what to look for in a knife

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dakota1820

Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
96
I want to buy a decent folder. Not huge but not real small kind of middle of the road size wise. I want a company with great customer service American made good grip comfortable handle and a strong lock. Blade steel I don't care what it is as long as it sharpens easily and stays sharp awhile. I am a mechanic so it need to be able to handle grease oil ect. What best fits my needs? Which company would work best for me?
 
I thought about this for a few minutes and one of the knives that came to mind was a Kershaw " Needs Work"
The knife is very easy to hold and has a hard sculpted plastic grip that would be resistant to oil , but still allow for a good grip. Plus it can be opened with one hand using a flipper.
Kershaw has a good reputation for CS , it's made in the US, not expensive and the steel is easy to sharpen.
 
Depending on your budget, check out Hogue knives. They are known best for making gun grips, and have incorporated a lot of the same materials and designs into their knives as well. All of them have 154CM steel blades, which is quite capable for most purposes. Buck also has a lot of options, mostly less expensive, that are still US-made with fairly "grippy" handles and available in a range of steels. I have a Buck/TOPS CSAR-T folder (154CM version) with a very strong lock on it, but it's quite a beast in terms of size and weight, as are a lot of the Zero Tolerance models that would probably best meet your needs.
 
There are some great knives to be had. For the money you can't beat Spyderco. However, Benchmade, Buck, and Kershaw/Zero Tolerance all make good knives, as well. I have some from each of them. Find one that is practical, fits your hand, and that you like the looks of. Liner locks are probably the weakest lock, but if well made they are serviceable. Frame locks are a bit better (based on my experience), and back locks are very good. The better locks are the Triad Lock, Compression Lock, Power Lock, Axis Lock, and the Caged Ball Lock.
 
What makes spyderco superior I always here good things on here about them but what makes them better than say benchmade?
 
dakota1820 said:
What makes spyderco superior I always here good things on here about them but what makes them better than say benchmade?
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Of all the replies to your inquiry, you ask this?! LOL

Have a look at post #8 - what is your budget? Are you looking for a $40 knife, are you okay with spending $400 on a real nice one, etc.
 
dakota1820 said:
$100 or so. I just have never seen anything special about spyderco but on here they get high praise.
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You say you want

... to buy a decent folder. Not huge but not real small kind of middle of the road size wise. I want a company with great customer service American made good grip comfortable handle and a strong lock. Blade steel I don't care what it is as long as it sharpens easily and stays sharp awhile. I am a mechanic so it need to be able to handle grease oil ect.
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That's Spyderco and many have said so in this thread. If have concluded they are "not special," why did you ask us for advice? :confused: Get whatever you want.
 
I just haven't seen anything amazing about them I'm not bashing them just wondering what everyone sees in them ? And aren't they mostly made in Japan?
 
dakota1820 said:
I just haven't seen anything amazing about them I'm not bashing them just wondering what everyone sees in them ? And aren't they mostly made in Japan?
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What's great about them is that they are a decent folder. Not huge but not real small kind of middle of the road size wise. They are a company with great customer service American made good grip comfortable handle and a strong lock. Their blade steel sharpens easily and stays sharp awhile. They are able to handle grease oil ect.
 
dakota1820 said:
I just haven't seen anything amazing about them I'm not bashing them just wondering what everyone sees in them ? And aren't they mostly made in Japan?
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You won't know what's special about them until you get one in hand. Go to a knife store if you can and hold one. Try out different grips. You'll quickly notice that the weird design of say...a delica...is there to aid in ergonomics. I can hold anywhere on that knife and it's comfy. I can't say that about 90 percent of the knives I've ever owned.
 
What to look for in a knife?
For me, in a folder, in the first place, is slicing capability, i.e. a full flat grind that's not too thick.
 
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