Long lasting folder

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I don't post here often but I'm thinking of getting a nice folding knife that will last for many years of use. I'm willing to pay 3-4 hundred dollars if I know it will last me for 20 years, because I don't have a problem buying too much stuff. But I'm looking for a workhorse, not a work of art. I don't care how it looks. I'm looking for a 3-4 inch blade, so a fairly large folder, I guess, and the handle is irrelevant to me, aside from not having to spend extra for something I don't need that looks pretty. So what would meet those criteria?
I guess it's a dumb question but a lot of my cheaper knives have developed problems with time. And I think I finally want to get a "real" knife.
Thanks everybody
 
Kershaw Junkyard dog, Kershaw Blackout. Buck from Cabelas with the s30v blade, Endura, CS Voyager. I have had some of these for 20 years.
 
I just got 2 of them today. They are excellent and ultra smooth opeing and closing. They also seem to be tougher than the Endura 4. It is a hell of a knife for the $. I will be ordering 3 more of them down the road. I could see the ball lock becoming my favorite locking mechanism. It is a very good lock. I love the D'allara drop point.
 
Buck 110 from the Buck custom shop. you can get them with different steels , bolsters and scales. I have a standard 110 that is well over 20 yrs old. my father gave it to me on my 9th birthday. he had used it for years before he gave it to me it was my first locking knife.:thumbup:
 
ashtxsniper said:
Spyderco - Military, Endura 4, D'allara, Police are agood tough long lasting folders.
Click to expand...

Please, refrain from giving people false advice.

the spyderco military is not a hard working knife and will not last 20 years unless you use it as a butter knife.

It is a linier lock. A liner lock will not last more than 5 years or so of hard use......


To the original poster.

with your price range 300 to 400 hundred, get a sebenza or a benchmade 710 for allot less money. Now those will last you along time. Dont listen to the spyderco crowed. They will tell you a goat will fly if it has spyderco on it.
 
Look at this thread for a few opinions on knives that last a long time.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=500896

Your description really screams Spyderco, they design knives based almost solely on their functionality. Looks are secondary.
I would suggest any Spyderco lockback, the ZDP-189 Endura if you want the best steel available, Or look into the Salt series for rustproof knives.
I would stay away from liner locks, they do wear much faster than most other lock types.
However, I personally wouldn’t mind getting one good knife every five years or so if it were the right knife. In that case the Spyderco Military comes highly recommended, it has a four inch blade and a very large, light and secure handle. It cuts like a dream.

Just about any Benchmade with the Axis lock would be good as well. The 710 comes highly recommended.

If you want to add some pride of ownership then a Sabenza or Strider would do ok, though the locks on those (frame lock) will still wear out faster than a backlock or Axis lock.
 
My suggestion would be a Benchmade 710HS (High Speed). The M2 blade steel is a tool steal and lasts a long time. You will have to pay over $200 to get one. They arn't made with the M2 anymore and are VERY sought after.

If you can't find one then maby a Sabenza or a Strider, but the frame lock won't last as long as the axis lock of the BM.
 
No liner lock or frame lock will last 20 years, the wear on these locks is too high. Yes there are very good knives with them, but don't expect 20 years of use. The ball and axis locks are also very good but haven't been around for that long so although it is possible for them to last, no one yet knows.

The only 100% thing is lockbacks and slipjoints. By the way, I know quite a few people who have been using their SAK's for well over 20 years - and it's not $300.
Buck 110 \ 112 have been reported to last that long and I think most lockback models with metal handles have a good chance of lasting 20 years (you still see some Spyderco workers around).
 
internet person said:
I don't post here often but I'm thinking of getting a nice folding knife that will last for many years of use. I'm willing to pay 3-4 hundred dollars if I know it will last me for 20 years, But I'm looking for a workhorse, not a work of art. I don't care how it looks. I'm looking for a 3-4 inch blade, so a fairly large folder, I guess, and the handle is irrelevant to me, aside from not having to spend extra for something I don't need that looks pretty. So what would meet those criteria?
I guess it's a dumb question but a lot of my cheaper knives have developed problems with time. And I think I finally want to get a "real" knife.
Thanks everybody
Click to expand...

Can you give us a better idea of "workhorse"? What kinds of cutting are you likely to do with this folder?
Outdoors? Cardboard? Gardening? Marine exposure? Skinning? That might affect what steel would be best.
Do you need a slicer or a cutter? That would affect the blade shape that would be best.
Because I don't know these, I won't suggest a single knife or steel, but rather a style. I think if I were in your position, I would figure out what I really intended the knife to do on a daily basis, then figure out what steel and blade shape would best support that.

I have 30 year old lockback knives that still function fine. Got to admit I've not used them as a daily EDC all that time though. But if I wanted a single folding knife to last 20 years through hard daily use I would look for either a framelock or a lockback as being the most robust. (Actually, I would probably opt for a fixed blade for this type of daily hard use.) And I would look for one from one of the better makers. Your price range gives you a fair amount of latitude for what you choose.

The makers that I would look at (YMMV) would be (in alphabetical order)
Benchmade
Bradley
Buck - (the high end ones are well done and I think would last)
Chris Reeve,
Kershaw
SOG
Spyderco
Strider
 
It would also help to know what kinds of "problems" you've had in the past that you're trying to avoid on this go-round.

It sounds like a lock back from a reputable maker or a strong slip joint like Spyderco's UKPK would be what you're looking for. Both systems have been around for far longer than 20 years and there are many examples of these knives still going strong after 20+ years.
 
I have carried an original Buck Muskrat since they came out in 1972. Never a problem.
 
thedawg said:
Please, refrain from giving people false advice.

the spyderco military is not a hard working knife and will not last 20 years unless you use it as a butter knife.

It is a linier lock. A liner lock will not last more than 5 years or so of hard use......


To the original poster.

with your price range 300 to 400 hundred, get a sebenza or a benchmade 710 for allot less money. Now those will last you along time. Dont listen to the spyderco crowed. They will tell you a goat will fly if it has spyderco on it.
Click to expand...
Isn't it time you quit bashing Spyderco. :grumpy: Just because you have a minor problem with them does not mean they are not good. I gave him cheaper options that are still very tough and will save him money. Don't listen to thedawg he is just another ignorant Spyderco bashing noob. There are also several good choice of tough knives in the Benchmade, Kershaw, ZT, CR, Strider, and Buck lineup.
 
I've seen a lot of old Police. If used hard daily and sharpened, the serrations begin to fade away and the pivot pin can loosen up. This happens in about 10 years. The pivot pin can be repaired/replaced, but once the serrations go they never come back. I'd guess the enduras would be worse than a police given it's FRN, but the serrations would go the same way. If used lightly, rarely sharpened, who knows how long it'd last.

For a pinned knife to last long, look for the pins to be exposed. This way you can tighten it up yourself. I've had a puma lockback last for 15 years before the lock bar wore down so much it would open in a strong grip.
 
I would say if you could get one for a reasonable price get an XM-18 if you can find one. There's the Strider SNG, RCC GG, Sebbies of course. Then there are the Bradley Alias, the Buck/Mayo. Some knives by Combat Elite are nice the RRF(rapid response folder) runs about 275 and is pretty sweet imho.

http://www.wilsontactical.com/ce-knives.aspx

check em out.
 
If your looking for a long life knife try a Chris Reeve Sebenza. I have a large Sebenza that is about 5-6 years old and it looks new except for a few marks and dings. It locks up just as tight as when I got it. Also, you could not go wrong with a Spyderco Delica or Caly III. Spyderco knives are tough and if you decide to go with a serrated edge it will last longer between sharpening.
RKH
 
3-4 hundred/20yrs or more? for me it would be: [1]-victorinox pioneer-[2]-buck 110-[3]spyderco delica-[4]-benchmade 707, 1 of each, enough variety, money to take yourself and a friend to dinner, a full stomach and NO regrets.
but hey that's just me
 
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