View Full Version : Your ideal folder?
I haven't been able to find mine, and I somehow doubt it will ever actually be produced since it combines features that I believe three different makers have patents on. My list:
1) Benchmade axis lock
2) Emerson wave
3) Spyderco hole
4) 3.5"+/- blade
5) black-t type coating
6) available both half and non-serrated
7) pocket clip that can be attached at either end on either side
8) $100-$150 (although if 1-7 were met I'd probably be willing to pay more)
Unfortunately, nobody makes it.
Benchmade used to make the 806 (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=806) which had 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 but they discontinued the damn thing. Basically the blade was a little long at it didn't have the wave.
They also used to make the 550 (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=550) which I thankfully managed to get one of and it has all but 2 and 7 (and I never got a half serrated partner for the plain edge I have). Blade is the right length but no wave and no ability to flip the clip for tip-down carry.
Spyderco makes the Endura Wave (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=226) but the lock is too old-school for me, the handle material is a bit chintzy and the blade is a bit too long, doesn't come with a coating option, and doesn't come half-serrated.
They also offer the Delica Wave (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=227) but it has the same shortcomings as the Endura only in this case the blade is too short.
Emerson makes the CQC-10 (http://emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html) which is also very close but lacks the Axis lock and clip attachment options. I've also heard that they use a steel that's not as hard as one would want for a general purpose knife.
I managed to find a Benchmade 550, and even though the handle is an obnoxious OD, I can't find a half-serrated twin, the handle is all plastic, and it doesn't have the Wave, it's the best set of compromises I have come up with.
Anyone managed to find that daily carry folding knife that is the perfect combination of features for you?
That's an interesting list of specs that you are looking for. Luckily for me, I found my perfect carry knife in the Strider PT:
- Compact with a 3" blade that draws a lot less attention than my SNG did.
- Lightweight Ti frame.
- G10 handle.
- Pocket clip.
- Thumb hole.
- Frame lock.
- Kick ass quality.
- Kick ass customer service.
IrishDevil
10-13-07, 20:11
Emerson uses 154CM which is a very good steel. It sharpens easier than S30V and is better than most others in terms of edge holding. I'm an Emerson fan, Strider after that. I've found my perfect folder, an Emerson Commander customized with a full titanium framelocked handle. I'll have to get a pic up. I have a model 10, I like it but it doesn't really see any use, as I've taken a liking to framelocks.
I haven't been able to find mine, and I somehow doubt it will ever actually be produced since it combines features that I believe three different makers have patents on. My list:
You don't ask for much, do you? ;) That'd be a heckuva knife.
Anyone managed to find that daily carry folding knife that is the perfect combination of features for you?
I like my Spydercos. Delicas, Enduras, Rescues, Natives. They perform my required tasks well, at a price point that isn't too injurious if they're lost or have to be abandoned.
While many will question the practicality of this folder but I just ordered Emerson Super Karambit.
I hace an Emerson CQC-7 w/ wave and half serrations and a Strider DB. I like the idea of the Tanto style blade if I have to punch through something.
I carry the CQC-7 everyday in my pocket and keep the DB near my AR kit.
I think it is impossible to find one "perfect" piece of equipment. Everything is a compromise.
Jack
I carry a Benchmade 520 every day (Plain edge, 154CM) and it's incredible. Axis lock, stout blade, sharpens easily, and the cutting geometry is stellar.
I think it is impossible to find one "perfect" piece of equipment. Everything is a compromise.
Absolutely, but it doesn't mean we can't dream.:D
The CQC-10 is pretty close, and I could deal with the liner lock, but a knife for me is really and truly a work tool first and a weapon second. With my limited skills, a work knife can be pressed into a defensive role very easily (i.e. anyone can be stabbed or slashed with a Leatherman wave if need be), while the opposite isn't really true (try doing something practical with a Karambit :D ).
I guess this is why I've settled on the Benchmade 550 as my work carry knife. If it had the wave feature it would be pretty much good to go. Since they don't make it anymore, I'm considering changing to one of the Spyderco Wave models since they would be easier to replace if they get broken or lost.
I carry a Benchmade 520 every day (Plain edge, 154CM) and it's incredible. Axis lock, stout blade, sharpens easily, and the cutting geometry is stellar.
I really wish they made that knife with a thumb-hole instead of the stud. I think it's superior to my 550 in just about every other way.
With my limited skills, a work knife can be pressed into a defensive role very easily (i.e. anyone can be stabbed or slashed with a Leatherman wave if need be), while the opposite isn't really true (try doing something practical with a Karambit :D ).
I knew Rob was going to take a "stab";) at my Karambit choice. What can I say I like that folder.
I have been using Spyderco Delica for my everyday tasks and it has held up fine.
Paul
I just got a Spyderco Assist and I like it a lot. It's able to do everything that I need a knife to do and it fits my hand well.
I look forward to using it more...
SeriousStudent
10-14-07, 20:45
Rob, you might want to contact Steve Rice over on the Bladeforums website. He has his own subforum, and does excellent work on knives. He is authorized by Ernie Emerson to install a Wave on a knife, and is also authorized by Sal Glesser to put a Spyderhole onto a blade.
He could take your BM, shorten the blade, and install a Wave on it.
One mod he does that is very nice is to remove one side of the knife, along with the linerlock, and convert it into a titanium framelock. I have a Spyderco carbon-fiber Military with the BG-42 blade, and he's going to do that mod for me.
I agree with your choice on the 806. I have an 806SD2, and it's one of my favorites.
Best of luck to you.
I have had a lot of folders...I tend to loose them.
At this point I have a whole bunch of Benchmade 551 Griptilian (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=551) stashed in all my bags, web-gear, pockets, etc...
I have had a lot of folders...I tend to loose them.
At this point I have a whole bunch of Benchmade 551 Griptilian (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=551) stashed in all my bags, web-gear, pockets, etc...
Same here. I like the 551's, as they are cheap enough that 'temporarily misplacing' them isn't to hard on the pocket, and they are durable enough to last a while.
#9 Something I would not cry about it I had to ditch it or leave it.
The one thing that I hate is the metal CLIP!
I loved the original spiderco endura polymer clip. I always rub up against and scratch my patrol car and pick up truck with the metal clips.
The one thing that I hate is the metal CLIP!
I loved the original spiderco endura polymer clip. I always rub up against and scratch my patrol car and pick up truck with the metal clips.
I'm with you on that. I tend to snag my knife on seat belts, door frames, nylon straps from time to time and bend the hell out of the clip, making it unusable. Polymer will either be unaffected or snap, but it's better than having a slight bend.
I've got a couple knives I need to send back to Benchmade.
I sold Spyderco knives back when they came with the plastic clip. It was crap. We constantly had returns for the damn thing breaking off. I think they finally switched to metal, even though it probably cost them more up front, because they were constantly replacing them.
If you have a problem scratching things on the metal clip, either watch where you're going :D , lose weight :p , or dip the clip in this (http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000210.php).
I sold Spyderco knives back when they came with the plastic clip. It was crap. We constantly had returns for the damn thing breaking off. I think they finally switched to metal, even though it probably cost them more up front, because they were constantly replacing them.
If you have a problem scratching things on the metal clip, either watch where you're going :D , lose weight :p , or dip the clip in this (http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000210.php).
I like plastic clips for the same reason I like PMAGs - if it doesn't have a catastrophic failure, it's probably unscathed. It's like feedlips on a mag; I can drop a USGI mag and bend them out of shape, or drop a PMAG and have them be perfect or snapped off - no middle ground. If I can get a polymer that has equal or better strength than the aluminum or steel they use, I'll take plastic any day.
Maybe I can convince Richard to get into the knife market. :p
I think the dumbies who broke off the clip should watch where they're going! ;)
I carried mine for years without breaking it off. I still have it. I just never get around to having the blade sharpened.
toddackerman
10-22-07, 00:23
I haven't been able to find mine, and I somehow doubt it will ever actually be produced since it combines features that I believe three different makers have patents on. My list:
1) Benchmade axis lock
2) Emerson wave
3) Spyderco hole
4) 3.5"+/- blade
5) black-t type coating
6) available both half and non-serrated
7) pocket clip that can be attached at either end on either side
8) $100-$150 (although if 1-7 were met I'd probably be willing to pay more)
Unfortunately, nobody makes it.
Benchmade used to make the 806 (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=806) which had 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 but they discontinued the damn thing. Basically the blade was a little long at it didn't have the wave.
They also used to make the 550 (http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=550) which I thankfully managed to get one of and it has all but 2 and 7 (and I never got a half serrated partner for the plain edge I have). Blade is the right length but no wave and no ability to flip the clip for tip-down carry.
Spyderco makes the Endura Wave (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=226) but the lock is too old-school for me, the handle material is a bit chintzy and the blade is a bit too long, doesn't come with a coating option, and doesn't come half-serrated.
They also offer the Delica Wave (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=227) but it has the same shortcomings as the Endura only in this case the blade is too short.
Emerson makes the CQC-10 (http://emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html) which is also very close but lacks the Axis lock and clip attachment options. I've also heard that they use a steel that's not as hard as one would want for a general purpose knife.
I managed to find a Benchmade 550, and even though the handle is an obnoxious OD, I can't find a half-serrated twin, the handle is all plastic, and it doesn't have the Wave, it's the best set of compromises I have come up with.
Anyone managed to find that daily carry folding knife that is the perfect combination of features for you?
Rob...can't comment on your laundry list, but if you haven't spent any time with a Chris Reeve's Sebenza, I would encourage you to do so. "Top Shelf..No Dust"!
I've had every knife makers folder known to man over the last 15 years, and none of them compare to the Sebenza. It is with me 24/7, and handles every chore a knife would be called to do. It's lock is "Bullet Proof, and it is sharper and holds an edge better than any other. Not cheap though. Around $350.00 to $400.00 last I looked.
Tack
I always carry 2 knives.
At work I have a Super SOCFK-B on my strong side inside my cargo pocket (3 oclock) and a KaBar TDI knife behind my mag pouches (11 oclock).
Sometimes the SOCFK is swapped out for a Strider SMF.
For off duty I use a waved CQC7-B, and also a small Al Mar for misc tasks. The Al Mar draws less attention than the Emerson.
Failure2Stop
10-23-07, 17:05
I truly believe that people are overzealous in their folding knives' actual use and ability. It was certainly true with me. I used to buy Autos at the cyclic rate, always looking for one that would give me an edge in a life or death situation. Then again, I was also packing a .45ACP 1911. So what is the real purpose of a folding knife? Where does it excel over, say, a sharp stick?
In an actual life or death social engagement, without the benefit of firearms, I can probably accomplish 90% of what I can do with a pocket-knife as I can do with a good pointy piece of metal or wood. If it had a sharpish edge, even better, now I am at 100%. So why buy expensive knives? (Rhetoric, don't send me hate mail yet).
At the time I owned a Microtech SOCOM, Emerson SOFCK (spear-point), Benchmade Numerous, Cold Steel Numerous, and a few others that escape my memory, I am sure.
I gravitated toward the knives that I could use, with good steel, with good heat-treatment. I also came to understand the inherant weaknesses with folders, and the benefits of folders. I would up trading an Emerson SOFCK for a Spyderco Military. (I can hear you all gasping.) I couldn't be happier.
The SOFCK was a good knife, granted, but it did not do what I wanted in a pocket knife. I am not going to use a *broken* knife to stab myself out of a car. Ain't gonna happen people. It is not going to kill that Islamo-Fascist any faster than my 5.56 will. I am not going to stand up to Saladin's scimitar with it. It is there simply for my convenience (daily) and survival (hopefully never asked to).
The Military's blade profile lets it glide through all kinds of material, almost effortlessly. I can carve fuzz sticks with it. I can clean an animal with it. I can carve a spoon with it. I can actually use it to survive. It does things my .45 can't do. And pressed into a bad situation, I would hardly feel disadvantaged if I had the Spyderco and my threat had a SOFCK. I can still stab, cut, rip, run and cry exactly the same with either knife.
Now when looking for a new folder, instead of looking for the sharpened chisel profile (better for piercing soviet steel helmets I hear...), I care more about how brittle the steel is, how comfortable the handle is, does the steel have a high enough carbon content to spark?
Haven't found anything better than my Spyderco. Then again, I really haven't had a reason to look.
toddackerman
10-26-07, 18:16
I truly believe that people are overzealous in their folding knives' actual use and ability. It was certainly true with me. I used to buy Autos at the cyclic rate, always looking for one that would give me an edge in a life or death situation. Then again, I was also packing a .45ACP 1911. So what is the real purpose of a folding knife? Where does it excel over, say, a sharp stick?
In an actual life or death social engagement, without the benefit of firearms, I can probably accomplish 90% of what I can do with a pocket-knife as I can do with a good pointy piece of metal or wood. If it had a sharpish edge, even better, now I am at 100%. So why buy expensive knives? (Rhetoric, don't send me hate mail yet).
At the time I owned a Microtech SOCOM, Emerson SOFCK (spear-point), Benchmade Numerous, Cold Steel Numerous, and a few others that escape my memory, I am sure.
I gravitated toward the knives that I could use, with good steel, with good heat-treatment. I also came to understand the inherant weaknesses with folders, and the benefits of folders. I would up trading an Emerson SOFCK for a Spyderco Military. (I can hear you all gasping.) I couldn't be happier.
The SOFCK was a good knife, granted, but it did not do what I wanted in a pocket knife. I am not going to use a *broken* knife to stab myself out of a car. Ain't gonna happen people. It is not going to kill that Islamo-Fascist any faster than my 5.56 will. I am not going to stand up to Saladin's scimitar with it. It is there simply for my convenience (daily) and survival (hopefully never asked to).
The Military's blade profile lets it glide through all kinds of material, almost effortlessly. I can carve fuzz sticks with it. I can clean an animal with it. I can carve a spoon with it. I can actually use it to survive. It does things my .45 can't do. And pressed into a bad situation, I would hardly feel disadvantaged if I had the Spyderco and my threat had a SOFCK. I can still stab, cut, rip, run and cry exactly the same with either knife.
Now when looking for a new folder, instead of looking for the sharpened chisel profile (better for piercing soviet steel helmets I hear...), I care more about how brittle the steel is, how comfortable the handle is, does the steel have a high enough carbon content to spark?
Haven't found anything better than my Spyderco. Then again, I really haven't had a reason to look.
Go see a Chris Reeves Sebenza and you'll understand why your search isn't complete.
I've had all of the "Mass Produced" knives from Spyderco, BM, Emerson etc. (Several of them) , and the quality isn't nearly as good, and the steel isn't nearly as "Bullet Proof" as S30V stainless. (Mine is BG-42 from 1999). Much harder RC and stronger than the various Spyderco or BM materials used.
The liner locks on Spyderco's and BM's a re a catastrophe waiting to happen. Nothing is more flimsy and WILL break under enough torque. This will leave, and and HAS left many reported hands in a bloody mess, along with tendons, ligaments and bones being destroyed. BM has the Axis Lock which is much better.
Chris Reeves uses the "Handle Lock" which is 100% Titanium" (which the entire handle is made of) and locks like a "Bank Vault". It can not break under any pressure manually put to it (versus a mechanical. pneumatic type of leverage). It's pr oven.
Are they 3X the Spyderco, and the BM's...Yep! So is my LMT MRP compared to the "Low Price Spreads").
Here's Chris Reeve's URL. He hand fits, and assembles every knife in Idaho. Take a look and see what you've been missing. :)
http://www.chrisreeve.com/sebenzadetails.htm
Tack
The only folder I currently own is a is ken Onion by Kershaw,the chive with the awesome little knob on the back that opens it lightening fast. I gues if I had to purchase another folder it would be a folding tanto from Cold Steel with partial serations and a three inch blade. You can just about do every thing with one of those except the one handed opening.
I never snag the clip on my Kershaw ever, I carry it in a pouch.
Failure2Stop
10-27-07, 06:37
Go see a Chris Reeves Sebenza and you'll understand why your search isn't complete.
Agreed that Chris Reeves produces some of the finest knives in the world, and the price is reflective of not only his quality but the demand for his products.
Frame-lock knives are quite strong in comparison to other folding knives, but to me, irrelevant. Fixed blade knives out-perform folding knives in hard-use situations. My folders are more for convenience in my day to day routine, kitchen and small tasks when outdoors, and comfort when I find myself at the ATM at 0300 in a state not covered by my CCW permits. As such, I have a permanent place on my gear and in my Bugout Bag for fixed blade knives. I also keep an axe in both my Bugout Bag and my Jeep. I believe in the appropriate tool for the job.
You compared your choice of the Sebenza to your choice of an LMT, but I think the comparison is a little bit off. The Spyderco Military ~$135, the large Sevenza costs ~$385; about 2.85 times as much (to give credit where credit is due). I have a Glock 23 I picked up on the LEO/Mil deal for ~$400, I could also pick up a Colt NM 1911 for $1150. I might not be competitive in a bullseye match with my 23, but I wouldn't win with the NM either. Is the 23 any less of a tool than the 1911 because it is ugly? There would definately be greater pride of ownership with the NM 1911, but the 23 is on my hip every day.
Now, I am not saying that the Spyderco Military will outperform the Sebenza in sheer strength, simply that it fulfills my needs, not necessarily yours. Also, remember, I replaced a knife that was not fulfilling my needs with one that does, for free.
Should I ever have $385 sitting around with nothing to do, I would drop it on a Sebenza, but as it is, that $385 buys a lot of Jack Daniels :p .
FWIW- The Military is S30V, one reason I chose it.
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