Wanting some input on an EDC (Beginner)

J

johjar

Joined
Aug 14, 2012
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4
I having a difficult time choosing a quality blade and wanted to hear some input. I have settled on getting a plain blade as I do not for see myself having a need for a serrated edge. I am truly overwhelmed by my options.

I like the Benchmade knives because of how good the build quality is from everything I read and they stand behind their products. The problem I have with them is none of them quite feel right in my hand.

I went to my local Surplus store and handled the BM 275(good feel), BM950, BM581, BM940, and the BM551.

-To be honest the BM 275 felt best in my hand but was just a beast of a knife for an EDC and the guy told me the D2 steel is difficult to sharpen and is brittle. I have heard the D2 steel is good at retain its edge but has a tendency to chip.

-The 950 had an okay feel. It also costs a little too much for just an "okay" feel.

-I was not a big fan of the assisted opening on the 581 and was thinking that the mechanism may just be one more thing that can go wrong on the knife.

-The 940 felt too small in my hand and found it difficult to get my thumb on the stub openers because they are butted right against the handle.

-The 551 didn't quite feel right either. It felt kind of cheaply made to me even though I have read good things about it.

I started reading about the Spyderco knives and they seem to be quite popular and reliable. The closest dealer to me is a little over 2 hours away.

-The para-military 2 looks to be a good blade but I really have no way of testing how it feels.

- The military looks to be quality and a decent EDC.

The type of steel a blade is made with is important to me but I am not going to pretend like I know a lot about the different kinds in the few weeks I have been doing research. I always used to carry a cheap S&W and never knew anything about how to sharpen a blade properly. That has changed now that I know about this sight and have started watching Youtube videos. Any help is greatly appreciated by me and my wife as she is tired of me always researching about knives.
 
I don't think you could go wrong with a Para 2 or Military. Some people don't like the 551 because of the feel. I also wouldn't worry about the D2 on the Adamas.
 
All great choices. Of those listed, para2 would be my pick. Take a good look at the spyderco sage series and the Gayle Bradley as well.
 
Welcome to the boards!

The knives you've mentioned and looked at all have good blade steel. They aren't all the same steel and some of it (like D2) will take more time and experience for you to learn to handle the maintenance consistently. D2 as Benchmade does it is not brittle. I've had a couple of dozen BMs with D2 steel and it remains one of my favorite steels for an EDC folder blade. S30V, S35VN, 154CM, H1, and VG10 are other popular folder blade steels. All are quite acceptable for the tasks that a folder is usually asked to do, although all are not equal. Each of them has their own strengths. Choosing a blade steel means learning to live with trade offs because no blade steel is best at everything. You pick the best steel for the use and conditions it will be asked to meet.

Some other things you need to ask yourself are how much do you want to spend, how long and thick you want the blade to be (determined by the kind of EDC cutting tasks you are anticipating), how heavy a folder are you willing to carry every day, what kind of locking system do you prefer or what locks will you absolutely not consider, are there legal length-of-blade limits in your home area, how skilled are you at sharpening? All of these answers will help determine what a good choice for your first serious EDC will be. Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw/ZT, Fallkniven, Al Mar, A G Russell, even Ka-Bar with their Dozier-designed folders could be a good fit for you.

If the Adamas felt good but the Osornes felt "too small", that probably means that you'll want a wider handle (measured from top to bottom of handle, not end-to-end or side-to-side). Spyderco is famous for flat sided, fairly wide handles. The Paramilitary 2 and Military are great examples of this. I really would recommend the 2 hour drive to your nearest dealer to handle either a Para or a Millie, just to get a feel for them. Another choice might be the ZT0350. It's a flipper activated A/O, but it is easily pocketable and very comfortable to hold. If you like the AXIS lock and BM brand, you might want to look at the Bone Collector series. The large BC folder could be a good fit for you... AXIS lock, D2 steel, spearpoint blade, very utilitarian and very solid.

Good luck with your search.
 
I'd go with a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 or a Manix 2. The Manix has kind of the same type of lock as the Benchmade AXIS lock. Also i would advise getting a Spyderco Sharpmaker or some other type of sharpening system. Good luck with the search and welcome to the addiction.
 
I have the 580 barrage and believe me, the spring assist is 100% reliable. I've deployed mine thousands of times and its exactly the same as when I bought it.
If you really wanted to reassure yourself, you could remove the omega spring and just use it as a manual opener. But I think that the barrage is one of benchmade's best AO's. Its snaps out like crazy.

I'm really digging my new benchmade nitrous stryker. If your local store carries that model then I would suggest giving it a try.

And if you're really into the spyderco idea I would say hands down just go buy an Endura 4 in whatever colour you like. great steel and blade shape. Its a real hall-of-famer in my mind. You'll use it forever too.
 
For basic EDC stuff the Spyderco Delica 4 FFG is great, also not too expensive. If you want something more heavy duty then the Para 2 should fit the bill. If you want something really heavy duty go for a Zero Tolerance knife or a fixed blade. It really depends on what kinds of tasks you will be doing with your knife. Like I said, if its just day to day utility you are after a Delica 4 is all that is necessary.
 
sinsanity said:
If you wanna stick with benchmade try the benchmade ares!
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Great suggestion. I've been carrying mine exclusively since I picked it up a while back. Mine is the limited edition with m390 steel, which is quite a bit better blade steel than anything listed in the OP. There is no current production version, the m390 version (model number 730-1202) is a knifeworks exclusive and is a limited run of 400 pieces. I believe there are still a few left but I imagine they'll be gone soon so pick one up now if you're at all interested. It's just a spectacular knife in every way, and if you end up not liking it, being that it is a limited edition of an already rare knife in a VERY desirable blade steel, its almost guaranteed to hold its value or go up in value. I really can't say enough good about this knife.
 
Not to muddy your waters any more but take a quick look at a Benchmade 710. It is a little tough for beginners to open the thumb studs , however, with some practice it is quite natural. Aside from that I think he 710 is one if he best all around blades around. Pockets well, enough point for self defense and plenty of length for any edc task.
TC
 
Wow, awesome feedback! Thank you to everyone for the input.

@dalefuller- you raise some good questions for me to think about. I appreciate the thought provoking comments.

@BigBill- Thank you for the advisement on the sharpening system. I plan on practicing on some cheap knives before I attempt to sharpen the knife I am going to purchase.

@frenchmade- I do like the Benchmade products and it is good to hear from someone who has used one of their knives for a while and is happy with it. I will definitely research the Endura 4's.

@Moses- I have not looked into the ZT knives but will for sure.

@Sinsanity & mkjellgren- The BM Ares are very nice looking. They do look there are some left on Knifeworks. Just a little hesitant on dropping $200 for a knife I can't hold. You raise a good point about being able to resale with it being a limited edition. Just may not have time to with Nursing school about to start.

@clearytja- No worries, they were already cloudy.

Again, thank you to everyone for the input. It is good to know there is a place to come and talk to other people about knives and get constructive feedback.

Jarryd
 
dalefuller said:
Spyderco is famous for flat sided, fairly wide handles. The Paramilitary 2 and Military are great examples of this. I really would recommend the 2 hour drive to your nearest dealer to handle either a Para or a Millie, just to get a feel for them. .
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I'd suggest that it would be cheaper to buy a Para 2 on ebay and then re-sell it than waste 4 hours of time and gas money. Or buy the cheapest used Spyderco you can find on ebay - maybe a Delica, Native, Endura or Persistence.

Another option would be something like an Enlan EL04 - about $20 from a US seller like lazy lizard, uses the axis lock, and made in the same factories as some Spydercos and Kershaws (and Benchmades?)
 
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johjar said:
I plan on practicing on some cheap knives before I attempt to sharpen the knife I am going to purchase.
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Get a Mora off ebay or from Ragnars forge. Probably a stainless steel model (12c27) if you want a folder with a stainless steel blade. Then get some decent sandpaper and find a sandpaper sharpening video on YouTube.
 
If the Griptilian felt cheap, don't get a spyderco with FRN handles. I'd suggest a Paramilitary 2; the military's size may be a shock to your system. The latter may be a little too big to use around the general public. Also, you may want to check local laws to see if you need to keep the blade under a certain length.
 
johjar said:
I having a difficult time choosing a quality blade and wanted to hear some input. I have settled on getting a plain blade as I do not for see myself having a need for a serrated edge. I am truly overwhelmed by my options.

I like the Benchmade knives because of how good the build quality is from everything I read and they stand behind their products. The problem I have with them is none of them quite feel right in my hand.

I went to my local Surplus store and handled the BM 275(good feel), BM950, BM581, BM940, and the BM551.

-To be honest the BM 275 felt best in my hand but was just a beast of a knife for an EDC and the guy told me the D2 steel is difficult to sharpen and is brittle. I have heard the D2 steel is good at retain its edge but has a tendency to chip.

-The 950 had an okay feel. It also costs a little too much for just an "okay" feel.

-I was not a big fan of the assisted opening on the 581 and was thinking that the mechanism may just be one more thing that can go wrong on the knife.

-The 940 felt too small in my hand and found it difficult to get my thumb on the stub openers because they are butted right against the handle.

-The 551 didn't quite feel right either. It felt kind of cheaply made to me even though I have read good things about it.

I started reading about the Spyderco knives and they seem to be quite popular and reliable. The closest dealer to me is a little over 2 hours away.

-The para-military 2 looks to be a good blade but I really have no way of testing how it feels.

- The military looks to be quality and a decent EDC.

The type of steel a blade is made with is important to me but I am not going to pretend like I know a lot about the different kinds in the few weeks I have been doing research. I always used to carry a cheap S&W and never knew anything about how to sharpen a blade properly. That has changed now that I know about this sight and have started watching Youtube videos. Any help is greatly appreciated by me and my wife as she is tired of me always researching about knives.
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Don't let that feel scare you. I have used mine hard with no issues
 
If you like the grip of the 275, and you would be ok to get an auto, the Spyderco Citadel is pretty cool and has the same type of shape to the handle.
 
Boker has some decent knives for good prices as well, I own a few and I am very happy with them.
You really can't go wrong with Spyderco, ZT, or Benchmade.
I do not own any benchmades at this point in time, but they just aren't really for me.
 
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