Folding knife suggestions

[gearys 5600]

Got my first Spyderco !!! My wife bought me a Para 2, green sprint run, cts-204p for Christmas. AWESOME KNIFE !!!

I have been carrying Benchmades for 20 years and I don't have any complaints but, I think I just found my new favorite folder.

 

[ez bake]

Got my first Spyderco !!! My wife bought me a Para 2, green sprint run, cts-204p for Christmas. AWESOME KNIFE !!!

I have been carrying Benchmades for 20 years and I don't have any complaints but, I think I just found my new favorite folder.

Damn, that's not only extremely hard to get hold of (limited production run), it's one of the more awesome super-steels out. Very nice folder - use it like it should be used (I use mine).

 

[Merlin72]

Just got in an order of Benchmades and Kershaws for various Christmas presents for friends/family. I ended up liking the 530 Perdue Axis so much I decided to keep it (and order a composite Leek instead for my Dad). This thing is incredibly light and thin for producing a blade as long as it does out of the tiny scales. I'm really digging it.

I will say that there are a few different Benchmade knives that I used to hate dearly that I'm coming around to - I miss my large H2O Griptilian for sure).



I'm using 5.0/3.5 strops but I'm on the old-school U-joints (let me know how the ball-joints work out - I'm very curious). Damascus (when done right - Alabama Damascus and Devon Thomas are two examples of very good and Top-Notch Damascus) is actually quite functional. I use all my knives, so I know that going in - I don't know that I could shell out close to $1k for a tool that will wear out and provide minimal functionality over something else, but a few hundred every so often is in the budget, so I definitely understand

The Millie is a pocket-sword. It's possibly one of the few folding-knives that I consider too long (even though I'm more and more into longer folders these days). If you have big hands, then it's probably great. I have average-sized hands, so there are some knives that I just feel funny carrying around. I do love the ergos of the Millie - it's very similar to the Para-2 in that regard. Spyderco's Liner-locks are good to go - no worries there.

Out of curiosity, how did your Manix-2 fail? I've only read detailed accounts on two different (legit) Manix-2 failures where enough evidence was provided to show the issue.

I haven't owned a Southard, but when I handled one, I felt like it was too long - and since then, my tastes have changed towards slightly longer folders so I too may own one some day.




Good luck - Spyderco is suffering from growing pains in Golden, CO right now - any knife made there is not being produced at the rate that consumers are buying them (thank a few different reviewers like NutnFancy, etc. for their recent popularization beyond typical Knife-Nuts). They're ramping up production, but that is not an easy thing to do for a company as small as Spyderco - they're not nearly as large as say Benchmade or the giant that is KAI (Kershaw/ZT/Shun).

They're currently out of stock at all the places I know to shop (at least at places where I trust their inventory status). Keep an eye out at knifeworks.com bladehq.com howesknifeshop.com GPknives.com and CutleryShoppe.com (I'd get on their email lists or facebook/Twitter pages).

The ball bearing lock button split in 2 and fell apart and the bearing went bouncing across my living room floor. Mine is the all black version with the clear button. My father in law has the Manix XL and his has the black lock button and I think that may be a little sturdier plastic. I'm going to send it in after the holidays and request they replace it with the black lock button if they will.

 

[Merlin72]

Well I got my knives in last week. A Para2 , Chokwe , and a ZT 561. If I were to rank them on how well I like them it is in the same order I just listed them. The funny part about that is that they are listed cheapest to most expensive.
Not a single complaint on the Para 2. Out of all the knives I own I can not believe I've waited this long to purchase one. Part of that has been due to availability but I've had the chance before and ended up ordering something else at the time. When I find something I like though I usually buy a bunch of them. Kind of like my benchmade collection of a bunch of the Osborne's. Anyways , I see myself owning a lot more of these as I come across them.

As for the Chokwe. Very cool blade. I really don't like the term much but to classify it I would say it's more of a (gentlemans style) knife. One of the things that is kind of cool to me is when closed seeing the razor sharp blade through the large holes in the grip. Kind of resembles a guillotine. My only complaints with this one. It could definitely benefit from a little gimping on the spine and I'm going to have to send this one back because the liner lock sticks so hard that it takes all you've got to disengage it. I've been trying my best to break it in but the tolerance is so tight that I will never get it smooth. Could I polish and modify this myself ? Yes definitely but I already have to send another one back to them so I will throw this one in as well. Just don't feel that I need to modify a brand new knife.

On to the ZT 561. This one came in much sharper than my 350 but yet no where near any of my Spydies or Benchmades. No biggie though , I will have just the right tool to fix that very soon. The one thing I am not very fond of is the frame lock. Even though it has some gimping it is very hard for me to release with my thumb and also is slightly uncomfortable. I will definitely carry and use it but out of the 3 it truly is my least favorite. I guess with the price tag and following they have my expectations were pretty high. I had only handled one once at a gun show about a year and a half ago and though it was very large in comparison to the size of blades I was carrying at that time it made my list of wanted. I will carry it, it will get used , and probably even receive some custom scales at some point but it will probably never see as much use as this Para 2.

I really enjoy all of my Benchmades and to me the axis lock is my favorite locking mechanism to date. But , for the money I think it is really hard to beat Spyderco.

 

[Merlin72]

I'll PM you my contact info, ez. Not interested in any trades at this time - I'm ready to start selling off some of my knives to support my new AR-15 building addiction.

Please post them on here first or even PM me a list when you do. Make sure you post on here if and when you post them in the classifieds as I check this thread often but not always the classifieds. I'm always good with just purchasing stuff but if your ate up with AR building right now I have a few billet lowers I'd probably be willing to trade if your interested at all.

 

[gearys 5600]

Damn, that's not only extremely hard to get hold of (limited production run), it's one of the more awesome super-steels out. Very nice folder - use it like it should be used (I use mine).

It will definitely get used !! I should have bought a Para 2 a few years ago.

 

[Backstrap]

Please post them on here first or even PM me a list when you do. Make sure you post on here if and when you post them in the classifieds as I check this thread often but not always the classifieds. I'm always good with just purchasing stuff but if your ate up with AR building right now I have a few billet lowers I'd probably be willing to trade if your interested at all.

I probably won't post in the classifieds here as I've had better luck selling knives on eBay - but I'll give you first shot at them (other than the Benchmade 890; ez bake has dibs on that one). And yes, I might be interested in a trade for lowers. I'm about to get busy with Christmas coming up, but I'll try and PM you a list of the knives in the next few days.

 

[Merlin72]

I probably won't post in the classifieds here as I've had better luck selling knives on eBay - but I'll give you first shot at them (other than the Benchmade 890; ez bake has dibs on that one). And yes, I might be interested in a trade for lowers. I'm about to get busy with Christmas coming up, but I'll try and PM you a list of the knives in the next few days.

Sounds good. Thanks.

 

[ez bake]

I ended up with a Kershaw Injection (3.5") and a CRKT Williams Heiho (unexpectedly). I have to say that both are absolutely top-notch budget knives and I'm way impressed with both of them.


I've been considering the ESEE Zancudo - KnifeCenter has an exclusive Digi-cam, KnifeWorks has an exclusive Orange, and Blade HQ has an exclusive Red version, so I'm not sure which to get, but there are some really killer budget-friendly knives in the sub-$40 range right now.

Anyone else score some new folders?

 

[gearys 5600]

Just picked up a moonglow EDC native 5.

I wasn't really looking for the EDC moonglow version, but it kind of found me.