Small, excellent quality, everday knife reccomendations, please>>>

B

beady

Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
28
Hi all, I'm a new member, so please forgive me not knowing of all the "great" brands to look for (or avoid, lol), etc.

I hadn't carried a knife in years and years when on a whim I decided to pick up a (really) cheapy single-blade folding knife last fall. When I say cheap, I mean *cheap*, as is $0.99. Go ahead, laugh, it's OK :-)

Anyway, I found so many uses for that thing that I want to get a really nice knife to carry with me. I want a knife I can use for everyday tasks, that will hold up and stay sharp. Mundane stuff like scraping paint, trimming tape, scraping plaster off molding (doing a lot of rennovation on our house) stripping the odd wire, cutting open blister packaging, plastic bags, etc, etc. A knife I can *use*.

From experience, I've found that I'm usually much happier when I spend the money to get a hihg-quality item, whatever that item may be. Fit, finish, feel, ease of use, etc are always better. So, ignore that fact that I bought some piece of crap first, and please give me suggestions on a good to great quality knife that I'll be happy with.

Criteria:
1) has to be fairly small; small enough to fit in the pants of my kahki's unobtrusively.
2) has to hold an edge
3) prefer it to be thin
4) partial to S30V for blade material from what I've read
4) a big plus would be a screwdriver or two built in

I don't want a SAK, and I don't want some multi-tool. I did see one Buck knife that had a single blade and a choke tool plus opener and screwdriver on a single other blade. but, it only came is camo, so that's a no-go. Leatherman has a knife with a blade and two screwdrivers, but the overall package is too big for my tastes.

After I did some more research I figured out I would probably be happier with a better blade than either of those two anyway, even if I have to forgo my screwdriver.

I really like what I've read about the Bradley Cutlery Alias II. Solid construction, relatively light, smooth action, and S30V blade. It's about the size I'm looking for also (blade 3" or less). Price is a bit steep, but like I said, I'm willing to pay for quality. I don't want to be scared to use the knife for ordinary tasks though.

Some of the Doug Ritter offerings like the mini RSK mkI look nice also, as well as being somewhat less expensive, bt still having an S30V blade.

Anyway, if you have feelings on the subject, please feel free to offer suggestion on manufacturer/model, as I'm not big into the knife scene. I've done some reswearch, but I'm still an outsider looking in.

Many thanks,

Mike
 
I think the Mid Tech Razel sounds perfect for what you are doing with your house.

It's a fixed blade, but it is small and comes with a sheath that clips to your pocket, so it carries almost like a folding knife. Blade is 3 1/2 inches of Bos heat treated 154CM.

GMX2.jpg


http://newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=4926

It's also available in a black G10 handle.

Edit:

Also, I can't recommend S30V for the kind of stuff you are talking about. It is a finicky steel that can be prone to chipping especially doing the kind of things you're talking about.
 
There are lots of good choices available. The thing I'd be looking at if I was in the market right now would be the A.G. Russell one-hand knife (small). I don't think you could find many knives that are thinner, or cooler to use. It's not S30V but ATS-34 is still a good steel.
 
You mention scraping several times in your question. This kind of use is hard on a blade. For your kind of mixed cutting and scraping use you would be best off with a multiblade knife. If you always do your scraping with one blade you will have another to keep really sharp for cutting. I think that you should try a Queen Cutlery stockman model with D2 alloy blades. This three blade model will give you lots of options. With a stockman knife I use the long blade for opening bags and immediate cutting chores, I use the sheepsfoot blade like a box cutter for cutting cardboard or material on a cutting board, and I use the spey blade for things like scraping. Here's one that would work well. Note that the blades don't lock.

http://www.bullmancutlery.com/catalog/queen/products/qn49wb.html
 
VG10 or ZDP Spydercos and the Rittergrip you mentioned, but I can't think of something better to use for your listed tasks than an SAK. How are you at sharpening?
 
Thanks for the replies, guys.

J85909266, that knife would probably work well for a lot of my tasks, but I really want a folding knife I can cary in my pocket all the time.

TorzJohnson, I like that knife a lot. it's nice and thin, and about the right blade size, etc. I could even stand to go up to the larger model. I'll do some Googling on ATS-34.

Jeff, for some reason those knives that look like my dad used to carry when I was growing up just don't do it for me. Also, I feel I reaaly need a locking blade, for safety if nothing else.

hardheart, I'm not a fan of the SAK's. I had one many years ago, and just didn't like the feel of it, and as I recall, the blade wasn't that sharp and dulled easily? Sharpening.... well I've got an "Arkansas stone" to sharpen my kitchen knives. But, I'm not so good at keeping my sharpening angle consistent down the blade edge. I had one of those metal bladed "V" sharpeners, but don't know where it is now (we moved). Besides, it seemed to take off a lot of metal, and left knicks in the blades.

How about one of the Onion, Leek, etc line? I seem to have seen them pop up a lot when I was searching. This one seems reasonably priced:

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=ks1660pgtst

I suppose I should qualify my knife choice by saying I want it to be useful for later on, not just for house work. When my Jeep acts up and I need to cut back some fuel line or radiator hose, I want the knife to be up to it, safely. Etc, etc.

The best knives I have personal experience with are my Henckel kitchen knives. They are in a different league than any other knives I own. They hold an edge long after the other knives are dangerously dull. They are a joy to use. That's what I want in my pocket knife.

Thanks again,

Mike
 
I think you want dsomething large and tough. D2 would be a great steel for you. S30V is awesome when it comes out right, but that's not something I feel you can count on, others would disagree.

How do you feel about this model:

yhst-37315173526266_1887_228484


Benchmade 710 in D2

http://savsonswordsandknives.com/bemcwid2coit.html

It's a well loved classic here, excellent, strong, smooth axis lock, tough D2 steel, big four inch blade, and G10 handle. I would order a Tuff Cloth to keep it wiped down with as the steel can rust if neglected.
 
I would recommend a Delica. VG-10 is great. But if you are not interested in that, would a Spyderco Native S30V at Wallyworld for around $40 I think.
 
The new S30V Leek you were looking at would be a fantastic. I've got a regular old leek and its my favorite knife.
 
Spyderco Native -- as little as $40 if your local Wally's World carries them.

Light, reasonably thin. S30V blade.

I've had 9 knives with S30V blades, and none of them have chipped, and I've used them for scraping, hardwood and copper wire. I have had 440C and 2 VG-10 Spyderco knives chip, however.
 
Seriously, it is all about Benchmade. That RSK is a good one! Under 3" limits things a bit. Most knives "around here" are between 3 and 4 inches....?

Look at the BM Sequel in 154cm and the HK 14210 (also made by BM)...
 
Wow, this is a great forum! I never expected so many replies, let alone so quickly. Thanks!

Redguy, those Leatherman knives were among the first I found, and I thought "this is just what I'm looking for". I was thinking more along the lines of the LMC305 as it is thinner, without the bits in the handle. However, I did more searching and found a site with pics of it from various angles in a man's hand, and it looked to be too thick (wide) for me to carry every day. Also, I can only find that the blade is "420", not 420A,B,C or HC. I read that 420A and B is sort of junk, and 420C is the minimum you want, if not HC. So those things kind of knocked it off the list :-(

J85909266, I could live with that design of knife. But, it's a bit on the large side. I (think I) want a blade about 3" or less.

deathshead and KeithAM, the Delica is a bit on the large side for what I'm looking for. The Native is smaller, bladesize, but the height of the knife folded looks big? Because of the opening hole in the blade I guess....

korbiaka, from what I've read so far ppl like the Onions, Leeks, Chives, etc. Must be something to that....

Chadilac, like the Onions, etc, the Benchmade seems to get good reviews, so I feel confident it's a good knife also.

I'd say the Ritter, Onion S30V, and Russel One-Hand-Knife are at the top of my short list at this point. My "feeling" is that the Onion would be a great all-rounder, and at a reasonable price. The Russel is lighter (a plus), and clean looking. The Ritter looks the toughest.... If I had to make a choice this second it'd be the Onion, but I have the luxury of waiting a while :-)

Thanks again,

Mike
 
The Leek knives are assisted openers, and not very heavy duty at all. Assited openers use springs that will eventually break and need to be replaced, sometimes sooner than later, and I find the assited opening to get pretty annoying over time. They also use medium steels, which are okay, but not great.

Since the 710 was too large for you, how about this one?

707.jpg


Benchmade 707 Sequel

This one has just under a three inch blade and a light weight aluminum handle with a G10 insert for grippiness. Still, it has the very strong and smooth Axis lock. Trust me, you'll want to try the Axis. The 154CM steel is top quality stuff too.
 
J85909266, I like that knife. I do some reading on it.

I was just reading a thread that said the Benchmade blades tend to be tougher than some of the other knives, although they may not slice with as little effort as some others (due to the blade grind). Seeing as what I'm likely to use the blade for, this would seem to be advantageous.

Mike
 
Mike,
The perfect knife… I’ll leave that up to you. But if you are set on “Knives With S30V Steel Blades” choose that quote on the quick reference menu on the knifecenter website and you’ll get five pages of knives to look at. Here is the link, not sure if it will work:
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/s...l Blades&srch=woDESCRIPTIONdatarq=s30v&&&s=97

You may have already seen this since some have already sent you to this website.

Okay I can’t resist you may like this one:
Lonewolf Design Double-Duty Auto with Cocobolo Wood Handle
 
Spyderco S30V Native-$40.00 at Wally-world
Camillus EDC
Benchmade 941
 
lol, I almost linked to the S30V Leek in my first reply :D

This will probably be my nex order- http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7342

I asked about sharpening because S30V could take more strokes than you're used to. I think with an Arkansas stone this would be especially true. It could be an exercise in frustration for a bit. I suggest having a pratice blade, even an old kitchen beater just to get your consistency down. Or get a system-Lanskys aren't bad, Sharpmaker is well liked (but very fine grit,you may want the diamond sleeves if your renovation work could damage the knife edge), Edgepro is good but is an acquired skill all its own. Don't even bother looking for the carbide v-scraper monster, it is hell on an edge as you've noticed.
 
How about a Ritter Mini-grip, they come in S30V? You can get a yellow of black handle! It is ann EXCELLENT knife. I love mine!!
 
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