Buck Nighthawk 6.5

08/15/2013 by atm

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Bought this as a outdoor knife, and I have not been disappointed. The ergonomics of this knife are among the best I've held. The rubber embedded in the plastic handle has a texture to it that prevent the handle from becoming slick when wet. There is also a thumb platform built into the handle, so you can get leverage when needed.

The blade is thick, but narrow. Reminds me of a fillet or steak knife, but much thicker. The thickness makes the knife feel solid, but the narrow blade makes it handy and lightweight.

The blade is 420HC, with Buck's heat treat. There are fancier steels out there, but Buck's blades have stood the test of time. I've been able to get the blade functionally sharp, but not razor sharp. May be me, may be blade geometry.

Cold Steel SRK

08/15/2013 by atm

-Price Paid: $110.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

My SRK is the San Mai version. Wicked sharp right out of the box. The mirror polish on the blade struck me, as did the lamination line along the edge where the stainless steel and high carbon steel meet. Good looking, quality blade.

I like the heft of the knife - very solid feeling. Handle provides a good solid grip, but not as ergonomic as other designs. Very functional though.

The sheath almost holds the knife too securely. It takes a bit of a tug to release the knife, which made me nervous the first few times with such a sharp knife. Hopefully this will loosen up with time.

Knife has functioned flawlessly. Have not had to sharpen the blade yet. I just really like the feel of this knife. It feels solid, without being heavy.

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Spyderco Tasman Salt

08/13/2013 by Dante

-Price Paid: $55.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

Excellent EDC capability. The hawkbill design is a very good choice for many duties as it forces material in its cutting edge. The steel is extremely rust resistant. I take mine to the beach with no issues. The weight is phenomenal although some may not like the wide profile it takes in your pocket. I wear my knives inside my waist band so it isn't an issue for me.

Spyderco Police 3

08/13/2013 by Dante

-Price Paid: $100.00
-Used for BAD
-Owned for BAD

Comments:

Basically an elongated Endura but made with G10 rather thatn FRN. I love full flat grinds. The blade gives you a lot of reach and it is very pocket friendly with it's slim profile. I gave it a 7 on value because it is pricey. If Spyderco did an Endura XL in FRN I think it would be a good alternative to spending twice as much for a Police 3.

Lone Wolf Trask

08/11/2013 by J.Morden

-Price Paid: $58.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

This knife was originally purchased with the intent to be used strictly as a work knife, cutting plastic straps, tape and breaking down boxes. After very little use was it awarded the honor of EDC. With buttery smooth operation and rock solid lock up it quickly became my knife of choice. Who would have thought N680 steel would be so wonderful? Not me. After a few weeks of every day use I noticed just how great the edge retention was and how easily the blade was sharpened back to a razors edge. I have enjoyed it so much I have recently purchased the slightly smaller version the "Swale" online and am patiently awaiting its arrival. The Trask is a winner, that I am certain about.

Blackjack Knives Model 155 Neck Knife

08/11/2013 by Rigney

-Price Paid: $57.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

This little fixed blade makes an excellent EDC it is designed as a neck knife but can be carried on the belt with a simple para-cord weave on the sheath. has a very nice convex grind on the 154cm blade and comes quite Sharp considering the geometry micarta handle scales are available for around 30 dollars more I just went with a para-cord wrap which works well. There are a ton of different powder coat colors available all around very good value EDC type fixed blade

Spyderco Warrior

08/09/2013 by J

-Price Paid: $230.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I've used this knife for fishing and boating. Best salt water knife ever made. Doesn't rust at all, sharpens easily, and will clean/gut fish like nobody's business. I hold no sympathy to those that didn't pick this up while available. This is a knife that can be passed down and look identical 100 years from now.

Ontario RAT 7

08/06/2013 by Barks

-Price Paid: $95.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

The Ontario Rat 7 quickly rose to the top of my favourites list. This is an excellent knife. It chops extremely well. Its a bit large for finer carving, but the finger choil allows you choke up on the blade for better control.
This knife is permanently attached to my Go-bag. In the sheaths front pocket I have a gerber retracting saw. its the perfect combo for my outings. The 1095 carbon steel blade is strong and durable. A bit of oiling is required so the steel wont rust. I have use this knife to dress fish, small game, baton through a lot of firewood and it performs like a champ.
The scales are very ergonomical and have no hot spots. The micarta can be sanded down for more of a custom fit quite easily if needed.
Edge retention is very good. After a years worth of abuse, the blade shows no chips whatsoever. It takes and edge quite easily.

Cold Steel SRK

08/06/2013 by Barks

-Price Paid: $65.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I have used the SRK on several adventure hikes and outings and I really wanted a blade that could handle a lot of tasks well. This is a very well rounded knife. I like the weight at 8.2oz. Mine is the Aus8 steel and although I had to resharpen when I got it, the edge retention was good. I have managed to chip the blade in several areas along the edge which was a disappointment. I reprofiled the edge and after my last outing, I will have to again as there are again more chips.
Retention on the sheath is very good and I like the Velcro snap closer on the belt loop a lot.
One other minor gripe I have is the swedge on the spine of the knife. On larger logs when batoning, this swedge chews through the baton quickly. The swedge will help piercing and stabbing without question, but I have had little need to perform that task.

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TOPS Knives Cochise

08/06/2013 by Barks

-Price Paid: $135.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I chose the Cochise as my EDC knife because of TOPS legendary reputation. It came shaving sharp from the factory and has excelled at all tasks I have put it through. I do find that the grind angle makes it a bit harder for finer carving. This is one well built, tough blade. Very comfy scales. Tops knives are a bit on the pricy side.

Spyderco Endura 4

08/03/2013 by Dan

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I've owned two of the Endura knives from Spyderco as well as other Spyderco and Byrd knives. I also collect many other knives, both fixed blade and folders. They all see their fair share of use as well. Since my knives see a good bit of use, I routinely clean my knives, dry them, apply oil, and tighten all frame and pocket clip screws to be sure they are secure. Usually 1 or 2 screws will loosen up over time.

My main problem has more to do with Spyderco as a whole and partially to do with the Endura. I've had problems in the past with both Spyderco and Byrd pocket clip and frame screws stripping on me. The fact that Spyderco knives are the only brand of knives that I've ever had this problem with leads me to believe that Spyderco just uses sub-standard screws in their knives. I've never had these issues with any of the other brands of knives that I own.

After having an Endura frame screw strip on me recently, I contacted Spyderco customer support and they informed me that stripped screws are not covered under warranty, and because their knives are not made here in the USA, they do not stock parts for their knives. The only parts that they can replace are pocket clips and pocket clip screws. They do not carry frame screws.

The only other option that they could offer me was to buy a repair kit for $20 that is only made for Endura and Delica knives. This repair kit includes replacement FRN scales, steel liners, screws, bushings, etc. (So ultimately I would be paying $20 for 2 torx screws that probably cost about 3 cents.) Also keep in mind that these repair kits are ONLY offered for Endura and Delica model knives, so if you own another, possibly more expensive model, then you would be out of luck!

So after speaking with customer service, they basically told me that there is nothing they can do about stripped frame screws. Even if I paid to send my knife to Spyderco, they can't fix it because they don't have the parts and screws are not covered under warranty so they will not replace the knife either. Bottom line, I'm out of luck and the knife is now garbage because of measly defective screws! This is ridiculous people! Thank god I didn't strip a screw on a really expensive Spyderco knife huh!

Now, as far as I'm concerned if a knife is sent back to the company for repair and it can't be fixed due to defective materials, or even because the company is just too dumb to stock replacement parts, then they should be liable to replace the product! I don't know about everyone else, but I don't feel very confident carrying a knife from a company that offers no assurance of being able to help you when something goes wrong! Needless to say, I won't be carrying anymore Spyderco products after finding this out.

As far as my ratings are concerned,
Overall = 3 because of Spyderco's piss poor warranty practices. I would give a 0, but I gave 3 because they do actually use very nice steel in their blades.

Ergonomics = 7 the grip is okay but not super comfortable.

Build Quality = 3 due to their horrible quality screws that constantly strip.

Value = 3 Because regardless of my personal issues, I believe Spyderco knives are horribly overpriced anyways.

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Buck 110

08/03/2013 by jeff

-Price Paid: $20.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

i've owned 2 buck 110s. other than being too large for a pocket.definetly a sheath knife, you can't beat it! no blade play or wobble. holds an edge,very sharp. for the price,you will not find a better built knife!