Need 2.5" folder recommendations

J

JasonB

Joined
May 26, 2002
Messages
6
This is follow up to my last post, "please help the new guy". Turns out 2.5" is the legal max for carry in my area so I'm looking for a utility/self defense folder with a blade no larger than this. I've come up with a list of options based on net research only. What do you guys think is best? This is my list so far:

Spyderco:

Dragonfly
Almite Navigator
Jester

CRKT:

14k Summit Series Pike's Peak or Mt. Shasta
Contrail 2.5"

I didn't see anything from Cold Steel or Benchmade.

Anything else I should check out?
I'm also concerned about thickness (printing).

Thanks.
 
I would strongly recommend the Spyderco Salsa. You can't get more blade or handle than that in a knife that comes in under 2.5".

I bought the titanium version: frame-type compression lock, stronger frame, better blade steel. :)

--Bob Q
 
If you don't mind spending big money, the Chris Reeve Umfaan is a really great smaller knife for $295. The small carbon fiber William Henrys are under $200 and they are great lightweight small knives. An even better small knife would be a Mini Stalker or small Chinese by the custom maker Mike Lum. Both of the Lums would set you back around $500. Another great small folder maker is Kansei Matsuno.

If you want more reasonably priced smaller knives, look at the Benchmade 330. It is incredibly thin and lightweight. Since I have gotten customs, I don't carry mine as much, but I still think that it is a great knife. Finally, the Spyderco Salsa is great smaller knife because it really fills the hand. The Salsa also comes in a budget version for around $60 and a high end version for about $100. I think there are a lot of great choices in the smaller sizes, good hunting.
 
The Spyderco Dragonfly with a stainless handle and ATS55 steel is a dandy little heavy-duty package. It looks like a slick little gent's knife, cuts like a much bigger knife than it is, is quite ergonomic, has a very strong Spyderco lockback, and can be found NIB on Ebay for under $40. Hmmm, maybe I should get another at that price.
 
I really love my Umfaan. Any of the small Spydercos are great choices. Handle them first, if possible, to find which one works best in your hand.

Paul
 
From what you listed I would suggest the Spyderco Dragonfly. I particularly like the SE Zytel handled version. Light, compact and cuts as efficiently as some of my bigger knives.

Agreed with PWork...its better to actually feel them in your own hands and see how comfortable it'll be for you.
 
The knife I bought for this very purpose was a Spyderco Mouse...I basically saw it as a better quality / more robust version of the dragonfly. I love that little knife.
 
If you can find them at a brick and mortar store, that is.

Cricket with a 1 7/8" blade of ATS 55. I have one and it is a great little utility blade for small jobs such as picking splinters out of a finger.

D'Alton Holder Toad with a 1 7/16" blade. This is an expensive, relatively, little dude, but many people swear by them.

Navigator is a long-time Spydie favorite. It comes with a 2 1/8" VG-10 blade and gun-metal blue Almite scales. It is quite handsome and very useful. It fits my hand very well, indeed, and I would carry it but for my love for the Li'l Temperance.

Meerkat is the knife I got just after 9/11, when it was not a good idea to attract too much attention to oneself by carrying something like a Gunting, which had been my EDC up until then. It's blade is 1 15/16" of either 440C or AUS6 steel in one of two shapes, spear point or reverse "S", like the Cricket. It has the trickest lock out there and its clip is all but invisible. When clipped into a pocket, it is definitely a "low-observable" item. I like it very much when I am going places where I wish not to be noticeable with my knife.

Jester is available with a 1 15/16" modified spear point blade of AUS6 steel and is very inexpensive. I have no experience of this knife.

The Ladybug is an even less expensive old classic of Spyderco's. It, too, has a 1 15/16" blade of AUS6, but its blade is rather more pointed than that on the Jester. It has been successfully used for self-defense on a number of occasions, or so the posts have read.

A very hot new item just out is the Salsa. It has all of the bits to make it a very good self-defense knife in the under 2.5" class. It has a 2 7/16" blade, a "Cobra Hood" over the Spydie hole making it easier to open, so they say, and a Compression Lock nested in aluminum scales. The Compression Lock is probably one of the, if not the, best blade locking systems available today. I have them on a number of my knives, including my Lil Temperance, and I swear by them. I have not personally tried a Salsa, although I do intend to do so shortly.

Now, if you are considering carrying a second knife just for self-defense, which is what Sal Glesser and others recommend that you should do, then you might wish to consider the Salsa for that and one of the others or the following for your utility choice. This knife is a bit of an odd one, even for Spyderco, but I have one of their original versions and I really like it for a sort of general purpose carry. It is the Mini-Dyad or Dyad Junior, whatever it is currently called. This is a small knife with two blades, each 0f 2 1/4", one plain edged and the other with Spyder teeth, so that you have both available should you need one or the other. It uses a simple lock back system for both blades and, in its current form, has FRN scales and no clip, so that it simply drops into your pocket.

There you have what I think to be the most up-to-date list of Spyderco's little knives, and a short commentary on each. I hope that you do find it helpful. As to the need for a knife that you carry specifically for self defense, I can only refer you to the Spyderco Forum and to Sal's many, many comments to that effect. Perhaps the more self-defense oriented might wish to expand upon this.
 
Of course, all of the above mentioned knives are excellent. However, for something different, you may want to look at the Kershaw Scallion or Chive. I have the older plastic scaled Scallion and I works great for a variety of tasks. The Chive and (I've heard) the new Scallions have metal scales of some sort so they seem a bit classier than the plastic scaled Scallion.
Both fit in the watch pocket of the average pair of jeans or can be clipped in the pocket.
Plus, it's fun to play with the assisted opening. Of course, that maybe illegal where you live.
-SB
 
I think for knives with an exposed blade/ricasso of 2.5 inches or less, it is critical to handle the knives before you buy.

In my case, I am very fond of small knives, but after testing through about 10 - 15 of them (Chris Reeve, William Henry, Spyderco, CRKT and a couple of customs) I have found that virtually all these knives are too small for me to reliable use the one-hand opening function.

I looked into slipjoint folders, and you can find many great knives in that blade size category if one-hand opening is not critical.

If it is a one-hander you are looking for, I think the Mouse (made for Tim Wegner by Spyderco) is probably the best in terms of blade usefulness and true one-hand capability. The blade stock is rather thick, however and it is a lock-back, not my favorite lock style.

The Chris Reeve Umfaan is a better slicer, but your hand really has to fit this knife for it to be a real one-hander - I always found it very difficult to operate.
 
wow 2.5 inch max length! the knife laws where you live are even stupider than england! i thought that took some beating...

Anyway, although i dont own anything so small apart from a leatherman micra I was going to say 2.5ins is pretty small for a self defence blade. jsut be careful you dont let it lull you into a false sense of security. Obviousley I dont know if youve been highly trained in knife fighting or not but i wouldnt pull a 2.5 inch blade on anyone i think it would make the situation alot more serious by pulling a knife but not give you much if any advantage. any criminal is likely to be carrying something alot bigger than that.

I think klotzli make a few knives with 2.5 inch blades, other than that the only ones ive seen are spyderco. I know ive had problems finding good quality lock backs that come in under 3 inch (max length here) I hope you have more luck than me. :)
 
Check out CRKT and the lightfoot Urban Shark. I have the smaller one and it has been a good knife. It's a stout little guy and nice looking too. People are never put off by it and it seems pretty sturdy to me. You should find it all over for about 30 bux

Good Luck !
 
I agree with WS, the Spyderco Mouse is my choice. Very small and inoffensive, but super strong and secure. No experience with the Salsa yet, but should have one in my hands in a couple of weeks via the pass-around. If i had the money I would probably carry a serrated Dragonfly with it for cutting paper and cardboard and such, and keep the Mouse razor sharp for social uses.

Another option is look around on here for a cheap Delica with the tip broken off and regrind the blade. Working on one of those now, just a touch under 2.5 inches and a nice sized handle to hang onto.
 
i just read your other post you pointed out... I think klotzli would be a fair bit more than you wanted to spend. I noticed you mentioned mace was too big...ive seen MACE in fake pagers and in a large marker pen like format and also key fob size you can get it quite small but you only get a couple of squirts from it. check out http://www.selfdefence.com/pepper_shot.htm for the small pepper spray items. we cant have MACE here but if we could i would prefer it over a knife I would only pull a knife in a life or death situation.

[edited to add in pepper spray link]
 
Check out Outdoor Edge Parogee, under $40, AUS-8 steel,framelock,slight recurve blade...a TOUGH little knife !! Also look into CRKT S-2 ,they can be found for under $30, ti handles, ats-34, framelock. :)
 
I dearly love this little knife, and it just reeks of quality.

<center><IMG SRC="http://www.mikemargolis.com/umfaan1.jpg"></center>
<center><IMG SRC="http://www.mikemargolis.com/umfaan2.jpg"></center>

I bought mine used here on bladeforums for $200
 
Another vote for the stainless Dragonfly. Great little knife with good steel, and the prettiest of all the Spydercos, IMO.
 
The Jester is great (forgot to mention it earlier). I keep a Photon II attached to the laynard hole of mine with a split ring, which makes it much easier to hang onto and keep up with. I have two and love them, but I tend to think of them as a different class of knife from the others mentioned. Great for cutting mail open, but i would rather the dragonfly or the mouse for a defensive knife.

You might also look for an old Benchmade Leopard Cub. Cool little knife.
 
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