issue. The handle is also reminiscent of the Great Knight- G10 with cutouts. It is also cheaper than the Military, and could easily be replaced.
 
I'm having trouble with your focus on "price point" self defense. So your life is only worth somewhere between $18 to $100? This doesn't make any sense to me.

If we grant you the argument that a folder makes a good SD instrument, why don't you think something more expensive and of higher quality is worthwhile for you as a EDC?
 
CWL said:
I'm having trouble with your focus on "price point" self defense. So your life is only worth somewhere between $18 to $100? This doesn't make any sense to me.

If we grant you the argument that a folder makes a good SD instrument, why don't you think something more expensive and of higher quality is worthwhile for you as a EDC?
Click to expand...

First, you make the error of assuming that the dollar value of a tool is relative to the value of the user's life. By that logic, we should all carry solid platinum, diamond-encrusted crowbars. That's hyperbole there, but it's also the logical extreme of your argument.

Second, there is a point of diminishing returns on knives once you hit the $100 mark or so. Every dollar you spend past that gets you less and less. A $10,000 dollar knife will be hard to tell from a $1,000 knife on the basis of looking at the work done with it. A dependable $10 knife may even produce the exact same results as a $100 knife. May not look as pretty or last for years, but if the steel isn't worthless and you took the time to sharpen it, you'll find you can do the exact same job with it.

So what is the minimum price for the maximum amount of usefulness? That's how you should think about it.

I'm looking at a few basic qualities in the following order:

How useful will it be if, god forbid, I have to use it in self-defense:
1. Will it cut butter? AKA, 'will it hold an edge long enough to be used once?'
2. Will the lock on it, if it's a folding knife, hold fast in a struggle? Keep in mind you're not using it as a pry-bar and people trying to kill you aren't made out of rock.
3. Does it have features that make it useful for self-defense?
-Does the handle actually work as a handle?
-Is the blade shape one that's useful in self-defense?

These are really, really simple qualities. You don't need to spend a lot of money to achieve these. As it turns out, you can achieve all of them for $18. Maybe even less if you were using one of the box-cutter style pocket knives.

What do you get when you spend more?
1. Better construction.
2. Nicer materials.
3. Possibly better steel.

These things are all well and good, but they aren't necessary. Tools are just that - tools. Not status symbols, nor tributes to excess. A tool that will only be used *once* doesn't have to be very fancy or durable over years of use.

/rant
 
+ for BM (Harley Davidson) LFK Great knife. Light and ideally long for utility cutting
 
Last edited:
G10 Espada Large. 5.5 blade, wave opening, tri-ad lock, secure grip, should be able to get for close to a bill shipped. XL Voyager loses the wave opening, but is cheaper.Price starts to lose relevance when you are paying for blade steels that don't have greater toughness and instead load up on carbide formers. Wear resistance is pretty pointless for shanking people. Handle materials even less so when shape and texture mean more than than appearance.
 
I could suggest a lot of folders, but this less expensive, solid knife question is where I believe that people switched to "full tang" on the less expensive fixed blades. If you can pocket carry a knife with a handle that long I would suggest something like an Izula, or if you want pointy maybe a Counter Tac II with a Charlie Mike sheath. It's up to you, but I have seen "full tang" knives at the wholesale places that would fit in your pocket with an edge guard. You would be able to get the steel sharp, but it would not stay that way, so I'd set up a list of bare minimums and then decide on cost later. Just an Idea

Edit for typos-
 
Trail Edge said:
I could suggest a lot of folders, but this less expensive, solid knife question is where I believe that people switched to "full tang" on the less expensive fixed blades. If you can pocket carry a knife with a handle that long I would suggest something like an Izula, or if you want pointy maybe a Counter Tac II with a Charlie Mike sheath. It's up to you, but I have seen "full tang" knives at the wholesale places that would fit in your pocket with an edge guard. You would be able to get the steel sharp, but it would not stay that way, so I'd set up a list of bare minimums and then decide on cost later. Just an Idea

Edit for typos-
Click to expand...

I also have one of these, and it's a great knife, but it's not well suited for pocket carry, and jabs into my side too much when carried IWB, so it stays at home. Pity, because it's a great knife.

Cold Steel Kobun:
kobun-table.jpg


Counter Tac II looks awesome, but Texas law doesn't allow any double-edged knives. Or bowie knives. Or expandable batons. Bit of a killjoy really.
 
much shorter, but a Safe Keeper III push dagger is single edged and would be easier to conceal with a solid grip. Should be able to get it around $30.
 
guy-montag said:
I'm in love! The level of utility on that is perfect! A handle that's a useful handle first and a blade storage mechanism second? ZOUNDS!

I just wish the handle was thinner to allow pocket carry :(
Click to expand...


And it can be. Along with a clip being added. Pocket carry?? Bah, NO PROBLEM! Pardon the crappy photo though;
ui2ik9fc78ec733viewattth132bcfbb4e8.jpg

ui2ik9fc78ec733viewattth132dabcef62.jpg
 
hardheart said:
much shorter, but a Safe Keeper III push dagger is single edged and would be easier to conceal with a solid grip. Should be able to get it around $30.
Click to expand...

Hah. I have two of those. Razor sharp.

Too short though, doesn't fit well in the pocket, and push dagger style handles just don't seem to work well for me.

I love 'em, but I really have no idea what to do with them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top