Gentlemen's folder choice

airyq

airyq

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Nov 10, 2003
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817
I am interested in getting a small gentlemen's folder and would appreciate hearing from you guys who own or have handled any of the following:

1. Buck Koji folder
2. Kershaw Nakamura
3. Fallkniven Tre Kronor folder.

I have read all the previous posts on the qualities of the small Sebbie and the Mnandi, but as both are out of my league right now :( , would appreciate if discussion is limited to the above.
 
Haven't used any of those, but you definitely need a 960 Osbourne. A beautiful, 3 inch blade non threatening knife with guts. D2 steel and axis lock.
 
Xikar has some nice small folders for a good price.

Of the 1's you named I am partial to the Falkniven.
 
Haven't seen the Kershaw or Fallkniven but I've handled the Koji folder and it's an extremely nice little knife. Excellent fit and finish, and the quince burl scales give it a very classy look. IMHO, the Koji would make a great dress knife. (As a matter of fact I plan on giving myself one the next time a special occasion pops up :D )
 
airyq said:
I am interested in getting a small gentlemen's folder and would appreciate hearing from you guys who own or have handled any of the following:

1. Buck Koji folder
2. Kershaw Nakamura
3. Fallkniven Tre Kronor folder.
Click to expand...

Fallkniven. Excellent steel, very nicely made. If you can live with a really short blade I'd go for the Fallkniven U2. Cheaper, so small it's definitely non-threatening, excellent steel. I always go for the U2 when I'm in an environment where I can't really use one of my regular folders.

Hans
 
I think the Fallkniven U2 is a great gents knife. (even better with a little tweaking via minor surgery to install a thumb stud and pocket clip as I have done to my own and others but they are pretty good before also) These knives tenaciously hang on to their sharpness. Great value for the money here IMO. I call these 'little big knives' because they may have small blades but they outperform many much larger ones.

I'll tell you another great gents knife although it is a little unconventional. The Spyderco Dodo is another one of the really great 'little big knives' out there that work much larger than they really are. But the Centofante III is also a very nice 'gents knife' for under $50.
 
airyq, pardon the terse reply but I'm falling asleep...

- Buck Koji folder- was leaning towards this one but it seems as though newer versions have pivot screws showing on the bolsters. Kind of wrecked the step effect for me... other than that I liked the lines of the knife but never purchased one. (OK, just checked around, maybe they always had the pivot exposed... must sleep...)

- Kershaw Nakamura- got one, nice sharp blade but it seems a bit too much blade for the handle. I guess I prefer a bit more slender blade for a gentlemans folder. Other than that, its very nice. Mokume bolsters, stabilized wood scales, hidden pivot, clip to keep it away from the coins and such... almost "tactical"...

- Fallkniven TK3- got one when it sounded like they were going to sell the company. Never carried it but its pretty nice. Unfortunately, it can't be taken apart with a Torx but you really shouldn't have to. Nice size, fairly thin, same blade steel as my U2 (holds an edge!), no clip. Kind of reminds me of those old Gerber Sportsmans...

Anyhow, I guess it just depends what you're looking for... I believe the usual response is "get all 3!" ;-)

regards,
tom
 
Thanks for the input guys.

tom2:

1. you are right about the Koji folder, the older ones have a hidden pivot and the step design looks so much better for it. However, I do like the idea that the pivot can be adjusted, even though this is not common for slippies/trad designs. This is a point against the Tre Kronor;

2. for the TK3, the blade steel sounds interesting. However, for a light use pocket knife, I do prefer a liner lock for ease of closing;

3. the Nakamura seems to be the most ideal at this time but it appears to be a larger knife compared to the rest, while I am looking for a small pocket knife.

Also, considering the Case SlimLock which is about to hit the market. BG42 :cool:

The decision gets tougher.

Of course, the easy way out is to get them all but ........ :(
 
As far as the Case BG42 goes, it sounds good, but there is no info on heat treat, or anything else. Until that is rectified, I would not buy one.

The Nakamura is really great, with it's laminated steel. If this interests you, you should look at the Mcusta folders available form Seki-Cut. I handeled several at Blade and was quite impressed.
 
I'll toss a wrinkle into the discussion. An easy carry is a Spyderco ladybug on a keyring. It cuts like anything yet is small and unobtrusive.
 
I searched high and low for an "in the pocket" folder for carry to work with slacks and Dockers. I ended up with an AG Russell Feather Lite. It is the best small, light weight, knife I have. It gets extensive work opening mail, opening boxes, etc. around the office. Not only is the knife light, the blade is exceptionally thin and is a supurb cutter for "light weight" applications. The blade is also not too small - it feels like a real knife when it is open.
 
Personally, of the three, I think the Buck Koji folder is by far the best looking knife. That's a fine looking knife. ATS-34 steel also and there's nothing wrong with that, especially on a gentlemans folder. That's a beautiful knife. If I was looking for a gents folder in the $100 price range, that would be the one for me for sure.
 
They all look pretty, but I think the Kershaw will perform the best. Never even picked up a Nakamura, but Kershaw is usually pretty on top of quality.
 
Artfully Martial said:
Haven't used any of those, but you definitely need a 960 Osbourne. A beautiful, 3 inch blade non threatening knife with guts. D2 steel and axis lock.
Click to expand...


I Myself would second this suggestion, i know it was not in your original list, but really felt it was worth mentioning.(So damn nice looking and great materials make it almost irresitable to me.)

I think it may be the one i get aswell.


WR
 
As far as Gentlemen's Folders go, I recommend the Spyderco Kiwi in its various forms. I used to recommend the BenchMade 770, but BM discontinued the carbon fiber version which is the one that I preferred. If you want to go larger than that, you might wish to try the BenchMade SwitchBack 921, especially the basic version with the blue anodized scales.
 
The spyderco kiwi is a great little knife. The William Henry Spire lockbacks are very nice too.
 
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