What knife to get for bf as his first EDC?

[mitchnola]

If he felt that way he could easily resell it and get that money back, since it’s a sebenza and not a ZT

Haha, you must’ve never gotten a gift from a girlfriend. He pull that move and he’ll be getting socks or boxers next year.

I’m a huge crk fan as well. And my crk homies are infamous for recommending a sebbie when recommendations are asked for regardless of the parameters. Absolutely nothing wrong with that as I do the same for LG. But that doesn’t change the fact that spending $500s on a knife is considered pretty crazy by non knife folks.

 

[norcalAF]

Guidance comes in many forms. ZT seems to be a wannabe CRK. If the BF is into quality at all, the CRK is a far nicer gift.

ZT is it's own animal, I have not had any issues with any of the numerous ZTs I have owned over the years. CRK is nice, but as the poster above said if the guy isn't into knives, he will probably think she is crazy for spending that much on a knife and will hesitate to carry it for fear of losing that chunk of change.i agree with mitchnola a cheaper knife would be better for a first knife. Personally if you don't mind the lockbar access, the GB2 is a fantastic knife or the spidichef!

 

[zhudroalina]

My previous poll has also gotten many votes on the Benchmade 940 Osborne.
If it were among ZT0450 (as I see the preference is mostly on 0450, rather than 0770); and 940 to choose, which one would be better?

 

[sharp_edge]

0450 is very cramped and not a good slicer.

0770cf is assisted spring opening like a switch blade.

Benchmade Bugout is kinda the one for most people IMO. Or Sebenza if you really want to impress.

Any knife is a good gift though! Here's a list from a great knife shop https://www.bladehq.com/blog/best-edc-knives

This.

ZT0770 as an assisted folder is an immediate dismissal for me. ZT0450 is a tiny knife that doesn't cut well among knives in this size category.

I'd buy a Benchmade 535-3 Bugout with s90v steel and cf scales. Even a Spyderco Delica (K390 or any non-vg10 steel) would be my choice over the above two ZTs.

If a bigger size is OK, I'd buy a Hogue Ritter full size or a Spyderco PM2.

 

[norcalAF]

We still don't know the most important bit, where will this knife be carried? That could make all locking knife options null....

 

[sharp_edge]

My previous poll has also gotten many votes on the Benchmade 940 Osborne.
If it were among ZT0450 (as I see the preference is mostly on 0450, rather than 0770); and 940 to choose, which one would be better?

The only good things about 940 are it's very slim and has a strong tip. Other than that, It is quite thick behind the edge, not a good slicer at all.

 

[lambertiana]

Between the 450 and the 940, for a first time edc the 940 might be better because it is more svelte and not as bulky in the pocket. If he is not used to carrying a knife I think footprint in the pocket is an important consideration. But if you think he is more prone to use it hard, the 450 would be the better choice. Quality wise I would rank them the same.

 

[KAR9889]

Zt 0450 is a great knife. I’d recommend also buying an MXG gear deep carry clip for it as well… game changer! If he doesn’t have monster hands he will be very happy with the 0450. If he has big paws check out the 0452. Same knife but MUCH larger. I’ve owned and loved them both

 

[mitchnola]

My previous poll has also gotten many votes on the Benchmade 940 Osborne.
If it were among ZT0450 (as I see the preference is mostly on 0450, rather than 0770); and 940 to choose, which one would be better?

I’d recommend the benchmade 940 for reasons previously stated. Going to carry a lot better in the pocket and is already established as an excellent edc. If he researches to learn about it he’ll pretty much only find glaring reviews. I wouldn’t recommend a zt at all for someone’s first knife unless they’re buying it themselves. They’re great knives but bigger and pricier. I’d say zt is for someone that already knows what they want in a knife.

 

[Boattale]

My previous poll has also gotten many votes on the Benchmade 940 Osborne.
If it were among ZT0450 (as I see the preference is mostly on 0450, rather than 0770); and 940 to choose, which one would be better?

940. Great design and execution by Benchmade. And it's not a knockoff of some other design. It's a lot of knife in a very user friendly easy carry package. I'm kind of old school and prefer the original green scales over CF or other materials.

 

[mitchnola]

Z zhudroalina I’d also recommended checking out the benchmade bugout and bailout. Both excellent edc knives that are also very good looking. They’re both very slim n light which I would think would be good for someone who hasn’t carried a knife before.

 

[killgar]

Whenever I decide to buy someone a knife, there are several questions I ask myself first before making a selection.

1. What are they likely to use it for?

2. Are they going to actually carry it, and if so, what type of carry method do they prefer?

3. Are they inclined to abuse a knife?

4. Are they prone to losing things?

5. What price range is appropriate for the individual?

6. What are the knife laws where the person lives?

Perhaps the OP has already answered these questions for herself. I know nothing about her boyfriend other than the fact that he has a thoughtful girlfriend.

A few things in particular I'm wondering about- if he is inclined to carry the knife, how would he carry it? What type of pants does he typically wear, jeans, slacks? Different types of pants react differently to the weight of different knives. Is he a "blue collar" guy, or does he work in an office? Is he someone who is comfortable going out in public with a knife clearly visible clipped to his pocket? Would it be legal to do so? Or is he is someone who would prefer something very discreet, like something small that could virtually disappear in the bottom of a pocket?

And when it comes to choosing a price range, I always think about all the times over the years I've seen people tell how they bought someone an expensive knife and it never gets used or carried, and when they ask the person why, the response is "It's too nice, I'm afraid of damaging it", or " It's so expensive, I'm afraid I'll lose it". If you buy someone an expensive knife to carry and use, but they won't because they are afraid of damaging or losing it, that kind of defeats the purpose of buying them that expensive knife in the first place.

 

[DocJD]

Whenever I decide to buy someone a knife, there are several questions I ask myself first before making a selection.

1. What are they likely to use it for?

2. Are they going to actually carry it, and if so, what type of carry method do they prefer?

3. Are they inclined to abuse a knife?

4. Are they prone to losing things?

5. What price range is appropriate for the individual?

6. What are the knife laws where the person lives?

Perhaps the OP has already answered these questions for herself. I know nothing about her boyfriend other than the fact that he has a thoughtful girlfriend.

A few things in particular I'm wondering about- if he is inclined to carry the knife, how would he carry it? What type of pants does he typically wear, jeans, slacks? Different types of pants react differently to the weight of different knives. Is he a "blue collar" guy, or does he work in an office? Is he someone who is comfortable going out in public with a knife clearly visible clipped to his pocket? Would it be legal to do so? Or is he is someone who would prefer something very discreet, like something small that could virtually disappear in the bottom of a pocket?

And when it comes to choosing a price range, I always think about all the times over the years I've seen people tell how they bought someone an expensive knife and it never gets used or carried, and when they ask the person why, the response is "It's too nice, I'm afraid of damaging it", or " It's so expensive, I'm afraid I'll lose it". If you buy someone an expensive knife to carry and use, but they won't because they are afraid of damaging or losing it, that kind of defeats the purpose of buying them that expensive knife in the first place.

I agree .

For a first EDC , I'd go cheaper and sturdy . Actually after 50 years of knife collecting , I still do myself the same way .

Cold Steel , Spyderco , Kershaw .

Heck , even Civivi , Petrified Fish , etc , are very good for the price... and cheap enough to not inhibit carry and use .

 

[Delta-v]

Between ZT0770 and ZT0450, I'd go ZT0450. Between ZT0450 and Benchmade 940, I'd go 940. But they're all fine choices for a first EDC.

 

[Danny Linguini]

tl;dr: 0770.

Yes, it’s an assisted opener, but the spring assist is pretty light among several assisted openers that I own. It opens easily enough with a little thumb flip, but it can still be easily closed with one hand, which cannot be said for all assisted flippers. I’ve never had any of them open accidentally. You can also get the 0770 with a black aluminum handle (which happens to be the one I have) if you’re concerned about the durability of CF. Again, personal tastes I prefer the 0770 blade shape and liner lock to the 0450’s blade and frame lock.

Which brings up something else to consider: frame locks can be difficult to operate, especially for someone new to knives. With both flippers and thumb studs, you must be careful to not put finger pressure on the lock bar while opening, otherwise they become difficult (or impossible) to open, which would make a bad first impression for a first time owner. I have a few frame locks that sit in a case because they’re just too much of a p.i.a. for me to use. And yes, that includes a couple of CRK’s.

Hence my recommendation for the 0770 - it’s just great all-around EDC.

 

[Boattale]

Somehow some way Lovey and I headed out for a weekend with friends and I didn't have a knife. We were driving past the AG Russell store, where I found my first Dozier design Kabar folder. I have two more now and have given three away. Solid contender in the original AUS8 and a D2 version available as well. Put it on the list.