Knife for my Dad

[45Guy]

I'm looking at buying a new pocket knife for my Dad. I had given him a Winchester knife I had gotten cheap (like $5) as a replacement for his knife which he had broken. He gave it to me today to take home and sharpen. I tried to cut a Post-it note, and it wouldn't even cut!!! He had told me it was dull, but this is ridiculous! I tried to sharpen it, but it wasn't taking any sort of edge, and seeing as it's cheap, I figured I would get him a much better replacement. Specifications are:

- Folding knife, no longer than 4"
- Either plain edge or half-serrated
- Locking blade, as it gets used for some prying occasionally
- Usually used to open boxes or cut paper at work
- Maximum price of $50, unfortunately I can't afford more at the moment
- I would like it to be able to keep an edge, but also easy to sharpen

Thank you for your input
- 45guy

 

[JShirley]

Spyderco Native or a Kershaw from Wally World. Native fits a little under your max budget, while a Kershaw may be half that.

John

 

[Loomis]

I'm old school.

Tree brand classic by boker with a real bone handle is the best "old man's" pocket knife ever, imo. I don't know if they are still made. The last one I bought was in the early 90s in a dedicated knife shop. But it might have been on the shelf for many years.


The blade doesn't lock though. So maybe it's not for you.

If you want it to be easy to sharpen, do NOT get stainless or serrated.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Pretty?

Does it have to be pretty?

Kershaw does some awesome pieces in that price range, and one of them -- the Needs Work -- is tough as woodpecker lips.

Modified Wharncliffe blade, straight plain edge, liner lock, assisted open (one-handed), and a seriously grippy handle.

A very no-nonsense working knife.

​

I can suggest others, but this is the one that immediately came to mind.

 

[45Guy]

No, it doesn't have to be pretty. It's a tool and will probably get all grimey and greasy from being used on a thousand and one different projects at home and at work.

Arfin, is that blade thick or thin? He, on occasion, uses blades for prying and I'd hate for him to snap a blade.

 

[hso]

No inexpensive folder is well suited for prying.

A small fixed blade may be better for him.

 

[45Guy]

Up here in WI I don't believe that a fixed blade is legal, and he doesn't pry often, usually he has tools around for that, but I have seen him do it a few times (maybe 4-5).

 

[Goblin]

The Buck "Prince" looks good $55.00

http://http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?end_use=E&event=product.wall#{'end_use':'E',knife_type:'Folding%20Locking'}

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Pry With Knife???

Yuck.

Let's not and say we did.

I have a better idea: get a PryBaby or something similar for those moments when you just hafta lift a lid and you can't be bothered to walk to the tool box.

I actually don't know of a decent cut-worthy folder that I'd recommend for prying tasks.

Never been happy with the idea. Seems that either the knife or the guy holding it is gonna get hurt.

Y'know, as stupid as it sounds, I'd be inclined to get an inexpensive wood chisel and grind it blunt for use as a prying tool. Nobody has to get hurt, and the darn thing is only $10 to begin with.

That way the knife can keep its pride and its edge.

 

[JR47]

The only knife that I've ever seen used to pry, cut strange things, and take it was the old Buck 110. They were a mainstay for Fire/EMS until the Spyderco came along. I've used them to cut witing bundles in cars, cut a very drunk jockey out of his windshield, and pry various and sundry small objects out of the way in car crashes. After some of this, the blade looked like a hacksaw, but it sharpened back up.

 

[45Guy]

I just went looking at five different stores in town for the Spyderco Native and the Kershaw Needs Work, and none of the stores had either of them. I also think one of those Prybaby's is in order.

I think that the Spyderco Native is the knife that I'm going to get him, seems like the type of knife he'd get the most use out of. Can anyone reccomend a good online store to purchase it from, and if possible the Prybaby from the same store. Thanks

 

[JShirley]

The Native is the only Spyderco usually carried by Wal Marts, but not every Wal Mart carries them. If ordering online, other good options are the Dragonfly, Delica, and Tenacious.

You might also consider a Byrd. Won't have the finish of a Spyderco, but will be a solid, high value for dollar knife.

John

 

[45Guy]

I checked out Wally world, Scheel's, Fleet Farm, Gander, and a small knife shop called Look Sharp, and none of them had this knife. Surprised me, because usually they have a decent selection, so now my only option is online.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Sporting Goods

Most of the places around here that carry a decent selection of knives are sporting goods stores. Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, Black Sheep, Tri State Outfitters, and so on. Wally World has a few decent ones, but they've moved more toward price-point and dropped the higher quality lines that didn't move as fast. (We actually have two cutlery specialty stores in the area, but they lean heavily toward a clientele of tacti-cool untermenschen.)

Only place out of all those, locally, that has the Needs Work is Black Sheep.

It's kind of odd, really. Black Sheep carries most of the Kershaw line, but not all, and the missing ones are divided between Tri State and Sportsman's. Tri State is strong with the Buck line -- but not all of them -- with the balance being carried at Sportsman's and Cabela's, though the best price on a 110 or 119 is clearly Wally World. And so on.

I've gotten so I pretty much know who will have the pattern I'm looking for, but the price I have to pay for this is that I hang out at knife counters a lot. I know, I know, it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

Don't know of any retailer who does the Prybaby.

 

[bikerdoc]

45 GUY,
go to the bladematrix website and have a ball shopping. Some good prices on schrades, and check out the buck odyssy- 17.50 made in USA
good luck. Hope my son sees this!