Need help finding a high quality "sleeper" knife

[cchu518]

i think the hard part is the coming in as a last defense tool, although any knife can be a weapon I suppose. Another suggestion is to pick a knife that you like (not pinned) and get keyman or Steve Ketchen to put on a nice set of custom scales on the knife to your liking. Truth be told the Al Mar knives are fantastic and the Aus-8 is heat treated really well.

 

[BuckShack]

Go to the Buck website and build yourself a nice custom shop 501 Squire with an S30V blade and one of the many beautiful handle scales they currently offer. I carried one of these through high school and college. It did everything I needed and it would have protected me as well as any small knife would have in a pinch.

 

[pinnah]

Nope, I'm not willing to waste anymore of my time on your crusade for the simple fact that you contradicted yourself in your recommendation of a lock back and that I already know your argument on the opinel. I and most others don't agree. The OP won't either. You already know that. Of course now you will say that is not what you were going to recommend. Change the goal posts again. Classic stuff. Really.

You take care now!

You stalking me?

A) I provisionally recommended the Mudbug if the OP wants a decent out of the box experience. Caveat: GEC lockbacks (like most lockbacks) are prone to vertical play. I'm not seeing what the contradiction is. I noted that there are more durable knives.

B) I'm withholding my actual recommendation until he clarifies his criteria.

C) Since when do you speak for "most others"?

D) Of course you're not willing to conduct a test and put your money where your mouth is. It drives you nuts that a $15 knife is as tough or tougher than many $150 knives, doesn't it? Talk. Nothing but talk.

 

[pinnah]

Go to the Buck website and build yourself a nice custom shop 501 Squire with an S30V blade and one of the many beautiful handle scales they currently offer. I carried one of these through high school and college. It did everything I needed and it would have protected me as well as any small knife would have in a pinch.

Too bad the 500 isn't available on the custom shop, as that would be closer to the OP's desired size. Hard to recommend the 112, as it's just such a pocket brick.

Buck 500 Duke and Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr

 

[craytab]

You stalking me?

A) I provisionally recommended the Mudbug if the OP wants a decent out of the box experience. Caveat: GEC lockbacks (like most lockbacks) are prone to vertical play. I'm not seeing what the contradiction is. I noted that there are more durable knives.

B) I'm withholding my actual recommendation until he clarifies his criteria.

C) Since when do you speak for "most others"?

D) Of course you're not willing to conduct a test and put your money where your mouth is. It drives you nuts that a $15 knife is as tough or tougher than many $150 knives, doesn't it? Talk. Nothing but talk.

Stalking you? Please. Your posts with the same pictures and always recommending the same knife no matter what the question is stick out like a sore thumb. And the reason why no one will enter into some dumb blade competition with you is the same reason you think you win all the arguments you get into here: you change the perimeters to fit whatever you want. It is a waste of everyone's time, not yours of course, you always think you win! And with that, toodles. Perhaps you can get someone else to argue with why your opinel is not the toughest knife you can recommend or is more "tough" than others that the OP is actually interested in. :thumbup:

On topic, the buck website may not be a bad place to look. Customize to get what you want. I'll just say again that Almar and Fallkniven have options that fit your criteria OP. Another option is looking vintage like Ted suggested. Last thought is to go custom and get exactly what you want. You will pay for it though. Good luck.

 

[Velitrius]

Also something like the Moki Kronos would work -

.

The Moki is an awesome choice. Real nice fit and finish, and VG-10 steel to boot.

Ted's idea of vintage/out of production offerings is great as well. You could dash over to Arizona Custom Knives, tag your preferences in the "find your knife" option, and have hours of enjoyment looking at a dazzling array of cutlery.

Lots of good recommendations in this thread so far.

 

[Burnt Stag]

It is possible to get 2 to 3 knifes of great quality that are similar but different that you could put into a carry rotation. Maybe even for the $$$ mentioned for them all if you watch the members for sale section. I see GEC #23 and #73 patterns on the big auction sites for less than $75 quite often.
GEC and Case offer up patterns and styles that are well built and in my opinion will last a lifetime.
The Case toothpick
Case Cheetah has the style you are looking for with the swing guard for added safety for your hand if needed as a weapon.
GEC has the large 23 and next size down in the 73 with strong springs that feel like lock backs when open.
The 83 is smaller yet.
Just a few ideas.
All are well built and come in more handle materials than you can imagine.

 

[Roamad]

Nice suggestion to go vintage. There are some amazing quality vintage knives out there that could meet your needs. Here's one that fits your parameters that I've started carrying a lot. It's a Kershaw 1993-2 Gentleman's Folder -- VG10 blade with black micarta scales. The build quality on this thing is amazing. It's probably the finest knife I own. And the one shown is my "beater" that I put into the daily rotation (notice wear on scales). I have another that's mint and it's a safe queen (if I had a safe). No pocket clip, but I made a slip sheath to carry it.

View attachment 672571

 

[jwh720]

Ah... Quality.

Pirsig said (roughly) that quality is that which produces peace of mind.

Is "quality" tied to price for you? Could you live with a knife that costs much less than $150 or would you stay awake at night worrying that you own a cheap knife?

Can you say more about what sort of quality you want in a blade steel?

Can you way more about what sort of sturdiness you want? No vertical play? No blade wobble? Strong lock?

I have a knife that will tick all your boxes but it won't give you a lock that resists hard closing forces. It also has a very traditional fine grained steel that takes a scary sharp edge but won't have the edge hold of a more carbide rich steel. It also costs 1/10th of your desired price and that may be a deal breaker for you. But it's probably as sturdy or more sturdy than anything else that's been mentioned and in my experience, the most friendly knife in an urban/suburban setting.

Dude I would have to say I highly disagree with an opinel being more sturdy than any of the other suggestions mentioned here. I own a few opinels and they are definitely not as nice/sturdy as my GEC or benchmade summit, which is the way I would go. To a point price is definitely connected to quality.


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[FlaMtnBkr]

Is it a recommendation if you never recommend it or say what it is?

Just say what knife so the dude can decide if he likes it or not.

 

[pinnah]

Is it a recommendation if you never recommend it or say what it is?

Just say what knife so the dude can decide if he likes it or not.

I'm not recommending it because (hold on to your keyboards) I agree with Craytab that I think the OP isn't really looking for a "sturdy, sturdy, sturdy" knife and is, instead, looking for a knife that will produce a certain pride of ownership associated with a $150 price tag and modern steels.

One of the problems that ddcronk is encountering is that his tastes are moving towards traditionals but production traditionals are dominated by older steels. He's already clarified that he's specifically not looking with a modern folder with wooden slabs bolted on. Perhaps the Benchmade Summit Lake is sufficiently un-modern looking for him. If not, then I think he'll have very few production options of something traditional looking, long, light and using modern steels.

 

[Daniel Dorn]

I'll second the Le Thiers par Chambriard knives that are produced to a very high quality. I have one in stag that is long, lean and sexy, but to a N.K.P. it looks like a fancy steak knife. Though not a locking knife, they have a stiff back-spring.

These are the lock-backs, which are a bit higher in $$$.

 

[22-rimfire]

It is possible to get 2 to 3 knifes of great quality that are similar but different that you could put into a carry rotation. Maybe even for the $$$ mentioned for them all if you watch the members for sale section. I see GEC #23 and #73 patterns on the big auction sites for less than $75 quite often.
GEC and Case offer up patterns and styles that are well built and in my opinion will last a lifetime.
The Case toothpick
Case Cheetah has the style you are looking for with the swing guard for added safety for your hand if needed as a weapon.
GEC has the large 23 and next size down in the 73 with strong springs that feel like lock backs when open.
The 83 is smaller yet.
Just a few ideas.
All are well built and come in more handle materials than you can imagine.

Actually the GEC #42 is the next size smaller than the #23 at 4.25" closed length. It's my favorite. The #23 is just too much of a pocket brick for me although it is a great knife to have with you in the woods. The leather slips that KSF sells are very nice and work well with these knives to make them a little more comfortable in the pocket, even the #23. The #72/73 models are very popular.

When you look at GEC knives at many online sellers, it is often hard to discern the size from pictures. I had that problem and purchased a number both smaller and larger in my quest for my preferred size.

Many have said that the GEC lockbacks develop vertical blade play with time or even there may be some when they are new. The regular GEC slip joints generally are not fast knives to deploy and require two hands.

 

[pinnah]

Actually the GEC #42 is the next size smaller than the #23 at 4.25" closed length. It's my favorite. The #23 is just too much of a pocket brick for me although it is a great knife to have with you in the woods. The leather slips that KSF sells are very nice and work well with these knives to make them a little more comfortable in the pocket, even the #23. The #72/73 models are very popular.

One thing that the OP might consider if he goes the route of a traditional (no-clip) knife is how to carry. Many traditional knives are on the heavy side so to get the length he's looking for, he'll have to consider if he wants to carry a knife that big loose in the front pocket or whether he would move to rear pocket carry (run a seam up the side of a rear pocket is one way).

I really hope to get a #42 some day.

Many have said that the GEC lockbacks develop vertical blade play with time or even there may be some when they are new. The regular GEC slip joints generally are not fast knives to deploy and require two hands.

Vertical play (a.k.a. lock rock) is a perennial issue with traditional lock backs. Some do. Some don't. The design puts a lot of stress on the blade tang/lock bar interface and if that opens up at all, the lockbar will lift a bit under heavy cutting. My 2 dot 110, modern 110 and old script Buck 500 are all rock solid but I have a bunch of Bucks that developed horrible vertical play in less than a year of use.

Another issue with traditionally constructed flat peened slip joints and lockbacks is that they tend to develop lateral play (a.k.a. wobble) if used for prying. Guys on the Buck sub-forum will call prying with a 110 abuse. A gave a buddy of mine who's a carpenter a different style knife with a challenge to see how fast he could break it. He went out of way to open all paint cans and the like with the knife blade - intentionally abusive. Eventually (nearly 2 years of daily abuse), he work hardened the blade and it snapped but even with all of that abuse, it never developed any blade play in any direction. Different designs have different strengths and different quirks. I still carry a 110 many days (like today) because I find them fun but I just accept that there are sturdier designs out there.

 

[ddcronk]

Wow, a lot of great activity since I was here last. Some fantastic suggestions - I really appreciate everybody who has taken the time to participate in this thread. It's always enjoyable to share an enthusiasm with others.

To reiterate for those who don't want to read through the whole thread - this knife is NOT primarily for use as a defense weapon. It is an everyday tool, used for the many little daily tasks that a pocketknife is suited for. However, since it is a knife, and will be traveling with me everywhere, I do want it to be sturdy enough to use as a defensive weapon, if, God forbid, the need arise.

I am really leaning towards the GEC/Northwoods stuff, and honestly, if those brands had better availability, I probably would have already made a purchase. Unfortunately, due to their limited production runs, the knives I like most are either very hard to find or very expensive in the secondary market. I find myself much more attracted to bone or stag handles than most wood, though I make an exception for African blackwood. Also, I tend to like spear point, wharncliffe, sheep's foot and clip point blades, in that order.

Some of my favorites so far:

Northwoods Madison Barlow - 1095 steel, 3.5" blade, about $250 in the secondary market (too rich for my blood, unfortunately):

GEC Lick Creek Boy's Knife - 1095 steel, 2.5" blade, about $67. If it had a 3" blade I'd already own one.

GEC Crown Lifter - 1095 steel, 2.5" blade (too short), about $90. Nothing says "not a weapon" like a bottle opener.

Tidioute Wall Street - 1095 steel, 3" blade, I don't know what one would cost, because I can't find a wharncliffe Wall Street.

Anyway, these obviously aren't the only knives I've liked out of the suggestions given, but it should show what I'm leaning towards. Thanks again!

 

[SCWillson]

Have you looked at the GEC Dixie Stockman? (#81 IIRC) Main blade is just under 3", and it has a lovely "sheepcliffe" secondary blade. Size closed is 4.25". I've got one with bone scales and is is a beautiful (and non-threatening) traditional.

 

[cchu518]

This is a GEC 72 lockback with wharncliffe blade that I just traded out of. It's an amazing do it all knife. I just normally carry smaller knives as I work in NYC 5 days a week. They come up for sale from time to time.

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[CARRERA50]

It's illegal to carry fixed blade in California I belie

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Depends whether you have a jacket on...

 

[22-rimfire]

Wow, a lot of great activity since I was here last. Some fantastic suggestions - I really appreciate everybody who has taken the time to participate in this thread. It's always enjoyable to share an enthusiasm with others.

To reiterate for those who don't want to read through the whole thread - this knife is NOT primarily for use as a defense weapon. It is an everyday tool, used for the many little daily tasks that a pocketknife is suited for. However, since it is a knife, and will be traveling with me everywhere, I do want it to be sturdy enough to use as a defensive weapon, if, God forbid, the need arise.

I am really leaning towards the GEC/Northwoods stuff, and honestly, if those brands had better availability, I probably would have already made a purchase. Unfortunately, due to their limited production runs, the knives I like most are either very hard to find or very expensive in the secondary market. I find myself much more attracted to bone or stag handles than most wood, though I make an exception for African blackwood. Also, I tend to like spear point, wharncliffe, sheep's foot and clip point blades, in that order.

Some of my favorites so far:

Northwoods Madison Barlow - 1095 steel, 3.5" blade, about $250 in the secondary market (too rich for my blood, unfortunately):

GEC Lick Creek Boy's Knife - 1095 steel, 2.5" blade, about $67. If it had a 3" blade I'd already own one.

GEC Crown Lifter - 1095 steel, 2.5" blade (too short), about $90. Nothing says "not a weapon" like a bottle opener.

Tidioute Wall Street - 1095 steel, 3" blade, I don't know what one would cost, because I can't find a wharncliffe Wall Street.

Anyway, these obviously aren't the only knives I've liked out of the suggestions given, but it should show what I'm leaning towards. Thanks again!

My elephant ivory Madison Barlow didn't even cost $250 new as I recall. Wow. Just goes to show you I don't pay much attention to the secondary market. Anyway, KSF has been doing a run of the Madison Barlow (usually single blade) about every year for the last couple. You could give Derrick a call and see if they have any plans along that line in the next 6 months. The single blade is real pocket friendly considering it's size.

The #14 Boys Knife is a great little blade. It's small of course, just a bit larger than a peanut. I like it a lot. Glad I bought one when they were available in so many different scales a couple of months back.

 

[craytab]

Wow, a lot of great activity since I was here last. Some fantastic suggestions - I really appreciate everybody who has taken the time to participate in this thread. It's always enjoyable to share an enthusiasm with others.

To reiterate for those who don't want to read through the whole thread - this knife is NOT primarily for use as a defense weapon. It is an everyday tool, used for the many little daily tasks that a pocketknife is suited for. However, since it is a knife, and will be traveling with me everywhere, I do want it to be sturdy enough to use as a defensive weapon, if, God forbid, the need arise.

I am really leaning towards the GEC/Northwoods stuff, and honestly, if those brands had better availability, I probably would have already made a purchase. Unfortunately, due to their limited production runs, the knives I like most are either very hard to find or very expensive in the secondary market. I find myself much more attracted to bone or stag handles than most wood, though I make an exception for African blackwood. Also, I tend to like spear point, wharncliffe, sheep's foot and clip point blades, in that order.

......

Anyway, these obviously aren't the only knives I've liked out of the suggestions given, but it should show what I'm leaning towards. Thanks again!

Just a thought to consider. If you want this knife to have the ability to flex into an emergency SD roll, I think a lock would be extremely valuable if not totally necessary.