Spyderco Dragonfly

04/11/2010 by Dangerouscold

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

Comments:

I own a white frn dragonfly, with VG10 steel. I've been carrying it pretty much every workday to a white-collar office.

Build Quality: The knife is very, very well made. The VG10 is an excellent steel, and I urge you to find a better steel in a sub-2.5" knife. The handle is frn with a checkered pattern, not that grip retention is the purpose of this little guy. I was hesitant about the molded frn clip, however since I carry in watch pocket (5th pocket) or loose in main pocket, I haven't found it wearing out. It has very good detent as well (resistance to opening in pocket).

Ergonomics: With my medium sized mitts, the knife is used in a 4 finger grip with the my index finger around the choil. The knife has no jimping on the back of the blade, and the frn clip is more "noticeable" while gripping the knife. I contemplate cutting and sanding the clip off completely, based on the fact that I rarely employ it.

Value: We are accustomed to getting more knife for more money. I believe that to an extent, but this knife is still a bargain at it's current price. For slightly more you can upgrade to the Centofante 3/4 or especially Delica 4, and get a better value as far as the spyderco lineup is concerned. That being said, you're looking at a small knife for a small price, and with excellent steel and design, still a very good blade.

Byrd by Spyderco Flight

04/11/2010 by Dangerouscold

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

After owning a few of the pricey Spyderco knives, I threw together a few dollars to purchase some of the Byrd series knives as well. I own the stainless steel handled version.

Keep in mind that this is an absolute scale of ratings.

Build Quality: The knife is perfect. Centered blade, decent grind, sharp out of the box, rock solid with no play in any direction. The pins holding it together are peened and expertly sanded to match the handle. This one screams for engraving. The clip is also a very good clip, not seen on many other byrd or spyderco knives. The steel is their 8Cr13MoV, which I find acceptable for all things which a knife should be doing. It is extremely easy to get sharp and although it will dull easier than others, a good stainless nonetheless. The actual blade shape is a nice, pointy clip with little belly and a swedge.

Ergonomics: The handle is machined expertly, but without any jimping on the top of the blade, especially slippery. Because the handle slabs are steel, although chamfered slightly, the inside can dig into your fingers a bit. The negatives being said, the knife fits my medium hand like a glove, and I'm sure that the G10 version would be a better choice for comfort.

Value: The single greatest deal I've found in the knife world. Period. Better than the Cara-Cara, better than a Delica, Kershaw Leek, Buck 110, Boker Wharcom, and WAY ahead of the Benchmade Red Class.

Overall: If you're on a budget, and want the single best knife for your money, buy this one. If you want to pay 3x as much for a steel upgrade, you're welcome to. I recommend buying one for a friend, one for your car, and one for the toolbox. But don't forget your pocket.

Spyderco Centofante 3

04/11/2010 by Jeff Weight

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

Comments:

The Spyderco Centofante 3 is a true gentleman's folder. It is sleek and compact without being to small. The weight is perfect for an urban office environment. The blade from the factory is razor sharp, and makes a great slicer.

I carry mine tip up, and the clip is just right to help it fit in the pocket without getting in the way. While I have many other knives to choose from, including a Kershaw Composite Leek, and Buck Vantage Pro, I find myself putting the Centofante 3 in my pocket more than the others. It's just perfect for EDC, and your significant other wont think it's overwhelming when you need to use it.

Gerber Fast Draw

04/11/2010 by Chris

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I received this knife for Christmas. I have been looking for an affordable knife that I can use and abuse everyday at work.

I have been using this knife for 3 months now and it has performed flawlessly. The knife feels great in the had and opens quickly with a firm lock up. The dege holds up well to hard use and is very easy to sharpen.

I would recommend this knife to anyone looking for a very reasonably priced hard working knife.

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Spyderco Tenacious

04/10/2010 by Twitchyblade

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

Comments:

I purchased the tenacious last year when i was a freshman in college as my first "real" knife I used to have gerbers and a cheap buck knife so i decided to give spyderco a shot. As soon as i got it i couldnt stop playing with it and it felt so great in my hand. I spent about $30 on it so it was definitely a very nice knife for $30. The inside is pretty hard to clean up and seems to attract lots of dirt and dust and pocket lint. Aside from the pain to take it apart some times this is definitely a terrific knife and everyone should own one!

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Boker Kalashnikov Automat

04/09/2010 by Camillus

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I have had this Automat Kalashnikov 09 for a couple months and find it to be one of the best knives I have owned

Boker quality and a very ergonomic knife.

A very solid well crafted knife with sheath for very little money!.

Try this and you will be pleased with it.

Benchmade 555HG Mini Griptilian

04/08/2010 by loonybin

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

Comments:

This knife is a surprising value. It may be one of the least expensive blue-class Benchmade knives, but it is far from the cheapest (quality-wise).

I've had my 555HG for almost 2 years now, and it has been in my front pocket almost every day, sharing the spot with my 585 mini-Barrage.

This knife fits the hand very well, and the opening hole is very easy to use. The 154CM steel holds its edge quite well and is easy to sharpen. Blade shape is an excellent modified sheepsfoot design that provides a great range of usefulness.

The only downside to the mini-Griptilian is also one of its most handy features -- the Valox handle scales. The handle scales have a great gripping pattern, providing plenty of traction when using the knife under pressure, even when wet. Valox is very durable and tough, but the handle scales sound hollow when opening the knife with a wrist flick. The knife would be improved dramatically if it came with G10 scales.

Zero Tolerance 0301

04/07/2010 by Apec

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Note: The ZT 0301, 0302, and 0300 are all the same knife design, except with different blade finishes and scale colors.

While the knife is commonly sold at MAP pricing for 236$, it can be had for less through secondhand deals or private transactions.

I landed mine new for 190$.

To start off with, the ergonomics are excellent. The 3d machined G10 scales are contoured and textured to provide a firm grip. With or without gloves (I use the Mechanix brand), I can transition from a forward to reverse (edge in or edge out) grip repeatedly and quickly. There is an adequately jimped thumb ramp and a thumb groove along the spine.

However, there is a drawback to the aggressive texturing on the scales. It will wear out the edges of pockets if the knife is carried with the clip.

The flipper is easy to access and reliable in deployment. However, compared to other assisted knives, the opening is not as quick, given the extra inertia from the ZT0301's substantial blade mass. Having been a manual opening user for a long time, I found the resistance (from the torsion bar) a surprise as I closed the knife. It is still possible to close using only one had, but do be careful - if you slip, the blade can spring back into the open position.

The thumbstuds double as blade stops, providing an extra measure of blade stability. However, since they're placed very close to the scales, it takes a bit of practice learning how to use them to deploy the blade. They are not unusable, but compared to the flipper, they are less convenient.

Given the blade's mass, it is also possible to wrist flick the knife open in the forward and reverse positions.

The knife initially arrived configured for tip down carry. The parts of the handle above the pivot have sharp points - when reaching into my pocket to retrieve something else, I found these points scratching my hand. I thus found myself changing to tip up to avoid those instances.

The knife is as heavy as my fullsize Benchmade Rukus (610) despite being almost 2" shorter (overall length) and having a titanium frame. It may be uncomfortable to carry if you're not wearing jeans or work pants. However, the pocketclip does provide strong retention, though the handle does not conceal well - almost 1" of handle will be above the edge of your pocket (do take this into consideration if you are carrying in an area where such knives are discouraged).

The blade is wide recurved S30V steel and the 0301 and 0302 come with a tiger striped finish. The edge retention is great and the extra belly from the recurve increases the cutting edge. However, a recurve cannot be completely sharpened on flat stones - you will need round or triangular rods.

The pivot must be adjusted by a hex socket wrench (the knife was designed for military use and a hex tool would most likely be conveniently available). I personally don't find this useful, as I am used to using keychain torx bits to adjust all my other knives.

Without a doubt, the knife is well (heavily) built and a durable design. However, it may be overkill, depending on how you use it. But if you don't mind the weight, it'll make a great addition into your carry rotation.

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Spyderco Bushcraft

04/07/2010 by RevDevil

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

The first entry into the world of bushcraft knives by Spyderco was a bittersweet project. The knife while long awaited and designed by a combination of skilled woodsmen, knife designers and forum member input had an unexpected issue with materials used.

The Burlwood handles on the knife began to crack due to insufficient stabilization time. This caused the knife to be turned into a 2nds product. I will review the knife using a very basic format aside from the handles the performance will be mentioned along with other aspects.

Ergonomics: One of the most comfortable knives I've used and held. the knife definitely feels like an extension of the the hand/arm in regular and reverse grip.

Weight: It is almost weightless coming in at .6 ounces.

Sharpness: Straight out of the box, the knife is shaving sharp. The knife has a Scandinavian/"Scandi" grind. This is a basic grind that can be extremely easy to maintain in the field by the most skilled and unskilled users.

Steel: A full tang 4 inch blade made of O-1 tool steel. O-1 is a high carbon tool steel that has been reported to posses good to excellent edge retention.

Weight: 6.3 ounces according to the Spyderco website. not including the sheath (handmade out of THICK leather)

Use: No problem battoning through small saplings (2-3 inch diameter). No visible signs of damage to the tang after 20 minuts of hard battoning. Split dry mesquite and pecan wood with ease and kept a sharp edge. Blade did not chip ir lose grind line.

Overall/Conclusion: Despite the problems with the wooden handles, many people loved the knife (myself included). This was my first "Bushcraft" style knife and I honestly think that Spydeco hit it out of the ballpark with this one. It was a great learning experience for them and Sal mentioned he would attempt another Bushcraft knife using different steel and handle materials. Spyderco's commitment to innovation and direct communication with their customer base is the reason so many people are loyal to this great company. They produce some of the absolute best cutting tools on the planet.

If you don't own one, you owe it to yourself to have one on your keychain. You will find yourself using it often.

Spyderco Gayle Bradley

04/07/2010 by RevDevil

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

The Spyderco Gayle Bradley is a production knife that exceeds expectations in almost every arena.

Pros:

-CPM-M4 blade steel in a double hollow grind. High speed steel that is very wear resistant, stays sharp, and is easy to sharpen and maintain.

-Carbon Fiber scales that have a nice texture without feeling like sandpaper.

-Solid lock up with the liner lock

-Price is exceptional (appx $125-140USD)

-4 way carry pocket clip, Left or right hand friendly.

-Blade shape, modified drop point is very utilitarian and can handle 99% of tasks.

-Smooth, easy,a nd solid blade deployment.

Cons:

-Weight, full steel liners make this knife a bit on the heavier side. BUT, this can be seen as being a "solid knife".

-CPM-M4 is not a stainles steel, additional care must be taken to prevent rust and lessen patina.

-LIner lock, some have had bad experiences with a liner lock. This particular knife has what appears to be a frame lock covered by the carbon fiber. It locks up solid and there is no chance for disengagement of the knife during hard use.

Overall:

The knife is heavy, but it feels solid in the hand. Very comfortable ergonimics make this knife feel like a natural extension of the hand. The lock up is very solid, and there is no doubt that the lock is not prone to failure. This is a liner lock done right. The materials for the asking price is one of the best values around. Other companies offer the same materials in a flagship knife for over twice as much.

RAT Cutlery RC-3

04/07/2010 by gundude73

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

this knife is just great, ergos are great, the orange is very eye pleasing, the powder coating has held up exceptionally well. the only thing that i dont like is the stock sheath, there is a bit of rattle but i have yet to have the knife shake out on me yet. if you dont have one of these, get one.

Kershaw Leek

04/07/2010 by Chris Humiston

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

Comments:

I recently picked up a Kershaw Leek for my EDC needs. I have been puting the knife to the test on the job daily. What I have found is that the Leek is a very solid knife for the price. The blade is very durable and easy to sharpen and stays sharp. I cut a variety of materials such as insulated wire, coaxial cable, tie wraps, tape, etc. and the blade holds up well. This is a spring assisted knife and it deploys very fast using only one hand. I would recommend this knife to anyone needing a nice everyday working knife and I would definately buy one again.