Well it happened, in my move I put my Kershaw blackout somewhere and now it is nowhere to be found.
I was actually looking at the Boker Infinity ceramic after being AMAZED by how sharp a ceramic I recently used was, but I am just too rough on my knives and I doubt it would stand up to the abuse (there, all you ceramic haters, I already decided against it haha).
Stumbled on this site and it seems great, so I'm asking you what you suggest for an edc for me, Im a 23 year old 2nd Lt in the Marine Corps, I've owned a Kershaw vapor which I liked and then the blackout which I really liked, so Im looking for something in that size range, really liked the assisted opening, prefer some serration as well, composite grips etc. Oh and needs to be around $100 or less, I am young and in the military i.e. not a ton of disposable income.
I dont really know anything about blade steel quality etc. Also what is the benefit of drop point vs tanto vs recurve vs whatever?
I'm not averse to getting another blackout, but I wouldnt mind a change either so let your suggestions fly.
Thanks
Welcome aboard. I can give you my two-cents from here in Iraq and a long time knife user / collector and a little over 19 years in the Army.
First, I would avoid the ceramics, if you're going to use it in the field it will get plenty of impacts and I wouldn't want to take the chance of it breaking...that's just me.
Before I start suggesting brands and models, I'll give you my take on the whole blade profile and steel question. First, my folders are cutters, not prybars or screwdrivers. I do keep a mini crowbar in my patrol pack and also carry a leatherman. Tanto blades will give you a little better strength for penetration. Benchmade's Stryker is a pretty decent cutter for a tanto blade, and one of the few I'd recommend. Recurve blades are okay, but require a little more attention when sharpening; you typically get a bigger belly and broader tip, however the Benchmade 710 has a pretty good balance as opposed to Emerson's Commander, which has a very pronounced belly and broad tip. Drop points are good, and even some upswept (I guess, bowie-like) tips are good for most tasks, but many are not robust enough for any major penetration.
I'm not a big fan of partially serrated knives, but they can be useful for those that need them. I personally carry a dedicated serrated blade in my Leatherman so my main folder is strictly a plain edge.
Automatics: Well, I've used them and own a few. They're "neat", but over the years, I've found a one-handed opener just as convenient. In fact, I can get a "waved" Emerson or Spyderco opened faster from the pocket then I can my AFO or Microtech. I just don't think the money is worth the automatics, unless you have a specific need or desire. For the money, I would just look for a better manual folder.
As for steel, I would say (for me) AUS8 is a good user but probably as low as I would go (I think 440C is a step up). I like D2, ATS34, 154CM, S30V...all are good performers with minor differences in stainless properties. Typically, the more "stainless" you go, the knife will not stay as sharp for very long; however knives with less carbon are easy to sharpen vice higher chromium/stainless knives which are typically harder to sharpen. I'm no steel expert, but there are plenty of metallurgy-geeks here to provide the break down-percentages of all the various ingredients and their properties.
What I'm using over here in Iraq (I brought plenty to play with):
Benchmade Rukus
Emerson CQC-12
Emerson CQC-13
Emerson CQC-8
Benchmade 710 (D2)
Spyderco Military (plain and fully serrated versions)
CRKT 21-4
Zero Tolerance 0300
Benchmade AFO
Kershaw JD II
What I typically carry is the Military and an Emerson (CQC-13 or 8).
Under $100? I would take a look at Spyderco's Endura (I prefer the Military, but for the price the Endura is a great performer), plus you can get the "waved" version; there's some excellent Benchmades just over $100; Kershaw (as you already know) makes some good users and than I would look at CRKT (aluminum handled only), Cold Steel (Voyager series of lockbacks) or SOG. I know Ontario and Ka Bar both make folders, but I don't have too much experience with them. Also, Buck has some decent designs and does good heat-treatment on mediocre steels to get the best performance for the buck out of them.
Locking mechanisms could be a whole other post, all I would say is that the Benchmade Axis lock is robust enough, the lockback has been around a long time and is pretty well proven, finally the liner-lock...decent design, just sometimes poorly executed and you need to stay with reputable makers for a reliable locking knife. CRKT does have an additional safety mechanism on their liner locks.
Hope that helps a little,
ROCK6
