Recommendations for thin gentleman's knives?

Lance Leon

Lance Leon

Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
900
Hey everyone. A buddy of mine is looking to get his first proper knife for EDC, and I was hoping that some folks with similar tastes to his would be able to make some recommendations that fit his description. (I hope this is the right place for this thread)

He wants something with a thin, 'elegant' blade, almost like a stiletto. He likes materials such as wood, ivory, and brass. Preferably a locking blade. He's jumping right in with a budget that's up to about a grand, though it doesn't necessarily need to be that much.

Any and all recommendations for something that might fit the bill are welcome. Thanks all.
 
William Henry! Light, slim, precious materials, pointy blade shape that is a bit stiletto-ish. Also expensive, but he has the budget.
 
Colorodo said:
Have a custom made.
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Yeah but if you do be sure to research the hell out of whoever u decide to go with. Just go to the good bad and ugly forum on here and read all the nightmare stories of custom makers stealing peoples money and not delivering. I'm not even close to wanting or feeling the need for a custom but reading all that will turn someone off to it quick but also possibly save someone a big headache. Plenty of good high end production knives. Get a chris reeve knife with whatever nice inlay you want. Great knife at half the budget and your guaranteed to get your knife.
 
steelhead seeker said:
Yeah but if you do be sure to research the hell out of whoever u decide to go with. Just go to the good bad and ugly forum on here and read all the nightmare stories of custom makers stealing peoples money and not delivering. I'm not even close to wanting or feeling the need for a custom but reading all that will turn someone off to it quick but also possibly save someone a big headache. Plenty of good high end production knives. Get a chris reeve knife with whatever nice inlay you want. Great knife at half the budget and your guaranteed to get your knife.
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While there is bad makers who've burned people, there are easily hundreds of makers on this site that can be trusted and do business the right way. Most of the knife makers here don't require an upfront down payment. Meaning you pay for the knife when it's built or extremely close to completely finished.


Knife makers here make their living on this forum, don't steer business away from them. I agree with the advice to research the maker though.

My recommendation is to check out Alan Davis knives.
 
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While it doesn't meet the handle material outlined, the G5 Metamorph seems like something he can try in order to determine what he likes and doesn't without spending much of his budget. It certainly meets the other criteria. I really like mine (in gold rose) and feel it is quite "gentlemanly". :thumbsup: (Also takes a wicked edge :cool:)
 
The gentleman's knife has been the subject of many threads. Have him sit down and look through those before he starts, because 1) the term is used loosely and opinions vary as to what comprises a "gentleman's knife", and 2) there's a lot of different makers that you don't often run across.

For example, Abe Lincoln (who was certainly a gentleman) carried a Congress pattern slipjoint. This (to me) embodies the ideal; a slim knife, finely made, of a traditional pattern, without clips, flips, or buttons.

For production knives William Henry certainly makes knives that fit the bill. As do several other traditional pattern manufacturers. And there are certainly custom makers on this board who's knives any gentleman could produce at a White House dinner without raising a fuss. Look at T Davison, E Pena, T Bose, J Allen, J Lloyd, etc. and you'll find something exceptional within your friends budget.

Last, forget the dagger or stiletto blade. Thin and single edged will do the trick. A gentleman's knife is not for fighting or self defense (not since the 1800's).
 
Just one newbie opinion here. Your friend should buy a Spyderco Delica (~$75), carry it for a year, use that year to do a lot of serious research and then buy his dream gentlemans knife with the ~$925 he still has left. He’ll end up with his own personal vision of the ideal gentlemans knife and he should be able to avoid the dreaded buyers remorse that could come from dropping a pile of money on something before he really knows what he's doing or looking for.
 
With a grand, I'd go custom, with lots of research on the maker and pattern. With no low end on the budget, there are too many choices for me to throw out one.
 
Lance Leon said:
Hey everyone. A buddy of mine is looking to get his first proper knife for EDC, and I was hoping that some folks with similar tastes to his would be able to make some recommendations that fit his description. (I hope this is the right place for this thread)

He wants something with a thin, 'elegant' blade, almost like a stiletto. He likes materials such as wood, ivory, and brass. Preferably a locking blade. He's jumping right in with a budget that's up to about a grand, though it doesn't necessarily need to be that much.

Any and all recommendations for something that might fit the bill are welcome. Thanks all.
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For small true old style, exceptionally flat, superbly crafted gentlemen's knives, Hen And Rooster made a lovely selection of brass, stainless, and precious metals gents knives, and realistically all the knife most such buyers need or use. Flat enough to carry in a wallet.
 
Lance Leon said:
Hey everyone. A buddy of mine is looking to get his first proper knife for EDC, and I was hoping that some folks with similar tastes to his would be able to make some recommendations that fit his description. (I hope this is the right place for this thread)

He wants something with a thin, 'elegant' blade, almost like a stiletto. He likes materials such as wood, ivory, and brass. Preferably a locking blade. He's jumping right in with a budget that's up to about a grand, though it doesn't necessarily need to be that much.

Any and all recommendations for something that might fit the bill are welcome. Thanks all.
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For $800 I bought a Neill Schutte 8 inch Fixed Blade Dagger(custom ordered) and it is thin and beautiful. I know what you're thinking 8 inches is huge....it is not, it is tiny and when you have it in hand it disappears. It is a Bob Loveless style dagger and it is unreal.

Google "Neill Schutte Knives"
 
Don't know how thick it is, but whenever I think Gentleman Knife I think "CRK Mnandi" it's small, classy, with the right materials, un-tactical in a way that isn't offending people who don't like knives and has a good warranty behind it.
 
Dangerously said:
William Henry! Light, slim, precious materials, pointy blade shape that is a bit stiletto-ish. Also expensive, but he has the budget.
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Wowweeee !
I never realized.
I better save up :)
There were some there under $1000 though (something for everyone).
This one is $75,000. Yes that's right.
016-img-665019-webcrop.jpg
 
b00n said:
Don't know how thick it is, but whenever I think Gentleman Knife I think "CRK Mnandi" it's small, classy, with the right materials, un-tactical in a way that isn't offending people who don't like knives and has a good warranty behind it.
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And with that budget he could get one of these with about $250 to spare ;)

Screenshot_20170927-161426.png


~Chip
 
WValtakis said:
And with that budget he could get one of these with about $250 to spare ;)

Screenshot_20170927-161426.png


~Chip
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The Chef just saw your photo and says she digs the hell out of this knife; the yellow etc.
What material is that she is asking . . . bone ?
 
Lance Leon said:
Hey everyone. A buddy of mine is looking to get his first proper knife for EDC, and I was hoping that some folks with similar tastes to his would be able to make some recommendations that fit his description. (I hope this is the right place for this thread)

He wants something with a thin, 'elegant' blade, almost like a stiletto. He likes materials such as wood, ivory, and brass. Preferably a locking blade. He's jumping right in with a budget that's up to about a grand, though it doesn't necessarily need to be that much.

Any and all recommendations for something that might fit the bill are welcome. Thanks all.
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Chris Reeve Mnandi or small Sebenza 21 with wood inlays would be an ideal knife for his needs.

You could also check out some Brad Zinker customs. He makes some very thin long knives. Zinker could probabky make him one with wood overlays or whatever.
 
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