Hard Use Folder with Premium Steel & Handle Materials

sambo. said:
premium steel?

Fallkniven's 3G or Laminated VG-10 "premium" enough for you?

their U2, P and PXL and the Tre Kronor folders are all nice.
Click to expand...

Yeah forgot fallkniven made folders. I'm a little hesitant, however, since I have seen some doubt as to 3G's edge holding ability. Not sure about the fallkniven laminated VG-10, but from what I have read, it has a lot of strength. Not sure whether I would choose it over S30V...
 
Kirk_Ferentz said:
Yeah forgot fallkniven made folders.
Click to expand...

lol. you realise that Fallkniven means "Folding Knife" in Swedish?

i kind of like having "Folding Knife" on the side of a my fixed blade S1. it appeals to my somewhat peverse sense of humour.


Kirk_Ferentz said:
I'm a little hesitant, however, since I have seen some doubt as to 3G's edge holding ability.
Click to expand...

i have no doubts about 3Gs edge holding ability. it's exceptional.

any minor issues with Fallknivens (or most knives actually) seem to crop up when the blade is brand new. once sharpened a couple of times, any minor edge retention or chipping issues resolve themselves.

Kirk_Ferentz said:
Not sure about the fallkniven laminated VG-10, but from what I have read, it has a lot of strength. Not sure whether I would choose it over S30V...
Click to expand...

the Lam VG-10 is also excellent.

is it "better" than S30V? i don't know. but we're talking pretty small increments of "better" at this end of the steel scale.
 
A few that come to my mind for what you've listed are a ZT 350 (AO, but legal), a BM large Bone Collector in D2 and G10 (I have a small and I can attest to the fact that they are very tough), a Spyderco Millie or Paramille in CPM D2 (out of production but they still show up), or an H&K 14205 (one of the best BMs ever made and still in production).

I've had or have all of these and they are all capable of going beyond what a folder should have to do and endure, and all are within your size and price range.
 
ZT 0200 or one of the ZT 0300 series. I bought a ZT 0300 and am impressed enough with it that I purchased a ZT 0301 to go with it.
 
Cold Steel American Lawman or Recon-1, but they have AUS8 steel which isn't bad but isn't D2 or S30V either. Better yet, get an Andrew Demko custom with whatever steel you like and with its Triad lock you can't get a tougher folder.
 
I really like the Benchmade Presidio. It's built stout and feels good in the hand. Tip up carry, axis lock, 154CM steel, full stainless steel liners, black anodized aluminum scales.

I like it so much, I ended up buying two.
 
Splat said:
Cold Steel American Lawman or Recon-1, but they have AUS8 steel which isn't bad but isn't D2 or S30V either. Better yet, get an Andrew Demko custom with whatever steel you like and with its Triad lock you can't get a tougher folder.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

You can get a custom American Lawman in .2" CPM154 for $450. My custom Espada should be due in a week.
 
The spyderco military seems like a pretty solid option that won't break the bank. It sounds like its locking mechanism is pretty strong and spyderco S30V seems like a pretty good steel. Its thin tip gives me pause, however. Then again, I'm not really searching for a "hard use knife" ... that is for my fixed blades ... more a "hard use folder" ... in other words I would consider the hardest uses to be for a fixed blade knives. But all else being equal, a somewhat thicker tip (not so thick as to make it a poor slicer however) might be preferred.

The S30V ZTs look like a great option but the curvy blade concerns me... looks hard to sharpen, and I'm inclined to a more plain jane straight edge. Anyone love the curves? Why/why not?

The BM D-2 options ... I don't have very high regard for BM's D-2. I'd rather go with S30V.
 
Kirk,

The Paramilitary Two is a wonderful knife, and the tip is less pointy than the Military, while still pointy enough to slice and pierce very well. The handle is big enough for hard use, and the 3.5" blade is long enough for most common tasks asked of a folding knife. It is a lot lighter than many of the suggested contenders, so it will not weigh you down, but it is very strong and tough, with one of the strongest locks made.

Bill
 
Spyderco Gayle Bradley M4 is pretty good. I have put mine through extreme cutting tasks. I don't pry and use it for things other than cutting or slicing though. I cut against copper, aluminum, steel, concrete, sheetrock, ceiling tile and other hard and abrasive materials. The blade holds up really well. It isn't invincible but much better than any other steel I've used. I am still waiting for something better, but for now this one will do.


And when I do sharpen it, it never needs more than a quick touchup.
 
Bill1170 said:
Kirk,

The Paramilitary Two is a wonderful knife, and the tip is less pointy than the Military, while still pointy enough to slice and pierce very well. The handle is big enough for hard use, and the 3.5" blade is long enough for most common tasks asked of a folding knife. It is a lot lighter than many of the suggested contenders, so it will not weigh you down, but it is very strong and tough, with one of the strongest locks made.

Bill
Click to expand...


Interesting ... my concern about the tip is pretty much limited to the idea of if I am out there needing to put it through hard use in a tough emergencey situation or something, I don't want my tool to fail me (in normal situations, I'm not going to be putting it through hell ... I'll pick up a different piece of metal to do prying, etc.). But I guess one way to think about it is if I am puting it through hard use and the tip busts off, what am I left with? A blunt tipped paramilitary. But still haven't decided which length would be better for me.
 
JiffyPark said:
I like my tough Manix 2. Pretty good for about $70, with 154CM. :D
Click to expand...

I liked the manix 2 in the zdp-189, but it just doesn't look tough enough to serve as a hard use folder. I like the steel though. It sounds like the first manix was better, but not sure where to get them.
 
HardUse said:
Spyderco Gayle Bradley M4 is pretty good. I have put mine through extreme cutting tasks. I don't pry and use it for things other than cutting or slicing though. I cut against copper, aluminum, steel, concrete, sheetrock, ceiling tile and other hard and abrasive materials. The blade holds up really well. It isn't invincible but much better than any other steel I've used. I am still waiting for something better, but for now this one will do.


And when I do sharpen it, it never needs more than a quick touchup.
Click to expand...

Someone else suggested this knife and it is definitely one that I am considering.

So, I am taking it you would put the M4 ahead of S30V? M4 is one of those not-stainless-but-still-pretty-corrosion-resistant steels like A2 and D2, right? How would you rate its corrosion resistance?

Since you say you are waiting for something better, what improvement would you want to see?
 
I think Ankerson sold me on the 0350cb with this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T51UfbfUXlU

Not the same knife, but it's a testament as to how tough the 0300 line really is. I also like the designs where the blade itself is reinforced against the handle by the thumb studs.

My Gayle Bradley is great, but the blade doesn't seem to match the handle in terms of how beefy it is.

CPM-M4 is a real monster. I can't imagine trying to sharpen that thing without my paper wheels. Of my knives so far(including Dozier D2, CTS-XHP, and ZDP-189), that one gave me the most trouble when I tried to put it under buffing wheels. The combination of high hardness, toughness, and wear resistance made the process of putting a mirror polish on the blade a long one.

Stain resistance of M4 is similar to high carbon non stainless. I used it to trim 2 cases of corn and it already built up a patina afterwards(which doesn't happen with ZDP-189). D2 is a touch more stain resistant.
 
Last edited:
Get back to me in a week... :D
 
By then, I'll have a Demko custom along the lines of largeEspada.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top