Bark River Pro Scalpel 2

12/09/2009 by Fascion

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The Pro Scalpel II is perhaps the closest I will ever find to "the one" for a 3 inch fixed blade. The ergonomics of this knife are nothing short of perfect for my hands and the blade performs both kitchen and everyday chores with ease. This model is also light enough to be converted to a neck knife.

Cold Steel Recon 1

12/08/2009 by Darin

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

Comments:

I have had a tanto point for over two years now. It was my EDC for a year or so. It is a bit big but it is solid. The lock is strong and I have even batoned with it. Good knife if you are not worried about size.

SOG Seal Pup

12/08/2009 by Darin

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have had my SOG seal pup for5 years now. It has been abused to say the least. It has held up to batoning,cutting,stabbing and hammering great. It is relatively esy to sharpen and has good ergonomics. It is great for a camp knife. I occasionaly carry it for self defense and it is alway son my side when out hunting,camping,hiking or riding.

KaBar Becker Necker

12/08/2009 by Fascion

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The factory edge on this knife was just atrocious; only decently sharp, the symmetry of the grind was laughable at best. Half an hour on sandpaper fixed this for the most part, but there is still a tiny section towards the tip that was ground so steeply by the factory, that even my convex reprofile failed to take it out. I've also seen many photos of this knife wherein the stamps on this knife were so poorly placed that as much as half of the stamps were missing, having been ground off from the blade. Mine, however, was fine in that respect. Build quality aside, it's a damn fine knife. Perhaps just a tad on the heavy side for all-day neck carry, but that's just me. Ergo-wise, the handle may be a bit short for some and it might take a fair bit of experimentation to get a paracord wrap setup that works for you. I opted for a gutted cord wrap, as I don't like bulky handles.

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Benchmade 556 Mini Griptilian

12/08/2009 by Fascion

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

Comments:

Hands down, the most comfortable folder for use I've ever had the pleasure of carrying. That said, the first thing I did was remove the pocket clip. Just a great, fun little knife, perfect for EDC use.

Benchmade 720 Pardue

12/07/2009 by Scott

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

Comments:

I have owned this knife and carried it for more than 9 years. The Axis lock intrigued me right away. I like the ambidextrous features (I am right handed), the very solid lockup, and the ease of use. The knife has a 3.25" plain-edge blade made of ATS-34 steel. From what I have read online, it is almost the same as 154CM, but it is supposed to be able to hold a better luster (or something like that). Mine is the version with the aluminum handle; it was also offered with a G-10 handle. I carry it tip-down and that's how it came from the factory. This is one of the early 720s, which could be configured for tip-up or tip-down carry. I believe the later ones allowed only tip-up carry, but the clip was reversible to either side. The knife was offered with some graphics options (red, white, and blue, black with white butterfly, etc.) but mine is plain, black, anodized aluminum. I believe the knife does not have a type 3 hard anodized finish as mine has scratched over the years from pocket carry.
I like:
The features that drew me to the knife are the Axis lock, the ergonomics and how it fit my hand, the "just right" size of the blade, and the very solid feel of the aluminum handle. The knife is very smooth to open and close, compared to many of the other knives I had looked at. It is heavy at 4.3oz, but it just feels so solid. The blade uses a bowie style blade (I'd probably prefer a drop point, but I don't pry with my knives anyways) with a partial flat grind and a slight recurve. I like how the slight recurve aids in some types of cuts. Some non-aggressive jimping allows for a little better grip on the index finger and on the back of the handle and blade. The jimping is just ok. I think the balance of this knife is very good. It balances just behind the pivot. The smooth Al handle means that it will not tear up your pant's pockets.
I sharpen with a Lansky sharpener and I use 20 degrees per side. I find that edge retention is good. Resistance to blade chipping is very good. I don't baton with it nor do I attempt to cut through nails (or other abuse). On two occasions I have watched friends drop my knife onto bare concrete. One of those falls was from chest height and had the knife landing directly on the tip. There was dulling to the point, but no chipping. I promptly asked to have my knife back.
I dislike:
Not much! I am being picky here... For its size, this knife is a bit heavy. After all my use and carrying, I would say that the weight is only a minor concern. The weight is never noticeable in jeans. However, when wearing dress pants, the knife is too heavy. It is not a great dress knife. That's the price you pay for a very solid feel. If I had my choice, I would prefer a drop point rather than a bowie style point. I don't abuse this knife or pry with it, but a drop point would give me a little more tip strength and piece of mind (mainly for when my friends ask to see my knife). On the plus side, the bowie style tip allows for easy piercing when opening packages. The G-10 version is very attractive for the added traction the scales would offer. This knife is a bit smooth in the hand.
This knife has been discontinued for many years. However, if you want a very solid feeling knife with a bowie tip that is great for stab-type cuts, this is a great option. I'm sure this can still be found on auctions and I have seen it at gun shows ($90-175 at the last show, Nov '09). I think retail for my version was about $155 when it was in production. I paid $105.
Overall, I really like this knife. I am a tough critic. The main drawbacks are weight (it isn't ideal for a dress knife), smooth grip surface, and ultimate tip strength.

Spyderco Atlantic Salt

12/07/2009 by Ryan

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I bought this knife over the summer to use as a boating knife, and man does this guy live up to the job. The H-1 steel is what first drew me to the knife. I was skeptical about the supposed rust proof qualities it was said to have but I have yet to put a drop of oil on it and its still just as rust free as when I took it out of the box. The H-1 itself doesnt have great edge-retention but its fairly easy to keep sharp using a leather strop. I really like the fact that the knife is quite thin, it rides very inconspicuously in your pocket. Although, at times the fact that it is so thin means it doesnt fit the best in my hand....Its very long but, again, not too thick. I really like the rounded tip too. It helps when your trying to real close to something fragile. And it gives you an excuse to buy more in the salt series to make up for the lack of a tip. Overall this is a first class knife and great to have in and around the water.

Spyderco Salt

12/02/2009 by Mike

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

Comments:

I just picked up one of these via an auction site for a very affordable price. The blade was as sharp as any knife could be out of the box. The knife is very light and feels like a slightly shorter Delica 4, actually. The FRN handle has no stainless liners, and this helps keep the weight down. In addition, the knife is alleged to be rustproof, with "H-1" steel and rustproof hardware. I like the idea of this but I have yet to test it via really wet usage (and I can't wait to do so). The knife is probably very well built its light weight and non-lined handle make it feel somewhat less than substantial. This is probably just perception and I anticipate this being a very fine knife for me.

Spyderco Military

12/02/2009 by Panzer

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The spyderco military is easily my favorite knife I own. If the apocolypse happened, this is the knife I'd reach for to take with me. The knife is incredibly lightweight since it has no steel liners. Mine is the S30V steel with G10 handles. The S30V steel on the Military is great. Spyderco got it right on the heat treat and it holds an edge quite well. The military is a little big for my taste to EDC, with a blade at right around 4". I don't like carrying a knife blade quite that big since it tends to raise eyebrows. Spyderco also makes the para-military, which is essentially the same knife with a slightly shorter blade that is worth checking out for this task. The liner lock is good on this knife. Every military I've handled locks nice and tight. I really have nothing bad to say here. Spyderco has done a great job with the military. I like the knife so much that I'm now on the list for a Titanium Framelock Military in CPM M4 Steel! Can't wait...

CRKT M16-13Z

11/27/2009 by Alex

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

Comments:

I bought this knife primarily for its looks, having no other knives by CRKT. It is a great knife in terms of looks and durability if you like slim, tactical folders. Every part of it stood up well to EDC wear for three years, although I take good care of it (full disassembly/cleaning at least once per 2 months). My initial concern were the Teflon spacers that most inexpensive knives have instead of phosphor bronze or another hard wearing alloy. However, they show no wear signs at all. The open, skeletal nature of the knife makes it impossible to use it on the beach, because the sand gets in freely and destroys its smooth action. The biggest disappointment was the blade. While, by my experience, AUS8 is a decent steel, at CRKT they managed to give the blade a pretty bad tempering. As a result the blade does not hold an edge well even after relatively light cutting tasks. For a while I even had some unprovoked blade chipping, but that seemed to wear away eventually. I could have just been unlucky and gotten the runt of the litter but it still makes you think... Obviously, as with any tactical folder, expect the knife to be bad at cutting food because of its thick and sharply-angled blade cross-section. But again, it is one great looker of a knife. Disregarding all its flaws, it is still in my EDC rotation along with knives that are up to seven times more expensive.

Kershaw Junkyard Dog 2 Composite

11/22/2009 by Mike

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

Comments:

I love this knife. It lives up to its name, which is good and bad, depending on your point of view. This is a big, serious looking knife. I would be reluctant to carry it in an office environment or among the knife-leery. It is not huge, but bigger for a folder, and heavy. The pocket clip is very nice looking but not discrete. If your aim is to deter bad guys in a questionable neighborhood, this would be a good choice. It would also be a good, heavy-duty user. The blade steel is amazing for a knife in this price range, and the cost is quite remarkable given the quality of the piece. The blade is also unique looking and high on the cool factor. It feels solid in your hand. The handle material is tough (G-10). The flipper mechanism is not spring assisted, and is fun to open with a flicking motion, but it takes a bit of practice to do it well. The best feature about this knife is that you get many of the features of more expensive knives at a fraction of the price. The downside is that it can look menacing to some, and it rather heavy.

CRKT Drifter

11/22/2009 by Mike

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I have been able to obtain several of these knives via an auction site, at a very nice price (under $15 bucks). This may be the best knife under $15 in the world. Very well made for the price with a strong frame lock. The knife actually kind of looks like a Chris Reeve Sebenza at first glance. Opening action is very nice. The thumb stud is well placed. The knife is not light (unless you get the G-10 handled version) but that is not a big deal, as it is not "piggishly" heavy either. Fits the hand well and each was sharp right out of the box. I plan to keep one and give the others as gifts. The knife seems like it should cost about $40 to $50 bucks. It is a great bargain and would make a nice user or gift.

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