You know what, I need a really tough knife.

[hank_rearden]

a small tough fixed blade is really what's called for but i work in an office and people aren't too friendly with blade-carrying critters. so a fixed might not work and i'll have to stay with folders.

i take care of my spydeys. but i've had some necessary run-ins that forced me to abuse them. i ruined the edge of my zdp endura (12 degrees per side) during an outing because no one had a can opener and it was just me with a knife. mission: three cans of sardines and two of corned beef. on another, i rolled the edge of my super-thin vg-10 caly because we had to cut up a 5-gallon water jug. the only other knife guy there had a key chain-sized swiss army knife. i had to dig a 12-inch hole using my gerber bolt action to retrieve a plastic ferrule. but the best was a lady whose finger got caught in a rusty car door handle which no one can undo. i just heard her from 2 meters away while i was minding my own business. she was alternately laughing and shrieking hysterically. well people were milling around her so i didn't have to add to the crowd. finally, i walked over and saw what was the matter. she was already cold and clammy so i told her to hold still as i pried the rusty handle free with my case peanut. it took all the strength of two fingers to spring her loose.

so yes, the 20-year old gerber bolt action with a one-piece plastic handle is the toughest folder i own. a multi-tool in all four incidents would have worked but i'm not hot on those. i made a similar thread years ago and people suggested either the gayle bradley or the techno.

 

[Mathias888]

The Spyderco Battlestation is one small tough built folder that you may wanna consider

 

[fetzer85]

Tough = Tuff

If that's too big the Techno might be better.

 

[bowman78]

Tough = Tuff

If that's too big the Techno might be better.

I agree, a Spyderco Tuff would be my choice in this situation. I love the look of the Battlestation, however I've never held one, or... seen one in real life.... come to think of it....

 

[hhmoore]

With all that build up, I was hoping you were going to say you had to cut her fingers off to free her...prying the handle back was sort of anticlimactic.

 

[GatorFlash1]

Gayle Bradley might be a candidate.

Here is what the designer says about his bad boy/girl (must be politically correct).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk0IxU-fuW4

 

[dalefuller]

Why not a small FB in a pocket sheath? Both knives and sheaths are readily available. Once the knife is out and in use, a lot of folks won't know the difference in a FB and a folder. If you've been able to use an Endura in front of people without issue, there are plenty of small FBs that will be smaller and tougher.

 

[bowman78]

Gayle Bradley might be a candidate.

The Gayle Bradley doesn't really fit in here IMHO. I mean sure its a beast of a knife, but its not to the standards of "tough" meaning it can go threw almost anything and not get damaged. (Water being one of them)
I wouldn't dare get dirt with my GB its too pretty. Its reminds me of a tuxedo. You're not going to go get down on your hands and knees in the dirt with a tuxedo on right? (That is assuming you were going home at some point and not stranded.)

 

[MRMknives97]

Have you considered the Swick 4? It's a small fixed blade, which can easily be carried around your neck, on your belt, or even in your pocket(average sized jean pockets work fine). It's very lightweight, and inexpensive($70). I've been carrying mine everyday for about a month. Since it's a fixed blade there's nothing that can get jammed in the pivot, or screws coming loose. I think it would be a great option for you, considering the uses you've put your knives through. You never know when you'll need a strong knife, so just carry a small fixed blade!

 

[Insipid Moniker]

You could look around for a Superleaf. That thing is a tank, but I don't know how easy they are to find now that it's been discontinued.

 

[GatorFlash1]

It sounds like you need a machete and a trenching tool!

 

[DocT]

+ 1 for the Swick.:thumbup:

 

[Custom]

Gayle Bradley for sure! or Techno if you want smaller

 

[Custom]

The Gayle Bradley doesn't really fit in here IMHO. I mean sure its a beast of a knife, but its not to the standards of "tough" meaning it can go threw almost anything and not get damaged. (Water being one of them)
I wouldn't dare get dirt with my GB its too pretty. Its reminds me of a tuxedo. You're not going to go get down on your hands and knees in the dirt with a tuxedo on right? (That is assuming you were going home at some point and not stranded.)

Ive put my Gayle Bradley through its paces and its laughed and shrugged it off

 

[Kohai999]

Try a small Kershaw Hinderer Cryo....they are super tough, fast to deploy and cheap enough that when you break it doing stupid crap that you should not be with a folding knife you won't cry when you have to replace it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[calc]

The Gayle Bradley doesn't really fit in here IMHO. I mean sure its a beast of a knife, but its not to the standards of "tough" meaning it can go threw almost anything and not get damaged. (Water being one of them)
I wouldn't dare get dirt with my GB its too pretty. Its reminds me of a tuxedo. You're not going to go get down on your hands and knees in the dirt with a tuxedo on right? (That is assuming you were going home at some point and not stranded.)

- M4 isn't stainless, but it doesn't stain easily.
- Carbon fiber scales wear very little over their lifetime.
- The liner lock is very, very thick.
- No liner cutout to prevent accidental disengagement.
- Relatively robust tip.

Not to mention that it's rather heavy... I really can't imagine using this knife for anything but hard use. But that's just me. In all honesty, the only thing that doesn't say "hard use" to me is the lack of a deep choil or finger guard.

 

[bld522]

It sounds like you need a machete and a trenching tool!

Smatchet!

 

[bdmicarta]

It is hard to imagine a scenario where a knife would be looked down upon but yet you would need a very strong tool. I think what you need is just a relatively short fixed blade. Something like an Izula or BK14 would do and they aren't big enough to be too threatening. There are other fixed blade neck knives that would do and you could find one that is thick enough to work as a small pry bar. I think 6.5" or shorter overall length and you could easily carry it in a pants pocket.

 

[NoFair]

Pry tool and any folder that cuts great. A more expensive option is a LionSpy


It cuts pretty well and if you contact Lionsteel they have a glass breaker screw for the clip if you like to break stuff

 

[bowman78]

Ive put my Gayle Bradley through its paces and its laughed and shrugged it off

Yea it is an amazing knife. All I'm saying is you are going to have to worry about the blade more, due to the fact it can rust. Which in my personal preference is not a knife I'd use for anything tough.

What I used my GB for was whittling and carving. I don't do anything that would get fluids or any damaging materials on my blade. When I hold my GB I feel as if I'm holding a baby.

I have no clue why but that's just how I feel about it. If I got stranded and all I had was my GB left in my car or bag I'd definitely use it. I'd just prefer something stainless and bigger. Because you never know how long you'll be stranded for, and if the knife doesn't last long enough for you to be rescued, well then there's an issue.

This is a risk for me because its a very humid environment where I live and your almost guaranteed to get precipitation on your blade. There is also tons of rain here so that's a risk factor as well. (Sheath usually is good enough to protect fixed blades)

Like I said its really just a preference thing, but I'm so used to having a high chromium steel, so when I see a few water drops on my blade I say "No biggie". I guess I could just keep this in mind when using my GB but instead, it's just easier to pick up one of my stainless steel blades than one that isn't.