I"m somewhat new to knives.
I'm looking for 2 actually -Blade size 2-3" for both. One for general work (yard/house/boat), one more for sailing but both will be used a lot on boats, which brings up my question.
I want not only easy one-hand opening but safe/easy one hand closing. On sailboat, other hand is usually grabbing rope or rail. And things can be very/suddenly unsteady. I've been researching quite a bit and here's what i've learned so far. Tell me what you think:
-I don't want a backlock knife as that (often) needs two hands. Although I am considering a little SOG blink as a tiny third knife option.
- I don't want a liner lock knife because my thumb has to cross the blade path while disengaging.
-I think I want a side lock like the benchmade Axis system
- An assisted opener would be good for two reasons. 1. quick easy open 2. the spring holds the blade out a bit after the lock is disengaged preventing it from closing before i'm ready (this would be really important in a liner lock knife, not so important (and maybe bad) in a side lock knife.
Knives currently under consideration:
General work - mini-griptillion, mini- barrage (max $), Gerber mini-swagger (blade too pointed). SOG twitch 1 or 2.
Sailing - Buck 753 Redpoint rescue knife (long story) I already have a standard small sailing tool with blade, marinspike
Any opinions on your favorite "one hand closer" would be appreciated.
My 2 ¢...
Your idea to have a general usage EDC and a boat EDC is a great idea...the ideal characteristics of each knife are wildly different and so you can get a knife made for each.
Boat
For knives in saltwater, Spyderco really leads the way as they have so many options in tried, tested, and affordable designs. While their marine-capable steel gets all of the press, they are also using component parts with materials like titanium so the components themselves do not wear over time and result in failure.
Characteristics that I would call ideal is going to be a hawkbill blade or a blade with a blunted tip in a steel like H1 or N680, which is hardened with nitrogen and is subsequently sporting extreme corrosion resistance that other steels cannot match.
I mention a hawkbill specifically because it is an EXTREMELY aggressive cutter, and it's design dramatically reduces the chance of one stabbing themselves in the event of loss of control. Also, a fully serrated knife is also very useful for the application of being on a boat and cutting rope. So a serrated hawkbill is going to tear through the fibrous objects you see in marine usage...it will cut these objects with dramatically less force than other knives, at a much quicker speed. The advantage of that is when you are using the knife in an environment when you are more likely to lose control, if you are using a knife with less physical force, the slip of control can mean significantly less bad outcome and the reduced effort can help reduce the chance of a slip. It's the same logic of how the worst kitchen injuries come from dull knives because people use more force, slip, and make a worse wound.
In that sense, the Spyderco Tasman Salt is hard to beat...the yellow handle especially for visibility. Add a lanyard with a flotation device and you are golden. The Spyderco Salt 1 has a sheepsfoot blade which has a semi-blunted tip.
While these items are lockbacks, I would not worry too much about the closing aspect...you can close them without crossing the blade portion of the handle and close them in a fashion that if you fall or get jerked that you arent going to close on your hand.
Beyond all though, I would strongly advise two-handed closing whenever there is a chance of significant vibration...and depending on the knife, even going as far to tighten the pivot so that the blade cannot move freely. Even the best one-handed closers are going to still have risks that come with any time a blade is allowed to swing freely...that risk is best reduced when both hands are used to avoid any point in which the blade is moving freely in such a fashion. A sheath is also useful. When I am out on the water and doing activities on more rough seas, I actually have a sheath for the Pacific Salt I generally carry so that it can be carried locked open on my belt as a fixed blade to avoid having to open/close during frequent usage when we're bouncing up and down.
General Use EDC
The nitrogen steels are great for marine usage, but when corrosion resistance is not pivotal, they are not the ideal steels because they do not have the edge retention and toughness that some other common steels do. For general usage, edge retention and toughness are the top choices...your usage will determine which is most important. I would say avoid SOG unless you go for their high end knives.
For general usage, the Benchmade Mini Ritter Griptilian is hard to beat. The AXIS lock is fantastic, the S30V blade steel is arguably one of the best knife steels ever invented, and the edge geometry is fantastic. As a high-flat grind, it can perform both heavy duty utility and fine slicing, which most knives cannot do. AXIS is the easiest one-handed closer of any common system. The standard Mini Grip is also a great knife, but the blade of the Ritter is a dramatic improvement and IMHO one of the best blades on any mass production knife...it is so good it literally rivals knives that cost 3x+!
Spyderco's Delica is also fantastic...if you are looking for a tool primarily to cut beyond everything else, one in the ZDP-189 or Super Blue steel is going to give almost shocking edge retention. The standard base VG-10 steel is also outstanding, and when toughness is also needed, it is hard to beat. VG-10 is also very easy to sharpen.
As far as assisted openers go, they can be useful but really accomplish no more or less than a well-designed manual folder. In some cases, they can make closing a pain. It's pretty easy to become proficient with whatever folder you choose, so if you like the designs of one but are unsure of the lock, I would not let that discourage you if it is a good knife.
Kershaw's Chive and Leek are great knives, but their standard steels are a real letdown in terms of performance. They do make them in some better steels on select models (S30V, D2, CPM-154, ZDP-189 among others), but these are generally limited editions in which prices are a good bit higher. KershawGuy sells a lot of factory blems and often has the S30V Leeks for a killer good price.
Pro-Tech's 2-inch 'Cali-legal' Sprint is simply outstanding and can be had in a carbon fiber for under $120. I would argue that the steel used (CPM-S35VN) is (next to ELMAX) the best all-around steel one can get on a folding knife for general usage. Like most Pro-Techs, the quality is outstanding as is the blade design.