I’m new to the forum. I discovered it cause I was interested in acquiring a decent powerful LED flashlight. Your advices were superb and I ordered a TR-J12, wich arrival I’m currently waiting for. The thing is I came across with an awesome post relating to chinse knives and I would like to buy one. My favourite store is Manafont, so I would like to order it from them. I’d like a pocket knife with a reasonably big blade. I do prefer black ones. I selected this list and I’d like some recommendation here.
To be honest, I know nothing about brands. I read a little bit from that post and, maybe I’m wrong, but the most recommendable are Sanrenmu, Cold Steel and Smith and Wesson. What’s your opinion?
PD.: In addition, I’d like to know if anyone knows if there will be custom problems with that kind of knives (not really big) in my country (I’m from Spain).
Knife preferences can vary a lot by person, but below are a few of mine with the reason why. I’d strongly suggest going to look and hold a variety at a store or show before buying, unless maybe the cost is so cheap for you that you’ll be happy to buy your next one soon. There are many “perfect” knives, but only with trade-offs - so multiple knives is a given for me.
1. Buy good and cheap OR buy known quality for best price - I use both approaches because I want a quality knife I can depend on when I’m in the field (not often enough). I’ll also usually have a value knife to do a lot of the work. Overall, I am not hard on knives and still have almost all of the cheap ones I’ve bought in usable condition.
2. Watch the weight. I strongly prefer a lighter knife for the pocket, heavier knife for a holster/sheath. I’ve got a couple folders I like but almost never carry as they are just too heavy without a sheath/holster.
3. Know your knife laws. Perhaps my favorite folder is an auto. It sits at home most of the time. My son likes his assisted, but I generally carry a simple thumbstud know to work well.
4. Basic preferences:
Blade material - 440 SS at minimum, I only do basic care and this has helped keep knives good for a lifetime, color not terriby important because I like them all
Shape - I like the unusual - but prefer long sharp pointed tip and low blade height for weight savings since I do not like a thin blade that will bend too easily
Edge - straight & serrated combo has been very practical and useful for my carry needs (will use special purpose knives when I can for chopping, skinning, carving, etc.)
Handle - lightweight and comfortable - usually slotted aluminum, or plastic
Clip - I like a clip mostly just on medium-sized folders - preferably secured with more than 1 screw - I like no clip on smaller knives for practicality and comfort, larger knives will generally go into a sheath.
PS - I’ve lost one of my favorite small pocket knives and would appreciate a link if anybody has seen something similar - It was a cheap Chinese SS blade in a talon shape (curved and pointy) but very small (~35mm) with nearly the entire inside edge being serrated. Mine had a simple blue plastic grip with frame lock on the back. It was super light and handy. A good key chain knife.
Not budget, but a great christmas present and the locking mechanism is very different and effective. Small enough that is very pocket friendly.
If I know I will be needing something more substantial, I carry this:
I have to be careful in Canada with the assisted opening. They are a bit of a grey area in the law. Talking to some police officers about carrying it and they told me if it was situationally appropriate they would have no problem (camping, hiking etc), but otherwise it would be confiscated and possible weapons charges (ie carrying it in a nightclub).
Look for a good sturdy locking mechanism with no play in it. Nothing worse that a folder slipping and biting you when you are cutting something. As to the online order chinese knives you link to, I have no personal experience. I need to be able to physically hold a knife and get a feel for it.
Once you get a little bit more quality knife, such as a mora or a knife over $20, you’ll realized they are definately worth the money! And Nutnfancy has a value edc playlist that is great, has all the kershaw budget series, which I love. And some buck knives too. Cutlerylover has some good videos too.
A huge thing in an edc for me is the pocketclip, for a majority of knives, when you clip it to your pocket, like an inch of the knife handle sticks out the top, so I pull it off and it put it into my pocket to make sure others still feel comfortable. But some knives have good pocketclips where only the clip shows and nothing more.
In my opinion, since you wanted a larger knife the Enlan EL01 would be perfect. It's large, yet still pocketable, and extremely durable. Of all the knives I own (sog, cold steel, MicroTech, Benchmade, et al..) I always end up carrying this knife the most.
Pros:
- Good steel...easy to sharpen yet maintains its edge well
- G10 handles - Exceptionally strong lock-up
- Only costs @ $10
Cons:
- Not available at Manafont, as you prefer (I've always had very good luck with Exduct though)
+1 on becoming familiar with local and federal laws about concealed carry.
Not sure about spain but the laws in the U.K. are quite draconian and vary considerably here in the states.
massachusetts , new hampshire and vermont share a common border but the laws about such things could not be more different.
be aware. blade length and the “look” of a knife can get one into trouble in a routine stop.
I like that knife as well but it has a few issues for me. The blade doesn’t have any kind of cut out as the blade goes into the handle. It’s sharp the entire distance.
When closing one-handed it’s easy to nip your thumb. The liner lock is also a little rough on the fingers and a little hard to move.
Agreed with everything It does have some cons, of course, but in general, and for that price… The only “one” drawback for me is the clip. Veeeery stiff The blade is quite hard to open, but it’s a pro for me, will prevent accidental opening (so I open it with both hands, et voila). Like that blade shape
You can fix the hard blade opening by just loosing the pivot screw. I do that with all my knives (when necessary). Just loosen it and you will also get some blade play. Tighten just until there is no blade play and that’s as loose as you can get that knife.
Mine is quite easy to open now and yet it still has plenty of blade retention. I can’t make it fall out of the handle just by shaking it hard.
I read cautiosly every post and I put my mind together and I went for the Elan EL-01B from an ebay reputed reseller. Hope it’s a great choice and there won’t any custom problems here in Spain.
Thanks and see you in other threads :face_with_monocle:
From the brands you mention, I’d go for SRM for sure. The S&W abd Cold steel are probably not too good fakes. I mean, they look nice but for the same price you can get SRM’s, Enlan, Navy’s… wich are almost always much better. Manafont, DX, KD… and all those places carry them normally, just sometimes not advertised as so. I’d advice you to use Exduct, they might be one or two usd more expensive sometimes (not always) but I always got the knives faster than trough other sellers. It looks you are into kind of tacticool knives… not to worry about customs (i never had problems in Spain), but if you are gonna edc it, those are going to be tricky to justify with the Guardia Civil. For your collection, no problem, but for carrying them around, keep lower profile.
My brother owns the AK47 model if i’m not wrong. Assisted opening (that’s definitely begging to get into troubles with the GC), heavy and bulky. I personally own the smaller version of the fake 712C, and the quality is very low (soft steel, many imperfections, low quality washers, blade play, something no to be trusted at all). Again, go for one SRM or similar, and you won’t regret. Better materials (steel, g10 or micarta handles, solid built…). I gave almost all my knives to my brother recently and I only kept 3: the srm 763 for edc. the ganzo 704 for heavy duty and the ganzo g706 for climbing).
Xatu comes from Spain too and i ’m pretty confident he loves knives. Let’s hope he drops around this thread.
You won’t have problems with spanish customs if it comes from China, it doesn’t matter with the size of the folder knife. I have a folder with more than 200 gr (very big) and no problem with customs in Spain.
And it is better to buy from SRM (sanrenmu), ganzo, navy and enlan than knives from Dx, manafont etc. You can try folders like the SRM 710, 733, 723, 763, ganzo 710, 704, enlan el01, el04, el06 and el08 for example. All with very good reviews, you can’t go wrong with those.
Be warned, it gets super addicting buying from Exduct. I got hooked on Chinese knives with the Sanrenmu710, before that I never really cared much about knives. When I got my 710 I was completely blown away by the quality and could not believe the low price I paid for it. This naturally led to wanting more, and so I got a Enlan EL-01KH, and a Sanrenmu 763. Loved them both (especially the EL-01, very comfortable and addicting to flip), and so now I have a 763 in both G10 and aluminum handles on the way, a [discontinued] 939, and I’m thinking of getting a Ganzo G704, a EL-01D, and a few more 710s. See what happened to me?
BTW- I would highly recommend the SRM 710 (or a few! - they tend to get “gifted” to friends too easily). It is a very nice knife for everyday carry, solidly built, and the fit and finish is amazing for the low price of $5.99 (check the “special limited products” page at exduct for discounts, and use the coupon BLFgiveaway). The EL-01 is amazing for when you need a larger knife, but the proprietary pivot is a little annoying (not a huge issue). The 763 is also pretty nice, very light weight and the axis lock is both fun and functional.
The only “one” drawback for me is the clip. Veeeery stiff 
The blade is quite hard to open, but it’s a pro for me, will prevent accidental opening (so I open it with both hands, et voila). Like that blade shape 