Edit
I ended up choosing the Kizer Tigon Ki4450Ti2. After having it for a while it has grown on me. While I do still a few ergonomic gripes overall I enjoy it for what it is at the price I paid(less than $100). I have an image of disassembly and a few comments below and also HERE.
Hello all,
This is my first post here, although I do come here often enough for information on knives and swords, and I was wondering if those of you with a more extensive folding knife knowledge to help me finding a knife that would fit my wants/needs.
I currently use a Spyderco Tenacious for EDC and while its a great knife I am now looking for something a little different. I really like the curvature of the blade on the Tenacious for slicing and enjoy how the blade rests in the fingers for more precision control, but the limits of its blade design as well as its steel are somewhat bothering me as of late.
While the fine tip on the blade is a good aspect for precision work its also relatively weak and the steel(8cr13mov) is easy work with, but also requires honing more than I would like if I use it heavily during the day. I was looking around one day on the interwebs and I stumbled accross the CKRT Mah Eraser. On the ergonomics and blade shape front this knife looked like it fit what I wanted overall.
Ergonomically it seems like it rests well in your fingers in a more fencing grip which I prefer, the blade has some height between the blade plane and the where you rest your fingers(similar to kitchen knives,) and also the blade is a reverse tanto with a strong tip for piercing but enough of a curvature for slicing. It also features a somewhat larger blade, multiple belt clip placements, and a flipper assist. The downsides however are The LAWKS system(which I could remove), the blade steel isnt far off of 8cr13mov so it still may require frequent honing depending on blade angle, and last but not least I am late to the party and I can not find a plain edge version for less than $100 and I do not care for combo edges on blades shorter than 5". I also have a leatherman surge I carry from time to time if I really need full serration.
Are there any suggestions that could be made to point me to a knife similar to the Mah Eraser potentially with a tougher steel? Or should I bite the bullet and pay 2x what the combo edge is going for now for the overall ergonomics I desire but still be in a similar boat with steel toughness? Weight isnt an issue and cost can be up to ~$150 for quality.
Thanks for any input.
EDIT:
I will add just to help clarify that im looking for a knife in the ~3.3-4" range, sheepsfoot or reverse tanto(with curvature) geometry perferably, and preferably in satin/stone washed since I will use it for food from time to time (always sanitized before and after so dont worry
) and dont want to have to deal with coatings. A steel that was black throughout that didnt affect the metallurgy at all would be nice wouldnt it.
EDIT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Buck Glacier
Buck Vantage
Kershaw Oso-Sweet
Spyderco Paramilitary 2
Spyderco Manix 2
Spyderco Gale Bradley 2
Spyderco Endura 4
Hinderer XM Series
Zero Tolerance 0460
Zero Tolerance 0630
Zero Tolerance 0770
Zero Tolerance 0909
Benchmade Rift
Benchmade Griptillian 550-1
Brous T4
Kizer Tigon(Tomcat)
Kizer Luminare
Nice hefty/durable EDC knife. Has more than enough blade material to stand up to light prying without damage(so far). Overall I would have preferred the G-10 variant with a slightly thicker and possibly modifiable to another custom grip liner, but it was $154 at the time while the plain titanium I purchased for $95. Just couldn't justify the $60 premium as I want a Spyderco Paramilitary or Military later on for slicing and finer point tasks.
If you have smaller-ish hands then removal of the knife and simultaneous smooth blade deployment without changing grip position may be difficult(tip up carry only).
I would have also gone with two washers on each side of the blade instead of one to reduce friction since the actuation is a little tight but is reasonable with some lubricant. The lack of an opening assist system makes the friction noticeable on deployment with a slight wrist flick being required usually. I will probably purchase a set of washers and see if having extra lubed washers makes a difference. I use a mix of 85 and 10 weight Nano-Oil and it last fairly long, doesnt run, and noticeable reduces friction. This way I can keep the barrel /pivot point tighter(better alignment) than I would otherwise be able to while still maintaining smooth movement.
I ended up choosing the Kizer Tigon Ki4450Ti2. After having it for a while it has grown on me. While I do still a few ergonomic gripes overall I enjoy it for what it is at the price I paid(less than $100). I have an image of disassembly and a few comments below and also HERE.
Hello all,
This is my first post here, although I do come here often enough for information on knives and swords, and I was wondering if those of you with a more extensive folding knife knowledge to help me finding a knife that would fit my wants/needs.
I currently use a Spyderco Tenacious for EDC and while its a great knife I am now looking for something a little different. I really like the curvature of the blade on the Tenacious for slicing and enjoy how the blade rests in the fingers for more precision control, but the limits of its blade design as well as its steel are somewhat bothering me as of late.
While the fine tip on the blade is a good aspect for precision work its also relatively weak and the steel(8cr13mov) is easy work with, but also requires honing more than I would like if I use it heavily during the day. I was looking around one day on the interwebs and I stumbled accross the CKRT Mah Eraser. On the ergonomics and blade shape front this knife looked like it fit what I wanted overall.
Ergonomically it seems like it rests well in your fingers in a more fencing grip which I prefer, the blade has some height between the blade plane and the where you rest your fingers(similar to kitchen knives,) and also the blade is a reverse tanto with a strong tip for piercing but enough of a curvature for slicing. It also features a somewhat larger blade, multiple belt clip placements, and a flipper assist. The downsides however are The LAWKS system(which I could remove), the blade steel isnt far off of 8cr13mov so it still may require frequent honing depending on blade angle, and last but not least I am late to the party and I can not find a plain edge version for less than $100 and I do not care for combo edges on blades shorter than 5". I also have a leatherman surge I carry from time to time if I really need full serration.
Are there any suggestions that could be made to point me to a knife similar to the Mah Eraser potentially with a tougher steel? Or should I bite the bullet and pay 2x what the combo edge is going for now for the overall ergonomics I desire but still be in a similar boat with steel toughness? Weight isnt an issue and cost can be up to ~$150 for quality.
Thanks for any input.
EDIT:
I will add just to help clarify that im looking for a knife in the ~3.3-4" range, sheepsfoot or reverse tanto(with curvature) geometry perferably, and preferably in satin/stone washed since I will use it for food from time to time (always sanitized before and after so dont worry
) and dont want to have to deal with coatings. A steel that was black throughout that didnt affect the metallurgy at all would be nice wouldnt it.EDIT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Buck Glacier
Buck Vantage
Kershaw Oso-Sweet
Spyderco Paramilitary 2
Spyderco Manix 2
Spyderco Gale Bradley 2
Spyderco Endura 4
Hinderer XM Series
Zero Tolerance 0460
Zero Tolerance 0630
Zero Tolerance 0770
Zero Tolerance 0909
Benchmade Rift
Benchmade Griptillian 550-1
Brous T4
Kizer Tigon(Tomcat)
Kizer Luminare
Nice hefty/durable EDC knife. Has more than enough blade material to stand up to light prying without damage(so far). Overall I would have preferred the G-10 variant with a slightly thicker and possibly modifiable to another custom grip liner, but it was $154 at the time while the plain titanium I purchased for $95. Just couldn't justify the $60 premium as I want a Spyderco Paramilitary or Military later on for slicing and finer point tasks.
If you have smaller-ish hands then removal of the knife and simultaneous smooth blade deployment without changing grip position may be difficult(tip up carry only).
I would have also gone with two washers on each side of the blade instead of one to reduce friction since the actuation is a little tight but is reasonable with some lubricant. The lack of an opening assist system makes the friction noticeable on deployment with a slight wrist flick being required usually. I will probably purchase a set of washers and see if having extra lubed washers makes a difference. I use a mix of 85 and 10 weight Nano-Oil and it last fairly long, doesnt run, and noticeable reduces friction. This way I can keep the barrel /pivot point tighter(better alignment) than I would otherwise be able to while still maintaining smooth movement.
Last edited:
