I need knife suggestions

8

894tom

Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
31
I am looking for a spring assisting, locking, folding pocket knife. My palm size is 4 inches and would prefer to keep the closed size around 4inches. I would like a non serated blade with a blade material that holds its razor edge for a long time. I'm not sure of the blade type name but it looks something like an eagle's beak but it doesn't have to be that dramatic. As a matter of fact if could even be a wharncliff if all is well. It should have a grippy G10 handle material. The blade should be bare metal...ie no coatings. A local knife shop did not have any that a I saw....just a bunch of standard looking blades.
 
Hmm, I like standard looking blades. I hate goofy hooked blades like the tacticool silly Spyderco Civilian, so I don't have many suggestions in that type. Wharncliff or wharncliff-like blades are plentiful though. Have you looked at the Kershaw line? A few that jump to mind are:

Leek (comes in approximately nine thousand varieties)
Needs Work
Random Task

The needs work is pretty far out there, style wise--maybe take a look at that one?
 
You could get a g10 leek with s30v blade. That sounds right up your alley.
 
Kershaw Leek G10/S30V (or Ti/ZDP-189 if you can find one). Sebenza Insingo if you want to drop the extra cash. Spyderco Centofante 4, Kershaw Talon II or ZT0750. Blackhawk Be Wharned. Benchmade 425 Gravitator (discontinued), 921 Switchback (discontinued), BM/HK Scorch (or the previous Lone Wolf version), and various Spyderco hawkbills.

If your palm is 4" across, a knife closer to 4.5" closed will probably be more comfortable to hold since most knives have some sort of hump or other built-in guard to prevent your hand from slipping forward, and a comfortable grip won't include that hump.
 
If you are wanting this knife for every day use... I would suggest the wharncliffe or "standard" blade shape.

However.. with your description, the ZT 0750 is the first knife that came to mind.

4.25" Closed Length
3.2" Blade Length
7.45" Overall Length
Talon shaped blade.
G-10 handles.
Liner Lock.
s30v steel.

Sounds perfect.
 
Spyderco P'kal isn't assisted, but it is waved which makes it very, very fast. Might be along the lines you're looking for.
 
Kershaw Talon 2 is pretty much exactly what you're looking for. It's discontinued, but there are a few places that still have them.
 
+1 for the G10 Leek. Seems to fit what you're looking for exactly. 4" closed. S30V blade steel will take and hold a great edge. It's an assisted-opener with a liner lock.

If you want something a little bigger, you might check out the S30V Blur. The Trac-Tec inserts are just as grippy (if not more so) than the textured G10 on most knives. It is larger than the Leek though.
 
estate4life said:
What price level? Cost factors into choices availability.
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Thanks everybody...excellent help!!! You guys got the idea...I couldnt find this blade style.
I am looking for a fighting knife...so belly is not important. I am willing to spend up to $300.00.

Ok now let me hone this in a little more with the suggestions provided by you guys.

Leek - the blade goes past the wharcliffe edge and more into a stabbing type blade. I have physically held it already and passed on it for that reason.
Benchmade 425 Gravitator and 921 Switchback - pretty standard looking.
Kershaw Needs work & Blackhawk Bewharned- looks to be to much of a kithchen food prep knife type angle
Kershaw Radom task- beautiful knife by looks pretty much like all the other knives I was looking for in the knife store.
Spyderco Civilian- to hooked at the end and its serrated..at least the one I looked up.

ZT 0750 and the Kershaw talon II. These two knives have THE PERFECT blade angle. Matter of fact, the Talon is almost perfect due to the grippy looking simple handle. The only exception or issue is the swayback style design of the handle. I think that would take torque out of the stroke.

Spyderco PKal- pulls in the lineup right after the ZT750 an the Talon....only because the blade angle is slightly up in the axis of the handle. I would still have to roll my wrist to get where I needed to go.
Spyderco Centofante 4 - If this handle geometry came on the Tallon II , my quest would be done.

I really appreciate all the suggestions and I am so close. If you guys know of a Talon II but with the handle geometry of the Centofante 4, I would be done. Both are simple and straight forward to look at knifes..no fancy or pretty cut outs on the handle
 
Long post:

I'm not presuming your knowledge or ignorance.

The recurve/hawksbill/kerambit style blade may have been developed in a number of places, without influence from the others.

The history I read concerns it's use in the Philippines, where it was developed in response to the needs of a fishing culture. Much of the utility work involved cutting rope, and the recurve made it easier to do this, by allowing the blade to stay centered on the rope. The pommel ring is assumed to have begun as a handy way to keep the knife from falling over the side, and allowing the use of the other fingers without having to re-sheath the knife.

As with many utility tools, it was adapted for fighting on an as-needed basis. Somehow, this developed into the formalized martial art now known as Escrima, Arnis, and a couple other names.

The recurve knives you see today are mainly intended to be used within the structure of these knife-based combative systems. An example is this one, by Emerson:

imagesqtbnANd9GcT4V0rBFmnQcwgaru8V5_zpsd180b374.jpg


As I understand it, Ernie Emerson is trained in Arnis, or something similar.

These knives rarely top the 3" limit. To the best of my knowledge, the only production folder with a recurve blade over 3" is the already-mentioned Spyderco Civilian:

spydbiggun07_zps66f55cf0.jpg


I cannot cite a source, but I have read that the Civilian was intended for use by untrained people (ie: civilians) as a last-ditch weapon that would do considerable damage to an opponent, even if the user was simply flailing the knife in a panic.

The question of whether or not someone under such duress would remember to use their knife is unknown.

The Civilian is only available with a fully serrated blade, although you could grind off the serrations.

With the proper training, recurve blades are fast and effective deterrent measures. Now I'm not presuming anything about your level of training, but without some practice time, the recurve knife is not as effective, as, say, kicking a fella in the groin.

My point is: the size and shape of the blade is actually less important than the amount of time you are willing to invest in learning how to use it effectively. Take it for what it's worth.
 
Shorttime said:
***I cannot cite a source, but I have read that the Civilian was intended for use by untrained people (ie: civilians) as a last-ditch weapon that would do considerable damage to an opponent, even if the user was simply flailing the knife in a panic.***

***the recurve knife is not as effective, as, say, kicking a fella in the groin.***

My point is: the size and shape of the blade is actually less important than the amount of time you are willing to invest in learning how to use it effectively. Take it for what it's worth.
Click to expand...

I just had hamstring surgery so the ole kick em in the groin plan is out for me....and so much for my plan of panic flailing knife wielding defensive fighting. LOL...just messing with you buddy.

Thanks for your opinion, however I have to disagree. All things equal, I believe a job specific tool in your hands can make a difference considering the job your doing. In other words, a highly trained edge weapons fighter who specializes in razor blade fighting will have an entirely different outcome in a knife fight than the same qualified fighter holding a tool designed for the application (kerambit). Now you take that same skilled edged weapons master holding a kerambit and ask him to cut a tomato for dinner (no belly) and it just won't work effectively.
 
894tom said:
Thanks for your opinion, however I have to disagree. All things equal, I believe a job specific tool in your hands can make a difference considering the job your doing. In other words, a highly trained edge weapons fighter who specializes in razor blade fighting will have an entirely different outcome in a knife fight than the same qualified fighter holding a tool designed for the application (kerambit). Now you take that same skilled edged weapons master holding a kerambit and ask him to cut a tomato for dinner (no belly) and it just won't work effectively.
Click to expand...

That is an excellent point. And since you have not stated that you have been trained in any specific edged weapons training, then any knife will be equally effective (or ineffective, some may argue) for you.

So you might as well get a knife with a functional blade for the 99.9999999% of the time that you not engaged in a knife fight. These "exotic" blades really don't do much.

By the way...where did you get this "SD=no belly" idea? You ever seen a Sharpfinger? All belly. Are you aware of its popularity among some, how should I put it, avid blade combat participants?
 
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