Newbie. Looking for an easy opening, medium (< 4 inch) length, EDC, with "class"

S

samtheeagle

Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
12
Hi everybody. I'm very new to this whole knife thing and brand new to the forum.

I'm a young (oops ... moment of recognition ... I'm about to be 40. so maybe I'm middle aged!) guy who works in a "business casual" environment (office, khaki and button down shirts) in the Boston area. I've always enjoyed knives but have never really had anything of much quality before.

I've been reading and reading for the last couple days and would love some recommendations. I think maybe the (perfect) knife I want does not exist. Unfortunately there are practically NO knife stores around here, aside from REI and EMS, etc.

Here's what I'm hoping to find:

Easy opening (assisted openers?)
- assisted opening seems very cool and maybe the way to go
- Kershaw leek style seems very easy to me
- thumb studs in general do not work great for me
- I've read about the benchmade axis style, but I don't quite get it
and if it relies on a thumbstud, it might not be so easy
- I've tested some buck rush knives that opened real easy with a thumb
stud, but others have been very hard to open
- Boker Toplock II looks awesome but they are not assisted open and I'm
not in the market for a full on auto
medium (< 4 inch) length
- less than 4 inches seems to be where I have drawn the line
- I'm hoping to carry this in my pants pocket
EDC
- smallish
- slim-ish
- light-ish
with "class"
- I dig on nice wood scales
- I'm favoring non-tactical looking hardware
- Benchmades seem to look a little too tactical for my taste, but feel free
to correct me if I'm wrong
< $100
- need I say more?
blade style
- I think I like either clip or drop or similar
- sharp / pointy blades like the Kershaw leek seem too fragile
- able to take some use and respectful abuse
- normal satin/plain finish is preferred over black, etc

So here are some knives I've been mulling over ... critique away and please please please give me the guidance I need to see the light! :)

CRKT kommer full throttle, $50
CRKT Carson M-4, $63
Kershaw Mini Mojito, $62
Kershaw scallion, $38
Kershaw mini cyclone, $50
AG Russell Greased Light'n, $115
Benchmade Opportunist, $94 (looks so nice, but not assisted open)
Oh yeah I forgot the
Benchmade 670 Apparition, $94 (classy, but too heavy?)

- Sam The Eagle
 
How about a SOG Twitch II? No wood scales, but assited opening via the "kick" that sticks out though the back of the handle...pretty undertstated looking too...

sog8twitch.jpg
 
I'd say take a look at a BM Mini Griptillian, you can get these with thumbstuds or a hole. Also the HK 14210 which is pretty much a mini grip with G10 scales. I love the Axis lock, and it is a lot slicker than my AO Kershaw Scallion, you have to try the Axis lock too truely appreciate it. The Scallion as well as the Leek has a safety which needs to be moved before you can AO the blade, which adds a step in the opening procedure. I find the BM's and Spydies just as easy or easier to open than the Leek or Scallion. I had a Buck Rush and due to the placement of the safety found it easier to engage than the scallion or Leak. What I didn't like about it was the skeleton frame as it was a pain to clean when I worked in some dirt or sand.
Another nice EDC knife is the Spyderco Delica..nice and slim for the pocket, lightweight, with a perfect handle size. It has excellent blade steel as well as a number of different flavors with a nice price tag. This became my primary EDC for the last few months, and has done a great job. I've since started carrying my full size Griptillian, because I love the butter smooth axis lock as well as the larger blade. You may also want to take a look at the Spyderco Caly, or Para Military.

Dave
 
Sam The Eagle - I think that you will be most satisfied with the AG Russell Greased Light'n.
The knife is made for AG Russell by Fox Cutlery of Italy and has excellent fit and finish. It has a strong Ti liner lock, a high ground(almost flat ground) blade and sturdy construction.
The knife opens as fast or faster than an A/O and it fits my medium size hands like a dream.

The only down side I've found to the knife is that the pocket clip is not removable.

Hope this helps -

Dave
 
The Axis lock actually allows extremely easy opening, with a very small learning curve. I think the 960 Osborn is an awesome knife. It is very, very light and manageable to carry.
 
Spyderco Howard Viele Black Micarta Plain Edge VG10 Stainless
It's super smooth opener, but no asassisted open. Good thick blade.

97.jpg
 
Well, I can't say I agree with the griptilian recommendation as it does not "exude class" to me. I do like the knife, but it is relagated to a working piece for me.

Here are my recommendations:

Spyderco Scorpius - nice knife. Not too big, but certainly not little. Cuts very well. Big opening hole and rather classy as it is stainless steel. Downsides are that some do not like the looks and stainless handles do get marked up over time.

Spyderco Kopa - beautiful little knife. It is rather small however, so it may not be perfect for you. Also, it can be a touch higher in price than you're willing to go.

I am like assisted opening, but I certainly have never found it to be neccesary. My other knives are very fast too and they give me the peace of mind that they will remain shut in pocket.
 
I just picked up a Scallion a couple days ago and I love it.I have a couple other Kershaws,that I've had for quite a while.I was looking for something smaller with a clip and these are great,really thin and light,no wood scales though.I don't think you need to worry about the blades on a Kershaw being fragile as long as your not using it as a prybar.
 
Guys (and any girls here, too?) thanks for the replies so far. Here are my thoughts.

marcinek - The Twitch II is pretty understated and almost a contender. But for some reason they seem a little too pedestrian and common.

spoonrobot - The Executive Edge is funny! Very James Bond and cool. :-) I'm looking for something a little more "classic", though.

Torm - The Kershaw Scallion - I have to say, that this one is the leader in my mind. It's not exactly "classy" but at least it's not very tactical/military looking.

bh49 - That Spyderco Kopa Black Quince looked odd to me first, but it is growing on me. It looks like a good mix of uniqueness and classicissity (I just made that up).

onlyaire - (BM Mini Griptillian, HK 14210, Buck Rush, Spyderco Caly, Para Military) most of those knives seem a little too tactical or military to me. I'm taking a closer look at the mini grip and it's growing on me. I hated the open frame design of the buck rush, too. If played with some of the "custom" buck rushes with no hollow frame and they were very nice, but too nice and fancy to be my working knife.

statmonster - (AG Russell Greased Light'n) - Wow ... thanks for mentioning that the pocket clip is not removable! I'm not sure I like that and it might be a deal-breaker for me.

Troop - CRK Sebenza - can you get these for $100? In my quick googling they were all in the $300+ range. :-\

jthomas - (Axis lock actually allows extremely easy opening) - can somebody explain in a little more detail how that axis lock works and what the steps are to open the knife? 960 Osborn looks pretty awesome (I like the 2-tone design), but the blade looks a little too sinister.

kicwk - Spyderco Howard Viele Black Micarta - that is a very nice looking knife. I have to say that I haven't been too interested in spyderco, but I am starting to perk up to them. I'm really not fond of the great big whole in the middle of the blade though. It just seems a bit wrong.

Oh and here's a random question: how hard is it to sharpen a recurve blade like those on the kershaw scallion and the mini mojito?

Thanks,
Sam the Eagle
 
coaldigger - Spyderco native - hmmm. I'm not into the scary looking double edged looking blade. The leeks look awesome, though. Just wish that blade was a little wider looking and less pointy. (Man, that sounds stupid in context of a knife discussion. :rolleyes: Oh well).

kbog - Spyderco Scorpius - Looks a little on the dungeons and dragons side. Spyderco Kopa sure is a pretty knife and I'm just now seeing how small they are. Hmmm, that's really too bad (for me).

Thanks again ... and keep 'em comin'!

- Sam
 
Microtech Manual Mini Socom. Ebays all the time for around a hundred bucks. Saw one in this forums for sale area. I own one,EDC'd it for a few years. Love it. You too can be a microholic...hahahaha
 
samtheeagle said:
kicwk - Spyderco Howard Viele Black Micarta - that is a very nice looking knife. I have to say that I haven't been too interested in spyderco, but I am starting to perk up to them. I'm really not fond of the great big whole in the middle of the blade though. It just seems a bit wrong.

Oh and here's a random question: how hard is it to sharpen a recurve blade like those on the kershaw scallion and the mini mojito?

Thanks,
Sam the Eagle
Click to expand...

Hey Sam,

The curved blades you see on the kershaw knives, will be easy or difficult to resharpen, pretty well depending on what type of sharpening system you use. For a blade like that, I'm not sure I'd use a stone, but then again I'm just getting into learning how to sharpen with stones, so it could be easier than my mind is imagining it to be. I'd recommend a Gatco or Sharpmaker, they'll work well.

As far as the axis lock, it's super simple. What you want to do for easy opening, is simply hold the knife in a good grip, use either your middle or index finger to pull back the axis lock on the 'back' of the handle (ie the side not facing you) and give a slight twist of the wrist. Depending on how tight the pivot screw is, the results will vary. (I find axis lock knives have their sweet spots but it's pretty easy to find them)

As for the hole in the blade of Spyderco's, that's instead of a thumb stud. If you haven't had a chance to play with one and handle it, you won't realize how much more comfortable it is to use than a thumb stud. (IMO at least) Also creates really easy one handed opening either the 'traditional' way or if you grip the hole with your thumb & index finger and then flick 'down' the weight of the handle will open the knife for you. :) Another nice option if you're looking for 'not so tactical' might be the Spyderco Mini-persian, although I'm not sure if you'll find one under $100? It's got class, however.

C105_M.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top