good tough EDC

J

Jackc

Joined
Apr 27, 2014
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14
I've been looking for a good new EDC folder recently. I need help deciding on something up to $150 in price, that will last a long time (I'm fairly new to knives, and can't justify spending that much money twice!) Two knives have really caught my eye so far, the griptilian and the mini commander. I love the look of the mini commander and that the thing looks like it could be run over by a tank. However, I'm a sucker for the axis lock on the griptilian and have heard some glowing reviews. Also, I have been looking into the paramilitary 2 a little, although can't seem to find one anywhere. Anybody with experience on these blades or recommendation for other folders would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
All three are great!! The only one I do not have experience with is the Emerson Commander model itself, but I have experience with other emersons and they did impress me, were much better than what I expected. I think the emersons blade stock will be one of the toughest. For locks the compression lock by Spyderco or the axis are going to be my top two. You can not go wrong with any of them but the para 2 will be the largest of them and the mini grip I believe is the smallest in every dimension. It comes down to looks and what you like. The Para two probably has my favorite ergs and looks and the mini grip/emerson would tie in that category. Those are just my opinions. The mini grip is going to be the easiest to find especially at a local place.
 
Thanks for the info! So far I think I'm leaning towards the mini commander for the toughness you mentioned and the wave feature.
 
You can't go wrong with Spyderco, Emerson, Kai/Zero Tolerance/Kershaw or Benchmade. What are some criteria that you're looking for? i.e. blade length, weight, materials, steel, etc

Know that Emerson's have chiseled edge, so the edge is not a traditional V-grind. They do make tough liner locks. Their blades are on the softer side, so they will be tough and less prone to chipping. However, soft translate into less edge retention. I haven't had any experience with their customer service, so I can't comment on that. You could wait a little while and check out the Kershaw-Emerson collaborations. The ZT 0620 models are very very nice looking and looks very promising. It's a little extra, but it'll definitely be quality in the ZT line plus it's a frame lock.

If you're grabbing a Benchmade then I would recommend you looking into the grip family, the 710 and the 940 series. Axis locks are hard to beat, but recent QC issues can make them hit or miss. I haven't experienced any and I believe that they have the best warranty in the industry.

If you're grabbing ZTs then just pick one you like. They are quite beefy and tough. My favorite ZTs are the 0777 and the 0801. 0801 is a lot of bang for the buck for under $200. I know it's going over your budget a bit, but look at what all it comes with: KVT- ballbearing system for smooth and fast deployment, two full titanium slabs, and Elmax which is an awesome steel. The knife is quite stout so it can take some abuse as well. They do have a pretty sweet warranty as well.

I'm a bigger Spyderco fan than I am of the other companies because they offer up quite the variety in terms of design and materials. Heck, you can get a waved knife from Spyderco. Know that Spyderco knives are design for cutting tasks, so the stocks will be a little thinner and the blades will be ran harder than other knife companies. You'll get better edge retention, but you'll also run the risk of chipping depending on the steel. You can always expect quality, and if it's anything less their warranty department will take care of you. Spyderco: Paramilitary 2, Manix 2, Military, Gayle Bradley, Superleaf, Endura, Delica, and Stretch.
 
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All three are fine choices. I've had a Para 2 and sold it--the ergos were not right for me (the military suited me better). I have a full size Griptilian--it is the Camp Perry model (g10/d2 blade, and I removed the etching for aesthetic reasons), and it is great... but it does not get carried because I edc my Emerson CQC 13 (and I have a Super 7 inbound). I found that the combination of materials, ergos, and build/ robustness of the Emerson is the winning combination for me. I've had ZT's and Striders, and those too are excellent--if more expensive; but the Emerson seems to be my go to edc. The Commander is also on my radar, some variant of it at least...

Over all, it seems like you cannot go wrong with any of those you mentioned; what would be best is if you could find a shop that's well stocked to actually feel them out.
 
Hairlesstwinkie said:
You can't go wrong with Spyderco, Emerson, Kai/Zero Tolerance/Kershaw or Benchmade. What are some criteria that you're looking for? i.e. blade length, weight, materials, steel, etc

Know that Emerson's have chiseled edge, so the edge is not a traditional V-grind. They do make tough liner locks. Their blades are on the softer side, so they will be tough and less prone to chipping. However, soft translate into less edge retention. I haven't had any experience with their customer service, so I can't comment on that. You could wait a little while and check out the Kershaw-Emerson collaborations. The ZT 0620 models are very very nice looking and looks very promising. It's a little extra, but it'll definitely be quality in the ZT line plus it's a frame lock.

If you're grabbing a Benchmade then I would recommend you looking into the grip family, the 710 and the 940 series. Axis locks are hard to beat, but recent QC issues can make them hit or miss. I haven't experienced any and I believe that they have the best warranty in the industry.

If you're grabbing ZTs then just pick one you like. They are quite beefy and tough. My favorite ZTs are the 0777 and the 0801. 0801 is a lot of bang for the buck for under $200. I know it's going over your budget a bit, but look at what all it comes with: KVT- ballbearing system for smooth and fast deployment, two full titanium slabs, and Elmax which is an awesome steel. The knife is quite stout so it can take some abuse as well. They do have a pretty sweet warranty as well.

I'm a bigger Spyderco fan than I am of the other companies because they offer up quite the variety in terms of design and materials. Heck, you can get a waved knife from Spyderco. Know that Spyderco knives are design for cutting tasks, so the stocks will be a little thinner and the blades will be ran harder than other knife companies. You'll get better edge retention, but you'll also run the risk of chipping depending on the steel. You can always expect quality, and if it's anything less their warranty department will take care of you. Spyderco: Paramilitary 2, Manix 2, Military, Gayle Bradley, Superleaf, Endura, Delica, and Stretch.
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Thanks! I was heavily considering the ZT's, specifically the 0350. The others seemed a little big for me, the maximum blade length I would want would be 3.5 inches, give or take an inch or two. I dont care much about other materials, however I would definitely prefer G10 as a material. I also like 154cm or s30v.
 
Aias said:
All three are fine choices. I've had a Para 2 and sold it--the ergos were not right for me (the military suited me better). I have a full size Griptilian--it is the Camp Perry model (g10/d2 blade, and I removed the etching for aesthetic reasons), and it is great... but it does not get carried because I edc my Emerson CQC 13 (and I have a Super 7 inbound). I found that the combination of materials, ergos, and build/ robustness of the Emerson is the winning combination for me. I've had ZT's and Striders, and those too are excellent--if more expensive; but the Emerson seems to be my go to edc. The Commander is also on my radar, some variant of it at least...

Over all, it seems like you cannot go wrong with any of those you mentioned; what would be best is if you could find a shop that's well stocked to actually feel them out.
Click to expand...

I would definitely like the head out to a shop one day to check all of them out. The reasons you like it are the same reasons I'm intersested, especially the toughness and robustness. That is a must-have for me. I don't intend on using them too hard, but if a situation ever arises I would definitely like to know that my knife could handle it well
 
Just about all the folders you mentioned would likely handle 90% or so of the tasks that commonly arise--that's just a personal observation. What kind of tough work / task do you anticipate--maybe that can help narrow the field of choices (sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it).
 
Both of these are bargains.

The ZT 0550 , 1st generation knives go for around $140, the gen 2's are a little higher.





If you like the Axis lock, the Benchmade Bone Collector is being discontinued and good deals can be found.
IMO it's a better knife than the Griptilian and only cost about $25 more.

 
Aias said:
Just about all the folders you mentioned would likely handle 90% or so of the tasks that commonly arise--that's just a personal observation. What kind of tough work / task do you anticipate--maybe that can help narrow the field of choices (sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it).
Click to expand...

It will likely be used for anything from normal everyday tasks like opening packages to campground work. I agree, most knives would be able to handle all of that, but the extra strength gives me a little more piece of mind when I use it for some tougher tasks
 
Wow, I never looked at the first gen 0550. It looks like a great knife, and so does the bone collector. Definitely two knives I'll consider
 
Sounds good--the full sized Bone Collector mentioned above is a great knife for such purposes--had one. Probably should have kept it. Let us know how you decide!
 
I forgot to ask, does anyone know anything about the blade retention on the emerson? I've heard that the weight of the blade makes it easier to pop out, something I'm a little concerned about
 
I've got a large and small bone collector both in walnut and they're great. The small gets carried a lot. The large not so much. Too big for my taste.
 
Of the choices listed, I would recommend the Mini-Grip.

The blade breaks before the lock fails.

Hard to get much tougher than that.....
 
Just because I can I think I offer you the traditional route. Look at Sodbusters, theres the Case Sodbusters, AG Russell Ranger/Cowboy, Queen Country Cousin, Great Eastern Cutlery Bullnose to name a few. In fact I just picked up the Nifebrite Bullnose and I am now eagerly awaiting it's arrival. Just know these are all slip joints, people have been beating up Case Sodbusters and Sodbusters in general for decades and they just keep on chugging, it's a very cheap and durable pattern. Though that also goes for a lot of other traditional patterns as well like the stockman, a lot of these knives were designed to be working knives and have been proven time and time again by being used hard on a daily basis and sometimes being practically the only knife that person owns throughout their entire life.

Don't underestimate these old school slip joints they can take a beating. I've put my first knife a Victorinox Recruit through it's paces and it still looks good. All it needs is to be sharpened back up and it's ready for service once again and I beat that knife up as a child and used it for everything.
 
I second the benchmade 940. i think its a little out of your price range but it has the axis which you like/want, can take a beating, its incredibly light and has a small profile in pocket and it has awesome steel. take a look at the ZT 350, its tough as nails, s30v, small enough for edc. although it is abit on the heavy side. Personally i just got a ZT 300 and I think I found my new edc. but everyone has a different taste in edc.
 
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