Need suggestions for a new every day folder

You just dismissed the best candidate in this thread, the Benchmade 705 because you are "...reluctant to bet my safety on those flimsy looking little springs..." and your favorites are liner locks which are notorious for accidental releases.

And the winner? The Mini SOCOM, a knife that was discontinued due to an almost total lack of positive regard from the tactical folder using community.

Well, you dogged just about every suggestion given to you in this thread, so I thought, why should you have all the fun. :D

Cheers!
 
Steve,

I can't fault your logic. I intend to test the Mini Socom lock as thoroughly as I can before I implement it for EDC. Will I be better protected than by carrying my CS Voyager? Probably not. But I doubt that I'll be worse off either. This purchase is not just a tactical one, but to just give me a knife that I like more to carry with me everyday. My research is generally very specific and detail oriented, but when it all is said and done, buying anything is about emotion (I've been in sales a long time, I know about buying motivations). I don't really need this knife, I have many competent knives, but with all the wierdness in the world right now, I want a nicer EDC than my current one, but don't want to whack my savings account or a credit card hard enough to buy a small Sebenza right yet (wife's still laid off- it's a semiconductor kind of thing). That being said, I have done a lot of research on a good $100.00 knife and I think the Microtech is all of that to me. I'll do a bunch more research on knives in the Sebbie's price range before I buy one of them as well (but I may end up with the Sebenza anyway as I'm kind of hot for one of them after all this). I may end up with a Camillus EDC as well if I can find one to look at in person.

As to the BM stuff, while I find it generally competently made, and I like the easy opening on the Axis lock stuff, I haven't been able to fall in love with any of them. By my original request, the BM940 most closely matches of all the knnives I've looked at, but I just couldn't get into it. Besides that, I'm still suspect of little springs in that critical position (does the lock still work if only one spring works?). I have yet to see a BM690BC1 in the flesh, but perhaps that is the one to do it for me, I don't know? I don't always value superior technology as better. As an example, I would give up my Glock 21 .45ACP which is a great tactical weapon (especially with the night sights) before I'd ever part with my Ruger 4" stainless GP100 .357 magnum. I just have more faith that the wheelgun wouldn't fail me in time of need (and is more versatile with various ammunition), even if the other weapon is technically (tactically) better (but you'll notice that I do own both!).

My wife gave me an AlMar SERE 2000 for our first anniversary, and having several orher knives in that size class, I traded it in for a William Henry T10-CF as a more suitable EDC. For a vareity of reasons the WH generally stays in the safe, and wierdly, I'm feeling the need to own a SERE 2000 now to boot (which will probably mostly live in the safe as well).

It's all very wierd with these obsessive hobby things.

Thanks everybody for all the info and free exchange of ideas (what makes America great).

God Bless America

jmx
 
All makes a lot of sense, but I sure beat the hell out of my Benchmades as of late. been thru some 710"s and love my 722 and 730 and my 735's. The Axis lock has really held up to some un-knifely duties and besides needing an edge, the BM with the little lock seems to have worked well for me. The Mini-Socom was a useless EDC in my book......wolf
 
It's all very wierd with these obsessive hobby things...
Click to expand...

Yup. :D

Other than your (somewhat odd to me) elimination of the framelock, and the price point...you described a Sebenza. This is my EDC.

Except for the tip up carry, it sounds like a Camillus EDC. I carry mine from time to time as a second knife. A nice little unit.

The 940 fits all your criteria. Personally, I like the looks of this knife, but like you I have little trust in tiny springs. I have also noticed that it takes very little time (or dirt) to reduce the silky smooth action to a scratchy, slow action. If it were a Ti frame lock, it would see a lot more carry. :)

Save your money, get a Sebenza. :)


Steve-O
 
Wolfie- please tell me why the Mini Socom was such a washout for you? I'm really curious. I haven't received mine yet and have time to readjust my thinking.

Steve-o- my dismissal of frame locks was based on one very weak (IMHO) design; the CRKT small KISS. It seems to me that the KISS suffers because the lock release on a frame lock is not protected (hence easier to accidentally disengage) by another scale, as it is with something like a Sebenzaa. I have since readjusted my thinking on quality frame locks (ie: my recent case of Small Sebenza lust). From my point, the frame lock is diametrically opposed to the Axis lock (very few, burly parts, integrated into the chassis of the knife, as opposed to many small, easy to lose or damage parts).

So you really think highly of the Camillus EDC huh? I have one of their small gentlemen's pocket folders (model 110) and have always been impressed by it's ability to take and hold a good edge (although never heavily used because of it's size). Outside of the tip down carry, the EDC was on my list as well, but like the BM690, I was unable to hold one prior to purchase (hands on is critical to me).

Thanks guys

jmx
 
I have both a BM 730 and 690 in case you may have been able to handle the Ares you can use it as a reference. The Ares is defintely the more tactical of the two. Blade lengths are about the same, but the 730 blade is wider, and in some strange arrangement the 690 handle is considerably shorter (not sure by how much, a quick check at 1sks or the like would say). I also don't doubt the omega springs in the axis lock, they push the lock pin forward and back. Once it is in place any attempt to close the blade wold apply force upward on the pin in a circular fashion, not really working along the same plane as the springs.

And how did you trade away an anniversary present and live to talk about it?
 
Forgot to mention 690 is tip down carry. Checked handle and blade dimensions too:

730 3.6 in blade 4.7 in handle
690 3.25 in blade 4.12 in handle

Don't know how they check blade lentghs, lined mine up at the pivot pin, they're closer than a 1/4 in. to me
 
Wife got new job today! New Small Sebenza might be in works soon (have to wait out her probationary period)!!!!.

(Cheer goes up throughout the crowd!)

jmx
 
You laid out so many variables, it is tough to recommend one good solid knife. There is one knife which almost fits every requirement:
The Al Mar Sere 2000. You NEED to own this knife. The main problem is that it is a spearpoint, or modified spearpoint (you said you did not want a spearpoint). It's not exactly lightweight, either, weighing in at 6 oz. But that is good...it means it is one solid little blade. It's only 3.6" long. For $116 (toptexknives.com) you can own this outstanding knife. It is one of my all time favorite knives. A classic.
 
You're right, I do need to own a SERE 2000, but not as an EDC. It's too big to wear where I have to go (I'm a salesman, not a cop). But I can appreciate it, I already own an older AlMar fixed blade and my wife even gave me an older SERE (not 2000, no thumb stud) which I traded in for a William Henry. The SERE 2000 certainly looks like a great knife for the collection, just not an EDC.

jmx
 
I have a now weird shaped right hand and have a slight tremble. I just could not hold the Mini-socom and get it open smoothly no matter HOW HARD I tried. I had five of them mind you, but I just could not get it to be a "tactical EDC" for ME. I tried the auto, same problem with fitting in my hand. I moved up to the BIG Boy the Socom MA and then the Socom Elite-A. NOPE. It is NOT the knife, it is ME!!!!!!! I kept the DA as a collector and traded all my signed minis, autos minis and my Elites as they were "useless" for ME. I sure do not and did not mean to impune MT or the knife, I apologize, that was not my intention. I am just a walking accident and had a tendency to drop mini-socoms when they were open and I was barefoot!!!!OUCH.....wolf
 
To all who submitteed responses to my original post about a new EDC: thanks.

Peter Atwood was right about the Small Sebbie. I really tried to buy a Microtech Mini Socom, but they seem to have become hard to find in the under $100.00 (closeout)price range and I was committed to staying arounf 4". Once I determined that I might be spending closer to $200.00 for my new EDC (mini socom) I started to think that it wasn't much more of a stretch to get to a plain Small Sebenza. Then all of a sudden my wife got a new job (she was laid off a couple months ago). Wouldn't you know, Dave at Nordic Knives (in Solvang, CA) had a plain small Sebbie in stock and I was in the area on business, and the rest is history!

Chris Reeves has done an awesome job on this knife. If you don't have one, you need one (pretty much the ultimate EDC if you're in Khakis or better)! I still want to add a Microtech to my collection, but this thing is awesome!

jmx

PS: If you're in the area (Central Coast CA, near Santa Ynez; our lower wine country) Nordic Knives is an Awesome shop to visit. I've been going there for over 20 years (and can now actually afford to shop there!) and they've got one of the nicest collections of customs available anywhere!.
 
The standing "joke", but more solidly based in fact, with so much evidence to supoort, is that a power tool, ANY tool, maybe even a knife in Wolfie's hand is a CERTAIN ACCIDENT and in most cases a resulting 9-1-1. The old joke about hitting your thumb with a hammer. Well I USED TO burn wood, Oh the house, that's another story!!!! I had to split some of said dry seasoned wood. Well hold object "A" swing that Mallet, sledge hammer, other side of an axe, call it what ya want, but I found out that ya really should move the thumb PRIOR to making contact!!!!! I used to, USED TO!!! play baseball and can (could) go both ways. So I swithced to swing left handed holding right handed and I just forgot to move my right thumb. Well, MF, OH-F, AH sh*T, GD-it "Honey, honey, F-ing BARBARA!!!!! " "YES, IRA DIAL 9-1-1" hence I cannot hold a SOCOM as a tactical EDC!!!!
Probably should just use a training knife!!!!!! Now my "other" house............wolf:o
 
how about a CS Vanquero Grande with 6" serrated blade..
nothing like a big mother of a knife- this basterd actually fits in your front pocket :) sweet.....
 
I know the feeling. My wife is under the impression that If I am ever in a potition where something isn't healing, it'll likely mean I'm dead (slightly accident prone).

jmx
 
JMX,
No apology necessary!!!!! All self-inflicted....Enjoy the Socom. no question it is a FINE knife!!!!!!!!wolf
(Ya wanna talk accident prone? My wife even trained my cats to dial 9-1-1) Yeah LOL, Ain't funny, it HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!:o
 
The small sebbie is nice, but I love my EDC knife, the LUDT. It's the one made in 10/96 with the Krayton insets. Black handle, bead blast blade. It's awsome, but then again I love autos, and I hate pocket clips. I wear it everywhere I go and it seems to grab attention when I pull it out to open an envelope. No one expects you to carry an auto around, but the knife is so classy looking that you don't even know it's an auto until you hit the button.

If someoen was dead set on not carrying an auto I would probably carry the MOD Hornet. Love that knife.
 
While I'd really like to own the AlMar auto SERE I looked at today at a store in Las Vegas, I'm really concerned about the legalities of one, especially if I ever had to use it defensively. I'm sure both knives you mentioned are great knives, but I was looking for something less visually aggressive looking. The little Sebbie is all that and a (bag of chips).

jmx
 
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