I'm looking for a folding knife I can carry daily for general use, but which, could also be an effective weapon.

I'm a fan of Microtech knives, and in particular their SOCOM Elite automatic:

www.microtechknives.com/Auto_MiniSocom.htm



Unfortunately, automatics are sometimes frowned upon, and Microtech in general is pretty expensive. I could buy a pistol for what they charge for some of their knives!

So, what advice can I be given toward this end. QUALITY, folks. I don't mind paying the $125 if it's WORTH IT, but that's as high as I think I'm willing to go.

...and YES, I know that if I find myself in a knife fight, I am royally screwed, and should have opened fire sooner.

Edited to add pic.

Get the Emerson Special Operations Combat Folding Knife (SOCFK) "B" model.  Their patented "wave" opening feature is as fast or faster than an automatic knife, but totally legal.  Tanto point, ergonomic handle, chisel ground blade, simply the best!!

get a spyderco police you could carve up some mo fos with that shit.

I like my Benchmade over the Spyderco I once owned.

recently picked up the CRKT M16 Combo edge...

this website seemed to have alot of cool stuff -i will be doing most of my xmas shopping here.

http://www.islandsecuritystore.com/index.php

Ditto.

Nice sig line!
Loose head prop here!!
Sometimes Hooker!

That's Rugby talk so no f'n wise cracks, or I'll invite you over for a game!!

Semper Fi

A bit more expensive than the MicroTech, but I see your point...

My question is, how the heck does it deploy that fast?

[url]http://www.emersonknives.com/videos/SOCFK.MPG[/url]

Also, am I safe in assuming that the blade locks [b]securely[/b] open? The guy seems to be able to close it awfully easily. I guess the same goes for the easy-open...

Edited to fix link.

Shameless bump...

I have knives from a couple dozen makers.  I like them all for one reason or another, but you'll generally find an Emerson in my pocket.

Eddie

I second the Spyderco Police.

Great knife and very well built.

I've got a couple of SOG lockblades, had 'em for five years, they hold an edge, haven't showed a speck of rust, light as a feather and have the pocket clip (which really comes in handy). I also have their ParaTool, but although it's quality of materials can't be beat I like my Leatherman better. (Better design)

The SOG Pentagon Elite is a bad mo-fo.

Emerson makes an Hk limited edition knife with the wave feature.  It's way over your price mark
[url]http://www.knifeart.com/emknivhkcqpr.html[/url]
[img]http://store4.yimg.com/I/knifeart_1764_78639552[/img]

I would really like one of them but I just can't rationalize over $200 for a pocket knife.

Otherwise I am a huge Benchmade fan.  I have....hmm, alot of them.  Couple of my favorites
[url]http://benchmade.com/products/product_detail.asp?model=555[/url]
[img]http://benchmade.com/images/products/product_lgshot/555BTOD.jpg[/img]

[url]http://benchmade.com/products/product_detail.asp?model=940[/url]
[img]http://benchmade.com/images/products/model_main/940.jpg[/img]

and finally, I own one of these and love it.  It's my general knife for social carry.
[url]http://benchmade.com/products/product_detail.asp?model=705[/url]
[img]http://benchmade.com/images/products/model_main/705.jpg[/img]


also, FWIW, avoid the serrated & semi-serated blades.  There's nothing that serations can cut that a properly sharpened smooth blade can't.  However, there's alot of stuff that a smooth blade is good for that a serated or semi-serated isn't.  I also like the teflon coated blades from Benchmade very much, and I've never had one rust.  I've gone through alot of Benchmades to find out what I like.  Thank god I used to get them at cost.  I also prefer the axis lock as seen in the 3 Benchmades above.  Better than the liner locks in my opinion because they don't put your fingers in the way of getting cut when you close the knife.

How quick is it in deployment?




Can you give examples of those jobs that serations are good/bad for? Never given it much thought, actually...

It deploys so fast using that little "wave" that is on the blade near the handle, it catches your pocket as you draw it out and it opens the knife fast as lightning.  Kinda hard to explain, but once you try it, it practically opens itself when you draw it.  It took me a little bit of practice, but now that I have it down, it is F-A-S-T.  It locks using a liner lock, couldn't be more secure.  This is the BEST folding knife IMHO.  At $140 its a wee bit pricey, but worth it.  I love mine and don't go anywhere without it.

BTW:  Emerson used to design knives for Benchmade, and their best knives are Emerson designs.

Another excellent model, that I would buy if I didn't have the McHenry
[url]http://benchmade.com/products/product_detail.asp?model=732[/url]
[img]http://benchmade.com/images/products/model_main/732.jpg[/img]

[url=http://benchmade.com/products/product_list.asp?lock=AXIS%99]List of all the axis lock knives[/url]

I have never owned or handled a "highend knife" but I can tell you that you can tell the difference between a Spyderco and a Benchmade. My EDC is a BM Ares 735. The Axislock system is really sweet.

I just find that the serations get in the way for finer cuts.  I have a Benchmade Stryker that is half serated, and I find that they are in the way alot of the time.  I use it for my work knife, and the serations have never come in handy.  Nothing specific comes to mind, just a general feeling that I don't like them.  I know that they used to get caught in alot of things I tried cutting.  I haven't bought anything else serated since then.

[/quote]Can you give examples of those jobs that serations are good/bad for? Never given it much thought, actually...[/quote]

I would say that it depends on what you are plannig on using the knife for.  For general pupose, I think that norman74 has a valid point that serations dont serve much purpose.  Cutting rope maybe.  But for a personal defense knife, which it sounds like you are interested in, serations will give you that much more bite into flesh.

Another vote for a Benchmade.  I have a Mini-Stryker.  Very smooth knife.

I have grown rather fond of the Emerson Commander for daily use, it has the wave feature.

Would the tanto-style blade lend itself to that use as well?

Yes, the chisel ground tanto is going to be the strongest option, and is pretty common in fighting knives.  It is more preference, and the SOCFK is also available in a V ground spear point.  I happen to prefer the tanto.  Read about the knives on Emerson's site and that will help.

My Microtech UDT, Emerson CQC7, Benchmade AFO, ALL of my neck knives, and most of the rest of my carry knives are partial serrated edge. My Emerson, and a neck knife go with me when I camp, boat, fish, and/or kayak. The UDT is my "dress" knife.

The UDT fills up with saltwater and silt, and makes it unreliable (as does the Benchmade auto). The serrations will cut through rope, line, and light cable if needed.

My CRKT knives are the best bang for the buck.

Get the Emerson Commander with "Wave" and if you want it to open really really fast,
Get the "Rapid Deployment Sheath"
You will have that sucker out, open ready for duty faster then you will or could ever believe

I love my Spyderco Military

CRKT M16:
[img]groups.msn.com/_Secure/0VQDOAuEYpBRcHDfCf52kYKdOVB7nB*v3tz9TI*waRamLd4FVzFQVw0ZIYJbspARdY4lpaSLRaivTgun8ZCT*gYHZfW5PcItPt6shW9yLlKBXMqfIjPjD!mAMNEQQyzGY/Copy%20of%20IMG_0030.JPG[/img]

Open's really fast with a flick.  You can get it in Tanto, but I much prefer the drop point. I paid about $35 bucks for mine at Big 5 with the zytel grip.  

You can even get an official arfcom one:
[img]store.ar15.com/images/products/knife-BLUE.jpg[/img]

I carry an Emerson CQC7 with the spear point blade and no coating.  It deploys with a flick of the wrist as fast as an Auto and WAAAAAY faster than my antique auto. While I did pick up some surface rust on the blade when it was new while carrying it during a hot sweaty work day, after a couple years of conditioning the blade with Tetra lube, it doesn't rust anymore.

Edge holding has been good, and the knife is tough as nails.

Another MAJOR recommendation for Emersons over Benchmades and others is that Emerson won't void the warranty if you take the think apart for cleaning and lubrication.  Benchmade will void the warranty if you take their knives down for cleaning.  Emerson not only allows it, but encourages it.  I find taking a knife down like that helps me understand how it works better and how to maintain it more effectively.

My only gripe with my Emerson is that the pivot post/screw loosens up with use, but it's nothing that a little blue loctite wouldn't solve. As it is, I check the screw and tighten it up just so with my thumbnail every once in a while.  Too tight and the knife won't deploy fast enough, too loose and it's just too loose.

I can deploy the blade from my pocket the same as a wave equipped knife by catching the thumb ramp at the rear of the blade on my pocket, but it's tough on clothing.

The Emerson knives have excellent, secure grips.  Titanium locking liners and solid ATS34 stainless steel blades (this stuff only barely falls into the stainless category so it exhibits none of typical stainless' faults while enjoying most of the benefits.)

I would buy an Emerson again in an instant.

The CQC7 is fairly inconspicuous as well, being flat and not overly long and bulky. I consider that a major virtue for a daily carry knife .  The pocket clip is set up for point up carry with the blade to the rear.  This is the perfect set up to my mind as the knife comes to hand ready for deployment.  However, it can be tough on the pockets if the blade tip works it's way open a touch.  I consider this a minor fault in light of how fast I can access and open the blade.  IN daily use there have been several times where I drew opened, made my cut, closed and pocketed the knife before people even knew it was there.

On the other hand, I have a cheap Gerber EZ-Out and a Spyderco Delica that I have BEAT to death.  In what I consider normal hard use I broke BOTH plastic handles, and snapped about 1/4 inch off the tip of the Spyderco blade.  After much tinkering I managed to get both handles back together through the judicious use of high strength epoxies, and reground the Spyderco blade tip to a useful shape and edge. After dulling the hell out of the serrated Spyderco edge, it took A LOT of effort to get it back to decent sharpness using a variety of diamond files. The same is true of my Emerson's half serrated edge. I probably would avoid serrated edges in the future, yes they hack through seat belt straps and nylon webbing like a hot knife through butter and I've seen serrated knives carve up boat fiberglass, royalex and kevlar composites fairly easily, but...I'm not sure the utility is worth the aggravation.
If the edges of a serrated knife are ground and sharpened optimally, they present A LOT more sutting edge per inch of blade length than a straight edge, and if they are done properly, the added friction from the sharp peaks and ridges of the serrations won't reduce the force of the cut seriously, but VERY few serrated edges are maintained to the same sharpness standards as the plain edges and many are not ground optimally to reduce friction. ALL are a problem to sharpen, though with the right tools and some practice, they are manageable.

I have an Emerson Commando, a Benchmade Stryker and several CRKT knives, my favorite of those being the M-16.

I also own the very Microtech you are looking at.

All are good, and frankly, for the money, the CRKT offer the best value, but the Microtech is definitely worth every dime they charge for it.

The others are good tools, and I've had no problems with any of them, but the feel and quality on the Microtech is just a little bit nicer IMO.

My advice is to look at all your choices and pick the one that you think fits you best and that you are most comfortable with and go with it.

If it's the Microtech, go ahead and pony up if you can...you won't be disappointed.

SG

If you want to stay with the microtech take a look at the UMS. Perfect size for a pocket knife, microtech quality and the run anywhere from 125-150 depending on where you get it. I carry one every day and had 3 friends buy one after they used mine...its perfect!

Microtech also makes a minisocom manual that would save you a few dollars but give you essentially the same knife and fewer legal worries.

Microtechs are TOP NOTCH, quality and robust folders, I have 4 of them and they all could take am impressive ammount of abuse.

That said, the minisocom is kinda small, make sure you handle it first and see if it fits right (I can take some pictures if you want to compare sizes with other knives)

Pretty cool and light for EDC [:)] (it even come with a 2 way pouch)

If you want a manual one, stonewashed serrated blade, I have one almost NIB [:D]

NsB

[url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=214787[/url]

There you have some pictures showing how the wave makes your knife deploy reaaaaaaaaaally fast. [:D]

NsB

I've carried a Benchmade/McHenry & Williams model 705 every day for a few years now. Best carry knife I've found. YMMV.

Well, based on posts here and other research I've done, looks like it's going to be either an Emerson or a MicoTech.

Maybe both! [;)]

You gotta get a nice full size SOCOM and a COMMANDER... To start... [;)]

NsB

I have a SOCFK from Emerson and love it, it is the first emerson knife I have ever owned. I does open lighting fast but be carefull at first I have a pait of jeans it cut right through when I was first learning how to deploy it with the wave. But once you get the hang of it, you may never go back!

My latest "favorite" has been the Titanium CRKT M16-13T. I tend to favor serrations if they aren't too abundent, say 50% max, I actually prefer that it be a little less than that.
I mostly need the straight portion of the blade for everyday use.
However, I do not intend to be a knife fighter, and for things that I do worry about like cutting a seat belt off makes the serrations an attractive option.
The CRKT has the Carson Flipper which is essentially a lever on the blade that you maneuver along with a wrist snap and the blade flies open and locks with a liner lock.
This particular model has an added mechanism which prevents the liner lock from shifting position, the claim being that this essentially makes it a fixed blade knife.
All in all a sweet knife, strong, easy to use, quick to open, legal, moderately expensive, and reasonably safe.
The Titanium handles are a neat touch, saves some weight and gives you that "leading edge" feeling that makes it fun.  It's worth a look.

I hate to sound like a cheap skate, but I truly love COLDSTEEL knives. I carry a Voyager every day, & I'm pretty sure it would be an affective weapon if need be.[rolleyes]

[url]www.ltspecpro.com[/url]

I wish you could handle a Sebenza.  A bit pricey, and beyond what you said you wanted to spend, but well worth it.  I'd rather have one or two more expensive knives that work well and hold up to daily use, than a whole bunch of cheaper knives from the "knife-of-the-month-club".

The Sebenza blades hold an edge well and the "integral lock" won't allow the knife to fold up on you in hard use.  It's one of the few folders where the blade locking mechanism actually gets tighter as you grip and use it.

I hate serrations.  They do interfere with cutting paper or opening envelopes (uh, it's *tactical* mail, really!), as well as marking cut lines or making shaving cuts in wood and stuff.  I use mine daily. It's not scary looking and usually doesn't offend people when you "whip it out", if that matters to you.  

Enjoy whatever you get!


[img]http://chrisreeve.com/classic2000.jpg[/img]

[img]http://chrisreeve.com/sebenza4.gif[/img]

Oh, BTW, if you're serious about a knife as a quick-into-action self-defense tool, there is nothing *faster* to deploy than a fixed blade.

Here's one that would be both useful to use and painful to be on the wrong end of:  

[img]http://mdenterprise.com/bearcat.JPG[/img]

Fun stuff, knives!

I like the Becnhmade AFCK, Spydercom Delica, Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Wegner & Spyderco Native.

BTW Zaphod, there's a store in Lauderhill that has almost everything listed in this thread so far if you want to finger them.  Including a whole collection fo Sebenzas.

I have a Benchmade 730 like the one in the picture that Norman74 posted on the front page.  Only mine is number 73 of 100 and has a D2 tool steel blade.  I also wonder about the serrations getting dull and then being hard to sharpen.  But I have never dulled serrations enough to where they did not cut well.  On well, for $90 I could not refuse!

Get an Benchmade AXIS lock, IMHO it is the strongest, smoothest, safest, and fastest knife that I have ever handled.  One hand open, one hand closed, right or left hand, it is fast.  I was told by my uncle not to open it so fast in Steak&Shake, lest someone think I had an automatic.


[b]Norman74[/b], What do you think about the Benchmade 941?  I think that the blade goes better with the handle than the modded sheepsfoot blade.  Makes it look like a really nice pig sticker.  Wish it didn't have aluminum handles though, I really like the G10.