I Got so much help last time I'll try it again!

D

DeadManWalking

Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
442
Like I said I got so much help last time I posted a topic like this I've got to try it again! (For those that are curious, we got her the Jester and it went over big! That little knife now opens all sorts of boxes envelopes and packets on a daily basis.)

This time we're thinking about Dad. This should be a little more fun because this is right up my alley and probably yours too.

I'm looking for a knife (obviously) that has some pretty specific criteria but I'm not sure what steel I should get for him. The problem is I know exactly what he likes, and I know that nothing I have researched quite satisfies his taste. I don't think anything will of course.

Price range here is around 100-150. This knife will be a heavy user and will spend a lot of time in jeans and dress pants.

Blade Length should be from 3.5" to 4.25", any thickness is okay. This needs to be a big(ger) knife, around the size of an Endura or slightly bigger.

Steel: Not sure. This knife will be often subjected to the horror of light prying. Yes I know. But I can't change Dad's habits. I was thinking S30V because I love S30V, but I wonder if D2 or 154CM might have more pry resistance? 440V? I dunno but I want to get him something with a good piece of steel :p

Any blade shape is okay, although a recurved blade or a drop point might be preferable.

Fit and finish - Conservative "typical knife" appearance. No bright colors. Satin finish blade. Plain edge. No serrations of any sort. ABSOLUTELY no coatings on the blade.

The knife should have a small unobtrusive clip as it will sometimes be clipped and sometimes not. The ability to alternate between tip up and tip down carry would be a great asset. He seems to prefer tip down however. A nice aftermarket belt sheath could be good too.

It'll need a lifetime warranty with available sharpening service.

It needs to be one handed operation. I don't think he likes holes for some reason so let's try to focus on thumb studs. I might be able to go with a hole if everything else is right though. The man gave me the sausage fingers that I have, so I know good and well if we do go with a hole he needs a slightly oversized one, and a Spyderhole would be best.

Handles... metal handles (especially aircraft aluminum or titanium) are fine. FRN would be a no-no, G10 would be okay I think (he wouldn't like the appearance but it offers a good nonslip grip). Not sure about any other materials.

Lock - Preferably Not a liner lock. Lockback or Axis Lock or Compression Lock would probably be the top 3 choices.

Brand - He likes Benchmade, but it doesn't have to be a Benchmade.

Finally it has to be a good old fashioned manual knife. Dad doesn't like assisted openers or Waves or anything like that.

This knife could see hard use way above and beyond any known tactical application. He works in the utility business and those people do ungodly things with knives that make me cringe, like hammer them into utility poles with sledge hammers. That's an extreme example but I'm not kidding. That's something his coworkers have actually done recently. Typically it might be used to cut through 4 inches of insulation on a piece of underground cable or pry a heavy duty staple out of a wooden reel. I know I know, but like I said I can't change him. It has got to be tough.

So far I've picked out the Benchmade 710 as a possible choice but it would have to be the model with the 154CM blade as it's the only one available in a Satin Finish. Another one I'm looking at is the Chinook II but I'm not sure he'd like the hole opening... any other ideas?
 
Graham Razel, pocket carry fixed blade. BM TSEK, Ares, Presidio, Ambush. SOG Tomcat, no clip. Buck Strider, liner lock.
 
Couple of observations:

you say he likes holes, then say he may not like the Chinook due to the hole (?)

we're staying away from studs, yet the 710 is your first choice (?)

you're not making this easy, that's for sure!

I would say you want to avoid recurves because they can be hard to sharpen, and it sounds like it will need frequent resharpening.

Most important to prying is alloy and tip shape. I would go with a softer (less brittle) steel, and a strong point shape, like tanto (ugh) or drop, or spear. Or even a sheepsfoot, like the Rescue or CS Land & Sea.

Have you looked at the Spyderco Pro-Grip? that's a strong tip shape. As is the mod-drop point on the Griptilian.
 
From what I hear the Chinook is one of the most overbuilt folders out there. I'm basing that opinion on brownie046's review, available here. That would be my first choice for a seriously hard use folder under $200.
 
Cosmic Superchunk posted this recently: Benchmade Ambush...1st impressions with a couple of good pictures included. There's a mini model if the large is too large :)

I just can't see prying or hammering on any folder. Unless you get a Buck/Strider. Which is a brick, massive, rough G-10. Also comes in a 3" blade. The MOD CQD or CQD II are also overbuilt, but even more expensive.
 
Buck Stider. The liner lock will be fine. The blade is ungodly thick. The tip of the Chinook looked needle thin, so that's not gonna last after a pry.
 
I'd go with the Benchmade 710 that you are thinking about. The Benchmade 720 is also a good one to take a look at, as is the Benchmade 551 Griptilian.

Note: Eventho' the Griptilian has scales that are sort of like FRN, they have a VERY solid feel to them...Nothing like that of Spyderco or Cold Steel FRN scales. They feel more like G-10 in weight and rigidity, due to the dual steel liners.
 
Another vote for the Buck Strider 880 SP. In time his appreciation will continue to grow.

Another choice would be a Greco Folder if you can still get one.
 
Based on folders I've actually used, the 710HS, coating and all would be my recommendation, or maybe the Greco Falcon, if you just wanted strong and tough, but the unassisted Camillus Dominator available from AG Russell Knives comes as close to meeting your criteria as anything else I can think of, though I believe it's anodized blue, instead of the matte gray of the Robo version, and the price is a bit over your $150 limit, IIRC.
Handled a "normal" Dominator this week for the first time, and I was highly impressed. Would have brought it home with me, but I don't want assisted opening, either.
Price range here is around 100-150.
Close.
Blade Length should be from 3.5" to 4.25"
3.5" blade
I was thinking S30V because I love S30V
S30V. I have yet to read anything about the performance of Camillus' S30V heat treat, but if they do it anything like Darrel does...:)
a recurved blade or a drop point might be preferable
Clip point with a swedge, that is "almost" a drop point (simlar profile, no upswept edge).
Conservative "typical knife" appearance. No bright colors. Satin finish blade. Plain edge. No serrations of any sort. ABSOLUTELY no coatings on the blade
About as conservative as you're going to get in a knife this size, without getting a Buck 110, plain edge, satin finish-check. It doesn't appear to be BRIGHT blue :p
He seems to prefer tip down however.
Tip-down.
It'll need a lifetime warranty with available sharpening service.
Not sure about the sharpening.
It needs to be one handed operation.
Uses a flipper, so sausage fingers shouldn't be a problem.
Handles... metal handles (especially aircraft aluminum or titanium) are fine.
Ti handle scales.
Lock - Preferably Not a liner lock. Lockback or Axis Lock or Compression Lock would probably be the top 3 choices.
You don't mention a frame lock, but it could be argued that the frame lock would be better than any of the others based on the working conditions you describe, when it comes to foreign matter interfering with the mechanism in a dirty work environment.
Brand - He likes Benchmade, but it doesn't have to be a Benchmade.
Not a BM, but a solid company.
Finally it has to be a good old fashioned manual knife. Dad doesn't like assisted openers or Waves or anything like that.
Very NOT old fashioned, with ano'd Ti, and a flipper, but it's simple. Simple is good, IMO.

Just looked it up, and it's $179. Not as close as I thought. Thought it was $159...
Anyway, here's a link.
A Nimravus in M2, Strider MFS, or something along those lines would be my personal choice, but those knives are a long way from meeting your criteria.

Good luck :)
 
Sorry if my description is a little confusing. The problem is I know so well what he likes and doesn't like it's hard for me to say. He's a hard person to buy for he's so darn particular.

Where I said "Axis Lock" I meant "frame lock". Axis lock is acceptable too. :)

As for stud vs. hole I'm trying to say studs are his preference but if everything else is right a hole may be acceptable.

As for price range 100-150 is the "Ebay" price range not the MSRP. Think about any knife you can buy NIB for 175 or less if you shop around.

Yes this is for Father's Day. I'm asking early so that I have time to find something ahead of time :)

Those are all some great suggestions guys... oddly enough you've all suggested products I knew existed but just didn't think about. Hehe I may wind up buying 2 of whatever I decide to go with.
 
Two knives came immediately to mind from your description, although neither matches it perfectly. Both have already been suggested. Great minds think alike! ;)

My first thought was A.G. Russell's non-ROBO version of the Camillus Dominator. The only negatives I can see are that it's a little over your ideal price and the overall shape is not really traditional. Aside from that, it's a very efficient cutter, designed for hard use, and made from the best materials. The lock, along with the rest of the design, is simple, reliable, and tremendously strong. And the tradeoff for its somewhat non-traditional handle shape is what may be the most secure grip available in a folder that size. Great knife!

The other knife that seems most likely to suit your father's needs and tastes is the Spyderco Chinook II. I don't own one, but everything I've seen and read indicates that it achieves similar results to the Dominator via a more traditional approach.

And kudos for making a real attempt to get your father the knife he'd want instead of the one you'd prefer. I've been through that too and it's harder than it looks. :)

--Bob Q
 
TSEK Satin PE on the larger side. Any of the 720/721/722 for a bit smaller. The 722 is in the sharpened prybar vein although the 721 is my favorite heavy use axis lock...
 
How about a Spyderco Military. 4" Blade, S30V Steel, Fully Flat Ground, G10 Handles...ETC. Great knife.
-Kevin
 
IMO it pretty much sounds like you're describing a BM 630 Skirmish. I've had mine for about a month now and absolutely love it. The only thing that doesn't really match up is the clip as the 630 has a pretty big clip.
 
bquinlan said:
And kudos for making a real attempt to get your father the knife he'd want instead of the one you'd prefer. I've been through that too and it's harder than it looks. :)

--Bob Q
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence! That's what makes this so hard. What I prefer and what he prefers are tottally different. For instance I'm a tip up guy coated blades are okay by me and I prefer holes over studs. I love a lot of pieces that he hates, like the Leek and my Hideaway.

That non assisted Dominator looks like a real winner actually. It's got an "old school" appearance with modern materials. Very much no-nonsense and I think I would happily spring the extra $$$.

The Chinook I am considering just because it's so damn overbuilt I think it may actually be the best knife for him, but the problem there is the hole and the swedge on the blade looks to be very pronounced. If it were a drop point and a stud in place of a Spyderhole that's what I'd probably get him hands down.

I'm thinking he may actually really like the Cuda MAXX with a plain bowie blade. It's a little big, but he likes big, but it's slender and I know it has a notoriously bad clip, but I can see him carrying it in a pocket. If I could get a nice aftermarket kydex sheath for it I'd lean more towards it.

Some other great ideas I've seen here include the Buck Strider. That is a contender as well. Military is a great knife and I think I'll get one for myself some day to replace my Endura but I know he just wouldn't like it. Not his style.

I am leaning a little towards the BM's at this point because I am considering that his EDC consists of a lot of stuff and the slightly smaller size may be worth it. Plus I know he likes BM and I know that being able to send it off for servicing at the factory would be a real bonus. I would lean more towards the Dominator but I don't know what kind of warranty they have or if they offer some kind of "Sharp for Life" program like BM.

If I were going to buy something like this for myself I'd go with Spyderco but he just can't get over those "ugly" knives of theirs. I think they look cool but beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.
 
DeadManWalking said:
I'm thinking he may actually really like the Cuda MAXX with a plain bowie blade. It's a little big, but he likes big, but it's slender and I know it has a notoriously bad clip, but I can see him carrying it in a pocket. If I could get a nice aftermarket kydex sheath for it I'd lean more towards it.
Click to expand...

The only reason I didn't recommend the Maxx Bowie was your length limit. If he can legally carry a 5-1/2" folder get him this one and stop worrying. :)

Have a missed a lot of complaints about the Maxx's clip? I know that some folks prefer a deeper pocket carry, and therefore use the KnifeKits.com clip instead of the one Camillus supplies, but the standard clip seems to work just fine. And I think it allows for a slightly faster presentation.

There are plenty of folks here who can make you a great kydex belt sheath for the Maxx if that's what you want. I used to carry my Sifus in one of Mike Sastre's sheaths most of the time. For what it's worth, the Maxx is slim and light enough that I don't notice it clipped to my pocket, despite the length.

--Bob Q
 
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