Pocket knifes
 

I am thinking about getting a new pocket knife, my knife seems to be getting dull from me cutting boxes all the time at work. I am pretty sure I am allowed to lawfully carry a pocket knife with up to a 3 inch blade in some if not all public places... at least I can at school, well anyway, anyone have any recommendations?

Should I get a titanium coated blade? I want something really sharp, high quality that wont get dull.

your 2 cents is appreciated.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

The Smith & Wesson line of knives are decent quality for the price.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

learn to sharpen them anything that is used will get dull

Re: Pocket knifes
 

If you're opening boxes, get one of those pocket knives which is a holder for box cutter blades. Keep a Kershaw leek with the speed safe assisted opening feature in another pocket for other use and have it professionally sharpened when it gets dull.

Knife snobs don't think much of S&W branded knives, and IMHO you can get better steel for your money with Kershaw, Spyderco, CRKT, or Gerber.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I love my spyderco "Native". $40 at crap-mart. Combine that with a Lansky sharpening system for short money and you will be able to shave with your pocketknife at any given time. When you get good at sharpening with stones, then make a strop out of leather and a board and charge it with the green jeweler's rouge. You will get your blades so sharp that they will cut under their own weight. Scary sharp. Most "sharp" knives are, in fact, very dull. I did not know what sharp was until I learned to do it myself.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Go to any gun show where there are 10,000 + knives to chose from. Learn to sharpen and don't cut paper with them. Around where I live, the rough regulation is the blade should not be longer than the palm of your hand.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I've tried quite a few different pocket knives and my favorite 3" folder is the spyderco delica.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...bw%20small.jpg

I love the light weight, quality and how it fits in my hand. The little thumb circle makes it easy to open. You can get them in several blade configurations. I carry a non-serrated blade.

The Kershaw assisted opening knives are fun but the mechanism will wear out if you play with it all the time. (What can I say I like playing with my knives... :D)

I've had 1 or 2 lower end Smith and Wesson branded pocket knives and was not impressed with the quality.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

http://www.boyeknives.com

A not so well kept secret in the sailing community.

Trust me - worth the money.

Last knife you'll ever buy - unless you lose it.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Cardboard is probably the worst culprit for dulling a knife. I do it enough and know that I probably should just use a box cutter! I don't spend big bucks on knifes, but think the best value is the Gerber Magnum LST. You can get them for $18.49 at Midway. Made in USA.
http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/s...res/694781.jpg

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=694781

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I find the spyderco's are good for the money, the stainless ones dont hold an edge as long as I would like, I have switched over to the boye knifes, even the wife carries one. http://boyeknives.com/

Hand made, you call you will get him or his wife, I even had them make a special blade for one of my knives. they are made from cobalt, the hold an edge forever, it's like they sharpen themselves lol and they WILL NOT RUST.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Below is a chart of the premium steels used in decent to good knives today. Get a knife with a blade made from one of these, preferably S30V and learn to sharpen it. If a knife doesn't have the steel alloy stamped or engraved on the blade, it is probably s***. Benchmade and Spiderco are both relatively inexpensive but wellmade brands. There are others. I'm partial to Mcusta. Pict of one of mine below the steel chart. I don't like the 440 steels or the AUS8, they don't hold an edge. VG 10 is very good.

About Blade Steel

The most common blade material used to make knives is iron and carbon that is enhanced with a variety of elements such as chromium, vanadium, manganese, and more. Different types of steel are created by adjusting the amounts of each material that is added. Stainless steels, for instance, are created by adding more rust resistant materials.

Finishing processes play a large role in creating blade steel. Processes such as rolling and heat treating have a great affect on performance. Each material performs differently under varying finishing processes.

154CM
This is an American made stainless steel that was originally developed to make turbine blades in jet engines. It is very similar to ATS-34. It's very corrosion resistant and has good toughness and edge quality.

440C
This is a stainless steel that is used on many factory manufactured knife blades. It is very tough and extremely stain resistant. It holds an edge well and is fairly easy to sharpen. It is generally hardened to between 56 and 59 Rc., and makes a great all around blade. 440C is far superior to most other 400 series steels. 440A and 440B are not as good.

ATS-34
This is a stainless steel that comes from Japan and is very similar to The U.S.'s 154CM. It became very popular with knife makers in the 1990's as a higher quality alternative to 440C. The steel is not as rust resistant as 440C, but holds a better edge. The carbon content is 1.04% . It works best when hardened to between 59 Rc to 61 Rc.

AUS-8
This steel has a low carbon to chromium ratio. It is very resistant to corrosion, and is very tough, but does not hold an edge as well as many other steel variations with higher carbon content.

BG-42
This material is a stainless steel. It has a better edge holding ability than 440C and ATS-34, and is tougher than ATS-34. Works best when hardened to 61 - 63 Rc.

D2
This material is a very high carbon steel (1.5%) that has superb edge holding ability and unmatched wear resistance, but lacks toughness. It is not as corrosion resistant as 440C or ATS-34, and is not considered a stainless steel because it only has 12% chrome. Stainless blades have 13% or more.

Damascus
Damascus is made of a variety of steels that are layered together. The finishing process involves an acid etch that exposes the surface lines. The end result is a tough blade with good edge quality. It is quite expensive and used mostly for its artistic nature.

H1
H1's claim to fame is its corrosion resistance. Blades made of the material sacrifice edge quality for this corrosion resistance and toughness.

M2
This is an extremely tough, tool grade steel. It is used mostly for industrial cutting tasks. The steel has superb strength and is extremely wear resistant, but is highly susceptible to corrosion.

S30V
This is a premium grade steel that was designed in the U.S. for knife making. It has very good edge holding ability and is very corrosion resistant.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...f/DSC08706.jpg

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I had one of those and then I lost it. A month later one of the guys at work found it still clipped to the side of our 20 ft trailer, out in the middle of the yard in front of everyone. Apparently when I leaned up to retrieve some chains off the trailer it caught by the clip. Considering its price tag I was happy to get it back. Bought that co-worker lunch.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

That is the main reason why I don't carry an expensive knife to work. Glad you got it back!

Re: Pocket knifes
 

OK, now THAT's a NICE knife, Tom!

That looks like the MC-1 series and I recognize the beautiful Damascus blade. And it looks like the quincewood handle.

Can you confirm? I'm into high quality folders (and hunters), so I'm genuinely interested in this one. It is a beautiful piece!

My nicest knife right now is a hand made by Wayne Hendrix called the PathFinder. I got this one in Ironwood and another one (my favorite) in chromatic acid stained curly maple (see bottom knife below). These are in ATS-34 and are a dream to sharpen and use.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

You really can't beat this deal -- if a knife gets dull throw it away and grab another one...

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/ma12cuknsetn.html

Re: Pocket knifes
 

+1

I can't tell you how much I've spent on different makes & models of folder blades (way too much), but I can tell you the single best blade-related purchase I've made is the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Now even the kitchen knives are sharp enough to shave the hairs off my arm.

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/Spy...arpmaker05.jpg



That being said, the best value (& most often carried/ used) for me are the Benchmade Griptilian series & the Kershaw Leek. You can find either for $50 or less. :ok:

http://www.kershaw-knives.net/images...60-350x350.gif

Re: Pocket knifes
 

i have a few knives and my buck knife shows a bunch of rust,
i have a swiss army multipurpose tool which i like,

i also bought this fixed bladed knife when i was a kid....its made in spain and the brand is Muela...some sort of underwater shark knife but its just as sharp as when i got it 20 yrs ago.
looks like this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/MUELA-KNIFE-w-Sh...QQcmdZViewItem

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Tom showing me these MCusta made me order one of these. Man are these beautiful knives and at decent prices compared to other high quality knives that I have purchased.

I will probably end up getting another one like the one TomD posted at a later time. These look just beautiful.

:bear_wub:

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I like knives and I can't resist buying some new model or another every now and then. But looking back over them all, the ones I end up carrying every day and using the most.... they are all Spydercos of one sort or another.

As I sit here, I've got a Spyderco G-10 Harpy clipped to my left pocket. And a Spyderco Native on the right. (The same $38 model at Wal-Mart that another person mentioned. Truly a "best possible knife deal" for sure.) I like carrying that Wal-Mart Native since I feel like I can use it for any possible thing and not feel bad about it. When I'm wearing something better than jeans and not going out to work in the pasture, I switch to my Spydero Caly 3. Truly a wonderful design. Perfect size, shape, steel, etc. Just can't beat that knife. Smooth. But it is going to cost you over $100 for one!

Mine is G-10 but they even made one with carbon fiber. I need to get one!

http://www.knivesplus.com/spydercoknifesp-c113cfpe.html

Gregg

Re: Pocket knifes
 

The one I carry everyday has been discontinued, but is a CRKT M1 Greg Lightfoot. It is light to carry, easy to open with no spring. Looking at it you can not feel how great is the grip.

I don't think I would cut cardboard with it either, but it has an excellent grip and not so expensive that if I lost it I would cry. I would cry, but only because it is discontinued.

I did cut the netting off of the Christmas tree that we brought home tonight, using this knife. That may be the first practical thing I ever cut with it.

My small-duty every day knife is the Gerber MINI FAST DRAW with the serrated edge (which is VERY sharp.)

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Funny but I've had two CRKT's fall apart on me.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Which ones? Is there a story there?

Re: Pocket knifes
 

CORRECT!! - Will not rust! - Had mine for over 5 years without a spot.

Another chapter to this story is the Marlin Spike that this knife sports.

You will find that there are so many more uses for this thing than just breaking tight knots or opening shackles.

How many times have you had a situation that you thought about using your knife to pry open something or poke into a crevice, etc.... but then you thought - no that will ruin my good knife - better use something else.

The marlin spike that rides on the Boye knives is one of those things that you can't appreciate until it's within arms' reach.

Experience talking.

Hope it helps,

Re: Pocket knifes
 

No, no story really. One day they just came apart. The plastic outer layer of the grip separated from the interior metal. M16-12z is the one I still have around. On the other one the blade actually separated from the grip somehow. It was probably 5 years ago, and I don't recall exactly. I think they have a lifetime warranty, and I should redeem it because it is a tough looking knife. The thing that got me was 2 of them crumbled apart. I won't be buying another.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Agreed 100%, my wife has one without the marlin spike and you would amazed the weight of that titanium spike, none the less it's one of the handiest things you'll ever have in addition to the blade iteself!

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Get a Swiss army knife! Just make sure it's marked as manufactured by either Victorinox or Wenger. I mean, blades are great, but sometimes you really gotta have a toothpick.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

For cutting boxes and paper, a Talonite (or Stellite) blade should hold an edge longer than steel. The Camillus Talonite EDC pocket knife is good (the original USA-made one -- I don't know much about the later ones supposedly made in China). Unfortunately, Camillus recently went bankrupt and the Talonite EDCs are fetching a collector premium.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I have a Spyderco Police model with the stainless steel handle and partial serrated SS blade. It will cut just about anything with ease and is very well made. I like the partial serration and recommend having a knife with it for cutting seat belts in emergency situations. I heavily used this knife for 2 years, owned it for 6 years total, without a problem.
Attachment 58181Attachment 58182

My favorite knife is a victorinox swiss army knife I received as a gift a year ago. It's really handy. The blades are VERY sharp, Watch out! It has a small LED flashlight that gives off an impressive amount of light and all of the other attachments that everyone is familiar with. I've never had a real swiss army knife before, just cheap knockoffs. I was extremely impressed with the real thing. I never would have bought it on my own, I out grew them in boy scouts.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

:coolbeer: Yes, very nice

I need to quit coming here.:wavey:

Re: Pocket knifes
 

That one is a MC-24D and the handle is African cocabolo. I've found that if you carry one of the knives with a wood handle, the wood darkens. Paste wax applied on the wood every couple of months will help keep that from happening.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I won' carry a knife without a pocket clip any more, you don't even know your carrying and the knife needs to be under 3 oz or under.......I can't stress pocket clip enough.

The spyderco Cali 3 has the nicest pocket clip of all my knifes even better that other spydercos.....it's stainless wire not a solid piece of stainless.

Chris Reeve knives are pricey , a quality knife though
Emmerson and Zero tolerance are great knives....the Emmerson wave opens as you pull it from your pocket.....spyderco has an Emmerson wave inspired knife in their lineup.

The Griptillian that Pounces on ounces shows is a great knife ....the Axis lock is unique and very durable, don't get me wrong I love that knife but it's just a bit to big for EDC......the mini griptillian might be a better choice.
Depends on what you want to spend but I think Ag-man gave good advice.....but I don't think that one has a pocket clip.
ALL my kives are kept razor sharp with a 3-4 step process, Diamond block= course side then fine side then a few good licks with a quality steel and I finish with a leather block with honing compound on it....hey it works for me.
A lot people swear by the spyderco sharpmaker.

Another good source for knives is yourcornerstore.com

Yes I have all the above mentioned knives and a bunch more ....been collecting since I was a kid

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I carry benchmade 710 as edc knife.
this is very popular. large blade,4 inch, and light weight, not only utility but also tactical knife
http://www.strnadel.net/knives/BM710a.jpg

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I think Spyderco makes the best knife for self defense purposes. Very light, flat and strong. Good quality.

I would buy one of the newer ones that allows the clip to be attached/moved for left/right pocket carry.....that is what I do....I'm right handed and carry a Kel-Tec 380 in my right front pocket.....thus want to carry a knife with a retention clip in my left pocket.

They are easy to open with one hand.

Get the largest blade you can...try for 4 inches minimum. Only use that knife for protection....whenever possible.....carry a smaller second knife for utility purposes....a very small swiss army knife is ideal for most utility work.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Check out these 2 knives, super good deal on both ! , I recently purchased them, the one for $99 is like Ruprick is talking almost 4" long it's a bad ass knife but for me it's a little to big for EDC....I do carry it, just not every day. In a rough neighborhood, yeah I would certainly carry it. I usually carry the smaller one, these are both very high quality knives.

www.shopberetta.com........you'll have to go to knives, then tactical knives ..... it's the two on sale

Re: Pocket knifes
 

which spyderco is in your opinion best for self defense and at the same time light enough for edc pocket carry?

Re: Pocket knifes
 

https://www.knifepro.com/store/pc/vi...?idproduct=756

even cheaper

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I think the list is quite long. For instance, I carry the Harpy and the Caly 3 every day. So they must be "light enough for EDC." The Harpy is a serrated hawkbill style of knife. For a "let go of me knife," such a design is ideal. Not many people are going to hang around after you slash across their hands/wrists with such a knife. And the Caly 3 is a wonderfully balanced design. It makes a highly useful daily utility knife but it would do some really nasty damage as a slicing style of knife. Very, very efficient knife design and excellent steel. They can be kept extremely sharp and will go through most things with the slightest effort.

Spyderco does make some "tactical" types as well. The Civilian is a nasty mother that was designed for cops to use as part of their weapons retention drill. Sort of a larger Harpy but with an S shape to the blade. My only reservation with the Civilian is the blade is quite long and fragile. It isn't designed to be used for anything other than "let go of my gun" types of drills. You don't pull out your Civilian every day and use it to cut open boxes!

There was a smaller version of it called the Matriarch that you can still find on ebay sometimes. One of those would be excellent as your left pocket knife. Then a more utility minded design in the right pocket.

Gregg

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I think the Spyderco Police 3 G-10 is the way to go for the ultimate folding fighting knife.

5.5" Closed, 4.4" Blade, 5.0 oz, 4 way pocket clip.....LH/RH x Tip Up/DN....whatever you want.

This is a fairly large knife...but very flat.

Next size down is the Endura4...same features....5.0" Closed, 3.75" Blade, 3.6 oz.....I have one of these that I've carried for over 15 years....now you can get the 4 way clip...this may be the best choice for size...and still good enough for fighting.

Next size down Delica4...same as above but 4.5" Closed, 3.9" Blade, 2.5 oz....this is the smallest I would ever go.

All 3 are awesome knifes....I've looked at everything and I feel these are the most compact fighting knifes.....ansl I wanted the 4 way clip for my specific needs of left pocket kinfe, right pocket gun.

I know it sounds amazing...but half an inch makes a world of difference in size....the Endura feels just right....while 0.5" larger Police feels big, and the 0.5" smaller delica seems small.....I have all three....and this is my experience. I study the piss out of things prior to my purchases...because I'm frugal and only want the best value and purchase only once.....The reason I own 3 models ...is that they came out with improvements over the past 20 years.....I have my wife carru the smaller Delica.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I can't disagree about that spyderco police 3 G-10.......the bigger of the two Berettas I posted a link to has the same dimensions and weight.......they have very nice action and extremely well made . At the sale price it is $45 cheaper than the spyderco and the quality is every bit as good maybe a little better.





I'll make sure not to give you no lip......you are seriously packin pain in both pockets

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I like the Gerber Gator folder, $30 bucks on Amazon. That man vs wild dood even used it in a few of his early episodes..

Re: Pocket knifes
 

I also carry a NAA 22LR Mini-Revolver in the Wallet with trigger hole holster (note - BATF now calls these a decoy/hidden gun....to not look like a gun = carry at your own risk.....). I love 6 pocket cargo shorts in the summer and in the winter you gain 2 or 3 pockets via your coat.

Yep, one day I went into the police station with my cop friend and he said we had to leave our weapons locked in his desk to go to a particular area in the station (he knows I carry a pistol)....so, I start pulling out my stuff..... Kel-Tec 380, NAA 22LR, Spyderco, Swiss Army Knife (just a tool), Pepper Spray in Coat Pocket....he was amazed....and just said "Welcom to Dodge City, pardner...."


BTW: Just looked on Ebay....most of the Police Models Spydercos go for around $120ish......you can get the Endura for $60ish delivered.....that is the way I'd go.....for just $60 a bad assed knife.

Also - again my opinion.....only get the PLAIN Edge....that way easy to sharpen if you use it for daily use (I save mine for fighting) and carry a tool knife. Also only go with the black plastic handle...do not go with the stainless steel handle models....steel = it has smooth surface = no grip when wet or sweaty/bloddy hands....plastic molded handle = good grip in a fight....and lower weight. i only like the Spydercos with the large blade hole open feature....i do not like the added "Emerson Hook" on the back of the blade.....I only open with my thumb in the hole....the added hook looks ugly...it might be useful for opening with heavy gloves = you can hook it on edge of pocket to open. I to not want to give up any thrusting/plunging blade length...the hook will limit ability to plunge deep, esp through clothing.

Re: Pocket knifes
 

Quick update on the nice MCusta "tactical" knife that I purchased as stated above. I ordered from www.japaneseknifedirect.com and it was shipped from Japan but I received it in an astounding 4 or 5 days. It was express mailed from Japan. That amazes me.

The knife is very beautiful as in the picture and is a high quality blade with nice workmanship and nice woodwork on the handle.

BUT, and it is a BIG BUT, I noticed a design flaw within about 15 minutes of picking it up from the post office.

If you notice the clip to clip it to a pocket or to your pants or belt or something holds the knife in the point up position. There is no positive lock in the closed position so in your pocket or hooked on your pants the blade does tend to travel a little bit which means when you reach down to remove the knife from your pocket.. OUCH!! You have cut yourself! This knife is so sharp that I actually jabbed my own finger when merely trying to demonstrate the design flaw to a friend. OUCH!!

This type of design is very dangerous. Not only can you cut yourself, but also the tip of the blade can snag on your pocket preventing you from pulling the knife out smoothly and safely (and quickly). BAD NEWS!!

Since it is beautiful and I enjoy owning a variety of knives (collector?) I will keep the knife but trust me I won't be using it as an every day carry, not no how no way!

Knives such as this really shouldn't be sold, I'm sad to say. Yet, shucks, it is a beauty.