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What are the top 5 production knives that rival custom knives?
- Thread starter Folderguy
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I'll assume folders and can only say something about knives I have or have owned and I do not own any customs. but here's my vote for the best quality
chris reeve folders in general, awesome: sebenza, mnandi, umnumzaan
hinderer xm-18
spyderco military
zt 0300 (though I don't like the knife itself, it's quality is very good)
chris reeve folders in general, awesome: sebenza, mnandi, umnumzaan
hinderer xm-18
spyderco military
zt 0300 (though I don't like the knife itself, it's quality is very good)
ndeezl
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Any of the Case / Bose collaborations.
Milled liners, great walk and talk, crisp and even swedges, fit and finish at a level not seen in production slipjoints otherwise.
What model is the top left in the pic please? I'm afraid I'll have to start hunting one of those down if possible. Killer lines on that one.
DallasSTB
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-CR Annual LE Sebenzas (Seb's are already great but IMO these get extra attention)
-Case Tony Bose Collaboration knives
-Moki knives
-Klozli knives
-Most of Kershaws' Zero tolerance line
-Spyderco knives in general, but particularly the Taiwanese made (Gayle Bradley, Sage 1, Terzuola slipit)
-Benchmade's Gold class knives
Thats a few more than five, but there are many, many good knives around these days for us to enjoy
-Case Tony Bose Collaboration knives
-Moki knives
-Klozli knives
-Most of Kershaws' Zero tolerance line
-Spyderco knives in general, but particularly the Taiwanese made (Gayle Bradley, Sage 1, Terzuola slipit)
-Benchmade's Gold class knives
Thats a few more than five, but there are many, many good knives around these days for us to enjoy
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That is the dogleg, other than the locking whittler pattern directly below it, it is my favorite of the annual collaborations Tony does with case.
Blade is ATS 34. They still show up here and there on occasions.
For those not familiar with these they are not regular production knives that Tony designs staying in production. Each year since 1998 a pattern is chosen and produced during the year.
The 2010 collaboration which are available now:
Blade is ATS 34. They still show up here and there on occasions.
For those not familiar with these they are not regular production knives that Tony designs staying in production. Each year since 1998 a pattern is chosen and produced during the year.
The 2010 collaboration which are available now:
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That is the dogleg, other than the locking whittler pattern directly below it, it is my favorite of the annual collaborations Tony does with case.
Blade is ATS 34. They still show up here and there on occasions.
For those not familiar with these they are not regular production knives that Tony designs staying in production. Each year since 1998 a pattern is chosen and produced during the year.
The 2010 collaboration which are available now:
It's a real beauty - like all of the ones you posted above. My eye was caught immediately by the swing-guard with the double nail nicks. Sweet bunch!
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I agree :thumbup:
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Just left the site - very cool. I liked the black handle w/drop point. What's up with all the buttons? One's a lock release? What about the other? It's not an auto right?
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Not mentioned yet:
- Microtech Terzuola D/A
- Microtech LCC
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I clicked on the second page of this thread prepared to suggest the same thing, so I'll second Bastid's comments. I only have a Norfolk and Tribal Spear, but both are extremely well made.
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There is the button lock and there is a slider lock for the button lock so that you can't accidentally release the button lock during use.
tundratrader
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I am seeing Hinderer knives listed as production. Though he calls them production as a distinction from his hand ground blades they are still custom knives.
Would the definition of custom be hand forged blades and handmade handles?
I guess it is hard to define production these days anyways. Is Chris Reeve a custom knife maker? I consider production a mass produced knife.
I would rate the Spyderco Military about as high as anything. Made in the USA and perfect fit and finish.
My Benchmade Emerson CQC7 is custom quality.
Would the definition of custom be hand forged blades and handmade handles?
I guess it is hard to define production these days anyways. Is Chris Reeve a custom knife maker? I consider production a mass produced knife.
I would rate the Spyderco Military about as high as anything. Made in the USA and perfect fit and finish.
My Benchmade Emerson CQC7 is custom quality.
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I dont think its fair to list CRK and Hinderer knives since they are technically semi custom knives. Probably closer to production but still they are priced like customs and in pretty much all regards custom-like.
As for genuine production knives I'd have to go with the Spyderco Sage 2. Nearly flawless F&F and very solid feel.
As for genuine production knives I'd have to go with the Spyderco Sage 2. Nearly flawless F&F and very solid feel.
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What about Benchmade's 755 Sibert MRP? I've never handled the custom version but I've heard the production version is very close to the real deal...
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I personally feel that the main edge that customs have over production knives is the fit and finish. This means straight, accurate chamfering all the way around the handle, no machining marks left on the outer edges of the liners, even and clean jimping, machine mark free blade finish etc... This also includes the internal fit and finish. That is how close to a matching angle does the lockbar face and the tang have, is the blade accurately centered in the handle, is there any slop or blade play, are the contacting internal surfaces polished and scratch mark free? These are all things I look for along with others that I feel make a knife of top quality. And in my experience nothing beats a Chris Reeve however it sounds like this thread is more dedicated to the not so expensive productions. Granted, none of these knives excelled in everything I listed above but out of the ones that I have owned these ones have stood out as significantly better than the rest.
Spyderco Sage 2- Awesome overall fit and finish with just a bit of machining marks left.
Kershaw Volt- Nearly perfect. Awesome overall fit and finish, however the line that runs down the inlay and into the blade transition is a bit off. It appears that they found this as they machined a different lockface than any of their other knives.
Kershaw Ti SG2 JYD II- Awesome all around fit and finish. Only flaw being that the lamination lines are a bit off.
Really those are the only ones that I feel start to rival the custom folder market. I have others that impress me very much but those are the heavy weight hitters.
Spyderco Sage 2- Awesome overall fit and finish with just a bit of machining marks left.
Kershaw Volt- Nearly perfect. Awesome overall fit and finish, however the line that runs down the inlay and into the blade transition is a bit off. It appears that they found this as they machined a different lockface than any of their other knives.
Kershaw Ti SG2 JYD II- Awesome all around fit and finish. Only flaw being that the lamination lines are a bit off.
Really those are the only ones that I feel start to rival the custom folder market. I have others that impress me very much but those are the heavy weight hitters.