Heavy Use EDC Choice

[Evil D]

Personally i already made the choice...my dedicated EDC is going to be used for anything i have to cut, be it weeds or cardboard or coolant lines on a car or whatever...i show it no mercy as long as it's within standard knife jobs (meaning i don't use it as a scraper or a pry bar or a screwdriver). That said, it has been and probably will be a Para 2 for a long time, unless i find the Tuff to my liking.

However, dollar for dollar the Manix 2 is also a great option, especially if you don't want to buy two of the same knife and you don't have a Manix yet. Para 2 vs. Manix 2 in an EDC showdown, i would vote for the Para 2 in every category but that's not saying anything bad about the Manix especially if you score an FFG/sprint version.

I'm a big wharncliffe fan, so i'm anxiously waiting for the Yojimbo two. I think if any knife can dethrone my Para 2, that'll be the knife. If you don't mind wharnies, that's also another option.

[Jet B]

Maybe try a Military. If that's not an option, I would just use your Para 2 for your beater and pick up another one in the future when a sprint comes along that you really like.

I was also intrigued by the Gayle Bradley but have held off because of the non-stainless steel and the weight. I like my edc to be fairly light and if I ever need something bigger than that 4 ounce mark I will just grab my Schempp Rock.

I usually have either my Sage 1 or Para 2 on me as my edc these days. Gonna use my m390 Milly as well when it comes next spring. If I ever had to really abuse a knife, I would probably grab my Benchmade Griptilian and hack and pry away...

[McDutch]

I'm also an advocate for trying out the Tenacious. I sadly had to part with mine to cover some bills

In my opinion it's an amazing low budget folder that will stand up to just about anything you can throw at it. I would say it's one of the best budget folding knives. you could buy 3 of those for the price of a PM2 [at msrp].

That brings me to another plus, it's not such a big loss if you happen to snap the tip or break [a part of] the edge, or bend it up otherwise.

[Blerv]

I'm also an advocate for trying out the Tenacious. I sadly had to part with mine to cover some bills

In my opinion it's an amazing low budget folder that will stand up to just about anything you can throw at it. I would say it's one of the best budget folding knives. you could buy 3 of those for the price of a PM2 [at msrp].

That brings me to another plus, it's not such a big loss if you happen to snap the tip or break [a part of] the edge, or bend it up otherwise.

+1

If you plan to use/abuse a knife it's hard to beat cheap. Sharp and cheap is VERY tough to beat. :)

[jossta]

**** you can almost buy the whole budget line for what a PM2 costs and have 4 different EDC knives.

[jackknifeh]

**** you can almost buy the whole budget line for what a PM2 costs and have 4 different EDC knives.

When I spend over $120 on a knife I think similar things. A few months ago I wanted to get my son a knife for his birthday so I started talking to him about what he might want. I suggested he at least look at the Spyderco line and he handled some of mine. He bought himself a Persistance to try using the hole and how he liked the knife. He wanted to leave a more expensive knife for me to get for his birthday. :mad: It's like he was a teenager again (he was 27 at the time). Anyway, the Persistance really proved to be a very competant knife. I got him a Delica and Pacific salt for his birthday and he bought several others on his own. To this day he will talk about the Persistance as highly as any of the others. I think his favorite is the Bob T(can't spell it).

Another thing (sort of) is any Spyderco value or Byrd knife is better quality than I've used all my life (and I thought I had gotten a couple of nice ones). I just never shopped for quality (more expensive) knives.

Back to the subject of heavy use EDC. I got a Ladybug in the mail today. You may want to try that. :D

Jack

[Evil D]

While i do see the point in how many cheaper knives you can get for x amount of dollars....lets all remember that if that was the case we'd all be shopping at Walmart for our knives and Spyderco wouldn't be in business. You definitely get what you pay for.

That said, i've often considered an American Lawman (gasp) for a show no mercy beat the life out of it knife, but i've been carrying Spyderco knives for so many years exclusively now that i find a thumb stud to be absolutely annoying and no matter how good the knife is, if it doesn't have some kind of hole to deploy the blade, i'm just not interested. The only exception is old slip joints and SAK's.

[JD Spydo]

I'm still overwhelmed at how pleasantly surprised I was when I pulled out an old 440V SE Native that I had stored away for some time. I was going to use that knife on a job that I figured was truly going to destroy the knife. But much to my pleasant surprise the knife withstood the torture I put it through and I still use it on rough jobs to this very day.

I have other recommendations though. One of my sentimental favorites (that is if you can find one) is the short lived, few units manufactured, stainless version of the C-45 RESCUE model. The Stainless Rescue in my opinion may have been the sturdiest built Spyder ever. I don't see how you could destroy one even through rough use.

Most any of the Golden CO models and especially the Military is a really tough unit. I had a 440V SE Military that I regretfully traded away which was truly a wrecking ball of a knife. I've also heard great things about the newer G-10 Police model but I've yet to test drive one. But again the Native is priced right and built like a fire hydrant.

[cutter17]

I'm going to go ahead and say it, and ya'll going to say, "oh no, that fool be back, and all he can talk about it that durned Vallotton Sub-Hilt like it is the Holy Grail or something."

Vallotton Sub-Hilt, there, I said it. :) But I really do think it would make a good hard use folder. It has the thicker blade, 4mm/.157", with .065"-.070" thick stainless liners. The thing that really makes me think this would be a good hard use folder is the fact it has some thick titanium bolsters that reinforce the pivot area. These are one piece bolster's and are just under 1.5" in length, so if prying (which I think is not a good idea unless you are in a life/death situation) you have nearly 1/4" of titanium on each side of the pivot.

Plus, I just love this thing! It has been in my pocket for the past few weeks relegating my other folders back to the drawer! :eek: :)

[chuck_roxas45]

Can you still find these? They work well for heavy use.

[.357 mag]

I don't think I know what heavy use is. The hardest stuff I've cut as been a breeze with my Endura, Delica, or Dragonfly. Can someone give me an example of a "hard use" cut? Other than batoning, I can't think of anything.

[JD Spydo]

Can you still find these? They work well for heavy use.

Again I rest my case>> another Golden Colorado USA made gem from the Great Spyder Factory. The Chinook III is another great blade I traded away but wish I had back . The blade design would also bode well for self defense because of it's slashing ability.

The locking mechanism seemed about as solid as any lock on any Spyder I ever owned in the past with maybe the exception of the compression lock on the immortal Gunting model.

One that many of you may want to laugh at but I will also suggest the Golden made "DODO" model as being a great all around, multi-purpose user. When I EDCed my Dodo the last time I was blown away with all the cutting chores I could do with the Dodo. The orange Sprint Run can't come soon enough for me.

[jezabel]

Out of your original selection, my 1st choice for a HD folder is the GB M4. This is exactly what I use mine for, All I'll say is that it swiftly made any Manix's (both a Mini & CFS90V M2) I owned somewhat redundant.

Generally speaking the Para's are no slouch's either although it wouldn't be my 1st pick for specific HD use. One of my D2 Para's was given beater status from day one, three or so years down the track it's still holding it's own, the only real misadventure has been a small snap off the tip.

However my personal favorite for rough & tumble work as always is as JD put it "the wrecking ball" a 440V SE Millie!

J

[wsdavies]

Ditto

While probably the boring choice, I would recommend the Endura 4 for hard use. The FRN is tough and grippy; the sabre grind is thicker, stronger, and the tip has more strength than any FFG knife mentioned above; and for the price it more affordable to replace than the above if something happens to it. While I agree it doesn't look as good as the above knives, I would say it definitely has the qualities you look for in a hard use folder.

[jackknifeh]

I don't think I know what heavy use is. The hardest stuff I've cut as been a breeze with my Endura, Delica, or Dragonfly. Can someone give me an example of a "hard use" cut? Other than batoning, I can't think of anything.

I know what you mean. Knives are supposed to be a cutting tool. Hard use cutting would be stuff like wood. I cut small branches sometimes but if I'm doing yard work I have better trimming tools that make the work easier. But for the occasional small limb that just seems to be in my face on the way from the house to the car I'll use a knife and be done with a limb or two. Even though that may be call a hard cut it's not something you should need a "hard use" knife to do. A Delica would do fine (for a while). So, when I think of hard use I think of a knife that will handle a lot of force on the pivot/lock mechanism for a long time. The lock should NEVER let the knife close inless you want it to. I believe a Manix2 or GB will still be cutting limbs, branches, etc. after a Delica has begun to develope incurable bladeplay. But, even a little bladeplay doesn't mean a knife is unusable, even though it drives me crazy. I may be wrong though since I've never used the same knife for hard use for many years. Plus, the Delica is probably a lot stronger than I give it credit for.

There's also times I've needed to dig a hole out of wood for a screw head I want recessed (that's a small hole) or a bigger hole in a 2x4 to fit over a bolt head already there so the wood lays flat against each other. So hard use could also mean using the knife for jobs they weren't made for but still will perform. That's the key and those situations will be different for everyone.

So, I believe a hard use folding knife is a knife that will take a certain level of abuse and still hold up. When you know you should be using a fixed blade but your folder still performs perfectly over a long period of time then you have a hard use folder. I think that sums it up.

Jack

[chuck_roxas45]

Well, I'd say hard use is:

* Needing to exert a lot of force on the handle to cut something.
* Repeated cutting of media that stresses the components of the knife(lock, pivot, blade)
* Cutting materials that stress the edge of the knife like abrasive(rope, cardboard) and hard media(wood, thick rubber, leather)
* Cutting tasks that introduce impacts on the knife in either direction(chopping, battoning, self defense)

I'm sure there are some more ways that people who use knives, put stress on their knives. Just because I can't imagine what, does not mean that people don't use knives in ways I can't imagine.

[Tdog]

If you are considering the Stretch, there is a dealer on line that still has the CF w/ZDP
C90CFPE in stock but you will pay a premium for this. It does add some heft to the knife but the ZDP while taking and holding an edge well, is more brittle. I have the Manix and Para 2. I think the Manix is perhaps "stronger" than the Para, but I find the Para getting more carry time because of the compression lock. The grey Para w/cp20 is still available and it's one of my favorite steels. To me, the final choice would depend upon on what you mean by "heavy use"? Any of the knives mentioned by previous posters if not abused, should stand up to "heavy use". That's part of what makes Spyderco's so great.

[wingman_214]

I'm also an advocate for trying out the Tenacious. I sadly had to part with mine to cover some bills

In my opinion it's an amazing low budget folder that will stand up to just about anything you can throw at it. I would say it's one of the best budget folding knives. you could buy 3 of those for the price of a PM2 [at msrp].

That brings me to another plus, it's not such a big loss if you happen to snap the tip or break [a part of] the edge, or bend it up otherwise.

A serrated edge tenacious will absolutly stand up to anything you throw at it, g10 and steel liners.
The native is also a good choice, the older ones have frn scales but the tougher saber grind. The newer ones have g10 with steel liners but come in ffg.

[jackknifeh]

I read a theory once. Nobody wants a knife, they want one thing to become two things. The knife is the tool to make this happen. Ok, I agree with that. I also believe there is pleasure in using quality tools even if the only benefit is the feeling I get. Cars are the same. You can get from here to there in a 1974 Ford Pinto (well, half way there :) ), but it's more pleasurable to ride in something else.

Evidently I'm one who likes the pleasure of using quality, better feeling tools including knives. When I started buying more expensive knives the search was for one thing. A knife that would stay sharp longer. In that search I learned there were a lot of differences in folding knives. Locks, handle material and ergonomics, etc. I really had no idea.

So now I have a few of each. My only complaint is not wanting to use an expensive knife for the reason I bought it. That's how it is for any "hard use" knife I spend more than $75 for. And, comparted to about 6 years ago that is an ENORMOUS price for a pocket knife. Before that I don't think I had ever seen a price tag over $25 on a knife.

Jack

[elena86]

Endura 4 FRN Saber grind.FRN is the best for heavy use EDC.So is the saber grind and a stronger tip.GB and Mannix too heavy and bulky for my taste.