Mid-size EDC folder .

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NOREAT

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Dec 17, 2011
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PLEASE READ THE QUESTION ABOUT BLADE PLAY ON THE LAST PAGE! Thanks!
Budget $150 or less, light to medium duty EDC. I have looked at the Benchmade Griptilian, SOG Aegis, and Spyderco Endura, Stretch, and Military. The Benchmade Mini-Griptilian is too small (my pinkie falls off the end), and I would assume that knives of similar sizes would be the same. I welcome opinions about the knives listed, as well as suggestions about knives that fit the qualifications.
Thank you,
NOREAT
 
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depending on what your looking for i'm going to recommend you checking out the "gerber dmf"

i bought it a few weeks ago no paying attention during check out because i meant to grab a 06 fast.


at 1st glance-

5.3 ish oz.
g10 handles are nice, not too grippy like a cold steel ak-47 but not smooth like a gerber 06 fast is
blasé shape is neat
lock up is great
pocket clip is awesome semi deep and very long but not to tight, not a pocket killer
100% ambidextrous

now what made me keep it and not get what i went to the store for-
i wasn't planning on using it at 1st just added to my collection, then i played with it for a while watching the news.
by fast THE nicest smoothest manual opener i have ever used. you can flick it, or slide safety off and swing it open, i can open it with a violent yank out of my back pocket also. when forward or reverse grip the handles ergonomics fit the hand like a yoga pants fit a attractive woman. perfect in every way.


the blade shape is neat, not the best but i carry 2 with my edc so i don't mind. and i notice i grab for this over my zt0300 9 out of 10 times just to have a excuse to open the knife.




its medium sized and at about 45-60$ online it impressed me. stainless liners too, only bad thing is i can't find any information on the blade steel but it sharpens to hair popping easily with the rod system.




-just an opinion thought find on that fits you and your needs for my needs its a perfect "neat" 2nd edc carry
 
Do NOT buy the SOG Aegis. They made a good decision to make a light plastic only handle, but I have seen 3 and all of them have side-to-side AND up-and-down blade play.

+1 vote for a Griptillian or a Ritter version of one.
 
I love Sogs but the blade play drives me nuts.
Why have one when you can have two for the same price? I love my Endura and Grip H2O. I live in Florida and I like a more rust resistant carry option when I will be near water, it's raining or I will be working/sweating.
I also have a Pacific Salt and a regular large Grip. Why have 2 when you can have 4 ..... and on it goes, lol.:eek:
 
Check into the Cold Steel ak-47s, very ergonomic, extremely strong and durable and the AUS8A steel is good for EDC

I'm personally not a fan of the Griptillians because of the plastic handles.
 
Spyderco Gayle Bradley!

Pros
Under a $150, a lot of knife for the money
Excellent fit and finish, rivals many custom folders
Carbon Fiber Scales
High End CPM-M4 steel, great edge retention
Blade Lock up is "Bank Vault" like rock solid, seriously very stout
Over built (5.3 oz) and more than strong enough to take hard EDC use

Cons
5.3 oz's is getting towards the heavy end for some.
Liner lock can be a little tough, at least for my arthritic hands, to unlock. I suspect this will improve somewhat over time and normal wearing in.
 
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Cynic2701: That is a nice looking knife, but does it have advantages over the Endura 4 FFG? Thanks for the welcome, too.

gooeytek: How does the compression lock work? Would the Military or the Paramilitary be better for grip? As I mentioned before, the Mini-Griptilian is too small.

jwblack911: I think I'll stay away from knives that don't list their steel type.

ineptspelr: Thanks for the advice about the SOG, I had read about the blade-play, and was drifting away. The Griptilian is a nice knife, but I have some difficulty figuring out where to put my index, ring, and pinking fingers when I am opening the blade with the Axis lock.

mwhich50: Thanks also for the information about the SOG.

TheTacticalTiger: Nice knife, but for the EDC roll I think it might look a bit too tactical.

Harpoon1: Wow! I like the look of that knife, but would I be able to keep a decent hold on the handle with gloves on? Or even without?

Thanks for all your suggenstion, and any more you might have.
NOREAT
 
Al Mar SERE 2000. Some people complain about the blade/handle ratio. I have large hands so I like having the large handle and over 3.5 inches the blade isn't really small. The fit and finish is second to none in it's price range.
 
NOREAT said:
Cynic2701: That is a nice looking knife, but does it have advantages over the Endura 4 FFG? Thanks for the welcome, too.
Click to expand...

My assumption is that you are after a mid-sized EDC--the Endura is actually almost as long as the Spyderco Military. The Caly 3.5 is right around 7.5 inches overall which makes it much more mid-sized that the larger Endura, and the smaller Delica. This means that the Caly 3.5 will be bigger than the Mini-Grip.

In my opinion the grind on the Caly 3.5 is superior to that on the Endura/Delica. Both are flat ground, but Caly 3.5 is thinner behind the bevel. Additionally, I prefer the wire clip over the standard clip, and although G-10 Endura's can be found, the Caly 3.5 comes standard in G-10. The Caly 3.5 is also thinner and 0.5 ounces lighter--it has pinned construction, but the blade is removable.
 
The full size Griptilian was comfortable in my pocket, so I can go up to that size. Which would you say is better, the Para-Military 2, or the Caly 3.5?
 
NOREAT said:
The full size Griptilian was comfortable in my pocket, so I can go up to that size. Which would you say is better, the Para-Military 2, or the Caly 3.5?
Click to expand...

Personally I'd choose the Caly 3.5 over the Para 2. The Para 2 is over 8 inches in length, but the blade to handle ratio isn't nearly as good as the Caly 3.5's. The actual cutting edge on the Caly 3.5 is actually longer than the Para 2's, despite having a shorter overall length. The Caly 3.5 will also take up less space in the pocket, while being ~0.6 ounces lighter. Both are very ergonomic.

Again, however, I prefer the blade grind on the 3.5 over the Para 2--for the same reasons as the Endura plus the fact that Caly 3.5 is ground on thinner stock. For all the things that I use a knife for (i.e. slicing tasks like cutting food or cardboard) the Caly 3.5 is preferable for me.
 
It seems that the knives are so similar that it would come down to the locks. As far as blade to handle ratio, I think that I would prefer the larger handle and smaller blade of the Para 2. I like the S30V of the Para better than the VG-10 of the Caly 3.5. I'm sure that they would both be very comfortable and easy to use. VG-10 is good, I just think S30V is better. The Para is about $20 cheaper, which, considering that whatever I buy I will be using for a very long time, isn't much. Thus, it comes down to the locks. In the other areas, the Para has a slight edge, in my opinion. Thus I ask, which is better, compression or lockback.
Thank you everyone for your help, and especially Cynic2701.
NOREAT
 
Look at the Benchmade large Bone Collector. Axis lock, D2 blade steel (I think BM does a good ht on D2), G-10 handles, and it all adds up to a great edc.

The already mentioned Gayle Bradley is a heck of a knife!
 
check out the zero tolerance zt 0350 line, or the emerson cqc-15 both are great knives and if u look around online you can find them in your price range.
 
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