Looking for a small EDC tactical folder

R

ruuvari

Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
7
Hello fellow knife enthusiasts!

I know this subject has been raised quite a few times, I've done extensive searching but still need some advice.

What I'm looking for is a small - that's 3" blade at the most -, strong,thin and plain tactical folder, custom or production.

Usage is EDC utility, so no fighting or skinning capabilities needed. Blade shape preference is a drop point, but I'm open to suggestions on this ;). I'm not that familiar with blade materials but titanium handles are nice.

Carrying method is IWB, somewhere in between of the small of the back and the hipbone, so a good clip and a thin overall frame is a must. For reference I know EDC a Spyderco Dragonfly SS which is so small that I can completely forget about it being there.

Overall budget is around 300-400$, I realize that not a lot of customs fit this price range. The only production knife I'm looking at is the small Sebbie which seems to come highly recommended, from customs Andre DeVilliers E-Tac Blasted Tactical seems really nice. Of course a Mayo TNT is super nice but those are way beyond my budget nowadays. Also the Darrel/Ralph Wilson Combat's look excellent but are a bit too large. I remember seeing something about them maybe doing a smaller model? Any other makers/models that might fit the bill?

So that's about all I can think of, hope you guys have some suggestions or input.

Thanks everybody for making this a wonderful place for knife knowledge.

ruuvari
 
If you are interested in customs, I can personally recommend several.
By the way, $300-400 is plenty of money for a tactical style custom, any more, you would be buying more of an art style knife than a user.

I can personally recommend Mike Obenauf's extra small Model 2. These run between $250-275 and Mike's waiting list is around six months last time I talked to him.

Andre De Villier's Exectac knives are really great. They have jewel like fit and finish. If you are a steel snob, you might not like the fact that so far Andre does not make much use of S30V. His knives are all ATS-34.

I would also strongly recommend Brad Duncan. I have a Mini Police Whiplash that is an absolute pleasure. His ball bearing action is silky smooth and the knife has a great lockup. His fit and finish is great. The only thing I didn't like was that the clip didn't grip my pocket as tightly as I would prefer. That, however, is pretty easy to fix. This knife set me back aroound $400.

Anoter reasonable maker in this price range is Bob Dozier. He works primarily with D-2 steel, so his knives have a higher potential for corrosion, but they are very, very sharp and extremely well made. His liner locks look dang near like frame locks! Also these are not skinny knives, they fill the hand nicely. His Folding hunter and small Trapper can be had for a price in the low $300's.

Finally, I can recommend Larry Chew as another maker of silky smooth ball bearing pivot folders. SOme say his folders are even smoother than Brad Duncan's. He runs between $400-500.

A maker of slightly larger knives that are quite reasonable is Charles Marlowe. Most of his models are around $350.

Have a great time looking. Don't be surprised if end up wanting more than one!:D
 
The only one I could add to the above list is Rick Hinderer. I received one of his Firetacs and have two more on order. He's a great person to deal with and does fantastic work and fits into your budget perfectly.
 
I am not sure how small you need to go, but I recently picked up a Spyderco Salsa and think pretty highly of it.

Are you considering slipjoints at all?
 
Benchmade 921 Switchback or 943 Osborne or any of several Spyderco models, such as the Native or Delica would do. Cold Steel's Medium Vaquero (previously the El Lobo) and their Medium Voyager Clip points would also work. Of these, the 921's modified wharncliffe shape is my favorite to use and the Native's spearpoint is my favorite to stare at. Cold Steel's Medium Voyager clip point is my favorite to buy (leaves more money in the pocket).

My "be happy without the hassle of experimenting with several different knives" recommendation is the Benchmade 921 Switchback. For a custom knife, I'd recommend asking Mr. Osborne to go to Oregon and hand-assemble a 921 Switchback for you. The only drawback of this knife is that its clip will eat where it's clipped if you constantly access the knife.
 
Given your parameters I'd like to second the suggestion of a Spyderco Titanium Salsa. It's thinner than most of the knives mentioned while providing an outstanding grip and a versatile utility blade.

--Bob Q
 
I would suggest the small Sebenza. I had a Ti Salsa and the clip/carry ended up driving me nuts. The small Seb rides very well in all cloths from Dockers to jeans to a tux. I have the decorated version which looks class as well.
Matt
 
Darrel Ralph EDC, either the 3" or the 3 1/2" version, find them on the secondary if you can for around that price. Also the Apogee of his is very good.
 
I was thinking about Obenauf Model 2 but in the end the blade is just too wide, it looks kinda weird. The Whiplash looks sweet, haven't seen that one before. Spyderco Salsa is an excellent little blade, it's however not _that_ different from the Dragonfly which I now carry. Again a few recommendations for the small Sebenza, they sure seem to please people ;) I'd rather not go second hand because living half a globe away from the seller introduces some difficulties should problems arise. That said, there's a beautiful Allen Elishewitz Diablo being sold on the trade forum ;). So a small Sebbie or the DeVilliers E-Tac it'll probably be, then maybe later a smaller version of the Ralph/Wilson Combat.

Thanks for the input everybody.

ruuvari
 
Ruuvari, although the Sebenza is a heck of a knife (I've owned a couple), I really recommend the De Villiers Exectac. It's a custom, so its just a bit more exclusive and Andre De Villiers just makes great knives! Even though I have been tempted to sell mine on occassion, I'm glad I still have it because it has the precision of a fine watch or beautiful jewelry. Go for it!
 
I know, I'm boring, but I just got one, so I'm still in the "euphoria" stage

but seriously, I don't think the hype is hype. folders don't get more solid than a seb
 
2 that really should be looked at before deciding in my mind would be Carson Small M4 and also check out JW Smith. Both in your price range and cann't be beat at all.
 
Carson or JW Smith don't appeal to me that much, plus they are a bit out of my budget.

Bah, staring again at the E-Tac I realized that it's a tip down carry and the lanyard hole is thus located in the bottom part. Bummer, that pretty much kills using a lanyard and I really like them on my knives. Off my list it goes. Shame really, I liked it a lot. That's a bit nitpicky but when investing that much on a knife I really want it to be exactly what I want.

Still waiting for additional info on the small(er) knife Darrel Ralph and Ryan Wilson are making, as mentioned here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2054228#post2054228 . Other than that, it looks like its down to the Sebbie again :confused:
 
If you check out the Whats New forum, a little while back Darrel Ralph gave some info on the smaller, though its not set in stone. Under the thread about the collaboration knife. towards the end.

And you still might want to check out the Darrel Ralph EDC, the custom version has a lot of the good things that Darrel put into the collaboration.
 
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