What's best? Yup, a newb.

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darklight943

Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
361
First off, I want to apologize for not introducing myself to this forum before posting a few threads and comments. I am a newb, for the most part. I have been around knives and have been a fan / collector of sorts most of my adult life. I use my EDC for general chores around the mailroom / warehouse and home, and most of my knives in my collection are under $50. I prefer the "tactical" type of knife as they *seem* to be made to take more abuse and are more aesthetically pleasing to me (plain - nothing too fancy). My question to everyone on this site is: What is best in a knife and why? The filters for this question would be that we're talking folders, and we're talking EDC / general purpose knife. I hear a lot of talk about how one should never purchase a Chinese made knife, most disliking combo style edges, about how certain grinds are preferrable, this steel is better than that steel, don't buy from that company - buy from a "good" company, "throw away" or "beater" knives, expensive custom knives, lockback is better than framelock, etc... I believe that if you have a well constructed folder that stays sharp for a good amount of time and is reliable in function, then who cares if you carry a Sebenza or a Boker Magnum or a S&W? Maybe if I were in LE or Military, maybe then I would consider a "higher end" knife. Fact is, I'm perfectly stoked on my Spyderco Byrd 'Raven', manufactured in China, does its job and has a combo edge, but wouldn't be too bummed if I were to lose it 'cause it only put me back $30 - not $200+ Not complaining or angry, just curious. What do you like and why. Also, I would like to post pics for future threads, how would I go about doing that? Fire away. :)
 
For under 50 bucks... the Spyderco Native is hard to beat! I looooove mine. But I'm a huge fan of Spyderco and their awesome knives anyway.
 
This depends on price range, personal preference and edc tasks to be completed with the knife. Almost everyone on this board will prefer their "best" knife because it is what they need. Look around on the site, read some reviews and you should be able to make a decision!

:)
 
That is an impossible question for me to answer for you. What may be the best/ perfect EDC knife for ME, may not be for you. And I happen to be quite fond of custom knives and I love my Sebbies.
 
Yeah sorry for posting kind of a nebulous question. Too many variables, too many personal preferences. I kind of get the feeling that a great many on this site lean towards what Spyderco has to offer for mid / uppper class knives. Never owned a custom knife, maybe someday I'll be able to afford one.
 
Do you want something to EDC daily? Or just for work? What are you going to do with it? How much do you want to spend? Ask yourself these questions. I am amongst the Spyderco fans here. They are excellent knives. You get a whole lot of knife, for a little money. I think a good starter knife is the Spyderco Delica. http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=209
 
I love my Spydies. Awesome functionality for the money, and usually pretty easy on the wallet. I ordered a Native4 and Delica4 last night, just to get a peek at the new designs, and the total bill came to less than a hundred bucks. If I get the time this summer, I plan to do a little bit of customization on them, rehandling them in micarta, and maybe a little bit of filework. I'll keep the one I like best, and send the other off to my father-in-law. He could use a change, after carrying the same two folders for the last 4 years.

Don't kill yourself over the high dollar knives. The extra money spent is usually on artistry and particular combinations of features that you can't find in the production marketplace. Seldom are the custom knives truly more functional than their production counterparts. Sometimes, but not as often as you might expect.
 
Knives have been around for all of human history, and everywhere that humans have settled or roamed. This creates an amazing variety of knives thoughout history and across the globe.

Everyone will have different preferences, needs, and price requirements.

There is no wrong answer as long as you bought what you want.

Less expensive knives can do just about everything a more expensive one can. I could get by with a Byrd. In fact, I have (well, a Native not a Byrd). But a Sebenza is more fun to own and use- it has a certain character that I am willing to pay more for even if the Byrd will do the job.

My favorite folders to carry are my Sebenza, Strider SMF, John W. Smith framelock, and Buck Mayo TNT.

My current work knife is a Bob Dozier Model 6. It is a fantastic, simple workhorse.

I prefer users to art knives, though art knives have their place.

I also have a lot of less expensive knives and love them as well. Slippies, SAKs, less expensive tacticals, lower-end fixed blades. I even have a lot of junk Chinese knives and I love them too.

The trick is to buy what YOU want and not what other people think you should want.

If you want my suggestion, though, I would suggest a small, simple, user fixed blade with a good sheath... if you are allowed to carry fixed blades. I have found that with a good sheath that has good carry options, a small(ish) fixed blade can be just as easy to carry as a folder, but faster to access, stronger, and easier to maintain.
 
Thanks to everyone for the advise! Well, for a long time I was carrying an old SAK which did fine until I started tackling heavier jobs. I work in a mailroom/copyroom/warehouse. I usually find myself cutting up boxes, bailing straps (plastic), opening packages, etc... I also live in the city, so defense and a non-flashy look are important to me. Yardwork and general cutting chores around the house require a robust knife too. Price is also a big thing for me (also a starving student), so I usually am drawn to prices that are under $100 (usually I find deals for under $40). I like the "tactical" type knives and I think my next purchase will be either a Delica Waved or a Buck Strider SBMF (or Native). I also interact with "suits", so blade size for weekday EDC may have to be around the 3" size so's not to scare sheeple. Spyderco is also about 20min from my place too. I see some deals at the local WalMart like the Kershaw Vapor I $17and a big Storm II $26 (large but very cool). There was also a Buck Mayo for $25. They all looked great. Whew! All this talk about knives - I want to buy 'em all. Lots of knives so little money. :o All the suggestions are great - much thanks!
 
I suggest that you check out Cold Steel, CRKT, and especially Benchmade ( alot of people that have not looked into Benchmade very well, think that they are expensive, and some of them are, but you can get a mini-pika for around $25, a pika for around $30, or my favorite knife out of my collection(and I have over 100 knives some cost more than $150) the mini-ambush for around $50. Kershaw is another excellent knife company that is geared for people with a budget. Spyderco is also very good.
 
BJE said:
I suggest that you check out Cold Steel, CRKT, and especially Benchmade ( alot of people that have not looked into Benchmade very well, think that they are expensive, and some of them are, but you can get a mini-pika for around $25, a pika for around $30, or my favorite knife out of my collection(and I have over 100 knives some cost more than $150) the mini-ambush for around $50. Kershaw is another excellent knife company that is geared for people with a budget. Spyderco is also very good.
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Thanks for the suggestions BJE. Since the start of this thread I've been purchasing knives here and there. Usually around the $30 mark. I managed to actually find a Mini Ambush (which incidentally cut my thumb open the other day :p ) for around $34. Great knife and sharp. Real sharp.
 
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