Tactical Folder Recommendations?

R

Rainmaker870

Joined
Feb 1, 2002
Messages
661
Ok. I've always turned my nose up at the
Tactical Folder Concept.... but now I'm
starting to change my mind. Hopefully some
of the Tactical Folder Crowd can help me
out with some recommendations, and maybe
score a new convert in the process. :)

Price range needs to be $200 or less, which to
me means production blades. So far I'm considering
several models and types but I'd rather hear what
folks with more experience in this area have to say.

The legalities of concealed carry are irrelevant
for my purposes, although I favor a manual action
over Auto or DA. I'm looking for blade length in
the 3.5 - 4" range. I need a dead tough lock that
will not fail if I have to stab something with it,
a strong enough point to stab bone without snapping,
and I need steel and blade geometry that will take
a wicked edge (I can sharpen it, and this won't be
a working knife - strictly a defensive tool). It
needs to have a plain edge, coated or shiny blade
doesn't matter.

Pocket clip is mandatory; I prefer tip up carry
but I'm flexible there. I will probably need to
be a little innovative with carry options from
time to time, so while handle material is irrelevant
I don't need any sharp edges digging into my softer
parts. Thumb Studs should be far enough back not
to interfere with stabbing / cutting, thumb holes
are just fine wth me as well.

Thanks for reading this far - any recommendations?
 
I suggest that you check out the Spyderco Chinook II and the Spyderco Military. I consider these knives to be two of the best folders on the market.

Both of these knives use S30V steel; arguably one of the best knife steels available. The Military is a liner lock and the Chinook II is a lock back. Either one is plenty strong for a tactical folder, but the Chinook II lock will be a bit stronger. Both are light and carry nicely. The Chinook II's clip can be moved for up/down/left/right carry. I own both knives, and really like them both; I don't think I could pick a favorite. I don't think you could go wrong with either though.
 
Right off the top of my head I would say look at Camillus Dominator, Spyderco Chinook and ATR models.
 
The above are good, as well as the BM 710. It fits just about all of your requirements and has become one of my favorites in a very short period of time.
 
I've been carrying an Al Mar SERE 2K for about three months now, and am very impressed. The VG-10 blade holds a very good edge, the lock appears to be strong, and the handle is very comfortable.
 
I have carried almost entirely spyderco's for the past ten years for utility and secondly sd. I am currently carrying a newly acquired BM 806 AFCk, d2 black coated blade that is very pointy but appears to be far stronger then the points I am used to (and like) on my Spyderco knives. It has an axis lock, which has a reputation for being strong and seems very solid to me. I have not tested it very much though.
It has a four position pocket clip, g10 handles and is the fastest knife to deploy of any folder I have used.
I think this is the best pure SD folder I have ever carried.

I haven't handled the Spydie chinook II and that also is getting rave reviews as a pure Defense knife.
 
I really like my Benchmade 806 D2. It's silky smooth and feels right in my hand. The clip can be moved for tip up or down, left or right. I think you'd like it and you can find them for about $100 or so.
 
The Cold Steel Recon 1 and the SOG Flash II are excellent. Both are built very strong and have excellent edge retention. The SOG model also has the added benefit of spring assisted opening and a second safety that can be used to lock the knife in the closed position.
 
Well...time for me to put in my usual.

I would definitely look at the Emerson line. The are all tip up. They can be wicked sharp.

I carry a mini cqc-7b. The design is apparently to open a large wound channel.

I know you said you weren't for an auto, but the Emerson do have the wave feature which can snap them open faster than an auto as you rmove it from your pocket. They are definitely worth looking into. You can look at the emerson website http://www.emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html and the can be found online for a better price.

Good luck, and make sure to tell us what you end up buying.
 
i like benchmade because of the axis lock. i'd recommend the griptillian. you can get a doug ritter model in S30V for about $100, whereas the standard griptillian has 440C and runs around $50.

i would also look at the microtech line, the SOCOMs are very well made.

that's combat folders only of course. in terms of non-combat folders i carry around either the cold steel ti-lite (titanium version, i like the feel and weight) or spyderco spyderhawk.
 
You know...for some reason I just have never seen benchmade as a "tactical" company. I dont know what it is.

Don't get me wrong, I love their knives, but they just don't say tactical...
 
You have 3 choices here, and ALL are Benchmades:

806D2
805
710
 
Another vote for the 710 right here. The 154cm takes a real keen edge. Haven't had any experiance with the D2. It meets all of your requirements.
Out of curiosity, why have you limited the blade style to plain edge? The Cold Steel "El Hombre" would be a great SD folder. And seeing as it wouldn't meet casual work, the serrations would be a great benefit.
-KC
 
go buck strider tarani. the blade is totally a tool and very mean. lockwise it actually has a system wherein even if for some reason the lock isnt fully engaged, the secondary lock position prevents it from closing. the grip is like sand paper and the clip is super tight. i picked up mine for $89 on ebay from a1 knives.
 
I have a CS recon 1 and I think if you intend to keep this knife close to your body, it has the perfect profile: it's not too thick while allowing a very good grip, it's the right weight, all the contours are rounded, and the handle material is not too agressive (unlike the Striders). IMO the blade has the right lenghth for sd purpose. Mine has the spear point blade shape, but you can find it with a tanto shape. On top of that it's quiet affordable, hence if you beat it up beyond possible re-use, you won't get too much pissed. Else, if you can afford it, I would second plumber576's recommendation: go for a waved Emerson cqc7, that is a tough knife, I think it's been battle field tested more than once, so that looks like it would be the appropriate "tool" for you, although any knife with a liner lock will be a bit bulkier than a knife with an axis-type lock...

just my 2 cents...

Xavier.
 
While I certainly like the Benchmade, Emerson, and Al Mar models mentioned above, I would definately go with either the Spyderco Chinook II or the Persian. I really like the heavy blad/delicate tip combination (and trust me, neither is really that delicate). I am not really sure what "tactical" means-- but I would assume that it means something that you can carry comfortably, open one-handed, and quickly if necessary, and use comfortably all day long (if the need ever arises where you only have your "tactical" with you, but have another use for a knife. You never know). I think that the last one is crucial, and people's hands are different. I personally like the way they fit. One real advantage of the Chinook II is that the handles are predrilled for all 4 clip positions- L/R and tip U/D. You never know, you may just want to carry on your "weak" side. All the steels are great-- S30V, VG-10, D2--none of these will give you any problems. Find out what fits comfortably, what you can open quickly and reliably, and go with that. I sure hope you have a good knife shop in your area.

Of course, you could just get 'em all--then you only have to decide which one(s) to carry.
 
Personally, were it me, at this price point, $200, I'd search out in the forums a Microtech Tactical SOCOM manual with the Microbar, in S90V. This is an incredibly tough knife, with a very strong lock, and a very tactical, weapon oriented blade and handle shape. They have been known to sell for just about $200, maybe $225. I can't think of a better tacical folder at that price. They are no longer in production, but they do turn up for sale now and then.
 
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