Working Man's Folding Knife

i think that basically anything from the Zt line. if you want something cheaper, then the 0350 is your knife. the 0200 is absolutely amazingly strong, and the 0300 will do anything that you ask of it, except possibly shooting laser beams. ;)
seriously though, the 0300 is a beast of the knife, is assisted, and is very strong. the price, however, is possibly higher than you want to fork out.
 
I just got a Spyderco PPT. It has the strongest lock I've ever seen, and fits the hand like a custom made glove. The blade shape went through heavy cardboard like a champ.
 
You have had a lot of good suggestions so far. Do you plan to use the knife with gloves on? If so, a Spyderco is easier to open than a knife with thumbstuds, and the Military is easier to unlock and close with gloves on than most folders. Serrated Pacific Salt is a good one, the backlock is easy enough to close with gloves on.
 
I'd say a Manix 2, or ZT0350. Good beefy general use knives. Or, for less money, a Kershaw "Needs Work". Although it's a tad bit on the fugly side, the wharncliffe blade excels at general utility cutting..IMHO.
 
Yes, I belileve Endura is actually an ideal candidate.
 
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Poez said:
Just surprised that some knives come up in every thread where somebody askes for recommendation. Really not depending what exactly people are looking for.
I do not think that means that a particular model is really such a good all-around fits all knife... Or is it really?
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The Rat-1 and the Endura are both very good all-around designs for utility purposes. They get recommended a lot because they work, and they hold up to steady use in real world conditions.
 
Pragmatic Priest said:
I'm new to the forums, and I need some suggestions on my next knife purchase. I work outdoors mostly, (doing various yard work and such) and I wanted some ideas for a better clip on folding knife. I have a GERBER Vallotton Fine Edge Knife with Assisted Opening, and by all accounts it works pretty well. It is good for most things, but I kind of want something beefier and more rugged for work use. Assisted opening is nice, but not necessary. What are some thoughts?
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Cold Steel Recon 1 or AK-37
 
benchmade bone collector axis folder its a griptilian that went to the gym with chuck norris. it has the best pocket clip i know of. I got a spyderco delica 4 and bent the clip on it the first day, but besides that i loved it so much i bought a ffg delica 4 and did the same exact thing 2 days latter. so i finaly just took it off completly. but i would also recomend the sog trident, i dont own one but handled a used one at a pwn shop and it had the crap beaten out of it, and it still locked up with very little play. the only reason i havnt bought one is because they are massive knives
 
STR said:
The Para Military 2 offers about all you could ever hope for and is a significant step up in quality and performance from what you've been carrying. All at a very affordable price for such a premium folder. This would be my first choice if I were in your shoes. I own two of these Para 2 models, one of the original first run S30V versions which I use and carry quite often and a minty new S90V Carbon Fiber model tucked away in my safe. To me at this writing the regular S30V model knife offered by Spyderco is the knife to own for anyone wanting and shopping for a $100 to $175 folder.
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Well said. There have been many other great knives mentioned above but if you're looking for a pure cutting machine, the Paramilitary 2 or the Military are unbeatable, IMO. If you need a knife you can pry with, I wouldn't get a Para 2 or Millie. I use knives for cutting things so cutting performance always wins out as a priority for me. If it was life or death, I'd have no problems trying to pry with my FFG Spyderco's.
 
Thanks for so many great brands! The better part of the morning has been eaten up with research.

I think gloves will be on and off, though after looking at suggestions, I would almost be loath to cut weed eater gatorline with the Spyderco's more elegant blade. I am really intrigued by the Pacific Salt and Paramilitary lines however, and I'll probably pick one up eventually now. The Serrated Pacific Salt looks really mean and beautiful, but I prefer a 50/50 blade so I have some strait edge. For price and toughness, I'm going to go with the Recon 1 partially serrated clip point. This one I will abuse and report back on.

EDIT: The ZT knives really look great as well. If the price had been $60 cheaper, it would have been the way I went. I do want a knife for stabbing metal, and if I break a $55 Recon 1, it won't break my heart.
 
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CRKT 21-14, great knife for the money, I use mine for yard work and even though I have more expensive knives I use the crkt 21-14. It is easy to sharpen and can handle tough work, a lot of people don't like the double lock system but I have no problem with it.
 
I think the ZT 0200 is a great choice for very heavy duty use. Spyderco makes some very tough knives too.
 
+1 for the Gayle Bradley. I can't think of a stronger knife, with the best steel out there, for $130. And it's got real CF scales.
 
BARBARIAN-X said:
For a work knife I'd go to exduct.com or ebay and get an Enlan - EL02 for $14. I prefer the micarta version to the g10 version. These things are tough and if you break it or loose it just order another for $14! I've had just about every decent folder you can think of for under $1K and I carry one of these as my throw away knife and have been very impressed with it's toughness. It would have to be an emergency for me to pull out an $800 Sebenza and pry something with the tip because I care about the knife but I do this stuff all the time with my EL02. Last year someone told me that a CRKT M16 was tough and cheap so I bought half a dozen and broke 3 within the first month; large chip out of blade, lock failure & bent tip. They are cheap junk but I've had 2 EL02's for 5 months and I'm still on my first one. The only draw back is that 8Cr13mov is pretty mediocre steel so it dulls quick but at the same time it sharpens up quick...what do you expect for $14. lol
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What do you like better about the micarta version?
Have you found a way to tighten the non-standard pivot screw?
 
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