vjb.knife
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2002
- Messages
- 1,514
I always have at least one pocket knife with me unless I am in a place where they are restricted, i.e. on a plane, in a courtroom, etc. On a day to day basis I find that I use one at least a couple of times a day. I routinely carry a very small Victorinox folder on my keychain and depending on where I am going either a larger folder like a CRK Sebenza or a fixed blade knife. But in between I also usually carry a small to mid size folder with a blade length of approximately 2.5”.
Yesterday I got a new small to mid sized folder; a Strider PT-CC. It is a pretty expensive little knife but I like it nonetheless. Over the years I have had quite a few knives of this approximate size but four stand out so I thought I would compare them. They are the Strider PT-CC, a Fallkniven TK4, a Kershaw Leek combo blade 1660CB and finally a Gerber LST. All are very nice in my opinion and I have had and used each for at least several months, except the Strider which I just got.
There is obviously a wide variety in the price tags here with the Gerber LST retailing at $29, the Kershaw at $100, the Fallkniven at $157 and the Strider at $300. To widen that gap even more as most of you know any of them except the Strider can be had for about half the retail.
For years since the early 1980’s I have carried a Gerber LST in all types of situations and I still always have this old orange LST in my camping gear, regardless of any other knife I am carrying. The LST is a classic in my opinion and everyone should have at least one. It is the lightest of the group at 1.2 oz and it is the shortest with a 2.55” blade and an OAL (overall length) of 6.125” and 0.1” thick. It has the cheapest steel (420HC) but at about $14 it’s not too bad. LST’s still hold an edge pretty well and they are easy to sharpen. With it’s lockback design and tough FRN / Zytel handle it still locks up pretty solid.
The next most expensive knife was the Kershaw Leek model 1660CB with the combo steel blade that has a cutting edge of CPM-D2, which I think was the sharpest of these knives out of the box. This is the only one of these knives that is an assisted opener and it works very well. It has 410 Stainless Steel handles and a very solid lockup with it’s framelock design. It is the longest of the four with a 2.9” blade 0.09” thick and an OAL of 7” and the heaviest at 3 oz. It is also the only one of these that has a pocket clip which is reversible for tip up or down carry and it has an extra lock that prevents it from opening when engaged. I think this knife is extremely nice with a retail of $100 and a great buy at around $50.
When I bought the Fallkniven TK4 I really liked it and I still think it is a very nice knife but with a retail of $157 it is a bit steep and even at my purchase price of $78 I think it is a little high. It came out of the box with a very sharp edge on it’s 2.7” long and 0.11” thick laminated Swedish 3G steel blade which rivals the edge on the Leek. It holds an edge well and is fairly easy to sharpen. It has an OAL of 6.5” and handles made from FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon). This knife comes in a very cool box and includes a nice belt sheath. I added a short lanyard to mine with a skull bead. Overall it is a nicer knife than the LST which is similar in construction, but you would expect that for the price.
Last is the Strider PT-CC which is by far the most expensive of the bunch at $300 with little or no discount, but I really need more time to evaluate it but I will give you the specs anyway. It has a 2.75” long .125” thick CPM-S30V blade which is very sharp. The OAL is 6.5” and it weighs 2.6 oz. The lock up is tight and the action is smooth and a little tight but it is getting easier as I work it more. The handles are G-10 on one side and Titanium on the other and on this CC model they are thinner and contoured and there is no pocket clip. I really like this knife, it feels good in the hand and the quality is very high. I also have Strider SMF but it is huge and I don’t like carrying it normally so it stays with my camping gear in my pack, but this PT-CC is an easy carry size; very slim in my pocket. I added a lanyard with a skull bead and a snap hook on the end. The Strider PT-CC is very nice and I think I will like it but it has a lot to contend with, especially when you consider it’s cost, but I’ll give it some time to evaluate and let you know.
To sum this up each of these knives are nice and worth owning and they each have certain advantages. But in terms of value, quality of construction, features and cool factor I think the Kershaw Leek with the D2 combo blade is one of the best knives I have ever had at it’s price point and a good bit more. At $50 to $60 this knife is one of the nicest I have owned and that means a lot considering that I have owned close to a thousand knives over the past 35 plus years.
Yesterday I got a new small to mid sized folder; a Strider PT-CC. It is a pretty expensive little knife but I like it nonetheless. Over the years I have had quite a few knives of this approximate size but four stand out so I thought I would compare them. They are the Strider PT-CC, a Fallkniven TK4, a Kershaw Leek combo blade 1660CB and finally a Gerber LST. All are very nice in my opinion and I have had and used each for at least several months, except the Strider which I just got.
There is obviously a wide variety in the price tags here with the Gerber LST retailing at $29, the Kershaw at $100, the Fallkniven at $157 and the Strider at $300. To widen that gap even more as most of you know any of them except the Strider can be had for about half the retail.
For years since the early 1980’s I have carried a Gerber LST in all types of situations and I still always have this old orange LST in my camping gear, regardless of any other knife I am carrying. The LST is a classic in my opinion and everyone should have at least one. It is the lightest of the group at 1.2 oz and it is the shortest with a 2.55” blade and an OAL (overall length) of 6.125” and 0.1” thick. It has the cheapest steel (420HC) but at about $14 it’s not too bad. LST’s still hold an edge pretty well and they are easy to sharpen. With it’s lockback design and tough FRN / Zytel handle it still locks up pretty solid.
The next most expensive knife was the Kershaw Leek model 1660CB with the combo steel blade that has a cutting edge of CPM-D2, which I think was the sharpest of these knives out of the box. This is the only one of these knives that is an assisted opener and it works very well. It has 410 Stainless Steel handles and a very solid lockup with it’s framelock design. It is the longest of the four with a 2.9” blade 0.09” thick and an OAL of 7” and the heaviest at 3 oz. It is also the only one of these that has a pocket clip which is reversible for tip up or down carry and it has an extra lock that prevents it from opening when engaged. I think this knife is extremely nice with a retail of $100 and a great buy at around $50.
When I bought the Fallkniven TK4 I really liked it and I still think it is a very nice knife but with a retail of $157 it is a bit steep and even at my purchase price of $78 I think it is a little high. It came out of the box with a very sharp edge on it’s 2.7” long and 0.11” thick laminated Swedish 3G steel blade which rivals the edge on the Leek. It holds an edge well and is fairly easy to sharpen. It has an OAL of 6.5” and handles made from FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon). This knife comes in a very cool box and includes a nice belt sheath. I added a short lanyard to mine with a skull bead. Overall it is a nicer knife than the LST which is similar in construction, but you would expect that for the price.
Last is the Strider PT-CC which is by far the most expensive of the bunch at $300 with little or no discount, but I really need more time to evaluate it but I will give you the specs anyway. It has a 2.75” long .125” thick CPM-S30V blade which is very sharp. The OAL is 6.5” and it weighs 2.6 oz. The lock up is tight and the action is smooth and a little tight but it is getting easier as I work it more. The handles are G-10 on one side and Titanium on the other and on this CC model they are thinner and contoured and there is no pocket clip. I really like this knife, it feels good in the hand and the quality is very high. I also have Strider SMF but it is huge and I don’t like carrying it normally so it stays with my camping gear in my pack, but this PT-CC is an easy carry size; very slim in my pocket. I added a lanyard with a skull bead and a snap hook on the end. The Strider PT-CC is very nice and I think I will like it but it has a lot to contend with, especially when you consider it’s cost, but I’ll give it some time to evaluate and let you know.
To sum this up each of these knives are nice and worth owning and they each have certain advantages. But in terms of value, quality of construction, features and cool factor I think the Kershaw Leek with the D2 combo blade is one of the best knives I have ever had at it’s price point and a good bit more. At $50 to $60 this knife is one of the nicest I have owned and that means a lot considering that I have owned close to a thousand knives over the past 35 plus years.
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