Looking at gents tactical folders. For my purposes, I'll define gents as "sleek rather than overbuilt." I want understated functionality with a bit of flair, however, I'll pass on embellishments like engraving, loud anodized titanium, and mother of pearl. CPM steel. Progressive design but not too "futuristic." I'm thinking Krait or Tighe Tac III. Anyone have any recommendations? Am I asking for too much?
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gents tactical folder
- Thread starter Shodar
- Start date
sorry - triple post - i screwed up. more content - you might want to look at chris reeve's knives umfaan also. i have heard great things about this knife. the strength of the lock is almost unbeatable.
marco
[This message has been edited by marco (edited 31 January 1999).]
marco
[This message has been edited by marco (edited 31 January 1999).]
hello shodar - i kind of like the looks of johnny stout's "gemini". i believe it was designed by ralph mroz of tactical knives magazine. it is featured in the may 1998 issue. his 3 criteria in designing the knife are as follows
1. an effective defensive knife
2. an all-round utility knife
3. a knife that doesn't look "tactical"
the knife appears to be a real classy folder, with defensive promise, but i have never handled one or even seen one other than in a picture. you might want to ask around about this knife.
marco
1. an effective defensive knife
2. an all-round utility knife
3. a knife that doesn't look "tactical"
the knife appears to be a real classy folder, with defensive promise, but i have never handled one or even seen one other than in a picture. you might want to ask around about this knife.
marco
Shodar,
Johnny Stout does do a couple of nice smaller folders, the Aristocrat, Baron, Titan, etc. I think the titan is a downsized version of his Gemini.
Seems like I see more and more 'gents' tacticals with things like fossil ivory and fancy anodizing, but you can also get a smaller knife, built well, but still with the tactical, G-10 or carbon fibre look too.
One that does nice work like that is Joel Chamblin. He makes a wharncliffe blade small tactical that is very, very well made. Simply a beautiful knife.
Another very nice smaller tactical is the LDC folder by J.D.Smith. About a 3" clip point blade and really nicely fit and finished. Steve Harvey has one for sale on the for sale page....its a steal at what he is asking for it.
madpoet
Johnny Stout does do a couple of nice smaller folders, the Aristocrat, Baron, Titan, etc. I think the titan is a downsized version of his Gemini.
Seems like I see more and more 'gents' tacticals with things like fossil ivory and fancy anodizing, but you can also get a smaller knife, built well, but still with the tactical, G-10 or carbon fibre look too.
One that does nice work like that is Joel Chamblin. He makes a wharncliffe blade small tactical that is very, very well made. Simply a beautiful knife.
Another very nice smaller tactical is the LDC folder by J.D.Smith. About a 3" clip point blade and really nicely fit and finished. Steve Harvey has one for sale on the for sale page....its a steal at what he is asking for it.
madpoet
Les Robertson
BANNED
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- Oct 10, 1998
- Messages
- 3,565
Madpoet
Please, in the future when providing information to others try to assure its accuracy.
The LDC knife you speak of is the LDC 105 by John W. Smith the folder maker. J.D. Smith is a member of the ABS and forges his work. Primarily, he makes Bowies and Daggers in Damascus. He makes few if any folders.
He is not to be confused with John M. Smith out of Centralia, IL. John also forges his own Damascus and makes primarily Bowies and Fighters, but has made some beautiful folders!
Get your Knives 99, you cant tell the players without a score card!
Not knowing which J.Smith made which knife could cause you to buy something you didnt expect!
------------------
Les Robertson
Robertson's Custom Cutlery
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/rcc/makers.shtml
It is easier to get things done with a kind word and a knife, than with a kind word alone!
Please, in the future when providing information to others try to assure its accuracy.
The LDC knife you speak of is the LDC 105 by John W. Smith the folder maker. J.D. Smith is a member of the ABS and forges his work. Primarily, he makes Bowies and Daggers in Damascus. He makes few if any folders.
He is not to be confused with John M. Smith out of Centralia, IL. John also forges his own Damascus and makes primarily Bowies and Fighters, but has made some beautiful folders!
Get your Knives 99, you cant tell the players without a score card!
Not knowing which J.Smith made which knife could cause you to buy something you didnt expect!
------------------
Les Robertson
Robertson's Custom Cutlery
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/rcc/makers.shtml
It is easier to get things done with a kind word and a knife, than with a kind word alone!
Les,
Sorry, slip of the typewriter here. I do know which is which, and what kind of work they do......otherwise I wouldn't have bought the other prototype from Steve a couple days ago.
Either way I think the LDC 105 is perhaps the most trim and elegant of all the LDC folders to date. The Broadwell comes close, and I think he takes it by a nose when it comes to the LDC straight knives.
madpoet
Sorry, slip of the typewriter here. I do know which is which, and what kind of work they do......otherwise I wouldn't have bought the other prototype from Steve a couple days ago.
Either way I think the LDC 105 is perhaps the most trim and elegant of all the LDC folders to date. The Broadwell comes close, and I think he takes it by a nose when it comes to the LDC straight knives.
madpoet
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 2,337
Les
J.D is a Boston Area maker who indeed forges his own stuff.Bowies and fighters with persian or middle eastern influence were at one time his claim to fame but I have seen quite a few folders some automatic being made by him lately. The whole N.E area has some very fine custom makers residing here and doing fantastic stuff with steel.
Bob
J.D is a Boston Area maker who indeed forges his own stuff.Bowies and fighters with persian or middle eastern influence were at one time his claim to fame but I have seen quite a few folders some automatic being made by him lately. The whole N.E area has some very fine custom makers residing here and doing fantastic stuff with steel.
Bob
- Joined
- Nov 30, 1998
- Messages
- 61
No question - Umfaan !!!
Chefget -- glad you brought up the Sawby. Wish I hadn't tossed that 5/98 TK where it was reviewed. Always liked that knife, but had fixed-blade tunnel vision for quite awhile, so I never really considered buying it. Anyway, now I'm a folder convert, so it should be fun remaking my dinky collection.
Thanks to all for your thoughts. Time to figure out how to spend my tax return.
Thanks to all for your thoughts. Time to figure out how to spend my tax return.
You might be interested in the William Henry Carbon Fiber Lancet Folder. It is a great little tactical gent's knife with a pocket clip.
For the quality I find that it is well worth the money.
Larry
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KnifeArt.com
For the quality I find that it is well worth the money.
Larry
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KnifeArt.com
- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 4,131
My two cents worth. Check out Joel Chamblin you will be glad you did.
More interesting suggestions. However, for me, I have to go with stainless CPM steel. This must not only be an option within the maker's offerings, but preferably they've worked with it a lot. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the makers I know of or have read of, who work in the stainless CPMs, are a select group including Steve Mullin, Scott Sawby, Kit Carson, Darrel Ralph, Sean McWilliams, and Lonnie Hansen. Maybe there are others, but I mean guys who have worked with the stuff a lot.
If you're looking for someone that has used CPM for a long time, there is only one maker that comes to my mind that has used it for some ten years now. That would be Ralph Turnbull. He was doing folders with CPM440V blades back before 1990.
About the only problem is that Ralph makes mostly art folders, so they're going to have stuff like mother of pearl and mokome.
If you want sleek, and don't care if its a liner lock or not, Steve Mullin's Pack River Knife Company utility folder is about the sleekest thing going. My only suggestion would be to get the blade in a satin finish instead of bead blasted. The bead blasted blade looks nicer to start with, but it will scuff up with use. Its not a cutting-edge design, but its still elegant, and works well too.
madpoet
About the only problem is that Ralph makes mostly art folders, so they're going to have stuff like mother of pearl and mokome.
If you want sleek, and don't care if its a liner lock or not, Steve Mullin's Pack River Knife Company utility folder is about the sleekest thing going. My only suggestion would be to get the blade in a satin finish instead of bead blasted. The bead blasted blade looks nicer to start with, but it will scuff up with use. Its not a cutting-edge design, but its still elegant, and works well too.
madpoet