echo5delta

Bear with me, folks - this is my third or fourth post ever.

I've been jumping all over theplace looking for that one truly perfect tac folder for over a year. Tried the Cold Steel Recon One line (which was crap), and the Gerber Applegate-Fairbarn line (which are pretty damn good knives) before I decided that you really do get what you pay for.

I'm now the proud owner of Extrema Ratio's Nemesis lockback folder. I love the thing to death, for many reasons - not least of which is that the friggin' thing is almost as big as a regular Ka-Bar.

Do you have one you carry daily, or that you've used and been satisfied with lately? What would you recommend for someone in everyday situations? What about for police, fire, or military?

__________________
"Peace" is when nobody's shooting. A "Just Peace" is when we get what we want. - Bill Mauldin

weedline

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT!!!.
There is just WHAT YOU HAVE NOW. And that is your mind set.
If you can put 1/2 inch of steel in to a man's body then 10 inch's
is nothing. It is not how big the the knife. It is if you are willing to use it. If not then do not carry one.

weedline

PP.s I Carry A Mel Perdue
Spyderco
cold steel KOBUN
And some cheap knifes.
they are all razor sharp.

MrTuffPaws

I carry a Gerber AR 3.5BBS. Cheap and reliable. I have no issues with it yet. I do have an eye on the Kershaw Onion Boa though. That thing looks like it can kell a MAC truck.

DelayedReaction

I carry a S&W SWAT knife that I picked up for $50 at Chesapeake Knife and Tool. It's performing the job I require of it quite admirably.

Spyderco makes some amazing knives, but they're incredibly expensive.

__________________
If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.

im2smrt4u

Funny, I think Spyderco is one of the least expensive of the high quality knives made today!

I frequently carry a Benchmade 806D2 AFCK:
http://www.benchmade.com/products/pr....asp?model=806

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

Cableguy

Just a good ole Gerber Paraframe II
http://www.gerberblades.com/products...php?model=8447

One hell of a knife for $30 at Wal-Mart, and dammed near indestructable, as far as I can tell.

Moonduck

What the heck would you want with a folder that large? I would think the pressures that could be exerted on a blade that long would require an incredibly beefy locking mechanism and hinge, making for a needlessly bulky and heavy knife. Most times folders are carried because of space requirements, as a fixed blade is almost always superior to a folder for any purpose a knife is used for.

That said, the website is right cool looking.

ForwardtoDeath

Oh man, I really want one of those knives.

im2smrt4u

It does have a very strong lock, and is very bulky, but it is one tough knife!

It weights half a pound though!

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

cheeterbo

i carry an auto-boker. it is more than enough blade and handy.

moonpie

The Roman Legion had a saying, "2 inches in the right place will kill a man". It still holds true today. A good 3.5" or 4" blae is enough for everyday use and defense IMO, but some people need more reach.

I got a S&W folder and I recommend anything they make (knives and guns)

Jerron36

I carry a Benchmade 910 "Styker" (http://www.benchmade.com/products/pr....asp?model=910) and I love it. I use it everyday, and I would count on it for my live if I had to.

Moonduck

Follows what I was saying then. Why carry this beast when you could have a superior fixed blade knife in the same space, and probably a good bit lighter. Seems like it's a trophy toy for the little dick crowd instead of a useful and efficient tool.

shakran

good prices on spyderco here through the end of august:

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/spyderco.html

Thought I'd point y'all there since you don't usually think of a film supply store as carrying weaponry

I got a spyderco endura several years ago, and it's a GREAT knife.

BTW, this isn't a plug, I don't run the site, but it's a good place to get knives since they're often on sale.

im2smrt4u

Well, sometimes you have to stick with a folder. In CA, you can't conceal a fixed blade, but you can conceal a folder of any size.

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

Moonduck

A folder of any size? Wow. Course it has been my experience that concealing a knife for any purpose is a bad idea. From what I've read, juries tend to look down on someone that uses a knife in legit self-defense. Obviously if you have no other option, such as in CA where a CCW for a gun is tits on a bull, I guess I could see it. Still, heckuva lot of weight. A Benchmade CQC7 would be lighter, easier to conceal, and perfectly effective in a self-defense scenario.

I think that no matter what, I find it a silly knife, and cannot honestly come up with any reason why I would want to carry it in my life. It is not impossible that others have standards different than mine, and I don't fault em for it. It just seems like "It's frikken cool!" would be the primary motivation for toting this knife when most scenarios requiring a knife could be better filled with something mor efficient.

In my life, on any given day, I have three blades on me. A small Victorinox on my keychain (mostly carried for the eternally useful micro-scissors), a Gerber Multi-plier on my belt (obvious utility), and a Beretta Airlight in my pocket (fo rmore mundane cutting uses such as box opening etc). Each blade has a purpose and a use in my day-to-day activities, and it would be quite aggravating to not be able to carry them. None are ostentatious, none are excessive for any reason, and none have caused anyone to look twice when I pulled them for some use. A knife like this would definitely cause most onlookers to wonder about your stability and probable level of maturity. In many areas, that could result in a call to the local PD reporting a "man with a knife".

im2smrt4u

Well, all the above being said, I carry a customized Sebenza most of the time.



And I also carry a HideAway knife: (the one on top of the photo)

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

phoenix1002

I carry one of these two knives pretty much all the time: The CRKT Crawford/Casper, and the Smith and Wesson SWAT framelock tactical.

http://www.ajaxgrips.com/0/ajax/colu...ges/01/116.jpg
http://www.theknifeconnection.com/in...OD&ProdID=3701

With a 3.7" blade, the smith and wesson is almost too large to carry, because it's just unneccesarily large. I honestly can't imagine carrying a knife larger than that and actually having a use for it. The CRKT knife is a good length for cutting boxes and whatnot, and I suppose if I needed it for defense, it's plenty long enough for that, too. It's not the size that counts, its how you use it .

__________________
I'd rather be climbing...

I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...

NewBonk

There have been a few responses here that have mentioned that the knife they have, "does the job for me." What job does your knife perform for you? What sorts of things are you running into each day that require to be immediately cut?

Maybe I'm just not a knife person (I do carry a leatherman micra - more for the screwdriver than the blade), I certainly am not judging those that choose to carry knives.

I have noticed most police, fire and ems personnel carry the folding knives with the clip on them. You can see the noticeable clip sticking out of their front pocket. Heck, nearly all the cops I know carry them off-duty at all times (and most don't carry their pistols off-duty).

MrTuffPaws

To be honest with you, my knife opens mail mostly. Other than that, it is a tool of opportunity. I carry a $20 knife that opens mail, but my friend carries a $150 knife and mostly opens cocoa packets

SaabAero

I carry a Kershaw Boa and it has kept a sharp edge for awahile now.

Moonduck

Well, the Victorinox I mentioned is carried for the scissors. The Gerber Multi-plier is just too useful a tool to live without. My job is such that pliers, screwdrivers, etc are very useful to have around. The last knife sees duty cutting tape, boxes when needed, cording, etc. I get into all sorts of interesting places in my line of work, and sometimes there are things what need to be cut away so as to be able to perform my duties.

I'm an Independant Insurance Adjuster, by the way. I drive all over my area doing appraisals on automobiles and other property. Certain tools are just necessary. I also carry a prybar, crow-bar, axe, and entrenching tool in my car. Each has been eminently useful at various times, though I need to replace my pry-bar.

Moonduck

As an aside, I also have similar troubles with folks what carry expensive knives for no apparent purpose. For some, they carry the expensive knife because it is a piece of fine, if functional, art, like im2smrt4u above. As someone with "Apprentice Smith" in his signature, I'd be surprised if he did not carry something nice and probably hand-made, and it is totally appropriate.

As for others, I wonder. Much like I called the giant folder above a tool for those who seek to compensate, I have similar thoughts about super pricey pocket knives. I carry what I carry because it suits my actual needs, not because I want to impress anyone with how expensive my knife is. The most expensive knife I own is a well-balanced (to my hand) fighting knife that fits my hand, my grip, and the style of knife-fighting I trained in. It's an Applegate-Fairbairn made by Blackjack Knives (and it was not expensive by any stretch). I bought it simply because I wanted what I thought was a good fighting design and it fit me so very well. I cannot see ever using it, but I considered it an extension of my martial training at the time I purchased it.

Then again, I'm rough on my use-knives. I would have a lot of trouble with the idea of beating up a $600 custom folder, and I won't carry a knife I'm not willing to use. Still, while I may not have any truly expensive knives, I have an absolute ton of blades lying around. The Gerber that I mentioned above has three sibling multi-tools scattered about in various places. I love em, like I said, and would hate to be without them in a pinch. Thus I have one on my belt, one in the junk-drawer in the kitchen, and a spare in the glovebox. I also have more inexpensive folders (aka $30-$50) lying about than I know what to do with, as well as a profusion of field knives. This is due both to how rough I am on knives, making it a good idea to have spares, and because I spent a few years where it seemed like I lost whatever knife I was using every other month. They would eventually turn up again, but never before I gave up looking and bought a new knife =P

im2smrt4u

Well, the Sebenza Meltdown I carry now is the most expensive knife I've ever used, but I'm crossing my fingers for a custom Ken Onion at the Vegas Classic next January...

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

Moonduck

Ken Onion knives are gorgeous! I so could not carry one =)

im2smrt4u

They sure are!

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

Big Cholla

I am a law enforcement officer and an instructor on "Desert Survival". I carry two knives both on duty and off duty: a Victorinox Master Tinkerer and a Spyderco Police with a plain blade. In my survival pack (always close to me) I also have a Boker Fairbairn/Applegate fixed blade and the Gerber version of the Leatherman Supertool. I used to also carry a Buck Stockman pocket knife, but had to put it away because I needed that pocket for my Kel-Tec P-32. The last near fatal stabbing I worked involved a love triangle and a pocket knife with a 3/4 inch blade. It caused a sucking chest wound of the upper lung lobe on his left. If we hadn't of got there when we did, the cutee would have died. He also had a slash on the upper left leg that exposed but did not open the femoral artery. It just wasn't his day to die. Since then, I have the utmost respect for an adversary with ANY size of knife. The cutter went to Nevada Prison for 11 years.

2sheds

benchmade "osborne" here. it has the cam lock, which i really like.

__________________
Depression is just anger without enthusiasm. It’s having an empty beer bottle but no one to throw it at.

arawn

That's Matt Cucchiara's work on your Sebenza, isn't it?
He does nice stuff. His new folders are really tempting. I actually thought about sending my Sebenza in for the Fizz treatment.

Like im2smrt4u, I carry a CRK Sebenza and have for around 6 years. Was it more expensive than the Benchmades I carried before it? Sure. But I can count on the Sebenza not breaking if I have to abuse it a little.


B.

__________________
JMJ Factory team
San Diego, CA

im2smrt4u

Sure is. He does great work!

I've seen his stuff since Blade West 2003. That was his first show and his stuff was awesome!

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

arawn

My "New EDC fund" close to being complete.

I'm still deciding between a Cucchiara or an RJ Martin.



B.

__________________
JMJ Factory team
San Diego, CA

cheeterbo

moonduck, why are you troubled? based on your post, it think it easy to point out that some could find troubles with your extended reasons for the various implements you have "scattered about".

first, you must agree, that your statement is flawed from the start..."for no apparent purpose". you need to find the purpose before you can begin to properly have any "trouble".

if a person can afford a piece of fine workmanship, then, what do you care? if a person can't afford a piece, but buys one anyway, why should you care? it is all choice.

i have many expensive knives, guns and toys, and i use them alot. i have many inexpensive knives, guns and toys. when one breaks or is damaged, if i liked it, i replace it.

DelayedReaction

After using the S&W SWAT for a while, I can't say I'm all that impressed with it. The blade doesn't really hold an edge as well as I would like despite regular sharpening when it gets dull. I'm going to ask for a Spyderco Police model for my birthday next month. I've heard really good things about it, especially given the price relative to the other stuff out there.

In regards to Moonduck's statements, I disagree. Some people may buy knives purely for the craftsmanship, while others will buy what they feel is necessary. For some that's a $50 folder from Wal*Mart, for others it's something else. I personally feel something along the lines of a Spyderco or Benchmade is of sufficient quality, and since I know Spydercos better I'm going to get one. I'll be picking up the Police model mostly because of my size; I'm 6'10" and my hands are pretty large, so a small knife simply won't fit very well.

__________________
If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.

im2smrt4u

The Police is a great knife. VG-10 is a super steel too. Hard to go wrong.

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

longbough

Emerson CQC-7B-BTS. The liner-locked blade is a simple tanto with a thick spine. There are better blades for cutting, but this one's unparalleled for thrusting. It's very tough and quite handy.

Moonduck

Meh, they're welcome to argue the point. If you'd like to make a case, feel free. I'm troubled because I have problems with anyone that wants to carry a knife, gun, or any other weapon-type tool for the express purpose that it's cool and will impress his friends. I tend to be serious about such things as knives and guns, call me crazy.

I must agree? Why, no, I don't have to. The knife in question is something I find absolutely silly, and have stated the reasons why in an earlier post.

What does it matter why I care? You aren't even arguing against my opinion, you are arguing against my right to hold said opinion. I'm sorry that my opinion does not meet to some vague standard that you have failed to explain, but it is my opinion and I shall retain it.

Good for you. I too have expensive guns and knives. There is a difference in a knife bought for a specific purpose, vis a vis the example of a Spyderco Police model purchased because it fits his hands, the custom folders carried by an apprentice smith, and a goofy over-large combat knife with a hinge carried by someone what merely wants a knife that's "Rad" or whatever.

Moonduck

I think there's a coupla folks here that have misconstruesd what I said. I have no issues with the Spydercos and Benchmades of the world, nor the Ken Onions or Sebanzas. Whatever. They are bought for various good reasons. Spydercos and Benchmades are good quality knives, very functional. KO's and Sebanzas are beautiful. Good on ya. You're buying a well-crafted tool or a functional piece of art. I also don't consider Spydercos to be all that expensive, nor are many of the Benchmade knives, least the more normal lines. I have owned both, and the Spyderco was among those knives that I lost in the time period I mentioned above.

The blade that I am taking exception to, and its' whole class of similar pieces, is the Desert Eagle of knives. It's big, clunky, and overpriced for no rational reason other than to speak powerfully to those who feel the need for such weighty ego crutches. Big guns are great, I own a couple. I have them for various reasons to include long-range target shooting and defensive carry in Bear Country. Big knives are cool too, hunting knives, large skinners, meat choppers, brush clearing tools, etc. I have a coupla those. They're tools, and not bought because they're gonna impress my friends. The problem I have is with a mentality, and the knife referenced above panders to that mentality.

Honestly, Echo5Delta may have one heckuva good reason for buying that knife, and I'm not automatically criticising him for his purchase. I have problems with the knife, and have yet to see any serious reason as to what niche the silly thing fills. im2smrt4u's answer about California's odd knife laws regarding folders is about the closest thing I've seen to a real hypothesis, and I'm still unconvinced as the knife is too weighty for concealed carry.

arawn

Moonduck,

I think I may see where you're going.
I agree with a lot of what you said in those last two posts.
I agree that I feel it's silly for people to use/carry tools which are inappropriate for the tasks for which they will be used.

Then again, I feel the same way about Dodge Vipers and Hummer H2s.


For me though, it's not an issue of cost/price. After all, it's their money, they can spend it how they want. I simply believe that one should use a tool appropriate to the task at hand. An EDC is just that, a knife usable for Every Day Carry/use. A huge folder (or fixed blade) is simply not as useful as a smaller blade.

Art knives are another issue entirely; they are works of art/craftmenship which are made even more valuable by having a practical side: they can cut. While art knives do not generally run to my rather sedate tastes, I can appreciate them for their value as art and can't begrudge people their different tastes.

I'll post more of my less than interesting opinions later, but my daughter and I need to go forage for food.

Later all,
B.

__________________
JMJ Factory team
San Diego, CA

im2smrt4u

I'll tell you one thing, I wouldn't want to be walking around with that Extrema Ratio clipped to my boxers! It is HUGE!

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder