New EDC Folder

J

JNieporte

Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Messages
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I'm looking to use a Visa gift card to get a new EDC for a friend. Any place that sells on-line will do. There's some criteria below; please give me some ideas. Why am I asking, having been a member here since 2004? Well, we've gone through a few knives, which I listed below, and the reasons he didn't like them.

Criteria:
-Under $80 shipped. Can't budge on this.
-Tip-up pocket clip. Left-hand carry option is great; four-way would be even better. No deep-carry clips.
-G-10 handles. FRN, Grivory, etc. is acceptable, but G-10 is the first choice. No metal handles.
-Opening mechanism, in order of preference: flipper, hole, stud.
-Blade length, between 3-1/2" and 4-1/2".
-It doesn't matter if the knife has liners.
-Plain edge only.
-Doesn't matter if the knife has assisted opening or not.
-Stone wash is the first choice, followed by satin finish. Any blade finish, paint, or bead blast should be easily-removed.
-Blade steel should be something better than 8Cr13MoV (see below).
-Locks, in order of preference: linerlock, AXIS-style lock, frame lock, lockback / TriAd, slipjoint. No bolster locks, button locks, etc.

A few knives that were handled, and why they didn't pass...
-Spyderco Tenacious. Blade rusts easily and requires frequent resharpening. Apart from these two things, this was close to ideal.
-Kershaw Tremor. Blade size is about perfect. No left-hand carry option. Blade requires frequent resharpening.
-Benchmade Griptilian 555HG. Almost perfect. Cost is just a tad bit too high.
-Cold Steel American Lawman. Blade requires stripping the finish. This is fine, but it leaves the blade susceptible to rust. Blade length is a tad too small.
-Cold Steel Recon 1 Spear Point. Almost perfect. Blade length is ideal. Cost is a bit high. Blade requires stripping, leaving it susceptible to rust.
-Buck Vantage Pro. Clip carries too deep. Blade is too short.
-Cold Steel Voyager, Large, Clip Point. Almost perfect. Weight is heavy. TriAd lock is really sticky.

Ideas?
 
Actually, the Cold Steel knives are AUS8 steel. This is a flavor of stainless, and they are not more prone to rusting than any other stainless knife, even without the coating.

I've stripped a Mini and a Micro Recon, and they develop a very faint blue luster, which, I think, adds to the "well and used" look.
 
Get the lawman, the blade actually is just the perfect size for EDC! As for the Triad Lock, they get less sticky over time, I can now flick open with the thumb my Lawman, and the lock is still solid as a rock!

If still not convinced, just get an Endura. My go to EDC knife.
 
- Spydero Delica 4 FFG
- Spyderco Centofante 3
- Spyderco Cat
- Spyderco Endura 4 FFG
- Kershaw Skyline
- Kershaw Zing
- Kershaw Lahar
- Kershaw RAM
- Kershaw Groove
 
Kershaw Junkyard Dog fits a lot of your requirements...awesome knife. For me the only drawback is the pocket clip. I've since removed the clip from mine and plan on bending my own at some point.

101_0290.jpg
 
Griptilian too expensive? Looks like you need to check out GPKnives.com, they have the 550HG (full-size) for $70.95, and the 555HG (mini) for $64.50. Even with shipping either one is still under your budget, and they're a paid BF dealer to boot :thumbup:

:EDIT:
Both the Kershaw Rake and Kershaw Piston have 3 1/2 in blades, flippers, liner locks, G10 scales, and four-way pocket clips. Both are under $80 but the Rake is about $20 more than the Piston, it has a composite blade with CPM-D2 cutting edge, as apposed the Piston's plain 14C28N.
rake_1780cb_1__510x200.jpg

KS1860a.jpg
 
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I'm thinking an Endura as well. They are very reliable and have a great track-record over the long haul. I have an older first generation Endura with the integral FRN clip that has been through hell and back and it still locks up tight. I carried the knife for many, many years and it saw plenty of "action" daily. Once a week I would sit down for 10 minutes and put an edge on, and it was good to go for another round of work. If one is looking for a "user" a FRN Endura...or a Delica or Native for that matter...is a no brainer. Good steel, functional design, Spyderco warranty....affordable.
 
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Spyderco Manix 2 was my first thought, the Kershaw Rake was my second. Both excellent knives with great steels and 4 way clips.
Kershaw Piston or Knockout are nice choices.
However the Knockout has aluminum handles.

The Spyderco Endura is a great knife as well, the lack of Choil for me sucks though.
I would say to check out the Stretch. A little Smaller than the Endura but has a slight choil and I love the blade shape.
 
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