subhilt fighters......need advice

D

dennis75

Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
820
hi

i'm looking for a good quality subhilt-fighting knife. not too cheap and not too expensive. factory-made only, no custom stuff, too expensive. it has to be a 'user' not a 'poser', ergo a sturdy knife that's made for use rather than display.

problem i encountered though is: there aren't many factory manufacturers that sell 'em.

for now i only know of two Cold Steels; the Blackbear Classic (like it!, anyone have any experience with this one????), and the OSS (don't like it, too cheapo).

anyone now any other factory brands who sell good subhilt fighters?

by the way, is a subhilted knife a useful knife anyway? i mean, does the extra hilt really add up to more control and does it indeed exclude other positions of the knife in the hand?

any advice welcome!

d75
 
The subhilt adds security to your grip, not control necessarily. I don't care for subhilts myself because they restrict the way you can grip and makes grip changes difficult.
 
There are at least two reasons that subhilts aren't more available:

1) the subhilt adds significantly to the cost of production (for a metal subhilt, not for an integral molded plastic one), and,
2) modern knifefighting doctrine places a lot of value on grip mobility, which the subhilt does prevent

You can find subhilt fighters in the pricey custom category because production cost and practicality are less of an issue for these knives than for production blades. And subhilts do look neat.

My advice is to forget about the subhilt for a "using knife". You can get excellent grip retention/safety with a well-designed handle and guard, without the grip limitations of the subhilt.

miguel
 
Get the Black Bear Classic. Its a great knife but so not great in the way of utility obviously. Look for it on Ebay. Ive seen them going for about 150-160 much cheaper than retail.
 
You'll love the Black Bear Classic. Mine came shave-sharp, perfectly polished. My only complaint is the sheath. It comes with a small Norton India stone, which is nice, but the sheath is more for a camp or hunting knife than a fighter. I purchased one of Kenny Rowe's sheaths for mine (a shoulder rig, though I want a belt clip one now, too).
I purchased my BBC off ebay from knifestore. It was well below retail and the service was excellent.
As for sub-hilts, they do limit your grips, but with practice you can still change grips easily; but personally, this knife fits my hand like a glove, and I wouldn't change a thing.

-Tom
 
If you're going for straight subhilt -- I'd go for the Black Bear. If you want something with the extra control of a subhilt guard, but with different grip options, check out the Timberline Zambezi. It has the most comfortable handle I've ever had on a knife, custom or production. It offers a lot of control and safety. Plus, the 440C 1/4 thick blade makes it a hella of a user.
 
Hey Dennis,
Everyone's probably heard me rant about my BlackJacks but I think that they have some great knives. They have a Model 5 in leather and micarta that are subhilts with 5.5 inch blades and are usually around the $135-$150 range. Gotta love that 1095 steel but it does stain incredibly easy.
 
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