Looking for quality small folders

Strider PT or SJ75 get my vote. I have 2 PTs and they really are my perfect sub 3" knife. The ergos are perfect and its super light weight so you dont feel it in your pocket at all. Both of mine are the CC model and they just disappear in the pocket with no clip.
 
Brian Tighe makes some pretty cool small knives under $3". I'm selling my mini Tighe-rod as a matter of fact.
 
Metal Made Fox said:
The small Sebenza is going to be at the top of the food chain in terms of quality, and workmanship. There is simply no other production knife out there that can outmatch Chris Reeve's fit and finish.
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Hmmmm. I wonder if Matt Conable knows that. ;)

William Henry E6 would be my choice. It's light as a feather with fit and finish as good as it gets in a production folder. The E6 meets your criteria and it's priced well south of $500.00, KM. Try it. You'll like it. :)
 
Take a look at the knives built by Allan Davis on the Exchange in Folders. Beautiful and practical at the same time, and meet your stated requirements.
 
So far on my list
Fantoni Hide
BM Shoki
Bm Mini Bone Collector
Spyderco Chaparral
Strider PT w/ new lock face
Kershaw OD-1

Boker has some interesting custom collabs

Sacha Thiel Citizen-Where can I find one? Last time I contacted Sacha he said his list was closed.

Looking into the other customs mentioned.

William Henry is on my want list. Just missed a ideal one at the right price on the exchange.

Any Kershaws? Preferably USA made?
 
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bld522 said:
Hmmmm. I wonder if Matt Conable knows that. ;)
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William Henry makes exceptional folders in the fit and finish department as well. No doubt about that, I would say WH and CRK are tied when it comes to workmanship.

However here is the point in which they differ. William Henry folders are for the most part made as "gentleman knives" or art knives. While they sure as hell could handle a lot of cutting tasks, there is absolutely no way a WH could outlast a Sebenza in the "toughness" department.

What I am trying to say is that the Sebenza is a brutal workhorse of a knife that will take most of what you can throw at it and still be considered to have one of the highest levels of fit and finish in the knife world. That is something that is hard for a knife manufacturer to achieve.

Try doing some hard cutting with a WH and see how long it takes for it to develop bladeplay and other small issues.
 
+1 for the curtiss f3 compact. Dave curtiss makes one hell of a knife for the money. Another I might recommend is the lionsteel sr-2. Available in full ti or aluminum depending on what you want to spend.
 
The Boker Pipsqueak is another amazing sub 3" blade. S35VN blade with 2 tone acid wash finish and fill Ti frame lock with micarta scale and back spacer. Its a small knife that feels much larger than it actually is. Bokers coming out of Solingen are very well made and Neil Blackwood did a great job designing this knife.

 
Sorry if you said somewhere that you're not interested in traditional-style knives but I'd look into that category if I already had a small Seb and Mnandi and was looking to spend $500 on another small knife.

You could get a really nice custom slip-joint from one of a variety of excellent makers for that much.

Here's a link to a thread that's basically a huge list of custom slipjoint makers: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1145315-Best-Custom-Slipjoint-Makers
 
I always liked the look of the kershaw baby boa but have never handled one. Beautiful little knife. Think they can be found for ~$75.
 
Kershaw Random Leek!

-small
-s30v steel
-$80 tops online
-there's a company that makes neck sheaths out of kydex on amazon just for the leek...a great option to have

Check specs to be sure its below 3
 
Let me add one that is one of my personal favorite small folders - the CRKT Eros. Ken Onion design, flipper, IKBS, only 1.4 oz (!), ti frame, Japanese Acuto + steel, very nice 3" gents knife.

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There is also (I think) a smaller version at about half the weight.
 
Have you looked at the Kingdom Armory Mini Samaritan Great little EDC knife has a pivot bushing and great fit and finish. Look on the secondary market. I got mine for $250 NIB
 
I picked up a Fallkniven FH9, and the f&f is amazing. very classy yet quite modern
 
Spyderco Caly 3 CF.... Mmm. I miss that little pocket laser.
 
Benchmade small Summit Lake
Lionsteel small opera 8800

For something completely different-
Spyderco Tasman SE.
 
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