What companies make THE BEST quality production folders?

J

Joe Dirt

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I know about the Sebenza's but that's not what I mean.

What knife companies make the best quality production folders? Benchmade, Spyderco? I'm not looking for one company. I just don't know of many that have superb fit and finish and quality. How about Al Mar, or Kershaw, or Buck? What about SOG, or Microtech, or MOD?

In your eyes, what companies make the highest quality folders? Don't turn this into a bash fest please.
 
While other companies have standout models here and there, overall I too would go with Spyderco and Benchmade.
 
I'd say Microtechs are slightly nicer then spyderco and benchmade. But Benchmade has hte axis lock which is way smoother then any production liner or frame lock and is also very convenient for quick openings and closings.
 
I have a bm 910 that is well made for the money. It has a 154CM tanto blade that is my EDC, and I got it for 93.00 at a local store. It'll do until I get my RJ Martin Avenger. Man, now that is a serious tactical folder. Here in East Texas, BenchMade has good representation, and I like my 910.
 
Other than Seb/Strider, the best All around production knife I've ever had is the SOG Titanium Vision.
They borrowed the Arc lock concept from BM, and made a KILLER knife.

Ti Scales with Stainless Liners - tough as nails,great weight. I actually drove nails with it once on the range hanging targets. - It is truly built tank tough, and the ATS 34, really sharpens well, and holds an edge.

I've had some of the other SOG folders, and None of the others have held a candle to it.

To elaborate on the quality - the only thing that keeps it from a day to day running with my Seb as EDC, is that it rides a little high for clip carry, and I like a deep carry. Other than that, it is the bomb.

The Strider PT is so compact, it has no worries of being displaced - unless God let's me lose it. The F&F had no problems some fine grit sand paper could't handle - I Love that little knife. SOOO glad I saved for that one.
 
Benchmade is my number one, Spyderco is my number two, they're both tops. MOD and Microtech also make first rate knives, but even compared to BMs and Spydies they are expensive. Klotzi is a Swiss outfit that does not make a wide variety, but the fit and finish are oustanding. AG Russell has some high end pieces that are absolutely flawless. Al Mar puts their name on some very nice Japanese made pieces. Kershaw, SOG, and Buck make decent knives, and their very best are nice indeed, but on the whole they are not on the same level. There are also Japanese brands that are not seen as often - Seki, Mcusta - that make some very fine knives at (upper) production prices.

I'm sure I'm missing someone, but I'm sure another poster will come up with it. :)
 
IMO, the best production companies:

Spyderco: best ergonomics, best designs, best customer interaction, great bang for your dollar, soild performers until the end

Benchmade: best construction, great fit & finish, Axis lock

Victorinox: Best bang for your buck, excellent fit an finish at such low prices, convenient and funtional multitools

Schatt & Morgan: best production slip joints, great steels, beautiful constuction
 
I find that Benchmade is considerably more consistent with fit and finish than Spyderco. A ton of my Spydercos came perfect, but two of them had rather obvious defects. If you can see the knife you're buying though, you'll no doubt weed out the very few botched Spydercos. Benchmade dissapointed me recently with a frequent occurrance of Mini skirmish problems, and while a company is bound to make a mistake here and there, it ruined my illusion that Benchmade was always perfect.

I'd say Kershaw and Spyderco are on par. One thing that I can always count on with a Spyderco though (and not with Benchmade) is an amazingly ridiculously sharp OOB edge. Kershaw has a good rep for this too, but my two Kershaws came borderline dull, though it could just be a fluke (my first two Spydercos were the ONLY ones with flaws, weirdly and coincidentally--I've since bought maybe 10 more which were all perfect).

CRKT's fit and finish has always been perfect for me too, and I've had three of their knives--and they were all much cheaper than Benchmade and Spyderco, interestly. But the relatively low end materials (which aren't bad for the price, really) puts it in a different class. Not too many G10 S30V CRKTs out there, but there are a ton between Benchmade and Spyderco.

So I'd say
Benchmade
Spyderco
Kershaw
CRKT

Oh, and btw, I interpreted highest quality as fit and finish...so if you were talking the best overall, I'd come up with a different list. Spyderco would definitely be on top there.
 
If i was just starting off or I did not have any money, I would recommend Spyderco. The Endura started me and many people I know into collecting knives.
 
I probably own 10 Benchmades and 10 Spydercos, all across the price spectrum. Spyderco's knives seem to cut a lot more efficiently than BM's for some reason. Don't know the technical reason, but they just do. Spydies FEEL in the hand like they are harder use knives -- Spydie G10 is far superior than BM G10. But BM's fit and finish is light years ahead of Spyderco. Not even in the same ballpark.

Kershaw makes pretty good cutters. Cool blade shapes. I think a lot of the Kershaws look like "poseur" knives, though. I'm embarrassed to pull them out of my pocket sometimes -- don't want to get called a mall ninja. Not a value judgment, just an opinion.

At the end of the day, if I carry a knife and expect to actually have to use it, I find I'll pick up a Spyderco Paramilitary, Delica, or Rescue before I reach for anything else. My friends at work think the Benchmades look by far the sleekest, but are convinced that the axis lock is so smooth and so easily flickable as to be probably illegal in New York City. These same guys took a look at the Kershaw Bump and thought I was ready to go postal in the office.

Sorry for the long post. It's late, and I'm getting carried away.
 
The Microtech LLC is as close to custom as a production folder gets. I'd say Microtech leads it. Spyderco second and Benchmade third. IMO
 
Well, I WAS gonna say CRK, but you nixed that one. Next I would pick (in no particular order): Strider, Spyderco and Benchmade. I have no experience with WH, but from what I hear, they are excellent also.
 
Because I'm auto knives fan, my favorite is Protech. Nice marerials, design, finish and price. I also like Microtech, but they are really too expensive.
 
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