ALL THINGS BUDGET KNIVES

You must try a finger choil to know if you like it. I definitely do so on my Malyshev Gnome and on my Spyderco Caly 3

My working day edc knife

The sharpest knife I own with perfect ergonomics, perfect to cut off a sole (I’m an orthopedic shoemaker by profesion)

I have a full sized Domin as well and I agree, it is easy to carry everyday. I have a Begleiter as well that gets lots of carry time. I find that the slimmer the knife is the easier it is to carry for me. If a smaller bladed knife is too fat I find I won’t carry it much. Just not as comfortable as a larger blade in the thinner frame.

I agree that finger choil is needless on the FH51 because the handle is big enough even for L hands. I would also prefer a longer cutting edge instead of it.
Otherwise it’s a pretty good compact flipper.

Which one do you like more the Domin or the Begleiter?
I went for the Domin because based on the photos I found online it seemed a slightly more refined design to me (thumb studs also serve as stop pins, longer cutting edge, backspacer etc.).

Can the pocket clip be easily removed from Ganzo FH21? Do I just unscrew the two visible screws in the clip? Don’t want to break anything.

Yes it can, just unscrew the two screws you mentioned.

They look like Torx head screws. Just make sure you use the proper size bit with some firm pressure applied or the screw head will may strip out. :cry:

I bought a FH21 from the link you gave me & it arrived yesterday. Thanks again for the link too! :beer:

Nice knife & I really like the blade shape. :+1:

Thanks. :beer:

You are most welcome…. :+1:

Ugh, yeah… I couldn’t tell if it was torx or hex, and used a hex key… I got one of the screws out but not the other. I don’t have a torx bit that small - gonna have to buy one.

EDIT: T6 bit is what it takes.

For me a wharncliffe blade is to cut while you hold it in your hand just like grandma cuts potatoes and carrots or to pull cut material on a harder surface.

For these jobs you don’t need a long blade but a good handle and a chail can help to control the blade.
When you check your (coated) blade on users, do you ever use the whole blade anyways?
I don’t, but I don’t like a blade that’s “too short” in the handle when closed, so a choil is fine with me.

Maybe a choil-less version could be interesting but there’s enough (budget) knives out there and every month there’s some dozen more.

Try if you like a choil or leave it behind, your money will find a place to rest :wink:

It could replace my Malyshev Gnome maybe which I use every day on job, the pointy tip could scare some folks though…
My wish would be a standard clip mount as close to the butt as possible, it would ride same deep as with this clip but wouldn’t bite the palm as much.

My 2¢, ymmv

Hmmm……Good question. I tend to lean towards the Domin overall. I like the clip a bit better on the Begleiter but I find myself carrying the Domin more often. It just fits my hand better. I wouldn’t get rid of either of them but the Domin would be my go to.

A CHEAP… Budget knife.
That fits very nicely into my mid sized hands. and is very controllable. gripping by handle. or rear of blade (IE Chef’s grip). For most of my general cutting in garage etc.

ENLAN MO9. Probably 440c steel.
Sharpens nicely. Cuts well, and doesn’t blunt to soon.
$8.50 del. last yr.
I find it in my hand more so than the Ganzo’s and Y-Start D2.
which are both bigger and better quality.

My Mora Companion has arrived. Seems like a fairly good basic fixed blade. I like the grippy rubbery handle. Will be taking it camping with me this year.

I don’t need to, I have small hands which fits perfectly even in Sanrenmu knives with >3” blades

Ahm, well. “S” gloves suit me best, size 8 in Europe.
It’s not about the size with the finger choil, you either like it or you don’t.
You can only tell if you’ve tried it once :wink:

+1 … True. :+1:

I dislike choils immensely. They are a waste of edge and IMO a poor design because they make it very easy to cut yourself. Yes, maybe you get a minor increase in blade control for small jobs, but a little slip and you can cut yourself. Plus, more edge is better. Especially in a small knife, I don’t want anything reducing the amount of edge I get.

Plus I find that they often mess up the ergonimics of a knife handle because they try to make them comfortable using the choil over, without using it.

Not really, it’s pretty much the same as with my finger being on the other side of the flipper. It’s handy for people with bigger hands because that’s the only way to comfortably grab the entire handle. Not in my case. Some people say Sanrenmu 7056 and/or Kershaw Cryo are “three-finger” knives. To me they fit perfect. That’s why the choil in the FH51 is just a waste of the cutting edge. Oh well, maybe they’ll release FH52 or something without it. I heard the FH21 has a pretty streamlined handle, I think I’ll give it a go.

Well, to each their own I guess. As I’ve said I have small hands, still I like the finger choil on my (15cm open) Malyshev Gnome.
For most tasks it’s enough of a blade, go and check how much length you really use on a knife.
If you cut open bread rolls every day then you might need a “full” blade though.

Anyhow, that’s why I said, try it yourself if you dare to probably change your mind (as I have).
I even added a finger choil to an Enlan knife when I tried another material for scales.

If it had better balde steel and the clip closer to the butt of the handle then it could be my edc knife…

Maybe you will see your initial opininion was right, so what?

You have a good knife to gift to someone who might like it or you just store it in your toolbox/car as a backup knife.
It’s not a Sebenza by all means…

By the way, it’s slightly arrogant to lecture someone this way who only told his opinion.
You feel one way about it, I disagree, yet I don’t say you’re “wrong”, you just see things different.

And with your sayings above you tell that you don’t even have to try it because you know it already without trying.
Very smart, I’m envious. Kinda.

The Kizer Domin Mini hit the mailbox today. Excellent little knife. Was clean and lubed nicely from the factory. Good lockup, 35% or maybe 40%. Blade is perfectly centered. Wickedly sharp as well.

I couldn’t pass it up. I have never had a knife that uses Bohler N690 steel. I don’t really know anything about it other than what I read on the internet about it. People seem to like it and compare it to VG-10 steel. Think I read it was a Carbon Enriched Stainless Steel. Time will tell how long it holds an edge and how easy it is to sharpen.

A few other knives are in the picture as well, just for a comparison. From top to bottom. 1 is a Kershaw Leek. 2 Medium sized Honey badger. 3 is a Bestech Pebble. 4 is the mini Domin, and the last one is a Kizer Begleiter.

I really like the size and quality of the mini Domin. Is it worth $55? Yes I think so. It seems to be a solid knife.