Hard Use Folder?

Lots of good suggestions in here so far that have already hit the nail on the head. I’m coming in late to the party to redundantly recommend the Cold Steel American Lawman. One might also look at the AK47 and Code 4. I would normally just said the Recon 1, but... that’s a 4” blade.

Cold Steel makes excellent knives for people that anticipate just absolutely beating the hell out of their cutting tools. They’re almost never high-efficiency cutting tools like Spyderco knives, but I also wouldn’t feel safe stabbing a car hood or cutting through a meat boot (as one often does in daily life) with a Paramilitary 2.

I actually used to work as a meat boot cutter and used a PM2 exclusively. 350 meat boots a day. 400 meat boots if I skipped lunch. I feel you on the car hood though.
 
The zt 350 truely is a tank of a knife.
I have cut everything from linoleum, plywood, rope, sheet metal, meat, leather and canvas with his knife.
I've done things that would destroy alot of knives that are popular here.
Combine that with an outstanding warranty and first rate customer support.
I'm not a fan boy and I seriously use every knife I own very hard.
The ZT350 has far exceeded my expectations and is incredibly tough for a folder.
MenRE3x.jpg
 
For hard use, there's nothing cheaper and more durable in my collection than the CRKT C/K Folder. Big knife for less than $20 that can do pretty much anything you want. You can in it plain/combo and w/a stain, grey or black blade and just about any color handle you'd like.

I've also got a Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto, Code 4 and a Finn Wolf but, if I have to do something that might ruin a blade, I still like the C/K Folder better because the cost is negligible and I can easily buy another.
 
Buck/TOPS CSAR-T is a tough guy. It’s a super stout knife with impressive build quality. It’s my go-to folder for real work.

If you can find a DPx HEST in your budget range it’s a hard a** too.
 
Cold Steel really do have the market covered with legitimate hard use folders. Like their marketing style or not, it's just the way it is until other manufacturers start using something other than flimsy frame and liner locks with knives sporting gigantic thick handles and blade stock. But there are still lots of other knives that will work hard for cutting if you don't abuse them, Military , PM2, Manix etc. Heck even an FRN handled Salt 1 is a workhorse, it all just depends on your definition of hard use. The Ultimate Hunter, Lawman and Recon 1 line are true hard use folders for a good price.
 
Heh. Clicked to say the Ultimate Hunter and saw it's been mentioned repeatedly. I've also seen the SR1 mentioned and I will say, if you want a folding demolition tool, it's probably the best you'll find, but for more knife related tasks, the Ultimate Hunter will just cut better. One of the better kept secrets about Cold Steel knives is that they often have very, very good cutting geometry. They've made their rep on stabinators and immensely strong knives, but apart from a few notable exceptions, most of them are very competent cutters with nice, thin edges.
 
Do tell.

Pictures or it didn't happen ;^)

You didnt read my post did you?
;)

When was the last time you scored and cut sheet metal with your sebenza?
My ZT was a shop tool.
I use all my tools very hard.
I don't have any pretty knives.
Pics of my tools are in most of my posts..lol
They aren't shiny.
 
I’ve used Cold Steel products since 2001.

A Carbon V Recon tanto made 2 trips to Iraq and one to Afghanistan with me. I also carried a voyager of some sort or another as well. None of them failed at any tasks thrown at them overseas. Even a bunch of 19 year old kids throwing them at wood ammo crates, lol. The only cold steel I’ve ever broken was a voyager. The blade snapped in half at the thumb stud while prying open the door to my friend’s apartment, lol.

Cold Steel makes a very capable knife.

However, I’ve carried a Benchmade Griptilian for the last 4 years and have been pretty rough with it. In those 4 years it has not developed any blade play at all, where as all of my cold steel folders developed blade play. Still carried them even with the blade play because they still worked.

Either one will suit your needs.
 
I’ve used Cold Steel products since 2001.

A Carbon V Recon tanto made 2 trips to Iraq and one to Afghanistan with me. I also carried a voyager of some sort or another as well. None of them failed at any tasks thrown at them overseas. Even a bunch of 19 year old kids throwing them at wood ammo crates, lol. The only cold steel I’ve ever broken was a voyager. The blade snapped in half at the thumb stud while prying open the door to my friend’s apartment, lol.

Cold Steel makes a very capable knife.

However, I’ve carried a Benchmade Griptilian for the last 4 years and have been pretty rough with it. In those 4 years it has not developed any blade play at all, where as all of my cold steel folders developed blade play. Still carried them even with the blade play because they still worked.

Either one will suit your needs.

Blade play of what sort, side to side that is fixed with a quick pivot tighten or up and down from a lock loosening up, two very different sorts of play. If one get side to side play and one doesnt it just means the pivot has thread lock on it or is just a tighter thread fit than the other, a non issue.
 
Back and forth play of the lock loosening up.

Didn’t bother me since they still cut well. At the time they were some of the most expensive knives I’d bought, and they were worth the money I spent on them. Hacked up all kinds of crap with them, twisted stuff open, slashed stuff, etc. I even stabbed the Recon tanto through a car hood, lol. Didn’t hurt the tip at all. Stabbing it into a car window did blunt the tip though.

I still have those knives in a box and the serrations are pretty much nubs now.

Then there are my $25 S&W folders that are still tight as a drum after much abuse. Funny how that worked out.

Anywho, now I’m getting all nostalgic, and will go dig those knives out and look at them a bit while recalling good and not so good times.
 
Back and forth play of the lock loosening up.

Didn’t bother me since they still cut well. At the time they were some of the most expensive knives I’d bought, and they were worth the money I spent on them. Hacked up all kinds of crap with them, twisted stuff open, slashed stuff, etc. I even stabbed the Recon tanto through a car hood, lol. Didn’t hurt the tip at all. Stabbing it into a car window did blunt the tip though.

I still have those knives in a box and the serrations are pretty much nubs now.

Then there are my $25 S&W folders that are still tight as a drum after much abuse. Funny how that worked out.

Anywho, now I’m getting all nostalgic, and will go dig those knives out and look at them a bit while recalling good and not so good times.

Yeah that tiny bit of up and down play is present on lots of tri-ads, never gets any worse it's sort of just a gamble weather the mating surface deep in the tang slot wedges in as hard as others. I have a Recon that has had that micro play for 8 years and never changed even with all kinds of abuse, then i have other Recons that are dead tight and never developed it. Sounds like you are putting them through their paces, im having a hard time imagining you also did the same prying, car hood/window stabbing and all sorts with the S&W tho :p
 
I didn’t stab hoods with the S&W, but I definitely used them pretty hard. At the age I had them (high teens-early 20’s) I really didn’t understand what I was and wasn’t supposed to use a knife for. One of my S&W has a chunk burnt out of the edge from being stupid with a car battery, lol.

Cold Steel folders were THE hard use folder of the time (2000-2007) for my age group. We knew they were awesome because they had proof videos. Heck, YouTube didn’t even exist when I first started buying Cold Steel knives. So you had to take Mr. Thompson at his word.

I apologize for going off topic so much.
 
I really didn’t understand what I was and wasn’t supposed to use a knife for. One of my S&W has a chunk burnt out of the edge from being stupid with a car battery, lol.

Sounds like you knew exactly what to use a S&W knife for. :D
 
I have an old S&W liner lock that it still a decent knife. I just can't get behind Emerson, just not good cutters. I absolutely love the Cold Steel American Lawman! What a great knife for actual use, comfortable,thin behind the edge,big choil,bank vault lockup and pretty light ; too bad they are disappearing. The Ultimate Hunter is the temporary heir to the throne. ZT 0350 it a nice little tank as it the DPX hest . Also the saber ground Manix2 is a favorite as well.
 
I think the Buck Marksman could be one helluva hard use folder. While it’s SLS may be a wee bit behind the Tri-Ad(pure speculation, no proof), it’s no slouch. I mean it’s literally called the Strong Lock System. That’s how strong it is. Add in Buck’s lifetime warranty and you have a knife you can use without a whole lot of hesitation.
 
Pick up a used ZT right here in the Sales Forum. A ZT 0562 or similar would be right around that number.
 
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