Looking for advice, ZT, Benchmade, or Spyderco for a first "good" knife?

J

Jailbird

Joined
Mar 6, 2013
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5
I'm looking for a bit of advice on my first "good" knife. Most of the knives I've had in the past were in the $20-$50 range. I've decided to step up to something nicer. I'm looking for a folder that will be pretty much an edc. It has to have a pocket clip. For as much as I'd like to have an automatic, local laws say no, so I'd like to find an assisted opener.

The 3 brands I'm looking at are ZT, Benchmade, and Spyderco, but I'm open to other suggestions.

My max budget is $300.

Thanks for any help!

-JB
 
Welcome! I had owned a few midrange knives in the past and joined bladeforums a few months ago to start my quest for my first nice knife too. I'll hold off sharing what I carry for the moment in favor of asking- do you have any size preference? Any activities in particular you like to use it for? Any additional information you can offer will certainly help everyone make some more specific to you helpful suggestions!
 
You don't say what size or type of knife you are looking for.

For a small knife, the Spyderco Air is a high quality knife with very sharp M4 steel.

For a midsize knife, look at the ZT0550 or Spyderco Paramilitary 2.

Happy knife hunting.
 
Well first off welcome to blade forums!!

I can say that if you want assisted spyderco is out none of there knives are assisted...but take a look at he southard and paramilitary 2 any way:thumbup:

As far as benchmade, the barrage series would fit the bill....

And finally ZT, you could look at the 301 or 300 there assisted.....but for edc I'd recommend the 560 or 561...

Just so you know, take what I say with a grain of salt....I don't own any of the knives listed above..although I do have experience with ZT and spyderco, there bolth great company's.....and Iv heard nothing but good about benchmade.

Hope it helps!!

-niner
 
Thank you for the welcome! I'm thinking something with approximatly a 3" blade. For use, mostly outdoor activities, hiking, camping, etc. I work as an engineer/machinist/fabricator, so I don't foresee a lot of use at work. I usually carry something cheap to open boxes.

-JB
 
Oh and I forgot to mention the sage 2 by spyderco would make a good knife for all the things you listed....
 
Niner makes a good point about the Spyderco knives not being assisted...and that you should still consider them ;) it's unlikely that you NEED assisted opening for anything ever, so if you get a great knife with a smooth action it'll serve you well.
 
As for ZT I suggest to check out the 0560 it is not assisted but it is butter smooth and opens sooooooo nice with out the assist.Benchmade,check out the 710 again no assist but something about the position of the thumb studs makes it fire out like it did have A/O.Spyderco,check the Southard,obviously I am not going to be any help with your A/O request,so lets just keep going,Para military2 amd what I call the big little knife( it feels much smaller than it is in hand and pocket) the Military.If you do end up saying screw it and getting a auto anyway check out Protech.I think they deliver the most bang for the buck in automatics.Good luck on your quest and welcome to the forums.
 
For awhile I didn't have an interest in Spyderco, but once I found blade styles I like now I own four.

There are a bunch of great Spydies within the $300 range.

The Southard, Lionspy, Paramilitary 2, etc.

As for Benchmade, there are a ton of great knives you can choose from.

If your willing to spend a few more bucks then I'd suggest looking at a CRK Sebenza 21 Small.

You can find them brand new for $325-350 and trust me you won't be disappointed.

My Sebie is one of my top EDC blades and its just plain sexy.
 
Any Benchmade Axis knife. Best lock mechanism.
I like the 707, 940, 710, Griptillian.

Spyderco Sage, PM2, Endura, Caly 3.5, Tenacious.

ZT 0770 (pre order now, it's gonna be amazing!)
 
I think Benchmade and ZT are probably the way to go if you want an assisted knife.

ZT makes their knives very tough and they can take a beating from what I understand. I don't own a Benchmade but I always here good things about their knives.
 
I vote for the Spyderco Southard. It's under your budget and is assisted like opening.

I've owned knives from all three brands referenced and this is what I'll be edc'ing until they make a Southard 2.

The CTS-204p steel is my favorite so far. It's wicked sharp and holds and edge like nothing else I've used.

Also, as far as assisted opening goes, my Paramilitary 2 with its tight a bank vault compression lock, probably opens faster and easier than just about any knife I've ever owned and I've had my share of autos and assisted.
 
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No assisted Spydercos, as already mentioned. Also, a 3" blade is a bit smaller than ZT makes. They tend to be overbuilt and a bit heavy and thick for my taste. BM has a good selection in that range, as does Spyderco. A G Russell makes some folders in that range and Emerson has some excellent folders in the 3" blade range.

If you really want to try a ZT, I'd suggest trying a 350. It's a 3.25" blade A/O. A bit wide and heavy for edc, but a nice folder. Personally, I'd go with a mini-Barrage for edc because of the A/O and AXIS lock. If you want a frame lock, the Subrosa is a good carry that's also an A/O. The new Volli is also an A/O in your size range.

The Blur is a really nice sized edc that's also an A/O. I don't like metal handles, but the knife is well made.
 
I'd say strictly in your budget, for your use, and overall go for the spyderco Southard. It's by all accounts an absolutely amazing knife. If you are left handed (it can be an issue with some knives) or are willing to add a bit to your range you could consider a small sebenza. As an engineer, I feel confident you would definitely appreciate them (I totally recommend the bladehq shop tour video of Chris Reeve's shop). I ended up with the large sebenza after asking a very similar question not that long ago, and I couldn't be happier with it.
 
I agree with the suggestion about the barrage series of Benchmade knives. I gave my son a 581 for Christmas. But it's a little too big for an edc for me. I prefer the 470-1. It has the Axis lock, a nice aluminum frame, assisted opening, and a perfect size for me for edc.
 
Spyderco:
Paramilitary 2
C81G2_L.jpg


Benchmade:
707 Sequel
707.jpg


Zero Tolerance:
ZT 550
0550.png


Opinions:
Spyderco makes the best knife for your money. Assisted opening is a waste of time and a liability.
 
If you're willing to go up to $300, I would suggest an HTM Gunhammer. There's a special run right now with CTS-XHP blades in pretty much every color/configuration you could ask for.

I snagged an M390 version about four months ago for a little more than $230 and fell in love. Sharpest knife I've ever had (literally scary sharp out of the box) and it has wonderful ergos. Hopefully you have a similar experience if you decide to go that route.
 
I did not see a preferred size so I'll mention a couple. With a budget of $300 you have a lot of choices and can get yourself a knife that will last a lifetime. That said, I am going to suggest you go with Zero Tolerance and choose the 0550/0551 for a smaller carry, and the 0560/0561 for a larger carry. I have a 0561 and it is as nice as they come, and either one will be a knife you can hand down for future generations while still leaving enough change in your pocket for several trips to mickey d's!

Also check out the Hogue lineup of knives. I bought my first one a week ago and it will not be my last. The fit/finish on these is as good as it gets, and all models come in small and large versions to fit all needs.
 
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