Knife recommendation for a newbie to the forum

miso2

miso2

Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Messages
2,633
Hi all,

I am new to this forum and would like to have some inputs regarding which folding knife to buy next.

I like a slicer. My favourite was old Gerber high speed tool steel knife (which I lost while ago during
moving......) and currently is Spyderco Stretch ZDP-189.
I guess I would get something with a 3~4 in blade. Lock mechanism doesn't matter too much to me as long
as it's sturdy.

Design wise, I am pretty eclectic. I liked and got Spyderco Vallotton (although it is not a slicer.) For the blade
shape, I think I like drop-point but may be OK with others.

Any recommendation?


Miso
 
You might look into getting a Spyderco Military or Paramilitary 2 in one of the sprint run steels. They come up on the exchange here every so often. They both have thin slicer oriented blade stock and are both ambidextrous opening like the Volliton.
 
Whatever you decide on, I strongly recommend that you also buy an Opinel #8 in stainless. Once properly sharpened it will out-slice just about anything else.
 
Hi drrickso,

I am looking for a folder under $500. I was considering Rockstead knives but felt that they are too expensive to me......
Thanks,

(Wow. This forum is really active!)
 
Hi Silvanus,

Thanks for the recommendations. Paramilitary 2 looks great. How is the S30V blade? My Vallotton also has a S30V blade but doesn't get very sharp. Of course it could be due to my poor sharpening skill or the edge angle.....
 
Hi Chris,

I've heard that Opinel knives are sharp. Because it is cheap I will give it a try. Do you recommend one with stainless over carbon blade?
 
miso2 said:
Hi Chris,

I've heard that Opinel knives are sharp. Because it is cheap I will give it a try. Do you recommend one with stainless over carbon blade?
Click to expand...

Opinels often need a bit of work on the edge initially but have excellent geometry for slicing. I suggested the stainless because I think they run them slightly harder than the non stainless and their edge retention seems a bit better.
 
If you're looking for heavy duty, you should look at the offerings by Zero Tolerance. They're famous for being " over built", meaning stouter than they have to be. I have several and they're the toughest workhorses in my stable for a knife in the $200.00 range. And, the stonewashed blades are pretty bullet proof.
 
Chris Larrikin said:
Opinels often need a bit of work on the edge initially but have excellent geometry for slicing. I suggested the stainless because I think they run them slightly harder than the non stainless and their edge retention seems a bit better.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification, Chris.
 
Rebel4ever said:
If you're looking for heavy duty, you should look at the offerings by Zero Tolerance. They're famous for being " over built", meaning stouter than they have to be. I have several and they're the toughest workhorses in my stable for a knife in the $200.00 range. And, the stonewashed blades are pretty bullet proof.
Click to expand...

Hi Rebel4ever,

I saw the EDC threads and found that ZT knives are quite popular and well received in this forum. Which model do you own and recommend to me?

Not many ZT knives have arrived in Japanese knife shops yet. I hope not that it is because they are automatic knives, which are not allowed in my country (I was prevented from buying a Benchmade Axis-assisted knife before......). I don't think they are, judging from pics, and may be able to import one. ZT801 titanium handle is sexy......
 
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I second the ZT lineup, but if you have $500 to drop on a knife, go big and get a Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25. They are usually about $445. By the time you ship to Japan you will probably be at the 500 mark.
 
Riz2530 said:
I second the ZT lineup, but if you have $500 to drop on a knife, go big and get a Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25. They are usually about $445. By the time you ship to Japan you will probably be at the 500 mark.
Click to expand...

Hi Riz2530,

Thanks for the recommendation. Sebenza is also well regarded and does look attractive. Design wise, I was seduced more by the look of Mnandi.
I just looked up the specifications and found that the blade thickness is about 3.5 mm. Does it slice well? I ask because I have not had good experiences with thick knives....... Your impression would be appreciated.
 
miso2 said:
Hi Silvanus,

Thanks for the recommendations. Paramilitary 2 looks great. How is the S30V blade? My Vallotton also has a S30V blade but doesn't get very sharp. Of course it could be due to my poor sharpening skill or the edge angle.....
Click to expand...

I've owned both knives, both in S30V. They both held an edge well during normal EDC tasks and even some more heavy duty stuff. They were both able to take an edge able to shave hair. Your sharpening technique may be off or your angle too wide. Spyderco's S30V is good and you won't be disappointed from a performance standpoint versus the super steels during normal EDC use.
 
Silvanus said:
I've owned both knives, both in S30V. They both held an edge well during normal EDC tasks and even some more heavy duty stuff. They were both able to take an edge able to shave hair. Your sharpening technique may be off or your angle too wide. Spyderco's S30V is good and you won't be disappointed from a performance standpoint versus the super steels during normal EDC use.
Click to expand...

Good to hear that S30V blade works well. I guess my Vallotton's blade stock is just too thick even with the hollow grind. I will try to resharpen it down to a narrower angle this weekend and see whether it gets as sharp as the ZDP Stretch. It's gonna be some work......

I looked back the catalog and am now more attracted toward Military. Definitely it is on my wish list now. Thanks again!
 
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Riz2530 said:
I second the ZT lineup, but if you have $500 to drop on a knife, go big and get a Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25. They are usually about $445. By the time you ship to Japan you will probably be at the 500 mark.
Click to expand...

Yep. A dealer has it at $440. But 21 small is $350. Hmmm......
 
Well, thank you guys for the inputs. My short wish list now is
1) Small Sebenza 21
2) ZT801
3) Spyderco Military (do they still have one with S90V?)
4) Spyderco Gayle Bradley (is it a good slicer?)

Again I thank you all for the info and would appreciate more suggestions!
 
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