What are the top 5 production knives that rival custom knives?

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Folderguy

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Jun 26, 2010
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What are the top 5 production knives that rival custom knives?

Rival in terms of fit and finish, blade steel, beauty and coolness factor?

I'm looking for best value options within your criteria as well.

What do you think?
 
I don't know if I can name 5 but for starters my S90V CF spyderco military and a ZT0300 have been about the best I've seen.
 
hogue ex-01
al mar sere 2000
benchmade subrosa

i forgot to add spyderco sage 2 and emerson stonewashed cqc13
 
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Anything in the bark river line up! :D
Coolness, uhm I think my BM913 is pretty damn cool. Well the way the tortion bars are set up is anyways.
 
knifenut1013 said:
I don't know if I can name 5 but for starters my S90V CF spyderco military and a ZT0300 have been about the best I've seen.
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While I have a ZT 0300, I've yet to acquire one of the Spydercos that you mention. Do you think I should get one?
 
Folderguy said:
Of those five knives, which do you like the best?
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id say i like the hogue the best just because it feels best in my hand. i have an aluminum handle one. the emerson cqc13 is a real beast of a folder, a real beauty. its just a bit too big so i dont carry it as often.

the ones i mentioned are all in the same price range 150-170 or so. all of them are high quality.
 
xmtgx said:
Anything in the bark river line up! :D
Coolness, uhm I think my BM913 is pretty damn cool. Well the way the tortion bars are set up is anyways.
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+1

spoon4.jpg
 
The Spyderco Gayle Bradley is very custom feeling. It's a beautiful knife, very solid and smooth as glass. I prefer it over the Striders I've owned and it's very comparable to my Hinderer, not in overall quality necessarily but as a very nice utility knife.
 
If you ever have the chance at a CF S90V millie don't pass it up! Its perfect!
 
Al Mar SERE 2000, any size
Fallkniven PXL
Buck Mayo, any size
Some of the ZT series are pretty nice as well
 
13 posts and nobody's mentioned the Sebenza yet (or Mnandi or Umnumzaan)? Custom-level pricing, but as far as precision and tolerances, they are the benchmark that everybody (custom or production) aspires to measure up to.
 
From my collection, these are the tops - certainly better than most 'custom' folders I've seen at shows:

Benchmade 630/635/755/790 - great Ti/S30V
Kershaw JYDII in Ti/SG2
Buck 172 Mayo TNT (Ti/S30V)
ZT-301 (Ti/S30V)
and, my latest:
CRK Umnumzaan (Ti/S30V - of course!)

For fixed blades - Bark River! If you want a 'user', get Micarta or G10 handled examples - spalted wombeezee wood is pretty - and pricey - and you won't want to get it nasty!

Stainz
 
The only one I've owned that would fit is the Benchmade 630 Skirmish. The design feels both ancient and modern, brutal and elegant, and just plain beautiful. I sold mine (needed the money) to a guy in Moscow; probably not too many over there. (Titanium/S30V framelock; don't think Benchmade was using S30V very often but this one deserved it.)
 
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Good points. As you say, their pricing is in the range for some custom knives. Great knives, that's for sure.

Planterz said:
13 posts and nobody's mentioned the Sebenza yet (or Mnandi or Umnumzaan)? Custom-level pricing, but as far as precision and tolerances, they are the benchmark that everybody (custom or production) aspires to measure up to.
Click to expand...
 
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