Which EDCs surprised you-both good and...not.

H

heekma

Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
226
Howdy folks,

If you happen upon one of my few posts, you'll probably find me saying something good about the Benchmade Bone Collector. It's one of the knives that surprised me most for EDC. I just really like the little booger.

It's sturdy, the D2 takes a toothy edge and keeps it, the scales are hand-filling, the G10 goes in and out of the pocket with ease, shows little or no wear and the sheepsfoot blade profile has become one of my favorites.

It's overkill for an office environment, but I enjoy carrying and using it anyway.

The one that surprised me in a negative way was the Benchmade 940. It's popular, well-made and certainly attractive. It did anything I needed with aplomb and is without a doubt a better choice than the Bone Collector for an office environment. In the end it just struck me as a little too light, svelte and elegant. All good things depending on your preferences, but for the money spent I prefer something with a more substantial feel.

So, which EDCs surprise you--both good and...not?

Best,

Heekma
 
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awsome thread. one that suprised me was the spyderco manix 2. the reg one with a hollow ground blade. people said it was heavy and not pocket friendly but i thought it was really thin and carried really well.

one that i thought was not the best was the bm grip. it was thick and felt pretty cheap. the bm presidio and the bm mini is mo better in my opinion
 
I just picked up a William Henry EDC E6-4. A dealer in Seattle was closing out the line and I was able to purchase it at a VERY good price. I knew William Henry knives were exceptionally well made, but the mechanism on the E6-4 is the smoothest non-IKBS I've ever encountered. I work in an office environment too, so I don't want or need a large, heavy folder weighing me down. I also didn't want a folder with a clip on it. So I sent my E6-4 to the spa for a lanyard conversion. It fills the bill for me perfectly now and will be my permanent EDC from now on.

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My new EDC: SOG Visionary I - it's simply amazing! Much better than what I expected, the sharpest blade out of the box so far (just threw the spyderco bug into 2nd place)!
 
I have never owned a Benchmade Bone Collector but I have 2 of the 940's which I find to be an excellent folder - long almost 1:1 blade/handle ratio. In the fall or winter I clip it or drop it in my jacket/coat upper pocket for quick jobs. Keeps me from hauling a BM710 or a ZT 0301 out of my pants packet.

The Benchmade Grip is one that bothered me, causing me to sell a Ritter and Pardue model. I had large models and they worked marvelously but the handles made them look chintzy and the big round butt on them bothered me in the pocket. I tried removing the pocket clips and the plastic/polymer was so slick I couldn't deply them w/o the help of the clip digging into my fingers.

I know they are a favorite here but not my cup of tea. :)
 
I was disappointed in my Kershaw Skyline. Awesome knife except the detent did not keep the blade in the handle. The tip would come out about a quarter inch before the detent would catch it. Happy I was able to return it without hassle. I initially thought my Spyderco Persistence sucked. It was dull out of the box and did not open smoothly. A little Breakfree CLP, some time with my Gatco diamonds, and a leather strop got it to EDC perfection. It's the only carry knife that has ever actually drawn blood from me. I think that somehow bonded us. I take it with me whenever I can.
 
I was really surprised with the Spyderco Barong. Before I bought it I had a great dislike for spyderco products in general. Now Spyderco is one of my favorite companies. The things I like about the Barong include, ergonomics, blade shape, and weight. It's a pretty big knife but is light enough for comfortable carry anytime.
Like others have already said, I was disappointed by the Benchmade Gritilian. I bought a Ritter, and am selling it now, It just didn't do it for me on any level.
 
I'd say the Boker Exskelibur I It is a replica of a South African made custom. The G-10 handles are very smooth and well finished, the titanium liner lock is smooth and locks up tight.
The knife is very light to carry, even though its overall length is 8"
The opening of the knife is unique, rather than a hole or thumb stud, the protruding blade allows a convenient one-hand thumb opening.
 
I was pretty disappointed with the Kershaw Skyline. It's well made, but feels like it's made for a toddler - way too small for my hands, therefore extremely uncomfortable. This surprised me because the Leek, which is almost identical in size, is an extremely comfortable blade. I don't use it because I can't stand the way it sits in my hands.

I was really surprised with the Spyderco Manix-2. Like knifertheworks mentioned, I had heard lots of talk about it being bulky, ungainly, and more suited to heavy use than EDC. It's fast becoming one of my favourites for work AND EDC, and has pushed my Kershaw Blur, Cyclone, and Shallot out of my pocket entirely as of late. I'm also surprised at how much I like this knife, having had poor experience with a couple of spydercos in the past.
 
I was surprised in a good way by the (small) Bone Collector, too. I never really considered buying it until I saw one on the exchange, and to this day I'm not sure what motivated me to get it. I never buy knives with chunky handles. I love the 940, for instance, for the reasons you, heekma, don't. Despite that, I absolutely love the color scheme (I have the black and green one), the D2 blade, the blade profile (a nice amount of belly), and all the cutouts on the G10 and bumpy backspacer give it a very secure grip. It's made me rethink my stance on chunky handles. Also, I love open-back designs, but the functionality (added grip) and aesthetically pleasing look of the Bone Collector's backspacer has made me reconsider that preference, too. edit:Thinking about it some more, I should also dislike the blade profile--the large amount of belly--given that my preference is for wharncliffe/sheepsfoot blades. All in all, I should hate this knife :p

As for the bad, I love wharncliffe and sheepsfoot knives as well as thin designs, so the Centofante IV always seemed up my ally. I picked one up recently and was disappointed because the blade could've been designed 1/4"-3/8" longer and fit the same handle. When open, the blade looks way too short for the handle. It hasn't seen any pocket time.
 
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I bought a G-10 Tyrade a while back, and I never carry it. It is a beautiful knife, grippy handle (orange) and useful blade shape. I sharpened it to hair-whittling keenness on the paper wheels and experimented with the clip, trying both ways before deciding to carry it tip-up.

So why don't I carry it? I don't really know for sure. The only reasons I can articulate are that it is heavier and more of a pocket hog than my other folders. Maybe I am afraid the AO will freak out some bystander?

It is not NIB, so I am not keeping it as a safe queen, and it annoys me that I don't carry it ever. It has caused me to carefully evaluate any purchase of a bulkier knife. Maybe I just have too many other knives I like?
 
I was very impressed with the low cost Kershaw Leek and OD-1. Under $40 each and they have great build quality, very sharp blades, and they are also made in USA! Amazing values.
 
This Demko is my go to right pocket EDC.

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Pleasently surprised with the Case Peanut. It's tiny compared to everything else I have, but can hang with the best of them.
 
I'm suprised by the number of people who were disappointed by the Kershaw Skyline. I find it hard to believe you can be disappointed in something you paid only 30 dollars for. My two choices for knives that suprised me in a good way are the Skyline and Persistence. For sub 30 dollar folders they offer exceptional value and I was blown away by the F&F of both knives (Persistence in particular had amazing F&F). Add in the G-10 scales and serviceable blade steel, you get yourself one hell of a deal. My Skyline and Persistence get edced alot and I feel like they are better than some of my more expensive folders that may cost 2 to 3 times more.

The knife I was most disappointed by was the BM Mini Griptillian. So much hype, not enough value. Its a great knife but I find it ridiculous to pay nearly 3x more for it compared to something like the Tenacious/Persistence and Skyline. Also I really hate how big it carries in the pocket for such a small knife. .
 
kawr said:
I'm suprised by the number of people who were disappointed by the Kershaw Skyline. I find it hard to believe you can be disappointed in something you paid only 30 dollars for.
Click to expand...

Interesting point of view. Well, a person might buy a Tenacious and think, "Wow, that's a decent knife for the money. It's got faults, but I guess that's just how it goes for this price". I looked at my Tenacious and thought, "Wow, this thing holds its edge about as well as a duck holds it liquor. I can do much better than this given the options out there for the price." So, some folks might settle for a knife that doesn't really suit them, while I prefer to do a little more searching and find a knife I actually like.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I generally don't settle for a knife I don't like, whether it costs $30 or $180.
 
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