regardless of cost! i've been seeing a lot of pocketknife threads here lately and i just got to wondering if there's a consensus on the best of the best.

it's funny that these threads come up all of a sudden cuz i carry a kershaw leek. i wanted something sleek and relatively low-key but this is NOT a field knife! i broke the tip off prying up on something light and have twisted the remaining tip trying to lossen a stuck screw.

my boss carries a pocket knife as well, a cold steel bushman, that's seen service in both iraq and afghanistan. he says he can use it to pry open ammo crates and cut through corrugated steel.

i think now i want something i can carry in my go-bag. something i can slam through a skull and drag the body around like achilles dragged hector's body... i want a folder that can pry open ammo cases screwed shut, cut through a plexiglass canoy, slice through thin metal, crack bone joints, a knife a can jam between two rocks and hang from!

is there a folder capable of this? is the bushman the toughest knife out there? or is there another?

those are pretty tall orders for a folder.  

But the strongest folders I've ever seen and used are made by Crusader Forge.  Pricey, but I think they'll come the closest to what you're looking for.

http://www.crusaderforge.com/TACTICALCUSTOMFOLDERSCF.htm

Strider AR frame lock or a Carrillo Tripwire. Hinderer XM-18 is a strong folder as well.

Get a damn swiss army knife if you want to pry (screw driver blade or "crate opener"), use as a screw driver (philips or bladed), cut plexiglass (wood saw or metal cutting file), saw through thin metal and cut bone (wood saw or metal cutting file), you can't stick it in between two rocks and stand on it but it will do anything else you ask from it.

As far as Strider, know he is a lier about his military service, he is the knife worlds equivalent of the gun board delta-seal-ranger. If stolen Valor doesn't bother you then the knives will probably do everything you are asking for.

ZT 0300ST.  It's BIG but it's strong.  It feels like a fixed blade when locked.  I have never seen anything like it.

This. I ask a LOT from my work knives, and this one has yet to let me down. My only complain is the slight recurve in the blade, which makes it harder for me to sharpen. Then again, I've almost sharpened the recurve out, so it's getting better.

Extrema Ratio RAO... It's $500 bucks but I  don't think there's anything stronger on the market. The pin that locks the blade is also a pretty good idea.

Take a look at a well made butterfly knife.

I like a pocket knife that won't bother me if I break a blade or lose it, but isn't cheap Chinese crap.

I've had Chinese knockoffs pry themselves apart when using the screwdriver.

I really think Swiss Army knives are awesome, as there are so many choices in blade and tool combinations that you'll find one for your needs, it's very good quality, but if you break it or lose it, you're only out $25-$50 at the most.

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but it's my reason for not carrying a more expensive one.

I love my Emerson

I've carried my Swiss Army for 35 years now and it's been a great pocketknife.

STRIDER  

SnG
SMF
GB
AR

I like striders , but wonder is they are as durable as my old Buck 110.

I got an SOG "Flash Tanto" recently, and last night I dreamt that the blade was made of lead, and it got all bent up and started falling apart when I tried cutting up sheets of cardboard.



Hope it's not a sign.

Benchmade Axis Lock.

Mine is a 722 SBT Mel Pardue model

whoa, that is a good looking blade!!! and .20" thick blade is pretty damn sturdy!

Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Folder.  Built like a fucking tank

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Rick Hinderer

This!!

If you use your knife as a prybar/screwdriver/shovel/can opener etc, it tends not to work so well as a knife after a while.

Yep, better to pick the right tool for the job IMO.  

The Victorinox pocket knives are pretty good for the price and are what I carry.  But they are anything but super tough.  The liners are flimsy, the blades are thin, and the scales break easily.  Aside from the scales, they perform as designed though.  The old Case, Camilus, Schrade, etc. camper pattern knives were better.  I have a couple, but I am keeping them new.  I think Case still males them though, they just don't have the variety of implements the Victorinox ones have.

Zero Tolerance look to be the beefiest right now and everyone raves about them.

+1 on Benchmade Axis locks.

I have a Presidio Axis and its built like a damn tank. Steel liners and good thick aluminum blade scales. Blade is nice and strong too.

I came here to recommend a Harsey Tactical Combat Folder, which was being produced by Lone Wolf Knives, but now after reviewing their website their production has gone the way of the buffalo, and it is no longer produced. You could always get a full custom Harsey Folder, but it would require a separate savings account and a little time to accumulate interest as they are not cheap.

I have had a few Mission Knives (Mission Knives Website) and they are labeled as "The Toughest Knives In The World" but to every advantage comes a disadvantage. The knives feature full titanium alloy construction. They are designed more with the commercial diver, Navy SEAL, EOD, or NASA Shuttle Commander in mind. Mine, which were issued by my PMC, were not the best choice for an all around knife. Titanium has a high  abrasion resistance, which makes it very tough. It also is practically immune to any corrosion. You can darken the blades by applying Baby Oil to the blades, as it creates a chemical reaction with the alloy and darkens. Rockwell hardness is not as important with a Titanium knife, and likewise most of them are under 50* Rockwell Rating. They are very strong, and are not prone to breakage like steel knives, even at subzero temperatures. The major downfall is going to be when you go to sharpen it, it may require considerably longer than other metals to sharpen because of its resistance to abrasion. That being said they are more likely than other knives, to be able to be used in the manner you described without breakage. Only problem is if you do break it by an abusive treatment, you will be out some money. The edges of some are titanium/tungsten carbide so shop around. But keep in mind titanium is a very specialized blade material, for a very specific application, make sure you are ready to live with the downsides of it before you purchase.

What you are requiring is a ways of a stretch for a folder, and you should probably just consider a fixed blade, which will be far stronger, and give you more options to choose from. In the end, no knife will be covered under warranty from such use, and your mileage will not hold up as well either. It would be better to carry separate tools than it would, relying on one that is not meant to fulfill these roles . Good Luck in your Quest..............Choose Wisely!

-PC-

why not get a small fixed blade knife if you are planning on such arduous duty?

THis is what I came in to post.



I carry a Kershaw ZT 0350ST but the RAO is hardcore.
 

I've got the first generation Metro Tactical and a couple of his fixed blades now.  I bought a newer version on blade forums slightly used.  I used it myself for a while and then sold it.

For someone in the military that needed a really stout folder, CF's stuff would fit the bill.  Otherwise, they're rather large to carry around on your person.

That's my favorite knife. Too bad they don't make it anymore.

+1

AR frame lock.  Its a beast.  It also carries easily for its size.  Titanium lock side frame and G10 on the other.  



Blade thickness...

I forgot to mention.  The ZT 0300ST is a AO.  I like that.

Reminds me of the old Gerber Parabellum a little bit, but the para was a sheath knife. I miss those.

I used to go thru a pocket knife a year easy. I use mine for everything possible, cutting, prying, screwdriver, opening metal cans, ect..

Untill I got one of these about 7-8 years ago. Best $20 I ever spent. I even see this model at Wal-Mart now.

My strongest pocketknife is my Strider SnG.



Crusader Forge makes some damn tough knives too.

Another vote for Zero Tolerance. Built like a tank and well balanced.

Buy a cats paw to put in your BOB. Basically a small pry bar six to eight inches long, save your knife for what it was made for.

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Use a knive as a prybar - and it will fail at some point.  A knife is not a prybar.

that tool is worth its weight when used in the shop, while fishing/camping/hunting, and a lot of other applications...

EDIT - I posted without reading OP's post. OP, just buy a cats paw or the EOD breacher bar as others have said.




 

Check out a Strider DB-L.  They are .250 thickness and are tanto designed blades specifically for prying applications.  Now they are not fail proof, but they are very very durable in this aspect.

Nice SnG!  I have a DGG SnG coyote brown G10 with S35VN black 3/4 grind blade in route currently.  Looks like you use and abuse yours.  Thats good to see!  

Sebenza

I own a Sebenza.  Its very high quality, but I would not categorize it as a rugged knife.  Its more of a gentleman's knife.  Very good EDC, but not good for crushing skulls as the OP wants to do.

I Disagree. Mine has been used hard and the frame, blade and locking mechanism are as strong as the day I bought it.
I don't abuse it or use it for tasks that it's not designed for.  If I need a pry bar or a screw driver I'll use one.