I've gone through more knives than I care to admit. I'm not trained in knife fighting and I try to avoid knife fighting as much as humanly possible. Given that, my knives are selected based on their utility in everyday use, which for me can include a dirty, muddy, wet (sometimes submerged), oily, sandy environment, along with the typical soft tasks such as opening packages and the like.
Over time I have found the following attributes to be important to me:
- Handle material must have good gription. I have no use for smooth metal handles anymore as they can be a safety hazard. Try using a smooth metal handled knife to cut heater hose in an engine bay with coolant all over your hands. I like the frp handle material or an aluminum handle with grip tape.
- Blade material. I have no patience for any of the fancy pants blade material these days that can be persnickety to resharpen or prone to corrosion. I don't believe in blade materials that claim to, "hold an edge forever", at least if they are used for more than opening packages. I need a blade that is easy to re-sharpen, will take frequent re-sharpens easily, and is corrosion resistant. I favor cpms30v or VG10 blade material.
- Deployment. As I'm not a knife fighter I have no need for ultra fast blade deployment. I do however need to be able to deploy the knife fully with only one hand as I'm frequently in situations where my weak hand is holding the work and I need the knife in my strong hand to complete the task. Further, as I age, my hands and fingers lose a bit of dexterity making an easy open knife a priority. Add to this that I sometimes have gloves on when using the knife. I have done the whole 'flick the wrist to open' deal and quickly grew tired of it.
I cannot reliably 'catch' the thumb studs on most folders with my thumb. I prefer the carson flipper as found on some of the crkt knives as this allows me to use my index finger to pivot the blade partially out and then I can pick up the thumb stud to finish the motion. One such knife is the CRKT M18.
CRKT - Carson M18, Large, Black, Black
I also favor some of the Spyderco models that have the large hole opening and generous relief cut-out in the handle. One such favorite is the spyderco delica.
:: Spyderco Product Details ::
I would also like to try some of the Kershaw assisted opening models if they have some that are more robust than the little guy that I purchased at walmart awhile back (it was very small and had a very thin blade)
- Lock mechanism. I have used the traditional lock-back, the liner lock, and the axis lock. Of these I keep coming back to the lock-back design as it seems the most robust, easiest to clean, doesn't get gummed up easily, and is easiest to close the blade, even with gloved hands.
- Blade profile. I have settled on the spear point blade profile as the most useful. The knife needs to have a point tip to be truly useful to me, yet that same attribute is often a weak spot, especially for how I use the knifes. The most recent version of the previously mentioned Spyderco Delica has a pretty robust tip that have not broken, yet. As does the Spyderco Native.
- Ease of cleaning is important. I typically clean my knife in the solvent tank in the shop, and then blow it dry with compressed air. I then dribble some CLP on it and wipe it down, and use a pin-point oiler to lube the pivot points. The more 'open' the framework on the knife the easier it is to clean. The less complex the lock mechanism the easier it is to clean and the less knucks and crannies for debris to lodge. Towards that end, I favor knifes that have torx screw construction as I can split the knife for a good thorough cleaning 3-4 times per year.
- Clip type and location. I favor a knife that does not ride right at pocket top level or below pocket top level. I like a knife that rides a bit above that as it is easier for me to grasp the knife between thumb and forefinger for removal. I prefer a clip that has a round bottom, has been dehorned, and the bottom has an aggressive turn in towards the knife. This makes it a little less likely that I will scratch something from bumping into it, like say the side of my truck while retrieving tools from the bed, or the back of one of my wife's really nice wood dinning table chairs...
Finally, I will give honorable mention to the gen 1 Spyderco Native is it is the perfect size and blade profile for a knife. It is very flat so it carries and handles nicely. The blade, and the tip shape and robustness is my absolute favorite. It is however not as easy for me to open as the previously mentioned knifes and the clip on it sucks.
Spyderco Knives: Native Plain Edge Folding Knife C41PBK
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.
