Help in chosing a new folding knife

5

5211

Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
28
Hi

i'm not really familar with the whole knife thing and was looking to buy a decent knife for a friend as a present

Just a few questions

What things i should really look for when buying a knife (i have a folding one in mind) want the blade to be durable

1)about 100 - 200 ish range but what is a good price i should be looking at? i don't wanna be ripped off in the process :)

2) what is a good brand?

3) what is a good blade 3.5ish inches? pref don't rust/stain and toughness + good hardness

i live in Australia (sydney) so i don't know how to limits the range i can pick from any websites that delivers to aus?

also why is benchmade prices for their knives more expensive on their website then other websites like legear.com ?
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and on a side note i just did a google search about blades and stuff and came across a custom knife maker called Jay Fisher and basically he bashed the crap out of factory blades so much that it made me think that all things coming out of it are tofu like material .....

i was thinking his custom but then i'll have to wait a year and i didn't really ahve a $2000 budget in mind

i mean how much of what he said holds true?

link below

http://www.jayfisher.com/Blades.htm#What's wrong with factory knives?
 
Last edited:
5211 said:
Hi

i'm not really familar with the whole knife thing and was looking to buy a decent knife for a friend as a present

Just a few questions

What things i should really look for when buying a knife (i have a folding one in mind) want the blade to be durable

1)about 100 - 200 ish range but what is a good price i should be looking at? i don't wanna be ripped off in the process :)

2) what is a good brand?

3) what is a good blade? pref don't rust/stain and toughness + good hardness

i live in Australia (sydney) so i don't know how to limits the range i can pick from
--------------------------------------------------
and on a side note i just did a google search about blades and stuff and came across a custom knife maker called Jay Fisher and basically he bashed the crap out of factory blades so much that it made me think that all things coming out of it are tofu like material .....

i was thinking his custom but then i'll have to wait a year and i didn't really ahve a $2000 budget in mind

i mean how much of what he said holds true? and how much is just bs?

link below

http://www.jayfisher.com/Blades.htm#What's wrong with factory knives?
Click to expand...

I've been a big fan of Jay Fisher knives for awhile now.Do I own any of his knives?NO.Would I like to own one?Hell Yes!!Just can't afford one at the time.I can tell you this though..His reputation is impeccable.The man knows his trade.Nothing on his website is BS!You should really be careful how you word things in the future:rolleyes:

As far as $100 knives go there's a plethora to choose from.
Here's one off the top of my head....Benchmade 710 it's a classic:thumbup:
Good Luck:)
 
Thanks JTR for pointing that out.. *edited* :) he's got so much info took me 5 hours and i'm still barely through it.. never knew there was so much into making a blade

he did seem to know what he was talking about.. however when i was reading about the types of steal he seems to mention 440c ats 34 d2 etc

but nothing about s30v s60v aus blades..

anyone could shed more light on that?
 
What he speaks of, in regards to production companies is more describing cheaper lines. I guarantee you what he say does not hold true for Benchmade, Spyderco, and Kershaw products made in America, Japan, and other generally high-end manufacturing countries.

Back to the topic at hand, finding you the right knife! Well, first off, what size knife are you looking for? Without knowing that, we could never really recommend anything.

In response to your questions about good brands, as stated earlier in my post, Benchmade, Spyderco, and Kershaw all make top-notch products, so browse through those websites.

I'm not sure where you can order knives in/to Australia, though.

Good luck!

EDIT: Here are 2 knives I have gone for Spyderco Persian and the Benchmade Shoki, which will be arriving tomorrow! I can tell you now that the Spyderco was absolutely perfect out of the box, and I'm confident the Benchmade will be also.
 
^^ Habit

pocket knife size about 3.5 ish inches (for the blade)? around there would be a good price

also i like a knife to be well balanced so that the handle also has some weight

i hate it when you hold a knife and u can feel the weight of the blade. it just bugs me "a lot" and love holding well balanced knives where the handle has some weight (just something you can't really tell from looking at pictures online

thanks for the reply guys much appreciated
 
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5211 said:
Habit
pocket knife size about 3.4 3.5 inches? around there would be a good price

also i like a knife to be well balanced so that the handle also has some weight

i hate it when you hold a knife and u can feel the weight of the blade. it just bugs me "a lot" and love holding well balanced knives where the handle has some weight (just something you can't really tell from looking at pictures online
Click to expand...

Blade 3.5 inches, right? Lots of options :)

Benchmade 710 is a classic, as stated earlier, though it's actually 3.9 inches...
Benchmade 635 is a really popular knife, known for it's quality... some people even put it just after the Sebenza as far as production knives go, and it's half the price!
Benchmade 930 is a brand new knife, but I'm already hearing good things about it.
Spyderco Stretch 2 is quite the looker and packs a whole lot of blade into its handle, and should have a pretty good weight to it, with a relatively thin blade.
Spyderco Para-Military is also a great candidate, though it's a bit more handle than blade :p
 
i'm liking all the benchmade designs not so much the spyderco

and i was just browsing their site. and was wondering why is benchmade prices for their knives more expensive on their website then other websites like legear.com ?

also i read that D2 blades are really tough which is great but what about rust? i mean how badly does it rust etc compared to s30v which is what i'm starting to lean towards especially the 635 and 930s :)?
 
The reason the knives cost more on the manufactures websites is that they are listing the MSRP, however no dealer actually sells it at MSRP. Same thing happens with guitars.

D2, as I recall is not a stainless steel, but it shouldn't rust if you take extra care of it... I suppose that if the knife is going to be getting wet a lot, though, that S30V would be the better choice. It's really up to you.
 
5211 said:
^^ Habit

pocket knife size about 3.5 ish inches (for the blade)? around there would be a good price

also i like a knife to be well balanced so that the handle also has some weight

i hate it when you hold a knife and u can feel the weight of the blade. it just bugs me "a lot" and love holding well balanced knives where the handle has some weight (just something you can't really tell from looking at pictures online

thanks for the reply guys much appreciated
Click to expand...

By those descriptions,The AL MAR SERE 2000 is one that fits the bill.About a $140 though.
 
_habit_ said:
The reason the knives cost more on the manufactures websites is that they are listing the MSRP, however no dealer actually sells it at MSRP. Same thing happens with guitars.

i think the benchmade mini skirmish 635 fits the bill perfectly i love the design and look of it

if i buy this knife from that website it's going to cost me $240 where else would be the best place to order/buy the knife to be sent Australia?

its about 2:24 am here i think i might have to pick this up tomorrow night...sleep for now thanks for all the help everyone
Click to expand...
 
You can order it here, but for new international customers, they require payment via Western Union. I've purchased from them, as have probably everyone else on this site, and they're top notch.

From their FAQ:

Q. Does New Graham accept International Orders?

A. Yes, On international orders we will ship either USPS Global Priority or Global Express which ever one is available to your country, price will be figured after order is placed and we have shipping information.

****New Policy: All new International Customers must use Western Union for payment, we will not accept other forms of payment from NEW international customers. Please contact us for more information.

NOTE: On international orders Buyer assumes all risk of Loss or Confiscation.
 
5211 said:
i'm liking all the benchmade designs not so much the spyderco

and i was just browsing their site. and was wondering why is benchmade prices for their knives more expensive on their website then other websites like legear.com ?

also i read that D2 blades are really tough which is great but what about rust? i mean how badly does it rust etc compared to s30v which is what i'm starting to lean towards especially the 635 and 930s :)?
Click to expand...

All manufactures web prices are MSRP or Manufacturer's Suggested retail Prices. The dealers get a discount and sell for less. Most manufactures protect their dealer by keeping prices at MSRP on the site. Buy from a dealer whom you like at the lower price.

I have many knives in D2. It holds a good edge for a long time. It is stain resistant. You may also like S30V or ATS 34 or go all out and get a ZDP189 knife. For 100-200 there are many, many knives to choose from.

At 3.5 blade length if your FIRM on that length. I REALLY like the look of the new 930 and I like G 10 scales. Either one will not "Feel Heavy" One is G10 and the other Ti.
I have a Paramilitary and it is a very nice hard working knife. You should consider it as well. Great handle and a 3.0 blade. Good choices!
 
5211 said:
he did seem to know what he was talking about.. however when i was reading about the types of steal he seems to mention 440c ats 34 d2 etc

but nothing about s30v s60v aus blades..

anyone could shed more light on that?
Click to expand...

He mentioned S30V, S60V, S90V, and AUS-10 about 3/4's down the page in your link. Mentioned good and bad points of S30V and its cousins, but didn't seem to mention much about AUS-10. His main point about steels was that none of them do everything well and that the steel type doesn't become important until the design and construction meet the knife's intended purpose.
 
+1 on the BM930.Got one coming anyday now from knifeworks.com....The anticipation is killing me!!:eek:

They should give UPS drivers their own lane & let'em do 120mph:D
 
I have owned many many folders over the past 50 plus years. My all time favorite is the Benchmade 710. Mine is in M2 steel, which is not available any more, but the new one in D2 steel, which others have recommended would do very nicely.

The 710 is the pocket knife I gave my sons as gifts.

A gift of a good knife is one which can often be remembered and used for a very long time.
 
Raymond3 said:
I have owned many many folders over the past 50 plus years. My all time favorite is the Benchmade 710. Mine is in M2 steel, which is not available any more, but the new one in D2 steel, which others have recommended would do very nicely.

The 710 is the pocket knife I gave my sons as gifts.

A gift of a good knife is one which can often be remembered and used for a very long time.
Click to expand...

I seen one in M2 on that auction site about a month ago for approx.$750

There's always seems to be someone out there in need of money.

They're frequently available,but you're gonna pay through nose for one :eek:
 
JTR357 said:
+1 on the BM930.Got one coming anyday now from knifeworks.com....The anticipation is killing me!!:eek:

They should give UPS drivers their own lane & let'em do 120mph:D
Click to expand...

+1 on bm930 :) hope it's a good knife =) and thanks JTR for mentioning knifeworks.com

it's one of the few sites that ship to australia without 2 much hassel :)

i like it because of it's simple looks and hope its good and well weighted

now i just have to play the waiting game :)

(just wondering .. anyone who has this knife is the handle heavy? as in does the blade seem to outwiegh the handle?) thanks
 
I assume you want to please your friend, so buy something they will like and use. If they already have a preference for certain shapes, styles, handle materials, then another in the same vein is usually welcome.

Also think about what they are going to use it for, when they are going to carry it. Do they want a knife to put in their pocket and use at work or daily, or is this a knife for camping, bush-walking?

3 inches is a sort of 'watershed', with knives under that being easily pocketable, and mostly non-threatening in use, and knives over that usually being seen as 'large'.

I second Newgraham.com as a quality retailer, I've ordered a number of knives from them and got great service and advice. Give them a call, they enjoy calls from Australia.

Greg
 
I have been exceedingly pleased with all of the Spyderco's I've ever owned. I cannot say any other brand besides Chris Reeve has done that for me. I highly recommend them. If you can overlook the non-traditional look, the looks will grow on you and you will find yourself with an extremely reliable, high performance folder.
 
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