Hardest use Spydie

Josh K said:
Gayle Bradley, Chinook 3, Military, Paramilitary, Manix 2.
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I agree, the Bradley really surprised me but after use I found that the handle shape really does work very well, it’s a great mix between strength and cutting power. Combine that with fit and finish that is perhaps the best of any production knife I’ve ever handled and you’ve got a winner.
 
Josh K said:
Gayle Bradley, Chinook 3, Military, Paramilitary, Manix 2.
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You could probably add the Sage II, the Chokwe. and the new Perrin PPT to the list as well.

Paul
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When you say "hard-use", are you talking about knives that can take the most abuse without breaking, or one's that might get damaged yet still get the job done? My biggest issue with knives aimed at hard use is weak points like fairly fine tips that are too fragile if the knife is used in somewhat abusive duties. Light prying isn't likely to break the pivot of a knife, but it sure can bust up a tip in no time. With that in mind, I'd offer the H1 Mariner or even the hollow-ground Endura with steel handles as contenders as well. They might not have these massive pivots or overbuilt locks, but offer fairly stout tips. The new Breeden Rescue would also be on my list.
 
The Military has the thickest blade, but a relatively fragile point. The GB is thinner, and hollow ground, but with a better tip.
The Chinook is 4mm also, but again, thin point. Most other models are thinner again.
My pic (but I've never even handled it) would be the Paramilitary. Shorter and compacter, 4mm thick, solid liner lock. Still a fairly fragile tip though. The Stretch also looks like a good candidate, blade shape certainly looks stout and the steel is tough as nails.

I think with Spyderco, hard use is a relative term anyway. I can't think of any that are really built for the kind of abuse a ZT (for example) is designed to endure.
 
I was looking at the models that you guys mentioned and I mostly agree but when we say "hard use" I would imagine that that includes the blade as well, particularly the tip. If that's the criteria then that pretty well rules out the military(I wouldn't know about a para since I haven't held one) and I'm not even talking about prying. I sometimes do some bamboo work on my farm when I do routine maintenance on my bamboo hut and sometimes you need to bear down on the tip. Any slight rotation of your wrist while doing this would exert lateral pressure on the tip and I think If I used my military, I'd wind up with a shorter blade. I have used my saber ground endura with no ill effects though. Sometimes when I go around the farm not expecting to do any work(so no tools or other implements) and I see one of my mango trees that I suspect to have root rot, I do a little digging with my endura where I even hit some pebbles. No ill effects but the endura does need to be sharpened after digging. Soil really is tough on an edge. I don't think the military's tip would survive that abuse. I really like my military, the way the handle just seems to fall into the proper position in my hand after I open the blade and my grip feeling rock solid. I like the military for for SD but I really don't think the blade(particularly the tip) makes it especially hard use. Now the chinook on the other hand...

PS: I've driven the chinook through 1/4 inch plywood several times with no tip damage.
 
The Bradley is a meathook, seriously nothing is gonna break it (intentional abuse will)
I would say the same with the Manix2 hollow grind.
 
The Endura would have to be rated way up there in hard use. I've done things with an Endura I wouldn't dream doing with my Chinook, Military, etc, because of their price.
G27
 
Glock27 said:
The Endura would have to be rated way up there in hard use. I've done things with an Endura I wouldn't dream doing with my Chinook, Military, etc, because of their price.
G27
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I think that's true of the saber ground but IMHO the FFG is an entirely different animal from the E4.
 
AKWolf said:
The Bradley is a meathook, seriously nothing is gonna break it (intentional abuse will)
I would say the same with the Manix2 hollow grind.
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Agree with you on both counts. Those are 2 of best examples of quality hard use at affordable prices. The GB also is above and beyond most knives as far as overall build quality
 
Gayle Bradley, Catbyrd, Chinook 3, Manix 2, Tie Millie, Millie, Paramillie, Pacific Salt, Mariner, Cara Cara G10, Persistence...
I have cut into hard plastic with the persistence as hard as with my Gayle Bradley.
I have chipped the edge, only one chip, (when the GB was not affected) but I also was able to resharp and remove the chip quite easily and now my Persistence is sharper than ever.
This steel is very forgiving and easy to keep sharp. This is very important for a very hard use folder: forgiving steel.
The Byrd also are so cheap: you beat the crap out of them. They are hyper reliable.
All those folder are hard use knives. YMMV. I EDC the Gayle Bradley.
M4 is made for hard use. I don't know if it's forgiving as it refuse to get dull yet.
 
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