daily carry knife reccommendations?

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  • Fenway

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    I want a knife that I can carry daily. I know nothing about knives and the the options seem endless.

    What is the Glock 19 of knives :D
     

    obijohn

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    rhino or slow1911s might have a better answer, but i like a good quality locking folder and a multiblade pocket knife. carried a spyderco for a long time. now, no matter what other knife i have, i have my emerson mini commander wave. lovely knife.

    do you want a backup for your 19? general cutting chores? one of the small multitools may be a good choice.
     

    KokomoDave

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    I like Emerson's as they 'wave' open when you draw them + they are all American Made! Even the screws are USA!! :patriot:
     

    Scutter01

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    I carry a Gerber Recoil on a day-to-day basis, because it meets my everyday needs. It doesn't necessarily suffice as a self-defense knife. It's going to depend partially on what you want out of a knife.
     

    obijohn

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    Yes and yes to that question. Is it possible to find a decent all around knife?

    well, it's going to be a compromise, i think. just like your 19 is a compromise. don't fret, i believe it a great choice, but any single carry pistol is going to be a compromise.

    one of the midsize "swiss army" knives would be quite versatile as would a multi tool that carries the knife blades on the outside like the wave. that would give you mutliple uses for one tool and one handed opening for use as a backup weapon. in addition, the multi tool doesn't scream "tactical" like a folding fighter.

    rhino? dave? care to speak up on this one?
     

    ashylarry

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    I carry the gerber hinderer most of the time. Has a fully serrated blade, window punch on the back and a seat belt cutter. Probably the nicest gerber knife I have owned or handled.
     

    bigcraig

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    My EDC knife is a Spyderco police half serrated, this is the knife I use for anything at work.

    When not at work, I carry a Emerson CQC-10.
     

    RonPaulSupporter

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    I carry a SOG Flash II most of the time, I like the quick deployment on it and the blade is decent enough size for most everyday tasks. If I don't carry it, it's normally the Spyderco Tenacious or Kershaw Blur.

    The Flash One is also good if you're looking for a slightly smaller blade.
     

    darinb

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    daily carry knife?

    I have a Columbia River M16-12Z that I have carried for 5 years and has taken alot of abuse and I feel that it is alot safer than most other liner locks due to the LAWKS safety feature(basically a manual safety). They are moderately priced and will last. I think they are the best knife for the money out there. Spydercos are good too. Just make sure it is built well and has good steel. Good luck.
     

    NEWMAN

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    benchmade 9050

    or benchmade hk 1330

    both are great I have had the 9050 for 5 years now no issue ever blade looks like crap "marks" but holds edge and is very strong
     

    Rookie

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    Can you sharpen knives well? If you can, I recommend you get a knife that doesn't have any serrations. I don't like serrated knives for general use as they are more of a saw. A good sharp knife will be better than a partial serrated knife. Benchmade, Kershaw, Emerson, and any quality name is recommended. I own a Randall King that I love.

    If you aren't great at sharpening knives, look at the partial serrations - I still don't like them as much. I would recommend you look at a good sharpener before partial serrations. Spyderco makes an excellent sharpener - I use it on all my knives. My kitchen knives are always razor sharp with the Spyderco system. If they start to dull, a few quick passes and they are as sharp as the day I bought them.

    Knifeoutlet.com is a good place to find a lot of knives that are reasonable...
     

    Tinman

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    Well, I'm a bit of a knife nut, so I'll throw my 2 cents in.

    I've owned and carried a lot of different brands and models. Everything from Benchmade and Gerber to Strider and Microtech. If you're looking for something to be used for strictly defensive purposes, I'd recommend you look into a good quality fixed blade, like the Clinch Pick or TDI. There are others, but those are what I have experience with. The down side of these is there are legalities associated with carrying a fixed blade in some locals, and there can be a stigma associated with drawing a fixed blade for general purpose work.

    If you’re looking for a good all around knife, one of the mid size locking folders are a good choice. For the money and quality, it’s hard to beat Benchmade or Spiderco right now. One important thing for defensive use is to make absolutely sure you can access and deploy with 1 hand. That usually eliminates the traditional Swiss Army knife or the like. Emerson did a really good thing introducing us all to the wave feature. Unfortunately, his execution of the concept is terrible. The wave is to small and doesn’t reliably open on all draws on all pants. One thing we did discover is that if you are skilled with a dremel tool and by the right knife, it’s very easy to open up the thumb hole and “wave” most any folder.

    My current EDC knives are, Benchmade Griptilian that I waved. It opens reliable and with little effort. I also carry a Shivworks Clinch Pick for strictly defensive use, and an older Kershaw Talon that was discontinued years ago. Although it’s a folder, I carry the Kershaw locked open in a Raven custom sheath. That way it functions as a fixed blade for me.

    If you’re going to carry, I’d recommend a basic course in it’s deployment and use. I’ve had a few, and I think SouthNarc’s was the most applicable to street use. Having said that, I learned something from all of them.

    That’s what I’ve got for you, If interested, I’ll see if I can get some pics of the waved Benchmade for you, but it’ll probably be a few days.

    Tinman….
     

    Chefcook

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    I carrie a Kershaw Ken Onion easy out. Its a great general purpose knife. It has a half serrated Tanto blackout blade. And the spring assited opening is lightning fast. To me its an extention to my right arm. The price is also moderate at 62 bones from Wallmart.....JC
     

    KokomoDave

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    rhino? dave? care to speak up on this one?

    Man,make a couple Rhino's for a couple specop guys and then everyone is beating you down.:): Ha-ha-ha!

    I know just a little bit 'bout knives.They are sharp.They will cut.I have scars to prove it!!

    I say find what is comfortable for you to carry/use/maintain. My ideal Tom Krein UBK in a shoulder rig is a bit much for some.It's all about what fits for YOU.I'm telling you about a defensive knife with a specific application. You're searching for a great EDC.Compromise is going to raise it's ugly head but practicality of use v.s. price point is another issue.How much are you willing to spend? Billy Bob at the corner store will sell you the newest whizz-bang Chinese copy of an American design but will that suffice? It may take many knives and years 'til you find what is right for you.Research and handling knives at shows,shops,etc until you are good-to-go with your choice.Good luck and keep us updated when you find a good 'un.
     

    rhino

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    I want a knife that I can carry daily. I know nothing about knives and the the options seem endless.

    What is the Glock 19 of knives :D

    Fenway, we could go the simple route or the thorough route in answering this query. Since I've had my head poked into the knife industry since 1980 or so, I have a few opinions and I continue to learn new things every day.

    The simplest answer is to address "what is the Glock 19 of knives?"

    In my opinion, the best fit to that description is the Spyderco Delica. Similarly, the "Glock 17 of knives" would be the Spyderco Endura.

    Are there knives that will match any set of specific needs better? Of course! Are there a few that could be wedged into the same category and perform equally as well? Sure!

    Here are some advantages of the Spyderco Endura and Delica:
    • Both share a common, elegant design that has evolved and improved over three major revisions since they were introduced in either the very early 90s or very late 80s. They fit your hand for actual use well, and both are so light in weight you won't notice you are carrying them. You could carry them on a string around your neck (and some people do) without any discomfort.
    • First rate quality control from a first rate company. You will get a knife that is well made. On a rare occasion that you get one with a defect, they will replace it quickly. They are durable and will last a lifetime with proper care and use.
    • Excellent ergonomics - they're the easiest one-handed opening knives on the market (a Spyderco feature) because of 1) the hole and 2) they are properly designed to be opened with one hand (not just a thumb stud thrown onto a knife as an after thought because everyone else is doing it). Spyderco may not have literally invented the one-handed opening knife, but they are certainly responsible for perfecting and popularizing the concept starting in the 1980s. This ease of opening is the primary reason why my left pocket carry is an Endura. My left hand is not as dextrous as my right, so I wanted the easist opener I could get. The current versions of the Endura and Delica also allow you to put the pocket clip on either side and on either end to meet your preference.
    • Excellent materials - the blade steel is VG-10, which is a premium quality stainless cutlery steel. The Spyderco heat treatment is excellent and maximizes the properties of the VG-10 without being too brittle. VG-10 is one of the stainless steels that can take and hold a wickedly sharp edge with the proper heat treatment.
    • Excellent blade and edge geometry - Spydercos are probably the sharpest knives (out of the box) that you can buy on a consistent basis. You might find an Emerson or some other brand that is also wickedly sharp when it's new, but if you take a hundred of the same model from any manufacturer, the Spydercos will be the sharpest as a group. I must disclose, however, that I reprofile (change the angle) the primary edge bevel on just about every knife I own, but that is a personal preference thing.
    Naturally much of the above could be said for a variety of knives and brands, and everyone has a personal preference. I am confident, however, that the Delica/Endura are the closest thing you'll find to a Glock of knives.

    With all that said, I think everyone should carry a minimum of two knives on their person. First is a one-handed single blade folder as above. The other is either a Swiss Army Knife or a high quality multi-tool, depending on which fits your needs better. Of course, that opens the discussion as to which SAK and/or which multi-tool to carry! :D
     
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