Kwaiken or Urban Trapper?

bt93 said:
Too me of the blades I'm considering the Urban Trapper is the nicest looking. I was wondering your opinion as to left handed use. The only thing holding me back is it's not ambidexterious, and when I enquired in another thread someone said the flipper could possibly open on it's own in my left pocket. You seem to know knives really well so I would appreciate your input on that.
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I just read your post and it got me thinking about my Urban and it's left handed friendliness .
As far as opening and closing it there is no problem at all
Carrying it does bring up a couple of issues , and I tried clipping it in my left pocket and I think the previous observation about it possibly opening in your pocket is valid .
I then thought about it and put it in my back left pocket , and in that position the blade sits against the pocket seem and wouldn't cause an issue , but I personally don't like sitting on a knife , but I know that many people do carry in their back pockets without discomfort .
But there is also another option .
I have carried it clipped in my shirt pocket a number of times , it is so light you don't know its there , it really is just like carrying a pen and it doesn't drag your shirt down at all .
Maybe shirt pocket carry is the answer .

Ken
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Well, as I don't happen to own that knife at the moment, I would always caution the carry of a right handed clip in a left pocket mode, with the blade not snuggled up against the edge of the pocket, you can run the risk of it opening but without thumbstuds I think the chances are slimmer on this particular model, but as the saying goes, anything can happen...just when you least expect it to.

G2
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Thanks for the reply. The fact it's not left handed is the only thing holding me back.
 
harronek said:
I just read your post and it got me thinking about my Urban and it's left handed friendliness .
As far as opening and closing it there is no problem at all
Carrying it does bring up a couple of issues , and I tried clipping it in my left pocket and I think the previous observation about it possibly opening in your pocket is valid .
I then thought about it and put it in my back left pocket , and in that position the blade sits against the pocket seem and wouldn't cause an issue , but I personally don't like sitting on a knife , but I know that many people do carry in their back pockets without discomfort .
But there is also another option .
I have carried it clipped in my shirt pocket a number of times , it is so light you don't know its there , it really is just like carrying a pen and it doesn't drag your shirt down at all .
Maybe shirt pocket carry is the answer .

Ken
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Thanks for your observations. I'm sure evenually someone will come out with a lefty that looks as good to me as the Urban Trapper. I'm looking at the Buck Vantage with wood grain handle. Not as nice looking but I think the clip is movable. Anyway I'm in no hurry, By the time I make up my mind I might have enough for a Sebenza, but then that's not ambidextrous either. I'll probably stick with my Buck 110.
 
I highly recommend checking this one out, I have the Dan 2
Fully capable to change from right to left, works great, excellent ergos and rascal arrived very sharp...
G2
 
wow. I went to the viper website and suddenly not worried about flipper or pocket clips. Thanks for the link. Couldn't find prices, that could be scary though.
 
Check Blade HQ
G2

edited to say, looks like Blade HQ just sold the last of the Dan 2 models, so I don't know how soon they'll have them back, but, of the Viper knives, I like the Dan models a great deal. I've owned one other model and wasn't as keen on it, but the Dan 2 really fits me well. Sorry to derail this thread slightly, but as you don't have an email or PM's ...
 
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Gary W. Graley said:
Check Blade HQ
G2

edited to say, looks like Blade HQ just sold the last of the Dan 2 models, so I don't know how soon they'll have them back, but, of the Viper knives, I like the Dan models a great deal. I've owned one other model and wasn't as keen on it, but the Dan 2 really fits me well. Sorry to derail this thread slightly, but as you don't have an email or PM's ...
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Right after I registered someone whom I never new pm'ed me to be their friend. I deleted it as I'm uncomfortable with that. My real friends finally talked me into facebook and well it's nice keeping up and all but I'd rather run nails over a chalkboard.
I ordered a cheap Buck 722 just to see if I am actually going to use that kind of blade. Actually it's a lock back, definitly ambidexterious, and if I find I like it with or without my trusty SAK, think I'll save for a Sebenza after the first of the year as I understand I might be able to get one built leftie style. And it's sweet.
 
I own a trapper and it's super light very sharp but the flipper takes a little getting used to.
The kwaiken is a lot heftier I don't own one but it handled one for a bit and when I first picked it up I was really surprised at the weight. It's not nessiarily a bad thing I don't care about heavier knives but that was the biggest difference I noticed.
 
I have a AUS8 Kwaiken with orange g10 as well as a cocobolo Urban Trapper. The Kwaiken was one of my first must-have knives, and man the thing is built like a tank. Dense is the word that comes to mind. The slim, simple design packs a lot of blade for the size. By no means is it a light knife. Perhaps the titanium versions are better in that sense but mine is really a heavy knife. That said, my Kwaiken is one of my favorite knives to carry and use. The IKBS makes it fly open, the only drawback is that mine is a thumb-disk model that can be finicky to open when in a hurry.

My Urban Trapper experience is a lot like everyone else, this knife is unbelievably light and flies opens with very little effort. It would never withstand near the punishment my Kwaiken would, but that's not the role its designed to fill. The Trapper is a gentleman's folder in every sense of the word, and a joy to carry and use.
 
I picked up a CF Kwaiken today, and I love almost everything about it.

2015-09-19%2014.47.30_zps5ijostxp.jpg


2015-09-19%2012.20.12_zpskpjfksny.jpg


Pros:
The build quality is excellent
It has a very nice heft to it
The lock up is very solid (no blade play at all)
It fits very well in my hand (the CF scales are contoured just right)
It feels like it carries much smaller than it actually is
It's just a gorgeous knife to look at

Con:
The flipper geometry/design is not good.

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For some reason the leading edge, where you'd apply force to open the knife, is convex (rather than concave or even straight), and there is no jimping on it. This makes opening the knife more difficult than necessary. While I can open the knife without problem of the time, it requires a motion that's more deliberate and conscious than any other knife I own. Even then the speed at which the blade deploys varies greatly between the following:

Finger slips right off, blade doesn't move (5% of the time)
Blade partially deploys (20%)
Blade creeps its way to lock up (35%)
Blade just flies open. (40%)

I'm sure with practice I'll get more consistent, but I have to say it's a bit disappointing that more attention wasn't paid to the opening mechanism. Even just a little jimping would likely improve it dramatically, and allow for a stronger detent (which might help with consistently getting a strong opening).
 
Well my 3rd post is reserved especially for you and '518!

This is a reminder to you both - this is a forum, "The Leading Edge of Knife Discussion", and as such, invites discourse about knives.
The pictures do show a carefully designed, light-weight EDC with a slender form. However, there appear to be some minor 'faults'.
This is not an attack on Dmuzzy - or the kind Mr Graley, (who provided excellent photo's of his Trapper, an elegant tool from a reputable manufacturer).
I found the attention to detail less than I had expected and I am entitled to say so - without being labelled a 'troll', or having my comment classed as 'drivel'.
To critique is not the same as 'trolling', and is certainly not 'drivel'.

Over 4000 posts! "Don't waste your life - make a knife"
 
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