Help me find a new knife! (Update, got my knife!)

Converge

Converge

Joined
Oct 4, 2014
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718
So I opened up a credit line with paypal and I have $250ish to spend

I'm going to most likely buy an amazon online gift card from gyft because amazon and other sellers like blade hq and everyone else do not accept paypal. Not a problem like I said I can buy an amazon gift card.

Right now I was just considering buying an ESEE 4P and something like a Benchmade Griptillian or Barrage because I definitely want an ESEE and I dont have a Benchmade yet.

However I am getting turned off a bit with the Benchmades, I haven't held any benchmades ever but I've been reading about people commenting on how the "plastic" handle benchmades feel rather cheap. Like the grip, barrage, etc. Even if the steel is nice and the quality is nice I honestly don't want to spend $120-$150 on a knife and have it feel "cheap". I am not saying these are bad knives but Im thinking now I may just save them for a later purchase. I am also going to stop by Army Navy later and see if they have any I can handle, I know they have a lot of Benchmade knives.

If I want to get the ESEE and another knife, the blade would have to be $150 or less. I definitely want a Sage III, but I am kind of leaning towards more of a "user" type of knife I wont care about really using hard, something that is made tough, not dressy.

BUT.... I am now thinking about just buying the ESEE later and spending $200 max on a knife. Looking at ZT, a DPx Hest 2.0 right now. I already have a PM2 and love Spyderco but I already have a few so I would like to get something from a manufacturer that I do not already own. However the Vallotton is temping... :)

What knives would you guys buy/want/suggest at a $120-$200 price point? Any suggestions welcome.


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--New post on page 2 with my brand new 0562cf--
 
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That HEST you are looking at is, IMO, one of the very best all-round folders out there, especially if you are outdoor oriented. I swear by mine.
 
Currently on my own "personal" list of folders that want in that price range;
Benchmade Grizzly Creek; dymondwood handle
Cold Steel/code 4 series, all 3 blade styles.
Wilson Tactical Combat ELC (made by fox); multi cam (Elmax) and cocobolo (n690co)
Viper "Free" ( the "keeper" & "start" are also on my list)
 
If you are not apposed to trying a chinese manufacturer, I recently received a Kizer Ki3404A2 and it has been absolutely amazing in terms of fit and finish! Extremely quick and smooth for being a washer flipper instead of bearings. The grind lines are spot on, as is the edge. Anodizing is great and flips well!
 
In your price range, I'd HIGHLY recommend you get yourself a ZT 0562CF. You will not regret that decision my friend.
Second choice, look into Reate Knives. Now, they are made in China, and I don't wanna start a war here, but there are nothing but extremely positive reviews out there. Fit and finish is what you'd see and expect on a custom, but FAR cheaper.
 
If you want to get the Esee now in addition to a folder, I'd recommend taking a look at the ZT0550. I'm not the biggest ZT fan, but I do like the 0550 a lot. It is kind of a brick in the pocket though. Kershawguy.com still has some of the 1st generation models in stock for $135. It may not be the latest and greatest, but that's a screaming deal for that knife any way you cut it. He also has the second gen for $165, but IMO you're not gaining much with the second gen unless you just need to have a deep carry clip.

As far as Benchmades go, $150 doesn't really get you very far anymore with MAP pricing. Probably the best deal to be had is the HK axis model at a little over $100, I believe it's the 14715, but I could be wrong on that. I owned one for about a day. It was a great value, but didn't fit my hand, so I sold it. A Ritter Griptillian can be had new for $140. You're getting M390 steel, but you're also getting the plastic handles. The good news is that there are tons of custom scale makers out there who will make you just about anything you can dream up. New scales really transform the Griptillian from a decent knife to a great one. You could buy your Esee and the Grip and add custom scales later. You can peruse the customized Benchmade thread in the Benchmade subforum to get some idea of what's available. About the only limitations are your imagination and your wallet.

The Vallotton is an awesome knife too, but it's almost too pretty to use hard, at least to me.
 
Despite you want something other than Spyderco, everybody needs at least one Military...

There is an S90V Carbon Fiber Titanium framelock KnifeWorks Exclusive coming...
 
Grab yourself a BK16 (KaBar/Becker) - it's comparable in size to the Esee 4; but a bit easier on the budget.
You didn't specify the blade length you want for the folder; but, the last time I looked, KW still had their ZT0350 (G10/M390) available. You could get both the BK16, and the KW exclusive 0350 for the amt you've got.

BTW - many retailers accept PayPal for online purchases.
 
Converge said:
Any specific reason or just personal preference?

I'm really liking both of those
Click to expand...

I tried the HEST/F when they first came out. Had to send it back 3 or 4 times for lock slip and failures, each time getting back a new knife. Eventually I just gave up, and sold the new ones that came back from "warranty".

No issues with the warranty though. They had excellent customer service. They had to...the lock sucked.

I rather liked the rest of the knife though. A shame.
 
Tripton said:
I tried the HEST/F when they first came out. Had to send it back 3 or 4 times for lock slip and failures, each time getting back a new knife. Eventually I just gave up, and sold the new ones that came back from "warranty".

No issues with the warranty though. They had excellent customer service. They had to...the lock sucked.

I rather liked the rest of the knife though. A shame.
Click to expand...

That would definitely suck, but aren't you referring to the 1.0? I think I read that they changed the lock because so many people had issues. Please let me know, I could be wrong of course

Right now I think Its between the 562cf and the hest/f right now. Thanks for the help guys.
 
i would suggest a Reate or Kizer for a folder,and for a fixed blade i would check out the forum.!lot's of fantastic custom made knives in your price range,good luck!
 
The benchmade griptillian with custom scales is my vote. Never owned the knife, but the pics I've seen on various threads on this forum look pretty sweet.
 
The DPX Hest Folders are awesome. Most of the problems you will hear about them are from their 1.0 models. I am partial to the Triple Black personally but they are all good.

If not a DPX then definitely consider one of many great ZT's (801,350,550,620,630,566,808,900). All great knives and in your price range.

Just an FYI there are still dealers who except pay pal!
 
In Benchmade's lineup, check out the 710 and the sequel. There is nothing cheap-feeling about those two, and they are only marginally more $$ than the Grip. Worth the extra dough if you ask me.

In that price range also check out Hogue. It has to be the most severely underrated US brand IMO. They make fantastic knives that have amazing attention to detail.

Spyderco - too many good options to list them all. The Gayle Bradley Folder stands out in my mind - a great example of the amazing quality that their Taiwan factory can put out. Also the Caly3.5 with San Mai ZDP189 is my favorite of their Japanese knives although QC in that factory seems hit-or-miss. If you want one from the USA factory, I can recommend a Manix2 with G10 scales, or the ever popular (for a reason) PM2. But depending on your tastes, there are many good Spydercos in this price range.

Love my ZTs - fantastic designs and materials. But in my experience they are more hit-or-miss in the QC department vs. Benchmade or Hogue or Spyderco. YMMV. My favorite ZT (by far) is the 0770CF. Cuts like a laser and is practical as an EDC, unlike many of their (much larger) designs. I also really like my new 0450 but to be honest it doesn't cut all that great...
 
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How about a ZT 0350 or ZT 0801....can't go wrong with either.

[video=youtube;02FG1cPQDmI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02FG1cPQDmI[/video]
[video=youtube;biBB6zI8ttM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biBB6zI8ttM[/video]

Converge said:
So I opened up a credit line with paypal and I have $250ish to spend

I'm going to most likely buy an amazon online gift card from gyft because amazon and other sellers like blade hq and everyone else do not accept paypal. Not a problem like I said I can buy an amazon gift card.

Right now I was just considering buying an ESEE 4P and something like a Benchmade Griptillian or Barrage because I definitely want an ESEE and I dont have a Benchmade yet.

However I am getting turned off a bit with the Benchmades, I haven't held any benchmades ever but I've been reading about people commenting on how the "plastic" handle benchmades feel rather cheap. Like the grip, barrage, etc. Even if the steel is nice and the quality is nice I honestly don't want to spend $120-$150 on a knife and have it feel "cheap". I am not saying these are bad knives but Im thinking now I may just save them for a later purchase. I am also going to stop by Army Navy later and see if they have any I can handle, I know they have a lot of Benchmade knives.

If I want to get the ESEE and another knife, the blade would have to be $150 or less. I definitely want a Sage III, but I am kind of leaning towards more of a "user" type of knife I wont care about really using hard, something that is made tough, not dressy.

BUT.... I am now thinking about just buying the ESEE later and spending $200 max on a knife. Looking at ZT, a DPx Hest 2.0 right now. I already have a PM2 and love Spyderco but I already have a few so I would like to get something from a manufacturer that I do not already own. However the Vallotton is temping... :)

What knives would you guys buy/want/suggest at a $120-$200 price point? Any suggestions welcome.
Click to expand...
 
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