Income Tax Refund Knife: Which should I get?

Which D/A side opener auto should I get?

  • Microtech Terzuola ACTF

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Protech Jeff Harkins ATAC

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cutter's Knife and Tool #2 D/A

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Another LCC

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (no Sebenzas)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Custom (which?)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
Planterz

Planterz

Іди на хуй Путін!
Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
24,596
No, I haven't gotten the refund yet, but I will be sometime. And of course, that money will be used to get my next knife.

I just got a Microtech Lightfoot LCC and I can't stop playing with it. So naturally, I want another one like it.

So the choices are:

Microtech Terzuola ACTF

Advantages: Big, yet lighter than the LCC. I like the way it looks. Big. Bolster release is cool as hell.
Disadvantages: Tamper resistant screws. The manual opening has a very wide radius with the thumb disk. A bit pricy.

Protech Jeff Harkins ATAC
Advantages: Very cool concealed release. Plus, I only have 1 Protech.
Disadvantages: Might be difficult to find the model I want (and impossible to find the Jazz 2-tone I really want). Tip-down carry.

Cutter's Knife and Tool #2 D/A
Advantages: Big. Even bigger than the Terzuola. Beautiful Walter Brend handground blade. Nice, thick titanium framelock handles. Kinda like an auto Sebenza. It's not "just another" Microtech or Protech.
Disadvantages: A bit pricy (although comparable to the Terzuola). Auto release is not concealed.

BTW, does anybody know if the clip is tip-up or ti-down? I can't find any pictures that show the clip side (I assume it's the same as the manual version). If anyone has a Cutter's #2, I'd love to hear about it (fit/finish, lockup, ergonomics). There's not much about it I can find. What's Anopeen (blade finish)?

Another LCC
Advantages: Great knife.
Disadvantages: Already have one (I'd probably try to get a Gen 1-3 with Ti bolsers as mine is a Gen 4).


I'm kinda leaning towards the Cutter's. I just can't get over that Brend blade and the fact it's a Ti framelock. Word is that late this year Protech is going to do another run of the ATAC. I might just wait until then so I can get my pick. I do want to get another LCC at some point so I'll have 2; one for use, one to keep nice and pretty. I don't much care for the other 2 current MT D/A side-openers. I keep hearing about CMTX-5 having problems, and the MTX-2 is FUGLY. I really like Larry Chew and Larry Davidson D/A autos, but these are northward of $600-700 dollars, and right now for me that's a bit much for an EDC. I'm not a huge fan of Rainy Valloton's work. I like Butch's work though, but again, there's the price.

No suggestions for Sebenzas please. :p Chris Reeve doesn't make autos.
 
Oh yeah, if you vote, tell me why you voted for it. :)

I finally found a picture that showed the clip on the CK&T. It's tip-down, and I'd prefer tip-up for safety reasons. OTOH, being tip-down, it's probably easier to engage the auto mechanism, so that might change my mind about tip-down knives (goes for the Protech too).
 
Well of course you need another LCC, who doesn’t? And a Terzuola, and a custom, and a...
I just got a Z-Tac directly from Chris English, you can see it here: http://www.talkblade.info/viewtopic.php?t=5264
It was my tax refund knife. I continue to be real pleased with it, and it won’t break your budget. In addition Chris is great to deal with and will work real hard to make sure you get what you want. The biggest problem was me making up my mind once I talked to him—turned out there were a lot of different ways to make the Z-Tac. It took a few weeks once I decided, but even that seems pretty quick by comparison with the wait for other customs.
Good luck with the hunt,
Rats...
 
Sebenza.....oops..sorry!!!!

Hinderer Firetac, only knife I've ever liked better then a Sebenza!
 
I would go for the Cutters #2 DA. I have had the LCC in DA and Manual and I traded the DA and kept the manual. More practical for me. I presently also have a CKT #2 Manual done over by Reese Weiland. It is a great piece. Solid and smooth as all get out. I want a DA version also. The Cutters are an awesome knife that does not get a lot of air play, but I LOVE MINE!! Get one! :)
 
jl said exactly what I had on the tip of my tongue.......Severtech Spartan. Know might be the time to go for it. I know if I had some "extra" money to spend on an auto I would seriously consider this one!
 
I hadn't thought about getting the Spartan. Already have 2 Severtechs, and a clip point would be a nice addition. I don't know that I'd get the actual Spartan, since I'd want the black coating (I don't trust uncoated A2 during Monsoon season) and no serrations. I should ask if he'd do such a model for me. It ain't like he's very far away from me...

I do like the way the Hinderer Firetacs look, but he doesn't make autos either. ;) I came across some Brad Duncan D/A autos, and these look great, albeit a bit large in the handle for my skinny hands. And again, there's the cost. I probably can't afford a custom D/A auto at this time. I don't really want to go north of $400 for this purchase (and that's about double my refund), $500 if I can get a custom, but the starting point for a D/A custom seems to be higher.

The Chris English Z-tac looks like a great knife. I've come across a couple on bladeauction. I wonder if I could get a titanium handles 4" bladed one. What's the handle material on your's, ratstuph? All I've ever seen were aluminum (nothin' wrong with Al, I just feel like having a Ti one...although I suppose Ti would be rather heavy in a knife that size).
 
Planterz,
The Z-Tac has a ti handle with cutouts that undoubtedly make it lighter. The knife is closest in size to my Protech TR-2, but is heavier, though not as heavy as an LCC. Chris can anodize the handle to get some color in it; mine is kind of a bluey-purple. With a polished blade and polished Darryl Ralph clip, it is a bit flashy. You can, for a bit more, go with a Damascus blade. It is a very solid knife and feels real good in the hand. Like you, I saw them here and there, like on BA, but never in big numbers. I had even heard/read that Chris was/is kind of reclusive—that he doesn’t want much to do with direct sales nor dealing with buyers. Turned out that was all BS, getting to talk with Chris several times over the course of the transaction was a real good experience and enhanced the whole custom knife purchase for me. If you had a chance to see and handle one, that might do it for you--it certainly would have for me.
The good thing about the choices you are sniffing is you are likely to end up with something really good no matter which one you choose.
Rats...
p.s. I do feel obliged to mention (though I'm sure you are aware of it) the Z-tac is not a DA; it is a dedicated plunge-lock, button release auto. So I went a bit off the screen in suggesting it.
 
ratstuph said:
p.s. I do feel obliged to mention (though I'm sure you are aware of it) the Z-tac is not a DA; it is a dedicated plunge-lock, button release auto. So I went a bit off the screen in suggesting it.
Click to expand...
I know. :) But I still do like Chris' knife. The first time I saw one it immediately struck me as a very useful and utilitarian knife, especially the blade. But the normal version (which is the only one I've seen) seems a bit small for my tastes. If I could get a 4" blade on one, it'd be quite a bit like a Severtech clip blade. I love my Severtechs, but I'm still not enthralled with the tanto point (or the rather high price of the Spartan). What did your Z-Tac run you, if you don't mind me asking?

BTW, judging by the 3 LCCs in your avatar on that forum, you seem to have a nice auto collection going. What other autos do you have?
 
ATCF handground version. you will not regret it.

terzA2.jpg


terzlock.jpg


terz-clip.jpg
 
Nice blade Revierler! I don’t see how that could be a bad choice either. Planterz, I just sent you an email with some specifics, including contact info for Chris. My little collection is dwarfed by what I don't have, including the MT Terzuola ACTF.
Rats...
 
Thank's ratstuph, I got the info. The Z-Tac is definitely something I'll have to add to my collection. Maybe not now, but definitely sometime.

Revierler, great photos! Out of curiosity, is there anything about the handground version that justifies the $200 price increase, other than being handground? $200 is a lot for just a dagger instead of a claw on the blade.
 
JediKnight86 said:
Hmmmm... I like the Terzoula a lot, but have a look at my list:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=344673

BTW... anyone got a pic of the Cutter's #2 he speaks of? I don't thinK I've seen one and I'm a sucker for a Ti framelock!
Click to expand...
The best pics I've found are here This one has a DLC coated blade. There's also anopeen (still don't know what this is though) and Walter Brend hand satin finished ones. Handles are plain, CF inlayed, or skeletonized. The D/A versions I believe are only satin finished blades with grooved (not skeletonized) handles.
 
Ah, nice! Thanks for the pics. I'm still way more excited by the new Mini Skirmish. New Ti framelocks are so rare and I'm so picky, so I'm really happy that I can move away from my Sebenzas for a while.
 
If you're looking for a non-Sebenza framelock, take a gander at the Protech Integrity. It's like a TR3, but a manual Ti framelock, handground blade, and very limited numbers. If I were forced to buy a non-auto folder for EDC (for example, if I had to move out of Arizona), I'd pick up an Integrity or Cutter's #2 purely for the fact they're not Sebenzas. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about the Sebenza, it's just that everybody has one, and even the "unique" ones aren't that unique anymore.
 
... AFAIK they´re less prone to malfunction, as these are made of selected parts. I heard a lot of bad gossip about the claw logoed ones.
I must admit, though, that I already had 2 Claw Terzs in hand and both were flawless. But it´s the looks. Everytime I look at it I fall in love... looky! :eek:

terzm3.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top