Quality Alternative to Kershaw Hotwire?

[Cosmodragoon]

Some of you might have seen my resolution to buy no new knives in 8Cr13Mov or worse. So why am I talking about the Hotwire in lowly 3Cr13Mov? Well, a few years ago we did a Christmas thing where I needed gifts under $10. It was mostly guys who might have liked knives but were definitely not "knife guys". So I picked up a whole bunch of these. I ended up with an extra one and made it a beater.

The knife slowly grew on me. I took the clip off so it could drop loose into a flannel pocket. The Speedsafe keeps it closed better than some other small manual folders I've had. Without the clip, the Hotwire is remarkably comfortable in my hand. It locks up surprisingly well and the knife shape is extremely useful.

Of course, the blade steel is the big fail here. The edge rolls and warps a little, but is easy enough to fix on a stone. I just want something better. I want something about this size with this kind of feel in hand. It needs a flipper tab and preferably only a flipper tab. If manual, it needs a strong enough detent to stay closed while loose in a pocket. The best option would be a better-steel sprint run from Kershaw, like what they've been doing with the Dividend. I'm not holding my breath though. So any recommendations are welcome. Thanks!

 

[b00n]

The shape reminded me of the 0470 and the 0450. Mabe a WE Knife Wisp or Practic, Kizer has some that would probably suit you as well. It would certainly help narrow things down a bit if you add your budget, preference for scale material, lock types and all those details, there is more than enough variety to cater to most preferences.

 

[Velitrius]

Well, there's a couple of upgrades here I can think of from CRKT...

The CRKT Ruger LCK is similar. It only upgrades you to 8CR though, which you don't seem to like. The CRKT Ken Onion Helical also is similar in design, but again it only gets you up to 8CR.

The Ruike P865 is similar in form, and gets you 14C28 steel, but it's a thumbstud and not a flipper.

I pitch these because I'm assuming you want another budget piece. If I am mistaken and you don't have a stringent budget requirement, then your options are myriad.

The Kizer Splinter might fill the bill maybe.

 

[dirc]

since it was just mentioned in another thread today, the kershaw chill seems to match it, with 8cr13mov...
if you want better steel, perhaps get the skyline?

 

[Cosmodragoon]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll have to look some of these up. To answer some questions so far:

I am looking for something to run without a clip, loose in the buttoned pocket of a flannel shirt. The Hotwire is perfectly sized to lay flat on the bottom of a flannel pocket. It also has a sort of rounded and more uniform shape that helps a lot.

To compare it with another small knife that I otherwise like, the Tangram Amarillo isn't really bigger but it doesn't ride anywhere near as well in this role. The Amarillo also doesn't have a very strong detent and staying closed is important for this kind of carry. (You could call this "flannel carry" or even "pajama carry" for around the house.)

I prefer liner locks. The fewer hot spots, the better. I know frame locks vary but I prefer scale against my hand. I rarely enjoy the feel of a clip but I accept clips on my other knives because they help me to carry them. I like G10 and I'm okay with FRN/GRN. I'm not interested in steel or aluminum for this role but my mind is otherwise open. One of the things I like best about the Hotwire scales is how well they fill my hand for such a small handle.

I'd be willing to spend up to ten times the cost of the Hotwire.

 

[b00n]

I'd also look into the Civivi Line from WE, the Courser and Backlash in particular.

 

[Mo2]

https://www.gpknives.com/gerber-fas...hed-s30v-bearing-pivot-flipper-30-001610.html

Looks the same. Has better steel too, but nothing fancy.

BUCK also has one too that's g10, cf, or micarta...

https://www.gpknives.com/buck-sprin...iber-0841cfs-satin-s30v-bearings-flipper.html

https://www.gpknives.com/buck-sprin...arta-0841brs-satin-s30v-bearings-flipper.html

I don't have either. But they look similar to the knife in question.

 

[Cosmodragoon]

I'd also look into the Civivi Line from WE, the Courser and Backlash in particular.

Civivi really seems to be a game changer in the budget knife arena. I have both the Naja and the Courser. As respective examples of their 9Cr18Mov and VG-10 lines, I've been utterly impressed by the quality. I handled a Baklash and loved it, but I couldn't get past the blue liners. Sadly, the Courser is too big for the intended role here. I'd be very excited to see some smaller knives from Civivi.

https://www.gpknives.com/gerber-fas...hed-s30v-bearing-pivot-flipper-30-001610.html

Looks the same. Has better steel too, but nothing fancy.

BUCK also has one too that's g10, cf, or micarta...

https://www.gpknives.com/buck-sprin...iber-0841cfs-satin-s30v-bearings-flipper.html

https://www.gpknives.com/buck-sprin...arta-0841brs-satin-s30v-bearings-flipper.html

I don't have either. But they look similar to the knife in question.

I saw a few reviews of the Gerber Fastball. It reminds me a lot of the Dividend, which is available in M390 for less. Unfortunately, both of those are still a little big and the Bucks more so.

I'm hoping that Post #5 helps. It may be useful to give some relevant specs on the Hotwire. It's about 3.75 inches long closed. The handle thickness is about half an inch. The handle width stays within an inch.

 

[Brhowser87]

The Kershaw fraxion seems similar. It's only 8cr tho. But I do exactly like u and throw it in my sweat pants pocket. It's a nice little knife and it's in a few different colors.

 

[tony281sc2]

the Kershaw dividend might be a good option for you. And it’s available in m390, only thing is the m390 version doesn’t come with g10 or gfn. I think the best of both worlds would be to buy a regular dividend (which has an awesome grip to it) and buy an m390 dividend and switch the blades.
I have both and thought about doing this myself but I like the fact that the m390 version is really thin and you barely notice you’re carrying it.

 

[Cosmodragoon]

Does the Hotwire really occupy a unique place in the world of flipper-tab knives? I've been looking and I can't find anything that replicates the pocket profile while matching the ergonomics.

 

[Rupestris]

Take a look at the Kershaw Dividend.

 

[Hackenslash]

You might consider the Kershaw Reverb. It uses a built in carbiner if you need to hook it to something. Very small and lightweight knife and the one I had was nicely made. 8Cr steel though...

 

[dirc]

I wish they did a reverb using 14c28n... it could be the perfect keychain/utility/small folder

 

[Dfunk1210]

I used to feel this way about the Buck Bantam. There was something about the blade shape to handle on that knife that really did it for me but couldn’t quite find on any other that was of higher quality and came tip up. Honestly you might even have liked the Bantam if it had fit more of your criteria.

 

[Cosmodragoon]

Take a look at the Kershaw Dividend.

The Dividend keeps popping up in the recommendations. I actually have a Dividend. It is a nice knife. Having it available in M390 and other premium steels solves this type of problem for the Dividend fans. Sadly, the handle is just a little too long for the intended purpose here.

Dfunk1210 seems to get what I mean about the Hotwire. I'm looking to replicate that kind of handle shape, specifically for carrying loose in the shirt pocket of a flannel. That's what my Hotwire does, usually around the house. So far, it is the only flipper-tab knife I know that works well in that role. I'm hoping to change that.

 

[dirc]

did you look at the kershaw chill? - seems better than a hotwire all around, with similar size