Looking for a knife (posting here because knife site sparsely populated)

I'm looking for a knife that can serve as an all round utility knife (sort of like a knife equivalent of the UK 2L), but which can also serve as a self defense weapon in an emergency. It should be slim, openable with one hand (Do they till have those switchblade knives, that opened with a button push? They were very convenient). It should be small enought to sit unobtrusively on my belt next to an ARC SLS 2AA
Ideally it would be a simple, sleek design.

I have never owned a knife so I don't know exactly what I'm looking for what I'm looking for, but simplicity of design, a slim, sleek profile and easy, practical functionality are important considerations.

I would also like the least noticeable holster. Even a flashlight holster would be fine.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Brightnorm

Well... how much you got to spend?

Originally posted by brightnorm:


I have never owned a knife ...

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That is a very foreign concept to me.

I EDC a Buck Odyssey for many reasons. Two are because I could get it at Walmart and it was cheap. If wear it out or lose it I'm not going to be real upset. Before I say much I should say that I'm sure you will receive advice from members that are hugely more knowledgeable than am I. This knife is made by a classic manufacturer. It does not have a thumb button but opts for an elliptical hole to blade the knife. It is legal in my area. The blade is 3". Over 3.5" long or spring driven in any way is illegal where I live. When I bought this it was one of those times where I wanted to feel the product in my hand before I purchased it. When I put the Odyssey in my hand and operated it I did not hesitate. I bought it on the spot and have never regretted the purchase.

You will certainly hear about finer knives than this.

Spyderco knives are an excellent choice. I like the Native with Zytel handle.

If you want to go up in class (and price) you can't beat the Sebenza (large or small) by Chris Reeve.

Here's a good place to start.

http://www.1stopknifeshop.com/

Here's a place like CPF.

www.bladeforums.com

If you like the convience of a switch blade, but something legal, you might consider the Kershaw spring assit line. I have a the Whrilwind & the Blackout I'm happy with. Benchmade makes the Axis lock mechanisim that is almost as easy to open. There are lots of good knives that would fit your specs but it's almost like asking what flashlight you should buy. TX

Thanks everyone , for your helpful suggestions. Icebreak, long ago, when I was a kid ,the "bad guys" in school had them and never tired of demonstrating them to the rest of us.

Brightnorm

I'm a big fan of Benchmade knives. I would highly recommend the Benchmade 705 for you. It's small enough to be sheeple-friendly (2.95" blade), but it's large enough to be useful and fit in your hand perfectly. I've been carrying this as my EDC for over a year now. In my business casual work environment, I carry it at the bottom of my pocket. On weekends, I use a Benchmade nylon holster mounted horizontally (it can also be mounted vertically). Very unobtrusive, but it's got a strong blade and the best lock: the Axis lock. One hand open and close, ambidextrous too.

http://www.benchmade.com/detail.asp?model=705

If you want a larger knife, the 710 (3.9" blade) is the full size version of the 705. Get the 710HS with M2 tool steel and it'll be one of the toughest folders you can get. The 710 also has a recurve blade for superior slicing. It's a great combination of utility and self defense capability.

http://www.benchmade.com/detail.asp?model=710

Best prices at http://www.knifeworks.com/

In all, I have 7 Benchmades and I love them all: 705BT, 705BC1HS, 710HS, 720BT, 806D2, 910BT, 940

brightnorm-

Understood. I'd like to know what you ultimately decide on.

I have found my faverite knife to be a Benchmade Mini T-SEK. It is a master of beauty and utility. Thin, sleek, strong blade, great thumb ramp, holds a nice edge, easy to resharpen, feels great in the hand. One hand opening. At least check it out, it is a supirior knife.(IMO)

I hve 6 or 7 BM's & probably 10-12 Spyderco's. The BM Stryker is an excellent choice. CRKT makes some excellent knives too. I think Bushman just sold on that would have fit you needs for a good price. I would have purchased it, except I already had one. Generally speaking, don't get a combo blade unless it's 4"+. You won't have enough blade to do either job well. Stick with the plain blade. If my plain blade is up to speed, it'll cut anything a serrated one will & just as fast. TX

I have to go with the Benchmade axis lock. Most blades nowadays have a liner lock. To an old fart as I, it's hard to get used to it. Not at all like the old style lock backs the ones that you press a spot on the spine to unlock. The axis lock is a small slide on both sides of the knife.
Benchmade is a very good mass production knife maker. I have the 942 model that I ECD. A little lower in price is the Griptillion(sp?), also an axis lock.

When I ordered the Griptillion, I had my doubts. All the other BM Axis locks were over $100. When I saw this one for the less than $70 price, I had my doubts. Except for the fact it isn't a G10 handle, it is totally up to BM standards. I would highly recomend it & except for the Stryker, is probably my favorite BM. TX

The BM's sound like a good choice. I would suggest a blade between 3 and 3 1/4 inches. My EDC is a Carson M4 and I expect it to have company in a month or two (Strider SnG preorder). As for the self defense thing.. I would suggest that you get lots of training in CQC before you even consider it. I've had around 20 years or so and that's certainly helped me to know my (many) limitation. This is especially true when it comes to knives.

Actually my best SD weapons are my shoes... watch me scoot!

Happy Hunting!

Byron

Perhaps one of the most popular knives used as a utility piece and a defensive folder (especially in MA classes) is the Spyderco Endura.

It's relatively cheap (about 45 bucks street price), high quality, easy to maintain lock back, etc. AND for training, it's also available with an inert (non-sharpened)blade, for training...

--dan

Bryon,
You're a man after my own heart. Someone was talking on another thread about most gunfights being at less than 20' distance. I figure I'm pretty safe then, because if I think there's going to be a gunfight, I'm going to be a lot further away than that in a heartbeat. "feet don't fail me now......" TX ( I feel the same about knife fights)

Hello,

I second the notion that you should spend some time on Bladeforums.com.

I carry a Chris Reeve Sebenza.

It certainly wins for utility, strength and utter reliability. It doesn't scream "assault knife" either.

Interestingly, this came up a little while back on the Chris Reeve section. I dug up the thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=221805

The response was mixed, basically that the Sebenza is ultra reliable and strong - and that is a plus in this area, but isn't really designed as a self defense knife. The knife that kept comming up was the Emerson Commander and Mini Commander.

That said, I suspect a knife isn't the best primary self defense tool for most people for number of reasons. 1) you can cut someone very bad and they can still kill you (they might die, but that won't help you) and 2) it sounds like defending yourself with a knife would be a legal nightmare.

You might poke around a bit on Bladeforums and on the Strategos (formerly Surefire) discussion board ( http://186thousand.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi ) to get pointed in the right direction.

To be honest, if I was in your position, I would consider some sort of blunt force option, perhaps a (hey, getting on-topic!) 4D Maglite. I would partner that with supprise.

Good luck.

-john

I have had several knives for edc and usually destroy them within a year. I would say that if you can spend about a $100 I would go with a spyderco or my current favorite, the emerson cqc-7b which is a half serrated. I work as a stage hand and abuse the he** out of my knives. For economy all the guys at my shop agree that the smith and wesson line is tops even though they are made in R.O.C.

Whew!

Talk about a wealth of information! I very much appreciate all the good advice, and because of the sober and knowledgeable words of John N and others I've reconsidered the defensive aspect of my purchase.

CPF is truly a goldmine of knowledge and experience, and not just Flashaholism.

Thanks again,
Brightnorm

Among my favorites are the Emerson CQC7B also, and the Benchmade 710S and 705S. The Emerson is really ruggedly made, but after using the Benchmade's Axis lock, decided that was a necessary advantage, because it can be opened just as fast as a switch blade and stronger. It can be closed just as quickly as it opens, which is probably impossible with any other knife. To me, it's a safety advantage, because it can be opened up, used, and quickly closed up and stowed one handed, so you aren't inclined to continue carrying it open due to convenience.
I've taken to carrying the smaller 705S instead of the 710S now simply because of the current knife phobic environment, sensibilities aside.

[No message]