hint: a 'TL/DR' synopsis can be found below as a final section, now in red!
INTRO: I've made and discarded several stupid drafts of this message, in which I've largely gone on to waste far too much space describing my history and stalled position as a minor knifenut and enumerating the various knives that've left a real impression on me in hopes of those stepping-stones leading some brilliant detectives here to suggesting a way for me to expend a downright cheap amount of money that'll satisfy my peculiar tastes and shortlist of requirements in replacing what is now a very sad old Kershaw purchase (an original-run mass-market Onion Blur 1670TBLKST) that just happened to come on the last whim that hit me before I figured out I won't have the disposable income to drop on knives for some time. The longer I spend here the more I feel a ridiculous need to somehow justify myself through all the ways in which I burned money before, and almost every one of which I not only lost, traded out or ditched in a huge variety of profoundly stupid situations, but would take back and cherish for the wonderful little functional minor works of art/craft they were. That Boguszewski Spike, for one, was one of the last great times Benchmade had with genuine custom knifemakers, and the Spikes were, if a bit soft…
I'm doing it again. Sorry.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS: I need a folder, either new or like-new and preferably from some sort of store/reseller (ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ I ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ sᴏʟɪᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀsᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ғᴏʀᴜᴍs ᴏʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ sᴇʟʟᴇʀ ᴜɴʟᴇss ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴇɴᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴛʀᴏ ᴀʀᴇᴀ ᴏʀ sᴜʙᴜʀʙs ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴄᴀsᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏʟɪᴄɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ɪs ~ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ғᴏʀᴜᴍ) with a blade length from 3.2-4.15", opening with a thumbstud/disc (NO FLIPPERS, NO THUMBHOLES!), preferably but not exclusively assisted-opening, and locking stoutly via whatever mechanism excepting so-called 'button-locks' or any other mechanism in which a manual safety or secondary (un)locking control is required to deploy, retain or close the blade. Yes, I am aware of the recent wins in Denver county regarding autos, but I live just outside the county and decent autos are rather out of the price-range anyhow! As to blade steel characteristics, to simplify, I need something that not only ships as close to scary-sharp as possible from factory, but also which is made from such a steel (& with such a grind) as to retain as fine an edge as that without any stone attention for as long as possible, assuming only occasional and nondemanding¹ use, in a high-desert (very-low-humidity) low-maintenance EDC scenario (i.e. 'corrosion isn't much of a concern, except as it affects edge retention'). Brittleness isn't a concern, nor are wear-resistance properties down to carbide-distribution or particle-formation etc. in the steel: Again, not going to see even regular use; just needs to retain an edge over long periods of inattention in pocket constantly. If that edge should nick in the event of a necessity to pull the thing through a frayed steel cable or a half-bunch of shielded wires, I'll take the notch! I'm partial to partially-serrated blades, but it's not a big deal either way. As to blade-shape, I'm really not drawing any hard lines, so long as they terminate in at least a reasonably-penetrative point.
ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS: There are a few things that're set in friggin' stone. For example, as to which the title alludes, I am not only 'not a fan' of flippers, but ardently f███in' opposed to them on principle, in actual use, æsthetically, and from a general design standpoint (to include Emerson Waves and similar hook-designs). This, unfortunately, seems to be an inauspicious preference at the current moment in mass-market folder production. Please help me get around it! Second, though I've come to prefer assisted-opening liner-locks, I've had many more unassisted liners as well as an Axis (ugh, why? But at least it still functioned w/ a stud) variant or two, and am open to try any particularly-buttery manual-action, so long as it relies on a stud.
ÆSTHETICS: Haw haw haw, for once I don't even care, honestly. If I had to gripe it'd be on the relatively poor longevity of grip-tape-style glued-abrasive-crystal handle-treatments, but that's far from a dealbreaker. I would overwhelmingly prefer for the knife not to have a belt-cutter or any other excess aperture. Why? Talk to my keyring. As to OAL/weight, I could care less, so long as OAL's within a broad generalization of 'average' given blade-length. My pockets can take just about anything, though. As to finish options, again, given the price I really don't get much choice, but my favourtie colour's safety-orange, 90% of my knives have been some flavour of black or hi-polished, and I must exclude anything with æsthetic schemes just short of MTech or anyone else with the urge to add flames, graphic pinstriping, etc… (Though I do have an old MTech that well preceded the karambit craze which holds the record for loosest-possible flickable linerlock to remain closed, if only for a couple days. A few parts've fallen off, but)
BOTTOM LINE/TLDR: I need a budget (≲US$75 shipped) locking, stud/disc-opened folder; pref. AO, of blade-lngth. 3.2-4.15", other dimensions unconcerned, w/blade of a steel with excellent edge-taking/edge-holding properties and of a factory-grind sharpness as near to scary-sharp as possible; other qualities open to inquiry but assume the field in this price-range limiting. ABSOLUTELY NO FLIPPERS OR THUMBHOLES, PERIOD! Partial serration fine, but not fully-serrated. Please avoid the absolute-tackiest, but you're talking to someone way into glam whose favourite colour is safety-orange, as it's obnoxiously present.
THANK-YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE AND POTENTIAL ASSISTANCE. I'VE BEEN READING YOU GUYS OFF AND ON SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, AND PROBABLY LOST A COUPLE PROFILES HEARKING THEREFROM.
__________________________________________________________
1 – This is not a 'working-' nor by any stretch of the imagination a 'tactical-', 'fighting-', or almost any other m̶a̶l̶l̶-̶n̶i̶n̶j̶a̶ expensively-prefixed blade. This is the ho-hum, cardboard-&-packing-tape, thread-&-string, paper & otherwise undemanding, occasional-use blade; but I wish to retain a penetration-priority tip & grind, though probably moving away from the dual-grind tanto a̶s̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶r̶u̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶a̶r̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ as several mass-produced tanto grinds I've had missed the mark as to initial grind angles and resharpenability for such a use-case.
I'm sure they'd be grand if I woke up and decided I needed to stick the garbageman or was paranoid enough I figured there's any chance at all I'd be chisel-picking my way through troublesome fiber-piles or needing to delve down behind some poor sod's collarbone and invent a sigle-cut version of the Jailhouse Rock, but I've been frightfully depressed, even moreso than usual, for several years now, and the actual amount of vivid imagination it would require for me to even drum up sick personal fantastic justifications of this sort for a bladeas dully utilitartian as I really need would require me getting into a much better situation than I lie in now, and I thought I was going to lay off with the excessive bulls█it text, uh?
INTRO: I've made and discarded several stupid drafts of this message, in which I've largely gone on to waste far too much space describing my history and stalled position as a minor knifenut and enumerating the various knives that've left a real impression on me in hopes of those stepping-stones leading some brilliant detectives here to suggesting a way for me to expend a downright cheap amount of money that'll satisfy my peculiar tastes and shortlist of requirements in replacing what is now a very sad old Kershaw purchase (an original-run mass-market Onion Blur 1670TBLKST) that just happened to come on the last whim that hit me before I figured out I won't have the disposable income to drop on knives for some time. The longer I spend here the more I feel a ridiculous need to somehow justify myself through all the ways in which I burned money before, and almost every one of which I not only lost, traded out or ditched in a huge variety of profoundly stupid situations, but would take back and cherish for the wonderful little functional minor works of art/craft they were. That Boguszewski Spike, for one, was one of the last great times Benchmade had with genuine custom knifemakers, and the Spikes were, if a bit soft…
I'm doing it again. Sorry.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS: I need a folder, either new or like-new and preferably from some sort of store/reseller (ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ I ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ sᴏʟɪᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀsᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ғᴏʀᴜᴍs ᴏʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ sᴇʟʟᴇʀ ᴜɴʟᴇss ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴇɴᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴛʀᴏ ᴀʀᴇᴀ ᴏʀ sᴜʙᴜʀʙs ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴄᴀsᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏʟɪᴄɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ɪs ~ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ғᴏʀᴜᴍ) with a blade length from 3.2-4.15", opening with a thumbstud/disc (NO FLIPPERS, NO THUMBHOLES!), preferably but not exclusively assisted-opening, and locking stoutly via whatever mechanism excepting so-called 'button-locks' or any other mechanism in which a manual safety or secondary (un)locking control is required to deploy, retain or close the blade. Yes, I am aware of the recent wins in Denver county regarding autos, but I live just outside the county and decent autos are rather out of the price-range anyhow! As to blade steel characteristics, to simplify, I need something that not only ships as close to scary-sharp as possible from factory, but also which is made from such a steel (& with such a grind) as to retain as fine an edge as that without any stone attention for as long as possible, assuming only occasional and nondemanding¹ use, in a high-desert (very-low-humidity) low-maintenance EDC scenario (i.e. 'corrosion isn't much of a concern, except as it affects edge retention'). Brittleness isn't a concern, nor are wear-resistance properties down to carbide-distribution or particle-formation etc. in the steel: Again, not going to see even regular use; just needs to retain an edge over long periods of inattention in pocket constantly. If that edge should nick in the event of a necessity to pull the thing through a frayed steel cable or a half-bunch of shielded wires, I'll take the notch! I'm partial to partially-serrated blades, but it's not a big deal either way. As to blade-shape, I'm really not drawing any hard lines, so long as they terminate in at least a reasonably-penetrative point.
ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS: There are a few things that're set in friggin' stone. For example, as to which the title alludes, I am not only 'not a fan' of flippers, but ardently f███in' opposed to them on principle, in actual use, æsthetically, and from a general design standpoint (to include Emerson Waves and similar hook-designs). This, unfortunately, seems to be an inauspicious preference at the current moment in mass-market folder production. Please help me get around it! Second, though I've come to prefer assisted-opening liner-locks, I've had many more unassisted liners as well as an Axis (ugh, why? But at least it still functioned w/ a stud) variant or two, and am open to try any particularly-buttery manual-action, so long as it relies on a stud.
ÆSTHETICS: Haw haw haw, for once I don't even care, honestly. If I had to gripe it'd be on the relatively poor longevity of grip-tape-style glued-abrasive-crystal handle-treatments, but that's far from a dealbreaker. I would overwhelmingly prefer for the knife not to have a belt-cutter or any other excess aperture. Why? Talk to my keyring. As to OAL/weight, I could care less, so long as OAL's within a broad generalization of 'average' given blade-length. My pockets can take just about anything, though. As to finish options, again, given the price I really don't get much choice, but my favourtie colour's safety-orange, 90% of my knives have been some flavour of black or hi-polished, and I must exclude anything with æsthetic schemes just short of MTech or anyone else with the urge to add flames, graphic pinstriping, etc… (Though I do have an old MTech that well preceded the karambit craze which holds the record for loosest-possible flickable linerlock to remain closed, if only for a couple days. A few parts've fallen off, but)
BOTTOM LINE/TLDR: I need a budget (≲US$75 shipped) locking, stud/disc-opened folder; pref. AO, of blade-lngth. 3.2-4.15", other dimensions unconcerned, w/blade of a steel with excellent edge-taking/edge-holding properties and of a factory-grind sharpness as near to scary-sharp as possible; other qualities open to inquiry but assume the field in this price-range limiting. ABSOLUTELY NO FLIPPERS OR THUMBHOLES, PERIOD! Partial serration fine, but not fully-serrated. Please avoid the absolute-tackiest, but you're talking to someone way into glam whose favourite colour is safety-orange, as it's obnoxiously present.
THANK-YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE AND POTENTIAL ASSISTANCE. I'VE BEEN READING YOU GUYS OFF AND ON SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, AND PROBABLY LOST A COUPLE PROFILES HEARKING THEREFROM.
__________________________________________________________
1 – This is not a 'working-' nor by any stretch of the imagination a 'tactical-', 'fighting-', or almost any other m̶a̶l̶l̶-̶n̶i̶n̶j̶a̶ expensively-prefixed blade. This is the ho-hum, cardboard-&-packing-tape, thread-&-string, paper & otherwise undemanding, occasional-use blade; but I wish to retain a penetration-priority tip & grind, though probably moving away from the dual-grind tanto a̶s̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶r̶u̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶a̶r̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ as several mass-produced tanto grinds I've had missed the mark as to initial grind angles and resharpenability for such a use-case.
I'm sure they'd be grand if I woke up and decided I needed to stick the garbageman or was paranoid enough I figured there's any chance at all I'd be chisel-picking my way through troublesome fiber-piles or needing to delve down behind some poor sod's collarbone and invent a sigle-cut version of the Jailhouse Rock, but I've been frightfully depressed, even moreso than usual, for several years now, and the actual amount of vivid imagination it would require for me to even drum up sick personal fantastic justifications of this sort for a bladeas dully utilitartian as I really need would require me getting into a much better situation than I lie in now, and I thought I was going to lay off with the excessive bulls█it text, uh?
