Looking for a Axis lock EDC

thejamppa

thejamppa

Joined
Aug 20, 2009
Messages
2,907
Hello everyone!

I am again thinking if I should buy either of these knives. I've been thinking that for 3 months without solution to that. I know 710 is slightly bigger and heavier than 930 but... as edc point of view I want good axis lock folder for my rotation that is people friendly.

Blade size of my Griptillian is pretty good but Grip is too bulky for comfy EDC carry. I want something slimmer or something more pocketable. So I narrowed down it for 930 and 710 which readily available one of the dealers I buy my knives.

I've carried Spyderco Sage 1 or UKPK orange G10 mostly. Kulgera looks pretty slim and nice but I am not sure about partially exposed liners. 710 is big when closed. Nearly 5" long closed while 930 is about 4 ½" but still size alone doesn't tell much about how pocketable knife is. I am looking slim one. Slimmer than Griptillian and one that is not aggressive looking but utilitarian tool look or gentlemans folder look.

I am open for other suggestions. I've been eyeing bit both regular and mini Bone Collectors aswell

thanks in advance.
 
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The Kulgera is smaller in-hand than it appears. I carry it more as a gentleman's knife/suit knife than as an EDC. The thickness between the two isn't very different, but the rest of the measurements of the 710 are definitely noticeable. If you have any experience with a Chris Reeve small Sebenza, the Kulgera's handle is similar in size, though a bit longer. Also, the blade length on the Kulgera is technically 3.6 inches, but the cutting length is a bit closer to 3.4 inches and has a slight recurve to it.
 
thejamppa said:
Hello everyone!

I am again thinking if I should buy either of these knives. I've been thinking that for 3 months without solution to that. I know 710 is slightly bigger and heavier than 930 but... as edc point of view I want good axis lock folder for my rotation that is people friendly.

Blade size of my Griptillian is pretty good but Grip is too bulky for comfy EDC carry. I want something slimmer or something more pocketable. So I narrowed down it for 930 and 710 which readily available one of the dealers I buy my knives.

I've carried Spyderco Sage 1 or UKPK orange G10 mostly. Kulgera looks pretty slim and nice but I am not sure about partially exposed liners. 710 is big when closed. Nearly 5" long closed while 930 is about 4 ½" but still size alone doesn't tell much about how pocketable knife is. I am looking slim one. Slimmer than Griptillian and one that is not aggressive looking but utilitarian tool look or gentlemans folder look.

I am open for other suggestions. I've been eyeing bit mini Bone Collector aswell

thanks in advance.
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If the part in bold is important to you, then the Kulgera is your knife. I own both, and the 710 and Kulgera are in two completely different classes. Whip the 710 out in an office environment, you're sure to get some odd stares. Whip the Kulgera out in that office environment, and you're likely to get nice comments from folks not generally into knives. The 710 is a really big knife, and is not light in the pocket. The Kulgera is, I believe, along the lines of the 940 series, which IMHO is one of the absolute best Benchmade knives made for EDC. I carried a 943 for probably 10 years, and only recently replaced it with a Kulgera. Don't get me wrong, the 710 is an awesome knife, but it can be a bit intimidating to non-knife folks. It's not designed as a tactical knife, but it definitely has a tactical knife look whereas the Kulgera looks like a slightly large gentleman's knife.
 
I had Benchmade 940. It was excellent knife but I couldn't stand the anodized alumnium handles, no matter how much I tried like the handles I couldn't warm up for those, so I traded away. It was good sized and slim. If Kulgera is similar sized (slim wise) it really might have my name on it.
 
Just like the 940 series, the Kulgera is an Osborne design, and follows the same general size specs as that series. In other words, yes, the Kulgera is as slim as the 940. One thing I'm still deciding if I like about the Kulgera is the exposed black liner. Yeah, it looks good, but in some grips or with hard use, it isn't as comfortable in the hand as a 940 or 943.
 
Jani -- You say you think the grip of your Griptilian is too bulky for comfy carry. I assume you are talking about the full size Griptilian. I've been carrying this mini-Griptilian for the last week and it carries easily in the pocket. Very comfortable.

benchmade556minigriptil.jpg


I only bring up the idea of the mini-Griptilian because you mentioned you might consider the mini-Bone Collector too.

The blade on the mini-Griptilian is just shy of 3" -- say 2 7/8" to 2 15/16" and is pretty darn stout (heavy-duty) for a knife/blade it's size -- certainly capable of handling anything you'll run across most days.

I thikn you'll find that the longer (by 1/2") 710 and the 930 will be just as uncomfortable to carry as the full size Griptilian.

Just my .02¢
 
thejamppa said:
I had Benchmade 940. It was excellent knife but I couldn't stand the anodized alumnium handles, no matter how much I tried like the handles I couldn't warm up for those, so I traded away. It was good sized and slim. If Kulgera is similar sized (slim wise) it really might have my name on it.
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The Kulgera is almost exactly the same size as the 940. The blades look quite different, but except for an extremely slight recurve on the Kulgera, they have practically the same edge profile. The Kulgera has very slightly thicker, but rounded handles. The blade is actually a tiny bit longer than the 940, yet is a tiny bit shorter closed. I had two main beefs with the Kulgera I had: The AXIS lock wasn't as easy to access (no pun intended) as my 940, or the 710, 806, or 705 I previously owned, and the exposed parts of the liners that are there for grip I found uncomfortable in the hand.

Of course, if you liked the 940, but hated the aluminum handles, there's always the 940D2CF or the 940Ti-01. I have one of each, and they're 2 of my favorite knives. I've EDC'd the D2CF for years, but never carried the Ti-01 because it's too damn pretty. The only problem is finding one, then paying out the ear for it if/when you do.
 
How about you guys talking about the various knives throwing up some pictures so Jani can see what you're talking about?
 
Modoc ED said:
Jani -- You say you think the grip of your Griptilian is too bulky for comfy carry. I assume you are talking about the full size Griptilian. I've been carrying this mini-Griptilian for the last week and it carries easily in the pocket. Very comfortable.

benchmade556minigriptil.jpg


I only bring up the idea of the mini-Griptilian because you mentioned you might consider the mini-Bone Collector too.

The blade on the mini-Griptilian is just shy of 3" -- say 2 7/8" to 2 15/16" and is pretty darn stout (heavy-duty) for a knife/blade it's size -- certainly capable of handling anything you'll run across most days.

I thikn you'll find that the longer (by 1/2") 710 and the 930 will be just as uncomfortable to carry as the full size Griptilian.

Just my .02¢
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Word :thumbup:.
 
Modoc ED said:
I thikn you'll find that the longer (by 1/2") 710 and the 930 will be just as uncomfortable to carry as the full size Griptilian.
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Just from my personal experience with all three of those you mention, I have to disagree, especially regarding the Kulgera. The Kulgera is noticeably thinner in profile than a full size Grip, and literallly disappears in your pocket. You can easily forget it's there until needed. I also have to say, even as large as the 710 is, it's profile is also a decent bit thinner than a grip, and aside from the weight, can also reside in a pocket comfortably. I like the Grip blade shapes, but the thick handles have been my main factor for not carrying one... I will say the Grip has an outstanding feel in the hand though.
 
I second the mini griptilian. I carry mine in dress pants and it doesn't print too much. Does all I need daily.
 
I actually have Mini-Ritter Grip (558 with M4 steel) but its main grievance is that handle is bit too short for my liking. My fingers are bit more crampt that I like. Other than that Mini-Grip is excellent.

Edit: I read that 930 Kulgera was Discontinued. Well, since my dealer has one and albeit it costs and arm and leg, I will get it. If I don't like it, I always can trade it in here BF forums or somewhere for something else.
 
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It cost an arm and a leg even before it got discontinued (which I didn't realize was the case). That was one of my main grievances about that knife. I feel it was about $30 overpriced. True to Osborne and 940 bloodline fashion, the blade will be silky smooth and lightning fast. I think you'll like it. As long as you're not going to use it for any hard use tasks where a firm grip and heavy pressure cuts are needed, you shouldn't have any problem with the exposed liners being uncomfortable.
 
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