Stupid newby questions

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onlyaire

Joined
Apr 7, 2007
Messages
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I just recently got bitten by the knife bug. Last week I picked up the Keshaw Black Scallion 1620H3, liner lock with AO. Yesterday I came home with a Buck Rush AO Liner lock. Both these knives will be for everyday carry.
Now I'm already looking for my next blade, and would like something with a little different blade lockup. I work construction and I really like folders with a pocket clip. I like the idea of the knife being safely secured on the inside pocket. I would like to find a very robust knife with around a 3"-3-1/2" blade. A hawk bill would be a plus, but not a necessity, since I'm an electrician it seems like the perfect blade shape for stripping wire. A sturdy handle that allows for a firm grip, and would like to keep the folded length to around 4", give or take. I don't want something to large or heavy in the pocket. I'd also like to keep price under $100.00. Looking for recommendations from the experts.

Yesterday I was at the local Gander Mountain, and they seemed to have a fair selection of blades from CRKT, Buck, Benchmade,Leatherman, Gerber ect. The majority were made in China/Taiwan. Being a Union guy I ended up passing on these blades and went to Wally World and bought the made in the USA Buck Rush. Anyways am I making too much out of the made in China label? If I bought a made in China CRKT M16, is the quality still there?

Thanks
DaveR

Kershaw 1620H3 Black Scallion AO
Buck Rush AO
Klien Tool 4" lockblade (made in Japan, manufacturer unknown)
Gerber Multi-tool 600, blunt nose pliers ~15yrs old
Schrade mini lockblade, beater
 
Hi! Welcome to BF!! And there is no such thing as a stupid question! I am glad you asked.
I would strongly recommend a Spyderco Tasman Salt or a Spyderco Harpy. Both have the hawkbill blade. The Tasman has Hi1 steel, and will not rust!! The Harpy has VG-10 steel, which is excellent as well.
 
Hey Onlyaire, welcome to the forum :)

I don;t think you're making too much of the China label. I pass on EVERYTHING made in China or Taiwan, unless I absolutely must have it at the moment (like a tool that I need to fix something right then and there ar no alternatives). Sometimes I wonder if I might be making too much of this thing, but after careful cogitation, I always decide I'm not.

Whenever possible, I buy made in USA, even when it costs more. Now, that's not to say there isn;t some junk being made here :D
 
Politics aside... the chinese knife lines of Spyderco (Byrd)
and Benchmade (Red Class) are top notch.

There are a lot of choices out there for a 4" closed length folder.
For hawkbills, Spyderco is the answer.

Kershaw, Spyderco and Benchmade are my favorite brands.
In my experience they produce the highest quality
folders for the money....worth every penny.

If you want a different locking mechanism then a liner lock or frame lock
then Spyderco is the place to go for lockbacks and
Benchmade is the place to go for Axis locks.
You won't be disappointed by either.
 
Just checked those 2 knives out, Harpo, and Tasman . They would work great if it wasn't for the serated blades. Since my use would be stripping a heavy rubber/plastic wire insulation a smooth blade is what I'd be after.

Thanks
Dave
 
I'll second the Harpy, I carry mine every day. I'll be picking up the plain edge Tasman soon too. Spyderco's folders are on a level of their own.
 
I don't care too much for the knives that are made in China but they have come a long way from what they were 5 years ago. The knives that are made in Taiwan are another matter. IMO the ones that I handled were fairly well made.
 
Hey guys, I'm thinking about getting one of the CRKT P.E.C.K. single side knives. The purpose would be backup edc to support my main edc, with the main priority being weight and size. The peck looks cool, and right for the job, but just a little worried about the whole 'one side' thing... what do you think, will it take any punishment?

http://www.crkt.com/kissdark.html
 
kamkazmoto said:
I don't care too much for the knives that are made in China but they have come a long way from what they were 5 years ago. The knives that are made in Taiwan are another matter. IMO the ones that I handled were fairly well made.
Click to expand...

I would not disagree with the quality of the Chinese and Taiwanese knives. Some of their factories put out some pretty decent knives. I have a Schrade slipjoint that my father-in-law gave me for Christmas, and I like it. It has 330T steel...that's a new one on me though.

My problem with the Chinese knives is like my problem with Chinese anything products. There's too much of it here and too many U.S. makers turning to them and away from U.S. workers. If we're going to be a "consumer society", I'd prefer that we made most of what we consumed.... allowing for specialty items of course.
 
These aren't hawk bills, but you might want to giv'em a look. The newly reintroduced Kershaw Random Leek (around $75)- s30v steel, and the serrations might even work to your advantage in stripping wire. The g-10 is nice as well, have found it to be a very easy knife to use one-handed when out fishing. You might also want to give the Wally world Syderco Native a glance, you will be hard pressed to find a better all round knife for the price- and it is produced in Golden, Colorado. Mine came out of the box rediculously sharp; it is very light and has great ergos. The Endura and Delica are worth a look as well.

So many knives, so little $$$ :)
 
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