Good EDC blade for farm use

Y

youfoundnemo

Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
74
Hello, Im quite new around here, Ive searched the forums up and down but can not find anything that would work well for me (in my price range that is) I use my knife daily on the farm with the usual junk, cutting cord, small brush (gets stuck on the tractor) cleaning out hooves, and the occasional prying of bullets out of wood. Ive had this cheap remington folder that has served me well for quite some time but I am looking for a step up before "self endulgent" purchases are a no no with the SO. Ive been looking at benchmades...lots of benchmades :o Ive viewed the occasional spyderco but cant go without the thumb stud. Ive 2 kershaws (leek and blur) they also served me well but the leeks blade broke too easily and the blur...well the blur got traded for a flashlight (yea Im a flashaholic...if you dont know what that is go look at candlepowerforums)

Please help me pick something that will serve me for many years, I would rather not shell money out for a new knife every year....Thank You
 
im not a big fan of tantos and ive never recommended one but if youre prying bullets out of wood and cleaning out hooves with the tip id find a tanto knife of some sort. what blade length are you after 2 3 or 4in?
 
My default answer would usually be Spyderco's Endura, but since you wanted studs for openers I second Kershaw's models!

There's also the Boker Plus line, especially Chad Los Banos (CLB) designs (M-Type is like the Blur but with a solid framelock. The Trance is a popular model as well).
 
If you aren't dead set on a one-hand opener, it sounds to me like you need a Myerchin style knife.

Google Myerchin .com and take a look.

I have a Buck marlin spike and it comes in very handy for prying, so I don't have to risk my knife blade.

Andy
 
First off, the 0200 is significantly larger than the JYD II.

IMG_6946.jpg

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It's a lot easier to see with the knives in hand, but the 0200 has over half an inch more edge length than the JYD II.
My initial suggestion would be to get the ZT0200 (the black bladed one). The knife is big, has a thick blade, good clip (placement and size), and a very nice handle. It's one of the only knives I didn't grind the thumbstuds off of either.
The downside is it takes up too much pocket space for some people (not me), and the re-curved blade is a little harder to sharpen (you need rod type sharpening tools). Oh, and it costs two or three times more than the JYD II.

The JYD II is one of the sturdiest knives you'll ever find for the price. If you get the composite blade you'll have some pretty fancy steel on the edge, but the regular version might be better if toughness is more of a concern than edge holding. I personally like the clip, but a lot of people don't, and there's only one carry option, so no tip up or left hand carry.
Edited to note: I gave my JYD II a choil (big round notch in the blade) and rounded off the back of the handle. I found the stock handle shape to be a little limiting. (and that's foam insulation on the blade)

On the Benchmade side of things, I'd recommend the 14205. It's not overly beefy like the ZT0200, but the blade is almost as thick, it's still pretty sturdy, carries nicely, and the Axis lock is a lot of fun. If you get that knife I can pretty well guarantee you won't use the thunbstuds very often.
I'm sure you could find a Griptillian to fit your needs as well, and at a very reasonable cost.

Overall my top two pics would be the Kershaw ZT0200 and the Benchmade 14205. They're pretty different knives, but either one would do the job well.
 
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If you like benchmades, maybe the 610 or 615 ruckus (the S30V sounds like it would be useful). The 520 presidio, 950 Rift, 710, and HK 14205 are all really tough midsized folders.

Or how about a fixed blade, Rat cutlery RC3 or RC4...
 
Plain edge 4" Cold Steel Voyager works fine for me. Hay bales, feed sacks, zip ties, 550 cord, burlap, etc. Use it like a knife, instead of a pry bar or a screwdriver, and you'll be fine. If you need more tools, try a Leatherman or one of the larger Swiss Army knives. Take care
 
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joshua J, do I even WANT to know whats on that poor junkyard dog? I didnt think so =D I did some more searching and began to look into the benchmade 710, Ill have to look up all the ones HKBM listed, hopefully I can find something Ill enjoy to work with

One question though, with that junkyard dog does it have that assisted opening or something....theres nothing to open it with???
 
If you're interested in traditional style knives at all, you might take a look at the Queen Mountain Man Lockback in Amber Stag Bone. They're big tough knives with D-2 steel. (you can pick one up on the net for about $60 bucks)

My father in law has been farming and ranching for most of his 88 years and the old man is hell on knives. He usually goes through a couple (at least) of slip-joints a year - he's been abusing the Queen Mountain Man Lockback for over 3 years now and it's still going strong.

Queen_Mountain_Man_LockBack_Amber_Carved_Stag_Bone.jpg
 
Along the lines of what boozoo Chavis said - Moore Maker makes a locking, two-blade Trapper, their ##3213DLB. I'm getting one soon, for our Scout camping trip this summer. Yellow delrin handles, 1095 clip & spay blades. For a good work knife with a traditional look, that's gonna be pretty tough to beat.

thx - cpr
 
I dont know why no one mentioned CRKTTHey have awesome knives, almost like a tank. I have this one and love it. 5 years and still goin strong. easy to sharpen and hold an edge pretty long. THe tanto is very strong. I have yet to break my tip off. I would recoment this knife to anyone and every one. fer 50 buck your gettin a strong knife. And since yer workin on a farm why not get a small Fixed blade. Maybe this one? I love my tak But im offer to you the RAT cutlery Version. Jeff Is a great dude, Shoots straight and wont dick you aroud.
 
Well, there are a number I could recommend. The first is a Cold Steel Recon 1 tanto. If you need
partial serration, I'd recommend a Cold Steel Gunsite. Both of these knives are strong with thick
blades at the front where you need them. They'd be great from digging out bullets and other
things. The larger 5-inch blade can come in very handy. If you go with the Recon 1, beware of
eBay, as some counterfeits have been known to breeze through. Shop with poor_fish if you need
a reference. Good prices and great service.

ColdSteelGunsite_5.jpg


The Gunsite, pictured with a Fenix L2D.

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The Recon 1 has a tanto blade and a strong locking mechanism.

If you want something that costs much less, consider the CRKT Thunderbolt I (I have a review over
in the Knife Review section). For street carry, I don't care for these, but for running around on a farm,
I'll take either a plain edge or a serrated edge. For the price, you can get two for either
of the above and still have enough for a Happy Meal. These are real tanks and not likely to fall out of
a pocket unnoticed.

CRKTThunderbolts_1.jpg


The Thunderbolt I and II respectively. The larger would be
better for farm use.

Finally, consider a Byrd Cara Cara. These knives by Spyderco leave a lot of steel at the point, which
would be good for prying. Add to that that it's a great knife for a very modest cost. The Thunderbolts
and the Cara Cara each go for about $20-$25 each.

Byrds_2.jpg


The cheaper of the Cara Caras (bottom) goes for about $18.

.
 
youfoundnemo said:
joshua J, do I even WANT to know whats on that poor junkyard dog? I didnt think so =D I did some more searching and began to look into the benchmade 710, Ill have to look up all the ones HKBM listed, hopefully I can find something Ill enjoy to work with

One question though, with that junkyard dog does it have that assisted opening or something....theres nothing to open it with???
Click to expand...

It's a flipper only knife, which is good in my opinion because that means I didn't have to grind the thumbstud off.:thumbup:
It can get a little annoying on those odd occasions when you don't flip it right the first time, but it's not going to ruin the usability of the knife.
 
May I ask why you cant use thumb holes? Because An Endura 4 would fit you perfectly. It has a nice thick tip if you need to pry with it (which you should never do in the first place).
 
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