EDC knife

[patterson]

I ve been looking at EDC knives and there are alot to choose from but ive narrowed it down to the Spyderco Tenacious black G10 or the Byrd Raven 2 . They are both in the price range I want to spend and ive read alot of good reviews on both. Does anyone have experience with either of these?

[patterson]

the Raven 2 now has the better CTS BD1 stainless steel blade that may be the reason its a little more than the Spyderco Tenacious but it has nylon bushings I believe

[cmgee67]

I have had the tenacious. Great knife. I would suggest getting the black blade. 8cr13mov steel rusts very easily. Takes a wicked sharp edge but due to the higher amount of carbon in it, it tends to rust more. The black blade will help keep it protected. I have carried spyderco for about the last ten years. Still do everyday. In my opinion you can’t beat them for price and quality. They have something for everyone. Even their byrd knives are not bad knives. You get what you pay for in steel. The 8cr13mov like I said takes a good edge but doesn’t hold it very long. There is a reason steels like S30V, S35VN, Elmax, M4 and on cost what they do. They hold an edge super well and are extremely tough. Less prone to chipping, edge rolling, and breaking. Just my 2 cents for what it’s worth.

[patterson]

Thanks for the info I am leaning towards the Tenacious with Black coating. Their website doesnt say if its a Tini finish, do you know?

[Jago668]

I like the Kershaw Leek, but been thinking about the SOG EDC multitool.

[cmgee67]

I am not certain what the coating on the tenacious is. The higher end knives like the paramilitary 2 and such have a DLC coating or (diamond like coating) which is very tough. I would imagine it’s a type of epoxy paint of some sort.

[The Annoyed Man]

I own a handful of pretty decent pocket knives, but the two that I consistently alternate between for EDC, are a Benchmade 940-2, and a Spyderco Para Military II Left Handed. Between the two, I prefer the Benchmade, but I carry the Spyderco more often. That’s primarily because the Benchmade is more of a "gentleman's folder", and the Spyderco is more of a daily knockabout knife.

Both of those have uncoated blades, btw.

[cmgee67]

The steels used on the BM 940 and the Spyderco Para 2 are incredible rust resistant. You don’t need the coating unless you want it. They are powder steels with more chromium and less carbon. They are a harder steel. This means they are a little harder to sharpen but hold an edge very well. I agree the Para 2 is excellent. I’ve owned several over the years. I do prefer the axis lock over the compression for ease of use. The 940 is very elegant and a nice knife!

[The Annoyed Man]

The steels used on the BM 940 and the Spyderco Para 2 are incredible rust resistant. You don’t need the coating unless you want it. They are powder steels with more chromium and less carbon. They are a harder steel. This means they are a little harder to sharpen but hold an edge very well. I agree the Para 2 is excellent. I’ve owned several over the years. I do prefer the axis lock over the compression for ease of use. The 940 is very elegant and a nice knife!

S30V steel for both knives. There are better knife steels out there, but S30V is plenty good enough, and you’re right....they both hold a good edge really well. I agree that the 940 is a more elegant knife, and I love the Axis lock system too. But it’s my "Sunday go to meeting" knife. The Para 2 is like a Glock....ugly, but it works, and I don’t care if it gets scratched up a little.

[cmgee67]

That’s a good description of the PM2. One of these days I think I’ll have to own a 940. I like the lines and the aluminum chassis

[K-Texas]

Choosing the best blade steel is highly subjective. A harder alloy may hold an edge longer, but it will also be more difficult to sharpen. Too soft and you'll likely be sharpening more often. So is there a balance?

My opinion will also be highly subjective. My last 2 EDCs were a Spyderco Endura and a Benchmade Pica. The Pica is a carbon-copy of one of the best knives Benchmade ever produced, IMO. That being the AFCK, Advanced Folding Combat Knife. The blade steel for the Pica was 440C vs the ATS34 used for the AFCK that's since been replaced by a similar alloy, 154CM. The AFCK has been discontinued for some time now (as has the Pica). Maybe due to the fact that they paid a licensing fee to Spyderco for having a hole in the blade for opening. Never quite understood that since it's an oval, or elipse on the Benchmade.

For those who may not be aware, and I heard about it on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio, Benchmade was caught in-the-act of destroying firearms for Liberal Oregon LE agencies who would not simply sell confiscated firearms back to the shooting public. Then it was found out that they had been contributing to the campaigns of some of Oregon's most liberal politicians. I did not need a replacement for the Bencmade Pica, but I knew it would be my last Benchmade. For more on that go to Gun Talk Media.

As far as alloys, there are some charts on the web that will explain their characteristics in detail. AUS8 (Spyderco Endura) caught on well enough that the cost went up and some companies have gone to less expensive steels including AUS6. AUS8 is very versatile as blade steel. If I were gonna have a multi-hundred $ custom made, the blade would likely be 440A. But 440C is a pretty good alternative to AUS8

There is a common theme with my folders in that they're lock-backs that I have the most trust in. The past 2 used holes in the blade for opening. I've only had one bad encounter with a pit-bulldog on my walks. It's owner saw me reach for my knife and got it to halt before it charged. I found a very good tactic from a movie called, Olympus Has Fallen, where there are a couple of times when Gerard Butler's character suggests what he's going to do to someone with his knife. Putting that into a practical tactical sense, bringing the blade of a knife down through the skull of a pit-bull might be as fast as any way to end an attack. IMO, it's not the time to test the strength of a knifes locking system. The other item would be how the blade tip is designed. Again, just my highly subjective opinion.

Then we have this l'il ole American company called Buck. I kept seeing this one model, inexpensive enough to just buy and try. The Benchmade fiasco was enough to have me looking for a replacement. A couple of things about Buck. They frequently use 420HC steel that may appear to be a downgrade from 440C. But I can tell you that Buck's claims for their Heat-Treating process should not be ignored. It raises the hardness level to 56-58. They do not, however, polish these blades to a high sheen at the price-point of the Bantam 286 I decided to try, even if it became a secondary or utility knife. Just after arrival from Midway and examining it, I collected a couple of cuts from examining the blade. It is simply the sharpest blade I've ever encountered on any knife, including the high dollar German kitchen knives.

Buy what you like, but I would recommend buying a second. I would definitely consider Buck's extensive line-up to match what you intend to spend for a primary. And as inexpensive as the Bantam 286 is, it will state on it's box, "U.S. Made of U.S. and Import Parts." Spending a bit more will likely remove the word "Import" from the description. The price of the Bantam 286 with the 3.75" blade is so low I'm not gonna post it. I will provide a link and be aware that the Bantam's come with different blade lengths according to its specific model #.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2163128778

[patterson]

Thanks for input and I went with one my two choices and opted for the Spyderco Tenacious Blacked version

[srothstein]

I am finally in the market for another EDC knife. I made the dumb mistake of leaving on the trailer hitch after trimming some wire to fix the lights. Well, to be technical, leaving on the hitch wasn't the dumb part. Driving off with it left there was.

Anyway, I have generally preferred Cold Steel knives for a long time. The one I lost was about twelve years old or so. And they have excellent warranty service. I chipped the edge once using it in a manner that I don't recommend for a knife (prying a car window) and when I sent it to them, they sent me a brand new replacement with no questions asked.

I had never tried it until I had this knife, but I decided I like the tanto blade shape. I prefer the straight edge, but they make one with a half serrated edge too. My son likes that. I have the Recon 1 model , but they have a bunch of other good choices too.