got 13 knives today! step inside for some reviews!

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holdanedge

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Sep 16, 2002
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hello, everyone.
first of all let me preface this with the fact that i was going to return 12 and keep my favorite one. the conclusion, i will return them all and get another sebenza!

ok, here goes.

benchmade:
556> their best edc. period. imho.
the bigger griptilian fits me more comfortably, but it is not constructed as well as the 556. the action on the 556 is like butter. the blade is excellant.
735> nice knife, imho handle is too narrow and offers too little grip.
otherwise good construction.
941> excellant choice if your job includes wearing a suit! handle does not flex at all. the paint will probably look like crud after hard use/riding in pocket with keys. too skinny/narrow for big hands.
814> big dissapointment imho. handle has good grip, only flexes a very little. it is too narrow. the problem is the action. it hangs on the tang while you close it, causing it to almost pinch or cut me.
705> handle similar to the 814 but even smaller.


spyderco:
i wouldnt even consider any spyderco's with zytel handles and no liners. the majer problem i see with spyderco is their blade to handle size ratio. they have huge tactical blades and most have little handles. the ones with larger handles seem like they were designed for mammals that do not have opposing thumbs. not that ergonomic. well, even though i said i dont like the plastic ones, if i was forced to choose one it would be the native liteweight.


crkt:
amazingly many of these knives have the best handles in the industry! it is a shame that all of their blades are garbage.

gerber:
drop point lst> the best $15 you can spend on a knife. if all you have is $15. it scrapes the bushings. otherwise it is worth more like $40.

kershaw/onion:
boa/avalanche> very good blades very good handles! these would have done it for me if they were not semi auto. illeagle in many places. and i wouldnt try to deploy it while you are real drunk :)

buck:
mini strider spearpoint> very nice knife. i didnt know buck still made stuff like this. blade is real good. handle is comparable to g10 benchmades. maybe even more comfortable. very strong because of titainium liners. downside is that titainium is not something you want to get wet on a regular basis. neither is ats-34 really. if you dont think buck is that great(as did i) have a look at this one.


the bottom line: out of all of these, if your hands are not huge, i would reccomend the benchmade 556. search the archives here, everyone that has one likes it for the most part. a lot of people agree that if all you want it for is utility it would be silly to spend more money on a benchmade. more money in a benchmade doesnt nesscessarly buy you a better knife, just fancier(not better) materials.

for me(and most other folks) none of these even come close to a sebenza. i simply cannot come to terms with beating the snot out of such a nice knife as my edc. i use my edc real hard. so i will look around for a second hand sebenza that is scratched up. that way i wont feal misrable for scratching a beutifull new one. it is not the cost that concerns me. i just dont like to wreck nice stuff. well, ok if it was $50 i wouldnt care :) then on the other hand if it was $50 it wouldnt be so special thinks me.

please take all this with a grain of salt! it is just my opinions. ymmv!

also, i told the sales kid what i was doing(going to return them) he does NOT work on commission. so i did not screw anyone per say. since the knives have not been used (at all) as i see it no harm has been done to the (unnamed) retail establishment.

nonetheless, i am sure many of you will find good reasons to flame me for at least something contained herin :)

have a great day,
holdanedge.
 
What are you, some kind of a knife knut? :D 13 knives ... yeah, I like to play with them, too. I got a Sebenza yesterday myself, from another forumite. (Check out the Exchange forums for a lot of good deals, especially on users.)

Just one question ... you wrote that "titainium is not something you want to get wet on a regular basis" ... but my understanding is that titanium is about as inert and tough as a metal can get. What can getting wet do to titanium? Like the slabs on a Sebenza, totally durable and corrosion-free.

I like my Spydercos. The other knife I got yesterday was the completely wild Massad Ayoob. But Spyderco is so purpose-driven that I agree the knives are love them or hate them. If they don't work for you, they will be hard to understand. I love the uncompromising attention to concept and quality.
 
actually i am not really a knife nut. i am obsessive. what ever it is i purchase i want it to be the best for it's given purpose. i like a hands on approach to finding this out. the sales kid agreed it would be better for me to do this then stand in the store and look at all of them for 6 hours. read the part that i only planned on keeping one of them!
my understanding was that titainum rusts right away. esp. in salt.
i just read that in a couple of places. they may be wrong. i don't really know. the knife with the titainium liners(buck) is a really nice knife. it is a shame that the small one was too small and the big one was too big, for me. this is my problem with almost every knife i tried! darnit! they are either too small or too big!

the one knife i think i would really like is the bm 720/721. can't find it anywhere. does anyone know a chain retailer that carries this in the united states? i won't order online.

the spydercos actually look super cool to me. i just find they don't make great utility knifes for me. i think they are really supposed to be tactical combat knives?



thank you,
holdanedge.
 
i won't order online.
Click to expand...

WOW, I buy more stuff online than in person all togeher!! Are you afraid of internet fruad or something? Sorry I know this is off topic, But I am amazed!!
 
no. it's just 1.) i have been screwed. i.e. never received merchandise. 2.) it should be obvious that i have a real real hard time making up my mind. online shopping is not great for people like me. if i do not like something (which i probably won't) i have to incure shipping costs of it's return. plus the hassle of repacking and sending it etc. then i must wait around a week to get something else to evaluate. honestly i would just go into a store and look at a lot of things at once. my original post in this thread was the first time i did things in this manner. actually, by the sales kid's suggestion!

anyways, to reiterate. i bet the one knife i would love is the bm 720/721. just don't know where to get one(in person).
is there a knife from another manufacturer that is very simalar?(minus axis lock, of course).





thank you,
holdanedge.
 
Originally posted by holdanedge
my understanding was that titainum rusts right away. esp. in salt.
i just read that in a couple of places. they may be wrong. i don't really know.
Click to expand...
Don't tell the Russian Navy that! I believe their Alpha class attack submarines have titanium hulls, and they are fast as hell and can dive very deep (though they are noisy as hell!) I can't imagine a worse environment to use a metal that rusts on contact with sea water, can you?

Bruise
 
Titanium does not rust or corrode. Cobalt alloys like stellite or talonite do not rust or otherwise corrode, either. Copper alloys like brass and bronze will weather; the greenish corrosion that develops is known as verdigris. Iron and its alloys, like steel, will rust, some alloys faster than others. BG-42 holds up against normal moisture pretty well. No steel is really great for extended use in salt water.

I understand your hesitation to buy online, even though I don't share it. On the other hand, I do have experience and access that means I have a fair idea what I'm going to get before it is shipped to me. In your position, I would want to see and feel the merchandise first. Actually handling a knife is a very personal experience: hand shape and size is very individual.

Spyderco is primarily utility-oriented. Some early defensive knives, like the superb Civilian and the smaller, lighter Matriarch, were poorly advertised, because the company didn't feel a need to be heavily identified with knives for combat. Now they do have an MBC line (Martial Blade Craft, I believe) which is designed for fighting, like the Gunting and Chinook.
 
meaning don't try to bluff someone who knows the deal, been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it.

Here, I don't profess to know it all, but there are about ten thousand people here who know exactly what the deal is, where the deal is coming from, and where it's going to end up. And right now, you, holdanedge, are saying that about a hundred of them, guys whos opinions I've come to trust and respect, are wrong.

Now, no one wants to flame you, but you seem to be trolling for flames. I simply have opinions that differ from yours.

starting from the bassackwards end,

purchasing online... very reliable if you do your homework. I asked on this very board if a particular dealer was reliable. In a matter of minutes, I had about a dozen replies saying that said dealer was very reliable, and he was. (and all you who give references, I want to express my gratitude. It's very important that we continue to give character references.)

You have quite a few opinions on the knives, but they all seem to be "personal preference" gripes. ie handle too small for me, or not ergonomic ect. nothing however, in regards to actual utility or strength.

Your opinions on Titanium is not only incorrect, but totally the opposite of reality. Titanium is inert, used in Dive watches and dive knives as well as high tech jet planes and submarines. It is not strong per se, but strong in terms of weight. an example is a pound of Titanium will be stronger than a pound of Steel, yet, a steel pipe will be stronger albeit heavier than a titanium pipe of the same size.

Spyderco's? well similar to your opinions to the CRKT, they come in many different blade steels and handle constructions. Each of these manufacturers make at least two dozen different knives, with different materials. Spyderco even makes some very good kitchen knives. Are their handles fit my hand very well. furthermore, I find that CRKT blades sport excellent metal and tempering and will hold it's own against any other blade of similar price and blade geometry.

Kershaws? at this point, they are not illegal at any place by virtue of it's opening device. The mechanism kicks into effect only AFTER the blade is opened, thus it is not a "gravity knife" or "switchblade".

Buck Strider? Now, I know quite a few people who love it. I like it as well, and like you said, very strong. However, it's not strong because of the Titanium liners. It's strong cause it's damn near an inch thick. Carrying the damn thing is like carrying a damn chunk of 2 by 4. Everyone I've spoken to who carry it describes it similarly.

Now, normally I would not reply to the thread, but the information herein by mr. holdanedge, seems to differ so radically from what I believe to be true, and is stated so adamantly, that I fear that someone may actually be dissuaded from trying some very good knives due to this post.
 
Don't tell the Russian Navy that! I believe their Alpha class attack submarines have titanium hulls
Click to expand...

Yeap, Thats a fact!! So I wouldn't worry to much about rust
 
I live in Michigan, and recently Kershaw knives with the speed-safe were made illegal to carry. The State Police actually stopped a Kershaw truck at the border and confinscated all of the speed-safes.
The only other state I know of where the Kershaws are illegal to carry is Wisconsin.
 
hey i didnt mean to offend anyone! i said again and again in my post that they were MY opinions. most of my post had to do with ergonomics(i.e. not fitting my hand or pocket).
i must admit i was WRONG about titainium! i just repeated what i had read somewhere(not here.) that was obviously wrong information.
i apologize about that.
crkt i actually really like. there best knives are aus118 as far as i know. most of them are aus6 or aus8. i have always thought(and read here) that there are much better metals. correct me if i am wrong,please.
my obsevations of spyderco were my very personal fealings, they had nothing to do with there quality. although i must admit i am quite strong and have very large hands and can flex the zytel delica somewhat. i wouldn't let that worry most people, though.
buck strider is a great knife! i certainly did not insult it. it just happens to be too small for my hand(mini).
i live in chicago,usa. there is a post in the archives from someone who was PROSOCUTED for carrying a kershaw in chicago. if you read the municiple code they can indeed be construed by a judge as being illeagle here.
although, i really have no idea why. they are sold at all the big stores. even walmart! well, to that effect 3 inch blades are supposedly illeagle here too.
if i like one line the best, (again very personal preferance) it would be benchmade. i love the axis lock. if only i could find a 720/721 to try hands on.

that leads us to my comments about ordering online. i did not name any names when i said i did not receive the merchandise!
anyways, this was with computer stuff, not knives. there are a lot of shady fly by night computer dealers on the net. again that is a vast generalazation. i am sure that by and far most of them are legitamate. as are probably most etailers.
if you read carefully my real gripe with purchasing knives online was not that i might not receive it, but that i wanted to feal it before i bought it.
as you can see i have very strong personal preferances, so i feal it is imperative that i hold it first. so ordering a knife online would be too much of a hassle for me. i like to try a lot of them at once.
and i am not a jerk that just wastes salespeoples time. i almost always buy at least something.
knives are like running shoes to me. they must fit me real good. imho, pretty much any knive over $50 cuts the stuff i would cut with it. they are after all, knives :)

i hope that clears up any misunderstandings y'all had with me.
once again i will state all the opinions in my review were just that,my opinions. it was not a techincal review. it was how the knives applied to ME. i am sorry it got misconstrued.




thank you,
holdanedge.



p.s. if anyone knows a chain retailer in the usa that has the bm 720/721 or a simalar knife from another popular manufacturer i might look at, please post in this thread!
 
Why not check with the store you have already dealt with about ordering a 720 for you? Just as long as they would allow returns for secial orders. The salesperson seems willing to deal with your highly selective process, so go with it.

I hope no one is dissuaded from buying a Buck Strider because of MelancholyMutt's post.
 
Hey Guys...

What I wanmt to know is....

where'd you get the backroll to buy 13 knives,,most of which are higher end blades..Why would you drop that much cash, knowing you will be returning all but one ?

If I was the store owner I probably would have told you to take a hike..

As far as buying online ??

Deal with the right people and you won't have a problem..Theres more good dealers than there are bad,, and to most customer service is Job 1!

Then again,, maybe you like paying full MSRP...

I don't know,,but a red LED just went on...

ttyle

Eric...
 
credit card. they don't care. it is a big chain store.
they wont allow returns on special orders, though.
once again internet shopping for the most part is fine. it is not great for people that cannot make up there mind, though.
the place i bought this stuff from is charging more than on the internet, but not nearly full retail. that is the price i have to pay for wanting to see them first.

i kow i said i would return them all,but.........
now, i think i will keep the 556 and the 941.

the 941 is really too narrow for me, but it is very comfortable.
it seems to grip ok, not as good as g10. but, it seems way stronger than g10, to me at least.
question for the group: how will the green paint on the 941 hold up in a pocket with keys and change?

so all in all the retailer was not so dumb..... he sold me over $200 of knives (2). besides it was a nice gesture, so i figured i owed it to them.



thank you,
holdanedge.
 
could anyone please tell me if the 720\721 has a much thicker wider handle than the 941?
(if only i could find a 720\721).



thank you,
holdanedge.
 
Originally posted by holdanedge
crkt:
...it is a shame that all of their blades are garbage.
Click to expand...
I guess you'll be returning the CRKT's then, huh? :rolleyes:

Off I go to sandblast the rust off my titanium blades.

Be gone, troll.
 
I hope I don't offend anyone, but why does it seem you get flamed if you don't walk on eggshells around here lately?
I may have missed something previous to this thread, but from what I can see, holdanedge seems misinformed, nothing more. The views he posted were opinion only. My opinions differ from his, but that does not make him a troll. Not everybody knows everything about knives around here. I didn't know CRKT used anything but AUS6 because I have only seen and held thirty or so of their knives and they were all AUS6.
I'm jealous I don't know a retailer that would let me test drive knives like that. I would do it if I could. Why not?

BTW, holdanedge, I don't know where you can get a BM720, but I can tell you it is on of the nicest handles I've had the opportunity to use on a production/semi-production knife. (THE best is the "custom" version of the Fallkniven H1 hunter, BTW, if that qualifies!)

Jim
 
I agree with Jim Craig, in fact, he just beat me to it, I was going to post to the same effect. holdanedge may have dissed a few material objects, but the only person getting flamed is him, and that's not right. If he were a troll, he'd be flaming us by now, and he isn't. As he said, "hey i didnt mean to offend anyone! i said again and again in my post that they were MY opinions."

He's out there trying and buying knives, and asked for our opinions on what he's seen and handled and heard. So he didn't come here as an expert. Neither did I, but now I know everything. :D

Relax, he hasn't insulted anyone yet, although if I were him, I'd be getting tempted.
 
Yup...the guy comes in here, posts his opinion, apologizes for it (even though there was really no reason to) and a chosen few give him grief...That's complete B.S.

--dan
 
Titanium does not rust or corrode.
Click to expand...

Ti will rust, but not under ordinary conditions. To get it to rust, you need a high oxygen concentration environment and a very high temperature. Basically, it's not gonna rust in any envirnment where you or I might live. For all practical terrestrial applications, it's rust-free.

Ti rust, by the way, is a bright white, powdery substance. It's frequently used as a white pigment in paint. It also finds some use in cosmetic powders, baby powder etc., where it helps prevent clumping and caking.



One metal that's often considered rust-proof is aluminum. But the fact is that every piece of aluminum you've probably ever seen has been covered completely with rust. Aluminum rusts almost instantly on contact with the oxygen in ordinary air. Fortunately, Aluminum rust has three characteristics: First, it's very hard -- in the same league as diamond in fact. Second, Aluminum rust has a very tight crystal structure. How tight is it? It's so tight that it's air-tight. So, as soon as a layer of rust only a few molecules thick forms on the surface of a piece of aluminum, it seals the surface stopping any further rusting. Finally, Aluminum rust is crystal clear so you don't see it. Oh, while Aluminum is one of the best elecrical conductors known, Aluminum rust, a.k.a. Aluminum Oxide, is quite an electrical insulator (another byproduct of that tight crystal structure). That's why Aluminum electrial wiring for homes was a bad idea. Aluminum is still used for electrical wiring, but it has be installed with carefull, and somewhat expensive, procedures.
 
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