Looking for a tactical but not tacticool knife

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Grape Ape

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I’m looking for an ambidextrous assisted opener that does not scream Mall Ninja. Has anyone seen such a beast? There seems to be a huge no man’s land between the tacticool assisted openers and the overly genteel “collectables”.

I’d love something like my Kershaw Speedbump with wood scales and maybe a little stainless.
 
There are a number of companies that make the same knife with different colored handles.

For example, BladeTech makes the Wegner series with an orange handle. In my opinion the Wegner line is one of the toughest and most useful knives in the real world.

Microtech once offered their regular line of knives with purple handles. They still make a great knife with a red handle that I believe was aimed at the firefighter market.

Truth be told, you could buy any Emerson knife, clip it to your jeans and most of the population would simply think it's a cell phone.

And Ernie made the first of his handmade line for Navy SEALs.
 
Perhaps I should clarify, I work for a fortune 500 company, which has a (stupid, counterproductive) no “weapons” policy. I carry a knife clipped to my jeans (very casual office, industry & region) anyway figuring that I could call it a tool if anyone ever called me on it. Recently it used it to open a case of paper and one of my coworkers made a weird hoplophobic comment, probably because I didn’t remember to use both hands to open my knife.

I really love my Kershaw Speed Bump (mine has the same gray & black pattern as LTB15J’s Storm), I just think I avoid some future bother if I had something that looked a little more like the old fashioned buck knife. I just don’t want to give up the modern features.
 
I should also add that I don't mind spending $2-3 maybe 400 for the right knife.

I saw a couple Benchmades that had the looks at a local shop, but were lacking the functionality.
 
If you can live without the nice wood, the limited edition Ti/ZDP Mini Cyclone from Kershaw is a nice choice. It has the same titanium scales and frame lock as the Sebbie, but the blade is black DLC. You can also turn the AO on and off, if needed, and render it into a simple manual knife.

It's the one below the green Ti Bump in this photo:

supersteelmodels.gif

The bottom knife is a Whisper and is a very discrete looking AO with the unique "Vault Lock". If you replaced the rubber inserts with something nicer, it would look very upscale. Unfortunately, there were only 500 made (half serrated and half plain edge), so finding one could be a challenge.

ea46_1.gif

 
I'm a fan of Emerson knives. Well built, well thought out designs. I really like their quick deploy kydex sheaths, and their chest rig (although it is probably mall ninjaish in most circumstances).

Check the knives out here;

http://www.emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html

I'm partial to the PUK as a fixed blade, and the CQC-10 and UTCOM CQC-11 for folders.

And the the videos of the wave/rapid deployment sheaths and chest rig here; (people often think it is a cell phone when in the sheath and on my belt, although when drawn from the sheath, it is obviously "tacti-cool")

http://www.emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html
 
The Kershaw Black Out (I think that is the name) looks fairly traditional, but it is that "evil black color." They have similar versions with a silver colored blade (will get the name - sorry, too early in the AM). either will serve you well. would like to see Kershaw begin making their blades from ATS, 154CM or similar higher end steels.

Kershaw has the middle end "niche market" when it comes to everyday knives for everyday people. For a few dollars more (or so it would seem to someone not on the R&D staff, or crunching the #'s for Kershaw), it might serve Kershaw to begin making most if not all of their blades from higher end steels. I know they offer different models with higher quality steels, but to hold a standard of higher end steels across the board would be a HUGE plus for, at the very least, the assisted blades and even most of their fixed blades.

I am not a steel "snob." I do know the difference in cost between the lower 440 series steels (A & B) and ATS is a factor in pricing the knives for retail. I am not even suggesting they do away with the lower end steels, but to make it a "standard" for most of their knives to use 154CM would put them head and shoulders above the competition.

The cost of 440C is practically the same as ATS and 154 from Admiral Steel (or even less). The implimentation of that manner of steel into their line would solve your question and make many "knife nuts" quite pleased.

All that said, Kershaw knows how to make money. I would probably sink them with my ideas.
 
A regular buck knife next to your tooled leather Copenhagen carrier and the western leather cell carrier will NOT stand out, well.....you might give the "hillbilly" impression out:neener:
 
I always keep a sheeple friendly knife on me while in the office ( in addition to a small fixed blade and Strider AR ).

my office use knives include:
Strider Concealed Carry PT ( cuts like a much bigger knife , doesnt raise an eye brow at work either ) I have carried a PT in a mission wallet since they came out , it is always on me.
http://www.bluelinegear.com/striderPT.htm
http://www.bluelinegear.com/images/1.14.08 001.JPG


Kershaw Double Cross - dbl liner locking 2 blade , with thumbstuds.
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7430

Lone Wolf Loveless City Knife.
Case Seahorse whittler.

Sometimes it is merely the overall size that spooks people.
 
JTW Jr. said:
cuts like a much bigger knife
Click to expand...

I agree. You probably stated the ultimate crux of this debate and discussion.

Over the last two weeks my EDC's have been a Graham Stubby and an Emerson Snubby.

Both are built from the same materials as their larger brothers, but the blade lengths are 1.5 and 2 inches respectively.

After a few days of doing chores, I didn't even notice the size.
 
Lone Wolf Knives - Paul Prankster

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...s/lone_wolf_paul_prankster_with_cocobolo.html

Cocobolo or G10 Handles

The Paul® Prankster is another design from Paul Poehlmann and should be of great interest to those who prefer a tactical style knife with a little more elegance. This is the first Paul® with a pocket clip. The 3-1/4" plain edge blade is 154CM at 59-60 Rc., large enough for any cutting task yet compact enough for comfortable carry.
Click to expand...

Cocobolo is my suggestion.
 
A Sebenza might do it for you. Or keep the knife you have and get a nice little office knife. People are silly, though. I've heard of people freaking out over a guy opening his lunch with a little teeny SAK Classic.

Most of my office cutting is done with a Case, usually a medium Jackknife. I have several to choose from. Bone, traditional looks, keep people from freaking out. Lots of folks carry a nice looking, grandad type knife for the same reason, and then have whatever else it is that they feel the need to pack around.

Course, my grandad had a folding trench knife he liked to carry around sometimes to tease gramma with. Usually, though, he carried a little folder with about a 2 inch blade and nothing else. Works for just about everything you really need a knife for, doesn't freak people out.
 
A Sebenza might do it for you.
Click to expand...

Do you folks realize how hard some of these gun and knife names are for a dumb southern boy to spell and pronounce?


Last time I asked about a Sebenza I was handed a tube of salve that is used for psoriasis.
If I had wanted Cortisone cream I would have asked about the family in the book and movie the Godfather...


I can handle the names Case gives knives, I grew up with them...
The rest of this stuff I will never get the hang of.
 
I’m looking for an ambidextrous assisted opener that does not scream Mall Ninja.
Click to expand...
You guys recommending a Sebbie seem to have missed this part, unless you mean for him to get one of the Vallotton auto conversions, which are pretty thin on the ground and well outside the stated price window.

Kershaw has the middle end "niche market" when it comes to everyday knives for everyday people. For a few dollars more (or so it would seem to someone not on the R&D staff, or crunching the #'s for Kershaw), it might serve Kershaw to begin making most if not all of their blades from higher end steels. I know they offer different models with higher quality steels, but to hold a standard of higher end steels across the board would be a HUGE plus for, at the very least, the assisted blades and even most of their fixed blades.
Click to expand...
They have adopted this philosophy for the so-called sprint runs, but I think it would affect their price-point too much to make such a change across the board. They have to be able to turn a profit and the premium steels make that harder to achieve at the low end of the market. The Sandvik alloys don't hold much appeal for me, but I am not really the target consumer for those blades. Compared with AUS 8 and 9Cr18Mo, or whatever flavor of the month is in China, it seems perfectly serviceable.
 
Recently it used it to open a case of paper and one of my coworkers made a weird hoplophobic comment, probably because I didn’t remember to use both hands to open my knife.
Click to expand...

I can dig what your saying. I carried a Gerber Fairbairn folder for awhile when I was in college, and would need to take it out from time to time to cut open a case of paper, or cut a shape or something like that. I upgraded to a Fox Predator II folder, which is larger and definitely more "Tacticool" (although I really, really like that knife) and the first time I pulled it out in class and flicked it open, there were a couple of shocked looks. Fortunately for me, this very, very cute girl who I was study buddies with just started laughing and said something like "Only you would have a knife like that". The shocked people just sort of giggled with her, and I made some comment about repelling barbarian hordes, and the situation (which wasn't particularly tense to begin with) was quelled.

Anyway, my point is that I can understand your desire to have a useful blade that doesn't look like something a Klingon would carry into battle. I would think that the Kershaw's would be a good choice, particularly because they don't cost $699.00 like the Sebenza (although if thats your gig, godspeed) and don't look tacticool. I specifically liked the knife Hso suggested, because I think that many who might be hoplophobic wouldn't mind the looks of that particular knife.
 
SM: Thanks for the link, I really like that Prankster with the cocobolo scales. Unfortunately from reading the description, I think Washington State's lame knife laws might prohibit it as a "gravity knife"

Browsing that site I also found a couple CRKTs that I kind like. I think I need to trek over to my local CRKT dealer and check them out since I have no idea what CPL (the scale material) is or what it will look like in real life.

http://www.crkt.com/fulcrum.html
http://www.crkt.com/horus.html (due out this month).
 
http://kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=384

The Kershaw Lahar looks really great. It was available with Micarta handles, which is probably the kind of thing you're looking for (shiny, smooth, black, non-plasticky looking scales) but now I see it is offered in G10. Either way, it is very classy looking. Give it a look...I think you might like it.

The "Flipper" system (also used on my fav, the Junkyard Dawg 2) is very well suited for "tactical" use but is less threatening and legally questionable than assisted opening.
 
Oh yeah, it also has VG-10 steel, combined with either G10 or Micarta, which is hard to beat for about $50 in a full size folder!

Middle knife, gorgeous...

1laharcomparedto.jpg



Thanks to the OP of this bladeforums thread for the pic.
 
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