UPDATE: $200(+) EDC/fidget

[baldegale]

so, earlier i made a post asking for suggestions on what knife i should get for roughly $200. originally i had a BM 940 in mind but you guys gave a lot of suggestions. so, ive spent the last hour scrolling through bladeHQ and have came up with these so far. im very new to this hobby and have only a slight idea what direction to go and im very open for opinions and suggestions that you may not see here. (yes, im aware that some are sold out and i will look elsewhere. also, i already have a PM2)

(my new max price that im willing to go is about $210-$220)


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[Grandmaster]

Zt 562 hands down
Zt 0095 close second

 

[VS_Power]

I've owned or handled all the above except the Para 3 and ZT0095.

My ranking:

1. 940-2: my pocket longsword! The funnest knife to fiddle with of the bunch because it's got a nice long blade to handle ratio, plus the axis lock. Huge plus for the Benchmade customer service which I've fortunately not had to use yet. It's the easiest folder to close out of all the above (except maybe the para 3) since it only takes one motion. Some people like it more than other 94X-X models since it has a nice balance point on the index finger, though those knives are included up here too

2. ZT0450X: amazing knives, these are a close second. This knife feels a little small to me and I'm not in love with frame lock flippers as I think an axis lock is more fun to play with, however, the quality of this knife is unquestionable. Very fun to flip! Just not fun to close.

3. ZT0562: a great knife as well, just a little too murder-y for normal EDC. This one won't disappear in your pocket like the other two will. Knife is the most durable of all the above IMO.

 

[baldegale]

im reallllly leaning towards a zt0562 maybe even cf i love flippers/bigger knives at the same time. but then again i love AXIS locks just as much so this is a tough decision for me. the only issue is i dont know much about maintenance or sharpening so thatll be more down the line things.

 

[VS_Power]

Both ZT and Benchmade have awesome free sharpening / maintenance services, so you can't go wrong there.

If you want a bigger 940 under $200, the new Benchmade Crooked River has been getting amazing reviews and it might do the trick:

The Benchmade Contego is like the big brother of the 940, it's by the same designer (Osbourne) and is still under $200. More tactical and less classy than the Crooked River above:

IMO bigger the knife the more fun it is to flip on the couch. 940 is still no slouch though.

 

[baldegale]

i do really like the contego and the crooked river, one thing i reallllllly love about the zt0562 is the pocket clip. its amazing. the free sharpening/maintenance services? do you have to ship your knife in to them or something? (added: although on the contego i dont like the texture of the g10 by the looks of it. it looks like same texture of the PM2 and it wears on my shorts a lot and is annoying to reach into my pocket to grab something else when it wears on your knucles)


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[whitty]

im reallllly leaning towards a zt0562 maybe even cf i love flippers/bigger knives at the same time. but then again i love AXIS locks just as much so this is a tough decision for me. the only issue is i dont know much about maintenance or sharpening so thatll be more down the line things.

I was going to suggest the 450 but if you like bigger knives then I have to say the 562 or more so the 562CF would be my choice on this. With the 562 just get a good strop and use it everyday after use and you will not have to worry about sharpening for a long long time!

 

[baldegale]

i really do want the 562cf but its just a little more than i wanted to spend. also, i was recommended your website earlier and i was wondering if i could buy your scales separately? haven't really looked into it much. also, what would be a good strop/compound?

 

[Nfd538]

Man for a pocket knife the 940-1 or 940-1501. You won't know it's there. The ZT0770 is nice too. Work the exchange, you can find all of these for well under $200 a piece in like new condition.

 

[BD_01]

The ZT 0900 is by far my favorite "fidget" knife. Every time the tang hits the stop pin I have to suppress a giggle. It's in your budget, rock solid, and carries well. You might want to get your hands on one first to see if a little-big knife suits your needs.

I've had a 940-2 for a bit more than a week and posted my impressions over on the REVIEWS forum. Design and cary are awesome; fit & finish of my sample are disappointing.

My 0450 has impeccable fit and finish and definitely feels more solid than the 940-2 . I bought the Ti model over CF because I like the way it transmits the "thwack" of the action and because of the sexy satin blade. The 0450 ergonomics work for me, but the 940-2's are better.

Of the three I mention, I've gotten the most fidget-joy out of the 0900, the best carry out of the 940-2, and the most adoration out of the 0450.

 

[Nfd538]

The ZT 0900 is by far my favorite "fidget" knife. Every time the tang hits the stop pin I have to suppress a giggle. It's in your budget, rock solid, and carries well. You might want to get your hands on one first to see if a little-big knife suits your needs.

I've had a 940-2 for a bit more than a week and posted my impressions over on the REVIEWS forum. Design and cary are awesome; fit & finish of my sample are disappointing.

My 0450 has impeccable fit and finish and definitely feels more solid than the 940-2 . I bought the Ti model over CF because I like the way it transmits the "thwack" of the action and because of the sexy satin blade. The 0450 ergonomics work for me, but the 940-2's are better.

Of the three I mention, I've gotten the most fidget-joy out of the 0900, the best carry out of the 940-2, and the most adoration out of the 0450.

Man that good stuff!
I've never had a 0900 but it sure looks cool.
I've compared a 0450CF to a 940 before and chose the 0450. That was about a year ago. The two 940's I have now are rock solid and probably the best pocket friendly blade I've ever had.

 

[Jedi22]

I have of the above mentioned, 940-2 940-1501 940-1 zt0450cf zt0095 zt0562cf. 0562 never got carried due to size and pocket presence. 450 is an amazing little knife, fit and finish is flawless, and flips like a rocket. It's just a tad too small in hand for my medium hands. The blade length works for me, but the handle is a hair short. Feels like I'm struggling to get all fingers on. Before buying the 940, I was skeptical. After buying 1, I got 2 more. It feels amazing in hand, blade is slim, but has a strong tip, is extremely functional, and the action is unparalleled. It flips out super fast with a light flick of the finger, and when it's pocketed, you forget it's even there. You can take your pick of blade steel, between the s90v, s30v, 20cv. Benchmade will send a free deep carry pocket clip as well, where for the 450, I had to buy one.
The 450 never had any issues, where the 940 had a sight bit of side to side play, but easily remedied by a turn of the pivot. Actually ended up better than when I got it after tightening it a bit, where it's now tighter at the pivot, but still easy to flip it with a flick of the thumb. Closing the 940 is easier than any of these.
Only other knife to consider in the vicinity of $220 is finding a spyderco slyzs on the forum.


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[GermanyChris]

Viper Fortis in CF, Maserin AM2, and Spyderco Rubicon would be the three I'd be interested in if I was looking for a flipper.

 

[Lord_Balkan]

You should look into the BM 950 Rift... I liked it much better than the 940 and it isn't as ridiculous as the Contego. If they released it with some internal milling to reduce its weight just a bit, it would seriously be one of my favorite knives.