Szabo or Kumo- another help me decide

[steeltiger]

Ive been eying these two for a little while, but I'm not sure wich one I should get. If you would bear with me, I want a ITWB SD fixed blade, and the Kumo (I think) can be legaly caried here, plus I'l wind up using it as a utility knife every day. Another plus' its downright beautifull :D .
As far as the szabo fly, it would not be hard to aquire, I've been practicing with a dull/ semi-live blade and I can fling it a few ways without getting cut. If I get a/any bali it has to be single edge, and I need to be able to index it, without thinking (the Szabofly should do this for me) I will practice with it but, nothing too stupid :o .

So my delima is should I go for the beutiful-utility-knife-that-may-save-my-life, or the extremely-fun-utility-knife, that I can learn from?

P.s. also thinking of the BLACKHAWK/ M.O.D. Kalista

Please help me decide.

[Jordan]

Where have you found a szabofly?

[Stenny]

For me, despite my fondness for balisongs, it would be Kumo, hands down. I like it, and I would use it far more than the SzaboFly.
Kalista, with it's relatively short blade with combo edge, is more of a defensive than utility knife (too short plain part and too short serrated part to be really useful).
So, Kumo all the way :D .
Before somebody asks, I don't own Kumo - sadly.

[merciful]

Laci Szabo sells them from his site.

Where have you found a szabofly?

[steeltiger]

The mom&pop knife store I'm in all the time deals stuff from blue ridge, they still offer yojimbos and ATR's and I'm pretty sure I saw a szabo the last time I looked in ''the book'' ( I'm in the shop all the time and I buy enough that when I come in they'l hand me the 800 somthing page blue ridge book to look through, and thats how I buy most of my knives)

Yeah, as beuatiful as the Kumo is, its hard to consider anything else, but I'm trying to be realistic, and I've been eyeing the kalista for about two years, and the Szabo is getting rare ( I imagine).
the Szabo has a very large choil, wich can save the embarassment of a few scars, if I get too ''entheusiastic''

P.S. how do you pronounce ''Szabo'' . I think I'm wrond in saying ''saz-A-bow.

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: I thought Spyderco recalled all the balis?? :confused: :spyder:

[merciful]

That's what I heard. But if I had a stack of them, I certainly wouldn't be sending them back.

:spyder: I thought Spyderco recalled all the balis?? :confused: :spyder:

[zenheretic]

Steeltiger, if you can get a Szabofly, buy it. If nothing else you could easily sell it for profit, unless it is already at scalper prices. Then you could buy the much more utilitarian Kumo.

OTOH, neither is very utilitarian IMO. The Temperence or the Moran meet the bill much more handily.

[Dr. Snubnose]

My advice: Find a Ronin....if you can't the Kumo would be my second choice....Doc :D

[CombatGrappler]

The mom&pop knife store I'm in all the time deals stuff from blue ridge, they still offer yojimbos and ATR's and I'm pretty sure I saw a szabo the last time I looked in ''the book'' ( I'm in the shop all the time and I buy enough that when I come in they'l hand me the 800 somthing page blue ridge book to look through, and thats how I buy most of my knives)

Yeah, as beuatiful as the Kumo is, its hard to consider anything else, but I'm trying to be realistic, and I've been eyeing the kalista for about two years, and the Szabo is getting rare ( I imagine).
the Szabo has a very large choil, wich can save the embarassment of a few scars, if I get too ''entheusiastic''

P.S. how do you pronounce ''Szabo'' . I think I'm wrond in saying ''saz-A-bow.

I ordered a knife from Laci Szabo's site and he called me about it. He said "Hey, this is Szabo." He pronounced it "zah-boe." So there you go!

[KaliGman]

The statutes in Texas allow you to carry a knife with up to 5 and 1/2 inches of blade length. Bowies and daggers are forbidden.

I lived in Texas for several years. Although the statutes do not specify that balisongs are illegal. the statutes do state that gravity blades are illegal. Case law has determined, in many jurisdictions in Texas, that a balisong is opened by centrifugal force, is therefore a gravity knife, and is therefore illegal. This is convoluted legalese and I don't like it, but the fact remains that, in Texas, carrying a bali is a hit or miss proposition as to whether or not you will be charged and/or convicted for carrying one. In West Texas, they enforced the "no bali" provisions pretty stringently. As a federal officer, I carried a Spyderfly in one of the pockets of my "go vest" (mainly to have something to flip and train with while waiting on a surveillance or for the "go" order on a takedown--I often carried a Gunting trainer for the same reasons), and I had many a deputy and municipal policeman, while admiring the blade, tell me that they were illegal knives in Texas.

For utility and self-defense, the Kumo would be a better bet for you. I own a Szabofly, a Kumo, a Ronin, a Spyderfly or two, etc. I do not like the Kumo's handle at all (the resin over the wrap ruins the feel IMHO). I am in the process of determining whether I am going to rewrap my handle myself in a traditional Japanese pattern and with jade or maroon cording, talk to STR about what kind of handle he could put on the thing, or just sell it.

In regards to the top choice for a fixed blade--I agree with Doc--you can never go wrong with a Ronin.

[steeltiger]

I hadent thought about blueridge sending the bali's back.
The ronin just doesen't look like it would ''suit'' me, and I've never had a cord wrapped handle before, so I'l be ''getting used to it'' epoxied or not.
I've been told that butterflies/ flys (spell?) are illegal, and of course ''scary'' so I diddn't figure on carrying it out and about.
About buying & selling. I really wouldn't want to get into that stuff, too much hassle.

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with the kumo, but it will be next weekend before I can place an order.

Thankyou for you assistance, you make good salesman :rolleyes:

[tonydahose]

Laci Szabo sells them from his site.

just a heads up for everybody here. they DO NOT have the Szabo in stock.

[merciful]

It's only a moment to change something like that on a website, too, and not lend false hope.

just a heads up for everybody here. they DO NOT have the Szabo in stock.

[tonydahose]

i know. trust me i have found at least 10 sites that have that hard to find, limited run, collectors edition knife, super secret knife in stock only to call and order it and they so oh we dont have that anymore. one time i got the reply well we should be getting some in stock in the next few weeks, when it was already discontinued for a few years.

[merciful]

Not that I'd make an issue of it with Mr. Szabo (who was an excellent guy when I ordered a couple of blades from him, just kidding here.) But particularly as he was involved so closely in the design, you'd think he'd stay on top of things.

i know. trust me i have found at least 10 sites that have that hard to find, limited run, collectors edition knife, super secret knife in stock only to call and order it and they so oh we dont have that anymore. one time i got the reply well we should be getting some in stock in the next few weeks, when it was already discontinued for a few years.

[zenheretic]

Not that I'd make an issue of it with Mr. Szabo (who was an excellent guy when I ordered a couple of blades from him, just kidding here.) But particularly as he was involved so closely in the design, you'd think he'd stay on top of things.

My guess is he is more focused on knives rather than webpages... :)

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I realy despise websights that have knives listed that they don't have in stock. Some are good about removing the ability to order Not IN Stock knives, others not at all. In either event, I don't want to do a site search and pull up 20 knives that aren't for sale for every one that is for sale. Really tans my hide. :mad: