What blade did you EDC today?

EDC Gear for Flashlight Carriers
3261

lotbforme?.

Hi.
You can go over a grand a blade or under $10 per blade.

Both ends have Good quality if you look.

I have Puma and some custom $350 up.

And some Y STart. Ganzo. SRM at a fraction with better steel .

Y Start Jin02 is one of my better Chinese blades. D2? steel.
Around $20.

Ganzo Firebird F753M. $17ish
Probably MY… Favourite size and good quality. 440C steel.

Ganzo G733 a Largish Clone of American one.

SRM 6040. A VERY nice SMALL keyring size blade. $10.

My most used actual keyring knives. on no 4 at present.
SOG $10 special “Micron 2”.

I’ve used the ones with scales.
But the flat sided all steel is most useful.

My BEST one was a 4 star Puma ALL stainless. yrs ago.
AIrport Customs Claimed that. Wrong pocket.
Cost me $15AUD. Now $90+ AUD.

I think anything over 3 1\2to 3 3\4 blade should be fixed.

Best value and safest. are those Swedish blade type.
I have Martiini 5in had for over 50 yrs.
Still shave the hairs with a wipe on steel. $30/60 ea.

We’ll ALL tell you differently… Have fun.

3262

Here's my favorite knives:

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/50173

I'm really into low-price high-quality assisted-openers.

3263

Thank you so much Teacher, lightbringer, macka and raccoon!! I will check them out! I was gonna get a very expensive US made knife but after a lot of experience with flashlights from china that are far better quality and bang for the buck than their american counterpart I decided to check with you guys :smiley: thanks!!

3264

Your welcome, any more questions… feel free to ask. :slight_smile: . :beer:

3265

Btw are there promo codes for the knives just like flashlights and I should never pay full price? thanks in advance! Before coming here I was gonna get the Kershaw Link and the Spiderco Tenacious.

3266

I don't know of any promo codes for Kershaw knives like there are for many flashlights.

I generally find the best prices on Amazon, eBay, BladeForums, or sometimes DHGate.

3267

No Codes that I know of. GearBest & other places have sales from time to time… that’s about it, afaIk. :slight_smile:

3268

Thank you :slight_smile:

3269

There are a lot of opinions about good knives.

$100.00 will limit the blade steel choices and where your knife is going to be made. If you open up to $200.00 you get into Spider Co, Benchmade, and ZT, some higher end Kershaw. At the $200.00 price point you start to get in to what I call legacy knives. If taken care of and not lost they will last you a lifetime. Sometimes multiple life times. I know my kiddo is going to have a decent choice of sharps when I pass, (lights and watches as well).

At that price point ($200.00) you will find higher end steel. D2, S30V, S90V, M390, S35V, Elmax, and a few others. You will also get grip options, G10, Titanium, and other materials and build options (Anodized hardware, rare woods, ect…). You will also have the choices of Axis locks, Frame lock, and liner locks. Switch blades also come in to this price range as the price point they will be made to a better quality, well if your local laws allow.

I like buying from the American makers because I know they are not copies of the originals and where the makers made a bit on each knife, coming out of China they are not getting money. To those that say they would never buy a knife that expensive, I say save up buy once cry once. One great example is Medford knives Pratorian series, there are more fakes out there than Medford ever made of all the knife designs he has made total. Yeah it is a $800.00-$2400.00 knife, but do you tell your friends to buy a VW kit car and not a Lotus? They look the same but there is a huge difference in materials and quality of mfg.

3270

Thank you guys, is there any restriction or concern with customs in the US and the knives?

3271

An Opinel and a Mora are the only knives you need! :smiling_imp:

3272

Strayz.

Yes. Lots of views.
Most would like $1000+ plus knives in pocket. But wouldn’t work them like a $20 special.
Then throw it away and buy another without blinking.
The exxy ones.
DO wear out and break. Same as cheap ones. I know.
Kitchen and pocket.

Some. (Most) Can’t afford to put that number of dollars on a pocket toy.
The wife would kill them.
The current Chinese versions while NOT being super steel. ARE
good quality that lasts and works well.

Plus.
IF it wasn’t for the Chinese copies.
Most of us would NOT know the feel of a quality blade.
Copies or not. MOST are very good copies.

A LOT of them are as good and sometimes, better than originals.
with No Name. and Sometimes. Lesser quality steel.
That still does a great job.

3273

If you want to skip the entry level budget deals I recommend to have a look at the offerings of Green Thorn in the sub $100 category. For that money you get the homage of an insanely expensive brand folder with titanium handle, D2 blade, ceramic ball bearings and superb fit & finish. You can find the Green Thorn folders on Aliexpress in several stores for example here , here or here.

If you stretch your budget a bit to $120 - $130 you can have titanium folders with premium S35VN or M390 blade from CH Knives for example here or here . You can grab some of the S35VN CH models under $100.

3274

None that I know of. I have never had any problems.

3275

The $1000 dollar knives was just an example. It is not a pocket toy, it is a tool. Plan your savings over time, and you too can buy an expensive toy. I gave up spending 5 bucks a day on coffee and not smoking and low and behold I had a lot of cash to work with. There are lots of ways to save a little cash and end up with a good sum of money to play with. Be a bit more frugal.

I disagree with your statement that they wear out and you get another one. That is the very reason you get one of the supper steels. I have yet to meet any one that has wore out a D2 Steel or S30V or S90V, S110V steel blade. Maybe if someone is using a grinder to sharpen the knive and get it too hot and looses it’s temper, but that is just abuse to destroy. There is a manufacture that states over built to use. I wonder if you have ever used one of these knives. Like a ZT 566, ZT 562, ZT 560, ZT 350, Full sized BM Griptillion, BM Barrage, BM 940-C, or the like. If you buy a cheep slip joint and try to compare it to a axis lock or frame lock you are going to see a difference.

Sometimes the Steel in the cheep knock offs is CR13 or even D2. Other times it is quite terrible. Buyer beware. I have seen cheep steel break as soon as it was put to a buffing wheel to sharpen it. They lack QC. If you want the feel of a good knife, buy once cry once. Buy quality. You might be surprised how well it lasts. After having a quality knife that is hand made or hand assembled with a reputable name and company are head and shoulders better that cheep crap.

If you are ok buying a substandard knife then go for it.

Anyone that tell you a cheep knock off is just as good as the real deal is blowing smoke up your A$$

3276

WOW. Hellooooo.

I had MY first knife as a deckie on trawlers in Mid ’50’s.
Gone through a few more since. Good and bad. Exxy and a couple cheap.

ALL Folding knives are toys.
IF you going to work it. Really Work it. and blade is over say 3.5/3.75in long.

FIXED blade ONLY… If you respect your finger count IE 5 on each side.

Mine have a few slashes in tip/first joint areas. from fish and freezing weather.
Caan’t feel. Just see the blood. Damn. Again.

My most solid.safest knives (Folders) were my Puma’s when in hunting days.
But. anything over size of a Roo. it was a fixed blade we all used.

These fancy. Super steels etc. ARE nice. and sharp and hold good edges.
Plus exxy prices. Worth it. Realistically. NO.
you usually paying for the name of bloke who made it scratched into the blade.
BUT they all still bend in the middle. Whoops. Blood again.

Oh. Knives DO wear out. When you’ve been around long enough. (78yrs)

I’ve worn out several Wusthof chef knives over the yrs. Plus a coupla Puma
skinners. A Prince (folder) and some US Buck etc.
Soft steel. Cut everything the top butchers/chef’s ever wanted.
and came back for more.

You don’t NEED those fancy steels either. 440C proper heat treat as good as anything.
even Aus 10 ain’t bad. It’s all in the heat. and sweet Swedish steel. Pre fancy blades.

They just nice to say. I’ve got such and such .
These Chinese steels, (some) are goood… properly H/T blades.
That will do as good a job as any fancy steel job.
and I only buy the Frame/Axis lock ones.

Oh. Among other jobs I’ve had was a Pro shooter. Roo’s Goats. Deer. Buff, Cattle, and wild horses.
Chain saw on Buff, Cattle, and horses. (1\4 ering)
And 6 to 7ft croc’s in ’60’s (shhh). A Grand a skin with no slits.

Among all the blades in that life.
The most popular skinner.
was a 8 to 10 in length of power saw blade. broken off. Slow water ground to profile.
Moulded rubber, or strip leather handles.
Better than ANY factory knife.
for ALL day 7 days a week skinning of buff’s horses. pigs and goats.
Held it’s edge. stoned up with axe stone and 6in steel on belt.
You do NOT want a smooth edge on those blades for skinning.

Plus.
Like Me, others can’t/don’t want to. Afford one of those names blades.
Have other things to do with their money. Sailing. Fishing. Shooting.
O/Seas holidays most yrs for a coupla months.

The Chinese “named” blades do the same job at fraction of price.
Gives us the spare money for other things. We happy.

Yea. Even when working, long retired now.
and on $2.500.00 per week plus tonnage.
I didn’t.

You happy with the names. we happy with the PROVEN Nowadays usability.
Of the good quality proven. Chinese. Copies, and otherwise.

Heyyyy. We both happy. All Good.
Yes.
and my most used. In pocket folder.
Is an Enlan M09. $8AUD del to Aust REAL cheapie.
Holds it’s edge for all I do. FEELS REAL nice and hefty (solid)

ALl the others just sit in drawer and get pulled out occasionally while on comp or in front of Teev.
For a little flick. Along with alternate torches.

We ALL collectors.
VERY few get used in real lfe.
I’ve got around 18 or so.
Mainly Kitchen nowadays (last 35 yrs or so)
Use about 5 of them.

Don’t start on torches.
MY most used is a $2.50 DEl no name, built in battery, swinging on a stap.
Perfect walkabout in dark… Inside.
I got around 35/40 of the bloody things. (Torches that is)

We Mostly all the same.
just at differing financial levels with our toys.

Have fun hey.

PS.
“”Anyone that tell you a cheep knock off is just as good as the real deal is blowing smoke up your A$$”“.

Drop your bias for a second and just check out a coupla late model.
REAL TESTED D2 blades and 440C.
of Chinese origin. UNDER $50.

I have a coupla blades cost under $20 440c mainly.
Very well made.

YOU May just be surprised at the current Build. Material quality of them.
Seriously.

.

3277

Thank you!! I got a bunch of ganzo knives from gearbest per your recommendations!! Now I just need to wait for the snail mail!! I kind of want to buy a Ganzo on amazon while I wait for the ones coming from China. I am between the FH41, FH51 and FH61, is the difference mostly about looks? Because if so, I like the FH61 the most on looks.

Thanks in advance!

3278

Today’s EDC is the solid RAD Shepherd flipper clone. Bit on the heavy side but not noticeable in the pocket.

3 7/8” sheep’s foot blade
0.514” thick stonewashed blade
9 1/4” OAL
Stonewashed Ti handle, CTS-XHP blade, steel insert/over travel stop, ceramic ball bearings and machined Ti clip
266 g (9.3 oz)
Black Ti finish

3279

/\. Nice!!! . :+1:

3280

Nice……big, bold and beautiful! Heavy too but that’s expected looking at the specs. Nevertheless, someone looking over my shoulder shouted “I want that!”. Went looking for it but every store that I can find from here says ‘out of stock’. Did you buy yours recently and if so, where?