gentleman folder....

P

pollo

Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
199
Hello everybody!

I've been looking around for a nice little folder to carry always with me for little cutting jobs and office use.... i already have a bunch of big folders and fixed blades, and i'm looking for something smaller than my small sebbie and a little fancier.

Of course i considered a CR Mnandi, but my CR founds are currently going toward a large sebbie that i wanted for a while.

Now, i think i narrowed it down to a fallkniven tk3 or an Al Mar eagle (possibly MOP, maybe engraved). any thoughts about these knives?
I like the al mar a lot but aus 8 holds it back a little. About fit and finish?

thanks in advance for your time.
 
I like my CRKT Ichi a lot. Some hardcore knife enthusiasts overlook it because of the blade material, but it doesn't bother me since it is in light use. Very well made, pretty knife. I like the design and the feel in it. Cuts boxes / paper damn well, especially the tip is good for careful box opening (boxes with soft precious stuff in that cannot be opened with sword).
 
I just got my (first?) Mnandi a couple of days ago and it is brilliant, much smaller and lighter feeling than a Sebbie and the wood is beautiful. The blade is large for the handle size but very slim and thin and cuts like a champion.
My recommendation is keep saving!
Greg
 
I have to agree on the Mnandi.

I have been taking my Brad Duncan Mini Whiplash to work with me at my new job.
 
Big :thumbup: :thumbup: for the Fallkniven TK3.



(but those Mnandis are also mighty fine knives, specially the damascus ones...)
 
The Al Mar Hawks (2.5" blade) are very well made. The fit & finish is excellent. A more premium steel than AUS 8 would be nice, but my Hawk came with a great edge from the factory. As AUS 8 blades go, this has been one of the best I've had.

If you like the Mnandi, I can't argue with the previous suggestion to keep saving for one. They are outstanding knives and you'll be happy to own one, whether it's now or down the road.
 
I've got a TK3, fit and finish is perfect and it is scary sharp. At the same time it is very strong. I would recommend it highly. For $150-200 (depending on handle material), you are getting a very well-made hand made knife.
 
thank you for all the anwers!
I surely considered the mnandi but my CR quota for 2007 is already gone. i got a small classic bg42, a shadow IV, and a large regular on the way....plus it's a little over what i would like to spend.
I am focused on picking either the TK3 or the al mar hawk. the steel is a big point in favor of the TK3, but i also never had an AL MAR and i really like shape and that red logo on the blade... i wish i could afford both.
.........hard choice here.....
 
I have an Al Mar Falcon and think its just a perfect knife. Its barely noticeable in the pocket, opens quickly, locks securely. Plus I think its gorgeous looking. The Fallkniven looks really nice but appears like it would be hard to open with one hand.
 
I have an Al Mar Hawk with stag scales sitting in the pocket of my office slacks right now. It's a great office knife. I like the AUS8 - it comes from the factory wickedly sharp and is really, really easy to bring back to a wickedly sharp condition. I have some super steel knives with edges that are a little less than perfectly sharp that I just haven't had the time to fix. The Hawk never seems to have that problem. Fit and finish are fantastic. I really like the leather pocket sheath - which is classy and lets you put your knife in the same pocket as your car keys without worrying about scratches.

I also have the Hawk in black lip pearl. Of the two, I like the stag better. The black lip pearl and most handle configurations are exceptionally slim. The stag bulges out and it just seems a little more rugged. My dad has a Hawk in Honey Jigged Bone - which is my second favorite scale material for the Hawk. Highly recommended. I have an Osprey in HJB and it's a great, but tiny, office knife.

My other favorite office knives include:

a Case congress with orange harvest bone scales and SS blades (which stay nice and shiny and fancy looking for the office),

an Al Mar Falcon with aged white micarta scales (circa 1983 - it looks like a big Hawk)

an Al Mar SLB,

a small Opinel,

a Queen medium stockman in abalone,

a Schatt & Morgan swell end harness jack in brown jigged bone,

a Schatt & Morgan equal end harness jack in ebony (very fancy looking - you NEED to look at this: http://www.vintageknives.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jnepcpgoi),

a Queen mountain man lockback in Honey Jigged Bone (a little too big for the office though - might scare a secretary)


It took me a while to become comfortable with carrying a Case tru-sharp blade. On this forum anything other than carbon steel or the 5 most recently introduced super steels is given a bad rap . . but my Congress is pretty darn sharp and seems to stay that way for what I use it for in the office. It also stays looking great no matter what I throw at it. I'd definitely buy another Case SS or Schatt & Morgan 420 steel knife. It's hard to overcome that initial steel prejudice until you've owned one and come to love it.

Oh, and I think Al Mar just released or is about to release the Eagle in non-Ultralite form - with steel bolsters and micarta and bone handles. Those are big knives, but super slim. If you're looking to carry a 4" blade in the office, that's the way to do it. I got to handle one at the Eugene show and loved it.

Good luck
 
I have never had an Fallkniven knife( I want a U2), but my experience with Al Mar has been great. Perfect F&F, and shaving sharp, yet as sleek, and slim as a knife its size could be.
 
I generally carry a Mnandi when I am at work, however I have a Al - Mar Hawk with Cocobolo wood. It is a very nice knife perfect for a "gentleman's" knife.
It came very sharp out of the box!

garciajr
 
Get STR to make you one. He did one for me and it is REAL NICE! GOOD LUCK! Kevin:thumbup:
 
I have a TK3 in black quince. It came extremely sharp, feels great in the hand with a solid lockup, and looks terrific. But I just think it's blade is too large and overall it's too heavy for my taste in a gents folder. It also has no pocket clip.

Not to sound like a broken record, but my Mnandi in box elder :D

-Fuz
 
'Nuther vote here for Al Mar. I have a Nomad and a min-SERE, both top-notch in F&F and as sharp as any Spyderco I've ever gotten. A Hawk talon is going to be my next Al Mar, AUS-8 or not.

For a light-to-medium duty office or gentleman's knife, I don't think AUS-8 is bad. It's normally not going to get the kind of use that would eat up an edge real fast, and it is easy to bring back to its original sharpness.
 
William Henry makes outstanding, but very pricey knives. They are scary sharp out of the box. Nice people as well.
Good Luck
 
You might want to consider the RSK Mk 4 (a collaboration between Doug Ritter and Paul Knives). Shave-sharp out of the box, a small S30V blade, and a nice overall design. Not cheap, but a convenient EDC for the office.
 
When I think of gentleman folder, my go to is a Jeff Hall, Nemesis Knives Imp.

It has a blade just around 2", and there are silver G10, ebony, bocote and palm wood handle options.

Here's a pic of the bocote wood handled version.
P1210738.jpg

P1210740.jpg


Steel is VG10, very sharp.
 
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