Very Inexpensive 2-3in gentlemans folder

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ocnLogan

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First off, I'm new to the forum, and relatively new to "nice" knives.

My question to all of you is just as it says in the title to the thread. I'm a married grad student, so saying that I have little spare cash would be just about right. I'm also not sure that what I am looking for is strictly a gentlemans folder, hence the question to all of you. I would like to point out that I am asking for "inexpensive" and not "cheap" (saw recent thread about that...).

I work in an office environment, and would like to have something that I can have on me at all times without drawing attention to itself. It won't see any hard use, as this is just something that I can carry around to make sure I have a blade if I need it.

My preference is for something:

- Thing thin and relatively light (I hate bulky things in my pockets)
- Pocket clip
- Decent steel (we're being relative here, considering the price range)
- 2-3 inch blade, with preference closer to 2.5
- Ideally a liner lock (used to them, and like them just fine)
- One hand opening
- And here is the kicker... <$40

So far I've found things like the Kershaw OD2, Kabar Mini Dozier but am wondering what other good choices there are out there. I know this is probably tough because of all of my preferences, but I'm stumped.

UPDATE:

I have received MANY great ideas and suggestions in this thread, and it has been extremely helpful. I have found some knives that fit the bill, a few knives that will likely become gifts for others, some that might eventually be gifts for myself, and even others that fit other EDC use cases for myself.

Right now I am primarily considering three kershaw knives, and a Buck or two.

The Kershaws are the Chill, Skyline, and the Zing (all slightly over the 3in "limit" but very thin and light). As of right now, I am slightly leaning towards the Chill.

The Buck knife that I am considering is the Vantage small, either the Avid, or the Pro. Any input on these would be great. Meaning, if you have any experience with that knife, particularly comparing it to the kershaws, that would be excellent to hear about. One thing I am worried about with it is if the thickness of the knife in my pocket, because it looks thicker. Also, I'm not sure if I should get the Avid, or the Pro.

Thanks for the help!
 
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My recommendation would be the Spyderco Ambitious. It checks all of the boxes you want, and Spyderco probably does a better job than anyone else in terms of the ergonomics/usability of their smaller folders.
 
If you're looking along the lines of the Kershaw OD-2, might I suggest the Kershaw Chill? Its curves might make it seem more gentlemanly to you. Then again, it might make it look more menacing. I don't know.

It looks like you're looking for something more modern, as opposed to a traditional slipjoint folder (in the way of Case et al) or a Victorinox Swiss army knife, seeing as you want something with a pocket clip and a liner lock. Perhaps the Kershaw Skyline?

Take a look at the Chill and Skyline. See if you like the way they look. If not, get back to us and maybe we can get a better idea of the style/design you're looking for, since a lot of "modern gentleman folders" tend toward the pricey. But don't worry about it. We'll find something. :)
 
i wish he was willing to pay twice as much. lum chinese folder is way classy and serves its purpose well
 
Excellent choices. I think the Spyderco Cat is a good. Kershaw makes several that'd probably fit in your preferences.

Boker Plus has some interesting choices. The Nopal is interesting. It is 3 3/8" closed with a 2 1/8" 440C Wharncliffe blade. It is 3.0 oz, so it might be a little heavy. The Elegance is classy looking with a Ti frame & Ti bolsters with G10 inlays. It has a push button lock & weighs 2.0 oz. There's also the Boker Titan (Ti frame-lock), Subcom, Wharcom, & Subclaw. However, the Subcom series are small. They're about 2 5/8"-2 3/4" closed & the blades are 1 3/4"-1 7/8". The regular Subcoms have AUS-8 blades & weigh about 2.5 oz, while the Subcom Titan has 440C steel & weighs about the same (2.3 oz).

Good luck on your choice.
 
I was just talking about about the kershaw crown in another thread. Don't know how you would feel about the weight though. Meh, $15, give it a try.
 
Joliet Jeff said:
I was just talking about about the kershaw crown in another thread. Don't know how you would feel about the weight though. Meh, $15, give it a try.
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The crown 2 is smaller.
3150_large.png

Steel: 8CR13MOV, satin finish
Handle: Polished Micarta®
Blade Length: 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
Closed Length: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Overall Length: 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm)
Weight: 2.6 oz.
 
I like the sanrenmu 763 with aluminum handle, its not a gentleman's knife or a liner lock, but its thin, cheap, locks up tight and takes a good edge. I also like the benchmade style axis lock. I got mine for 16 including shipping.
 
Maybe look at some swiss army knives. I carry that because then people see it more as a tool and less as a weapon. I don't think they have pocket clips, but they have a lot of knives so you might want to take a look.
 
This one meets your requirements: CRKT Delegate

I don't carry mine all the time but it is solidly in the rotation. The combination of simple, elegant good looks with the burl scale gives it -- to me at least -- more of a sense of class than threat. It took me a while to get the hang of opening it, but now it is second nature. Never had any negative reactions to it.

You might find it cheaper than on Amazon but that's where I got mine.
 
I own the Cat in both original and current versions, the Skyline and the Lux.

They're all terrific.

The Cat is the shortest, the Skyline is the lightest and the Lux is in the middle, with a blade just barely longer than the Cat. The Lux was designed as a gentleman's folder and is available in three versions and price points.

Check the reviews, decide which you like best aesthetically, and then do some comparison shopping to find the price you want. You can find a dealer with good service and good price -- and that's worth the extra effort.

Good luck -- and have fun!
 
Wow, thanks guys, this has been quite a lot to look through in terms of suggestions.

One more thing, blades that are closer to or over 3inches are a little bit harder to justify, since I have two folders in that size range already (Gerber paraframe [I know... ], and kershaw Ken onion. These are what I'm trying to replace, the paraframe is too "tacticool", and is an akward color since it always manages to stand out, and the kershaw is more bulky, and draws attention to itself when opened [assisted opening]).

Here are my thoughts so far. In roughly sequential order (this may be a big post).

My recommendation would be the Spyderco Ambitious. It checks all of the boxes you want, and Spyderco probably does a better job than anyone else in terms of the ergonomics/usability of their smaller folders.
Click to expand...

So call me crazy, but I don't really like the spyderco stuff, mostly because of their bizarre blade shapes. If they could come up with something with a finger stud, instead of those weird openings, and a blade that was more like a traditional drop point, I think I'd love them. (I know there are probably at least some of you out there that are facepalming right now, but hey, its an opinion).

It looks like you're looking for something more modern, as opposed to a traditional slipjoint folder (in the way of Case et al) or a Victorinox Swiss army knife, seeing as you want something with a pocket clip and a liner lock. Perhaps the Kershaw Skyline?

Take a look at the Chill and Skyline. See if you like the way they look. If not, get back to us and maybe we can get a better idea of the style/design you're looking for, since a lot of "modern gentleman folders" tend toward the pricey. But don't worry about it. We'll find something.
Click to expand...

I do believe I am looking for something more modern. Like I said, I hate things in my pockets, especially just flopping around in the bottom of them. The pocket clip lets it stay out of the way, which is why it is important. And also, while I respect slipjoints, I really like a locked blade (cut myself pretty good on a slipjoint as a kid when it folded [I was like 10], hence the aversion).

In terms of those kershaws, I like the look (and the price) of the chill better than the skyline. The main reason is because the blade shape is finer/less funky, and the guard is smaller. Maybe that helps you know what I am looking for.

I think the kershaw leek fits the bill. can be had for <$40
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I'd forgotten about that one, for some reason I thought it was much more $$. Now that I'm looking at it again, the knife has the assist (which is sweet, I've got it on a larger ken onion kershaw), but in an office, that draws quite a bit of attention when it cracks open. That, and the sheepsfoot-ish blade style is a slight turnoff, but I could live with it. Do they come without the assist?

Boker Plus has some interesting choices. The Nopal is interesting. It is 3 3/8" closed with a 2 1/8" 440C Wharncliffe blade. It is 3.0 oz, so it might be a little heavy. The Elegance is classy looking with a Ti frame & Ti bolsters with G10 inlays. It has a push button lock & weighs 2.0 oz. There's also the Boker Titan (Ti frame-lock), Subcom, Wharcom, & Subclaw. However, the Subcom series are small. They're about 2 5/8"-2 3/4" closed & the blades are 1 3/4"-1 7/8". The regular Subcoms have AUS-8 blades & weigh about 2.5 oz, while the Subcom Titan has 440C steel & weighs about the same (2.3 oz).
Click to expand...

Boker is another one of those well respected brands that I have a hard time with usually, just because they're typically a little weirder looking blades (at least the ones I've seen). The Boker plus elegance looks decent, but a little largish (thick actually), and I actually kind of like the Bocker plus titan drop point. I didn't find tons of information on either of these blades though. Also, what are your guys thoughts on 440c? (sorry, I'm a new guy still :o).

The subcom series... yea, sorry, they're cool knives, but I don't know what I would use one for.

I was just talking about about the kershaw crown in another thread. Don't know how you would feel about the weight though. Meh, $15, give it a try.
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I actually ran across references of this knife before (and the Crown 2, which is the size I'd want). I've heard its a pretty sweet deal, but that its had some build quality issues. Any thoughts on that? Like I said, I want something inexpensive, not cheap.

I like the sanrenmu 763 with aluminum handle, its not a gentleman's knife or a liner lock, but its thin, cheap, locks up tight and takes a good edge. I also like the benchmade style axis lock. I got mine for 16 including shipping.
Click to expand...

This may be a possibility, although it looks a bit... um... more aggressive than most of the other recommended knives. Also, this is hard knife to find available, it took me a while to find photos of this thing. I also have no idea what the axis lock is, thoughts? Still, definitely along the right lines.

This one meets your requirements: CRKT Delegate
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I love the look of this knife (maybe it doesn't need quite so much tacticool in it, but I like the burl inlay). Do they come in a smaller size? Like I said, the blade is a touch longish. I also saw the "drifter", and thought that might look a bit interesting. Great find man.

Whew! THat took a while to get through, but I think I responded to everything finally.

Thanks for the input guys, this has given me quite a few more options to think about. Any more suggestions now that you know more what I'm looking for?
 
ag_russell_titanium_lockback_tn.jpg

3" closed, 2 1/4" VG-10 blade, titanium handle scales, includes black leather pouch
A.G. Russell: $35 + shipping
 
CL01 said:
Excellent choices. I think the Spyderco Cat is a good. Kershaw makes several that'd probably fit in your preferences.

Boker Plus has some interesting choices. The Nopal is interesting. It is 3 3/8" closed with a 2 1/8" 440C Wharncliffe blade. It is 3.0 oz, so it might be a little heavy. The Elegance is classy looking with a Ti frame & Ti bolsters with G10 inlays. It has a push button lock & weighs 2.0 oz. There's also the Boker Titan (Ti frame-lock), Subcom, Wharcom, & Subclaw. However, the Subcom series are small. They're about 2 5/8"-2 3/4" closed & the blades are 1 3/4"-1 7/8". The regular Subcoms have AUS-8 blades & weigh about 2.5 oz, while the Subcom Titan has 440C steel & weighs about the same (2.3 oz).

Good luck on your choice.
Click to expand...

Ditto on Boker models. I have a Boker Subcom F, smaller than a matchbook, very unusual blade design. You put it on your keychain or pull it out of your pocket and most people won't even know it's a knife until you unfold that awesome blade.
 
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