Good Small Light EDC?

I love the Leek as a slim and light edc. If you want better steel than the standard sanvik than check out the composite version with a CPM-D2 cutting edge welded to a sandvik spine. Looks great in addition to giving you some nice steel without raising the price much. The blade profile is nice, almost like a wharncliffe with a litle belly. Add in a nice frame lock and the speed safe and that wins it for me; well untill the Kershaw OD-1 comes out.

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Check out the Spyderco UK Pen Knife.. maybe a LITTLE more than you wanna spend, but for sheeple and cops and laws, there's nothing better... and the non lock issue does not seem to me to make any difference.. The three knives you picked are great, and I have handled them all, but of the three, I only own the Mini Grip... the handle is a little tooooo small for me... but my handling of the three picked the Benchmade. Leek doesnt seem as well made, and I don't like the blade shape, Delica's blade/grind is a tad toooo thick for me... ..one thing about the Spyderco UK Pen knife / Caly 3 (Caly 3 if you want a lock, and don't mind a 3.0 OZ knife as apposed to a 2.4 OZ knife) is that the handle is small, and when open, the blade becomes part of the handle, making a NICE sized handle in a small folded package. For my money If I diddn't own one I LOVE the Native: :D :D :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m3YRacdLSA
 
The Leek is a really nice knive for the price. All mine came scary sharp right out of the box. The assisted open is a neat feature, and they are solidly built. I find they are a little small for my hands, but I like to have one on my desk for opening mail.

I have a Endura, which is the larger version of the Delica. It is a really nice knife with good steel. The blade is a little wobbly, but I still trust the knife. The lock has never failed, but don't expect a super tight lockup from it. I imagine the Salt would be the same as far as lockup.

In my opinion the Leek is hard to beat for the money, in a nice slim small package, expecially with the newer blade steels.
 
I started out many years ago looking for the perfect EDC. Needless to say I have all three of your choices. I find that I carry the Delica the most and the Leek the least. I just don't feel comfortable with steel handles on knifes. Worked around electricity too long, I guess. The Mini Grip is hard to beat. The Delica is just all around easier to carry.
 
I would go with either the Delica 4 or the Mini-Grip, no question. I feel the former's VG-10 and the latter's 154CM steels to be superior to the Leek's 440A.

As to which one: Delica 4 or Mini-Grip: It's a toss-up. They're both well-made and a comfortable carry. The Delica 4 is probably the simpler of the two locking mechanisms, has a somewhat slimmer profile, and the clip positioning is more flexible. The Mini-Grip is more convenient, for some, to one-hand-close; some feel its handle is grippier, and I prefer the blade profile. I think it'd be hard to go wrong with either choice.

I have both, btw. Currently EDCing the Mini-Grip, as it's my most recent acquisition.

Btw: I wouldn't go with combo- or partially-serrated edges. I'd go with straight plain edge, regardless of which you choose.
 
Boker Trance---A light, slim work horse. And you'll have some change.
I good knife, indeed. Especially for the price. I have one and it's in my EDC rotation. But the Delica 4's and Mini-Grip's blade steels are better than the Trance's AUS-8, IME.
 
The wobbly of the Delica really is putting me off of the delica. I am now leaning back towards the mini-grip. the native is over 3 inches so I can't carry that one.
 
Hey guys I am looking to get a good small and Light EDC. It must be 3 inches or less for legal reasons and preferably nice and light. I am currently looking at these
http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=3692
http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=4906
http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=4779

What do you guys think and do you have any other suggestions??

thanks!!

Check out the Spyderco Caly3. I bought mine for just those reasons. I prefer to carry a bigger knife, but to the office I carry the Caly3. Love the VG-10 steel.
 
Does the Delica and the Salt feel sturdy? I don't want a knife that wiggles and such? That is my last question because if that is true I think I am sold on the Delica.

My Delica has zero horizontal play. It has some VERY, VERY slight vertical play, but some say it's inherent to back locks. It's so small that I could never notice it unless I'm cutting and I have my thumb against the lock bar on the spine. Then I can feel a very slight movement from the lock. It's nothing I'm worried about, though.
 
The wobbly of the Delica really is putting me off of the delica.
My Delica 4 is 2-1/2 years old and, of the three 3" folders I had in rotation before getting the Mini-Grip, spent more time in my pocket and cutting stuff than the others combined. Now, admittedly, I don't use any of my knives heavily, compared to some here, but no wobbling or looseness in anything in mine.
 
I love my Delica (waved for now, but am planning on getting a regular too). Had a Leek previously, and it was good; but I'm loving the feel of the delica. good grip and good steel for a good price. Just got it a few weeks ago, so I haven't used it extensively enough to notice any blade play. Seems sturdy to me though. Can't go wrong with delica, leek, mini-grip, or centfante 3 for EDC. You'll probably get em all anyway, I know i'm working on it...
 
My suggestions:

- Of the 3 I prefer the feel of the Delica, but if possible try them all in a shop.
- Similar to another poster, the Spyderco Centofante 3 is a wonderful alternative to the Delica. A better slicer.

My favourite outsider, also in your budget range: the superb light Eka Masur if you shop around (here for $47.95 with elegant elk leather sheath):
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For true elegant originality, you can hardly improve on a classic Nontron. Handmade since centuries in France, these days with decent Sandvik steel. Very light as well. The friendly-priced model pictured below doesn't have a lock (the ones slightly bigger than your max blade size do), this may or may not be important for you:
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if you are prepared to spend a little more, here is a wonderful gentlemen-oriented and super smooth Damascus Mcusta with staminawood handle for $99.95 at the Damascus Knife Store:
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More utilitarian, an interesting budget choice is the Boker Trance. Light and slender and sturdy with z decent framelock. The steel is Aus 8, not on the level of VG10 but ok at the price. Still really worth checking out:
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Finally another wayward classic design that I expect to buy eventually: a classic french "Le London" sailor's knife. Horn handle & sheep-foot blade:
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I would go with either the Delica 4 or the Mini-Grip, no question. I feel the former's VG-10 and the latter's 154CM steels to be superior to the Leek's 440A.

Leeks (and all other Kershaws that used 440A) have not been 440A for a while. They are currently Sandvik 13c26 but will be switching to 14c28N for 2009.
 
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take a look at the spyderco dragonfly, so light you will barely notice it and the flat leaf shap blade is great for light edc, its pretty small but i carry it on campus and people are a bit edgy about weapons here so small and discrete is good. i have the stainless steel version and its smooth with no blade play, in the zytel version the clip is a molded part of the handle instead of a metal one screwed on which is the main reason i bought the ss handle version
 
I highly recommend the Delica. I also like the Griptilian, but if you're looking for a lightweight, thin profile knife, I think the Delica wins in the form factor category.

Delica all the way.Thinner then the grip, better steel then the leek.

What they said.
 
the edge on the Native is 2 5/8" Would a cop REALLY measure the obviously non-blade choil portion of folding metal?? It is in NO WAY a part of the blade...
 
the edge on the Native is 2 5/8" Would a cop REALLY measure the obviously non-blade choil portion of folding metal?? It is in NO WAY a part of the blade...

Most would. Most states consider the blade to be anything that sticks out beyond the handle.
 
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