Newb looking for some advice

R

richw

Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
436
Hello,

I have always had an interest in knives but have never explored them. I have decided that I want to have a small carrying knife.

I really like the look of Boker Zirconia and Turbine. They also meet my needs in terms of size, about 4 inches folded (the zirconia is less) with about a 3 inch blade. I also like the look of the BM Kulgera, but thats a bit bigger. The Axis Lock on many BMs looks nice as well.

I don't mind dropping $250 on a new knife (about the cost for the zirconia, the turbine and kulgera are less), however, I decided that I should probably look at getting a "starter" knife in the $50-$75 region, so I can learn more about sharpening without destroying a "piece of art" and also not care so much if it gets some scratches from coins and keys.

So I am looking for some recommendations. Size of the blade should be not much smaller than 3 inches, and the folded length the shorter the better. I am not gonna get caught up on cpm 154 vs 154cm vs s30v vs other steel, cause really, I doubt I could tell the difference. I prefer a non-tactical looking knife, not a tanto point, no form of assisted opening/gravity knife but something that could be open one handed. I work in finance, so it shouldn't be too military/weapon looking, I know the Spydercos are thought highly of, but they are a bit aggressive looking for my taste.

I accept and appreciate any advice.

Best regards and thanks in advance,

Rich
 
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How about the Buck Vantage pro?

It has a nice high hollow grind that makes for a thin edge that is a great slicer. It has Bos heat treated S30V steel which is great. I don't think it looks very threatening and it has a flipper to help in the one handed department.

My personal favorite EDC is the Benchmade 950-1 Rift. The black handled one I think looks good but might be too much of the military look you spoke of. It does have the AXIS lock which I think every knife person should own at some point.

Good luck deciding because there are tons of great knives in that price range.
 
In your price range you should check out the Zero Tolerance 0300 series knives. They are the best value in my opinion for that price range. Very strong lock up, very sharp out of the box, and they are made from S30V. I personally think the blade shape lends itself to many uses.

If you want a smaller version check out the ZT 0350. Pretty much the same knife but smaller.
 
welcome these guys can certainly steer you right, i have lots of one hand knives but my knowledge is more capable on traddys.
 
I would NOT start out with a $250 knife.There are a lot of good quality

knives for under $100.

Spyderco makes a lot of good knives at arent aggressive looking and

excellent quality.There are some brands youll learn to stay away from.

Weight( 41/ozs max to start),Handle length,handle material,it goes on and

on. A max. of 3" blade means a shorter handle which is not going to fit if

you have big hands.Clip position is important(low mounted clip is better),

handle material means a lot....it goes on and on.

If you have a store that sells knives look there and buy online.Most of

us learned buy experince...just because someone else a knife doesnt mean

you will.

I hope some of this helps.
 
I think you have made the right decision to not drop $250 on the Boker, there are a lot of other knives in that price range that deserve your attention.

I get what you said about Spyderco, but they are really some of the best production folders out there, do yourself a favor and check out the entire lineup before making up your mind. A lot of them are on sale from various online outlets.

Get one of their cheaper knives, like the Persistence or Tenacious (or a Byrd knife), they are cheap and you can beat on them, get a feel for sharpening, etc. Then later look at something like the Caly3 or Sage 2, both understated and friendly looking folders.

I would like to suggest other brands, but I don't know much about them.
 
Depending on where you live try to visit a knife store or a knife and gun show. Its best to try them out in hand.

Pretty much anything by Spyderco and most of Kershaws and Benchmades will do ya right although there are certainly other brands that have good stuff. Personal trial and error works but you can glean alot from this place's vast experience landscape.

Good luck....its an addictive hobby.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
How about the Buck Vantage pro?

It has a nice high hollow grind that makes for a thin edge that is a great slicer. It has Bos heat treated S30V steel which is great. I don't think it looks very threatening and it has a flipper to help in the one handed department.

Good luck deciding because there are tons of great knives in that price range.
Click to expand...

I agree with the Vantage except I may recomment the Vantage 346 Avid for 2reasons: 1) The charcoal dymondwood scales are a little less tactical looking than the G-10. 2)(and more important) The Sandvik 13c26 may be easier to learn to sharpen on than the hard s30v.

If you can do without the one hand opening, I'd say go on to the bay and try and get a Buck 500 Duke slimline lockback:thumbup: Perfect for the office.
 
How about a Benchmade Griptilian or Mini-Grip? Pretty good steel, in your price range too, and not too "tactical" looking. You can get yellow or blue or green or black, either a HG open hole or thumb stud
 
There are a lot of great folders for around $60 - $75.

Check out the Spyderco's, Benchmades and Kershaws.
 
Thank everyone for your guys replies. For those concerned about me spending $250 for my first knife, I am not. I decided I was going in the $50-75 range.

A little more on why appearance means a lot to me. I work on Wall St. (not literally, very few banks are actually on Wall St. these days), in finance. If someone sees me with a "weapon" like knife, it could cause me problems. Something like the Fallkniven P3 or the Boker Zirconia looks much less "aggressive." Plus NY and NJ have pretty strict laws, and in one of the state's laws it says you can't carry a knife that looks "dangerous." The Falkniven looks a lot less intimidating than the ZT350, at least to me. It doesn't matter that actuality of the knife.

In fact in NJ, your local sheriff has full discretion if you can own a handgun. He can deny you, with basically no appeal, based on anything he wants. If his dog peed on his carpet, or you have blond hair and his wife's ex boyfriend has blond hair, etc, he can just say no. Just the states here are very anti anything weapon like.

I looked at the BM 950, looks nice, I know you werent suggesting that right now. But I like your taste, of the 4 models, I think you picked my favorite two of the four.

I will look at the Buck (was kinda hoping for something a bit smaller), some of the benchmades, and some of the Kershaws. I see that KershawGuy has ton of stuff. I will go through that. On the Buck 346, thank you for the info on the steel. Good to know.

Someone said something that implies that boker might not be as good as the other bands, is that generally accepted? From scouring the boards, I noticed CRKT, SOG, and Cold Steel to different extents have their detractors.

Thanks again,
Rich
 
If you don't need a clip take a look at a Case trapperlock. It has a thumbstud and a lock but looks more traditional in style.

Something else to check out are the AG Russell featherlights. http://www.agrussell.com/ag-russell-featherlite-clip-point-aus-8-steel/p/Khhh93B/

If you do want a clip on the knife I would lean toward one of the Buck Vantage knives. The way the clip mounts on the end of the knife gives it a very low profile which may be a plus in your situation.
 
I'd say kershaw is a good place to start. A kershaw chive is what got me interested in nicer knives. It was small and I knew I wanted something bigger but a nice knife. The leek might be what you're looking for. BM mini grip might be a good choice as well. I wouldn't rule out spyderco yet either... at first I thought I would never buy one because I didn't like the look of the frn handle designs. I now have 8 or 9 spydercos and gifted some also. They are all g10, carbon fiber or titanium scales. A dragonfly might be something to look at, its small, you can get it with a stainless, g10 or frn handle.
 
Maybe also check out the Spyderco Caly 3. It doesn't have as appealing looks to me but is a great knife. The carbon fiber/ ZDP blade version looks really great. The carbon fiber looks high end and I think would go over well in a office environment. The ZDP steel is one of the newer steels and holds an edge for a really long time but can be hard to sharpen. If you don't let it get dull it's not bad though.

The blade is also a little short for the handle size because it has a choil that allows you to choke up on the blade. When using the choil it makes the knife fit even large hands and makes the knife a much bigger knife than the handle would suggest. The blade is under 3" which should be legal in most places I think. It also has a 'low ride' pocket clip meaning that the knife mostly sits inside the pocket when clipped so it is less obvious.
 
I would still recommend Spyderco as my first suggestion. A Native 3, a VG10 Delica, or a Caly 3 in VG10 would do nicely for what you want and will be very forgiving for you to learn on. Next up, you might have a look at a BM mini-Grip or a 707. They're also in you're size and price range, they are one-handed but not AO, and their steel is pretty easy to learn on. A G Russell also has some nice smaller folders in VG10 in his lineup that will work well for you.

Kershaw's are great knives, I have a couple. Look closely at the model you are considering, however. Many of them are AOs and if you don't want that you may have to pass on a lot of their offerings.

Buck will also make some one-handed knives that fit your requirements. Their 420HC steel will be easy to use to develop some sharpening skills and the price won't hurt you much, even if you end up trashing the knife and wanting to replace it.
 
I would check out a Benchmade 710, great blade and they can be had for around 100 bucks, its what started my knife obsession, the 710 is a classic flagship of benchmade and has been around for several years.. It was the first design to incorporate there famous AXIS lock and has durable steel linears and G10 handles makeing the blade bullet proof.
 
For your consideration (I use knife center's website b/c they are a BFC dealer member and their site is easily searchable):

The Kershaw Gents knife is a very well made and very unassuming knife with a VG-10 blade and some nice looking polished G10 scales.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KS19932

Mcusta is THE Japanese gents knife company. The actions are smooth, the steels top shelf and the build quality is among the best. They also have some designs that look quite rich and interesting.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_keywords.html?sortType=skuAs&srch=mcusta

Small Spyder with black lip MOP (comes in jigged bone as well). It is a very nice little worker and can be carried in the watch pocket of a pair of jeans. I have one and it is very useable considering its size.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=SP112PSB

I love the Kershaw Zing. It is a nice size, has an interesting look and can be had in either damascus or 14c28N Sandvik (either should sharpen easily) and the price is right.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KS1735DAM
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KS1735

The CRK Mnandi is the end all, be all gents knife, but, it is a little pricey.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_keywords.html?sortType=skuAs&srch=mnandi

Many feel that the Sebenza is the end all, be all knife, also from CRK, a bit pricey and can be had in endless varieties
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_keywords.html?sortType=skuAs&srch=sebenza

As for where to buy...I used knife center for my examples, but, there are many great dealers here on BFC. New Graham has a great selection and great service. Kershawguy is another good one. He does not have a website, but, you can find his lists in the excahnge under "production knives for sale: dealer"

Happy hunting and I wish you luck.:thumbup:
 
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I agree with everyone's suggestions and i think it's a great idea to start with a more wallet friendly knife to learn about handling and care. (don't worry...the more expensive knives will come ;) ) A couple of great choices in your size and price range would be the Benchmade Mini Griptilian (You'll love the Axis lock), Spyderco Delica (the model with the Emerson Wave is great IMHO and gives you another opening option), and the Kershaw Skyline (nothing fancy but a great little knife and very inexpensive, good starter to see if you like flippers) Good luck on your search, and let us know how it turns out!
 
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