One of the Akri versions is DC53, claimed to be all around better than D2, twice as tough.
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High Value, Budget, EDC Knives, narrowed down. Advice Wanted...
- Thread starter Truesome
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I own a bunch of civivi knives. You can pick anything from their line and it will show up and be pretty nice. I have yet to receive a civivi and think its trash or poor qc. The flavorist recently caught my eye and when i am in the mood i will pick one up.
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Don't know if OP is still looking but I'd say the cjrb pyrite is a winner for the price, if you can get past the fact that it's ar-rpm9 steel (powder equivalent of d2 I believe?).
But from the choices given I've got a vote for the mini praxis.
But from the choices given I've got a vote for the mini praxis.
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I deeply loathe micarta, always have. Find it cheap feeling and looking, much like G10, FRN, and basically everything that isn't metal, with exception of aluminum which sucks also, but I accept it (barely).
I'm a Civivi fan, but prefer WE if it can be afforded, by a million miles. Sencut is like the younger brother to both. Even lower grade materials and, frankly, beneath me because of this.
The price range you're looking in is also beneath me in general, but it can be a sweet spot in ways too. I say stick with Civivi. It's a difficult to beat bang for buck brand.
I'm a Civivi fan, but prefer WE if it can be afforded, by a million miles. Sencut is like the younger brother to both. Even lower grade materials and, frankly, beneath me because of this.
The price range you're looking in is also beneath me in general, but it can be a sweet spot in ways too. I say stick with Civivi. It's a difficult to beat bang for buck brand.
Chronovore
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It is a powder steel based on 9Cr18Mov. I haven't seen testing to quantify this but it supposedly gains a little on toughness and corrosion resistance. (Of course, 9Cr18Mov already has good corrosion resistance.) I have seen testing on the edge retention and it doesn't seem much different than regular 9Cr18Mov. The rub is that with a good heat treatment, the 9Cr18Mov in the Civivi and Sencut knives tends to hold a better edge.
That's the frustrating thing about AR-RPM9. They went to the trouble of developing an exclusive PM budget steel. They are the only ones using it so it can only be as good as they make it.
Another thing to think about is that I've had an awful lot of lemons from Artisan and CJRB. Yeah, I'm just one guy. I've had about a dozen knives from them. At least half of them have had significant problems including messed up scales, a missing detent ball, and more than one with pocked up bearing races.
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Thanks for the knowledge! And fair assessment as the pyrite is my first of anything from Artisan/cjrb.
My example is very well but I understand quality control can be spotty with some companies, hence why I don't purchase from a select few big name brands anymore.
As for the steel quality? I can't speak for it personally yet as I've had the knife for maybe a month or less. Only sounded good "on paper" to me so I had to try it.
Chronovore
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So long as you got a good one, the Pyrite is a decent knife for the money. While the AR-RPM9 I've seen tested fell short of the 9Cr18Mov coming from WE, it was close to the average edge retention for 9Cr18Mov. That's not horrible. It's still a significant step up from 8Cr13Mov and honestly better than some of the worst Chinese D2. If reports about improved toughness and corrosion resistance are true, then it comes with a little gravy.
Yes, they have some petty nice premium things as well.
Mini Praxis is an awesome knife! We've apparently veered off track from the first "narrowed down" list. More expensive (still under $75 right now), but I can't help but be drawn to a couple of similar Ferrum Forge knives. Made by WE/Civivi. The first one reminds me of the mini praxis.
Gent 2.0: 3" blade, 9Cr
Stinger: 3.2" blade, Nitro V
Handled a "burlap Micarta" Kizer recently that felt like an old couch. Not a fan. I think it's like G10 in that some companies do it better than others. Petrified Fish Micarta felt a lot better. I think I'd still go good G10 or CF over most Micarta.
I handled a Flavorist recently and was super impressed. I wish it had a thumb stud or good fuller, but an easier front flipper than others I tried and killer action. In that same price range, the Civivi Sokoke is pretty great too, but I did like the action and Micarta better on the Fish. Both pretty cool knives.
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Chronovore
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Sometimes it isn't as much an issue of better or worse than it is personal taste. Micarta is incredibly diverse as a material depending on the fabric, resin, and finishing; whether finely polished paper micarta, fuzzy bead-blasted canvas, or something like this resin-dominant burlap on a couple of the Civivi models...
Don't forget this one that just came out recently under their Sencut label. It's a nice little knife. A couple of nitpicks I have with all three of these FF designs is that they use T6 hardware and have additional screws under the scales. The former seems like an odd choice since WE largely uses T8 hardware (except clip screws) across all their brands and they've been applauded for it.
Kyril: 3.2" blade, 9Cr18Mov
My choice too. Lifetime warranty and USA made.Buck 112 Slim Select.
My all time favorite knife is a Buck 501 my kids gave me. Carry it everywhere. For one of these flippers, though, I'm going Chinese.
T6 has been an issue for long enough. Why haven't more makers shifted to T8? Replacement sets sell at $5, so they can't be that much more expensive. Is there some design reason why T8 hasn't become more universal?
Alas, in this price range, we will always have to make some compromises. Small potatoes so long as I'm careful and don't dismantle my knife frequently.
Chronovore
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That's the rub. Most of the Civiv and Sencut knives use T8 body screws. A lot of the Kizers use T8. It seems like lots of companies have moved in that direction.
Of course, there are plenty of premium and midtech folders still running T6 body screws.
Well, I took advantage of the $49.50 sale on the great-looking Gent 2.0, and it arrived with a blade that wobbles when open, closes off-center, and can't even really slice through paper. Not much of a value after all. :-(
Not exactly "budget," but just discovered the Hogue (Doug Ritter) mini RSK MK1-G2. Basically the Benchmade Griptillion with 20CV steel, T8 hardware, made in the US, and a $150 price tag.
Not exactly "budget," but just discovered the Hogue (Doug Ritter) mini RSK MK1-G2. Basically the Benchmade Griptillion with 20CV steel, T8 hardware, made in the US, and a $150 price tag.
Bummer about the gent. I have the original version and it’s outstanding.
Expectations for a $50 knife should be well tempered. The Chinese knives I've had have been hit and miss in assembly, requiring some attention to get them working right. Tightening the pivot screw will likely eliminate the wobble and improve the centering. Sharpening will improve the factory edge.
If you like the size and feel of the knife you might want to try and fix it. Otherwise I'd recommend the Sencut Neches.
Chronovore
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That isn't normal for the Gent 2 or WE products in general. It might be fixable if you take it apart, clean it up, and put it back together again. Otherwise, either swap it via the dealer or contact Civivi's customer service.
BTW, a more common issue for folders in general is the balance between good action and solid lock-up. Some knives nail it, including from inexpensive Chinese brands like Civivi or Kizer's budget stuff. Otherwise, Skiff bearings are often a good fix when lacking and sometimes an improvement even when good from the start.
The FF-designed Sencut Kyril is the more obvious analog in the Sencut line. It's an okay knife. One thing I don't like about the Gent 2 or other Ferrum Forge designs is that they tend to use T6 body screws and have additional hidden screws under the scales.
The Neches is not only one of my favorite budget knives but one of my favorite knives overall. It is a bit rounder in hand but that's a good thing, especially with the fuzzy feel of the micarta. The 10Cr15CoMov is indistinguishable from VG-10. While the action and lock-up were decent for what they are--this type of knife will never have "drop shut" action--I did get a little improvement from going to Skiff bearings.
I got more improvement by taking a bit of bend out of the lockbar. This made it much it easier to open and especially close, as access to the lockbar is minimal. I'm not a fan of 'drop shut', I prefer a bit of friction for control.
I'll bet that if you lined up 10 identical cheap knives side-by-side out of the box there would be a great deal of variation in the action among them.
Chronovore
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Indeed. The detent riding hard on a light blade will definitely slow things down. There is an extent to which some people like that. The quality of being "drop shut" in combination with solid lock-up will always be impressive to me. Of course, that's how I prefer to close a knife. I close most knives that way. Knives like the Neches just get a shake on their way home.
The biggest place I notice variation among the better-made budget knives is in detent strength. I do a fair amount of scale swapping with liner locks. That means getting two or occasionally three of the same knife at a time. If we're talking about Civivi, they are all typically good on fit and finish but the detent strengths will vary. They are all usually in the realm of acceptable but can be significantly different.
In my experience, too light is more common with Civivi and too heavy is more common with Kizer. Of course, some of that is relative. I greatly prefer a snappy detent. I'm happier on the heavier part of the spectrum whereas light can be a deal-breaker for me.