new forum member seeks advice on first locker

S

SOGer

Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
14
I am a new member to this forum, I joined to find out which knife I should start with, I want to do it right the first time and learn from the collective knowledge of true knife aficionados. I have been looking online a lot lately and even drove to the SOG manufacturer near Seattle, but my eye has been caught by Kershaw especially...

I am wondering, in a tanto style, I have been looking at the offset, and at the cyclone...what is the general feeling about these two knives?

I wish I could search this forum however I cannot figure out where the search button is located, the most important thing!

Thank you for your opinion on these two knives. I am also interested in learning how Kershaw owners feel about makers such as benchmade, buck and strider. I am having a hard time deciding between these and SOG, CRKT , and again coming back to Kershaw. I hope to hear more as I slowly start to educate myself in this exciting art form. Thank you very much for your time. I will spend a good deal of time reflecting on the replies I get to this post before purchasing.
 
SOGer said:
I am a new member to this forum, I joined to find out which knife I should start with, I want to do it right the first time and learn from the collective knowledge of true knife aficionados. I have been looking online a lot lately and even drove to the SOG manufacturer near Seattle, but my eye has been caught by Kershaw especially...

I am wondering, in a tanto style, I have been looking at the offset, and at the cyclone...what is the general feeling about these two knives?

I wish I could search this forum however I cannot figure out where the search button is located, the most important thing!

Thank you for your opinion on these two knives. I am also interested in learning how Kershaw owners feel about makers such as benchmade, buck and strider. I am having a hard time deciding between these and SOG, CRKT , and again coming back to Kershaw. I hope to hear more as I slowly start to educate myself in this exciting art form. Thank you very much for your time. I will spend a good deal of time reflecting on the replies I get to this post before purchasing.
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well obviously from my name here, I love the offset. it is a great knife and does its job well. It is a show piece of technology. I wouldn't consider the blade to be tanto style, but i guess that it could be. the blade steel is 440C. Thats a decent steel. will hold a good edge for awhile and is fairly easy to sharpen. there is a S90V version in the works i do believe, but only Thomas W can confirm that.

the cyclone is great also. you can trun off the assisted opening if you want (just make sure the blade is OPEN when you do). blade steel is 13c26. its a better steel than 440C. it holds a very nice edge, and is easy to sharpen.
if you are lucky, you can get it in ZDP-189 steel. that is one of the best steels on the market now. hard as heck to sharpen, but it will hold a razor edge for a loooooong time. the ZDP cyclone comes with titanium handles too. definatly the high end version. (clarification: the regualr cyclone comes in 13c26 steel with alum. handles, along with a tanto blade option. the Ti-ZDP does not have the tanto option)

here are a few more to consider: Lahar, JYD1 and 2, Groove (has a tanto version), ENRG, Skyline (when it comes out. check out the New Items and Delivery Dates thread for more info), Shallot, Leek (another with the Tanto option), Blur (another with the Tanto option). I'm sure there are more, but I should let the others here have some fun :D ;)
 
Nicely put, OL. To SOGer, I've got to say I lean toward the cyclones...I've got 6 of them...I also have a SOG Trident TF1, and it feels like a toy after handling the Kershaw Cyclones. I also have a large Classic Sebenza. For the price, the Kershaw cyclones beat the snot out of the SOG for materials, fit and finish, and all around ergos. The sebbie and large Cyclones are real close in materials, fit and finish. Again, compare the prices of the sebbie vs the Cyclone..it's not too hard to see why Kershaw is racking up the sales, and gathering the loyal support they enjoy.

Please allow me to repeat the wonders of the Mini Cyclone Ti/ZDP that OL mentioned above...this is probably the best bang for your buck in production folders today. AND it's a frame lock, as opposed to the liner locks of the other Cyclones. For $ 150, it's a steal! There are still a few left in the retail chain, one being NGK (www.newgraham.com). Mike, Mary Beth and Annie are great people to deal with.

Welcome to the forums, and let us know which you pick!

SPX
 
I have a Kershaw Tanto Cyclone...It's an excellent folder...Get one.

I used to carry Spydercos, then Benchmades...I now carry Kershaws, and that's when I'm stayin'.
 
In the past I've had Spydercos, BMs, CRKTs and a few....uggg...Bucks.
Since Dec of 98 I haven't bought anything other then a Kershaw.
The fit, finish, quality and CS of Kershaw has kept me a loyal, happy customer.

As far as Tantos go, the only one I have is the Groove(1730TBLK).
It is one sweet knife. A very solid knife for the $$$.
 
sv, I completely forgot about the Groove...I love mine, but it's not a tanto. Beautiful design, frame lock, G-10 overlays, and flips open as fast as my Cyclones AO...

The Groove and big ENER-G get most of my pocket time! Excellent suggestion!

SPX
 
SPXTrader said:
sv, I completely forgot about the Groove...I love mine, but it's not a tanto. Beautiful design, frame lock, G-10 overlays, and flips open as fast as my Cyclones AO...

The Groove and big ENER-G get most of my pocket time! Excellent suggestion!

SPX
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It really is an excellent knife. I got mine from my son for Christmas.
I wuv my son. :D
I was surprised with the speed for a flipper. After I played with it for
about 2-3 minutes, I had it firing open as fast if not faster then some
of my AOs.
 
I'm really confused, I've looked around, and I can't find anything about this kershaw skyline. what is it, and how badly should I want one?
 
I'm really glad I posted on this forum. I can see the loyalty that you have for Kershaw!
when I read posts that :'In the past I've had Spydercos, BMs, CRKTs and a few Bucks... but Since Dec of 98 I haven't bought anything other then a Kershaw" and this: "I used to carry Spydercos, then Benchmades...I now carry Kershaws, and that's when I'm stayin'...
so, I'm going to go with a Kershaw

makes me feel that I'm in the right place:)

now it's time to make my choice...and I know this is a very personal thing...but if I could have some quick opinions on these:

1) Kershaw Groove Knife, black Tanto, KE-1730TBLK (I really, really like the RJ Martin designs)
2) Kershaw Junkyard Dog II (SKU: K1725ST )
3) Kershaw Cyclone Tanto black
4) Kershaw Titanium mini-Cyclone ZDP...
5) Kershaw Offset...

and I know I could deliberate forever but I'm anxious to get one of these right away, so
1) where should I buy it
2) which one would be the best daily carry with enough size/heft/weight to be a real weapon/tool of substance?

I was also not impressed enough with the SOG trident, it was too light and insubstantial in my hand. I may have to buy more than one just to be sure :)
thanks a lot guys.
 
SOGer said:
I'm really glad I posted on this forum. I can see the loyalty that you have for Kershaw!
when I read posts that :'In the past I've had Spydercos, BMs, CRKTs and a few Bucks... but Since Dec of 98 I haven't bought anything other then a Kershaw" and this: "I used to carry Spydercos, then Benchmades...I now carry Kershaws, and that's when I'm stayin'...
so, I'm going to go with a Kershaw

makes me feel that I'm in the right place:)

now it's time to make my choice...and I know this is a very personal thing...but if I could have some quick opinions on these:

1) Kershaw Groove Knife, black Tanto, KE-1730TBLK (I really, really like the RJ Martin designs)
2) Kershaw Junkyard Dog II (SKU: K1725ST )
3) Kershaw Cyclone Tanto black
4) Kershaw Titanium mini-Cyclone ZDP...
5) Kershaw Offset...

and I know I could deliberate forever but I'm anxious to get one of these right away, so
1) where should I buy it
2) which one would be the best daily carry with enough size/heft/weight to be a real weapon/tool of substance?

I was also not impressed enough with the SOG trident, it was too light and insubstantial in my hand. I may have to buy more than one just to be sure :)
thanks a lot guys.
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hahaha, i get to you again! lol.

anyway, lets see what i know.

1. groove = great steel (13c26), opens nice and fast, those grooves actually cut down on friction (someone will have to find the thread where RJ goes over the "why" to that one). affordable, good fit in the hand.

2. JYD2 = great knife. sharp as heck, opens great, locks great, same steel as the groove, which sharpens easily. affordable, another great fit in the hand. yeah its a liner lock, but its a thick lock, and locks well, very well.

3. Cyclone (both of them) = great knives. the tanto version has the "lesser" steel. other than that, the Ti-ZDP cyclone is the best period, in terms of materials. maybe not the most affordable (Ti-ZDP one that is), but worth it.

4. Offset = I love that knife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sharp, locks well (don't be intimidated by the stud lock. it works great), huge knife (even if my hands dwarf the thing), incredible blade shape. not to affordable (the cheapest i have seen it, not counting my local shop, is about $200 -$220).

as for where to get it, NGK is prolly your best bet.
as for what would make the best EDC would prolly be the JYD2 or the Cyclone. both are large, but the Offset is just plain massive, although the Offset does carry well for its size.

hope that helps!
 
well it seems that my choice may be easier than I thought...though not for the best reasons! I live in Seattle, and just reviewed the local knife laws, turns out that WA state forbids any knives over 3.5inches for a concealed carry...I checked the lengths of the offset and the cyclone and they are all 3.75inches!!!!!!!! woah! only the groove is 3.5...
(I did not check the mini cyclone or junkyard dog...) so do you think the groove would be a good choice? good pedigree, RJ Martin, how is the quality of the steel? I take it this knife is not a 'real' Martin knife, as they seem to be going to $4-500?
 
hey thanks offsetlover!!thanks for telling me about the steel quality of the groove! I am going to read about that some more...well, the blade length is right for where I live, the design flawless and it's a tanto which I love, I think I'll start with a groove and move on from there, hope I am making a good choice! I think i'll wait on the titanium 'super steel' knife for now, I take it there are some metalsmiths on this board as well, when you say 'great! steel' as 13c26, this must be good. perhaps not as good as the zdp189 however for a new collector getting his first daily carry I hope that the kershaw groove will be a good start :) thanks guys!!!
 
SOGer said:
well it seems that my choice may be easier than I thought...though not for the best reasons! I live in Seattle, and just reviewed the local knife laws, turns out that WA state forbids any knives over 3.5inches for a concealed carry...I checked the lengths of the offset and the cyclone and they are all 3.75inches!!!!!!!! woah! only the groove is 3.5...
(I did not check the mini cyclone or junkyard dog...) so do you think the groove would be a good choice? good pedigree, RJ Martin, how is the quality of the steel? I take it this knife is not a 'real' Martin knife, as they seem to be going to $4-500?
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third time's the charm huh? lol

well the mini-cyclone would fit in that length limit i do believe.

The groove is a great knife. No it isn't a "real" RJ Martin knife, but he did design it, it's the production model thats all. The steel quality is great. 13c26 will take a wicked edge (play with the JYD2 or the groove to see what i mean), and is easy to sharpen. so in short, yes the groove would be an excellent choice. GET IT MAN!!!! lol *sry guys, im a bit slap happy tonight*
 
thanks offsetlover I'm enjoying this thread :) well now I just discovered the tactical blur, and realized that there's a whole series of youtube videos of kershaw knife demos...
I have been looking at the titanium zdp knife again, Seattle also seems to have a law against any kind of assisted knife too, but SOG sells them here, so must be OK...

I wonder if the blade at 3.5 would even be an issue...but if possible I'll stay on the smaller side. I'm going to try and find a Seattle based Kershaw dealer where I can hold these knives in person, I would really like to go that route so that I can buy something I 'fall in love with'!! thanks again, at least, I've decided to go with kershaw.

By the way, I see that Kershaw/Kai markets the tactical line called zero tolerance although I'm not as keen on the logo...what's the general opinion on that one?

also, titanium knives...SOG also makes the titanium vision, compared with the mini zdp, is there even any comparison? or should I simply give up on SOG forever
 
SOGer, it's great to have you in the famly...OL gave a great rundown of the pieces you questioned.

As for SOG, as I mentioned, I own a Trident TF1. No comparison between the SOG and Kershaw MC Ti/ZDP, with Kershaw being light years ahead in materials, design and R&D. I was briefly interested in the SOG Vulcan, but the more I read, the more problems seem to keep popping up on them. There's a huge difference, IMHO, between SOG's R&D and Kershaw. In all fairness, I do own a SOG Seal Pup and Seal Pup Elite. They seem to have nice fixed blades, but their folder department needs some serious work. Take a read on the Kershaw Tyrade, and look at the thought that went into the development of that knife...cutting edge technology at it's best. Folders? My two-cents worth? Give up on the SOG folders...they're not even in the same league with Kershaw.

The ZT line is the brute line for Kershw. Like comparing a tank to a Yugo. They're BIG, stout and will take a beating without any problems. The two most popular seem to be the ZT0200 and the ZT0300 series.

As I stated earlier, the Groove is a great knife, the flipper is as fast as an AO, tip up or down option and you have a frame lock. BUT...if you have the funds set aside, please do yourself a favor and find a local Kershaw dealer. Put the tanto Groove in your hand, and see how it feels. Then compare that to the Ti/ZDP Mini Cyclone. It will come in a blade length that shouldn't give you any problems. And as I said, it's probably the best bang for your buck in a production folder...titanium frame lock, ZDP-189 steel blade (holds a very sharp edge for a long time), AO and AO on-off toggle, tip up/down carry option, and it's a beautiful knife with the gray frame and black blade. The MC Ti/ZDP is $ 150, but you have to remember two things: top shelf materials and a knife that isn't a regular production model. It was a sprint run, and the only ones left are in the distribution chain.

MADE IN THE USA, combined with Kershaw's excellent customer serivice, and you've got the best you can find, at any price point.

2007_1128Image0009.jpg


I liked em so much, i bought two!

Enjoy your time here...there are a great bunch of guys here with more Kershaw knowledge than you'll ever need!

SPX
 
SOGer said:
well it seems that my choice may be easier than I thought...though not for the best reasons! I live in Seattle, and just reviewed the local knife laws, turns out that WA state forbids any knives over 3.5inches for a concealed carry...
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I think that is just a City of Seattle code law, as here in Aberdeen, I can legally carry a folder with a foot-long blade if I chose to...As long as it's not a "dirk or dagger", or a "switchblade". I do know that the knife carry laws are pretty strict in the larger cities (Seattle, Tacoma, even Olympia), but here in Aberdeen, we can pack any blade-length we want to. I carry a ZT 0200, with NO problems, and it sports a 3.75" blade...(Or a 4.25" blade, according to the current ZT catalog...).
 
well i was going to say something, but SPX and the Glockman took care of it. they said what i wanted to lol. w/e you choose, so long as its a kershaw, you will be fine, esspecially with the ones you have been looking at.
 
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