Please recommend a folding knife

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floatinglife

Joined
Apr 20, 2007
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Want to buy a folding knife, and need recommendations. My criteria for the knife:

1, ~3'' in blades, comfortable to put in pocket or clipped on my belt

2, I will use it to various purposes, like self-defense, to cut or serve as other tools..etc

2, doesn't have to be pretty or fancy. All I want is a good blade. It must be razor sharp, strong, and durable.

3, price range varies. I have 3 budgets: <$100, $100~$200, $200~$500

Any recommendations? thanks!
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

Check out the Spyderco Delica 4. It comes with FRN or stainless steel handles, and plain, combo, or serrated edge. If you like it and want to move up, its 4" bladed big brother, the Endura 4, is the same knife in a larger size.

You might also like the Delica Wave, which will open automatically as you draw it from your pocket.
 
lotsa cool stuff in that range,

*emerson CQC12

*spyderco Ti or SS ATR

*BM 806

*spyderco paramillie
 
My recommendations:


<$100 - Fallkniven FK-TK4, Buck Strider Tarani Police ATS-34, Benchmade Vex, Buck Strider 881SP

$100~$200 - Spyderco mini Manix, Spyderco Lil Temperance, Blackhawk Crucible, Emerson mini CQC-7, Emerson CQC-14

$200~$500 - Strider PT, Chris Reeve small Sebenza, Mercworx Clotho


These are some of my favorites in the blade size you are looking for.

Happy Hunting!
 
A few more suggestions...

Spyderco Paramilitary (light weight, strong, 3" S30V blade)
Al Mar SERE or mini-SERE or Nomad (Nomad and mini-SERE are about 3" blades and all are liner locks)
Benchmade's HK 14210 (more bulky than the others, I think, but well made)
 
I would also suggest the Spyderco Delica 4 as well. It is a great knife.
 
Thanks very much guys for your recommendations! I think I will pick up one of the knives from the list above.

2 more questions, just curious:

Seems there are many fans of Chirs Reeve. What makes his knife beat's others?

I got a DVD catalog from Cold Steel, it seems their knives are very sharp and strong. But so far no one recommend Cold Steel yet, how come?
 
floatinglife said:
Seems there are many fans of Chirs Reeve. What makes his knife beat's others?

I got a DVD catalog from Cold Steel, it seems their knives are very sharp and strong. But so far no one recommend Cold Steel yet, how come?
Click to expand...

Some knife companies are lightning rods for heated discussions that can lead easily to flamewars. For opposite reasons, these two qualify.

Chris Reeve makes the best production knives. Period. of course, in some ways, they are a semi-custom operation.

The Sebenza, his flagship folder, is made of excellent materials to incredibly precise tolerances well in excess of most of the competition -- although others are learning the value of it from him.

He developed the framelock by modifying the liner lock design and helped Crucible develop S30V steel.

Cold Steel occupies the other end of the production spectrum, in some ways. Their knives are all made under contract and in different factories. They have no manufacturing ability themselves, and no knifemakers on their staff. Their quality control is consequently variable. It is impossible to tell from one CS line what another will be like.

Their public face is more aggressive than professional, and instead of boosting the industry, they engage in personal arguments that fuel dissension and bad feelings, which carries over to marketing the knives -- theirs and others.

By the way, CS knives may seem sharp and strong on the video, but who made the video? A lot of what you see could be replicated even by other companies' cheap knives. That video IS smart advertising.
 
In the under $100 category, it's hard to beat the Spyderco Delica. Meets all of your requirements. I recently picked up the Waved version of this knife. That version can be hard to find. But definitely worth it! :thumbup:
 
Thanks a lot Esav, I appreciate your explanation. I am not going to consider CS now :)

I see many knives have serrated blades. I am not sure if I want such things as I assume it would not be comfortable if I use the knife to peel off something like an apple or to cut a tube against my thumb. Could anyone kindly share his/her comments/experiences about this? how do you think about a serrated blade?
 
Serrations are especially effective in cutting fibrous materials like rope or cardboard, or notching a stick. They can bind in softer materials, like paper or cloth. Of course, some serrations are more aggressive than others. Some are actually rounded rather than saw-toothed, being a sort of reverse serration.

A good plainedge blade, properly heat-treated and sharpened, will get the job done. But a serrated edge will continue to cut after the plainedge has gone dull. This is partly because the serrated edge is longer than the corresponding plainedge: if you were able to straighten out the hills and valleys of a serrated edge, it would stretch much farther.

Also, each serration acts like a miniature hawksbill. When you slice with a plain edge, the blade skims along the material. When you slice with a serration, the cutting edge is hitting the material at a much more obtuse angle, maybe even at a right angle, putting more pressure on it.

For precision cutting, of course you want a plain edge. But if you do a lot of rough work, consider a combination or fully serrated edge, maybe even a serrated beater if you only have occasional need for it.

My regular carry knives tend to be plainedge. I like to keep a big rescue knife with a combination or serrated edge around, though. The Spyderco Assist is a good example of a knife I like for heavy cutting or weed-whacking. :)
 
floatinglife said:
I assume it would not be comfortable if I use the knife to peel off something like an apple or to cut a tube against my thumb.
Click to expand...

Try a serrated blade on an apple for yourself. If the cut is moving forward the same way a plainedge would, it will do the job as well. The difference with a serrrated edge only comes when you angle the cut. A friend of mine did comment that serrated edges give a funny effect spreading peanut butter! :cool:

Do . not . ever . cut . anything . toward . your . thumb :eek:
Not with knives as sharp as we will have you carrying :D
 
I have most of the knives recommended, and my recommendation would be a Spyderco Calypso Jr. or Caly 3. Under 3 inches, and fantastic design and quality. Either can be had in ZDP 189 or VG 10, depending on your budget.
 
I'd recommend the Delica- it meets all of your requirements EXCEPT for being used as another tool. Knives are meant to cut relatively soft material, and you WILL screw up a knife if you it as a wire cutter on anything bigger than data line (which I still wouldn't cut), use it as a scew driver, or use it as a pry bar.

The Delica's VG10 steel holds a great edge without being too brittle, will get razor sharp, doesn't cost much at all, can be waved, has the great Sypderco serrations if you go serrated, has amazing Spyderco customer support, great fit and finish, about a 3" blade, the Spyderhole, and a clip that can be adjusted for tip up or down and lefty or righty carry.

Edit- cutting against your thumb is a BAD idea with a "Spyderco Sharp" knife... or most other quality knives.
 
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