When you go looking for a tough, hard-use folder....

S

ShooterMcgavin

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Jan 20, 2008
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When you go looking for a tough, hard-use folder.... What motivates you to do this? I am NOT criticizing this, just asking (I do the same thing)... Have you broken a knife blade in the past? Have you had a use for which a much stronger lock would have saved your work or saved you from injury? Have you ever bent components of a folding knife?

I'm just wondering how often the "toughness" of a knife or a knife's components comes into play? I have a fullsize Griptilian and I am kinda wondering if I really need something stronger.
 
Me personally never understood the hard use folder idea. I want my folders to cut first everything is secondary to that and most folders marketed as hard use dont nearly as well as say a FFG Spyderco would. If I want a hard use easy to carry knife I will just grab my Izula.
 
I personally like overbuilt folders. Why just a matter of taste. Its kind of a reassurance but in all reality there is not much I do with my knives that requires overbuilt. But. I have broken the tip on some smaller folders a leek to be exact. But, I guess its nice to know your knife can stand up to abuse and the tip wont break but like I said its mostly just what my personal preference is not so much a need to have type of deal.
 
They are the in thing. When weak, paper-thin blades are the new trend, I suppose they will become popular. :)

Seriously, though, in a world where appliances and machines are designed to fail at some point (planned obsolescence), it is nice to own an over-engineered, built to last object.
 
If you're wondering if you need something stronger, that means you don't need something stronger.

Realistically, nobody needs a knife stronger than a Grip. If you want a beefier knife to put yourself at ease (or just feel awesome), look at a ZT 0560/0561 or a Spyderco Gayle Bradley. You could even go all out and get a Z-Wear Strider or a Spyderco Tuff. You can't break 'em. Period.

What I look for in a "hard-use" knife is impact resistance of the blade, strength of the lock, and lock lifespan. It needs to be able to hit something hard without chipping, take that hit without slipping the lock, and take that hit without causing the lock to wear significantly.

Unless you're going up against rock faces, zipties, cables, sandbags, and small trees, your Grip will serve you just fine.
 
When I go looking for a hard use folder...

I stop myself and then look for a fixed blade.
 
I have mostly fixed blade knives, i carry one every day. I use them for everything from cutting boxes / zipties to camping / bushcraft. I do not particularly care for small folders. I prefer the size and heft / weight of fixed blades and i like thicker blades. However, i have wanted something i can clip in my pocket recently so for me, when it comes to folders, i want the larger beefy over built ones, and that is it.
 
I agree about going for the fixed blade for real hard use, but I love "hard use" folders.. they're often a much better and more robust product
 
I like a folder that will stand up to heavy use/abuse if I need to use it that way. No, I don't need it. But, I like it.
I try to buy my other tools the same way,...drills, saws, etc. Cheap just doesn't cut it.
 
The hardest folder i've needed was/is my Junkyard Dog, Quite honestly the only reason I keep it is because I might be travelling to places that don't look well upon fixed blades. Though I hardly need fixed blades these days either.
 
I don't think zipties, cables, sandbags, or small trees are especially hard use. Yes, cutting wire or sandbags (presumably filled with sand) might damage your edge, but that doesn't have a whole heck of a lot to do with "hard use." I'd say it's more just cutting hard materials.

marcinek said:
When I go looking for a hard use folder...

I stop myself and then look for a fixed blade.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
marcinek said:
When I go looking for a hard use folder...

I stop myself and then look for a fixed blade.
Click to expand...

That is precisely it for me. I carry and appreciate harder use knives because I don't always have time to stop and look for a fixed blade. I regularly go directly from my office to the family ranch. Countless times I've had moments where I saw cows or horses were out, something was trapped, or any number of other minor emergency chores. It's not that I always need something strong in these situations, it is that occasionally I do and it is great to not really have to worry about it. Of course the issue of what constitutes hard use comes up every so often. I've been very cautious with my Sebenza's tip, but overall its tough enough and lately my go to for chores and the like has been the trusty JYD.
 
I've never managed to break my MiniGrip or Delica, but just to throw something out there- In CA, if you want to carry a fixed blade it must be in plain view. I like to wear my shirt tails out, so this becomes a problem- especially with a smaller fixed blade. A "hard-use" folder would be one solution.
 
I just got my ZT 0550 in the mail and I'm pretty sure this thing would survive a grenade. It's a pretty heavy-duty folder and you can feel it when you use it.

What's crazy is people have told me the the zt 0220 is even beefier than most of the other ZT's which just blows my mind. I may have to get one just to have it as my heavy user.
 
I like a variety of knives but I do enjoy and appreciate tough/hard-use folders. Just like every knife, there are specific niches and not everyone understands or appreciates each niche. Nothing wrong with that. For me it isn't necessarily that I need something so overbuilt, but it is comforting to know that if put into a situation where I needed it I wouldn't be questioning if it would hold up, I'd just put it into use.
 
MVF said:
I've never managed to break my MiniGrip or Delica, but just to throw something out there- In CA, if you want to carry a fixed blade it must be in plain view. I like to wear my shirt tails out, so this becomes a problem- especially with a smaller fixed blade. A "hard-use" folder would be one solution.
Click to expand...

Exactly... I'd love to edc an Izula II, but the penalty for doing so (if considered concealed) is just too steep; a para 2, sng, or even a 0561... those are all viable options. Sometimes a mini recon 1 (3 inch blade and 4 finger grip!) + a gec gets me through the day just fine...
 
Without a doubt I like my heavy duty folders, although I rarely ever need anything other than my SAK's.
 
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