Tactical Folder Recommendations?

Don't see a bad choice yet! I'll throw in two more BM's...the 420 Resistor at 3.75", axis lock, great grip. Anthony mentioned it and I'll second it...the BM 630. A tad over the 4.0" mark at 4.3" but really an easy carry.
 
DB1 said:
Right off the top of my head I would say look at Camillus Dominator, Spyderco Chinook and ATR models.
Click to expand...

I just bought a Dominator and it's very good. $158, titanium framelock, ROBO spring assisted, s30v blade, titanium clip, your choice of tanto or standard point, and choice of standard or combo edge. Comes with a nice soft pouch and a lanyard hole. I think its my new favorite knife.
 
Wow - that's a lot of responses, and my thanks to all for the input. :cool:
Here's a tally of how they broke down:

Mfg Model Recommendations

Al Mar Sere 2000 1

Benchmade 420 1
630 2
710 3
805 1
806 D2 4
Griptillian 1

Buck Strider Tarani 1

Camillus Dominator 2

Cold Steel El Hombre 1
Recon 1 2

Emerson CQC-7b 2

Microtech SOCOM 1
SOCOM Tactical 1

SOG Flash II 1

Spyderco ATR 2
Chinook II 4
Military 1
Persian 1

Wish I could have figured out how to format it better.

Thoughts and discussion points to follow shortly, for anyone who's interested in continuing the discussion.
 
There are a bunch of great knives here. The decision should come down to which one feels the best in your hand and most exactly meets your specific requirements regarding carry, deployment, grip employed, trainning etc. Do you have a knifeshop or knifenut friends near by where you can play with some of these knives?
 
Five brands I'll toss out due to either personal
experience or design:

Buck:
This one just leaves me cold, but I'm sure it
turns someone else's thermometer WAY up. Just
not for me.

Emerson:
I owned a Commander a while back, and
not only did I not care for the Wave
design, my example was far from a quality
example of a working knife. My opinion,
based ONLY on my single experience, is
that it was too much money for too little
knife (size not withstanding.)

Spyderco
I just sold off my trusy, much used and
much carried ATS-34 Military. It's a
great cutter, it was a damn fine GP
Folder, and I really like it... but it
finally got replaced by a couple of fixed-
blade Doziers that fill my hunting / woods
nich(es) better. Tactically speaking:
I just don't trust the lock, thinner scales
or point when slamming my 230 pounds of body
weight into a thrust.

The ATR and Chinook look pretty sexy, but both
exhibit a very steep rise to the opening hole.
Seems to me as if that could limit penetration
when stabbing. Thoughts or arguments from
owners?

I really like the looks of the Persian - any
owners care to comment about the strength of the
lock and blade? Also, please see some refine-
ments to my criteria in my next post.

SOG
I've never met an SOG folder that I could like.
That's a *taste* issue, because I've never done
more than handle them - just not for me.

Microtech
I once owned an LCC/MA that I've always regretted
getting rid of. I also had a Mini Socom that was
one of the most poorly constructed folders I've ever
owned. The Tactical SOCOM mentioned by Ari (Ari from
the Glock list, by chance?) is interesting, but
I don't have the patience to wait for one to come up
on the 2nd hand market. I'd pick up another LCC, but
the purpose of setting the 3.5" lower limit was just that:
an arbitrary limit.
 
Spyderco Manix, nuff said!

ok i haven't gotten mine yet but i do have the chinook II. and if it's anything like that beast, the Manix will rock. the manix does have some "improvements" so to speak over the chinook to make it more useful for utility purposes. i'm no expert these are just my uneducated thoughts on the manix based on the chinook:

blade: the blade is a nice leaf shape, 3.75" long. it's hella thick too at 5/32". it's flat ground and looks to have nice tip strength behind it. also the manix has a nice useable choil to choke up on for fine cutting. the frills on the back of the blade keeps things secure in sabre grip.

Lock: it has a MBC rated lock. ok maybe some people don't like lockbacks, but it's one helluva lockback. one hand operation is doable since the blade will drop once you push in the lock release. you may have to re-position your hands but i've been practicing closing the chinook one-handed and it works quite well. i depress the lock with my thumb and let the blade fall. my index finger is right in the handle recess so the blade tang falls right onto my index finger. then i use that index finger to reel in the blade by using the spydie hole while simultaneously moving the rest of my fingers out of the way. while reeling in the blade, my thumb and palm keep the handle secure. it works! try it if you haven't been doing it for months already!

Handles: the handles are grippy G10. the shape is amazing. it just fits. it has a nice recess that acts like a guard. most other knives already mentioned don't have this feature. also, the butt of the handle has a recess so the thing won't fly out of your hand if swung hard. the net effect is the handle has a top and bottom guard. it's also quite comfy in reverse grip. plus the whole thing is 100% ambi (clip, spydie hole, lock). the manix also has a mini sub-hilt bump that may increase grip.

minuses: a bit heavy vs 806 D2. not as smooth as 806.

my quick thoughts on the 806: the blade is too thin for it's length. it looks flimsy vs the chinook. the finger recess is nice but it's not deep enough IMO. on a hard thrust, it may not be enough to keep your fingers from moving foward. and while the washers keep things extremely smooth, it looks as if they may hurt the knife's lateral strength. with the chinook, things are a bit less smooth but the blade and liners seem flush. this looks to increase lateral strength. the 806 uses a G10 back spacer to keep the weight down, the chinook uses steel, thus the extra heft. the liners on the 806 are thicker than chinook and the G10 scales are thinner. the 806 rides much deeper in the pocket but is taller. the chinook is shorter but wider when closed. another thing about the 806 is that when closed it's long and thin, maybe it can be used like a kubotan in the right hands. the handle butt ends in a conspicuously acute manner that screams skull crusher.

that's it for now. feel free to blast my opinions :D
 
I do not have a knife store close by. In fact,
I don't have a decent knife store within 5 or 6
hours. I *really* want to avoid the hassle of
ordering/returning/selling multiple knives to find
one that's right... so I'm trying to sort out as much
chaff as I can.

Additions to my criteria, as referenced in my previous
post:

It occurs to me that I will probably never become
an excellent knife-fighter, nor do I really intend to.
I am, however, a better-than-average boxer, and
I'm pretty comfortable working out with a knife in a
reverse grip (which is why I like my Dozier Model 6, but
this is a topic about Folders.) Point being, I'm
comfortable going toe to toe and trading punches, and I'd
like to be able to use the closed knife as a yawara or
kubotan if circumstances dictate it. This would seem to
indicate a consideration based on length-when-closed.
Thoughts from anyone else?

My niche for a Tactical Folder is pretty small. When I
can't carry a handgun I usually carry my Dozier Model 6 and
some form of impact weapon, pepper spray or a Surefire light.
When I can't carry the Dozier, I intend to carry something
larger than my small Sebenza. This would entail tucking
the knife into my waistband behind my belt, in the pocket
of a suit coat, inside a sock, in a hat, around my neck,
etc. Limited carry led me to the price-point of <= $200 as
yet another arbitrary limit.

This knife will not get a lot of use, but if I ever have to use it
it will be used hard.
 
madfast said:
Spyderco Manix, nuff said!
Click to expand...

Hmmm. I've never really cared much for Spyderco on a purely cosmetic level, lol, but the Manix looks great! I like the blade shape on this one a lot. I'm one of those people that don't really like a lockback but I think I'll add this Spyderco to my (long) wishlist.

Back to the subject of this thread; while I don't think the blade on the 806 D2 is flimsy in the least, I see your point. I think Rainmaker870 would agree with you and he should see one in person, if possible, if the 806 makes his short list. I really, really like my 806 but he's concerned about a full thrust with 230 pounds behind it, I don't think the 806 will give him 100% confidence.

I also own a CS Recon I and while I don't think it's as well made as the BM 806, the Recon I is built like a tank (seems to me anyway). There are probably better choices than the Recon I already mentioned in this thread, especially since Rainmaker has a pretty nice budget for his purchase. I like the Recon I, I just like the 806 D2 much more. The 806 feels better in my hand and I like the way it carries. The 806 is a better fit for me.
 
Thoughts on a narrowed down list based on my criteria,
and a standing request for feedback from anyone who
has owned one of the knives below:

Al Mar
The Al Mars I've owned in the past were nicely done,
but seemed a little fragile. I've never held a SERE 2k.
Their reputation is that of a strong knife - how thick
is it through the grip?

Benchmades
I've never owned a Benchmade that had a QC problem, and my
first real-knife edc was a mini afck. I guess they're kind
of a production knife benchmark for me. That having been
said....

806
I like D2 steel,I liked the afck design, the 806D2 makes my
short list.... but I'm paying attention to the expressed
thoughts re: a potentially weak tip. It's one of the longest
knives recommended, which speaks to its use as an impact
weapon. One thing I note is that the entire knife, when open,
presents a curve - is the curve pronounced enough to cause a
problem when stabbing?

710 (HS)
Not much I don't like about it in terms of visual design.
Based on my usage parameters, is there anything to be said
for M2 steel vs. 154cm? Does either steel take a *sharper*
edge than the other?

630
I think this *looks* the coolest of the bunch, but I think it
will prove to be too wide for use as an impact weapon; I'm not
sure it's narrow enough to facilitate use in that manner. If
anyone owns one, would you comment? I'm also wondering about
its efficiency in stabbing - it looks like one helluva slasher,
though.

Camillus
All I know about Camillus I learned from my Dad's KaBar and my
BK-7. I like framelocks... is there any blade play when a Dominator
is open? I'm *not* crazy about assisted-open gizmos... is the ROBO
assist one of those, or does it just refer to the flipper?

Spyderco
I like the Persian, I would like it better if the blade and
handle were longer. Anybody own one who wants to brag on it?

I sort of like the Manix... sort of. That wide blade looks
like it would cleave well, but I wonder how well it will stab?

Can anyone give an qualified opinion on whether these two Spydies
are stronger, weaker, or about the same as the Benchmades listed
above?

Thanks guys - I'm makin' progress. :)
 
The dominator has absolutely no blade play at all, it locks up very solid. I hmmed & hawed for about a month before buying one and I am much more than pleased with it; very nice. The ROBO is a spring assisted flipper opening mechanism, however, I do believe that AG Russell has one that is not ROBO assisted. I have my Dominator right here in my hand, and it is very nice. Better than my Al Mar SERE S30V fixed blade, or my Buck Bowie, or my KABAR D2 extreme fighter. The Dominator is a very fine knife constructed of titanium, & S30V. The blade is the sharpest I've seen out of my 4 knives. I'm not here to bash Benchmade or anythilng, but I think the CUDA's or the Al Mars would be better. I've seen some Benchmades disappointingly dull out of the box.
 
Check out the Camules Camillus Aftermath, it has D2 steal and is very good as a closed hand weapon. At a little over 6 inch closed and the sharp edges, what more can you want. I know it's a little out of your price rage but on ebay you can get one for about $250. I own one along with a BM 710 and others. The bowie blade of the Aftermath stabs well into a tree or heavy bag, better then any other knife I own. The blade is sharp as hell and stays sharp after heavy use, the sharpness helps a lot in stabbing. This knife can be used as small machete and works well for yard work and you would be surprised at how well it wears in the pocket.
 
I don't think the 806 is flimsy at all. The tip seems quite stout for a long bladed folder. Also using it in reverse grip I don't think sliding onto the blade would be a serious concern.

though it seems the knife that best meets all your criteria, with the exception of blade length is the Cuda Max.

1. absolutely useful as an impact weapon
2. big secure hand guard
3. titanium and d2
4. stabbing blade either bowie or stilleto
5. frame lock
6. fast opening without assist

If you can consider the extra blade length 5.5 inches then this knife might be just the ticket. I have only played with them so maybe some owners could chime in with more info.
 
The 630 is wide but it is also fairly thin as the ti scales are .130" thick and the blade is .160" thick with washers around .020" thick.....total of .44" thick, less than a half inch. In my hand it fits comfortably in the closed position and with the pointy rear should make an excellent impact weapon.
 
That's true, I completly forgot about folders like the CUDA Max stiletto, looks like a serious contender! moreover the aspect of that kind of knife would definitly have a deterrent impact on any agressor IMO.
 
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