Was looking for some input – first high quality knife purchase.

N

Nose Nuggets

Joined
Dec 22, 2005
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37
Im really sorry to bother you pros with my silly questions, but I couldn’t find answers anywhere else, so I thought I would try posting on what is easily the coolest knife forum of all time.

My question is rather simple, I hope the answer is as simple. Im looking for a fixed blade knife with a blade in a 5” area. I would really like a double edged spey style blade. The knife will be carried parallel to the ground at the small of my back (on the belt).

During my searching today, the knife that comes closest to what im looking for would be the FB11 Kumo by Spyderco. I have no idea if this is a good manufacturer of knives or not. Im truly a knife noobie. I own a couple SAK’s and a Kershaw folder and couple other folders and Bali-songs not worth mentioning, but nothing of true caliber.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time
Tristan
 
Spyderco's are AWESOME knives!! I like the Kumo. Why do you want a fixed blade of that length? And why do you want to carry it SOB? Do you know whether or not it is legal to carry a fixed blade of any lenghth where you live?
 
TheKnifeCollector:
i don't own any fixed blade, and its high time i get one! for practicality purposes i thought something in the overall length of 9" would be nice. a sheathe at the SOB is just natural. its easy to grab, easy to stow, doesn't get in the way, i can sit, jump, crouch, bend, swim, what ever, and it doesn't get in the way. i play a LOT of airsoft, and we usually play in very large fields in a verity of conditions and plant life. there has been more then one occasion where i need to pull a blade out and 'handle' something. so far I've been using my little Kershaw leek and its pitiful. Another reason i want something sheathed at the SOB, it doesn't get in the way of my Tac-Vest. After crawling around in tall grass for an extended period of time, you come to the conclusion that things hanging off your sides, like a thigh mounted pistol holsters, magazine pouches, and knives is not viable. as you crawl, it collects all sorts of foliage in the small gap between you and what ever it is on your side. i would have done something off my vest, but its covered with magazines and radio gear and what have you.
legally speaking yes i am sure I'm in the clear. I'm in California, and from reading some local Cali code it seems as though i can carry any size fixed blade knife, with either a single or double sided blade, as long as it is visible.

TorzJohnson:
i found it quite hilarious myself. ever watch Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on Spike?

Thanks for the quick responses!
 
Off topic: The name got me, too (was eating tuna fish at the time)

On topic: Spyderco is one of the top companies in terms of quality items. My favorite company. The Kumo is a great choice. I have one, but I've only carried it a couple of times (the handle looks to good to me to even use....YET)
 
Uh oh. Didn't get tuna on your keyboard or anything i hope. yeah that handle is great. i really like the cord wrapped style.

Another question i thought of; Are there any drawbacks to Damascus steel? Other then cost?
 
Don't dis the Kershaw Leek. It's one of the better EDC knives in the world, IMO.

But when it comes to chopping and other tasks more suited to a large fixed blade, yeah, it is a bit small. It's a pocket cutter, not a camp knife.
 
TheKnifeCollector said:
How much are you willing to spend?
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That is the true question here. In general in the knife world, you get what you pay for.
 
what about the benchamde knives with the Tek lock sheath? how wide is that? would it be uncomfertible SOB sitting down?
 
Nose Nuggets said:
cant beat this

http://www.cottonwoodwholesale.com/showproduct.aspx?productid=12489&affiliateid=10050

well maybe you can. if you can, please let me know :)
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The knife you are looking at appears to be a collaboration between Spyderco and RJ Martin, it seems to be a production version of RJ's Mantis knife.

You may want to consider spending a little more and getting the real deal, in other words, getting the true custom mantis, completely handmade by RJ Martin, it's designer, it has S30V to the other's VG-10, can be had with various stingray skin colors, and RJ is famous for his dead on grinds and wickedly sharp edges. Yes, it will cost $350, not $150, but to many, customs offer a lot more satisfaction than mass produced knives, and resale value on RJ's knives is very good. His fit and finish is outstanding.

Here is a pic of an RJ custom mantis, as I said, they go for $350.

Just something to consider.

RJM8530.jpg
 
wow. that thing is REALLY nice. whats the diference in quality between a custom hand made knife and the spyderco? im not worries about resale value, i dont plan on selling this knife at any time. also, can i find a brake down of the pros and cons of the diferent types of steel used?

thanks for the help.

awsome video by the way. i cant remember if i saw that live, or just saw the full clip off the net, but its halerious. especially when he starts keeling over saying, oh yeah thats bleeding.
 
Nose Nuggets said:
wow. that thing is REALLY nice. whats the diference in quality between a custom hand made knife and the spyderco? im not worries about resale value, i dont plan on selling this knife at any time. also, can i find a brake down of the pros and cons of the diferent types of steel used?

thanks for the help.

awsome video by the way. i cant remember if i saw that live, or just saw the full clip off the net, but its halerious. especially when he starts keeling over saying, oh yeah thats bleeding.
Click to expand...

NN,

My experience is that customs from the better makers are almost always significantly better than production versions of that maker's work, in fact, I'm not sure I can remember a single example of the production version being as good or better than the original custom it is based on, usually, the custom is much nicer, ie. higher quality with better materials.

In addition to better steel (S30V is generally thought to be better than VG-10), the custom Mantis will likely have better grinds and a sharper, better edge. The overall fit and finish will also be better, as will the quality of the materials. All I can say is, I bet if you had the Spyderco in one hand, and the custom Mantis in the other, it would be apparent to you that the custom was the better, higher quality knife. There is also something appealing about a knife that you know was made by hand, as opposed to being mass produced by machines.

A lot of knife lovers, myself included, get a lot of satisfaction from custom knives, that you generally don't get from mass produced knives.

But, it's really just a personal choice, the Spyderco will probably at least come close in performance to the custom, so, it's a better value, but, as with most things, if you want the real deal, the original, you have to pay for it. :)
 
Nose Nuggets said:
... Im looking for a fixed blade knife with a blade in a 5” area. I would really like a double edged spey style blade. The knife will be carried parallel to the ground at the small of my back (on the belt) ...
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You might be interested in the Boker A-F546 - it is a shorter version of the double-edged Applegate Fairbairn combat knife that has been around for quite awhile. The specs are: 440-C stainless steel, 4 3/4" blade and 9" OAL. Factory price is $130 and discount price is around $90-$100. Here is a link to the Boker web site:Boker A-F546

Gene
 
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