Hi guys.
I need help to find the right knive for me, what I'm looking for is a spring assist knive with kick out, a button lock or a mechanism to be able to close it with one hand and a big handle, the use that I will do with that knive is peel fruit, cut ropes and other light works.
I have a few knives, now I using a Gerber 31-002184 Instant Assisted 3.33, but I am not satisfied because I find not comfortable's opening.
I thank those who will suggest me some model of knive and a grammatical correction of this post.
Please apologize me for my bad English. :/
Hey skuibbo welcome to the forums!
as far as what you're looking for, you didn't mention a price range so I'll throw out a few for variety.
you also mentioned easy to operate one handed, most frame and linerlocks can easily be closed one handed with a little practice, however spring assist may make that a little harder so I'll throw in a manual folder or two with bearings that would open just as easily at the end of the list.
Zero Tolerance:
I would recommend a
ZT 0566, haven't used one personally but Its a similar design to the 0560 (of which I love the hinderer design) and that was the first expensive knife over $150 that I ever bought. For your intended use it should work nicely, you can find em for around $150 at retail or maybe cheaper here on the exchange.
also in the ZT side of things theres the
0350 which has a pretty beefy handle and should cover most things you'd ever need it for, however the blade here might be a bit wide for slicing fruit and such. Like the
0566 it runs around $150. As well the thinner bladed
0770 is a cheaper alternative that costs around $120 however if you don't like aluminum handles or can't find one theres the carbon fiber handled version that runs about $180
Benchmade:
for benchmades side of things the 2 models I have handled and like were the
Volli, Barrage. As well theres now the
APB which is a button lock and looks very similar or like a mix of the griptilian line and one of the hunt line folders. All of these can be had for around $120-180 and should do a good job for what you're looking for and as well have handles that should provide a nice full grip.
Kershaw:
I would go through more kershaw options but theres a LOT of ones in this category. I'll hit my top 3 picks. the first I have handled and enjoyed is the
knockout, nice snappy spring and should do well for EDC tasks. However if I remember correctly the handle may be a little thinner than some others listed here. It can be bought for around $75. The
blur is a classic kershaw and If i was a bigger fan of spring assist I would own 2-3 probably. I've never had any issues with the dozen or so that I've handled from friends and at stores and it as well sits around the $75 price range depending on what options you'd like. The
Shallot as well is comfortable and should slice well, although the handles are also thinner than some that have been mentioned, it is around $70.
The caution I would say with kershaw is to avoid thinner blades (leek, because some of the thinner ones have needle point tips and are easy to snap or bend, the bead blast finish should be avoided if cutting fruit is a main use, it will be more rust prone especially on the sandvik 14C28N blades ( I had 2 in bead blast that ended up showing rust fairly quick and easily). Stonewash or coated blades are a better suit for what you listed.
Others:
Also on the below $100 list CRKT now makes some good assisted knives (their newer releases mostly) and I would put them on par with some of kershaws offerings. H&K is another one to check out for good knives under $100.
Non-Assisted:
Lastly Here's 3 recommendations (and variations) of non-assisted knives that fit you bill, open smoothly and can be used one handed.
#1.
ZT 0801/0808 both good and would make good slicers, they use ZT's bearings and opening shouldn't be an issue. Both are around $200 but probably cheaper on the exchange
#2.
Benchmade Griptilian. Axis lock makes it easy for one handed operation, solid knives and if you ever want you can buy custom scales in various materials to replace the FRN and most can be found for around $100. As well Hogue makes their EX01 & EX03 series that in my opinion are VERY similar but could be considered an upgraded version of the griptilian line. They are more expensive ranging from $130-180 but offer G10, Zytel, and aluminum handles as well as tanto or drop point in 3.5" or 4".
#3.
Spyderco paramilitary/military/manix 2. All 3 of these have great blade shapes that are sure to slice anything and are very easy to use one handed. They each have their variations but the standard models are just as great. The only difference with the military and paramilitary is the size and compression VS linerlock. And the manix 2 uses a lock that (while different from) can be operated in a manner similar to the AXIS lock benchmade uses. It really comes down to personal preference with these 3 with blade length and shape as well as handle material and blade steel offered. These range from about $85-$160
Best of luck with your choice and hope this helped. If you narrow down to a handful of specific models be sure to look for reviews here as well as on youtube. You can always post here and ask questions as BF is a great place for learning.
Stay safe,
-Nick
