some advice for a newbie...?

V

vshang

Joined
Jul 15, 2000
Messages
4
hi, i'm new to this forum, and was wondering if someone could give me pointers... i know you're all knowledged and enthusiastic about knives, and i just hope i'm not wasting your time with an ignorant post... but to the point:
i'm looking to get a knife for utility purposes, and maybe to carry around. i want a knife i can use a lot, and that'll last me forever (or at least a real long time =) ). so basically, i want a practical knife. i don't want to have to worry about breaking it or damaging it too much, so i don't want a really valuable one that i know should deserve a lot of care.
so far, i've had my eye on a sebenza. my friends have them and make me jealous... =]
the trouble is, i don't really want to spend that kind of money. i like the quality and style of that knife though. i also like the benchmade 750 Pinnacle, but i haven't actually handled one of those. i guess the 710 looks cool too, and so does the buck strider tactical folder. i dont' know what you think of these last couple ones... but anyhow, from those examples, can anyone suggest some knives that are durable, look good (i know this will be totally subjective), and sharp?
i'm not sure what i want, but a folding knife with about a 3.5-4" blade sounds good, and i really don't want to spend more than $100, but i'd be willing to spend a little more if it's worth it.

thanks for any input on this... i appreciate it!

-victor
 
Welcome to the forums
All the knives you have mentioned are fine buy the one you like best.Always buy what you like and you can't go wrong.
Bob
 
I was just wondering what your folding knife prefrences are:

Tips (tanto drop point, clip point sheepsfoot)

Grind (Hollow, flat, convex)

Lock (Liner, button lock, rolling lock, regular lock)

serrations?

I was just wondering so that we could help you narrow down your search in finding that perfect folder.
 
The Columbia River Knife and Tool Carson M16-14 has a generous 3.94" blade and the "carson flipper" which pops the blade out really fast, and is just plain fun to use. The liner lock could be beefier, but for 48$ (http://www.southsummit.com/columbia_river_kitcarson.html) it can't be beat. Also, mine came hair-popping sharp out of the box.

A smaller, higher quality knife IMHO would be the Benchmade 720 w/ the Axis lock. It's not a big or quickly deployed, but you just get the feeling that something that well made will last forever.
You can't go wrong with either one.
 
Welcome Victor,

With the rare exception almost any knife that you buy from Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT, Kershaw etc. will be quite good. In the $100 neighborhood you will be able to find an excellent knife. So figuring that if you stick to the companies that will be mentioned in this thread you can't go wrong.

Sooooo, I said all that to say this. Try to handle the knives you are interested in. If you are planning on only having one primary blade make sure it is comfortable for you to carry and use. After that it is only a question of preference.

O.K. I've got suggestions, too. Any of the BM Axis locks, Spyderco Starmate, or if you want to dazzle your friends get a Ken Onion Kershaw with the torsion bar assist and ask them if their fancy-shmantsy Sebenzas can open like that.
smile.gif


Oh and BTW-they will ALL be sharp.

Jack
 
Victor,
You have a whole bunch of choices in the $100 price range. I'm a big fan of Spyderco, and I'm not that keen on BM's, but that's just me.
I'd like to suggest getting a couple of knives for your $100, by looking at some of the great values from Outdoor Edge and Columbis River Knife & Tool. I'm pretty sure you can do an OE Magna & Impulse and stay within your budget. I just recently bought a CRKT/KFF in the large and small for less than $100. This will allow you have different choices in your carry, sizes and styles.



------------------
"Will work 4 Knives!"
Homepage: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=254126
 
My vote would have to go for the Benchmade 730. For a new knife person it offers some unique scale colors, completely and effortlessly ambidextrous, reversible/removable clip, solid/open handle design making cleaning/maintenance a piece of cake and seldom requiring any dismantling, blade sits deep in the pocket and the axis lock is fantastic and also lends to easy cleaning, blade design is excellent and overall the blade is beefy/tough enough to take some abuse without suffering. Good luck, the quest is sometimes the best part! The other posts are absolutely right, get out there and put your hands on some knives then make you decision and come here shopping in
'Exchange' when you're ready to buy and I'm sure you will easily find your blade AND the price you're looking for!

biggrin.gif
Shawn

------------------
'Peers don't know what they can't see...
They can't see inside of me... It's sickening
how comforting the privacy of the mind can be...
How much longer will I try before I realize I'm
desperate in the situation that I'm in again...
I'm exhausting yet another topic I've exhausted
frequently with no regrets!' - Eve 6
 
Thanks a lot, ET, you beat me to it. Victor, welcome to the forums. There are many knives in your price range, but my personal favorite that meets your criteria is Benchmade's 730. The colored and contoured handle sets it apart from the majority of production knives.

--JB

------------------
e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
Well, REKAT makes some very tough knives. For everyday utility and wear, I would recommend a traditional folder, like a stockman. It doesn't lock, and has 3 blades, 1 large 3" and 2 smaller blades. Schrade Old Timer are nice and are pretty cheap. I have an old stockman from my grandfather and the thing outcuts my Genesis 2 everytime and holds a great edge. Also, people don't give me odd looks when I pull it out. You can also get a big tactical knife, too. I carry the Genesis and stockman everyday and they take care of all of my needs.
 
thanks for all the advice, i've read every word of each post.
being the newbie i am, there's a lot i don't know about knives. i guess this makes it hard for me to make an educated decision about what i want. but here's some of what i'm looking for:
as far as tips go, i'm not really familiar with the different types, but i like the tanto drop point.
i'm looking for a partially serrated blade, .. and for locks, i'm most familiar with the liner lock, so that would be my preference.
and to be honest, i don't know what "grind" is.
i hope this helps narrow my choices down..
i really don't want anything too fancy, but just something simple and slick.

now that some people have offered their suggestions to me, i figure the next thing to do is to check them out and handle them if possible. is there any place in particular that i should go to try out these knives? i reallly don't know where to go to find all these knives.. i live in the bay area, in a town called fremont. can someone point me in the right direction?


Originally posted by TimmyTheTalkingToilet:
I was just wondering what your folding knife prefrences are:

Tips (tanto drop point, clip point sheepsfoot)

Grind (Hollow, flat, convex)

Lock (Liner, button lock, rolling lock, regular lock)

serrations?

I was just wondering so that we could help you narrow down your search in finding that perfect folder.
Click to expand...

 
Well, to start off with, grinds should be explained.
http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqbladegeo.shtml

this gives you everything you need to know about blades. Check in the Knowledge base FAQ here and you can learn a lot! One thing about liner locks, is the liner wears, some take a while to wear, others wear quickly and don't lock up as solid as they did. Just search for reviews on the models you like. Good luck!
 
I think for a little more,a BM-940 would be a nice choice for a new blade.Nice green aluminum handles too!
biggrin.gif


[This message has been edited by TOMBSTONE (edited 07-16-2000).]
 
AFCK or 710 Benchmade.
Or a Camillus Cuda.
smile.gif

BTW HOWDY NEIGHBOR

------------------

have a"knife"day
 
For value and good support (CS) you cannot beat Buck Knives. The make some really nice folders in your price range.

For quality, you cannot beat the Sebenza.

Benchmade makes nice designs, but their QC is hit or miss.

Spyderco knives I own are sharp and of stylish design, but with the value side and quality side spoken for, everything else sort of makes up the middle ground, IMHO.

CRK&T also provides nice bang for the buck.
 
Alright everyone... i've been looking around the internet, and found some knives that look cool to me. as i said before, i really dont' know that much, so i don't know what's good. i just saw these on the web, and i look the look of them, and they seem to be good quality. if you guys could just give me your opinions on any of these knives and maybe compare their quality, sharpness, and all that stuff, i'd be grateful... :

Benchmade 750
Boker 2054 Brend G-10
Buck Strider
CRKT M16 Carbon Fiber
Camillus CUDA CU2ST
and of course, the sebenza

and also, i'm still wondering where i could go to take a first hand look at these knives... any ideas?
 
I've always been a great fan of Spyderco knives. The Starmate is a good choice, though it's a bit too large to be legal in my area.
I have a Jot Singh Khalsa I carry quite often...I think it's beautiful, but most of my friends don't. Screw 'em.
smile.gif


I also like the BM Ares (ooh, the colors)...If you have the money, the Sebenza is a good deal from what I've heard. I've yet to take the plunge, but when I do, I'm sure I'll be delighted. These knife knuts aren't usually wrong.

The CRKT Mirage is also pretty sweet. I dropped it on my bed by accident and the tip sank into my mattress. I've come to respect that knife a whole hell of a lot.

Lastly, the Onion knives. If you're a lefty, you'll need to get a lefty Onion blade. The righty thumb stud isn't reversible...and some places don't mention that there's a specific lefty version of the Mini and Random Task blades. These are good blades--I gave two righties as gifts...though the lefty I have has some quality control issues.

If you have the ability to do so, _always_ check your knife by hand before buying it. Most of the lemony knives I've gotten were via the Internet...where I wish I could have played with them first hand...not that this would keep me from buying those knives or shopping online..
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top