[kingJurzy]

The Gerber Kiowa

[paintballer999]

if you are only looking for a cheap and relatively reliable knife just get a gerber paraframe they are great just don't get a serrated edge but like all things if you go cheap then thats the quality

[IwannaWAFFLE]

paintballer999, on 24 July 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

if you are only looking for a cheap and relatively reliable knife just get a gerber paraframe they are great just don't get a serrated edge but like all things if you go cheap then thats the quality

Ok... im just going to say this.... NOOO
i have one, dear lord is that thing bad for like an EDC role..
i still have it, i use it, but its cant hold its edge for a while.. I had to use a file to get a usable edge from it, and it still doesnt keep that too well. Thi is one of those "miss" gerber knives i was talking about. the ergonomics were annoying on mine, the handles were off by a millimeter or 3, and since the bottoms of the handle scales werent rounded I would gte there red lines from any longer. heavier uses (not too heavy use, just thicker cardboard).. the way the thumb studs are raises sounds like a good thing, until you reahc into your pocket and scrape the back of your hand on them.. And everyone i talked to had similar issues..
Just some food for thought I guess
It sells for like 25... save up an exta 5 dollars and go for a Kershaw Skyline or a Spyderco tenacious,

[kingJurzy]

The only gripe I have about my new Gerber knife is that it had tiny scratches on the blade when I opened the package.

[Chick-fil-a]

Any of the Kershaw knives very reliable

[Blade of grass]

I really like the look of the Kershaw Skyline G10, and StickToDrum seems to really like it.

[Chick-fil-a]

Ya his review was nice I really like the orange one

[Blade of grass]

I LOVE the black/tan one.

[Chick-fil-a]

I love all of them!

[DawnsGate]

If you can get a real khukri knife that thing will do everything you need it to and then some. I met a reg force guy on exercise who traded with a Ghurka for one and it was amazing.

[Username]

DawnsGate, on 04 August 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:

If you can get a real khukri knife that thing will do everything you need it to and then some. I met a reg force guy on exercise who traded with a Ghurka for one and it was amazing.

If you want a true khukuri there are several places that import them from Nepal. I like http://www.himalayan-imports.com/ Made from car springs.

[sticktodrum]

Sorry I didn't get in on this topic sooner, but I'm glad the Kershaw Skyline was mentioned. Kershaw's budget USA made blades are pretty much fantastic. The Skyline isn't the most durable EDC, but it's a minimalist design and is meant to be slim and light with a very capable blade. You can find them still for about $40-45. The orange ones are still available from Kershawguy.com and on eBay, and that's my favorite utility blade. If you want to go really cheap, then check out the Kershaw imports, they're dirt cheap. If you want a nice small, strong hefty blade, then look at the Kershaw Cryo. Sure, it's 8Cr13Mov, but the way they implement it is fantastic. I've been using it pretty heavily for a couple of weeks, and it's still quite sharp.

Gerber... Can't stand them. Their QC went down the toilet years ago, and they pretty much rely on the their name at this point, and use mystery steel for pretty much everything. I'm not a fan of companies that don't tell the customer what steel is in the blade, especially when the price says it's probably AUS6 or something similar. Bleh. I'd stay completely away from Gerber, especially their multi-tools. They're poorly constructed, and their implements aren't NEARLY as good as Leatherman's.

Spyderco's are pretty fantastic, but if you want a tank of a knife from them, expect to spend some money. The Paramilitary 2 is a staple of slim, light, very durable carry.

I love the Kershaw Cryo though. It's a stout little thing, and feels so solid.

This post has been edited by sticktodrum: 12 August 2012 - 06:38 PM

[kingJurzy]

sticktodrum, on 12 August 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

Gerber... Can't stand them. Their QC went down the toilet years ago, and they pretty much rely on the their name at this point, and use mystery steel for pretty much everything. I'm not a fan of companies that don't tell the customer what steel is in the blade, especially when the price says it's probably AUS6 or something similar. Bleh. I'd stay completely away from Gerber, especially their multi-tools. They're poorly constructed, and their implements aren't NEARLY as good as Leatherman's.

Could have used this earlier, after a closer inspection of the blade, it is curved, and it is not supposed to be. It will just be used for opening boxes then....

This post has been edited by kingJurzy: 12 August 2012 - 08:07 PM

[REDCOBRA]

[OEFVeteran]

i've owned quite a few gerber multi tools, some issued by the military, some i bought... compared to the couple of leathermans, i'll take a gerber any day... i've broken a couple leatherman waves and a leatherman super tool...

as for gerber knives, yes, they are not the greatest off the shelf knife... about hte only gerber knife i would buy, and have bought, is the LMF2... its such a sturdy knife, and i beat the hell out of it on my Kuwait Deployment... never once had an issue, and its the perfect sized fixed blade...

folders, only folder i have owned that i liked was a dark ops folder, and thats because of the strength of the blade and the heft of the handle...

but, dont always take my advice on blades, i have expensive tastes

[IwannaWAFFLE]

OEFVeteran, on 12 August 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

i've owned quite a few gerber multi tools, some issued by the military, some i bought... compared to the couple of leathermans, i'll take a gerber any day... i've broken a couple leatherman waves and a leatherman super tool...

as for gerber knives, yes, they are not the greatest off the shelf knife... about hte only gerber knife i would buy, and have bought, is the LMF2... its such a sturdy knife, and i beat the hell out of it on my Kuwait Deployment... never once had an issue, and its the perfect sized fixed blade...

folders, only folder i have owned that i liked was a dark ops folder, and thats because of the strength of the blade and the heft of the handle...

but, dont always take my advice on blades, i have expensive tastes

From what I've seen, it feel like the LMF2 isn't a knife made by Gerber.. its actually quite good for the 60 that it costs.. the closest competition is a basic Ka-Bar.. and this has a nicer sheath in some points..

[OEFVeteran]

well, thats because the LMF2 as well as select gerber multi tools are made by their military division... which means if they dont meet the military specs, they wont be sold/issues to the people intended to use them

[IwannaWAFFLE]

OEFVeteran, on 12 August 2012 - 09:26 PM, said:

well, thats because the LMF2 as well as select gerber multi tools are made by their military division... which means if they dont meet the military specs, they wont be sold/issues to the people intended to use them

Now I have to see which of all the knives are ment for "military"
Kinda curious about the multitools

[Irish725]

Knife I carried on ECP with me in Afghanistan was an Emerson, I'll never buy another folder from anyone but Emerson, they are that good (in my opinion). Solid design, strong blade, simple rugged look to it, and they are all backed by Ernest Emerson's personal warranty. I broke the handle portion (the plasticized cover cracked when I got into a scuffle with a grabby local, and he tried to snatch it off my flak), and I got the entire body portion of the knife replaced, the blade reground and sharpened and the screws replaced in the handle, free of charge.

Granted, it was also a 225 dollar knife, but well worth it in my opinion.

If you are looking cheap, I would look at what OEFVet said, look at Gerbers, both for a blade and a multitool, they are the best bang for the buck knife you can get. Don't get Spyderco's, they all feel really cheaply made.

[sticktodrum]

I'd throw a ZT folder, especially the Hinderer designs, up against an Emerson without concern. I love Emersons, don't get me wrong, but talking in the same price range, I'll take a better steel when I can get it for the same money. The warranties are on par with one another, and I have never had a hiccup with ZT's service. I also have expensive tastes, and being a steel snob, it's a bit necessary.

Manny always loved the LMF 2. I concede that it's an amazing piece for the money, and it's not indicative of Gerber's general quality. That being said, I'll have to just disagree on bang-for-buck regarding their multi-tools. All the ones I've used never came close to a LM. Likely just personal nitpicks, and there's no accounting for tastes.

As for Spyderco...having just gotten the Ed Schemp designed Tuff...I can easily say that it's not going to break, and after seeing a video of it chopping through a 2x4 without a hint of lock rock, I had to do more myself. 4 treated 2x4s later, not one wiggle on the lock, and it still shaves.

My requirements and desires for knives are the same as they are for markers, so my view on them is likely very different from that of a lot of other people.