Lil Temperance or Chinook?

S

SpyderJon

Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
2,038
Simple question, and the title says it all...

I WAS thinking about getting either a Lil' Temperance or a Buck Strider Mini, but I'm thinking now that I'll either end up getting the Lil' Temperance or the Chinook. This knife would be for hard use utility work, and not for SD.

I realize that both of these knives are recommended for use in the MBC capacity, but I just don't look at a knife as a weapon. It's a tool for me, that's it. For SD, I have plenty of other goodies that won't lead me to sitting in jail for defending myself under the guise that I "unnecessarily" escalated the situation by pulling a knife.

So, which is it for your money?

As I see it, there are pros and cons in each.

For the LT:

Pros:

3" blade (legal in most places)
Leaf Point Blade (I like the full flat grind blades)

Cons:

Most places it's at least $20 more than the Chinook
I'm not sure I'll like the feel of the grip
the clip
It's FUGLY (And this from a confirmed spyderco fan!)

For the Chinook:
Pros:
4" heavy duty blade (seems like it would be good for utility, though I'd have to leave it at home depending on where I traveled)
Lockback (I am a fan of this type of lock for the exact reason that it's nearly idiot proof, and I'm nearly and idiot :D )

Cons:
It's 4" blade means I couldn't have it with me all the time.

Please help me out on this. I only carry 2 brands of folders (Buck and Spyderco) because I believe in those companies, and now I want something in the large folder range. I've got the small covered by the Calypso Jr., and the Medium covered by the Ayoob. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
Anthony,
I have both Chinook and Lil’ Temperance (rhino blade) and I definitely like Temperance more. Chinook’s thick blade with pronounced hollow grind is far less versatile although it is excellent for some specific applications, for ex. skinning. But flat ground Temperance blade (no matter what style) cuts through everything like through butter!

As to toughness factor – I think both knives are equal in this matter. So tip the properties more important for you to make your choice. I’ll try to answer with your own words:
3" blade (legal in most places)
Leaf Point Blade (I like the full flat grind blades)
Click to expand...
and
It's 4" blade means I couldn't have it with me all the time
Click to expand...

For me this would be quite enough to choose LT but you should do your homework by yourself :D

Naturally I have skipped some points considering them less important for me, for example handling comfort what I like in both knives equally. On the other hand what the matter is with handling comfort if you can’t carry particular knife fully legally?
 
If you want the best cutting ability (not chopping, prying, etc.), the Lil' Temperance is the way to go. The hollow grind on the Chinook can't compare to the full flat grind on the Lil' Temperance.

You really can't go wrong w/ either knife.
 
Since you want a "large" folder I'd say get the Chinook. The LT is a medium size folder that just acts like a larger knife. I couldn't decide between these two knives myself, so now I carry both as my EDC combo.
 
I was trying to decide between the same two knives a couple of months ago. I choose the Chinook over the LT for two reasons:

1)Chinook was less expensive
2)Chinook has a finger choil allowing me to choke-up and make big blade "smaller."
You can't make a small blade bigger...

I thought the Chinook's blade was 3.75"?

-SB
 
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