ok, update on EDC knives. my live blade Spyderco Endura 4 came a couple days ago and I've been practicing drawing and carrying it with great admiration for it's design and function. so far so good. it snaps open nicely when drawn from the pocket (thanks to the patented Emerson device) and has some nice gimping on the thumb-rest area (which is good because there's not much in the way of a guard to prevent forward hand movement otherwise). http://www.spyderco.com/search/index.php
That is exactly why I have moved away from the spyderco. I have carried and Endura or Delica for a few years now and love many things about the knives. Spyderco uses great steel, I like the opening whole versus thumb stud, and I live the leaf shape design of the blade. If they would just put some additional models with some ergonomically realistic grip designs I would probably still be carrying a Spyderco knife right now.
they do have some with a decent choil like the Persian: http://www.spyderco.com/search/index.php but doesn't have the spiffy 'wave' opening device. sigh.... the search for perfection continues.
The Persian is a fine looking blade. Here's a direct link to it. http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=594 Dang, now I'm tempted
the Chinook is also a very nice design with excellent choil, but it's pretty darn expensive. ooh, just found an inexpensive fixed-blade carry system: http://www.crkt.com/Van-Hoy-Biotac-Fixed-Blade-Carry-System wish there were some pictures of it in use.
ok, that harness must be something like this: http://www.moderncombativesystems.com/docs/shop_mercharness.htm
I agree. That is a beautiful blade. What I worry about there is that the pocket clip is set pretty far down on the handle. I think it would be hard to conceal, particularly with those bold colors and the bright shiny blade. I also like the leaf shape blade of the Endura better, but that is pretty close to something I would consider.
You can make your own harness out of 550 cord. I know a few guys that take blades that were designed as neck knifes and carry them in that fashion. One of my old FMA instructors did that actually.
Good point about the clip. I didn't notice that when I was admiring it. Bold colors and shiny blade could possibly work in the carrier's favor. Alexander Pring-Wilson was a Harvard Business School student that stabbed a local thug in an altercation outside a pizza joint. The prosecution used Pring-Wilson's "tactical knife" (forget what he carrried, just recall that it was black-on-black) and painted the guy as a Rambo type. (Ref: Comm. of Mass. vs. Alexander Pring-Wilson.) YourCornerStore.com is selling the Chinook for $134 (no sales tax in NH either) Good price for that blade http://yourcornerstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=28046
this looks like it has some very good features for an EDC folder, and a budget price as well: -very light -reversible clip -good blade steel -design prevents hand riding up on a thrust 30 bucks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoE8Al8JQZE&feature=related
I've never had problems with liner locks collapsing. I like the index openers done with ken onion through kershaw. I carry a scallion and have never had it collapse and use it daily. You can't beat the speed of opening either. If the knife isn't open it doesn't work. Emerson's pocket opening won't work in a bind and niether will a thumb stud. Benchmade might be nice knives but they're hard to open without alot of practice which means they probably won't open under duress. Kiss is what works and CRKT's kiss knive don't open well or stay open when you need them. I have cuts to prove it. You can't get a better knive for the common man than a kershaw or gerber. Anything more than $50 is out of most peoples reach and don't give me the what is your life worth speech. What folder could most people afford and carry that works best. It's a kershaw index opener or a gerber. We have too many knife makers on this post to be asking what works best. What's cheap and works best is the point. We can't carry straight blades and most can't carry $100+ blades either. The question should be "what's the best knife under $50"? Answer that and you will help most of us more than the elite who create the defensive knife market. Look at any Filipino blade and you will see cheap at its best. Who looks at a jeep spring and says that would be a great knife except filipinos?
The reason you think that any Filipino blade is cheap is because it's use is for utility purposes.. Why spend 200.00 on a blade that is going to be used for agricultural purposes such as cutting sugar cane, harvest rice and cut coconuts? The filipino blade serves a dual purpose and it is farming and self defensive means when needed.. As someone who has used Filipino blades in both it's designed purpose, while in the jungle going through training and actual use, it is serving it's purposes while I have had some american blades snap and rust while being used.. The carbon steel that is used in the jeep spring is one of the best steels that you can use in the purpose of blade work.. It is easy to sharpen in the field, takes a helluva beating if the bladesmith uses the proper procedure of forging and heat treating.. But if the blade is ground, there are times when the temper is drawn out of the blade and the quenching process is short cut to get the thing out the door for tourist purposes.. I have those kind of blades snap on me when I used them for cutting down the tree branches and jungle growth here on island.. These blades are made to be used, not to look good and hang on the wall.. If that is your intent, then I would suggest that you go with some of the commercial blade smiths and companies which cater to this type of market..
has anyone heard of the spyderco lava?? i fell in love with that little bugger but was saddened to find out they're discontinued... i wonder if anyone knows how i can get one.. james
