Generic idiot newbie questions

N

Norph

Joined
Sep 10, 2006
Messages
2
Forgive me, please, if I'm putting this in the wrong area. I recently acquired three Frost Cutlery knives (my neighbor bought a bunch of HSN and resold 'em; once he broke even he just started giving them away), and I'm ever-so-slowly beginning to realize that they're utter crap. I knew they weren't too high-quality when one of my neighbors gave them to me for free, but I'm beginning to suspect that they're not even up to the challenge of opening boxes where I work. My question is this: Are there any knife lines that are inexpensive, commonly available, of decent quality, and both legally and easily available in the state of California? I swear one of those knives is about to break in two, three pieces, and skewer my hand one of these days.

Again, if I posted this in the wrong place, then please forgive my impertinence.
 
Yes there are quite a few knives available that are inexpensive and good quality. I'll start by recommending the Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter. You can get it for around $20 on ebay or from any of a variety of internet dealers.
 
Opinels are a great choice and cost about $10 so you dont have to worry about them breaking or keeping them to nice. Also if I was in your situation I would be looking into a FRN Delica which is what I use as my work knife where I know it will be getting used and getting dirty. They're only about $40 and will last a life time and have VG-10 which will go through a decent amount of cardboard before needing to be resharpened.
 
What's the law on knives in California? Here's some economical choices that have a smallish blade:

Byrd (Spyderco Div) Finch, Robin, Crow, Meadowlark
Kershaw Vapor I
Spyderco Jester
Spyderco Dragonfly
 
I don't know anything about California's laws, but my low end recommendation is the Kershaw Storm. NGK has one for 25 bucks. I bought one in a brick and mortar for only like 35.

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My suggestion is to simply browse a few good dealer shops online and you'll get excited in no time. There are tons of great knives, in all budget ranges and the shop owners of these knife specialty shops are usually quite knowledgeable and helpful in terms of answering your questions or making suggestions.

Absolutely can't go wrong with New Graham Knives for one. There are several that folks here can recommend to you.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! You posted this in exactly the right place.

The State of California allows large folders. A particular municipality or university might restrict knives further though.

I'll second the Ka-Bar Dozier knives -- there are a few variants, all off the same handle and price.

Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Spear(point)
KA-BAR/Dozier Folders
KA-BAR/Dozier Folders (combination edge)

Another possibility that I've been carrying is a bit smaller but very strong and rather innocuous, the Subcom folder, now also in a combination edge.

Literally hundreds of other good choices out there. Opinel knives are wooden handled traditional French slipjoint folders, very nice, and inexpensive. Fine picnic knives, in many sizes, with a simple locking device. Spyderco has many excellent choices, going on up in price, but also the Byrd series, Spyderco quality in an inexpensive imported format.

Take your time. The thrill is in the chase ...
 
The California knife laws are actually very good.

You cannot carry a switchblade or butterfly knife unless the blade is under 2 inches.

Assited opening is legal.

You can carry any folder (other than switchblades, butterfly knives, or gravity knives) as long as it has a tendency to close. Basically, it means it has to want to "fall closed" once the blade is almost all of the way closed. This is true of virtually all folders.

You can carry a double edge folder.

You can carry a folder of any size, open or concealed.

You can carry any sized fixed blade, single or double edge, as long as it is open carry. You cannot conceal a fixed blade. You cannot conceal a folder in the open and locked position.

For $20, these are very solid knives:

Kershaw Vapor
Kershaw Storm
Ka-Bar Dozier
Buck Mayo Cutback
CRKT M-16
Benchmade Pika
Spyder Byrd line
 
Bikers, like the Hells Angels, in California have been carrying the Buck 110 Folding Hunter for well over thirty years.

The 110 is a good strong reliable knive and you get them at Walmart for less than $50.00 dollars.
Many Walmarts also carry the Spyderco Native--another great knife.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
For a good all around folder the Cold Steel medium Voyager is a decent knife. It has a 3" blade which should not upset anyone, comes quite sharp and is very lightweight for EDC in your pocket. While the MSRP is around $60 you can get them for under $40 by shopping around.

I guarantee you it will work great for opening boxes as that's mostly what mine does.
 
The new Byrd Meadowlark and CaraCara with G-10 handles are really hard to beat. The CaraCara might be a bit large but the Meadowlark should be just fine. They were great when they only came in SS, but now the G-10 versions I think has the competition really beat. I just gave my Meadowlark during construction in our lab a heavy workout and it took it without showing fatigue.
 
Yep, California's gun laws suck, but the knife laws are actually pretty good. No blade length limit for a folder. A better idea of your price range and desired size would help us narrow our suggestions, but I'll toss a couple out there.

Camillus EDC for about $25
Camillus Heat for about $50
Kershaw Storm II for about $35
Kershaw Blur for about $60
Spyderco Endura 4 for about $45
 
I appreciate the info from you guys; my basic price range is $50 and below, but I may make an exception if there's something high-quality available close by. When it comes to blade length, I'm looking for something somewhere between 2 and 3 inches; preferably something I could attach to a keychain without adding too much weight.
 
I picked up a Spyderco Native at Wal-Mart for $40, great knife. I have one of the Ka-Bar Doziers in my wife's car. For keychain carry there is always the Swiss Army Knife or the Spyderco Jester. Ragnar's Ragweed Froge has a little EKA folder for a song that would fit on a keychain. I've also carried small fixed blades on my keychain, hanging from my belt loop on a carabiner. Let us know what you get. Oh, and Welcome.

Frank
 
I can't believe I have not seen anyone recommend a swiss army knife.

These can be had cheap, in many combinations, and are usually seen as non-threatning.


edit: I just saw someone did mention the SAK, but it is still a good option.
 
$50.00 sets a good price point for you to get more good knives than you can imagine. I've gotten Spyderco Calypso, Jr. (VG-10) for less than that, as well as a Delica.

For about half that, if you are looking for a one-handed opening locking knife, the Ka-Bar Doziers are great. Swiss Army Knives are also good.
 
I carried a Ka-bar Dozier Drop Point Hunter for a year and it fit my needs admirably. I wanted something a little better, so I went looking. One thing I noticed is that it's best to visit a good knife shop or show so you can handle the knives. Find out what your preferences are in opening and blade lock systems. For instance, I found I preferred a thumbstud over an opening hole. Once you've narrowed down your choices in the features you like, then get ready to open your wallet.

I'd also suggest you plan for a sharpening kit and fit it into your budget, because at some point the knife will have to be sharpened, and it's a fairly easy skill to learn.
 
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