Spyderco Gayle Bradley

05/16/2011 by Don C.

-Price Paid: $135.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

My first review will be my favorite Spyderco knife, The Gayle Bradley is alot of knife at a relatively low cost considering the materials used.

I have one gripe and ill post it right away, The liner lock is very hard to reach and operate. The right side liner and CF is the same height as the liner lock making very hard to get your thumb on the jimping.

Fit and finish is excellent, And i found the liners not to be so sharp as many have stated.

The M4 steel is hollow ground with a very high grind so it slices like a champ. The pivot needed loosened a bit when it arrived, But it didn't even need grease which i add to most of my new knives. Weight feels hearty and sturdy thanks to the steel liners.

I think the carbon fiber is peel ply since its nicely textured. Size is what id call a medium framed knife.

I do keep the blade with a coat of Tuff Glide dry lube to help resist corrosion since M4 has been known to be not as rust resistant as most stainless steels are.

SOG Seal Pup Elite

05/14/2011 by Kevin L

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

I bought this knife primarily as a hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and just all around outdoors knife. I've heard of some people having issues with the AUS8 steel but if you get SOG's TiNi coating there really isn't an issue, especially if you wash it out with fresh water and oil it after every time you use it.

This blade also came RAZOR sharp out of the box and the AUS8 steel is extremely easy to sharpen. The ridges that SOG put on the top of the knife are especially good for notching wood for traps if you ever need them. I only have two complaints about this knife, first, the handle is made of glass reinforced kraton which is extremely durable but also extremely rigid and hard to grip when wet, but easy fix is to just wear gloves. The second issue (I know it has nothing to do with the knife itself) is the nylon sheath. The strap used to hold the knife in is nylon and i personally had an issue with cutting the strap when taking the knife out. So if you purchase this knife be sure to get the kydex sheath which had some sort of rubber composite strap. But overall an OUTSTANDING knife.

KaBar Mule Folder

05/11/2011 by M. Wiersma

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I bought this knife about two years ago and carried it with me for most of that time. I've used it on a daily base in my work as a utility knife, including a lot of box-cutting. It is heavy for a folding knife, perhaps not really a 'pocket-knife', but it gives me more control than a smaller knife would. The edge stays very sharp and is easy to sharpen ( remember, I do a lot of boxcutting!). After two years of heavy duty use some minor flaws appear: The black finish on the blade is almost gone, and the little torque-screws used to keep the gripplates on are loosening. Altough I lost a few, this doesn't seem to affect the knife at all. Also recently the knife for the first time in two years seemed to fail locking properly, altough it might have been dirty. All and all this knife was a very good buy, and the minor flaws are, to my opinion, a result of two years heavy duty wear and tear, and I think I will replace it eventually by buying a new one!

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Buck Parallex 2.25

05/09/2011 by John

-Price Paid: $30.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

This knife was a good knife, but I recently had to get rid of it because the locking mechanism kept failing and the serraded part kept stabbing me in the forefinger. The blade after about a year of everyday use became loose from the frame. The frame however was quite strong and comfortable to grasp, although the knife was quite difficult to take out even after 2 years of everyday use. I would recommend if purchased for 10-15 dollars, I paid 30 dollars for it.

CRKT M16-01KZ

05/09/2011 by john

-Price Paid: $16.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

This is the easiest opening folder that I have ever owned. It also opens very quickly on top of easily. great blade length, comfortable in the hand. 2 complaints: very light weight (it's not necessarily a bad thing) and the fact that it cannot be adapted for left hand use (meaning that the belt clip is fixed on a particular side as to be far more ergonomic to right handed use.)

Spyderco Manix 2

05/01/2011 by Jack

-Price Paid: $153.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

About 6 years ago I decided to finally get ONE good quality knife compared to what I've been using all my life. I have bought between 10 and 15 knives which includes 7 or 8 Spydercos. The other brand was mainly SOG. I have these Spydercos: Delica ZDP-189 with FFG and a saber grind, Stretch (blue w/ZDP), Michael Walker, Endura and a couple of others. I just got a Manix 2 about a week ago and so far I think I finally have the ONE knife I started looking for. The blade is 3 3/8" long but when my index finger is in the first choil only the edge is exposed which is 2 7/8". This leaves the impression that the knife isn't as big as it really is (not that it is too big at all) for people who freak whan a knife is brought out in public. I love holding it, G-10 is very comfortable and the handle is shaped like I closed my hand and the handle was poured into it making a perfect fit. I re-profiled the edge which took a while but it sharpened up very nicely. The edge out of the box wasn't as sharp as it should be but it was pretty sharp. I have the one with M4 steel and love the FFG. It has skeletonized liners which makes it lighter than the 154CM model which I love as well. My son has one and until I got mine in the mail he had to watch me to make sure I didn't steal it (which would only be fair because of all the $200 sneakers). lol I love the lock and how it releases. It did take me a whole 3 minutes to master it and I didn't loose any fingers. With the other knives I have I have thought which one would I keep if I had to get rid of the rest. My choice always depended on the mood I was in at the time. Now the choice is easy, Manix 2! I have normally carried a small knife and a larger one for larger cutting tasks as EDC. Even thought the Manix is about the same size as the larger ones I've carried I also feel comfortable with it all by itself with no smaller knife which was usually a Delica. I can't think of anything I don't like about the knife. The only thing I'm undecided on now is how to carry it, pocket or sheath? I'll carry it both ways so it'll be a daily decision. It's a little big for the front pocket but not too big. It works great in my rear pocket also. When I want to wear a sheath it lives there. Great all around EDC knife. I have used it for opening potato chips, cutting small limbs in the yard, cardboard and whittling. M4 holding an edge great. I bought this knife to use and so far it is great! I'll be getting the 154CM model in the near future as a back up.

Jack

Gerber Answer

04/26/2011 by ForHuntersbyHunte

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

forHuntersbyHunters teamed up with some of the largest knife manufacturers to look at their most affordable folders. We'll publish a review each month and give away one knife with each review. Check out our Facebook page or register on the 4HxH.com forum to find out how to get in on the action. This month the staff reviewed the Freeman Guide folder from Gerber.

Before we get into the details on this great new knife, here's a little bit of history on the company. In 1910, Joseph R. Gerber started Portland, Oregon's Gerber Advertising. Prior to the Christmas of 1939, Joseph had a local knife maker craft 25 sets of kitchen knives for his clients, as gifts. Due to the overwhelming response these knives received, an idea was had. With the help of Joseph's two sons, Gerber Hand-Made Blades was born, which became what we all know and enjoy today as Gerber Legendary Blades. Today Gerber isn't just a knife company, they're an engineering company that creates tools and outdoor gear to suit many different needs. They are now producing axes/machetes, personal L.E.D. lights, and backpack hydration products. Gerber offers many styles and designs of fixed blade and folding knives, as well as an array of multi-tools designed for hunters, anglers, shooters, active outdoors people and our hardworking men and women in the United States Military. Hats off to you Gerber for simplifying our complex lives.

The Freeman Guide is exactly what you would expect from Gerber. It has all of the ingredients; ingenuity, craftsmanship, functionality and attention to detail. These are all key components when designing a knife that is built for work, not show.

The Freeman Guide would be considered an all purpose outdoors man's folding knife. The Freeman boasts a 1/8" thick, 3.6" long, full fine edged, high carbon stainless drop point blade, with large ambidextrous thumb studs. The spine or "false edge" has serrations from the thumb studs back, which continue to cover the edges of the rest of the handle to ensure a solid grasp. If that isn't enough the attached grip plates on the liner have a TacHide onlay, which is a grippy rubber coating that provides a positive grip in wet or dry conditions. The Freeman has a sturdy liner lock that provides a stable and secure blade when open. The liner lock also has a blade retention feature that helps keep the knife closed when not in use. With its hefty blade and handle this knife weighs in at 6.6 oz. That's slightly heavier than your average folder, but that's okay, because this isn't your average folder. Although it may be a little on the larger side for a womans hand, with all of that mass behind the razor sharp edge, cutting and light chopping are easy tasks with this blade. With comfort in mind this knife almost feels as if it were form fitted to your hand. The butt of the knife does not have a lanyard hole, but a 7/8" slot that could accept just about anything from 550 cord to webbing. When not in use the knife stores in it's ballistic nylon sheath that can be worn either vertically or horizontally on your belt.

Staff Feedback:

John MacPherson - forHuntersbyHunters Pro Staff - 704 Outdoors

This is a tool for the professional outdoors man. It fits the hand comfortably and grips great wet or dry.

It arrived just in time for me to try it out on a spring turkey harvest which it boned out the breast with ease. I expect no less when I use it on hogs and deer. If you are looking for durability this is the knife. It has no flex anywhere and stayed sharp throughout the cleaning of the turkey. The liner lock is rock solid. The easy one hand operation could make this my new go to knife. I would absolutely recommend to my hunting friends, and would not want my enemy to have one!

Brian Barham - forHuntersbyHunters Pro Staff

After playing around with this knife and cutting just about anything I can get away with, I can say that overall it's a great knife for the price. The knife balances very well in the hand, and just because I had to, it throws nicely as well. After cutting anything and everything and using a large pine tree as a target the blade was still very sharp. A few quick swipes over a diamond hone and it was back to "shaving sharp". The blade has a satin finish that aides in smoother cutting, with less sticking that is more common from a polished blade. With the TacHide grip I had a solid hold on the knife, even when covered in mud. With that said, because it is a liner lock, it has an open spine which made clean-up a cinch. My only criticism would be directed towards the type of screws that hold the knife together. The screws are Torx head, and the average user might not have these tools readily available should the need to tighten one arise. Although I don't consider this a big deal, it would make it slightly more user friendly. Suffice it to say, this is the only "not so good" thing I can say about this knife as of now. Unless it falls apart after this review, I can say that I would recommend this knife to anyone that is looking for an affordable, all purpose knife, which seems to be able to stand up to the harshest conditions.

Ed Valentine - forHuntersbyHunters Pro Staff

My first impression of the knife was the weight. I like some weight to my knives and this one has it and was very sharp out of the box. I wouldn't recommend attempting surgery with it but it is a worker and for the price, the knife is a good value. The TacHide material makes grip while wet a non issue. The blade locks solid and the size is perfect for a multipurpose camp/hunting knife. Honestly, I can't find a negative thing to say about it. Gerber hit a home run here. I can see myself carrying this while hunting or camping in remote areas and the price gives me piece of mind to not worry about losing it as I do when carrying much more expensive knives.

Here is the warranty information directly from Gerber's website.

Limited Lifetime Warranty: Gerber warrants to the consumer that this product will be free of defects, in material and workmanship for as long as you own the product. This warranty does not cover damage due to rust, accident, loss, improper use, abuse, negligence, or modification of or to any part of the product. Normal wear and tear is not covered under the warranty. If the product failed while being used as it was intended to be used, we will service under the warranty. At Gerber's option, defective product will be repaired, replaced, or substituted with a product of equal value.

To see Pictures visit http://forhuntersbyhunters.com

Benchmade 890 Torrent

04/25/2011 by Josh

-Price Paid: $100.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Really like this knife but it is a bit pricey. But it qualifies as a second kind of cool, I just like it. I have had minor problems with the clip screws coming loose and the blade screw loosening. But nothing a torque driver can't fix. Might have to put a little lock-tight on it. Some may frown on this and say they shouldn't have to go to all that trouble on such a high priced knife but it does not bother me. No problems with it engaging the lock or dulling still very sharp. Over all a nice knife but probably paid too much.

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Emerson Knives Commander

04/25/2011 by Clinton De Abreu

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I've owned my Emerson Commander for over a year and disagee with a lot of the comments on this page. My blade was purchased to be a daily carry blade & for use in my AMOK training. This blade has proven to be well built & tough.

I enjoy the wave system which really cuts seconds off the blades draw. It's heft is great, a constant reminder of you companion & there isn't a better looking blade, simply put it's beatiful.

The grip on it is made to be non-slip, regardless of moisture levels. The grip is finished off into a tip, making it a great defensive tool in a hammer type swing situation. The grip is made of steel versus plastic, which has a reassuring feel to it. The locking mechanism is simple, straightforward thumb catch type & it's proven to be very strong. The click, which some one complained about earlier, is well built, strong & one of the better construct ones that I've seen.

In closing, I have several knives & I admit that as a full utulity knife this blade fulls short, which is it's only short coming, but this blade wasn't built to be a utulity blade. This blade was constructed to be a daily carry self defence knife you will find it hard to find anything else better on the market. In short I absolutely love my Emerson Commando.

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Ontario RAT 1

04/23/2011 by Isaac

-Price Paid: $25.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

This is probably the best knife you can get for under $30. The blade is aus8 and comes shaving sharp out of the box! Holds a really good edge. Lockup is excellent. Torque screws and pillar construction really give nice value to the knife. Jimping is good. Zytel handles are kinda slick but it has a nice finger choyle. Steel liners and liner lock.

Black version's painted blade gets scratched of easily. Ok pocket clip.

Takes a while to open up fast, but after a little bit of fondling with it, it opens uP easily.

A hard working knife with a 3 1/2 inch blade

Cold Steel Finn Wolf

04/23/2011 by Rob62

-Price Paid: $15.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

While the Finn Wolf has now been discontinued by CS. However, it may still be found in some places.

This is an excellent budget priced general purpose sheath knife. The blade is stainless steel and holds an edge very well. The grip is plastic molded directly over the full tang.

It will serve its user well for general camp use, hunting, and lite bushcraft.

While it might double up as a survival knife I think it is somewhat too small for this purpose.

Cold Steel SRK

04/23/2011 by Rob62

-Price Paid: $75.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

The Cold Steel SRK is an absolutely incredible knife. I have used and abused mine for years and still have not managed to damage the blade.

Anyone looking for a best value in survival or general bushcraft knives this is it.

This knife will easily batton wood. I have used it for any and all outdoor activities from battoning wood, building shelters, processing wild game, to picking splinters out of skin.