Pimp my Ride?

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propigskin

Joined
Aug 14, 2005
Messages
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Well not really. But what I do need is a suggestions of the best knife to buy for everyday carry. I am new to this site, pretty much new to knives. I definatly sick of cheat overseas monkey made knives that won't hold a edge. No more cheap knives for me. I looking to spend under 100 dollars. I live in California so I need something folding to conceal. I would prefer a 4-4.5 inch folder. Something light with most likely a nylon handles. Cannot be a switchblade.

I was loooking at the Cold Steel Voyager 4 inch but after reading about negative with cold steel and lower quality in the last few years, i'm looking at something else maybe. I want this to be the last knife i buy for a few years. Something comfortable, sharp and pretty much identical to the Cold Steel voyager. Regular blade, not that tanto style (think that is what it is called)

I'll most likely be getting a good deal on ebay for a wholeseller...Thanks!

Erik
 
Cold Steel voyagers are high quality knives. On some of their new folders, they use lower quality steel, but the designs are still pretty sound. The only problem you may have is sharpening, so I'd go with the plain edge. They have a good lock on them also. I would also like to recommend benchmade knives. The axis lock is both easy to use one handed, and strong, considered to better than the linerlock by most.
Good luck, and WELCOME!
 
Thank you for the welcome. I will check out the Benchmade knives. Any particular models? I do want a plain blade edge forsure. How would i tell between the old voyagers and the new ones? Don't they all use the AUS-8A stainless steel or is that the typical hoax to get you to buy a product?

Thanks for your help guys...

erik
 
I've got around half a dozen assorted Voyagers, and I much prefer the newer models. The old handles used a molded Zytel clip leading to an asymetrical design, whereas the new ones have a smaller metal clip and are symmetrical. I much prefer this, but some liked the feel of the older version better.

It's funny you mention a 4" Voyager as your main object of affection. My absolute favorite is of the line is 4" PE Clip Point. This knife is pure practicality. You can certainly do better than the Voyager line with a budget of $100, but it's a heck of a user. You won't be disappointed if you snag one.

.... but you should still check out Benchmade, and also Spyderco. You literally cannot go wrong with either company, and there are plenty of models within your budget, most a substantial upgrade from a Voyager.
 
For Benchmades, the $100 budget limits you a bit.
You could get a TSEK. 4" blade. That would be in your price range. The 440c steel is good, though its not "super" like some of the others. This more affordable use of steel allows the price to go down for a very good knife. I think they might be discontinued though.

The Griptelian is an excelent knife, and a great price. Maybe a little shorter than your expectations, but still a great knife.

While I really like Benchmade and their axis, Spyderco is my favorite knife manufacturer.

The Military is a 4" blade and a little over your limit.
The Police is one of their oldest tried and true designs. 4 and 1/8th inch blade is the longest spyderco.
Also check out the endura. The endura is an excelent utility knife. It also may be a little short, but still a great knife at a great price. For the price you could get two and stay under budget, yet the knife is made with excelent VG10 steel and top notch quality.
Self Defense Gear may still have some of the Enduras with an Emerson Wave in stock, this would also be under your budget.

There are a lot of great knives.
For some resources:
www.benchmade.com
www.spyderco.com
and I like to buy my knives from www.newgraham.com.
 
There is a NIB Spyderco Military with a buy it now price of 86.99 on ebay. The Military is a great knife with a top of the line 4" CPMS30V blade and G-10 scales. With a list price of $179 and an internet discount knife store price of around $112 this would be an outstanding buy. (Unfortunately, my wife saw my credit card bill recently and currently has me on double secret ebay probation-otherwise I would probably buy one of these knives myself. :D )

http://cgi.ebay.com/Spyderco-Milita...ryZ43335QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
 
That looks like a sweet knife on ebay.

How does the Spyderco Military and the Voyager series seems compared? Which is better built? Easier to flip open?

I see spyderco has a lifetime warranty, im sure that includes the blade?
Cold steel only has a 1 year warranty it looks like.

I'm beginning to like the look of the tanto voyagers too, any advantage to a tanto tipped blade?

Pretty much I want atleast 4 inches but under 5, military spyderco versus the voyager it is right now it looks like..

Thanks guys keep the info flowing ! :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
propigskin said:
How does the Spyderco Military and the Voyager series seems compared? Which is better built? Easier to flip open?

I see spyderco has a lifetime warranty, im sure that includes the blade?
Cold steel only has a 1 year warranty it looks like.

I'm beginning to like the look of the tanto voyagers too, any advantage to a tanto tipped blade?
Click to expand...
The military and 4" clip point voyager are very different. 1) CS has a thicker blade, the military will cut better, but the voyager has a much tougher tip. 2) The military has a thinner profile, and should ride more easily in your pocket. 3) Both should open fairly quick, but the Voyager will need two hand to close (or at least one hand and a surface) 4) The Voyager has a better lock. People will swear up and down that the military is better, but I feel the lockback is stronger.
4.5) The military has a flat ground blade, that means the blade is flat from edge to edge, and will allow you to make full easy slices.
5) HUGE: Spyderco makes lots of lockbacks also, and I would like to recommend the stretch or manix to you. These also have lockbacks.
As far as a tanto goes, there's not much advantage. I like them, but it's pretty strictly a personal preference. For a cutting powerhouse, you may want to look at the funky curved "nogales-style" edge.
.
Also, do searches, lot of searches, there's A LOT of knives out there. Check out the websites. If you want something more traditional, a lot of folks will recommend a buck 110, or for better steel, a Boker lockback.
 
If you are truely looking for an EDC then I'd suggest staying as light as possible. The Military is a great knife but much heavier than it's FRN handled counterpart, the Endura.

My favorite "in-the-city" EDC is my Delica. It's very light, slim and still fills the hand for a decent grip. Outdoors is a different story.

Collecter
 
propigskin said:
How does the Spyderco Military and the Voyager series seems compared? Which is better built? Easier to flip open?
Click to expand...
I have every model of the Voyager and the Military.

Stay away from Cold Steel serrated models. I ground my serrated vaquero grande to a regular convex grind. It works much better now. The Military is a whole different class of knife. It is much better than any voyager. The steel is much better, G10 vs FRN, liners vs no liners, screw construction vs rivets, an adjustable pivot vs a peened pivot. Another advantage of the Military is the larger opening hole. It is easy to open, even when wearing gloves.

If you want to consider an FRN handled Spyderco think about the Endura. It is in the size range your are looking for. Similar handle material as the voyager and VG-10 which is much better blade steel. It is easier to sharpen than S30V and it gets scary sharp.

I also recommend www.newgraham.com. I've bought several knives from them and I've always been happy. There is more to buying knives than lowest price. Customer service after the sale is important also.
 
Walkingman-- The Spyderco Military says it is 5/32 thick which is thicker than the Voyager's 1/8 inch blade I believe Not that is makes too much difference. The military does not have a nice thumb knob, but does have the thumbhole. Since it is EDC, the thumb knobs have always felt easier to quickly open. Geez what a tough decision. The spyderco endura does look pretty nice too...

One area in question is the thumbhole vs thumbknob on the blade and the CS vs spyderco warranty....Price of course!
Endura looks very appealing b/c of price.. However i do enjoy the feel of the voyager. Too many decisions. lol
 
Can someone fill me in on what FRN stands for?

I loved the Voyager i held this weekend, The military will cost me about double 45.00 (voyager) versus 90.00 (military)...The warranty, higher quality materials seem to make it worth the money. My only other concern is which one is quicker to open.

The weight doesnt seem to be an issue...3.6oz Voyager and 4.2 Military
I also like buying products made in the USA (spyderco)
 
FRN stands for Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon, which IS NOT what Voyagers are made out of (PLEASE get this straightened out, people), they are made out of Zytel. IMO, FRN is better overall, less scratch resistant and stronger, but I've never had a prob w/ my voyager either, and I have dropped it many times on hard surfaces.
 
Walking Man, I believed Zytel was a brand of FRN. Please explain what the differences actually are.

As for an EDC knife, the military should be great. I have a paramiltary (basically a mini-military with a few changes). It is usually my edc and a great knife. I have handled the military and it is also great.

I have not a bunch of liner locks, but I have found that liner lock shouldnt be a bad word. When done properly, it provides a great lockup. I have handled some CRKT knives, and the military and they were excelent. I have handled some cheepo linerlocks that I wouldnt trust as much as a slipjoint. (fyi, I have not EDCd a liner lock, I have edcd a leek, which is a framelock though. To clarify, the paramilitary uses a compression lock, not a liner lock)

Also, look into the endura. I would definately recomend it over a voyager. I have not handled a voyager, however I have handled an endura and it is a very nice knife. Great for EDC, at a great price.

For your budget, you could get both a voyager and an endura, I am sure both are nice knives and would be useful for different tasks. The voyager has a beefier blade, but the endura would likely be better for most utility and has a better steel. (i think the difference between vg10 and aus8 is very noticable, at least it was to me when I misplaced my calypso jr and carried a ka-bar dozier for a few weeks)

One more thing, the Endura is not made in the USA. Spyderco has a number of manufactures in Seki-City that make most of their lower end modles. These are very different from most imported knives however, they are made my high quality knife makers with stringent USA QC. The Military is made in the USA. Which partially accounts for the increase in price (along with the premium materials, like s30v...though vg10 is very good also, I dont really notice a difference, well maybe a little one but not much...and G10.
 
Here's a vote for the Benchmade 710 or 806d2 models, most people think the 710 has the better utility blade, and both are just over $100 each at most places (newgraham.com is the place I like to buy from).
 
A Cold Steel Voyager, with a 4-inch tanto point blade, was one of the first quality knives that I ever bought. It's a good knife; I don't have any complaints about it. Sometimes you can find great deals on them, too.

The Spyderco Military is definitely in a different class though; it's a clearly superior product. The design, materials, and construction of the Military are all better... and it's worth the extra price. (It's also easier to open the Military quickly.)

You would probably be very happy with the Voyager. However, if you ask people on the forum what their all-time favorite production folder is, I think a lot of them might put the Military in their top five.
 
I don't know that much about plastics to tell you the exact composition, but the glass-reinforcement makes it both more rigid and tougher, at least in my experience.
Also, I don't think the military is a superior product based on Value. Each does what it is good at, at the price that it sells at. The military is tough and has good material, and the Voyager is tough, while using more economical, but still high quality materials.
MY deciding factor would based on use. If you want a knife that slices better, then go with the military. If you don't need a knife that slices great (boxes and plastic bands, ties, rope) then go with the Voyager.
 
I suggest either a Spyderco Military or a Spyderco Endura. If you liked the Voyager, I think you will be extremely pleased with an Endura.
 
Another vote for a Benchmade 710. I got one recently, and even though I've been carrying autos or balisongs exclusively for a year, the 710HS has subplanted all of them as my EDC. The Spyderco Military is also a fine knife, but I prefer the 710 for carry for a few reasons: Its AXIS lock is stronger (just about the strongest lock available) and easier to open/close, and despite being both 4" blades, the 710 is much shorter (Spyderco's blade:handle ration is often skewed, which is neither good nor bad, but subjective to the user), and takes up less space in the pocket.

Or, for $100, you could get 2 Enduras. In fact, get one plain edge, one fully serrated, and carry both. They're so light and thin you won't mind carrying 2 knives. Obviously, a plain edge knife is more useful for clean work and finesse, but you'd be supprised at how well a fully serrated 4" blade works when finesse isn't required.
 
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