RECOMMENDATION: Ok help me choose a blade

R

rydude87

Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
46
Hey guys.

I am looking for my first knife. I want it to be my edc knife for cutting boxes (like packages i get in the mail), opening envelopes maybe, cutting food, using it for the very occasional hike/camping, and something that is just cool, and can be used in an emergency (like car accident ) (and lastly for self defense, but that is 1% of my buying decision as I know I almost would never have to use it for that )

I want it to be as cheap as possible but would be willing to spend $50 if it can last my whole life and is more worth it than a $25 or 30 dollar knife.

Also, I would need a sharpening stone (dont really know how to sharpen, but have been watching some youtube videos), and wondering where to get a cheap sharpening stone or whatever.

I am leaning towards the skyline from the advice of some of you here, but here are some choices:

Kershaw ken onion
Kershaw NRG1/2 (1740/1745 respectively)
Kershaw Skyline
Kershaw Blur
Kershaw Shallot
Kershaw Leek
Kershaw scallion
Kershaw chive
Kershaw zing or Kershaw OD-1
Kershaw blackout
CRKT drifter
SOG Flash 1/2
Sog Twitch 1/2
Spyderco Tenacious/ persistence- kind of worried about the lock of nutnfancys videos
Sypderco byrd raven
Spyderco native
Spyderco Endura
Ontario Rat 1- too heavy? but seems like a good tactical knife if it ever comes down to it.

I know the list is long. But for your first and probably only knife( unless I get an addiction to this knife thing) which would you get? What would be your top 3 choices and why? If you were to get 2 knives (thats it for your whole life), which from the list would you or would you add any others to the list?

Thanks guys!!:D
 
Out of your list, I would place Spyderco on top, then Kershaw, and I would completely wipe the flash I off due to wobbly blades.

I've owned most of what's on your list and can tell you that the Spyderco Native and Endura are excellent knives for the money. The Kershaw Blur and Blackout are great, but for long lasting I would recommend the Blur due to the aluminum handles vs. the polyamide handle.

I hope this helps, J.
 
The only ones out of the list I've owned are the Leek, the Blur, the Tenacious, the Endura, the Rat-1, and I've got a Skyline on the way...

Immediately, I'd knock the Rat-1 and the Tenacious off your list. Probably smacks of heresy 'round these parts, but you seem to have a lot better options on that list, so you shouldn't really bother with lower-quality blades like those, imho. They're not bad 'first knives' by any stretch, but if you only plan on buying one knife, it'd make more sense to make it a quality knife.

So, if I had to give you a Top 3 from that list, I'd put the Leek, the Blur, and the Endura on it, in no particular order. Steel is really solid in each case, and I haven't been disappointed with build quality whatsoever. Some wiggling issues with the Endura in my case, but mine's pinned, so that can't really be helped...

You might also look into the Kershaw Cyclone - they're really inexpensive (I got a 2nd one for just under 35$ CAD) in a lot of places and they have the same great build quality and materials (generally speaking) as the Leek and the Blur. If they strike your fancy I highly recommend one of those.
 
J's Knives-N-More said:
Out of your list, I would place Spyderco on top, then Kershaw, and I would completely wipe the flash I off due to wobbly blades.

I've owned most of what's on your list and can tell you that the Spyderco Native and Endura are excellent knives for the money. The Kershaw Blur and Blackout are great, but for long lasting I would recommend the Blur due to the aluminum handles vs. the polyamide handle.

I hope this helps, J.
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So you would spend about $50 (the max of my budget) and get the spyderco native or endura as your first and 2nd choice, and the kershaw blackout as your 3rd choice? I dont think I can even find the spyderco endura for $50. Again, i wont probably be using knives everyday, but whenever i have to so $50 is really the max max I would spend.

Oh one thing to note- I do have sweaty hands often, so I do not know if aluminum or slick handle would be good in cutting or in the 1% chance i need the knife in a tactical event.

More suggestions are welcomed. Which would you get? How about for under $30? What will be your top choices? Thanks again guys! You guys are great!
 
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rydude87 said:
So you would spend about $50 (the max of my budget) and get the spyderco native or endura as your first and 2nd choice, and the kershaw blackout as your 3rd choice? I dont think I can even find the spyderco endura for $50. Again, i wont probably be using knives everyday, but whenever i have to so $50 is really the max max I would spend.

Oh one thing to note- I do have sweaty hands often, so I do not know if aluminum or slick handle would be good in cutting or in the 1% chance i need the knife in a tactical event.
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I was just going by your list, and out of personal use, the Endura is an excellent all around knife. Great for camping, EDC, and work related tasks. There is a thread or two floating around with excellent knives for $50 - 40 - 30 or less, I just need to find it...

edit: here's one of them: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=693701&highlight=$50

My links aren't working :confused:
 
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Must add Benchmade Griptilian, awesome blade, almost 50... totally worth it...

another one of those quintessential blades..

Also, I am personally very fond of the kershaw blur, JYD II, and shallot.
 
I actually suggest you get a junkyard dog from kershaw, the stainless steel frame lock one, one heck of a knife and should be able to get around 35$. I won't say it last you a life time but I think it have an advantage on this criteria comparing to most of your knives listeed.

I won't compare it with a sebenza, but they follow a similar design philosophy to keep things simple and strong IMO.
 
GoodbyEsaska said:
I actually suggest you get a junkyard dog from kershaw, the stainless steel frame lock one, one heck of a knife and should be able to get around 35$.
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If that's the 3-inch one, then you can get that for around $27 now. They're on sale at Knifeworks and Knifecenter, I believe.

My recommendation out of the ones you listed is the Endura. I've owned one in ZDP-189 steel. It's a great blade, nice and tough. You might like to wait a few weeks to a month or two for the flat-ground ones to hit the shelves. They'll be better slicers and better EDCs in my opinion.

And you said SD for 1% of your uses? Isn't that fairly high, meaning 1 out of every 100 of your uses will be to fend off crooks? :p
 
myowngod said:
Must add Benchmade Griptilian, awesome blade, almost 50... totally worth it...

another one of those quintessential blades..

Also, I am personally very fond of the kershaw blur, JYD II, and shallot.
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The Benchmade Griptilian Mini is about $65 on ebay...quite over my budget. The benchmade normal griptilian is wayyy over my budget :(


Also the kershaw junkyard that is on sale has a stainless steel handle, which i dont want because of my sweaty hands.

SO NO stainless steel handles because of my sweaty hands. I think that takes a couple of those knives off the list.


Haha and yah I mean .0001% for self defense lol
 
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Boker exskelibur in the size of your choosing.

The bigger one (the I) has more going for it over the small than just size, btw. I would go with that. I am not in love with anything on your list tbh, and if I were going to spend 50 or less I would go the Boker plus route for sure.
 
Seems like the endura is getting a lot of votes. Unfortunately the cheapest I can find is $50 but it has a full serrated blade...i prefer a combo or plain edge.

The Spyderco delica is also above my price range I guess, but nobody mentioned it.

Right now the Spyderco native is $52 from amazon....think that is the native 2 though... and the Blur is about that price too...A bit pricey but the native has s30v while the blur doesnt...so i assume native is better?

I guess the leek is out and shallot and all the ken onions other than the blur since most of the cheaper ones have a stainless steel handle which would slip in my sweaty palms.
 
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I'm gonna see how the whole buy one or 2 folders for life thing goes too, of course I spent more than 50 dollars, and even though it took longer to saev, i got a much better knife than i would for 50 dollars. It might not be that much better in some eyes, but I love it.

but on topic I would say the, RAT1 folder, it seems to get good revies considering its cheap price, the spyderco native/endura they both seem to get heaps of praise then maybe a kershaw leek. But because you only want to spend 50 max, the spyderco's might not fit into your budget.
 
I would get the Kershaw Ener-G in all black g10 handle because the g10 will still ptovide grip even if you have wet/sweaty hands. The 1745 if you want a larger blade but I prefer the 1740 for EDC because it's more pocket friendly and it's more than enough blade for what I do with my knives, things like breaking down card board,food prep, opening mail etc. The Native is a good choice too with better blade steel(S30V) but less of a grippy handle(FRN). I like the steel on the Ener-G also because it's easy to put a wicked edge on and it holds it well.
 
Nothing really wrong with the Spyderco Tenacious. I have the smaller version, the Persistence, and the Tenacious is built just like it, only bigger. Nice thick steel liners, excellent lockup, blade needs sharpening more often than the supersteels, but for the price you can't beat it, and it would make an excellent first knife.

Also look at the Kershaw Packrat, a Ken Onion design with the speed safe mechinism. An excellent knife.

The Boker Plus large Exskelibur seems to be a very nice knife from all the reports I've read and would also be an excellent choice!
 
I'll post my usual recommendations:




  • [*]Kershaw Skyline - $35 : US made, good Sandvik steel, nice the blade shape, G-10 handles, liner lock, hollow ground blade, bead blasted finish, 2 position clip for right handed tip up or tip down carry, phosphor bronze washers, light weight, smooth and fast flipper w/ thumbstuds also (non-AO)

    [*]Spyderco Tenacious - $30-35 : Chinese made, high quality, high value, very good fit & finish, decent steel, G-10, handles, liner lock, 4 position clip for tip up/down/left/right carry, phosphor bronze washers, fast & smooth deployment, open construction, full-flat grind, Spyder Hole (non-AO), great thumb jimping

    [*]Buck Vantage Pro - $40-45 : US made, S30V "premium" steel, G-10 handles, liner lock, very high value considering the Paul Bos treated S30V premium steel, great clip design that rides very low in pocket, hollow ground blade, 2 position clip for left or right tip up carry, open construction, flipper and thumbslot (non-AO), no jimping

    [*]Kershaw Leek - $35-50+ depending on steel and handle options : US made, steel handles, frame lock, good Sandvik steel (other steel choices include S30V, ZDP-189/Sandvik composite blade), hollow grind blade 2 position clip for right hand tip up or tip down, thumbstud and flipper w/ AO

    [*]Spyderco Native - $50 and up : US made, great S30V steel (other steel options available), FRN handles, linerless, pinned construction on the cheaper models, spear/leaf shaped hollow ground blade, 2 position clip for right or left handed tip up carry, light weight, linerless Spyder Hole (non-AO), great thumb jimping


All are 3 - 3 1/2". All are in my EDC rotation. You can get the Kershaws from Walmart. The Skyline is my favorite and gets the most carry but the Vantage Pro w/ its S30V blade and G-10 handle scales really pushes the value envelope.


You asked for top 3:

  1. Kershaw Skyline
  2. Buck Vantage Pro
  3. Spyderco Tenacious
 
Hey guys!

Wow thanks for all your responses.

I think I will skip the Buck Vantage Pro as there seems to be some quality issues as noted on some youtube viewers. The Rat 1 may be a bit too heavy, I may get it later on if I do want another if I get a lighter knife now.

I guess I will cross all the ken onions like leeks and scallions etc off my list since it has a stainless steel handle.

I will look into the kershaw packrat.

Whats the difference between the skyline and ener-g 1740? Seems about the same

I guess I am looking at either the ener-g or the skyline for a cheaper blade.

For the more expensive one I will narrow down to the endura, delica,blur, packrat and native if I want to spend about $50 or a little more. (I know, havnt really narrowed it down...sigh)

Now I have to decide whether I want to spend about $25 or $50. Sigh lol. More opinions are welcomed as well. Thanks guys!:thumbup:
 
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UpChUcK said:
I'll post my usual recommendations:




  • [*]Buck Vantage Pro - $40-45 : US made, S30V "premium" steel, G-10 handles, liner lock, very high value considering the Paul Bos treated S30V premium steel, great clip design that rides very low in pocket, hollow ground blade, 2 position clip for left or right tip up carry, open construction, flipper and thumbslot (non-AO), no jimping

    [*]Kershaw Leek - $35-50+ depending on steel and handle options : US made, steel handles, frame lock, good Sandvik steel (other steel choices include S30V, ZDP-189/Sandvik composite blade), hollow grind blade 2 position clip for right hand tip up or tip down, thumbstud and flipper w/ AO

    [*]Spyderco Native - $50 and up : US made, great S30V steel (other steel options available), FRN handles, linerless, pinned construction on the cheaper models, spear/leaf shaped hollow ground blade, 2 position clip for right or left handed tip up carry, light weight, linerless Spyder Hole (non-AO), great thumb jimping
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These are the three I would recommend for <$50 with the addition of the Boker Exskelibur and Delica (you can get the FRN for this $ - Google it)

All are very good values. The Buck and the Boker Ex have G10 handles which will help with your sweaty hands.

edit - I just saw your post above and can say that I've never had any quality issues with the Buck Vantage Pro. The blade is a little off center but that's about it.
 
Hmm I see. But the leek has a slick handle so I dont think that would be good for me right?

The spyderco native on amazon is about $50 but it is a native 2...not a 3 or 4. IS that ok? Looks good. Heard that the hole is a bit covered by the frame though, so it may be hard to whip out the blade I heard. The spyderco delica 2 on amazon is $48 but is aus 6 steel.



I think I won't get the buck because of the quality issues i have heard though...makes me a bit uncomfortable.

How about the Blackout? It is right in between the price between the skyline and the spyderco delicas and natives and blur.
 
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I'd recommend either the Spyderco Delica, Endura or Native. Perhaps a "hair" over budget, you'll find the little bit extra you spend now will get you something that perhaps will last you many decades. Depending on how hard you use your knives....you conceivably could get by with one of these for the rest of your life. But where's the fun in that ? :)

As well, I endorse redisburning's below recommendation. The Boker Exskelibur I is rather new so hasn't been "discovered" yet by some, but it's a hell of a nice knife for the money.....and right at your price point.

redisburning said:
Boker exskelibur in the size of your choosing.

The bigger one (the I) has more going for it over the small than just size, btw. I would go with that. I am not in love with anything on your list tbh, and if I were going to spend 50 or less I would go the Boker plus route for sure.
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rydude87 said:
Hmm I see. But the leek has a slick handle so I dont think that would be good for me right?

The spyderco native on amazon is about $50 but it is a native 2...not a 3 or 4. IS that ok? Looks good. Heard that the hole is a bit covered by the frame though, so it may be hard to whip out the blade I heard.

I really like the delica too from what I heard.

I think I won't get the buck because of the quality issues i have heard though...makes me a bit uncomfortable.
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Then get either the Native II (with S30V) or the Delica. Both are great knives and the Spyderco brand is top-notch in terms of quality and reliability. I think the Delica would get nod from me because it is sort of the quintessential Spyderco and has a legion of devoted fans - for a reason.

But be careful "whipping" out the blade in any event. That can get you arrested or killed....
 
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