Tactical folders - take a stab at this one, wouldja?
 

So, I lost my Kershaw Ken Onion tactical folder.

I'm looking to replace it, and - lo and behold, CRKT has got all these sweet tactical folders for decent prices. I'm not gonna spend $200, or even $100 on a tactical folder, thank you very much.

Can anyone tell me about the A8 steel that CRKT favors, or is there someone else out there with designs to get me all hot and bothered like CRKT's tactical lines have? I want a partially serrated blade, and a powder-coated blade finish.

Thanks in advance,

hokiesandwich

I've had great luck with Cold Steel's Voyagers. One of mine is a partially serrated tanto. I think they use A6 steel in that blade.

I don't know if it's the A6 or not, but I love my M16.

You lost a Ken Onion? Ouch.

I have a coupla CRKT blades. I really like em. Holds an edge and doesn't need tons of maintainence. Tough and (comparatively) inexpensive. No complaints.

I'm not a big fan of CRKT, but for the money they are hard to beat. Check out Benchmade's "red line" series of knives also.

Thanks to all who gave advice. I was looking at the M16 line - in desert camouflage. Maybe a llittle harder to lose in grass than just flat black.

I lost a Ken Onion that cost me like $60-70 on a Field Training Exercise. I'm looking for some new things like a "tanto" point, coated blade, one-handed opening, etc.

Again, thanks for all the help.

CRKT is damn hard to beat for the money, the only thing close is Smith and wesson, and you gamble with the fit and finish there- some s+w's are a joy to own, some the lock does'nt work-

What about a good ol' Buck Knife?

I thought you were talking about one of those crazy expensive Ken Onion's. Whew. One of the reasons I stopped carrying expensive knives was due to my propensity for losing them *sigh*. Just lost my Beretta Airweight, dammit.

Met a guy a few days ago that carries an Onion Midtech. Pretty sweet!

Unleashed is probably right.

I think it's a little easy to get caught up in the flash and coolness of all the really high-tech blades. I just bought a CRKT Crawford/Kasper folder with 1/2 serrated blade. It was only $50, has a powder-coated blade, and fits my ogrish hands pretty well. And it's got a good-sized hole for a lanyard, so no more losses.

thanks for all the help.

-hokiesandwich

I always have been/will be married to the Spyderco family of knives. I've carried them since I was 10 years old and have never ever had trouble with them. Any malfunctions or breakage I caused myself. They stand behind their products and will replace or repair anything you send them. Back in the day they would do it all for free. Now they charge a small fee if you break the knife yourself. Since I've never had one go wrong without my help, that sucks a little. But I now own 12 of them. I've had Cold Steel, Buck, Benchmade and many others, and the Benchmade is the only one that has been carried nearly as much as the Spydercos. But, just like handguns, you should pick whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Also, if you're looking to buy a high-quality, handmade folder, Chris Reeves makes a very fine knife, though not at a production knife price.

I've been carrying a CRKT M16-03 non-serrated for about a year. It replaced a Meyer Rascal that I lost. It is twice the size as the Rascal which was a terrific, low weight, cheap knife. At first the size of the CRKT seemed a bit cumbersome, but now I don't even notice it. It is however too big for pocket carry in dress pants as it tells quite noticeably.

It has a couple quirks:1) there is a knurled screw head that keeps tension on the blade. Shortly after I got it, this screw backed out and the knife partly disassembled in my pocket. I put it back together & it has not happened again. 2) the liner lock spring on mine has begun to show corrosion. Nothing major, but it is there so I need to get in their w/ Kroil and a small bristle brush. 3) I took a quick look at the Kershaw. The CRKT knives have angular & blocky handles and the Kershaw Onion looks fairly smooth. The CRKT was different from anything I'd carried prior & did take me a couple week to get used to. Now it is second nature.

Most importanly, I'd buy another one. There is a smaller version (about 3/4 scale) of the M16. I looked at both but decided on the larger version as it fit my hand better.

soundmotor

Bead blasted finishes have a tendency to rust if kept in a moist environment.

Maybe a little late to this thread - but I collect, I have 'bout 130 folders. Big fan of my Onion kershaws - Boa etc. But the knife I find my self carrying is by Edge Design (EDI) a plain edge Genesis II. Great pocket placement and size for most jobs. got it for $50 bones. Money well spent in my book.

I have ten or so CRKT's - not smooth enough in the models I have. I view em more as speciality knives for specific tasks/features.

Sorry - just noticed the interest in a "tanto" - Love my Emerson as my Tanto of choice.

Umm im sorry for sounding like a retard but whats a tactical folder o.O???

A pocket knife designed to be used in a rough environment.

Hah! That's the perfect question. Not retarded at all!
In general it's a rugged, reliable, folding knife that can endure abuse and will not fail (break, unlock etc.) under stress. Can be used for defense as well. That being said, not everyone agrees as to what features actually makes a good "tactical" folder.

Some will say that it's an oxymoron because only fixed blades are appropriate for this purpose. Some say that the blade must have a minimum of 4" etc. Some say that the spine has to be of a certain thickness or that the blade must be of a certain configuration. The truth is that the very term "Tactical Folder" has become a popular buzzword (like "No Carbohydrates") used to sell even junky knives.

So buyer beware.

So (dumb question), is this a tactical folder?

<img src=http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TAAAAJYWnlJ9hjbzir*ssBAD96LHWBUIA6DicSYPk3uqP1l8VIfeA1Go76ehin!Rfzk3LZ8GAUNUuXpVQCtqF1Z3KVRINqIXP01zaBtHh92ZXGXizeUEwQ/100_0765.jpg?dc=4675517317716389838></img>

It feels very sturdy, but I haven't tested it to any degree. It listed for $45 at a sporting goods store here.

I paid a lot less, so even though it feels nice, I assume it's cheap crap.

How do you tell?

#1. Why would you care if your knife qualifies as a tactical folder if you're not sure what one is? If it suits your needs then it's the knife you're looking for.
#2. And if it's not a true "tactical folder" that doesn't mean it's a piece of crap. A $300 Tom Brown knife isn't "tactical" but it's usefull as hell - and top quality to boot.
#3. "Tactical" isn't so much about the looks of the knife - it's about the function. What makes a car a sports car isn't the looks either.
One essential feature of the tactical folder the reliability of the locking mechanism. When deployed it should be nearly as sturdy as a fixed blade. And it should tolerate a fairly large load without failure (I'm not sure of the exact numbers). Plus it should open consistenly with one hand. And after a couple of years of hard use it should still be functional. Which is important if you're going to be tough on your knife.

That knife in the photo uses a lockback mechanism which isn't as reliable, safe or strong as, say, a linerlock design that many tactical folders use. At a glance I'd assume it wouldn't qualify as a "tactical folder."

But, if it works for you, who cares what it's called?

I think I get you. That's kind of what I wanted to know--how reliable the lockback mechanism is.

Thanks for the info.

To follow-up on my earlier post, the only thing I don't like about it is that the serrated stud to open the blade wore a hole through all the pockets in my pants. A lot of blade in a package though that does not weigh much. Built really well & takes down easy for the once-in-awhile cleaning & graphiting.

soundmotor.