CRKT Folts Minimalist

11/25/2010 by ilts

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I got this knife as a gift on fathers day,I uae it as an everyday carry general purpose knife.It holds an edge very well it has had only minor touch ups on a steel.I find it very easy to grip for just about any cutting tasks.The sheath fits very well,the knife is easy to remove and replace.Overall I really like every aspect.

Ontario SP8 Machete

11/23/2010 by Jamal

-Price Paid: $64.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I purchased a Ontario sp8 for use as a beater knife to throw in the back o my truck. It has served it's purpose well. The construction is strong. It is. Good compact but usable size. The blade came sharp and when it needed to be resharpened it was done easy enough. The tip is good for digging I once got stuck in a washout and used the sp8 to dig dirt from behind the tire to create a slope rather than a drop and so chopped branches and fallen debris to stick under the tires for traction. The sheath is okay nothing fancy but functional. The drawbacks to the knife are the coating wears off easily, and the it came with a lame shoestring as a lanyard. The sawback works very well for notching but will not cut, except maybe roots. I think the only thing that would improve this knife greatly is if the blade were placed at an angle with more belly sort of like a parang so it could be more useful at food prep and skinning. For chopping prying digging and this knife is a winner pair it with a smaller drop point or clip point blade and your set to handle most chores for camp and minor emergencies requiring egress.

Kershaw Skyline

11/19/2010 by Eric

-Price Paid: $35.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Got this knife about 3 montha ago and has been my EDC ever seince. The skyline comes very sharp and holds an edge well. I dont know about reshapening as i have not had to sharpen this knife other than a few strokes on a steel. G-10 handle provides great grip. I mainly use the flipper to open but unlike the other reviewers i find the thumb stud pretty easy to use after the knife has been broken in. These guys must just be pussies. The flip is quick and lockup is perfect. I put this knife throu some good use and lock up is still as good as new absolutly no wiggle.

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Leatherman Blast

11/17/2010 by John Briarson

-Price Paid: $52.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

First off in twenty years I have worn out two Leatherman. I am highly disappointed that the pliers are made in Mexico and the blades overseas. Assembly is supposedly US. All these years they lied to us, but they state it is ok because the quality is as good as US and anyway they are better than the Chinese knockoffs. Lets tell the truth. Leatherman is prior to any of the Chinese knockoffs so their claim is bogus. They lied to America to make a profit. After losing a California lawsuit they no longer can claim US made if they want to sell in California. So because the public is confused they state they will no longer make the US claim.

Now to the review. It is big and bulky and no longer nearly as convenient to use as the original products. The quality is not bad and unlike the original WAVE, they are not finger pinchers. My Gerber is probably the worst finger pincher made. The saw is very good, the file is unfortunately not nearly as good as on the PST II. The scissors work ok but are smaller than previous models. The phillips is excellent. Still comes with a can opener, why? Eyeglass tool looks impressive. Knife as in previous models has little value except for butchering yourself. The Mexican leather sheath has protruding rivets that require the Leatherman bolster area to be beveled with a file to get proper insertion. Once thats done it fits in ok other than rattling around noisely when you walk, which can be cured by flattening the sheath to make a better fit. Would I buy another--not if I could find another new PST II. Original Leatherman was Mexican/Japanese, now they are Mexican/European. I'm disgusted but with very little competition what can we do. The US Government bought thousands of these prior to the source disclosure.

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CRKT Ultima 5in

11/16/2010 by James Stevens

-Price Paid: $65.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

First off,I spend alot of time in the woods.Between hunting,camping,hiking,working and practicing my survival skills.I've owned many knifes before I settled on this one.Its about the best knife for an all-around outdoor/hunting/survival knife.

I love the handle.Its very durable,comfortable,and might i add,stylish!

The blade is a perfect all around length also.Its not a machate/bowie ment to hack wood and foilage.Its also not a tiny caping/carving knife ment for woodcarving or for surgical use.But it'll do either function in a pinch.Its primarily ment for cutting cord,rope and webbing.Making snares and traps.Self defense.Processing game.And playing a LARGE role in any survival situation.BTW,I love the serration on the blade.

The sheath,in my oppinion,is a bit overkill for an all around outdoor knife.

The feel of the knife is great,thou nothing to brag about.

Might i add for being a hardcore survivalist.This would make a perfect TEOTWAWKI knife.Coupled with a EDC folder and a big bowie/machate,and you'd have an exellent trio.

Emerson Knives Commander

11/16/2010 by dragonram7

-Price Paid: $135.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I actually own a few Emerson knives. I guess my appeal to authority is I'm a retired cop. I am very active in the Boy Scouts of America as a Varsity Scoutmaster. I had a ZT 200 that I wasn't carrying. It was a great knife but too big to EDC at my white collar PC job. I returned to Blade HQ and I traded the ZT in for the Kershaw-Emerson Auto Commander plus $15 ($135 out the door). I immediately began to carry it full time. It's narrow enough to EDC with low profile G10 handles that won't chew up your slacks. The clip is strong and actually says Kershaw on it. The size is about the size of a Super Commander. The blade steel is S30V. I purchased a plain edge version. A combo edge exists as well.

The grind on this version is not the characteristic Emerson chisel grind. The blade is sharpened on both sides in a hallow grind. I have been very impressed with the ergonomics of the handle. I have large hands and the knife is easy to hold in the saber and reverse grip. Due to the handle shape, my younger sons find it is easy to hold onto and use. The lock is call the cross fire locking system designed by Grant and Gavin Hawk. The lock up is secure without any blade play. The firing button is moved to the spine and then pressed downwards to fire. You can fire it with gloves on. It opens with a "thunk". The cool thing about the lock is I ca lock it open or closed.

I took the knife camping for a Boy Scout winter camp out. It performed flawlessly. The quality is exceptional and it is an outstanding value. Be careful, it might be your last knife.

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Benchmade 943 Osborne

11/09/2010 by Christopher Moore

-Price Paid: $130.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

In this review, we will be taking an in-depth look at the Benchmade Osborne 943 Knife. I have carried and used many knives as a US Marine, Law Enforcement Officer, Bodyguard, and Professional Weapons and Tactics Trainer. In my opinion, this is by far one of the best EDC (Every Day Carry) knives I have used to this day.

Overall, this knife is well worth the price I paid for it. The Osborne 943 usually sells for a price of $150.00 - $180.00. With luck, I found mine on eBay for $130.00. It's a sleek, lightweight, and extremely well built knife. The product specs for this knife are:

- Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC

- Blade Length: 3.40"

- Blade Material: S30V Premium Steel

- Blade Style: Clip-Point;

- Ambidextrous Thumb-Studs

- Blade Thickness: 0.115"

- Class: Blue

- Clip: Black, Reversible, Tip-Up

- Closed Length: 4.47"

- Country of origin: USA

- Hard Coat Anodized Handle Finish

- Lock Mechanism: AXIS

- Overall Length: 7.87"

- Weight: 2.62oz.

Now let's look at some of the details of this knife that make it such high quality.

First up is the blade. It is a high quality steel with a clip-point, with an ambidextrous dual thumb-stud opener, and it's razor sharp. I've been using mine daily now for approximately six months and the blade is just as sharp as it was when I first got it. The length is 3.4" keeping it within legal limits for most laws but still long enough for utility use as well as self-defense. Benchmade makes the knife with different blade choices such as a clip-point straight edge or a partially serrated edge as well as a choice of a satin finish or black finish on the blade.

Next is the grip of the knife. The grip is slim, sleek, and ergonomically correct. The length of the knife with the blade closed is 4.47", and 7.87" overall length. I have small to medium size hands and find that this knife fits me perfectly. The handle is made of black, anodized, 6061-T6 aircraft grade, machined aluminum and 410 stainless steel liners. It also has a reversible carry clip that allows for the knife to be carried tip-up. This is a valuable feature for self-defense use for rapid deployment of the knife.

The last item is the Axis Locking Mechanism. This is solid and ingenious design on the part of Benchmade to allow for a secure locking of the blade on the knife. Here is the information on the Axis Lock from the Benchmade website, "A patented Benchmade exclusive, AXIS has been turning heads and winning fans ever since its introduction. A 100-percent ambidextrous design, AXIS gets its function from a small, hardened steel bar which rides forward and back in a slot machined into both steel liners. The bar extends to both sides of the knife, spanning the liners and positioned over the rear of the blade. It engages a ramped, tang portion of the knife blade when it is opened. Two omega style springs, one on each liner, give the locking bar it's inertia to engage the knife tang, and as a result the tang is wedged solidly between a sizable stop pin and the AXIS bar itself. (AXIS)"

In conclusion, I give the Benchmade Osborne 943 knife an overall rating of A+. I would not hesitate to recommend this knife to anyone interested in a high quality, durable, and multipurpose knife.

Spyderco Tenacious

11/09/2010 by DrmattyG

-Price Paid: $35.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

My review of the Spyderco Tenacious takes into consideration that this knife only costs 35 dollars. The build quality on the knife is actually top notch, despite the fact that it is made in china. The blade steel is probably the biggest issue for me, as it requires frequent resharpening.

After 1 year of flicking the knife open more aggressively than I should(although I've done this with other knives I didn't care about that haven't exhibited this characteristic), the interface between that liner lock and back of the blade is starting to wear. Specifically, the liner lock is approaching the liner on the opposite side(once it hits, it won't be able to fully lock the knife and blade play will exist, making the knife untrustworthy).

Other than that, my Spyderco Tenacious has been pretty robust and reliable. Never opened in my pocket unexpectedly, and despite some hard camp use has held its own. If you are looking for a beater knife and don't mind buying a Chinese made good, the Spyderco Tenacious would be a great way to go.

Cold Steel Spartan

11/08/2010 by Fits

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

Comments:

Here's the deal for anyone living in a free state that "allows" its citizens to own what they please. Getting trapped in an office building with glitchy fire doors is far more likely to happen than needing a serious folder in the wilderness. Gone are the days when a sturdy axe was available on every floor, but with something like the Spartan you won't need one. Carrying a fixed blade with comparable strength is simply not possible for most, so for those who aren't all weepy about carrying a few extra OUNCES around, the Spartan might be the way to go.

Strong, comes sharp, easy to re-sharpen.

Spyderco Military

11/07/2010 by Drmattyg

-Price Paid: $125.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

This is an overall excellent knife. S30v holds a great edge, lightweight, the blade is easy to deploy. Spyderco really got it right with the military. Spyderco has awesome customer service as well. Overall I can highly recommend this knife as it has served me well.

Gerber Prodigy

11/07/2010 by ilts

-Price Paid: $41.00
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

This knife is tough beyond belief!.I have used and abused this knife,it came razor sharp, after much carving,cutting,battoning and general use it still is as sharp when I got it!.In my opinion it is a great buy for any outdoor use plus its made in the U.S.A!!!

Spyderco Delica 4

11/06/2010 by Jefe

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

Comments:

I have 2 Delica 4's. One is the newer FFG blade. Spyderco offers the D4 is several colors which gives some insight into its popularity. This also tends to lure collectors who want to buy a discontinued color.

For most people who just want a "knife", this is good choice in plain 'ol black FRN (Fiber Reinvorced Nylon.

I am not a big Youtube fan, but HICKOK45 has a very popular channel and he carries the D4 and does a good review.