Gift to Son - please recommend.

R

Rokukan

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Sep 24, 2003
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It is my son's 21st birthday and I want to give him a knife that he can keep and maybe pass down and I am hoping for some suggestions.

I want to spend around $100-$150. (please let me know if this is not realistic).

I don't expect this knife to me be used heavily but I do want a good quality blade. I want this to be a single blade knife but other than that it can be fixed or a folder. I want it to look classy and elegant(as opposed to agressive and hi tech)so I would prefer the grip to made with a natural material maybe wood? Around 5"-12" max length. My biggest fear to find out later that the knife of poor quality and made by a firm that is not respected in the knife community.

I thought about a custom knife but a couple of reasons made me hesitate. One is price, with so many up in the $500+ range what would I get for a hundred bucks or so. Second, I don't know any of the custom makers.

To give an idea of what I am looking for,I am considering:

Lone Wolf knives designed by Bob Loveless or Paul W. Poehlmann :
http://lonewolfknives.com/store/pages/products.shtml

or a Henckel Twin Snap Pocket knife with Cocobolo wood handle
http://store.yahoo.net/everythinghome/twsnpokncowo.html

Any suggestion will be appreciated.
 
If your budget is $150, don't look at customs too much. They will probably be out of your price range.

Also, with this be something carried all the time? Where does he live? If he's in CA also, there aren't too many legal issues to worry about, but just in case.
 
You want something that will alst your son's life and possibly his son's? I wouldn't get a folder then. With use, it would be hard to have it last for that long, although some can. I would get him a fixed blade and I would DEFINITELY get a custom. Head over the knife exchange and have a look at the knives for sale by maker. You can definitely find some custom fixed blades for under $150. May I make a suggestion? Check out forumite David Winston, he makes great stuff for under $150. My first custom was a fixed blade from him in D2 for $120.
 
If your looking for a folder check out the Benchmade 690. One of my personal favorites! Check it out here . If your looking for a fixed blade I think David Winston is probably your best bet in your price range.
 
What about a knife with custom inlays from Santafe knife works? I am eyeballing a Kiwi with Dinosaur bone handle inlays as a future sentamental gift for my 6 year old!
 
Originally posted by chris in mo
What about a knife with custom inlays from Santafe knife works? I am eyeballing a Kiwi with Dinosaur bone handle inlays as a future sentamental gift for my 6 year old!
Click to expand...

Link me please :D
 
Knives I have that were gifts that I really like are:

Benchmade:
Griptillian-mini (I got to pick, favorite)
940 (favorite)

Columbia River Knife & Tool:
M16-13Z (favorite)

Kershaw:
Chive (very nice little knife, people friendly)

Victorinox:
Tinker (carried it for years, one of my all time utilitarian favorites)

SOG:
S33 Gentleman (hard to open, but slim profile)

Buck:
110 (durable, rugged...been through hell. used off-shore when I was a commercial diver)
315 (backup to 110, used it off-shore when I was a commercial diver))

They may not all fit your criteria exactly, but I really appreciated receiving them.

Mike
 
Buck 110 - but custom made with BG42 - you have to call them and they will mae it for you even with engraving etc.

BM690 - with BC1

Kershaw Avalanche - my favorite.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Lots and lots of great choices in that price range. David Winston does indeed make some really nice stuff, at least they look nice in the pictures I've seen. Lone Wolf is very new to the knife world, but has already garnered quite a following. I love the looks and feel of the Benchmade 690, especially with the BC1 coating. Another good place to look for elegance and natural materials is William Henry. www.willamhenryknives.com. I saw these at the Blade show and they absolutely blew my mind. I honestly thought these were some of the nicest folders at the show. The Kershaw Bump might also be something to consider http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-ProductSpec?KS1590BL . It doesn't show up well in pics, but that handle is contoured with 3D cutouts and anodized, in person it's simply stunning. Those are some of my favorites, I'm sure you'll get many, many other good suggestions.
 
RoadRunner beat me to it, but David Winston's stuff might be what you're looking for. He just sold this one for $140 in the Custom Fixed Blade Sale area of the Knife Exchange here on the forums:

standard


You can also look around the Custom Maker Exchange forum for pictures and prices from other makers.
 
While not in your price range, the William Henry line and Chris Reeve's Mnandi would be excellent choices. If a slip joint is an option check out Queen's Schatt & Morgan line.

Paul
 
The Chris Reeve small Sebenza or Mnandi are the best folders out there in my opinion, unbeatable in fit, finish, and quality. They go for about $300, depending on where you buy, but they are worth every penny. They will last forever, and are quite elegant, but still more useable than a William Henry, which are also very nice.
 
Check out Gene Ingram knives. He's usually selling knives in the Custom For sale by Maker forum. Here's his website: http://www.geocities.com/porchswings/ I don't have one of his, yet, but everyone who does has been VERY happy!

Also, for not TOO much more than your range you could get him a Dozier Fixed Blade. THAT would be a very nice gift as well!!!

Good Luck,

-John
 
PWork and RoadRunner are both right about William Henry. I have a Kestrel in jigged bone that's gorgeous, but their knives start at about a hundy more than your upper limit.
You may want to look at Murray Carter. Murray's an ABS Mastersmith more known for his kitchen knives, but he had a great display of other fixed blades at the Blade show here in June, and they were right in your ballpark, price wise. The problem is, he lives and works in Japan now, so I'm not sure of delivery times.
 
Lone Wolf, William Henry(slipjoint), or custom.

I have 3 slipjoints here, 1 is my dad's that he used for 30yrs+. other than a day of cleaning to get it in top shape again, it was still good.

I have a cheap slipjoint($2-3 back in early 50s) that I got as a starter knife when I was 5... it made it through my childhood and is now put away(1"+ blade, not much more though...). Learned how to sharpen on it, and it's still good.

I have a custom being done for me right now, running my 250cdn, but thats to my specs (from scratch, new design to him). Ron Leuschen of Little Hen Knives here on the forum does great work.

http://www.littlehenknives.com/avcadet.html
210usd, 5" (forged 01, flat grind)) blade, 10" oal... should last a few lifetimes provided it isn't left to rust out it's life. handle is easy to take off if you want to dry it or clean it the easy way.
 
As long as others are bringing up knives a little out of budget.....

Take a look at Scott Cook's Owyhee's, a small is $215 new from him and I have seen them sold in the exchange for a bit less second hand, but like new. Very classy knife that is made to be used.

Scott Cook Knives

SOH_Shrunk_Ironwood.jpg
 
aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Such a good Father!
:)
The first knife I got from my Dad was a EK knife just before I was deployed in Somalia!
A great knife!
 
Originally posted by ZENGHOST
RoadRunner beat me to it, but David Winston's stuff might be what you're looking for.
Click to expand...

Excuse me, but I beat you all to it :D

Gene Ingram was mentioned and I agree there too. As a matter of fact, I believe that Gene Ingram trained under David Winston.
 
Gene Ingram & David Winston would be my choice for a fixed blade in that range. They both make outstanding looking knives. Here is one that Gene just posted for sale: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273384 Try to honestly tell me that's not a great looking knife, especially for that price. I have yet to buy one of thier knives, but only because I'm trying to get some bills paid down. Once I do, I want to get a few from each. :)
 
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