Hi All,
I need some suggestions for a new EDC.
I’ve beaten the tar outta my Kershaw Leek with a CPM-D2 blade. Its in need of retirement…soon.
So in a perfect world, a Leek with a supersteel blade…and that definition changes so fast it makes me cry.
However, I am open to something new, preferably not a HUGE knife- as it goes everywhere and I don’t want anyone freaking over an intimidating knife. But I want a smooth fast opening knife, and a hard wearing blade thats at least RC60+.
I am not a rich man, but I have about a 250.00 budget.
So…gentlemen, what’s your favorite?
Is there a Leek with a decent steel out there?
I was drooling over the old Cali 3 Spyderco in damascus, but they got pricey…
And it is extremely comfortable in the hand, more so the then the EX 3. I have not time with the blade yet? So I can’t say how well it will hold an edge? They are within your budget, but if you can spend some more and can deal with a neck knife? Here is my favorite of the favorites.
I’ve always carried cheap pocket knives - only once spent >$50 on a SOG, only to decide it was too heavy for EDC. A few weeks ago, I finally had to have one in ZDP-189, as LeoBarr spoke so highly of it and google searches brought tons of positive stuff. Bought a Spyderco Delica 4 in ZDP-189; about $83 on Amazon. I’m truly impressed with the whole knife, but the steel just feels like it’s in another league at RC65. It’s like it has a grandmother who was ceramic. I don’t know how durable it’s going to be, but I did cut some cardboard yesterday that usually dulls my cheap knives quickly. Couldn’t tell there’d been any wear at all. Rockstead laminates it between layers of VG-10, probably to protect against being too brittle.
I think all Spyderco designs are ugly-ass knives; strictly form follows function, but this one is really comfortable, extremely well-designed and light enough that I can avoid that bane of geezerhood -suspenders.
I very carefully zeroed the knife vertically in my vise and found that the left side was at 17 deg. while the right was at 24. I used my 1000’s to clean up the toothy factory edge, then polished it off down the sequence to the 3.5 strops.
I own a Sypderco Stretch in ZDP-189 and I have to say that is good steel. Depending on the size of knife you want to carry you can get it in a Dragonfly 2, Delica, Endura, Stretch. All great knives.
You can also check out a Spyderco Chaparral.
Check out a Benchmad Mini Barrage in M390 steel. Good stuff.
Benchmade mini grip gets my vote all day… Sounds like it fits what you are wanting perfectly. It goes fits my hands perfectly, opens smooth, and lightweight, and you can get it in m4
Wow, all good ideas!
So thoughts.
The Hogue knives look cool, but before I drop decent money on something like that, I’d want to touch it. Many times it’s all about feel.
Spyderco, I agree with the ‘butt ugly’ comment, many of them are.
I dug around and can’t seem to find an Endura in BLACK that’s got a ZDP - 189 blade, they’re all green.
So if any of you have a line on a black one…
Other thoughts, the Benchmade Mini Barrage looks good, is the full size one a big heavy brute? And is their opening system considered a switchblade? I know the Leeks assist mechanism is not…
Also, I have not seen where there are different steels offered for these, so maybe my research is faulty?
I’m liking the Cali 3.5 and 3 in carbon fiber and ZDP- 189. My worry is the pocket clip looks flimsy.
My personal favorite EDC is a Benchamde Mini Ritter Grip in CPM-M4 with Kevin Wilkins aluminum scales.
That being said I do not have own any Kershaw knives. I will suggest any knife with CPM-M4. I love the steel, easy to sharpen, stays sharp a long time. Somewhat prone to rust as it only has 4% Cr. Never been a problem for me, but I would not advise it if you live in FL or on the coast. Since it is not a true stainless steel it is most often coated. Not a problem for me but i know many don’t like coated blades.
I am not concerned with rust, I take very good care of my EDC, so non stainless is fine.
Heck my D-2 Leek looks new unless you know what to look for.
I’ll take a look in the Benchmade pile…seems I need to dig in there a while, I don’t know enough about them…
+1 on the ritter… There is a difference in the mini grip and mini ritter grip. The ritter grip seems to be designed to slice even more efficiently. But good luck in finding it in m4, I think that is very difficult to find as they come standard in s30v.
Boy, this sure turned out to be a great thread. All kinds of new models and features.
The Spyderco Centofante looked to me to be the most interesting design in Spyderco’s catalogue, but it’s a little too long for me. I think that the limit for pocket knives here is 3". More than that and a trooper could nail you for violating the concealed carry laws. A friend who went to the CC class here was told so by the instructor. Another friend who went to a different class said the length didn’t matter. I’m not sure what to believe, but I picked the Delica for the ZDP-189 and the shorter blade length.
BTW, ZDP-189 is 20% chromium. D2 is 11.5%. The thread on Spyderco’s forum of ZDP-189 vs S30V suggests that the ZDP stains more easily. With that much Chromium it’s hard to believe that it stains at all. It’s kind of cool to read how hard it is for those guys to sharpen it on their Sharpmakers.
I picked ZDP-189 not because I wanted a perfect knife, but because I wanted to get a feel for what the latest technology offered. I made a couple dozen knives years ago and used D2, which was well established as a good knife steel and hardenable at home. At that time, CPM-154 was considered the new super-steel and for all practical purposes, it was “unobtainium” as there were only a few shops in the country that could harden it.
I don’t have a contemporary frame of reference to compare the ZDP to (e.g. S30V) like some of the other gents here, so I’m easily impressed. Running the stones over the edge presents an entirely different feel for me. It’s clearly very hard; the stones do cut into it but just barely. Must be tough as hell. I’m a little worried about it being brittle, but I gotta get over that.
Have any of you gents heard anything about the 3-inch limit or pocket knives and concealed carry laws?
[quote quote=“tcmeyer” post=15950]
BTW, ZDP-189 is 20% chromium. D2 is 11.5%. The thread on Spyderco’s forum of ZDP-189 vs S30V suggests that the ZDP stains more easily. With that much Chromium it’s hard to believe that it stains at all. [/quote]
It’s not just the presence of chromium in a steel but the amounts of other elements present. Chromium has two main functions in steel, rust resistance and hardness (determined by the other elements and thermal processing) With lots of carbon, which ZDP has in abundance, chromium tends to form chromium carbides (hardness) rather than provide rust resistance.
ZDP (and D2 for that matter) are both pretty rust free steels. Just not as “stainless” as say VG10.
The early ones were blue, but they’ve been green for years. Don’t recall there ever being a black one (though you could RIT dye a green one, they are already pretty dark.
The current line of ZDP steels only come in the British racing green handle. The black handles come with VG10 steel.
I also have the big barrage. Yes, it is a brute but I love the M390 steel. No, it is not considered a switch blade, just a spring assist. You have to push the blade open with the thumb stud before the sprint catches and flies it open. I would love to have a mini in M390. They also have some mini barrage in 154CM steel.
Just VG10 steel but I’ve had good lick with VG10.