George
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Post by George on Dec 22, 2012 10:17:05 GMT
Hey guys! So im in the market for a new knife. It has to be a folder as i have to be able to carry it in my pocket. I currently have a Kershaw Skyline, and love it. Its light weight, i can carry it all day/night (12 hour shifts) and it doesn't twist and get caught in my pocket. The scales are micra which i prefer as it makes it alot lighter to carry. Anyway i have found the blade profile much too thin. The knife is great... For cardboard and everyday things normal people would need a knife for. Unfortunately for me im a break down mechanic in one of the biggest mines in the Southern Hemisphere and the things i use it for, im finding i have to sharpen it after every shift. Main use, dont scream knife abuse lol, is for cutting hose straps (like seatbelt material but not as thick, about 1 inch) and cable ties. A bit of prying and of course the normal stuff like cutting boxes and plastic bags etc... It handles it all really well, BUT cut one cable tie and its blunt again. It IS a good knife, have a look at the pic's tho and keep in mind i use this EVERYDAY about 5 times or more a day for the last 6 months. What im after is something just as light, altho a little heavier is ok as i want a thicker blade, the same size blade/handle, but mainly something that will stay sharper longer and put up with the 'abuse' its gonna cop. Also absolute MUST be one handed opening, assisted is ok but its a grey area with the law (may not make it thru customs) Any recommendations? Ive looked at a few benchmades, but there are so many i dont know where to start... ALSO i use the Spyderco Tri angle at 40 degrees. So its not my sharpening issue, every time i do its back to razor sharp... For half a day lol
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 22, 2012 22:06:54 GMT
Hmmm, I can think of several hard use folders, but one that can withstand prying is a bit tougher.
Cold Steel has the Recon 1 and the Voyager series. Those are all really tough. The Camillus 18673 is sweet. Has a nice VG-10 blade, which is a superb steel. There's the Spyderco Salt series. Made of H1 steel, which is rust-proof and actually gets harder with use. Zero Tolerance has the ZT 350. At $110-$120 it's spendy, but is a tank. Kershaw has the Blur, which comes in 14C28N and s30v.
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Sébastien
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Post by Sébastien on Dec 23, 2012 8:15:13 GMT
I think you need a blade that has a more resilient blade steel. The Skyline's steel is great for everyday use, but it isn't very abuse-friendly, it looses its edge when it comes to hard work. I'd suggest having a look at the Spyderco Delica and Endura, or Kershaw's higher-priced folders.
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George
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Post by George on Dec 23, 2012 10:24:50 GMT
Thanks guys, yeh i was talking to a knife nut at work today and he said Benchmade Griptillian? Cost isn't an issue this is something i need for work. Im thinking better steel is the go, ill have a look at your options and see what i think Cheers for the tips so far! Yeh ignore the prying lol i did jimmy open a door latch one day at work but i snapped the very tip of the blade off (hard to see in pic but it has no point) if i pay more than $50 i will use a screwdriver instead
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 23, 2012 19:52:32 GMT
Lots of knife guys have a lot of good to say about the Griptillian. I personally only know one person with one, and it broke while cutting into a reed. However, from the reviews, this was a freak occurrence. The Kershaw Blur and the Zero Tolerance come with an s30v steel blade. Very, extremely tough. Edge holding is "Good. It doesn't hold a razor sharp edge long, but will hold a very sharp edge for a long time." The Camillus and the Endura/Delica both rock the VG-10, and I love that steel. Holds a crazy sharp edge very well.
Also, there are those manufacturers that intentionally bring down the hardness. Guys like KA-BAR and Ontario put an temper that is a bit on the soft side. This makes sharpening quick and easy. It''s the "you can sharpen a dull knife, but you can't use a broken one" mentality.
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George
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Post by George on Dec 24, 2012 11:26:06 GMT
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Post by Opferous on Dec 24, 2012 18:38:42 GMT
Don't have any experience with the new 2012-2013 Voyager, but I have the older model, and it's been beat to hell over 7 years of EDC, including piercing/prying open cans, and it's still completely in one piece. Great buy if you can find one on closeout near year's end, since Cold Steel seems to redesign every year or two nowadays.
If cost isn't an issue, Emerson Knives are pretty awesome. Had a CQC7 that I loved, but I ended up giving it away to a friend.
Also been playing around with a Curtis Knives Nano. Tough as hell although a bit on the small side. He does make some bigger knives though.
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ghost
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Post by ghost on Dec 24, 2012 20:16:37 GMT
I have the zt301, which has the same shape & size, but is heavier than the 350. It's a really ugly knife (looks good in a picture) but man it looks like a prybar and feels like one to boot.
The BM adamas is awesome aside from the design of the handle. I can't imagine keeping either of them inside my pockets all day - both are grade A pant killers
Maybe a ZT 560/1, Buck Vantage Pro in S30V, BM Onslaught, Boker Ansos, Kershaw Junkyard dogs or kershaw rake.
The kershaws may be an epic challenge to sharpen back up when they do finally lose their edges...
I've played with the Hest - not too happy with the design but it could work for you. I love youtubin some of these knives and side by side reviews - they usually give us a pretty decent idea of size and aesthetics.
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Talon
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Post by Talon on Dec 24, 2012 21:07:10 GMT
Well im very old school and as much as i dont like stainless my buck 112 was my edc for many years.Tough resiliant and very good edge holding.Kershaw knives are imo extremely well made and great value,i carried and used/abused a chive/leek and 2 kershaw talons and they all proved to be very well made blades. I carry a svord peasant as my edc these days,it's big and bulky but the blade is made from L6 (the same as gransfors axes) it isn't particularly refined /attractive or pocketable,but it's proven to be a very good serious hard work edc knife,also it's very cheap so i abused the hell out of it to see if it could stand up.It's took everything i could throw at it,the only downside's are it's bulky and very ulatarian (two thing's that i dont worry about) .When i was younger i instantly went for the refined sleek look for my knives,these days it's all about function,you wont go wrong with a kershaw or for hard use without worrying about losing it,the svord peasant.Im in the uk so a locking blade is a big no no,i used to worry about a slip joint/non locking folder collapsing on me during use,the peasant never has (though it is very simmilar to a straight blade razor which i have a lot of experience with)
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Post by Student of Sword on Dec 24, 2012 21:28:12 GMT
I have Zero Tolerance 350 and DPx HEST 2.0. The ZT350 is too bulky, so I rarely carried it. But I carried the hell out of the HEST. The HEST is perhaps the thickest production blade out there. I abused the hell out of it and was unable to damage it. The steel is very good, D-2.
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George
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Post by George on Dec 25, 2012 20:40:15 GMT
Thanks heaps for the input guys.
Nice SOS, i can see now the ZT0350 would be very bulky to carry all day... Think ill go with the HEST now, the added things it has will only assist in my job, the wire strippers will be perfect too.
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