Help me pick out a knife for my boss.

The Riffle is actually a very nice knife. I have one in green Micarta. It is comfortable in hand. The blade geometry is good. I think it's classy for what it is. As with any Civivi, the quality per dollar is hard to match.

CIVIVI-Riffle-Liner-Lock-Knife-Olive-Micarta-3.5-Stonewash-C2024B-BHQ-120367-LS.jpg
 
Wow, this blew up a bit more than I was expecting while I was at work. Lots of really great suggestions in here that I've been taking a look at and researching. Thanks! :)

I talked to him a bit more today to find out what he'd be in to. That should help narrow the choices down a bit. I brought in my Pro-Tech Malibu and he said both the opening (flipper tab) and closing mechanisms (button lock) were a bit too advanced for him, and that he'd like to keep it a bit more simple. He said he'd like something with some grip, so metal and wood scales are out. I asked him about American made knives vs overseas, and he said he likes to support American companies, but that quality is more important to him than country of origin. So here's where I'm at:


* 3" - 3.5"
* $50 - $75 (unless it's too good to pass up, in which case I could stretch it to $100)
* Something with a bit of flash, but not too much.
* No 7cr, 8cr, 9cr.
* He likes supporting American companies, but quality is more important to him than country of origin.
* Something with a fair amount of grip.
* Something with a classic locking mechanish (backlock, liner-lock, frame lock).


So far the standouts to me are;

Buck Spitfire custom in G10/S35VN (I really like this idea)
Civivi Brazen in Micarta and Damascus
Civivi Imperium in Micarta and Damascus

I feel like those three fit all of the key points pretty well. The bit of flash seems like the hardest to fulfill.

Others still in the running are;

Spyderco Stretch
Kershaw Blur Blackout
Spyderco Rockjumper
Civivi Riffle in Micarta (cheapskate option)

Unless something else really leaps out at me, I'm going to mull those choices over tonight for a bit and then go ahead and put in an order.
 
A guy that likes nice shoes and American Whiskey will not like a Chinese knife.
Take that one to the bank.
 
Boattale said:
A guy that likes nice shoes and American Whiskey will not like a Chinese knife.
Take that one to the bank.
Click to expand...

I don’t know about that…. I showed him my Demko AD20.5 and he thought it was the coolest thing under the sun. It’ll be a cold day in hell when I part with that one though, lol.
 
I just found a black linen Micarta/ Damascus QSP Penguin. That’s intriguing also.
 
Fixall said:
Wow, this blew up a bit more than I was expecting while I was at work. Lots of really great suggestions in here that I've been taking a look at and researching. Thanks! :)

I talked to him a bit more today to find out what he'd be in to. That should help narrow the choices down a bit. I brought in my Pro-Tech Malibu and he said both the opening (flipper tab) and closing mechanisms (button lock) were a bit too advanced for him, and that he'd like to keep it a bit more simple. He said he'd like something with some grip, so metal and wood scales are out. I asked him about American made knives vs overseas, and he said he likes to support American companies, but that quality is more important to him than country of origin. So here's where I'm at:


* 3" - 3.5"
* $50 - $75 (unless it's too good to pass up, in which case I could stretch it to $100)
* Something with a bit of flash, but not too much.
* No 7cr, 8cr, 9cr.
* He likes supporting American companies, but quality is more important to him than country of origin.
* Something with a fair amount of grip.
* Something with a classic locking mechanish (backlock, liner-lock, frame lock).


So far the standouts to me are;

Buck Spitfire custom in G10/S35VN (I really like this idea)
Civivi Brazen in Micarta and Damascus
Civivi Imperium in Micarta and Damascus

I feel like those three fit all of the key points pretty well. The bit of flash seems like the hardest to fulfill.

Others still in the running are;

Spyderco Stretch
Kershaw Blur Blackout
Spyderco Rockjumper
Civivi Riffle in Micarta (cheapskate option)

Unless something else really leaps out at me, I'm going to mull those choices over tonight for a bit and then go ahead and put in an order.
Click to expand...

I'd agree in ruling out 8Cr13Mov or lower members of that series. However, don't count out 9Cr18Mov. It's a decent budget steel on its own and it gets an exceptional heat treatment from WE. Beyond my anecdotal experiences, the Civivi and Sencut knives in 9Cr18Mov have performed very well in cut testing against cardboard. It can offer better edge retention and more corrosion resistance than your average VG-10.

That said, the Damascus used by Civivi is made of 9Cr18Mov and 10Cr15CoMov. The latter is effectively Chinese VG-10. So performance should be okay. The main question is if he will like the way it looks. Some people have strong opinions about it, one way or the other.

I don't know that the Riffle is the "cheapskate option" among the others in the running. I used to own a Blur. Micarta is much nicer than aluminum and assisted actions feel cheesy to me in 2021. I have a modified Rockjumper in my EDC rotation. I actually carried it today. My issue with the Rockjumper is that it costs like $90 and it felt like it needed work right out of the box. (I lightly polished the washers, sanded down the crisp inner scale edges, chamfered the sharp rim around the Spydie hole, and spent another $20-something to get a deep-carry clip for it.) Meanwhile, my Riffle was pretty much good to go right out of the box. It's obviously a different kind of knife but the fit, finish, and attention to detail are definitely better.
 
Alright, I just put my order in for a Civivi Brazen in canvas Micarta and damascus. It's priced a bit higher priced than I was planning on going, but I think it does a good job checking all the boxes.

3" to 3.5" - Check.
$50 to $75 - Close enough.
Something with a bit of flash - I think the damascus blade definitely gives it some pizzazz.
No 7cr, 8cr, 9cr - I'm gonna let that slide since it's damascus (I forgot to mention that he thought damascus was cool and mentioned watching Alec Steele on Youtube).
Quality over country of origin - It's not American made, but I think Civivi puts out some of the best bang for your buck knives on the market.
Decent grip - Micarta, check.
Simple locking method - Liner lock, check.
Easy opening method - Thumb stud, check.

I decided on the Brazen over the Imperium because of the secondary opening method on the Brazen. If he graduates past the thumb stud, it has a flipper tab he can try out. The Imperium's second opening method is a front-flipper tab, which I think would be a bit too much for him.


While I was at it, I grabbed a BaliYo for my co-worker who was making fun of balisongs today... As well as a Petrified Fish PF949X in contoured carbon fiber (for myself) as Gary W. Graley Gary W. Graley has spoken highly of their knives. I had to grab another Rat 1 too. For some reason everyone at work grabs the Rat 1 over the Rat 2 when I offer them the choice. I gave out my last Rat 1 today, while I still have three or four Rat 2's in my locker, lol.
 
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