Getting back in after 15 years... what should I get??

[BJ987]

Came in and as expected from what I heard, amazing fit, finish, quality for price point, not to mention presentation too with the nice pouch and microfiber cloth (my Recon 1 came squeezed in a thin plastic sleeve squeezed into a little busted cardboard box). Also as expected, the action is so smooth and addictive I can't put it down. Now I want a smooth thumbstud folder .

loving that blackwash finish too!

 

[000Robert]

I love the Black Stonewash finish on my Kershaw Launch 1!

 

[BJ987]

If you like a beefier knife, the Civivi Praxis has a longer and taller blade than the Baklash (both are excellent). I haven't tried them personally, but CJRB's knives have received a lot of good feedback; the larger Feldspar (3.5") and the Taiga (3.75") are $40 in D2.

Never heard of CJRB. I like everything about the Feldspar (G10, D2, ball bearing for $40!) BUT the handle thickness (.55"). That would make it thicker than my big boy CQC-4KXL. The Taiga is definitely more my style but it doesn't have a thumbstud... So many of the flipper suggestions here I'd buy right now if they had both a thumbstud/thumbhole with the flipper.

Ya know, I try and buy US made knives, but with your $50'ish budget, I would be remiss if I didn't recommend Bestech.
However, I would also recommend Case XX.

First, why Bestech over other Chinese brands? I'm interested in your opinion after your comment about only buying US-made knives. I looked into them and the Muskie is really catching my attention. Everything about it is calling to me (flipper and thumbhole and it's beautiful!) but again, the handle thickness concerns me. With it being a big knife though, I can see it working. One of the only cons I see in the Recon 1 so far is the handle thickness feels a little thin for such a big knife. I might just pull the trigger on this one.

There may be a burr on the blade. A few strokes on the ceramic rods should pop it off.
As for the D2 it's not too hard to take care of. Unless you live in a super humid environment.

If you are really worried, try EDCi solution. Its spray on and food safe.
I've used D2 before and didnt have any problems with regular use.

I see you're a knife maker, any idea how the S35VN could get a burr so easily?

I wouldn't worry about D2 too much. I get pretty humid summers, and I literally live about 100 yards from the ocean. No rust on any of my D2 knives. I usually just gibe it a wipe with a microfiber cloth before I put it away after carrying it. On an extra humid day, or when the knife saw a lot of use, I will use EDCI on it.

Re: the roll/burr. A few strokes on a Sharpmaker (the triangle stones one you asked about) should take care of it. If it's a burr try this. Find a piece softer wood like a 2x4 or some pine or birch. Just not a really hard wood. Firmly pull the blade through the end grain of the wood a few times. That usually gets rid of a burr.

I ordered a Sharpmaker (I'M PRETTY SURE I'M NOW BROKE). So, I am kind of a germaphobe and tend to wipe my blades with an isopropyl alcohol wipe after cutting anything. Would this be a particularly bad idea for a D2 blade? I've read that alcohol is non-corrosive but I defer to the experts here.

As I'm also re-learning forum etiquette as I'm re-learning knives, please let me know: is a reply with multi-quotes like this frowned upon?

 

[sgt244]

I'd stay away from emerson - I have owned about 3 different models and non ever clicked for me. I never had that moment where I fell in love with them and they didn't stick around for long...ended up selling them pretty quickly. - I'd say if you wanted to stick to around a $50 limit, I'd suggest a kershaw leek - the thing is a slicer 100% - very fine tip so prob not the best bet if your hard on your knives or try prying with them at times.

Also I'd suggest, a spyderco tenacious - the blade is 8cr and can take an edge without much effort on your sharpening system of choice. The knife is also just a work horse and packed a huge amount of value for the low cost of it imo. It's made by a great company who have a great warranty that will take care of it should anything happen to it.

Other than that, if you went ahead and sold off those 2 or 3 emersons you bought, you could end up picking up a Chris Reeve Umnumzaan, or Small/large sebenza 21 ... They are absolute work horses, backed by a GREAT company/warranty service which is rivaled by very few. They are timeless pieces and over time can become heirlooms quite easily and do so for many. -- I'd personally rather have 1 or 2 quality knives over 10-20 of lesser quality. - just a thought!

Also, if you wanted a really well made knife that isn't so expensive, yet extremely capable. Grab the benchmade 940, they run around $130-$150- and worth every penny.

Goodluck on the hunt!

 

[NorthernSouthpaw]

I'd stay away from emerson - I have owned about 3 different models and non ever clicked for me. I never had that moment where I fell in love with them and they didn't stick around for long...ended up selling them pretty quickly. - I'd say if you wanted to stick to around a $50 limit, I'd suggest a kershaw leek - the thing is a slicer 100% - very fine tip so prob not the best bet if your hard on your knives or try prying with them at times.

Also I'd suggest, a spyderco tenacious - the blade is 8cr and can take an edge without much effort on your sharpening system of choice. The knife is also just a work horse and packed a huge amount of value for the low cost of it imo. It's made by a great company who have a great warranty that will take care of it should anything happen to it.

Other than that, if you went ahead and sold off those 2 or 3 emersons you bought, you could end up picking up a Chris Reeve Umnumzaan, or Small/large sebenza 21 ... They are absolute work horses, backed by a GREAT company/warranty service which is rivaled by very few. They are timeless pieces and over time can become heirlooms quite easily and do so for many. -- I'd personally rather have 1 or 2 quality knives over 10-20 of lesser quality. - just a thought!

Also, if you wanted a really well made knife that isn't so expensive, yet extremely capable. Grab the benchmade 940, they run around $130-$150- and worth every penny.

Goodluck on the hunt!

Those Emersons He has are Kershaw Emerson collabs. They cost about 25-40 bucks each. So I think a CRK is still a bit out of reach at this time. Besides, considering the OP's preferences I would more likely recommend a Hinderer over CRK.
The Tenacious is a solid choice though (Resilience too)

OP,
I don't think anyone has a problem with multi-quotes. It's an option so go ahead and use it.
I did suggest a few knives earlier with BOTH flipper and thumbstuds/holes

Kizer Sovereign

CIVIVI Vexer

CIVIVI Dogma

CIVIVI Shredder

 

[Chronovore]

Baklash is out for delivery! I saw Kizer around but haven't heard much about them, at first glance seemed Civivi was better quality in that price range. I'm concerned about your comment about D2. I also have my first D2 knife coming in today. I paid extra $$ to get the D2 version of the Kershaw CQC-4kXL over the 8crMov, thinking it was a huge upgrade in steel. I never oiled or really did any "maintenance" on my knives before. Will carrying in a humid summer really require me to take some special care of the D2?

Due to state laws, I can't really carry a fixed blade. Though, I definitely agree. In fact, I forgot to mention I also have some type of Al Mar SERE Operator in S30V that I got 15 years ago, but I keep that at home.

It's crazy that state and local laws vary so wildly. It really bothers me that someone can safely carry a tool every day in one place but risks serious trouble for doing the exact same thing on the other side of an invisible line. Getting back into the hobby, it might be worth supporting Knife Rights.

As far as D2, it's a semi-stainless steel. It won't rust if you look it at funny but it can require some care. I always wipe off my knife if it looks like I should (crud, residue, etc.) so that's a given. If my D2 seems dry, looks like it could use it, or I had to use a little alcohol to clean something off of it; I'll wipe it down with a light coat of ordinary mineral oil. Three seasons out of the year, that level of care is plenty and I have no worries. For me, sweat and humidity make summer another story. So my D2 takes the summer off in favor of steels like 14C28N, Acuto 440, N690, properly treated 9Cr18Mov, etc.

Personally, I think D2 is a definite upgrade from 8Cr13Mov. While 8Cr13Mov is a little more stainless, even the cheapest Chinese D2 seems to offer a lot more edge retention. So I wouldn't worry about it. You've got some D2 on the way. I'd say use it. Find out if its low corrosion resistance is an issue for you. It might not be.

 

[sgt244]

Those Emersons He has are Kershaw Emerson collabs. They cost about 25-40 bucks each. So I think a CRK is still a bit out of reach at this time. Besides, considering the OP's preferences I would more likely recommend a Hinderer over CRK.
The Tenacious is a solid choice though (Resilience too)

OP,
I don't think anyone has a problem with multi-quotes. It's an option so go ahead and use it.
I did suggest a few knives earlier with BOTH flipper and thumbstuds/holes

Kizer Sovereign

CIVIVI Vexer

CIVIVI Dogma

CIVIVI Shredder

Ah good catch , didn’t realize that about the “Emersons” lol... never mind about CRK then haha - and I was a fan of hinderers knives until recently, I will never buy another again.

Take care brotha.

 

[FullMetalJackass]

If I was going back into knives right now, I'd love to have known first :

Spyderco Shaman/Benchmade Loco for large EDC
Benchmade Bugout for light EDC
Anything ZT for the pleasure

 

[Ron Sabbagh]

Just out of curiosity, what problems did you encounter with Emersons? Never owned one myself.

I owned 3 Emersons over 3 years. I tried to give them a fair shake. ALL of them had terrible lock stick. I mean, one of them was stuck so bad, I had to send it back to the AD in the open position. Blades were uncentered with bad grinds. I know that any company can produce lemons but 3 different knives from Emerson, each a year apart, and all with issues just led me to other brands with less problems.

 

[ShannonSteelLabs]

Never heard of CJRB. I like everything about the Feldspar (G10, D2, ball bearing for $40!) BUT the handle thickness (.55"). That would make it thicker than my big boy CQC-4KXL. The Taiga is definitely more my style but it doesn't have a thumbstud... So many of the flipper suggestions here I'd buy right now if they had both a thumbstud/thumbhole with the flipper.

First, why Bestech over other Chinese brands? I'm interested in your opinion after your comment about only buying US-made knives. I looked into them and the Muskie is really catching my attention. Everything about it is calling to me (flipper and thumbhole and it's beautiful!) but again, the handle thickness concerns me. With it being a big knife though, I can see it working. One of the only cons I see in the Recon 1 so far is the handle thickness feels a little thin for such a big knife. I might just pull the trigger on this one.

I see you're a knife maker, any idea how the S35VN could get a burr so easily?


I ordered a Sharpmaker (I'M PRETTY SURE I'M NOW BROKE). So, I am kind of a germaphobe and tend to wipe my blades with an isopropyl alcohol wipe after cutting anything. Would this be a particularly bad idea for a D2 blade? I've read that alcohol is non-corrosive but I defer to the experts here.

As I'm also re-learning forum etiquette as I'm re-learning knives, please let me know: is a reply with multi-quotes like this frowned upon?

There is a possibility that the burr was never taken off at the factory.
It happens unfortunately.

Give it a few passes on the rods and it should pop right off and go back to being super sharp. S35VN is a good stainless. ****

As for the isopropyl alcohol wipe down, you will be 100% ok.

I use acetone to remove excess epoxy followed by 90% isopropyl to remove any residue. Works great.

**** EDIT: I saw you ordered a sharp maker. Give the edge a few passes per side at each grit. Start with 400 and go up from there to your grit of choice. If the 400 doesnt remove the burr drop to 320. You should get fresh steel and then you will be back in business! No burr, and a fresh edge.

 

[whp]

Mine just came in today. Outstanding knife, and an absolute steal at $83. No idea how long those will last!

Thanks for the heads up on these deals. And surprised that they were from one of my favorite retailers. I ve just not been actively looking at knives to buy in the last year or two.
An Air Lite is on the way. Can t quite pull the trigger on the 10 oz 4Max Scout when my large Voyager will fill a similar role.

 

[BJ987]

Those Emersons He has are Kershaw Emerson collabs. They cost about 25-40 bucks each. So I think a CRK is still a bit out of reach at this time. Besides, considering the OP's preferences I would more likely recommend a Hinderer over CRK.
The Tenacious is a solid choice though (Resilience too)

OP,
I don't think anyone has a problem with multi-quotes. It's an option so go ahead and use it.
I did suggest a few knives earlier with BOTH flipper and thumbstuds/holes

Kizer Sovereign

CIVIVI Vexer

CIVIVI Dogma

CIVIVI Shredder

Firstly, sorry for not looking into your suggestions earlier, I still haven't got through all the suggestions everyone has given here. Secondly, I viewed your post at like 2am last night, did like 10 min of research while half asleep and woke up this morning to find out I had ordered the CIVIVI Vexer...now I'm definitely broke and have to get rid of some of these knives.

So, I chose the Vexer because it seemed the most "tactical"-looking out of the 4 options you suggested. Blade HQ mentioned the word tactical in their description, so I think that's what did it for me in my half-asleep state. I wasn't planning on buying another CIVIVI (or another any other knife) any time soon, but I love so many things about the Baklash. When I first got it, I immediately thought, man, if only CIVIVI made something like this with a thicker, tougher blade, and a tougher handle/thicker stop pin, I'd pay double for one.
In my initial browsing through CIVIVIs, I only saw the smaller, 9Cr18MoV stuff and nothing that was designed more "tactically-minded". I definitely didn't see the Shredder or the Vexer.

Today, after I was fully awake and watched some reviews, I'm a little conflicted about my purchase. All the reviews praise the knife, but I noticed that, though it has hefty G10 scales and a nice thick blade (.16" on Blade HQ, is that a typo?!), it has absolutely no jimping on the back or even a thumb ramp! I definitely don't understand this, as the Baklash and Shredder have substantial jimping and ramping that makes the saber grip feel very secure and confident. I don't get why they'd make a knife like the Vexer, appearing to be made to handle tougher jobs, but not even have a slight ramp or jimping. I know I can't fully judge it until I get it in my hand, but now I'm wondering if I should've chose the Shredder instead...

 

[NorthernSouthpaw]

LOL!! It's all good, no need to apologize.

Jimping is a bit overrated. Especially with flipper knives, since that flipper tab doubles as a finger guard when the blade is open. If you add well designed ergonomic, textured handle, your hand is locked in place. I actually find jimping to be completely unnecessary on a well designed knife. Sometimes even a nuisance, especially ig located on the spine of the handle where the finger lands after using the flipper tab.
My most tactical knife is a Brous Blades Reloader, and while it it fits the bill, bad ass, big, beefy, hefty, aggressive looking and ergonomic in all hand positions. That jimping starts to bother your finger after a few flips. I'm seriously thinking of grinding some of it off.

 

[Skar]

Firstly, sorry for not looking into your suggestions earlier, I still haven't got through all the suggestions everyone has given here. Secondly, I viewed your post at like 2am last night, did like 10 min of research while half asleep and woke up this morning to find out I had ordered the CIVIVI Vexer...now I'm definitely broke and have to get rid of some of these knives.

So, I chose the Vexer because it seemed the most "tactical"-looking out of the 4 options you suggested. Blade HQ mentioned the word tactical in their description, so I think that's what did it for me in my half-asleep state. I wasn't planning on buying another CIVIVI (or another any other knife) any time soon, but I love so many things about the Baklash. When I first got it, I immediately thought, man, if only CIVIVI made something like this with a thicker, tougher blade, and a tougher handle/thicker stop pin, I'd pay double for one.
In my initial browsing through CIVIVIs, I only saw the smaller, 9Cr18MoV stuff and nothing that was designed more "tactically-minded". I definitely didn't see the Shredder or the Vexer.

Today, after I was fully awake and watched some reviews, I'm a little conflicted about my purchase. All the reviews praise the knife, but I noticed that, though it has hefty G10 scales and a nice thick blade (.16" on Blade HQ, is that a typo?!), it has absolutely no jimping on the back or even a thumb ramp! I definitely don't understand this, as the Baklash and Shredder have substantial jimping and ramping that makes the saber grip feel very secure and confident. I don't get why they'd make a knife like the Vexer, appearing to be made to handle tougher jobs, but not even have a slight ramp or jimping. I know I can't fully judge it until I get it in my hand, but now I'm wondering if I should've chose the Shredder instead...

I just thought you should know.
Since you're looking at"tactical" you may want to look into karambits. Alot of fun to play with too.

I also vouch for spyderco making some great knives for edc.
They are a bit more pricey than you have listed as your budget.
But a well made knife is worth it.

 

[Chronovore]

Firstly, sorry for not looking into your suggestions earlier, I still haven't got through all the suggestions everyone has given here. Secondly, I viewed your post at like 2am last night, did like 10 min of research while half asleep and woke up this morning to find out I had ordered the CIVIVI Vexer...now I'm definitely broke and have to get rid of some of these knives.

So, I chose the Vexer because it seemed the most "tactical"-looking out of the 4 options you suggested. Blade HQ mentioned the word tactical in their description, so I think that's what did it for me in my half-asleep state. I wasn't planning on buying another CIVIVI (or another any other knife) any time soon, but I love so many things about the Baklash. When I first got it, I immediately thought, man, if only CIVIVI made something like this with a thicker, tougher blade, and a tougher handle/thicker stop pin, I'd pay double for one.
In my initial browsing through CIVIVIs, I only saw the smaller, 9Cr18MoV stuff and nothing that was designed more "tactically-minded". I definitely didn't see the Shredder or the Vexer.

Today, after I was fully awake and watched some reviews, I'm a little conflicted about my purchase. All the reviews praise the knife, but I noticed that, though it has hefty G10 scales and a nice thick blade (.16" on Blade HQ, is that a typo?!), it has absolutely no jimping on the back or even a thumb ramp! I definitely don't understand this, as the Baklash and Shredder have substantial jimping and ramping that makes the saber grip feel very secure and confident. I don't get why they'd make a knife like the Vexer, appearing to be made to handle tougher jobs, but not even have a slight ramp or jimping. I know I can't fully judge it until I get it in my hand, but now I'm wondering if I should've chose the Shredder instead...

Set those worries aside. Like the D2, just wait and see how it works for you. I don't have experience with the Vexer. Based on my experience with other Civivi knives, I'm sure it will still be a nice knife. I've owned the Naja, Baklash, Courser, Chronic, Exarch, and Elementum. All have been fantastic. All have served different needs. The Naja is a big knife with a big handle but it has a thin 0.118" blade. In actual use, that's amazing.

The Baklash also has ~0.118" blade stock. As you do more cutting with it, pay attention to how that helps it to sail through material. Then just imagine that blade a little longer and taller.

Now, I should disclose that I used to be in love with "tactical folders". I've carried all sorts of things over the years, including a folding karambit. At some point, I stopped. Some of it was the realization discussed in my previous post about self defense. Just looking at folders though, and considering cases where you can effectively use them in a defensive encounter, how much difference will a really thick blade or tons of jimping actually make? In the very rare situation of defensive need, the answer ends up being "very little". In the common situation of everyday cutting tasks, that stuff can actually work against you.

So don't worry. You've got a bunch of cool new knives to explore. Enjoy it!

 

[BJ987]

Thanks for the heads up on these deals. And surprised that they were from one of my favorite retailers. I ve just not been actively looking at knives to buy in the last year or two.
An Air Lite is on the way. Can t quite pull the trigger on the 10 oz 4Max Scout when my large Voyager will fill a similar role.

Can someone tell me what this "favorite retailer" rhymes with?

Set those worries aside. Like the D2, just wait and see how it works for you. I don't have experience with the Vexer. Based on my experience with other Civivi knives, I'm sure it will still be a nice knife. I've owned the Naja, Baklash, Courser, Chronic, Exarch, and Elementum. All have been fantastic. All have served different needs. The Naja is a big knife with a big handle but it has a thin 0.118" blade. In actual use, that's amazing.

The Baklash also has ~0.118" blade stock. As you do more cutting with it, pay attention to how that helps it to sail through material. Then just imagine that blade a little longer and taller.

Now, I should disclose that I used to be in love with "tactical folders". I've carried all sorts of things over the years, including a folding karambit. At some point, I stopped. Some of it was the realization discussed in my previous post about self defense. Just looking at folders though, and considering cases where you can effectively use them in a defensive encounter, how much difference will a really thick blade or tons of jimping actually make? In the very rare situation of defensive need, the answer ends up being "very little". In the common situation of everyday cutting tasks, that stuff can actually work against you.

So don't worry. You've got a bunch of cool new knives to explore. Enjoy it!

Thanks for the comments. I understand there are many opinions about folders being used in SD. My opinions happen to be formed from some training and actual experience that I'd rather not disclose more about here. By no means am I saying I have the most accurate knowledge re: knives + tactical use. Just that I'm definitely not the guy that sees the Smith & Wesson M&P knife with the 3 glass breakers and shark teeth and think THATS the knife I need to carry for SD. I think the user and user's preferences matter greatly. So, I know what certain features in a knife fit me for what I know I'd be most effective with in an encounter.

Regarding blade thickness, whenever I look at my Baklash I immediately notice how thin the blade is. It probably looks awkward to me because of the other knives I've been playing with lately (Recon 1, CQC-4kXL). I understand the thinness and hollow grind make it a crazy slicer (I've been slicing random pieces of paper and cardboard around my house), but I still can't imagine being comfortable with a blade that thin in a tactical setting. Thinking about that same thickness (0.118") in a longer blade with a bigger handle makes it seem even more fragile and likely to snap, chip, break under force. One of the primary reasons I'm getting rid of my CQC-9k.

As for the Vexer, I suppose I'm more disappointed and confused than anything. Most of the CIVIVIs I've looked at have these great ramps and jimping and for whatever reason, they left the Vexer's handle spine completely untouched. The spine of the blade actually has an indent, which I find particularly interesting. I remember one youtuber mention that he felt like his thumb would naturally slide forward when piercing because of the lack of any ramp or jimping along the handle and blade spine, but especially because of the unique dent. It's like they purposely designed it to make it as easy as possible for your thumb to slide forward in a saber grip. Anyway, I'm talking about this knife a lot before I even have it in my hands. BTW, does anyone know how fast BladeHQ is processing/shipping orders right now??

 

[Chronovore]

Thanks for the comments. I understand there are many opinions about folders being used in SD. My opinions happen to be formed from some training and actual experience that I'd rather not disclose more about here. By no means am I saying I have the most accurate knowledge re: knives + tactical use. Just that I'm definitely not the guy that sees the Smith & Wesson M&P knife with the 3 glass breakers and shark teeth and think THATS the knife I need to carry for SD. I think the user and user's preferences matter greatly. So, I know what certain features in a knife fit me for what I know I'd be most effective with in an encounter.

Regarding blade thickness, whenever I look at my Baklash I immediately notice how thin the blade is. It probably looks awkward to me because of the other knives I've been playing with lately (Recon 1, CQC-4kXL). I understand the thinness and hollow grind make it a crazy slicer (I've been slicing random pieces of paper and cardboard around my house), but I still can't imagine being comfortable with a blade that thin in a tactical setting. Thinking about that same thickness (0.118") in a longer blade with a bigger handle makes it seem even more fragile and likely to snap, chip, break under force. One of the primary reasons I'm getting rid of my CQC-9k.

As for the Vexer, I suppose I'm more disappointed and confused than anything. Most of the CIVIVIs I've looked at have these great ramps and jimping and for whatever reason, they left the Vexer's handle spine completely untouched. The spine of the blade actually has an indent, which I find particularly interesting. I remember one youtuber mention that he felt like his thumb would naturally slide forward when piercing because of the lack of any ramp or jimping along the handle and blade spine, but especially because of the unique dent. It's like they purposely designed it to make it as easy as possible for your thumb to slide forward in a saber grip. Anyway, I'm talking about this knife a lot before I even have it in my hands. BTW, does anyone know how fast BladeHQ is processing/shipping orders right now??

I didn't expect that but I love your description of the "tacticool" M&P knife with shark teeth. I recently passed on a knife because I thought the glass breaker was silly. As far as BHQ, I bought the most recent special-edition Elementum from them. It took just over a week to get it.

I grew up in a rough place so I catch your drift on experience. I've had some training. I've also spent a lot of time researching defensive encounters. Now I live in a safe place where people have the right to carry and not surprisingly, violent crime is rare. Despite me telling them, my kids have no idea how good they have it.

Coincidentally, the Naja was my most carried knife of 2019. The blade was plenty strong for my regular cutting needs. The kinds of force that would really damage that blade are well beyond what I'd ask of any folding knife. It's not an ideal shape for SD but if forced, I'm willing to bet that the Naja's lock would fail long before the blade. Thinking about all the folders I own today, probably the best suited for SD is the Bestech Spike. There's no jimping but the contoured scales keep it firmly in hand. It's beautifully optimized for piercing. The action and lock-up are fantastic but the 0.15" blade is a bit thick for my regular cutting tasks.

 

[NorthernSouthpaw]

After you experience some knives you will come to realize that most of these YouTubers know Diddly squat.
Just because some witless twat waffle has a channel with a bunch of followers does NOT immediately qualify them as an expert. It just means they are entertaining.
That's it.

 

[johnnywizzo]

Everything!

 

[cchu518]

Not to go down the rabbit hole...but also check out some of the custom designers on massdrop, now just drop I think. A lot of solid companies are licensing designs from custom knife makers. It's above the $50 budget but...there are some terrific options. In fact I feel like the last couple of years has produced some terrific options across all price ranges!