New here and to knives (looking for help searching the forums)

Here are the knives i'm considering:

Spyderco Tenacious - Due to price being under $50/Large thumb hole/G10/Recommended brand on here/appears to be about the size im looking for
~Downside - Made in China/Unsure of blade quality and ease for beginner

Ontario RAT model 2 - Due to very low price/seems similar to Spyderco Tenacious/appears to be about the size im looking for
~Downside - Again unsure of blade quality and in comparison to Tenacious blade/Unsure of handle quality in comparison to Tenacious/No thumb hole

So far I think i've mostly eliminated Kershaw as I don't think for my first EDC that's not a multi tool that I would want an assisted knife.
What do you guys think of these 2 so far? Any other suggestions that might be similar but you would recommend a bit more?
 
ItsKYRO said:
Here are the knives i'm considering:

Spyderco Tenacious - Due to price being under $50/Large thumb hole/G10/Recommended brand on here/appears to be about the size im looking for
~Downside - Made in China/Unsure of blade quality and ease for beginner

Ontario RAT model 2 - Due to very low price/seems similar to Spyderco Tenacious/appears to be about the size im looking for
~Downside - Again unsure of blade quality and in comparison to Tenacious blade/Unsure of handle quality in comparison to Tenacious/No thumb hole

So far I think i've mostly eliminated Kershaw as I don't think for my first EDC that's not a multi tool that I would want an assisted knife.
What do you guys think of these 2 so far? Any other suggestions that might be similar but you would recommend a bit more?
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Both are good knives. Spyderco's China stuff is still decent quality and the steel is good, especially for a beginner because it's a bit easier to sharpen than some of the "super steels".
If you want a slightly better steel take a look at the Byrd Raven 2, pretty darn similar to the tenacious.
 
For the price range you're in those are probably two of the better options you could chose ... and the quality is good ... and the blade steel is decent ... it's something that isn't real difficult to sharpen ... and may give you the chance to learn how to keep a knife sharp before you spend alot of a premium knife steel.

So if those appeal to you I would say give them a try ... the Rat I've owned and for the cost it's hard to beat ... I've not owned that specific Spyderco but
they make quaility knives I think those are good choices to start with and you can learn from them what you like or may not like and have that knowledge for your next purchase down the road.
 
Do any of you own a leatherman rev/wingman/sidekick that can tell me how either of the two knives i listed above would compare blade wise?

I love my rev but the knife barely goes thru paper brand new
 
I don't own a Leatherman Rev but I believe the blade steel is 420HC its not a great steel and dulls quickly ... the knives you mentioned buying come with better steels ... and should come to you with better factory edges ... but still it is good you want to learn to sharpen .... even just minor touch ups to a knives edge can make the ease it cuts with seem completely different.

The Leatherman Rev should be easy to sharpen up and cut much better if you learn basic sharpening ... but the Rat and Spyderco have better steels and should be a big improvement even with the factory edges when you get them.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
I don't own a Leatherman Rev but I believe the blade steel is 420HC its not a great steel and dulls quickly ... the knives you mentioned buying come with better steels ... and should come to you with better factory edges ... but still it is good you want to learn to sharpen .... even just minor touch ups to a knives edge can make the ease it cuts with seem completely different.

The Leatherman Rev should be easy to sharpen up and cut much better if you learn basic sharpening ... but the Rat and Spyderco have better steels and should be a big improvement even with the factory edges when you get them.
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Yeah im pretty sure im gonna get the lansky turn box.

Is it good for mostly all blade shapes? Is there a big difference between the normal 21 dollar turnbox and the 40 dollar diamond rod turnbox?
 
The difference is just the rods ... the more expensive box has the diamond rods instead of ceramics ... the diamond rods can sharpen the newer harder steels ... the ceramic rods you will get with the less expensive box will sharpen the steels on both knives you've mentioned and they will sharpen your leatherman rev blade too.
 
I had a Spyderco Persistence or Tenacious... can't remember which... gave it away to someone here on the forums.

I wouldn't be concerned about the quality at all. It's easy to sharpen and keep sharp, and is a good intro to Spyderco's products.

The Delica in VG-10 is probably one of the finest EDC's I've ever encountered, at really not much more pricewise than their budget offerings.

The Rat-1 and Rat-2 would serve you well at a very good price point. Large variety of colors to choose from. You could even pick one up in D2 steel for very reasonable... but I would stick with the less expensive version in AUS-8, as it is ridiculously easy to sharpen into a very good edge. Some might say that the AUS-8 won't hold an edge forever... and they're right... but it sure gives you the opportunity to hone your skills on your sharpening system(s), and stainless as all get-out.
 
U4FvDC2.jpg


So i ended up getting my first folder. :)

Spent more than expected but loved how it felt. Ill show you guys what it is when I get home!
 
ItsKYRO said:
Thanks for the replies, I am diving into the Maintenance, Tinkering and Embellishment sub right now.

I found a nice chart online showing me different knife steels and charts for them.

Can I ask, what were some of your favorite EDC knives when you were fairly new to this? I'd like to see what quality of blade got some of you started.[/QUOTE

A spyderco tenacious got me started carrying every day. I honestly dont remember the blade steel (perhaps 8cr13mov) it was cheap and razor sharp. It was also reliable. Its really an all around great knife, not just for newer people to the hobby.
Welcome to the forum.
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You're certainly taking the long way home, ItsKYRO.

Get that box opened up and let us have a look at your selection.

Showing just a box is a Bozo NoNo.
 
For the wife, my usual recommendation is a Kershaw Leek. Colored variants are a little more expensive than the basic; but still a good deal.
My "gateway" into the world of modern folders was a Kershaw Blackout.

**didn't notice that a bunch of posts weren't displayed until after I'd posted. You ruled out Kershaw, so disregard (we can't actually delete posts here, or I would have done that)
 
ItsKYRO said:
Thanks for the replies, I am diving into the Maintenance, Tinkering and Embellishment sub right now.

I found a nice chart online showing me different knife steels and charts for them.

Can I ask, what were some of your favorite EDC knives when you were fairly new to this? I'd like to see what quality of blade got some of you started.
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Böker Plus Titan Drop was pretty early on. Nowadays I'd advise most people to get a delica
 
Welcome comrade!

Another soul for the Bladeforums legion!

First of all you should think what roles do you have to fill? Do you need a bigger chopper knife or a tiny discreet keychain knife?
 
Velitrius said:
You're certainly taking the long way home, ItsKYRO.

Get that box opened up and let us have a look at your selection.

Showing just a box is a Bozo NoNo.
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Sorry! I didn't get a good picture due to lighting, give me about 15 minutes and i'll see if I can get a good pic.
 
To follow up to this, I went into my local knife shop and the customer service was great. They helped me out a lot and I fell in love with the Kizer flashbang flipper. The beautiful VG10 blade, the G10 handle, the perfect size and how it felt in my hand and pocket, everything was great with it. I was pretty much sold on it, but then I asked if I could just compare it to a benchmade before I made my final decision. He pulled out a mini grip...

There was just to much good to say no. The thumb stud is amazing on it. I have no experience with folders and I can easily and quickly pull out the blade on handed. I love love love the locking mechanism. The grip feels great in my hand even though it's a tad bit under sized. I spent the extra $30 due to it feeling a bit better than the Kizer and because it's completely USA made. I'm happy with my purchase, however down the road somewhere that Kizer is still on my wish list.
 
Well done. Hard to go wrong there, many will agree. Lots to love about the Axis lock.

Hope it gets lots of work.
 
ItsKYRO said:
I probably should have brought up budget in my first post. I'd like to keep it under $50 if I can, a medium sized folder and probably need something that can withstand a little bit of beating in the warehouse. Definitely loving looking over every ones favorite/gateway knives.
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If you like to keep it under 50 then here are some popular choices.

Spyderco Tenacious
Kershaw Blur
Ontario Rat I or II

You may even find some S30V Kershaw Blurs under $50 if you look. For a beginner the assisted opening was a stunner for me but after time grew into manual folders.
 
ItsKYRO said:
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Nice choice for your first quality EDC. I think you did well spending a little more and ended up with a knife that gives you huge bang for your buck. 154CM sharpens easily and takes a great edge and Griptilians--even the mini--are great in hand. I have a couple dozen plus Benchmades and am a huge AXIS lock fan.

Your only issue with this knife will be the closed-back design as I think I read your work environment is dusty/dirty. If you go the soap and water route for clean-out, make sure to get the guts really dry when you're done. Compressed air works, but can have a lot of water compressed in it. A hair dryer and some shaking works pretty well. I use rubbing alcohol and narrow, wooden-handled cotton swabs for cleaning a lot.

I had a few CRKTs to start, but they're long gone and I wish I'd never bothered. My gateway knife was a Spyderco Tenacious with a combo blade (partial serrations) and it still gets a lot of use as a second carry work knife. I'm not big into serrations, but they can be very handy on the job cutting straps, line, or just hacking through stuff. Open back design is super easy for clean-out.

Spyderco Delica would be a great light choice for your wife, the closed back notwithstanding. As you found with your Grip, I think you're better off starting in the $50-100 range than below that.

As far as sharpening goes, I don't think you can go wrong with the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It's very easy to use after a bit of a learning curve and works well for both plain and serrated blades. A later investment in the diamond hones for that sharpener is also well worth it. One thing I'd advise is not to let your knives dull up much at all. Try not to chip or gouge your edges and touch then up frequently with the Sharpmaker fines or a strop. Remember your knife is for cutting/paring/slicing stuff and is not a prybar, hammer, hacksaw, or ax. There are other tools for that.

Anyway, welcome to Bladeforums and the world of knives. Nice to have you join in the fun.
 
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