List your top 5 folders of 2011

Soulrack223

Soulrack223

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Since the year is winding down I thought it would be cool to see what knives everyone has been carrying this year. I've primarily been carrying 5 different blades this year in no particular order.
1) Spyderco Paramilitary 2. I have several versions of this knife with 2 more on preorder. Needless to say, it's my favorite EDC.
2) Zero Tolerance 0551. What a beast! I grab this knife when I might be doing something that takes a bullet proof folder. I've had it for a year now and using it only makes me want the 0550, 0560 & 0561 more.
3) Lone Wolf Diablo. I wish I would have gotten into these knives sooner. Too bad that they're getting scarce.
4) Hogue Elishewitz Extreme Knives EX-01. I have 2 of these little button locks. Very nice design with great fit and finish.
5) Emerson Traveler. I love the ergos on this little knife! It's about the size of a Delica 4 but a little thicker.

So what have you been carrying this year? More or less than 5 is fine too. :)
 
Para 2 ( S90V)
ZT 0551
Strider SMF 3V
Caly 3.5 Super Blue
Benchmade TSEK M390
 
6 of the knives i bought in 2011 have seen a lot of carry time:

1.- Spyderco Paramilitary II
2.- Spyderco Dragonfly II
3.- Emerson CQC 8
4.- Emerson CQC 15
5.- Emerson Gentleman Jim
6.- Benchmade 710

Some pics to get this thread goin:

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Doesnt look like i have any pics of the Para II on photobucket.
 
Seems to me I've been carrying these most of the time this year:

1) Manix 2 CTSBD30P / Plain-jane Manix 2. (I lost the latter earlier in the year, after carrying it all over the place).

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2) Kershaw Ram (This one has been getting used right proper lately... Don't have any newer pictures of it, but it's all full of drywall dust and scratched to hell at the moment.)

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3) ESEE Izula (I really started digging neck carry for this during the summer. Winter, not so much...)

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4) Hogue EX-01 (This one has been kind of abused since this picture was taken...it's missing about 1/8" off of the tip and the aluminum is pretty dinged up.)

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5) Paramilitary 2 (Haven't actually used this one all that hard. I've only touched up the factory edge once.)

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CS Lawman
Kabar Phatbob
Kershaw Rake
Spyderco Paramilitary
ZT0350 (current)

All good knives, to be sure.

Moose
 
The Top Five Folders for 2011 you say. Well here they are ( no particular order though);

1- John W. Smith SD-3: One of the best put together custom folders that I've ever held. Heavy duty build to boot.

2- Lion Steel SR-1 V: I love everything about it!

3- Fallkniven Magnum PXL w/ivory micarta: Another well built folder that has one of the butteriest actions I've felt.

4- Ultimate Equipment 1911M: I simply love the design, and it is one of the most comfortable folders I've ever used!

5- ZT0200/0500: Nothing more to be said than has already been said. EXCELLENT!!

6- Benchmade 9051 AFO II: Sometimes I feel like an auto, so..................

There are several more that I didn't mention, but these five (six) are the ones I treasure the most.
 
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Strider smf, zt551 and the 561 will definitely be next. Military and para 2, sold them and miss them.
 
ZT 0551

Haven't carried much else. My LH millie a few times but hardly enough for it to make the list.
 
My favorites in 2011 raked:
1. Large Sebenza with micarta inlays and double thumb stud
2. Paramilitary 2
3. Large Sebenza Insingo
4. Mnandi with African Blackwood inlays
5. Military s90v
 
1. C83 Persian
2. Caly3.5
3. Kopa Cocobolo
4. C105 75 mm Persian with custom scales
5. Caly3
 
Umnumzaan pretty much exclusively. Few others carried for a day or so but 99% of the time the Umnumzaan. Will probably change once my SNG gets back from Strider though.
 
In no specific order, most of these have been in my "rotation" for the last half of the year.

Spyderco Manix 2 flat ground CTS steel
Spyderco Native 5
ZT 301
Schatt and Morgan heritage series single blade spearpoint
Queen Dan Burke small barlow

Special recommendation for the Case peanut.
 
I'm somewhat happy to say I only got three in 2011 ;)

Para2 CTS-20CP
Millie CTS-XHP
Ladybug ZDP-189
 
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These are my 5 current favorites.
Spyderco Para Military 2
Buck Vantage Pro
Spyderco Pacific Salt
Victorinox Apprentice
Buck Prince
 
My top five for the year go like this.

Bang for the buck value
1)Enlan EL-01 At about $18 and some shipping which is usually still going to put the knife in under $26 its a great deal and a lot of knife. Even more amazing it has seen belt time and has a fit and finish higher than some very expensive folders I've bought. Imagine an $18 knife that someone actually took time to finish out better than some of your $180 folders!
2) ZT 0551 Elmax. This is a sweet heart and must have for any serious collector. Great knife!
3) Para Military 2 S90V w/ textured carbon fiber scales. Nuff said. One of the best knives Spyderco has ever produced
4) Cold Steel Recon 1 with Triad lock. What a knife! The most amazing lock contact I think I've seen in my life! The lock on this model seats deeper than even on my Rajah I. Great knife and at a great price point for such a reliable and strong set up.
5) Cold Steel Rajah I and/or II. A folding machete plain and simple. I've never bought a more impressively built production folder than the Rajah I. Its not really and EDC for most but worthy of high praise indeed once you actually get to use and handle one seeing what it really can do and how well it is built. Amazing novelty collector item every knife nut should have IMO but also capable of actually being used as a primary self defense weapon that would suffice to be a pretty good equalizer I would think if you did in fact need to use it for that. Its a very intimidating folder! Huge doesn't do these justice. I've found it to also be quite capable of replacing a machete for me for most of the yard work I do each fall to clear my power lines and drive of overgrowth of branches and saplings from the summer bloom. Lots of fun with this folder each year.
 
1. Small Sebenza Insingo
2. Large Sebenza Classic
3. Small Sebenza Classic
4. Sypderco Paramilitary2
5. Case Swayback Jack CV

Carried quite a few slipjoints over the year but have gone back to my Sebenzas. The Swayback Jack still rides in my watch pocket and really is the ultimate slipjoint for me.
 
For me, the 5 main knives I've carried more than any other include:
1. MT LCC D/A Gen II Carbon Fiber plain edge black Ti blade. This January was my 10yr anniversary with this knife, so I carried it exclusively all that month, and it's made it back into my EDC rotation.
2. Spyderco Ti Military in S30V. Traded for it, and it's such a slick knife that I kept reaching for it.
3. Spyderco Kopa Gold-lip pearl. Began carrying it at work due to newly enforced 2.5" blade limit. Beautiful little knife!
4. Spyderco Valloton Sub-Hilt. Picked it up this summer, and it's a classy cool design.
5. Lonewolf Trailmate fixed blade with jigged bone handle. First fixed blade that I truly fell in love with. 154CM drop-point blade is dead-sexy.

I'm quite shocked to see that my Kershaw's have fallen out of top standing. Last year it would have been a completely different list, except for the MT LCC D/A.
 
UK top of the pop's are....

1. Fallkniven TK4, a rediscovered gem, now reprofiled with convexed edge to match full convex grind. Perfect practical edc for me
2. Tidioute #56 dogleg, perfect weekend UK edc, surprisingly practical and comfortable traditional slipjoint
3. Opinel #8 stainless. another great, cheap, convex, slicing treat!
4. Scagel Fruitport bone clip. More convex tastyness wrapped in a beautiful example of American workmanship in the best tradition.
5. Spyderco Delica 4 G10 Ffg. well thought out edc workhorse.

Roll on 2012!
 
1. Strider SNG
2. Strider SNG
3. Strider SNG
4. Strider SNG
5. Microtech Ultratech
6. Microtech Socom Elite :)
 
Dorito Monk said:
3) ESEE Izula (I really started digging neck carry for this during the summer. Winter, not so much...)

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That surprises me.. my experience is that neck carry really comes into its own in the winter. Your knife is in the same spot no matter what or how many layers you're wearing, you don't have to keep moving it between pockets as you put on and take off layers, you don't have to open up your coat(s) to get at your belt or pockets underneath losing a lot of body heat in the process, and there's just a WHOLE lot less fumbling and cursing involved.
 
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