Which knife is right for me?

P

Perilous Truth

Joined
May 20, 2001
Messages
651
I need some help from my fellow knife enthusiasts. I want to know which knife I should invest my money in. I only have the money for production knives, and living in California, legally I need a folder. I have tried out a few different brands. Spyderco, Microtech, Emerson, CRKT, STRIDER. I was very pleased with Spyderco, Microtech, and Strider for their quality, fit and finish overall, and lack of any mechanical problems. I recently recieved an Emerson Commander and was frankly dissapointed. The blade was rubbing the liners, the lock went fully across the tang, screws were stripped etc. These are all famous problems that people on the forums seem to have with some emerson knives. I knew that emerson knives had somewhat of a mixed review on the forums for quality control problems, but I decided to listen to a few people who have a long history on the forums, who seem to know what they are talking about, and give a commander a try. It turns out, I just don't like the knife too much. I LOVE the wave feature, I just wish the knife was a little better made, I don't know how this one made it out of quality control in the factory. I was not very impressed with CRKT for reasons that are not really valid, I just thought them to be too Taiwanese for me.:eek: My intent to post this message is not to encite the wrath of the suspects coming to defend their knives like the reputation of their girlfreinds, nor is it to start an argument about CRKT. I just want some other people's points of view. I don't want opinions on Emerson, or CRKT, I want opinions on what folding knife that can be used for self-defense, and also for utility, is a good buy in terms of mechanical quality.
 
Well, I'd say something fairly large and as solid as possible.
My first thoughts would be
Benchmade750- mono (integral) lock. nice big beefy blade.Solid ti slab handles. Tough.
Benchmade 710- Its got the axis lock which is pretty neat and very strong, and is available in several blade configurations (154CM,M2,serrated,etc.)

Spyderco military. Strong liner lock. Probably the slimmest of the three I've mentioned. Big flat ground 440V blade. The thumbhole is much more convenient for handed openeing than a thumbstud.

I'd say that all three have pretty good ergonomics. It might be better if you could handle them and pick the one you liked best.
 
HI zantetsuken and matt, i should recommend the spyderco chinook(it is a great and probably the most solid spyderco it features a cpm 440v:p ,G10 handles;) ,a sturdy lockback:cool: and the blade is really wicked.Take a look on the spydie's civvie(it is not an utilitary knife in regards of its "paper thin tip":D
 
Are you already bored with your Gunting?

You could sell all your production knives and draw your own knife with all the stuff you want on it and have it made by a custom maker. I´m drawing a knife that I´m probalbly going to order sometime this winter. I´m having a great time doing it, even if I have 23 drawings now :) . Try it out.

/Colinz
 
Since you do not want to hear about CRKTs and neck knives, I am not going to get into them. However, I am somewhat torn similarly to you between few folders to choose from:
-Benchmade 710 for the great reliable lock, quality, ergonomic handle and slim blade. I dunno about the dirt and corrosion resistance of the lock system and its ease of field cleaning.
-Benchmade 750 for the strength and corrosion resistance of the titanium frame lock added to the great simplicity/field cleanability and lightness of the Ti handle. Would serve as a great back-up "survival folder" to me (Wilderness Survival Forum influence here :) ).
-AlMar SERE 2000 liner lock folder. Built like tank with VG-10 blade. I have not handled yet but almost all people considered as reliable and strongly built.
-Kershaw Boa: I love the flipper/finger guard, the shape of the blade, the assisted opening (quick like heck) and the purple version. I am not too crazy about the safety lock and lack of lanyard hole. Also, I am curious how the lock and torsion bar would hold up against dirt and corrosion. It also costs more than any other above.

HM
 
I'll second the BM750 & Boa. I've owned both, and they're both great. The Timberline Discovery Lock is also "neat".

I like the 710 as well, but haven't actually used one myself.

Mike
 
Since you do not want to hear about CRKTs and neck knives, I am not going to get into them. However, I am somewhat torn similarly to you between few folders to choose from:
-Benchmade 710 for the great reliable lock, quality, ergonomic handle and slim blade. I dunno about the dirt and corrosion resistance of the lock system and its ease of field cleaning.
-Benchmade 750 for the strength and corrosion resistance of the titanium frame lock added to the great simplicity/field cleanability and lightness of the Ti handle. Would serve as a great back-up "survival folder" to me (Wilderness Survival Forum influence :) ).
-AlMar SERE 2000 liner lock folder. Built like tank with VG-10 blade. I have not handled yet but almost all people considered as reliable and strongly built.
-Kershaw Boa: I love the flipper/finger guard, the shape of the blade, the assisted opening (quick like heck) and the purple version. I am not too crazy about the safety lock and lack of lanyard hole. Also, I am curious how the lock and torsion bar would hold up against dirt and corrosion. It also costs more than any other above.

HM
 
1. Spyderco Starmate. A great knife for utility and defence. A narrow drop-point 440v blade with a sturdy tip. Strong, thin, comfortable G-10 handle. Eccentric pivot for lock-up adjustment. Well-made liner-lock. The thumb-hole is better than a stud. I have one.
2. Buck Odyssey. Another great knife, seemingly underappreciated by knifenuts. There are 3 models of the Odyssey: - 186, 420HC steel, plastic scales
- 181, ats-34, plastic scales
- 182, ats-34,carbon-fiber scales,
(recently discontinued but still
around)
I have one #181 and two #182's. Each model offers great value for the money. The tip is very pointy, so I ground the tip down a little, by hand on a sharpening stone, to widen the tip. I call it a mini-tanto tip. The whole thing works very well, great for utility and it should be good for defence.The handle offers an excellent grip. The liner-lock locks up solidly. The oval thumb-hole works at least as well as the round Spyderhole. An all-round nice package. One of the best knives out there, perhaps the best value for the money. My EDC usually.
 
Benchmade 735 Axis Lock has worked well for me. I would continue to check out MicroTech's folders. MT's quality is hard to beat. If not the Kershaw Boa, go with the Random Task. A very fast knife, and the materials and finish are very good.

S
 
If you are limited to a folder 4 inches or under, go with the REKAT Carnivour. If you can carry up to a 6 inch bladed folder, go for the REKAT Sifu. Either one is plenty stout and can pull double-duty for utility or defense/offense.:).
 
1) BM 710 in M2 steel. My pick for the top production folder available outside of a Sebenza. Excellent utility knife with a very solid lock, super smooth action and the M2 takes and holds a wicked edge. Not as nicely finished as the LCC or Wegner but a solid winner nonetheless.

2) MT LCC. Very good fit, finish and looks. Only complaint with this knife is that the carbon fiber can get a little slippery to hold onto.

3) Spyderco large Wegner. Smooth, solid and comfortable. A very nice everyday carry. Very well finished IMO. The most robust blade of the bunch with good tip strength.

All three make excellent utility knives and I wouldn't care to be on the wrong end of any one of them.
 
I decided to give emerson another shot and went and bought a cqc7b-bts, it is a great knife, with none of the qc problems that my commander has. go to the community forum if you want to see about what i did with it in the knife shop.:eek:
 
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