Grayman knives VS. TSF knives

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VolundoftheForge

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Jan 3, 2012
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Hey guys, I've been looking into both companies and not sure which I should go for. I like the fact the TSF is hand-crafted and the maker backs their knives under virtually any conditions, but I've also heard very good things of the Grayman knives. Also, are there any knives you'd place above these in the high-end heavy duty folder category? Thanks.
 
I've never owned ant TSF knives, but I have experience with the Grayman knives. They are tough as nails.
 
I own a beast, and love it. Dont use it much anymore since my Sebenza came in, but......
Anyhow, I dont have experience with Grayman, so I'm not knocking them, just saying the TSF knives are top notch, good people to deal with also
 
im particular to grayman knives, i am not a fan of the toothy edge they used to have on their knives but now that enough people have commented on it negatively he now puts a mirror polished edge on the knife.

im also in love with the dlc coated satu ha.
 
I don't own any of the Grayman Knives but I'm really happy with TSF. Jim (maker) has been a pleasure to deal with & very accomodating. Both are good companies & it all boils down to your needs & uses.
 
Read a little history on Jim Allen and TSF and then decide. This guy has overcome a lot. Both are great knives but Jim Allen's has soul.
 
gnystrom said:
Read a little history on Jim Allen and TSF and then decide. This guy has overcome a lot. Both are great knives but Jim Allen's has soul.
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I've talked to him a lot and love his design, and was considering trading my Strider for a Superbeast, but I was offered a SATU so I wasn't sure. Also I thought a thread for others since they're the same niche for the most part would be good.
 
I have a TSF Beast and have owned a Strider PT for a longish time (5+ years, and I bought it second hand). The Beast is larger than the PT and carries heavier, but I find the dimensions more pocketable than the PT, which is blocky. My PT has been beaten on hard for a long time, and I've never had a problem with it. Much of its duty has been in salt water and sand (fishing, at the beach), and it never failed or rusted. I only took it apart and cleaned it for the first time a few months ago--even with sand in it there was never a problem. I have no blade play or lock-rock, and the knife is very smooth. However, I can't get it (with convexed S30V) to scary sharp. Nevertheless, it maintains a great working edge forever. The blade slices well at .125", the detent is the best I've ever had on a knife, and it locks up with a fantastic snap. It is also very light for such a solid strong knife.

With the TSF you have the benefit of great conversations with the maker, and some customizable options. The blade shape isn't sexy, but it works very well in nearly any situation. The knife is easily as smooth as the PT with a very strong detent. I don't love the thumb stud, which is very grippy, but it flies open with the right pressure, and locks up with a terrific click. The lockup is rock solid in all directions. The handle was too sharp around the edges when I got mine, so I sent it back and Jim smoothed them all out--it feels great in the hand now. I've convexed the edge a bit, and have no problem getting a really sharp edge on it, which it holds very well. Jim does a really good job with the CPM 154, and the grind looks great. He also has no problem with customers taking it apart (which I have done a couple of times already). The blade is thick--.157"--and the hollow grind very shallow, so it's not a terrific slicer, but it does well enough because of the steel. It's a blade you will happily use for prying (I know you shouldn't), or much tougher work than many others. There's simply nothing you could do to hurt it, and if you did, Jim would fix it, no problem.

In short, both are great knives and serve their purposes. The TSF quickly picked up corrosion at the beach and got cleaned and put away, while I carried the Strider. But on a daily basis the Strider is a bit too utilitarian for my EDC, and the TSF is nicer in the pocket. Both are smooth with excellent lockup and detent. Frankly, I'm going to have trouble deciding which to carry when I go to Borneo in a couple of months.

Of course, if I'm being candid, neither of these has better fit and finish or a nicer blade than my Spyderco Gayle Bradley--it's as smooth or smoother, locks up as solidly or more (with a CLACK!), or gets as sharp and stays as sharp with the M4 blade. The GB is just a little too big for EDC for me.

I hope that helps--ask more specific questions if you like.

I should add: I prefer to buy things from people rather than companies. If I had to choose between the Strider and the TSF, I'd choose the TSF because it's about the person that made it. It's not a perfect knife (I think that when you go custom you are more likely to have "personal" imperfections), but it's a great knife and supports better my own purchasing ethic.

Cheers,
Daniel
 
Both are no nonsense knives, both are quality and both have a high re-sale value(if you care about that). You won't be disappointed in either. Buy both!
 
I got a ti ti satu last week. It is amazing, it is smoother than my sebenza, fit and finish isn't quite as good though, but still very good, better than strider. The thing is crazy solid too. I have no experience with TSF so I can not comment on their knives.
 
I've never owned a Grayman, but I can tell you that TSF's Jim Allen is an extremely awesome individual and will back up the knife no matter what you do to it. He has the best warranty I've ever seen. He even offered to send me a new knife when I thought someone had stolen it. If that's not the best friggin' warranty in the universe, I don't know what is!

The TSF beast is like a heavy duty sebenza. It's a great knife and you can even ask Jim to customize it for you. I asked him to polish the edges of the knife for aesthetics and ergos and he did and it's awesome!

Knife is super smooth and has super early lock up (15% or so).

Definitely worth the $300.
 
Jim carbidizes the lock face too, and has some steel options. He has made knives with IKBS, but wasn't satisfied with the durability. Mine has bronze bushings, but he has also been working on producing a knife with a bearing race that will be rugged enough.

DJK
 
I've had both and prefer the grayman. Jim at TSF was super awesome to deal with and the knife was awesome but just didn't fit my hand right. I sold it and got a Dua and love the shape much more. You really can't go wrong with either. The graymans are awesome people too....super friendly. So I say go with whichever you like the looks of more....toughness and build quality are pretty even.
 
I had a tsf and have a satu and a dua on the way and I can tell you the graymans will hold up better in the long run don't get me wrong the tsf has great fit and finish but on mine the screws and pivot loosen up way too much which you can fix with loctite but for $300 you shouldnt have to do that on a regular basis the grayman is the hardest use folder that I have ever seen but that's my own opinion
 
In a knife role, neither knife will break(just being realistic here, there are plenty on knifes that won't break doing their intended purpose)

These knifes do add some flexibility in a SHTF situation because of their bulk, and I'm guessing that is what you want

After that it comes down to preferences, and I prefer the width and thickness of the beast(blade and handle).

I can't say I'd put any folder above it in terms of toughness, but I use a knife like a regular civilian, and the TSF is about as thick as I would want in a knife blade. And you should feel good about supporting jim
 
tricker said:
In a knife role, neither knife will break(just being realistic here, there are plenty on knifes that won't break doing their intended purpose)

These knifes do add some flexibility in a SHTF situation because of their bulk, and I'm guessing that is what you want

After that it comes down to preferences, and I prefer the width and thickness of the beast(blade and handle).

I can't say I'd put any folder above it in terms of toughness, but I use a knife like a regular civilian, and the TSF is about as thick as I would want in a knife blade. And you should feel good about supporting jim
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Most likely if I get one it'll be from trade, though I haven't decided if I want to trade my Strider or not or what else I could offer for one that I wouldn't mind parting with.
 
I own a greyman, and have a beast on order. My grayman is great, I sharpened it after the toothy edge did not cut it for me (pun intended:) but the lockup is fantastic and the detent is strong. It also has nice fit and finish. Mine is g10 on one side, You can get an all Ti grayman though. My beast will be all titanium, and he allows some mods to it. I am getting a spear point blade shape and a few other minor changes.
 
Ernie1980 said:
I own a greyman, and have a beast on order. My grayman is great, I sharpened it after the toothy edge did not cut it for me (pun intended:) but the lockup is fantastic and the detent is strong. It also has nice fit and finish. Mine is g10 on one side, You can get an all Ti grayman though. My beast will be all titanium, and he allows some mods to it. I am getting a spear point blade shape and a few other minor changes.
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A spear point blade shape!? Man, I want more details about that. It's too late for mine, of course, but it would be cool to see another option for the blade.

DJK
 
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