Looking to order 2 new knives. Need some help.

[havand]

I am totally new to the knife world. After some suggestions from jsr, i've picked out a few that I like, but I want to hear some suggestions about knives i've picked out and maybe some I havn't found yet. I wanted a 2-2.5" and a 3-4" knife. I figured I would want one with full serration, but now i'm not sure.

Ordered:
Benchmade Mini Griptilian. Plain edge, 154CM. I'd prefer a smaller blade 2-2.5" with AO, but I just like the look of this knife too much. I REALLY liked the all black with serrated edge, only...I don't want the serrated edge and I couldn't get it with the 154CM and plain edge.

Knives i'm looking at getting to complement the mini grip:
1) Kershaw Junk Yard Dog II plain edge.
2) Kershaw Cyclone plain edge
3) Kershaw Blur s30v blade. I really wish this blade was 0.25-0.5" longer!

Any suggestions or experiences would be helpful about these knives or ones I should be looking at. The price range should be pretty obvious 50-75ish. Thanks guys!


EDIT: Something i've been struggling with is PE vs CE. My first reaction is PE is much more useful, but that little voice in the back of my head keeps saying CE for cloth, small branches, etc. Dunno. Any advice?

 

[CLHC]

Check out some of the Spyderco line of knives (Delica, Endura, etc.) which there's a plethora of. Maybe you can go down to your local dealer if any in your neck of the woods and get a "hands on" feel.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

 

[waynejitsu]

Mimi-Griptillian!!
You made a great choice

You can get it in -
440C
154CM
D2
Plain / Serrated
Silver / Black
Lots of options with this knife and I think I have them all, LOL!!


Knives, like lights are a very personal thing, so it is really hard to point someone in any real direction.

First I would ask what it was to be used for and in what weather, etc.

If it is for diving, you want something like 420J and not M2.
If it is for slicing all day, m2 would be a better choice.

To help you, first think of what it is used for, then pick out a steel type to meet your needs.

This is a good usefull link-
http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/blade_materials.html

 

[havand]

Mimi-Griptillian!!
You made a great choice

You can get it in -
440C
154CM
D2
Plain / Serrated
Silver / Black
Lots of options with this knife and I think I have them all, LOL!!


Knives, like lights are a very personal thing, so it is really hard to point someone in any real direction.

First I would ask what it was to be used for and in what weather, etc.

If it is for diving, you want something like 420J and not M2.
If it is for slicing all day, m2 would be a better choice.

To help you, first think of what it is used for, then pick out a steel type to meet your needs.

This is a good usefull link-
http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/blade_materials.html

What's your opinion about combo vs plain blades?

 

[vic2367]

Kershaw Junk Yard Dog II

 

[CodeOfLight]

Spyderco Endura 4 - ZDP-189 steel.

http://www.knivesplus.com/spydercoknifesp-c10pgre.html

Best all around use knife I have ever had. It is slim, and has a belt clip so you do not need a holster.

 

[waynejitsu]

What's your opinion about combo vs plain blades?

If I had a personal knife sharpener on the payroll or lived next door to the knife factory, I would say the serrated model..., however, since I am who has to sharpen the blade when it gets dull, I will say the plain blade.

For fine cuts, the plain blade wins hands down (I never knew a surgeon that used a serrated blade for surgery, LOL!!!)

For something you plan to sharpen, there are many sharpeners for plain blades and few for serrated.
Even though there are sharpeners for serrated, I just never got the hang of it and it is a PITA to sharpen, at least it is for me.

Nothing wrong with serrated, I wish I was good at sharpening them, but until I do, I will stay with my all plain blades

Hope this helps...

 

[jbosman1013]

a serrated knife or "combo edge" makes heavy cutting tasks a little easier they start the cut so the plain part of the knife can finish. They are a little harder to sharpen but so is S30V, it takes more than the old arkansas stone to put a edge on these new steels.

 

[guntotin_fool]

To me, a SE is an answer looking for a question. If you keep your knife sharp, its no big deal to cut anything with it. A sharp plain edge will cut cloth, rope, twine, branches faster than most any SE. It will be 10x times easier to sharpen as well.

Don't buy cheap knives, they cost you way more in the end. a good knife, one made by a decent company for decent money, will outlast ten cheap knifes.

 

[Valolammas]

EDIT: Something i've been struggling with is PE vs CE. My first reaction is PE is much more useful, but that little voice in the back of my head keeps saying CE for cloth, small branches, etc. Dunno. Any advice?

Yes, listen to your insticts and forget the CE! PE is much more useful!

Personally, I think CE is the worst possible type of knife, with the possible expection of a dull one. There is nothing a CE will do that a reasonably sharp PE couldn't do. Ok, maybe if you cut rope all day... But small branches don't need serrations and for bigger branches, you'll want a saw or an axe anyway.

The base of the blade is a very, very useful part of the blade, and that's where most CEs put the serrations. Yes, serrations cut some materials a little bit better than PE, but you just can't make a clean cut with serrations. And most of the time, I prefer to cut clean and straight. I'd pick PE over SE and certainly over CE every time!

 

[havand]

Mini Grip arrived. I like the knife, but as others have commented, the handle feels 'eh'. I wanted the small knife for pocketcarry, but you don't realize how small a 3" blade is until you've got it in hand (i've got medium to large hands). Next knife is gonna be bigger I'll post up thoughts about it later. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[guyg]

Mini Grip.. great choice. How about a Victorinox SAK to compliment it?? It would have any impliments you need to do anything extra as well a saw for limbs and the 4 1/2 incher can be had with a serrated blade.

 

[GregWormald]

I'm surprised that a 3" blade is small to you, it certainly isn't to me, but I carry in professional attire and offices so YMMV.
If you like the mini-grip and it's too small, I'd be going for a standard size. Try the Ritter Grip, it's a bit more expensive but the blade shape is well thought out, and S30V is a good steel.

I also prefer the plain edge to the combo. If I was cutting a lot of rope I'd sharpen with a 400 grit diamond hone and not go any finer. This would give a sharp edge with micro-serrations that would make a mess(!) of fibrous materials.
Of course the micro-serrations wear rather faster than a polished edge, but polished edges can slide on rope, etc.
Greg

 

[carrot]

Sounds like you need a Spyderco Paramilitary. Slightly larger blade than the Mini-Griptilian, and a much larger handle (one that looks like it belongs on a 4" knife), so it is a lot easier to grip (ha ha) and use. It ranks amongst one of my favorite knives. With a S30V blade, it matches the RitterGrips, with a slimmer and more pocketable handle, but still very usable. In my opinion, the compression lock is as strong if not stronger and more debris-resistant than the Axis as well.

If you want to stay with Benchmade, the slightly larger BM 530 may suit you nicely. I just got one and I've been carrying it for the past two weeks. It is very thin so I would be inclined not to use it as hard as a Mini-Grip, but it is an excellent knife and easily slips into pockets.

 

[havand]

Hmm, i'll have to look into some of those this weekend. In use the mini grip is fine, it's the closing part where I notice it is too small. I almost close my finger and even a part of my hand in it almost everytime. I have to be VERY careful i don't take the tip of a finger off.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Try a Spyderco.