tactical folder recommendations, under 3"

tf8s said:
I just saw they have a delica with a zdp-189 blade, has anyone tried that?

I should probably mention that this knife will primarily be for self-defense
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tf8s,

I have a ZDP Delica. I use my pocket knife constantly, so the edgeholding of the ZDP is attractive to me. If you want the blade for self-defense, then the edgeholding is kind of moot. How many muggers are you planning to cut? More critical for SD is a tough blade that won't snap off in extreme situations.

The Paramilitary is a shade over 3" of blade, comes with a beefy handle, and costs much more money than a Delica.

If you actually use the knife for SD a lot, then the non-rusting Salt series would be the Spydercos to select from. They are very nice and will not rust in salty fluids, if you get my drift.
 
thanks for the link stormyone.

so you wouldn't say zdp-189 has a higher tensile strength than say s30v or vg-10?

I thought the higher carbon content of zdp-189 would help it in that regard. what would you guys say would be the toughest blade steel for a self-defense application?
 
Bushman5 said:
Emerson CQC14 "Snubby"

nuff said :thumbup:
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yeah thats a great knife, but a tad bit overpriced. the snubby is usually around $150, while the mini cqc7 with same size blade is around $110.

i have both, i actually prefer mini cqc7, but both are great.
 
INFI is imo the king of toughness at high hardness.

It's not cheap though.


S7 is a very tough steel that is affordable but I've never seen it in a folder.
 
hmm, it seems like it'd be hard to find a knfie with that type of blade steel. vg-10 or s30v should both be suitable for an sd application though right?

for the grip handle, how do titanium, g-10, and carbon fiber compare in terms of durability under heavy use?
 
VG-10 and s30V are both fine for sd. All popular knife steels are with the proper heat treatment and geometry.

Titanium, G-10, and CF are all sufficiently durable for heavy use.
 
Spyderco Sage II looks very nice. I had the chance to try it out at a dealer (waaaaaaaaaay out of my price range) and it looked and felt very good. Not the best self-defence knife though. Being a lefty I still had no problem closing the RIL, but I've used countless linerlocking knives, so I'm sorta used to the pull movement.
 
Hardness and toughness aren't the same thing. Think of diamonds: they are hard, but you can shatter one easily with a hammer blow or just a tap in the right spot with a chisel. Hard, not tough.

ZDP is exceptionally hard, but I don't know about its toughness. For a self-defense knife I would prize toughness WAAAYYYY above edge holding. A slightly dulled knife is much better in a knife fight than one with half the blade snapped off!

Delica
Caly 3
Sage II

Sierra Trading Post has the Cay 3 fully serrated models on closeout for ridiculously low money. A fully serrated knife makes a very effective slashing tool and the stabbing performance would be unaffected. If SD is your main purpose for this knife then you might want to give serious thought to a serrated model.
 
yeah, I'm pretty used to liner locks since I've been carrying one around for years, I just wasn't sure if the extra tension of a frame lock would be hard to operate left handed.

I'm looking for high tensile strength mostly, I haven't even considered the hardness ratings of the steels. I know ZDP is very hard and I thought I read it was somewhat brittle, but I was wondering if anyone had any real experience with it in a heavy duty situation.

I always was just set on a plain edge for my knives since I planned on keeping them "razor sharp." in your opinion, are serrations an improvement or just a suggestion because of the price and that it wouldn't affect my application?
 
agree with bushman5 100%, i was waiting for someone to suggest that, it has the handle requirements and i believe that it comes in waved and unwaved, and it is the 154 cm and in your price range, stalk the exchange and they are listed on ebay on a regular basis.

love the grip on emersons. if you are not use to the waved knives it comes out of the pocket ready for business.
 
are the cqc 15's drilled for the pocket clip on each side? I'm perfectly fine with a liner lock made for a righty, but I'd really like to be able to clip it in the left pocket.
 
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