Recon 1?

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neilioli

Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
78
Hello -

I've been thinking of getting a Recon 1 soon because my main knife that I use (a Gerber Folding Sheath Knife) has reached the end of its lifespan. I think that a Recon 1 would be good for me, but before I get it I'd like to know what pros and cons there are to this knife. I'll probably be getting the spearpoint one with a fine edge (I hate serrations). I'm mostly involved in bushcraft activities, so is the Recon 1 good for that? I'll also be using the Recon 1 as an EDC knife, is it any good for that?

I've heard of problems with the belt clip, the finish and the steel used for the blade being "average." Are these true and do they have any effect on the knife? Should I remove the finish?

Lastly, are there any other knives that are better or more suited for bushcraft and EDC that I should look into before buying the Recon 1? They must be folding knives, however. I've heard that the Benchmade Griptilian is a superb knife. How does it compare with the Recon 1?

Thanks,

- Neilioli
 
I don't have a grip yet so I can't speak for it but you can find the recon 1 a whole lot cheaper then the grip so one would think that the quality is better the more you spend

I do have a recon 1 though and I do carry it every once in awhile and it holds its own well. The clip has a bit too much tension on it so it, with the g-10, will destroy your pants faster but pliers will fix that. The steel may be average but it suits my needs quite well and I think cold steel uses aus8 well. Hold a decent edge and quite easy to sharpen. No corrosion on my blade yet.

Again I think you get what you pay for so I think the grip will be better but I do know that even though my utilitac 2 was cheaper then my recon 1 I like that knife a whole lot more
 
Well I can't speak for the recon 1 as I only have a griptilian.

I will say that it's an extremely good knife, I love the blade shape and 154cm is my favourite steel. The lock is one of the strongest on the market, I've beaten it to hell and there's zero blade play. The only issue you might have that a lot of people do is that the handles feel cheap. They're actually super tough and will probably outlive us all, but some people just don't like them. I personally prefer G10 but they do their job just fine.

I think you'll find that both knives have a pretty good reputation around here, hopefully someone who owns both can give you their opinion too. I will say +1 for the Grip though!
 
Both knives are of good quality. Fit and finish tends to be less than perfect on both knives, but should not affect function. The steel on the grip is better, but it's not life-changing by any means. I do love the axis lock, but it's harder to disassemble and maintain than the lock on cold steel knives. With the price hike last year, I do not personally think the grip is worth the money. For that much you can get a blur in s30v, a zt0350 blem, or a manix 2. All are better knives for the money, imo.
 
I don't think a knife with a hollow ground blade on these folders would lend itself to chopping or batoning. I would think a Mora clipper would be an even better choice for bushcrafting/camping, but a folder is certainly always a useful item for when the need strikes. I like and own the Recon 1 and various Grips.
 
amg137 said:
Both knives are of good quality. Fit and finish tends to be less than perfect on both knives, but should not affect function. The steel on the grip is better, but it's not life-changing by any means. I do love the axis lock, but it's harder to disassemble and maintain than the lock on cold steel knives. With the price hike last year, I do not personally think the grip is worth the money. For that much you can get a blur in s30v, a zt0350 blem, or a manix 2. All are better knives for the money, imo.
Click to expand...

I agree that the Griptilian is a very tough work knife, but the price hike is hard to take since yoiu now have the 158 cm steel competing with s30v steel on the Blur ,Manix2 , and zt350 blem for about the same price. But the Griptilian is the lightest of these knives and might well be the toughest, despite the plastic handles. I just sold one of mine to a friend who took it camping and fishing this weekend, and he is very impressed.
 
I own both and find both knives to be extremely satisfying to use. The recon 1 is the bigger knife- and whether or not that is a pro or a con depends on you.

I've seen griptilians survive absolutely awful amounts of abuse. The grip probably gets the nod in terms of quality but both knives perform knife tasks to an absolutely satisfactory level of completion.

I personally prefer the look and feel of the Recon 1.
 
The griptilian has always felt "cheap" to me. I like the design, the ergonomics, and the blade steel. Just hate the feel of the chintzy plastic handles. I know I could buy G10 scales, but at that price, you've opened up a whole new ballpark of competition where the griptilian frankly can't keep up.

I own several Recon1s in different sizes and like them all. The handles have a great feel to them, but the knife is still light due to them being solid G10 with no liners. Practically unbreakable lock. The AUS-8 blade steel is done right. It takes a wicked edge and holds it a good long time. I have really put mine through their paces and it is honestly good steel. Not the best, but pretty darned good. The clip? Eh, who cares? If it's too tight, bend it. Too loose? Bend it. The blade coating appears to be black latex house paint! It wears very quickly with almost zero effort. The cool thing is that there's a really nice stonewashed finish under all that crud. Just take it off, or wait til it wears off.

Whatever you choose, good luck to you.
 
I love the Recon 1, and i on two (both tanto - a shape more useful than people give credit in), one in AUS-8, and one in the XHP steel.

Like Ant says, there is a beautiful finish under the coating, and looks good without. The XHP has a DLC coating, which also looks nice, and should be pretty tough.

As it is, i EDC my XHP version, and i have no problems. I wear regular work slacks, and have no problem with either way or feel. Yes, i am sure pulling out a large knight might get some looks, and you will have to judge what you can "get away" with. But in terms of use, not a problem at all. :)
 
I own both and I EDC my Grip much more than my Recon 1. That said I love my Recon 1 immensely because it was the knife that started the "sickness". :thumbup:
 
I have a Recon 1. Old and new.

The hollow grind I'd not ideal for bushcraft. The Talwar is flat ground. It is pretty sweet, waved with the thumb plate, but still not really a bushvraft blade.

Worth the money, for sure.

You should look at the Texas Hunter. Flat ground, lock back.


People complain about the pocket clips on cold steel don't speak for me. I love a strong clip. I have lost more than a few knives from under powered clips. I have not lost any of my cold steels over the course of 17 years.
 
Ive heard the Recon 1's are tough as hell, so thats probably your best bet. The grips are good, but too pricey for what you get, IMO.

But in all honesty, I would be looking for a nice fixed blade if I were doing any bushcrafting...... Folders are great for certain things, but they arent even close to ideal for bigger tasks like chopping and batoning (for obvious reasons). If it were me, I would grab an esee 6, and pair it with the Recon 1. That way you have something that could handle anything you encountered while crafting the bush :)

BTW, Apparently some SEALS use Recon 1's.... Heres the recon 1 in action, just in case, you know, you had any OTHER uses in mind: :D:D:D

I think someone stole his fried chicken.....:eek::o.... JK.....

[video=youtube;QHSXZnxLZ0I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHSXZnxLZ0I[/video]
 
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Both the Griptilian and the Recon 1 are good tools, not ideally suited for bushcraft (but I don't like anything that folds for serious outdoors use). It's a bit unfair to compare them since the Griptilian is much more expensive.

The Griptilian has better steel, a smoother lock and is made in the US (if that's important to you). Some people don't like the feel of the noryl gtx handle scales, and some find it a bit thick in the pocket.

The Recon 1 is super tough, the Tri-Ad lock is strong as hell and, considering the price, AUS-8 is a decent steel.
 
I have the Recon 1 as well. Can't speak for the other knives. I love the grip on it. It will eat your pockets up just under the clip if you don't sand it down some right under the clip, so to me that's no big deal. It feels pretty light compared to a couple of my other edc's. I barely know it's in my pocket. It's pretty tough though. It takes a shaving edge really easy. I like it a lot.
 
Its not a bad knife. I have one 4" combo edge clip point blade. The teflon finish on the blade comes off faster than a hookers clothes, the serrated part is difficult to sharpen, and the G10 handles are overly grippy. However, it has the strongest lock I've seen of any knife, the AUS-8A heat treat and edge retention is the best I've seen in that steel, the ergo's are phenomenal if you have meathooks like me. However, it is not something I will carry normally. Its a bit to big for my tastes. There are better knives out there for the price, but it is an inexpensive alternative to beastly overbuilt knives.
 
Here's my Recon 1 Mini. Excellent knife for the money (I paid $33 for mine). As you can see, the coating ain't so pretty anymore, but it doesn't bother me. Still works great!

 
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