Howdy,
FNG here, looking for some input on my next edc folder knife. I've read some of the faqs and did some searches on the knifes I currently own to gather some info.
My MO as far as knife use goes:
1. I'm not a knife fighter, not interested in becoming a knife fighter, not concerned with self-defense use when selecting a knife for my uses.
2. I use my knifes for work, sometimes work in harsh conditions.
3. I don't have a lot of patience with hard to sharpen knives or other high maintenance type of knife. As evidenced by the fact that I've owned a lanskey sharpening system for 3 years now and it is still in the toolbox drawer. Seems like a big hassel to set-up and use. (yes, I realize knifes need some maintenance and I will have to learn to sharpen them sooner or later) but I simply don't have the patience to deal with a high maintenance knife.
4. I'm not interested in collecting knifes or custom knifes.
I've loosely tracked my knife use over the last three weeks to get an idea of my typical use pattern. Here a some of the things I've used my knifes for:
1. Camping at the ocean - cutting some string, cleaning some crab, cutting some plastic zip ties, cutting some photo paper. Note: my small tighe tac was used quite a bit at the ocean and the thing is already showing some rust on the blade.
2. Cutting some plastic sheeting that was in a drainage ditch. Some of the cutting was done under water in the ditch. Lots of water, dirt and sand in the knife.
3. Cutting landscape fabric for laying down prior to gravel pour. No water this time, but inevitably some dragging the blade through dirt/gravel a little bit.
4. Opening your typical UPS packages.
5. Stripping small sections of direct burial romex electrical cable.
6. Slicing curred caulking on the side of a house/window in preparation for removing the window.
7. Cutting heater hose and vacuum hose in the engine compartment of my race car.
8. More cutting, and some stripping of 12v electrical wires in race car. Note this was at the track and did not have any strippers.
9. Cut building paper (tar paper) to fit in wall cavities.
10. Cut insulation when removing from wall.
11. Peeling some decals off the race car.
12. Cutting rope and plastic zip ties used for tie downs in race trailer.
13. Cutting string used to help erect canopy at track.
14. Open envelopes.
15. Cutting gasket material to make gaskets.
16. Cutting cardboard (boxes) to breakdown and put in recycle box.
17. Cutting light weight cardboard used for mock-ups of part designs.
18. Cutting fuel line on truck.
19. Cutting open misc. food packages, apples ect.
Much of my knife use is "one handed". My off hand is usually holding something that needs to be cut. Ability to deploy and stow the knife easily with my strong hand only is critical. Also, I use gloves quite a bit, mostly the mechanixs style of gloves, less frequently the heavy chore type of gloves.
I'm sure there is more, but this is off the top of my head.
I own the following (lower end) knives that I used during this three week period.
Marzitelli Prowler
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...t=&Mode=Brand&Brand=30&PriceStart=&SKU=CR6103
I kept trying to find reasons to run-down this knife as it only cost $15, however I found myself using it quite a bit.
What I dislike about the knife:
It is too long (as is the M18) for everyday carry/use for me. I realize this may be considered a medium folder in the knife world, but to me this thing is just too long for me to really carry it everyday.
The blade was not very sharp out of the box and did not hold an edge very long (although did not seem to degrade as rapidly as the M18 did)
The knife is (in the closed position) very thick, also not very conducive to carrying.
What I liked about the knife (besides the price)
Absolutely loved the wide open spine design. I was able to run the thing under water (or in the solvent tank) and blow it dry with the air hose. The wide open spine made cleaning it (w/o disassembly) much, much easier.
The balance and ergonomics are really nice on this knife when in use. The very same bulkiness that is a hindrance to carry is a huge benefit for in-use. ( yeah, I know, a bunch of the stuff I'm listing is going to be all about trade-offs)
I really like the "ledge" opening design, it's big enough to get my big thumb in there to actually open the thing one handed. I was even able to open this knife with gloved hands, although the liner-lock release is not always so easy to manipulate. In addition once open the raised ledge makes a very nice thumb rest.
I like the blade profile and point style.
The zytel scales are just "ok" I would say. Certainly better than many knifes as far as grip-ability goes. grip-ability is a big priority for my next knife, as much of the time I will be using the knife in less than optimal conditions and my hands will not be completely dry. For example cutting heater hose and having everything being soaked in coolant while trying to use the knife.
Finally, I like that this knife seems to built like a tank and is simple in design.
Ryan plan B fixed blade
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...xt=&list=10&range=1&order=PriceAsc&SKU=CR2813
I tried using the fixed blade right out of the shoots as I figured it would be easier to clean than a folder and may take the abuse better.
While it was easier to clean, I actually found it harder to use. Primarily because I could never get the hang of putting it back in the sheath. It was always a pia to get the thing back in the sheath each time with any speed at all (and without poking myself in the side). Yes, I tried using my index finger along the blade to guide the tip into the sheath, but found it was not any faster than stowing a folder in my pocket. Further to this I simply don't like carrying too many things on my belt. So, I will not be using a fixed blade for edc.
Small tighe tac
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...t=&Mode=Brand&PriceStart=&Brand=30&SKU=CR8101
Not much I really like about this particular knife actually. Other than the overall blade and knife length is more conducive to carry than the prowler or M18 is. Unfortunately the "advantage" of the shorter OA length is diminished greatly by the sharp angles of the knife, particularly the butt of the knife. It simply feels terrible in the hand, and in the pocket. Sharp angles on carry knifes make no sense to me.
M18-12K
http://www.dallastacticalsupplies.com/itemdetails.asp?itemid=CRKM18-12KE
What I like about his knife:
It was sharp out of the box.
The blade coating was surprisingly robust, I figured it would be scratched all to heck (and there is some scratching) but has held up better than expected.
Both this knife and the prowler carried deep in the pocket with tip down, which I like.
Open spine is good, but not as good as the prowler.
More compact and thinner than the prowler making it a bit easier to carry.
Rounded butt - again easier to carry than the prowler.
Lock-up was good on both this knife and the prowler.
I like the blade profile and tip.
Things I didn't like:
Again, this knife is too big (long) for me to consider as an edc, I need something smaller.
Grip panels on only one side of the knife - not good.
Thumb stud is nearly useless for one-handed opening - far too close to the body of the knife.
Assisted opener? Kind of on the fence on this one. The whole "flick the knife open" deal doesn't do much for me. I'm not a Knife fighter and don't need to flick the knife open. After the first 10 "flicks" the novelty wore off. Having said that, the assisted opener makes it easier to open in that it pivots the thumb stud away from the frame so you can actually use it. This is particularly critical when using gloves with this knife.
The knife doesn't balance well for me. Seems too heavy at the pivot point.
The Lawks deal was a pia on this knife as it kept inadvertently being nudged to the "on" position during use. This was very frustrating.
The combo edge blade didn't seem to work out as well as I hoped. On one hand the serrations were good for slicing heater hose and such, but on the other hand they were a detriment when trying to cut plastic sheeting with the plain part of the blade. This combo edge deal strikes me as one of those things where the knife tries to do two things, but does neither of them very well. I assume this situation would just be worse with a shorter length blade?
The single bevel sharpening seems odd to me. As I mentioned I don't have a lot patience and hope this thing isn't going to take some special sharpening procedures...
The liner-lock release is much harder for me to engage on this one vs the prowler for some reason. Probably because the inner width of the frame is less on the M18 than the prowler.
So, there you have it. What little experience I have with folders, and my typical use pattern.
I'd like to try a smaller folder that had the following attributes:
Shorter length than the M18 and prowler (for ease of carry), but still big enough that it is still open-able with one hand (one big hand) on a regular basis (yes I know this is a trade off)
Plain edge blade with more or less the same profile and tip as the m18/prowler.
Rounded corners on knife body.
Blade material with good edge holding ability but not so exotic that it has to have some detailed or difficult sharpening procedures. I have resigned myself that I need some sort of sharpening system. Both the prowler and the m18 are almost uselessly dull at this particular moment. In fact the m18 has a couple good sized nicks in the blade.
Blade and body material that has corrosion resistance.
Tip down, deep carry.
Opening method that is realistically easy to use. My only experience is with the thumb studs on the m18 (useless) and ledge on the prowler (worked well) but I have never used a hole in the blade type. And I suspect a properly designed and placed thumb stud would be ok?
Something that has lots (and I mean lots) of grip-ability (is that word?
)
on the body .
Something that is easy to clean (open spine?)
Something that is robust and simple in design, few parts, solid lock-up and construction etc.
Any suggestions on options would be appreciated.
Wayne
FNG here, looking for some input on my next edc folder knife. I've read some of the faqs and did some searches on the knifes I currently own to gather some info.
My MO as far as knife use goes:
1. I'm not a knife fighter, not interested in becoming a knife fighter, not concerned with self-defense use when selecting a knife for my uses.
2. I use my knifes for work, sometimes work in harsh conditions.
3. I don't have a lot of patience with hard to sharpen knives or other high maintenance type of knife. As evidenced by the fact that I've owned a lanskey sharpening system for 3 years now and it is still in the toolbox drawer. Seems like a big hassel to set-up and use. (yes, I realize knifes need some maintenance and I will have to learn to sharpen them sooner or later) but I simply don't have the patience to deal with a high maintenance knife.
4. I'm not interested in collecting knifes or custom knifes.
I've loosely tracked my knife use over the last three weeks to get an idea of my typical use pattern. Here a some of the things I've used my knifes for:
1. Camping at the ocean - cutting some string, cleaning some crab, cutting some plastic zip ties, cutting some photo paper. Note: my small tighe tac was used quite a bit at the ocean and the thing is already showing some rust on the blade.
2. Cutting some plastic sheeting that was in a drainage ditch. Some of the cutting was done under water in the ditch. Lots of water, dirt and sand in the knife.
3. Cutting landscape fabric for laying down prior to gravel pour. No water this time, but inevitably some dragging the blade through dirt/gravel a little bit.
4. Opening your typical UPS packages.
5. Stripping small sections of direct burial romex electrical cable.
6. Slicing curred caulking on the side of a house/window in preparation for removing the window.
7. Cutting heater hose and vacuum hose in the engine compartment of my race car.
8. More cutting, and some stripping of 12v electrical wires in race car. Note this was at the track and did not have any strippers.
9. Cut building paper (tar paper) to fit in wall cavities.
10. Cut insulation when removing from wall.
11. Peeling some decals off the race car.
12. Cutting rope and plastic zip ties used for tie downs in race trailer.
13. Cutting string used to help erect canopy at track.
14. Open envelopes.
15. Cutting gasket material to make gaskets.
16. Cutting cardboard (boxes) to breakdown and put in recycle box.
17. Cutting light weight cardboard used for mock-ups of part designs.
18. Cutting fuel line on truck.
19. Cutting open misc. food packages, apples ect.
Much of my knife use is "one handed". My off hand is usually holding something that needs to be cut. Ability to deploy and stow the knife easily with my strong hand only is critical. Also, I use gloves quite a bit, mostly the mechanixs style of gloves, less frequently the heavy chore type of gloves.
I'm sure there is more, but this is off the top of my head.
I own the following (lower end) knives that I used during this three week period.
Marzitelli Prowler
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...t=&Mode=Brand&Brand=30&PriceStart=&SKU=CR6103
I kept trying to find reasons to run-down this knife as it only cost $15, however I found myself using it quite a bit.
What I dislike about the knife:
It is too long (as is the M18) for everyday carry/use for me. I realize this may be considered a medium folder in the knife world, but to me this thing is just too long for me to really carry it everyday.
The blade was not very sharp out of the box and did not hold an edge very long (although did not seem to degrade as rapidly as the M18 did)
The knife is (in the closed position) very thick, also not very conducive to carrying.
What I liked about the knife (besides the price)
Absolutely loved the wide open spine design. I was able to run the thing under water (or in the solvent tank) and blow it dry with the air hose. The wide open spine made cleaning it (w/o disassembly) much, much easier.
The balance and ergonomics are really nice on this knife when in use. The very same bulkiness that is a hindrance to carry is a huge benefit for in-use. ( yeah, I know, a bunch of the stuff I'm listing is going to be all about trade-offs)
I really like the "ledge" opening design, it's big enough to get my big thumb in there to actually open the thing one handed. I was even able to open this knife with gloved hands, although the liner-lock release is not always so easy to manipulate. In addition once open the raised ledge makes a very nice thumb rest.
I like the blade profile and point style.
The zytel scales are just "ok" I would say. Certainly better than many knifes as far as grip-ability goes. grip-ability is a big priority for my next knife, as much of the time I will be using the knife in less than optimal conditions and my hands will not be completely dry. For example cutting heater hose and having everything being soaked in coolant while trying to use the knife.
Finally, I like that this knife seems to built like a tank and is simple in design.
Ryan plan B fixed blade
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...xt=&list=10&range=1&order=PriceAsc&SKU=CR2813
I tried using the fixed blade right out of the shoots as I figured it would be easier to clean than a folder and may take the abuse better.
While it was easier to clean, I actually found it harder to use. Primarily because I could never get the hang of putting it back in the sheath. It was always a pia to get the thing back in the sheath each time with any speed at all (and without poking myself in the side). Yes, I tried using my index finger along the blade to guide the tip into the sheath, but found it was not any faster than stowing a folder in my pocket. Further to this I simply don't like carrying too many things on my belt. So, I will not be using a fixed blade for edc.
Small tighe tac
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...t=&Mode=Brand&PriceStart=&Brand=30&SKU=CR8101
Not much I really like about this particular knife actually. Other than the overall blade and knife length is more conducive to carry than the prowler or M18 is. Unfortunately the "advantage" of the shorter OA length is diminished greatly by the sharp angles of the knife, particularly the butt of the knife. It simply feels terrible in the hand, and in the pocket. Sharp angles on carry knifes make no sense to me.
M18-12K
http://www.dallastacticalsupplies.com/itemdetails.asp?itemid=CRKM18-12KE
What I like about his knife:
It was sharp out of the box.
The blade coating was surprisingly robust, I figured it would be scratched all to heck (and there is some scratching) but has held up better than expected.
Both this knife and the prowler carried deep in the pocket with tip down, which I like.
Open spine is good, but not as good as the prowler.
More compact and thinner than the prowler making it a bit easier to carry.
Rounded butt - again easier to carry than the prowler.
Lock-up was good on both this knife and the prowler.
I like the blade profile and tip.
Things I didn't like:
Again, this knife is too big (long) for me to consider as an edc, I need something smaller.
Grip panels on only one side of the knife - not good.
Thumb stud is nearly useless for one-handed opening - far too close to the body of the knife.
Assisted opener? Kind of on the fence on this one. The whole "flick the knife open" deal doesn't do much for me. I'm not a Knife fighter and don't need to flick the knife open. After the first 10 "flicks" the novelty wore off. Having said that, the assisted opener makes it easier to open in that it pivots the thumb stud away from the frame so you can actually use it. This is particularly critical when using gloves with this knife.
The knife doesn't balance well for me. Seems too heavy at the pivot point.
The Lawks deal was a pia on this knife as it kept inadvertently being nudged to the "on" position during use. This was very frustrating.
The combo edge blade didn't seem to work out as well as I hoped. On one hand the serrations were good for slicing heater hose and such, but on the other hand they were a detriment when trying to cut plastic sheeting with the plain part of the blade. This combo edge deal strikes me as one of those things where the knife tries to do two things, but does neither of them very well. I assume this situation would just be worse with a shorter length blade?
The single bevel sharpening seems odd to me. As I mentioned I don't have a lot patience and hope this thing isn't going to take some special sharpening procedures...
The liner-lock release is much harder for me to engage on this one vs the prowler for some reason. Probably because the inner width of the frame is less on the M18 than the prowler.
So, there you have it. What little experience I have with folders, and my typical use pattern.
I'd like to try a smaller folder that had the following attributes:
Shorter length than the M18 and prowler (for ease of carry), but still big enough that it is still open-able with one hand (one big hand) on a regular basis (yes I know this is a trade off)
Plain edge blade with more or less the same profile and tip as the m18/prowler.
Rounded corners on knife body.
Blade material with good edge holding ability but not so exotic that it has to have some detailed or difficult sharpening procedures. I have resigned myself that I need some sort of sharpening system. Both the prowler and the m18 are almost uselessly dull at this particular moment. In fact the m18 has a couple good sized nicks in the blade.
Blade and body material that has corrosion resistance.
Tip down, deep carry.
Opening method that is realistically easy to use. My only experience is with the thumb studs on the m18 (useless) and ledge on the prowler (worked well) but I have never used a hole in the blade type. And I suspect a properly designed and placed thumb stud would be ok?
Something that has lots (and I mean lots) of grip-ability (is that word?
)on the body .
Something that is easy to clean (open spine?)
Something that is robust and simple in design, few parts, solid lock-up and construction etc.
Any suggestions on options would be appreciated.
Wayne
