Hey TW! Let's see your knives!

No, there are a few tanto grinds out there from the CRK shop. Don't think they make them anymore though. The most beautiful tanto grind IMO.

 

Yea man... It is... I'm jealous haha

 

Picked up a few new ones since my last visit:

This one's been on the list for a while:






Got some cool new polished Carbon Fiber scales from Gator Scales to replace the Grey scales on my Spyderco Paramilitary-2 in CTS-20CP (here it is next to an S90V Para-2 with factory Peel-ply Carbon Fiber scales):





Here's some different Carbon Fiber for comparison:

 

We are gonna have to make a different thread for our Sebbies and Para Millie 2... My local shop has the blue and grey para Millie 2... And I want to get em... But I'm trying to get my hands on a Hinderer (for normal cost and maybe just a little more) which is damn near impossible lol... Btw in the last pick what's the blade all the way to the right...?? Looks like it has the wave feature but I can't tell if its an emerson or not

 

My current family portrait Hhaha... Missing my Strider SMF Lego with the brown G10...

 

new caly 3

 

Me LIKEY ; )))

 

Ill get some better pictures tomorrow. But it is the sickest knife ive ever own, reccomend everyone to add one to their collection.

 

It's called the Bad Monkey and it's probably the knife that convinced me that I needed to start carrying larger folders. I'm very happy with it.

It's made by Southern Grind (the company that singer: Zack Brown started). Licensed Emerson Wave, CF scales, Ti Liners and only 4.9oz (super thin and carries well).

They use Sandvik steel (a lot of folks complain they don't user a higher-end steel), but a Mid-Tech for ~$200 is practically unheard of and the fit/finish/customer-service are all that of a mid-tech and not just a production folder.

http://southerngrind.com/

I got to handle and play with a Hinderer XM-18 for just a bit and I'll be honest - I was impressed, but I have a hard time paying for one when ZT's collabs are so well done (I've got a 0551 and a 0561).

If you are active-duty mil, LEO, or Fire/Paramedic you can contact Rick directly and get put on the notification list for his retail-pricing. If you are close enough with someone in one of those professions who will burn their one chance to buy one on you, you can get one that way.

Rick has stated he frowns on that sort of thing if the knife ultimately ends up in the secondary market at inflated prices. I think his knives are worth the $300 price-tag, but once you get above that - I have a hard time not looking at something like an Andrew Demko AD-10 or other custom. At the ridiculous $800+ prices some of the XMs are getting on the secondary market, it's just not worth it at all.

 

Right on... Yea man the XM 18 and 24 are going for like 1000$!!!! I don't mind a premium cost like an extra 100$ bucks max... But 3 times as much is fuckin ridiculous... What sucks is that people are buying em... And that's why it's that price...

And yea the 0561 I have is practically a Hinderer... Just without the large choil on the blade... The KVT ball barring system is retarded smooth lol...

But what I don't get is why doesn't he actually make a production knife??? Is it just him that's making it... I know he is a part time first responder and all...

 

So I have been looking into getting a nice truck knife...

LMF2


Esse5


Thoughts would be appreciated...

 

I owned the LMF-2 and it's pretty ergonomically friendly, but it's also long-in the handle and short in the blade (which is perfectly fine unless you want it for chopping or long-slice cuts).

It's also not a full-tang design (they do this for electrical conductivity so the glass-breaker doesn't conduct through to the blade - but I don't like it). I think early versions used AUS8 but neither that nor the newer ones in 420HC hold an edge very long. It's not terrible, but it is something to consider (I've owned other knives in both AUS8 and 420HC that held a much longer edge than the Gerber did). I like to strike that balance of a tempered steel that hold an edge for a decent length of time, but is also easy to get an edge back on it without too much effort.

The ESEE would be a perfect truck-knife, but it's made from 1095 steel - which is not at all Rust-Proof (and the inside of a vehicle can get pretty humid around here - I can't speak for So Cal as I've only been there a few times). As long as you break it out and maintain it semi-regularly, it should be safe from rust, but you might at least expect a good patina on the uncovered parts (edge and any worn spots form use) - not that it hurts anything.

The 5 is a beastly knife that's more in the "sharpened pry-bar" category of indestructible knives, but that limits some of its intricate work and slicing abilities (then again, if you always have a folder that slices well, you should be good ).

Check out Becker as well - the BK10 and BK2 are classics (also beastly chunks of 1095 steel).

The Benchmade Nimravus is a good all-around fixed blade (only a 4.5" blade, but you get 154CM (good stainless tool steel) and only 6.2oz (Nylon sheath instead of Kydex, but it is a decent sheath). Most retail places list a 25% off coupon code for several Benchmade models (including the Nimravus) so it brings the price down to ESEE / Becker prices.

Edited to add - I almost forgot about a couple of the Zero Tolerance fixed-blades - the 0121 (don't let it's size fool you, it's a heavy-duty little fixed blade). Its available for around $120 at a lot of online retailers - ZT's S30V steel is some of the harder heat-treated S30V used in blades and holds an edge for a while. Also, the ZT 0170 - Sandvic steel (which isn't uber-expensive, but does a great job at the edge-retention/Stainless/edge-maintenance balancing act).


My next fixed-blade is probably going to be an ESEE-4 or Nimravus due to both having a very lightweight nature for all you get (I'm planning on taking mine hiking/backpacking - I typically stick with a smaller fixed-blade, but I want to try out a large knife this next time).

 

The Esse had a lifetime warranty, they pretty much fix it if you break, almost no questions asked from what I have heard

Might also look at the kabar Becker series, BK 2 is pretty much a sharpened 1/4 inch thick pry bar

The Becker BK16 and 17 are nice, I have the 17 as a truck knife, I like it a lot. The first thing I did With mine was soak it in paint stripper over night to remove the coating, the soak it in hot vinegar for a couple hours for a forced patina, I like how it turned out a lot. It is very comfortable in the hand and there are a few people who make custom leather and kydex sheaths for them as well (without sending the knife in, check blade forums for that).

In my opinion of the 2 that you posted the essee is the better knife though



I've also got an old hickory knife, small axe and a machete in my truck (under the rear seat) as well...I'm in the process of finding a cheap .22 rifle to add to that

 

I've never seriously wanted a Becker "Tweener" but that 17 in your pic looks pretty darn awesome. I may have to reconsider that decision now...

 

I'll warn you, the coating is really rough...and not worthy keeping, I think I paid 6-8$ for a can of paint stripper and let it soak over night. Came off really really easy after that. It has a fairly nice looking blade without the forced patina as well, but for that, I too a small tray and microwaved enough vinegar to cover the knife, then let it sit in there for about 20-30 minutes, then re nuke the vinegar and put the knife in on the other aside for 20-30 min.

I took the darker stuff off the beveled part of the blade with scotch brite from my mothers sink (she wasn't happy...you should probably buy your own lol)

I love how it turned out, I tried a few other Patinas before this one and this one looked best to me

When I get home from work I'll get some better pictures of it.

 

Benchmade Benchmade Benchmade!

 

Also getting a CRKT, cant decide which one yet. I want an assisted open, any ideas?

 

Yea that golok is a bit much for me... But ill check out the bravo 2...

To be honest I'm really like the Esse 5 knife... The Esse 6 is bad ass too... Longer and lighter but you loose a little blade for the weight compensation... To many to chose from haha

 

There is an easy solution to that

 

I'm really liking the one with the arrange Handle... And tan handle too FML