- Joined
- Oct 21, 2021
- Messages
- 151
So, full disclosure here... One of the first knives that I had ever carried specifically for self-defense was a cheap Tac-Force spring assisted stiletto, which I carried from my early twenties until 2018 when it suddenly broke down on me one day.
Being fond of the Stiletto design for its historical/cultural significance as well as its raw aesthetic appeal, I sought to replace the Tac-Force with something of higher quality yet relatively low overall cost, which ultimately lead me to the Cold Steel Ti-Lite. At the time, my primary EDC was a Ruger LCP, so it made sense to me that I should carry a big knife, so the 6" model was what I ultimately went with.
However, after a few years of carrying the Ti-Lite VI and subsequently adopting more potent primary carry pistols, the Ti-Lite VI had become as inconvenient to carry as it was unnecessary, so I had begun to seek alternatives of a smaller size. Initially I had planned on simply getting a Ti-Lite IV, but I was interested in upgrading to something of higher quality with greater utility to its design. Being a fan of Buck Knives, I had begun shopping around looking at there knives, but found myself torn between the Buck Vantage Avid, Buck 110 Slim Pro, and Buck 841 Slim Select. Ultimately, the choice was sort of made for me when my brother got me a 110 Slim Pro for Christmas.
I had carried the 110 Slim Pro for the better part of a month, but as much as I loved it for its small size, light weight, and razor sharp factory S30V blade, I had found that it was just too skinny in my grip, and despite putting a lot of time into breaking it in, the knife just never got smooth enough to deploy quickly/easily with one hand.
So for the heck of it, about a week ago I ordered a Cold Steel Ti-Lite IV. Not one of the fancier models either, just the plain AUS-8A/Zytel version, although I did throw in $8 for a bit of custom engraved text. Upon its arrival yesterday, I had almost instantly fallen back in love with the design. Even fresh out of the box, I could easily deploy it with one hand, and it just felt great in my hand.
Unfortunately, now it's looking like it's going to replace the Buck 110 Slim Pro, just because it plain fits my hands better and can be more easily deployed with one hand.
Yeah, being a spear point Stiletto, the Ti-Lite IV isn't as well suited for general use as the Buck 110 Slim Pro, but I dare say that it's better for self-defense, works adequately for the general uses that I might have for it, and evidently works better for me as an individual.
So yeah, as much as I love the 110 Slim Pro, I'm going to be giving the Ti-Lite IV a go as my EDC knife. I might still carry the 110 Slim Pro as well, but against all odds, the Ti-Lite feels like the better fit for me.
I'm sure that some folks will be incredulous towards the very suggestion that one might replace what is essentially part for part a better blade of a time proven design with a blade of inferior quality, but I've got to be me, and right now, that's what I'm doing.
Being fond of the Stiletto design for its historical/cultural significance as well as its raw aesthetic appeal, I sought to replace the Tac-Force with something of higher quality yet relatively low overall cost, which ultimately lead me to the Cold Steel Ti-Lite. At the time, my primary EDC was a Ruger LCP, so it made sense to me that I should carry a big knife, so the 6" model was what I ultimately went with.
However, after a few years of carrying the Ti-Lite VI and subsequently adopting more potent primary carry pistols, the Ti-Lite VI had become as inconvenient to carry as it was unnecessary, so I had begun to seek alternatives of a smaller size. Initially I had planned on simply getting a Ti-Lite IV, but I was interested in upgrading to something of higher quality with greater utility to its design. Being a fan of Buck Knives, I had begun shopping around looking at there knives, but found myself torn between the Buck Vantage Avid, Buck 110 Slim Pro, and Buck 841 Slim Select. Ultimately, the choice was sort of made for me when my brother got me a 110 Slim Pro for Christmas.
I had carried the 110 Slim Pro for the better part of a month, but as much as I loved it for its small size, light weight, and razor sharp factory S30V blade, I had found that it was just too skinny in my grip, and despite putting a lot of time into breaking it in, the knife just never got smooth enough to deploy quickly/easily with one hand.
So for the heck of it, about a week ago I ordered a Cold Steel Ti-Lite IV. Not one of the fancier models either, just the plain AUS-8A/Zytel version, although I did throw in $8 for a bit of custom engraved text. Upon its arrival yesterday, I had almost instantly fallen back in love with the design. Even fresh out of the box, I could easily deploy it with one hand, and it just felt great in my hand.
Unfortunately, now it's looking like it's going to replace the Buck 110 Slim Pro, just because it plain fits my hands better and can be more easily deployed with one hand.
Yeah, being a spear point Stiletto, the Ti-Lite IV isn't as well suited for general use as the Buck 110 Slim Pro, but I dare say that it's better for self-defense, works adequately for the general uses that I might have for it, and evidently works better for me as an individual.
So yeah, as much as I love the 110 Slim Pro, I'm going to be giving the Ti-Lite IV a go as my EDC knife. I might still carry the 110 Slim Pro as well, but against all odds, the Ti-Lite feels like the better fit for me.
I'm sure that some folks will be incredulous towards the very suggestion that one might replace what is essentially part for part a better blade of a time proven design with a blade of inferior quality, but I've got to be me, and right now, that's what I'm doing.
