Most indestructible pocket folder?

NotSoSharpBob said:
OP mentioned snow, water and mud. Gloves or wet hands make some locks much harder to operate even if they may be the best lock up.
Click to expand...

alaus said:
a little bit of saltwater will hurt the most expensive folders.
Click to expand...

The Opinel #10 Inox is the toughest folder I've used because of just these concerns.

It's among the few folders that you can bury in wet sand, dig it out, knock off the loose stuff and then use with confidence. Generally speaking, simpler is better when it comes to durability.

NOTE: I don't consider lock strength to be a real criteria for a folder. The Opinel's lock won't prevent it from closing if you lean on it.
 
For me triadlock is very comfortable to operate in gloves. In fact in winter conditions I trust the most in folder with that lock type and with comfortable and secure grip - CS Talwar.
 
Last edited:
ZTFan said:
I'm sure no one has thrown their knife against a brick wall 500 times, but my question relates to extreme abuse and durability. I know that the title is ambiguous, so I thought I'd lay out some criteria below:

1. Scales or frame must be made of a very hardy material resistant to warping and breaking.
2. Opening method would most likely be bare bones manual, I assume. No springs to break or bearings to get dirty.
3. Locking method needs to withstand as much force as possible.
4. Blade material, for this concept, could forgo sharpening and overall sharpness qualities in exchange for edge retention, scratch resistance and corrosion resistance. In other words it doesn't have to be super sharp, and sharpening can be a bitch, but it just needs to maintain itself. Thick material.
5. Blade shape should be short, snubbed and fat enough to avoid chipping or breaking. Length and point are not necessary for this build.
6. Any screws or bolts holding it together would need to be high-quality. The less pieces to break the better, so one-piece construction would obviously be better for the knife overall.

I'm sure I left out some crucial components of a durable knife, but that should get the ball rolling.

So are there any knives that meet this criteria? What in your opinion holds the title of most indestructible folder? What materials are considered the most durable for blade and handle?
Click to expand...

Why not just get a fixed blade?
 
Think of all the abuse thrown at Buck 110s over the years; how many of them are still going strong. There are old warhorses sitting in bins in basements or junk shops just waiting to be oiled, polished, and sharpened and put back into service.

I have to say the Buck 110 has been this knife all along. Too heavy for your pocket? The 112 is just as tough.

Zieg
 
I heard the new tip up version of the Mission folder is fine. However the old tip down one apparently sucked. This was because the pocket clip was attatched to the pivot screw which meant that when you tightened it down enough that the clip wouldn't rattle the knife would barely open.
 
Cold Steel 4-Max is it.....

P1020542_zps7y05ci32.jpg
 
pinnah said:
The Opinel #10 Inox is the toughest folder I've used because of just these concerns.

It's among the few folders that you can bury in wet sand, dig it out, knock off the loose stuff and then use with confidence. Generally speaking, simpler is better when it comes to durability.

NOTE: I don't consider lock strength to be a real criteria for a folder. The Opinel's lock won't prevent it from closing if you lean on it.
Click to expand...

Not even close to what is described in the op. Did you even read it?

I've got to give the nod to something from cold steel given the OP's criteria. I've had a couple recon 1 spear point versions that were great, just not exactly for me.
 
pinnah said:
The Opinel #10 Inox is the toughest folder I've used because of just these concerns.

It's among the few folders that you can bury in wet sand, dig it out, knock off the loose stuff and then use with confidence. Generally speaking, simpler is better when it comes to durability.

NOTE: I don't consider lock strength to be a real criteria for a folder. The Opinel's lock won't prevent it from closing if you lean on it.
Click to expand...

My first Opinel (alerted to it by posts on this site, BTW) was a #8. It looked promising, but crowded my hand a bit, and when applying force, it popped the locking collar and damaged the wood underneath. But when I went with a #9 carbone, all problems disappeared; comfortable in hand, fit into my pocket just as well standing up behind my wallet in LF pocket, and easier to get the blade out in humid conditions. I liked it so well I got one in inox and am so happy again. And it cost less than a Domino's Pizza. What's not to like?

Oh, and the OP needs a fixed blade.
 
I'd say most of the triad lock cold steel's are tough folders. In my experience the Carson Tech Griffin with a Nitrobe 77 blade and button lock is pretty dang tough. Same for mini Ritter grip with custom cf scales, hogue ex series and manix 2.
 
for its weight:

IMG_6456_zps9582b202.jpg

the strongest folder i own. the bolt action spring is getting sleepy after more than 30 years of pocket carry, but it still works.
 
I own a 7.5" pry bar that is very small and relatively light. I paid $4 for it, and if you give me enough time I'm pretty sure I could tear down an entire house with it. It seems to be indestructible, at one point I stood on the handle to trying to get a particularly stubborn nail out of concrete, and I was sure I was going to trash my high quality $4 tool, but in the end I launched that nail into the stratosphere and my $4 pry bar seemed none the worse for wear.

Why anyone would want an overbuilt pocket brick of a folder that would easily be outperformed by a SAK and my $4 pry bar is beyond me.

I'm not near it today or I'd take a picture for you. This is what it looked like new:

TUa9Cn3.jpg


If you need a really, really strong knife, you are almost certainly using your knife wrong . . .
 
evilgreg said:
I own a 7.5" pry bar that is very small and relatively light. I paid $4 for it, and if you give me enough time I'm pretty sure I could tear down an entire house with it. It seems to be indestructible, at one point I stood on the handle to trying to get a particularly stubborn nail out of concrete, and I was sure I was going to trash my high quality $4 tool, but in the end I launched that nail into the stratosphere and my $4 pry bar seemed none the worse for wear.

Why anyone would want an overbuilt pocket brick of a folder that would easily be outperformed by a SAK and my $4 pry bar is beyond me.

I'm not near it today or I'd take a picture for you. This is what it looked like new:


If you need a really, really strong knife, you are almost certainly using your knife wrong . . .
Click to expand...

You should write a book.....Battoning with a Prybar.
 
Screwdriver said:
You should write a book.....Battoning with a Prybar.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure a book would go over well with anyone brilliant enough to choose a folding knife as the best tool to baton wood with; I mean, do people who can't read buy a lot of books?
 
evilgreg said:
I'm not sure a book would go over well with anyone brilliant enough to choose a folding knife as the best tool to baton wood with; I mean, do people who can't read buy a lot of books?
Click to expand...

People use what they carry and if they feel they need to carry a stout folder that could baton, then what is the problem? Saying your way of a SAK and a Prybar is perfect is just as silly as what you think others believe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top