Speed-Tech, Ti-Knives, or William Henry?

I didn't realize TiKnives had such a low price point. In that case, I'll say that for a working knife, I like the SpeedTech's better, the handle just fits my hand better. This is an opinion based on no real using experience with either though, so it may be worth what you've paid for it.

Joe
 
Darrel Ralph Apogee. It's a full custom not semi production, but so what? Go with the anodized ti handle slabs. It's a user that gets the ooh's and aah's. Interestingly enough except for the size (I've a large) and except for SAK's it's the most sheeple friendly knife I have. I've had people comment on how nice the pretty colored handles are. The size becomes the issue with this knife. Of Course Darrel makes a medium and a small as well. cpm420v steel and a great recurve blade. Dual thumb studs and a clip. Just don't do the wrist flick opening in front of police
wink.gif


A large decorated Sebenza is going for $425 an Apogee starts at about that price (a small) and goes up. a Wood inlaid Sebenza is about $490. the Apogee also gets the benefit of being a custom. You call Darrel and you ask for what you want.

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~ JerryO ~


[This message has been edited by JerryO (edited 25 October 1999).]
 
The Ti-Knives that I saw were about $400.

I am trying to keep the price of the knife reasonable because it will be a carry knife and may see some decent use. I don't want to spend $500 or more to beat on a knife, it takes me a while to save enough after all the bills are paid to be able to purchase a really nice knife.

Hmmm, Speedtech w/red handles or WH w/Pearl?

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
I have the W&H t-12 in carbon fiber and the Speed-Tech in green with the IPO tanto (Great choice Ewok!). I don’t care much for the TI-Knives design. The T-12 is incredibly light. It’s well made and really easy on the eyes. All sharp as heck, I like it a great deal. Now the Speed-Tech was 30% more money. Everybody else has commented on it’s other qualities, and they are right. What I would add is it’s fun. It opens with a sharp click, that invites you to open it again. And it looks like it could pry open a tank. If I was was going to a fancy dress dinner, I would take the T-12, otherwise it’s the Speed-Tech.
 
Speed-Tech and WH are the best answers to two different questions. You have to decide which of the two questions you're trying to answer...

I had the good fortune to take a long look at both the Speed-Tech and William Henry offerings at Blade Show West, and I must say, William Henry make the absolute finest semi-production "gent's knives" on the market. To get any better, you'd have to go directly to a custom maker, sign up, wait in line, and all that. This is the furthest up you can get on the "pocket jewelery" scale in a production knife, though you won't be felling trees or hacking your way through the jungle with this one, not in that tux, anyway.

(I would have to add that the largest of the WH knives seems small-to-medium sized to me; you said you wanted a largish knife. And, IIRC, only the CF WH's have clips, the rest having pouches.)

Speed-Tech, meanwhile, is in the process of building the very best Tonka Toys on the planet. Speed-Tech and TiKnives are both trying out-MicroTech MicroTech, and it looks like they are succeeding -- building space-age folders with all the latest miracles of hi-tech, technology, CAD, CNC, and futuristic looking designs -- things the aliens will ooh and ahh over when that saucer lands at the local mall on January 1st, 2000.

So, the question is a little like, "should I get a Rolls Royce, or a Ferrari?" -- it really comes down to a personal decision on which you think best fits your style. For opening your mail, they're both wretched excess, and it's just a question of which flavor of wretched excess you prefer
smile.gif
(Of course, the obvious answer, at least in the long term, is, get both.)

(And, dang, I didn't realize that TiKnives had anything sub-$500 or anything non-auto, or I would have spent some time at their table. I think the Synergy is really more my style, but for the kind of money we're talking about here, I'd have fewer reservations about making the choice for myself if I'd taken the opportunity to fiddle with a TiKnife.)

By the way, something really cool that wasn't apparent to me until I picked up a Speed-Tech and played with it: it doesn't have your conventional pivot pin, it has an interesting bearing setup (they had a cutaway knife that showed all), and the hubcap-like cover at the hinge point rotates with the blade. Very nifty
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My $0.02...

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Carl /\/\/\ AKTI #A000921

Think this through with me ... Let me know your mind
Wo-oah, what I want to know ... is are you kind?
-- Hunter/Garcia, "Uncle John's Band"
 
It also depends on just how big a knife you need, the William Henry Spearpoint might not fit your hand? I prefer the Spearpoint Rainbow series that I got at the Blade Show in Atlanta this year, just plain love it, it's like an heirloom when it come down to it and as StJames said you can rely on the lock, as mine locks up solid very strongly against the tang, and very sharp.

What the heck, here is a pic of mine;

wh1.jpg


Love the look!

G2

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I don't have a solution,

But I admire your problem.

www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7306/blades.html

 
For the last two Blade Shows I have been next to the TiNives booth. The first year I was totaly blown away by Scott and his 80 some ceramic ball bearings. The knives were awesome. The price was high on the knives that year but he sold a lot of them. This year he brought some of the lower priced knives and I was still impressed with the fit, finish, and now the cost. When I first saw the Speed-Tech knives my first reaction was "Oh, someone is copying TiNives, how nice." I learned immediately that there were major differences in the mechs in these knives and that was not necassarily the case. I believe, however, that I was not as impressed with them as I was supposed to be.
Upon first impressions of both knives I would say buy the best TiNives product you can afford.

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>)-RadarMan-(<
age:38
A good word now is worth ten on a headstone -- Vermont Proverb

 
Well, I have sorta solved the problem.

I ordered a WH 12A (an Oak Burl one to keep the cost down, and still get a real nice knife) & I am going to also get either a Ti-Knives Leopard series 2000 OR a Synergy
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I have corresponded with both Jim O'Young(Speedtech) and with Scott(Ti-Knives) and were impressed with both owners knowledge and willingness to help out. This might be a harder decision than I thought.

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "


[This message has been edited by Jailhack (edited 26 October 1999).]
 
Do you mind posting your contact information for Tiknives? I have only seen Damasteel Autos from them and my interest is up (thanks to you!)

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA



 
stjames,

Contact info for TINives (I just figured out that they don't use a K in Knives)
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1-888-537-9991 or tinives.com

Real nice conversation I had too.This guy makes more variations than a person could ever need.

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
Looking at the options given - I like the William Henry knives... Thats what I would get.
The blade shape is most excelent. Useful in most every situation.

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I mean, if I went around saying I was an Emperor because some
moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, people would put me away!

 
Well, I got the WH T-12 with Fishtail Oak Burl handles.

Very nice fit and finish. Flat grind blade is shaving sharp, but not hair popping (a little stropping will solve that). Lock-up is VERY tight, with no play whatsoever in any direction. Action is extremely smooth due to the Teflon washers. The only thing I would change would be a little larger handle. Overall it is a very high quality gentleman's folder.

Now I just have to decide between the TiNives and the Speedtech.

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
Thought that it might be a little small, maybe you could use it as a three finger type knife?

When I first got mine it was sharp, but a friend, Alan Folts, made a present of a Spyderco ceramic stone that he got at the Blade Show and just a few licks on that and man did it sharpen up nice, very grabby edge and pop hairs like no bodies business!

Thanks Alan!
G2

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My mind is made up,
So don't confuse me with the facts!

www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7306/blades.html


 
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