Recommend a nice, but ‘less scary’ edc knife for my collection

I picked up this Mcusta Jazz recently and it has a very custom feel.
F&F are on par or better than many customs I own. And seriously, it's the sharpest knife I've ever received right out of the box!
Goes well for a work carry seeing as I work in a jazz club.
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Hahaha, some great albums going on there, oh, and a very nice Mcusta, too! :D

Another vote for Mcusta, although this one might be a bit 'murdery' for the OP:

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Cold Steel Finn Wolf folder. Handle available in blaze orange, red, blue, olive drab and black. 3.5" zero ground edge. Perhaps the perfect "everyman" knife.
 
Go the traditional, SAK, multitool, or box cutter route if you want less scary. Beyond that all the other knives tends to get lumped together. Or you encounter people who think all knives are scary.
 
Go the traditional, SAK, multitool, or box cutter route if you want less scary. Beyond that all the other knives tends to get lumped together. Or you encounter people who think all knives are scary.
Yeah, multitool/sak route is the only one that is going to please some people. Gives the impression of “boyscout/macguyver” instead of their prejudiced impression of dragonfly-wielding psychokiller...
 
My faves are the BM 707 Sequel, Spyderco Air, Mnandi and AG Russell Gentlemans Ti Framelock. I recently acquired a Baby Jess Horn that is really growing on me. I'm trying to make peace with the fact that it's deceivingly overbuilt but it has g10 handles so that's a no.

TwoSuns make a series of super usable micro knives with two inch blades on big boy sized knife bladestock that is thinned out at the edges in m390 steel.

And an oldie but goodie is the Al Mar series. Don't get the Osprey though, I found that it was cute but not the most useful of knife sizes.

I like the Ultralights best but the other ones are equally great.
 
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The Case Mid Folding Hunter comes with a liner lock, thumb studs and a pocket clip. They even make a spring-assist version (The Kickstart). Lots of handle choices form good ole bone to modern sparkly acrylics. It doesn't get much less threatening than a Case and it's still classy yet functional.
 
I've been carrying a Maserin 392 front flipper as one of my pocket-gun knives (when I pocket carry a firearm in my front right pants pocket I switch to left front pocket carry for whatever folder I'm carrying). I have a half dozen folders rigged for left side carry but really mostly just carry the Benchmade Bugout and Maserin 392 for this purpose.

The 392 is pretty, very light (<2oz) and non-threatening with it's little 2.875" blade. It comes in versions with and without a thumbstud, apparently, and it's not difficult to open with the front flipper one handed so if I could go back in time I'd probably get the no-thumbstud version. The first picture's perspective makes it look bigger than it is, but I took a couple of quick snaps of it next to my favorite 940 variant to give you an idea of the size of the thing:

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The only thing I don't much like about the knife is the IMO ugly pocket clip, which is also tip-down only and one-side only:

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For bonus points, it's relatively inexpensive as well (~$90 retail).
 
On the pricier but awesome side of things let me also suggest the Olamic Busker. It's tiny, it can be made in a wide range of configurations with different decorative features of your choice, including multiple blade shapes, it's non-threatening and super fun to fiddle with. I can flick mine open three different ways and it's so smooth and tight a little knife that it's just an amazing little machine that can also cut things.

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It is really small, though. Here it is with an assortment of other knives. The blue Benchmade Bugout it's next to is about the same size as your ZT 0450:

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Part of "scary" is the way a lot of people open their knives. Flipping it open as fast as possible looks aggressive. Why the need for OHO? why a pocket clip? Do yourself favor and just try a traditional like a stockman or a SAK for a few days and a whole new world will open up!
 
Part of "scary" is the way a lot of people open their knives. Flipping it open as fast as possible looks aggressive. Why the need for OHO? why a pocket clip? Do yourself favor and just try a traditional like a stockman or a SAK for a few days and a whole new world will open up!

For sure. I like locks and one handed opening, but traditional knives are great too. There are some really nice looking inexpensive production options out there, both slippies and locking ones like this one that I carry all the time:

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I throw this one in my pocket loose and dropped it a couple of times so now it has some dings and scratches, but it's still a really good looking knife that's a pleasure to use.
 
For a good looking EDC I'd suggest a Spyderco Para 3 S110V with blue scales. Great little cutter that will not intimidate.

 
I've really been digging one of my Christmas gifts to myself. The WE Pleroma is very stunning in hand. The curves and lines are mesmerizing .... and I spend way too much time just looking at it. :D Seamless transitions from Ti to CF. One hand opening with thumb studs or blade opening. Smooth ceramic bearing pivot and dialed in detent which makes it very flickable.

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On the list for when I come into money. That is a utterly beautiful knife.
 
Knives are not scary. People are scary.

Carry the knife you like and then comport yourself in a way that doesn't scare the people around you.

This is precisely right. Some people who worry about other peoples' perceptions of their knives actually see their knives as a weapon rather than a tool. If one isn t concerned about his knife s image as a weapon, people will not view it as such.
I used to carry a Military and use it during the day for all sorts of routine tasks. I never caught anybody "eyeing" my knife. Maybe I wasn t paying attention. Maybe because I wasn't paying attention, they weren't paying attention.

Just noticed your f/u post.
Don t worry about other peoples' impressions of your knife, unless a knife nut comes up and asks you about it.
 
Without a doubt you should (must!) get a Mnandi. The S35VN version can be opened with one hand although the Damascus version opens much more easily using one hand. In essence, it is not very different from a full sized modern knife: titanium frame lock that is almost a linerlock due to the inlay, blade made of a supersteel, functional pocket clip, jimping on the spine– except it's obviously smaller and inlayed in beautiful wood with a stylish pocket clip.

I recently saw a picture of a Mnandi, small Inkosi and small Sebenza lined up for comparison and the Inkosi was just slightly longer than the Mnandi.

The Busker, which was recommended above, is a great knife in every way except how wide and awkward a shape it folds into. I have knives with 4 inch blades that are slimmer in the pocket.
 
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Sort of surprising but for my slim carry I like the cadet and CRKT m16 the most if I don't expect to have to do any cutting.

I had to track down this m16 model down, it's an older one and doesn't have the crappy autolawks feature.
 
How about a böker urban trapper Grand
Or any other trapper.
I love mine.
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