Hogue ex-01 3.5 vs para2 vs zt0450cf

Jedi22

Jedi22

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Hey guys. It's time for a new purchase but I'm losing sleep deciding on which way to go. Purpose would be light urban Edc. Considering friendly NYC laws, I would carry in waistband and will use deep carry clip. All are roughly same size blades, but different shapes and ergo. Have para2 sprint but never carry it. Never held the others.
 
For light urban edc the para fits bill, the other two are nice but heavier and bulkier, they also don't slice as well. The hogue would be my second choice.
 
I'm really leaning toward the 3.5 ex01 g10 but i guess there's something holding me back. Maybe it's the perfection of the pAra2. Both could be had for close to same price


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I really wanted to like the Hogue EX-01 but it is blade heavy and this throws off its balance and feel in hand. The button lock also had some resistance to it when disengaging.
 
sharp_edge said:
wont any of these three get you into trouble if spotted by a cop?
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Anything will get you in trouble here. As long as no pocket clip is visible and you don't look like a hoodlum, there's no reason to have any trouble. I've pulled an Edc blade to help a cop on scene once, he complimented the knife. It's really at the officers discretion. Any knife that locks or can be flicked opened is an arrestable offense technically. Thus no pocket clip...
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Give serious thought to the ZT0450CF. That knife is nearly perfect when you want something small, thin and light. Perfectly balanced, fantastic construction.
Something else to consider might be the Southern Grind Spider Monkey. A fine, well made, smaller knife.
 
Redwood25 said:
Give serious thought to the ZT0450CF. That knife is nearly perfect when you want something small, thin and light. Perfectly balanced, fantastic construction.
Something else to consider might be the Southern Grind Spider Monkey. A fine, well made, smaller knife.
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Thanks for the input, I was leaning toward the zt but would only consider the cf. the para2 and hogue can both be had for a good $50 less thus the consideration. Spider monkey is a beauty but at a different price point


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The ZT is a tiny, little folder (in closed length) compared to the other two. I had one and really like it, but I couldn't hold onto it with my large hand. It's about 4.1" closed length which is too small for me. The Spider Monkey is about the same closed length as the ZT.
The PM2 and the Hogue are much longer in closed length...
I have not owned the Spider Monkey, even though it's well liked, as my hand is too large. My folders tend to be a minimum of about 4.5" closed length.
 
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Everybody's different, so it's important to handle each knife you consider before buying, if you can. If not, be willing to sell (occasionally at a small kids) what you don't.

I'm a bigger guy, too, with good sized hands, and knives like the 0450 and Spider Minkey, small 21, feel way better to me than these big ridiculous blades some people carry. For the life of me, I don't see what people see in some of these big blades (at least as far as actually carrying them). A small blade is easier to conceal, draws less attention, and, assuming you know what you are doing, is equally effective as a self-defense weapon (although a gun is better).
 
Ha forget a carry permit in Nyc unless your Donald trump or Deniro, although I may be one of the few with a home defense permit


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Had a Hogue EX-01 and absolutely hated the handle on it. The 2 PM2s I owned were MUCH better.
 
I don't own a Hogue but I have handled one, and I own the Para 2 and 450CF. Out of the 3 I would recommend the ZT more than anything, because it is more discreet, lighter, and just outright more sexy than the others. The Para 2 is good if you have larger hands (mine are just over a women's medium, yes tiny hands), so the Para fits my hand like a fixed blade. It is still pretty discreet and extremely comfortable to hold, possibly a hair more than the 450CF, but marginal at best. The Hogue really isn't discreet, but is light and super fun to play with. A better alternative to fit the category would be the Benchmade 707 Sequel, which is small, slim, light, and terribly discreet, not to mention an aetherweight knife like the 450CF. The Para is pretty light, but is morbidly obese compared to the 450CF or Sequel.
 
Speaking about the PM2 and 0450 (I haven't handed an EX-01)... Although the blade lengths are close, these are significantly different in overall size. The PM2 is quite a bit larger and has a much larger handle, which can be good if you have larger hands or are going to be doing a lot of cutting. The 0450 is a lot more comfortable to carry and works very well for all the cutting tasks I've needed it for, but if I was going to be doing a lot of cutting work, I might look for something with a larger handle. Since the 0450 came out, it's probably been my most carried knife.

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This threads been very helpful. Love my PM2s but the ZT0450 is my next folder.
Thanks for the side by side pics,
 
For NYC, the detent on the 0450 should be strong enough to prevent it from being shaken open by an officer intent on calling it a gravity knife.
 
BJE said:
For light urban edc the para fits bill, the other two are nice but heavier and bulkier, they also don't slice as well. The hogue would be my second choice.
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I mean I guess the 0450cf being smaller in every dimension and weighing almost a full ounce less somehow makes it heavier and bulkier.

hhmoore said:
For NYC, the detent on the 0450 should be strong enough to prevent it from being shaken open by an officer intent on calling it a gravity knife.
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This. There's also no where for them to grab the blade to do a spyder drop which I believe will also qualify it as a gravity knife.
 
A smaller, ultra light weight option, with no pocket clip to worry about, and really attractive as well, (but a tad bit on the pricier side), though definitely worth consideration as an urban option in NYC is the Benchmade Megumi Nak-Lok.
 
My vote is for the ZT0450cf, carrying mine right now, lightweight and wears great with a suit or jeans.
 
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