Help choosing first knife

C

cravethedave

Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
4
Hello All, I am looking for some guidance from those who know better than I. I have never bought a pocket knife before and I was looking to add one to my EDC. I have had a couple in the past but they were gifts and I was young and I lost them as young people tend to do with things they did not work for themselves. I have read and researched and looked around and I think I have narrowed my search down to two knives (though I am open to other suggestions). 1. The Spyderco Byrd Meadowlark 2 G10 or 2. The Buck Vantage Pro/Avid Small.
the reason I put both the buck pro and avid is I am not sure I want to spend the money for the pro but I like getting a metal that holds a better edge.

things that matter to me.

1. I don't want to spend more than $100
2. I want something less than 4 oz
3. I want something "tame" that I could take anywhere.
4. I don't want a bare metal handle

Are these good choices? Are they worth the price? If they are then which is better? If not, what else should I look at?
 
Check out the VERY keen edges on the Opinel line of cutlery.

Excellent value, light in the pocket and easily replaced if you leave the knife at your remote hunting camp!
 
Buck Vantage is a great choice for a first EDC, pro or avid, (or wait until skblades comes out with their exclusive upgraded model)... great egos, solid warranty.

Pro will hold an edge longer, avid imo does look nicer.
 
Welcome to the forums. Well, you have a ton of choices really. Of the two you mentioned, the Buck is the better blade but it costs more. There is nothing wrong with Byrd line from Spyderco. It is a great bang for the buck. I guess it really depends on how much you want to spend. You seem a little hesitant to spend toward the top end of your budget (based on the comment about the Buck). Since this is your first knife, I'd suggest spending less and see how it goes. The Delica and Minigrip are both great choices, but I'll pick a few at half the price.

1. Ontario Rat 2 about $30
2. Kabar Dozier about $20\
3. SAK (Swiss Army Knife) I'd highly suggest getting one with the scissors. They are handy. Maybe the Super Tinker or Explorer.
 
Kershaw Skyline XL or Spyderco camo tenacious are another solid pair of options to check out, currently $40 at bladeHQ... if the xl is too large, considering the vantage small is your choice, the standard size is also great.

Any of the Cold Steel options with cts-xhp blades would be great <$100 choices as well.

Right at your limit, the Spyderco southard positron is s30v with carbon fiber scales
 
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Spyderco Delica is a great choice. If you are willing to spend $100 then why are you looking at Bryds. (Which are 35$ knives)
 
I own both a Byrd Meadowlark and a Buck Vantage and I prefer the Byrd. My suggestion is to get the Byrd. If you like the way it feels then start saving your money for a Spyderco Delica. I own one of these too. The Meadowlark and Delica are similar in feel and size. The Delica obviously has higher quality steel. Do that and now you have a Spyderco to carry and a Byrd knife to keep in your car.
 
The mini grip is a great "do it all" knife. For the increase in price you get a knife that will literally last you a lifetime. Benchmade's warranty'll cover your knife through just about any situation. It's not the prettiest specimen out there, but it's a great value and a great knife.

My Ritter mini grip is sitting in my pocket right now.
 
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Wow so many replies! Ill try to address some of you real quick. Many people suggested the Spyderco Delica and the Mini Griptillian. I will definitely take those into consideration as the top end of my price range.

Lapedog said:
Spyderco Delica is a great choice. If you are willing to spend $100 then why are you looking at Bryds. (Which are 35$ knives)
Click to expand...

Couple things here. I would prefer to spend less money but I can see myself spending that much if something really blows me away thats why I listed it as the top end of my range but am hesitant to go there. The Delica would be nice to get the better steel but I don't like the way the FRN handle looks, Is there another option?

Stubai said:
Check out the VERY keen edges on the Opinel line of cutlery.

Excellent value, light in the pocket and easily replaced if you leave the knife at your remote hunting camp!
Click to expand...

I love the way the Opinel looks, I love the price, I love the tradition, and the reviews are always outstanding but I want something with a clip and that I can open easily with one hand, (Perhaps I should have put that in my requirements :oops:)

strategy9 said:
Kershaw Skyline XL or Spyderco camo tenacious are another solid pair of options to check out, currently $40 at bladeHQ...
Click to expand...

I ruled out the tenacious cause it was over 4 oz. (if only just) but stuff in the 3.5 oz range already feels like pushing it to me. the Kershaw Skyline looks nice but it isn't much less than the sale that bladehq has on the buck at the moment, is it worth paying more for the buck? how does the steel Sandvik 14C28N compare to the steel on the Buck?

Thank you so much for all the feedback! Please let me know what you think

Edit: specified 'Mini' Griptillian
 
cravethedave said:
Wow so many replies! Ill try to address some of you real quick. Many people suggested the Spyderco Delica and the Mini Griptillian. I will definitely take those into consideration as the top end of my price range.



Couple things here. I would prefer to spend less money but I can see myself spending that much if something really blows me away thats why I listed it as the top end of my range but am hesitant to go there. The Delica would be nice to get the better steel but I don't like the way the FRN handle looks, Is there another option?



I love the way the Opinel looks, I love the price, I love the tradition, and the reviews are always outstanding but I want something with a clip and that I can open easily with one hand, (Perhaps I should have put that in my requirements :oops:)



I ruled out the tenacious cause it was over 4 oz. (if only just) but stuff in the 3.5 oz range already feels like pushing it to me. the Kershaw Skyline looks nice but it isn't much less than the sale that bladehq has on the buck at the moment, is it worth paying more for the buck? how does the steel Sandvik 14C28N compare to the steel on the Buck?

Thank you so much for all the feedback! Please let me know what you think

Edit: specified 'Mini' Griptillian
Click to expand...

The griptillians come with a plasticy feeling handle like the Delica. Check out the Rat 1 in D2 steel with carbon fibre handles. Well within your price range.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
You can get a brand new spyderco pm2 here on the exchange for$99! Since the experts have already concluded that this is the folder of the century(I disagree, preferring the full size military) the top of your price range is where it’s at! Final answer
 
If you've been considering the Meadowlark and have a budget of under $100, I'd also suggest the Delica. Great size and wonderful cutter.
 
With your criteria I would suggest saving your pennies and getting whatever it is that would fit your requirements.

VG10 or better steel
No "plastic" or all metal handles(G10, wood or CF maybe)
Not scary looking

You're probably looking at knives in the $100+ range.
Save up, you can thank me later:)

And as Yanose suggests, buy used
 
You are almost sure to be happy with either the Vantage or the Meadowlark or any of the other knives mentioned so far. . . and then you are likely to feel the itch for another new knife in a shockingly short time! So I'm going to suggest a third knife that is similar to the two you've listed, meets the requirements you've specified, and provides wonderfully high quality for a low price: the Ontario RAT 2 {little brother of the RAT 1 already mentioned. But this suggestion has a second part: spend the money you save on a sharpening system.
 
One aspect to consider with the Delica FRN handles is that you can select a color that presents a more 'tame' appearance.
To me purple is a good choice for being subdued.
Check out some of the on-line reviews for the Delica. Great tool. rak2
 
Put me down as another vote for Delica (or Endura if you want a larger knife). They're available in multiple colors that help the tame look. A great made in America option that I like even more is the Spyderco Native Lightweight. If you want G10, I would suggest the Manix 2 (just barely over your budget at $101.97).

Edited to add: Oops. Manix 2 is an ounce over your weight limit. Don't rule out FRN, though. If you want it to look tame, FRN is tame.
 
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