Need Replacement for a Switchblade

FricFrac · #1

Hi All,

My situation is as follows: I have an old BenchMade Mel Pardue switchblade-type knife(Great Knife!). Been a little apprehensive about using it as my daily carrier because of possible legal issues (Fla./Ga.) and the heightened fear people have post 9/11 (cop is more likely to give you a hard time for carrying one nowadays + travel is absolutely out of the question).

Ideally, I'm am looking for a solid, sturdy Spyderco with quick one-hand action, legal bladelength (ie. less than 3in??), lefty-friendly, and preferably plain-edge.

I know this sounds like a lot, but I don't feel comfortable leaving the house without a trusty knife I can rely on both as a tool and as a defensive weapon.

I'm afraid the Police-model is a bit too big and heavy. I looked at the Delica but it might be too small. Can anyone suggest a few models that may fit this bill?

Thanks for any Replies,

-FricFrac

BOK · #2

The Endura may just fit the bill for you. It's basically a larger Delica.

Another personal favourite of mine is the S30V Native.

There's really no bad choice with either of these models.

king-of-mars · #3

I second the Native recommendation, the Calypso Jr. is great, the reissued Goddard, or Para-Military would be other choices.

"it is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not."

rycen · #4

I would go with the Delicaper your bladelenth.

Pyrochazm · #5

I would go with the Para, As it's auto-fast if you practice with it, and I want one.

"My parents dropped acid back in the sevendies in an attempt to "Expand their conciousness" and then turned around and gave me Ritalin in the nineties to supress mine"

The Deacon · #6

If you want to stay with an under 3" blade, then the Delica or the Calypso Jr are your best choices, as they are the "longest" lefty friendly Spydercos that meet that requirement. The choice between them would depend on your normal uses for a pocket knife. If you do a lot of slicing, I'd favor the Calypso Jr, as the full flat ground blade is ideal for that. If not, then the Delica offers a slightly more "robust" feel. If you want rapid deployment and are willing to carry a slightly longer blade, then the FRN C41 Native offers, IMHO, the smoothest action of any lockback made. If you want even larger that that, but still under the 4"+ blade of the Police and relatively light weight then either the FRN Endura or the Goddard would probably be your best choices. You might want to check out my web page and use the COMPARE page to see the relative size of these knives.

And yes, the wide variety of knife laws does make staying legal while you travel quite a challenge. For example, if I'm reading their law correctly, Georgia says that any knife with a blade over 2" must be carried in plain sight to be legal. Where I live you're allowed up to 4", but it must be carried concealed.

Paul <A HREF='http://home.earthlink.net/~paulberetta/index.htm'>my page</A>

dialex · #7

Hi FricFrac. The Delica is my very favorite EDC. I highly reccommend it <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>

zeus · #8

Tell the cops that knife is YOUR anti-terrorist protection and you are doing your part for Homeland Security! A very patriotic thing to do.... <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

sharp · #9

try the para mili and you wont go wrong! keep it sharp and keep it safe