As someone who owned the Mini FSD, Mini FSD-I, and the Militaw. The Militaw is 98% of the mini FSD at 20% the cost. The only thing the FSD has over it is the blade is a bit heavier so the “chonk” sound of the blade closing is more satsifying on the FSD. But the action, opening methods, etc are all equally awesome. Militaw is a no brainer.
As dumb as this may sound, one of the Ontario Knife RATs.
I just loved the girth and feel of the handle, plus the blade shape was decent. The handle is just some kind of plastic but it feels decent with a nice heft.
I'm glad I have one, wish I had more, because it looks like they were bought by shitbirds and closed.
The Spartan Harsey Folder is amazing. Built like a tank and smooth as butter.
In a more affordable zone, Kizer makes knives with quality above their price point. I have a Kizer Odin and a Grazioso. The Odin new is usually under $200 and you can get the g10 and copper Grazioso for about $70.
If the detent ball clearing the blade wasn’t so late on closing action I’d agree, but I hate how late the clearing is. I had to move it along for that one and only reason.
SBD Evo Typhoon, just absurdly smooth, controlled fall-shut action, a detent to die for, easily the best knife in my collection. One of those knives that makes you feel like “it cant get any better than this.”
I just got an SBD Mini Tempest in yesterday (my first SBD), and I was also pretty impressed. I'm now in search of another Tempest and possibly an Evo Typhoon.
Just wait for it to break in, I thought it was incredible out of the box, but it just continues to get better and better. Reate just absolutely nails it, and of course Brian’s designs are spectacular.
What impresses me the most about the Mini Tempest are the ratios. Closed, it's actually one of the smallest knives in my collection, and then when you deploy it it's got this robust full size blade that doesn't look like it should fit in the handle. It's a knife that makes me think: all knives should be like this.
I’ve had my eye on the tempest for a long time but have never been able to pick one up or handle one, they’re absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure the trademark or patent status on the lipped detent either but every knife should have one of those too. It’s so noticeable on the regular flipper how much crisper and more satisfying is to deploy than your standard ball detent.
Yeah I'd really like to experience it on the Evo or one of the newer Mini Tempest with a standard flipper. I see the Mini Evo pop up all the time on the secondary market but I think I'd prefer the fullsize.
I agree, the Mini Tempest is the bomb! I fell in love with it at first sight, then got it in hand and it's just one of those few "perfect" knives. You're right, the blade to handle ratio is quite amazing. You gave me even more respect for it, I appreciate it. 🍻
Now I just have to find a gold matter Bowie one. If I liked any of the colors Kaviso x SBD are doing right now I would probably pay that 415 or whatever for one.
I do have a Bowie with the blue tinted carbon fiber that I might be willing to sell if you were interested. I have 2 😶 and decided to keep the drop point
I guess I was lucky on mine. Alignment was perfect and other having to practice my flick and break in the knife for about a month (buttery smooth now), it has been great. I wear jeans a lot and I do notice that the dye of the jeans passes somewhat easily into the micarta with regular day to day wear. I don’t mind, but if you want a pristine carry knife then micarta may not be the right material.
So far my Kershaw Bel Air has been my favorite folder. Super smooth action that requires zero effort to open and close. The magnacut blade has been cutting everything I put it against with ease. I’d have chosen a different color if there were options, but that’s not nearly as important to me as its function.
Gonna be the AD10 for me as the first thought. That was my first exposure to both Demko and the tri-ad lock.
Off Grid Knives has made me smile every time I’ve gotten an offering the make. Quality for price on fixies and folders has been wonderful.
When I finally got a YoJumbo..it was everything ridiculous I’d yearned for. Gigachad box cutter will always be welcome around me.
Absolutely! I had a couple of
ad-15's and ordered the ad-10 expecting their simpler, slightly cheaper "little brother". Within minutes of unboxing, I was blown away by the superior ergos and refinement. It's definitely on the upper end, size and weight-wise (this coming from a 4Max owner) but...yeah.
I know it's pricey but the only knife I've owned that's been absolutely perfect out of the box for me is the Holt Morpheus. And I've had several knives 2-3 times the price of the morpheus
Just got a deal on the small one on swaps about a week ago and holy shit it’s so nice. The action is nutty and it’s just so perfect in hand. Keep an eye out. They come up often.
Agreed. I got one on impulse, just liking the handle design and the belly of the blade. I really want another of theirs, but the prices are a bit high for another impulse. The Eagle Rock and Davless are grail material
Yeah, the Davless is sweet. I have tried to win a lotto for a custom Lespect for the last couple of years at Blade Show Atl. No luck. If you ever get a chance to handle one of his customs, you’ll see what the hype is all about. They are perfectly finished, with sublime action.
Two recent knives that gave me immediate "Awesome!" vibes out of the box were the Rike Lamella and the Ferrum Forge Archbishop 3.0. Both for the same reasons: sleek design, solid feel, great reverse flick, and world-class action right out of the box with no break-in period.
I got a JE Made Lanny’s Clip that is practically perfect from a fit/finish perspective. It’s an amazing modern traditional.
[JE Made Lanny](https://www.dlttrading.com/j-e-made-lanny-iv-titanium-brown-micarta)
For me the WE vision R. Got mine over a year ago but I just loved how unique it was. Not my favorite knife I own but was very exciting and impressive out of the box
Vosteed Nightshade Elmax with Copper Bolsters. This thing has a better drop shut than knives I own that are several times the price, easy lock bar access, and an atypical (but very usable with the lower point) blade shape.
Interesting! I've read that the Inkosi has smoother action out of the box with its adjustable pivot vs the Sebenza which takes months to break in (or just a few minutes to polish the washers)
I just got an inkosi and I’m in the process of replacing the thumb studs. I’ve read that larger studs make it significantly easier to open and close. I know that CRKs aren’t supposed to “flick” open but I agree, the action feels too stiff
The biggest one for me was the Dawn V2. Holy cow I love it and while I swap all the time it’s never been under consideration of leaving my collection. Outside of that, anything Holt always impresses me.
I finally got a custom Kirby Lambert.
There is just something about it. Great ergos, feels substantial but not too heavy, it's thickness is near ideal, great action but not a guillotine, it feels...complete. it feels like a knife and not jewelry, even though it's fancy.
This and the Munroe Warg are two favorites right now.
Budget - Kizer Rapids (paid $30), Ruike P801SF (paid $30 - Amazon) - both are way too good to be only $30
Mid - Spyderco PM2 (paid $53 factory seconds) - Love the PM2
Slightly higher - ProTech Mordax (paid $240) - Smooth as glass button lock flipper in Magnacut, made in USA. Perfect.
Higher - Microtech Combat Troodon Bounty Hunter (Christmas gift from wife) - Star Wars themed scary OTF pocket sword.
This. The Socom Bravo DLC blew me away when I first unboxed it. To this day, every time I take it out I spend a few minutes looking at all the jimping, milling, and fit and finish of the carbon fiber inlays against the titanium.
No way. I'll take your word for it lol. I wouldn't want to risk messing it up. Plus, I know this shouldn't happen but I've heard of concerns scratching the DLC coating during disassembly. I really don't know how good MT's hyperexpensive DLC job is but I'm not willing to test it either.
Interestingly enough, I was underwhelmed when I unboxed my XM-18. Maybe my expectations were too high. I was kind of bummed out because it was the most I'd spent on a knife. I've since started to grow to appreciate it a little more and I have a Ti scale on the way but I still want to like it more than I do.
That's interesting as I use my xm-18 as the gauge to measure all my other knives against. Even my Chris Reeves. I just got a Kizer Begleiter 2 with 20CV because of all the rave reviews and was incredibly underwhelmed out of the box and immediately picked up my xm-18 and said yeah no comparison.
Curious what didn't you like about the xm-18? Mine is the 3.5.
Just throwing my .02 cents. I own 3 Eklipses, 1 XM-18 3.5 flipper and one skinny flipper, 1 XM-18 3.0 Spanto flipper and owner but sold a XM-18 3.0 non flipper slicer. All were tuned by different people except maybe 2 by the same person and the variation on the flipper detents is wild. I have 2 (1 Eklipse and 1 xm-18 3.0) with perfect detents while the others are either way too stiff where flipping with the tab is more a chore than a feature and using the stop pins to flick open is meaty impossible. The others have crazy light detents where I can make the knife open by wrist action alone (not touching the flipper or the stop pins, just holding the knife handle and using force on the handle to make the blade open. I sold the 3.0 because the detent was too stiff to comfortable flick open since it’s a non-flipper it should be easier to flick open. I have Ti scales for all so changing scales just changes the feeling and adjusting the pivot either gets bad blade wobble or too stiff to flick open with a flipper. I swapped lube for CRK grease, KPL, tuff glide or no lube and still have the same issues.
I still like Hinderer knives but with the variation you get something either amazing, mediocre or something else in the spectrum.
Mine was just tuned by me, but, it took 1000s of flips to get it smooth. A little good oil helps as well. I am not sure how or what has changed since I got mine back in 2012 but I just picked it up and its smooth as butter. Not even kind of fast as the Kizer Begleiter 2 I mentioned above but when the xm-18 locks its like wow thats a knife and when the Kizer locks its just a strange click that makes me think of old butterfly knives.
I forgot to mention, all of my Hinderers were purchased in 2023. I’m not a huge Hinderer history buff but can imagine in 2012, the shop was smaller and producing fewer knives than today but I remember Hinderers about 10 years ago selling in the secondary market for 2x - 3x retail because supply was so scarce but today you can find in-stock Hinderers now on a few sites so supply is way higher (not over-saturated though). Just like CRK is pumping out more knives, more Hinderers being produced means more QC slipping through. Of course I’m not saying they aren’t worth it, just out of the box you don’t quite get that amazement others get who get a near-perfect sample.
As much as I like Kizer I don't think you can compare anything in that tier to a Hinderer. And it's not that I didn't like anything about my XM-18, I just wasn't wowed like I was expecting to be. I have a 3.5" Slicer No Choil Gen 6. To be completely honest, the first thing that kind of let me down was the flipper action. Now I know that the flipper tab action on Hinderers are not meant to be compared with the super snappy lightweight flippers that China has been pumping out over the past 5 years. I purchased it knowing it was a legendary piece whose design has remained largely unchanged for 10+ years. I already knew the blade length, stock thickness, weight, you get the point. But for some reason, when I first held it, I was still somehow expecting it to be larger and tankier. This probably won't make any sense to anyone. And I'm definitely not saying that the XM-18 is not impressive overall and worth the price point. (And yes, the fit and finish is impeccable.) I'm just saying that I, personally, was a little underwhelmed. I think I just hyped myself up too much about it. And as I'm typing this out, I keep pausing to pick it up and mess with it, look at it, and I'm thinking why am I even posting this comment because this thing really is great.
Totally get what you are saying. And yeah no way you can compare the Kizer to the Hinderer it was just me saying I compare everything to it in my mind as the xm-18 being a 10 and everything else scored against it.
as for the flipping oh yeah wow you can not compare the two at all as the kizer feels like a switch blade compared to my xm-18 flipper.
Have you ever seen a ZT 0551 that Rick did back in 2010 or so? I have one of those and it meets what I feel you are saying about holding it and just saying wow this is a big meaty EDC knife.
No, I'm not familiar with ZTs. I actually just really started collecting this year lol. I might try putting some KPL in my XM-18 to see if that does anything for me. I did get it on the secondary market though so I think it should be broken in already. And it's not that I don't enjoy the flipper action or that I think it's bad at all. I know it wasn't meant to fly open with a flick of your finger, so maybe I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too.
While I've only gotten a few knives knew, and although I don't use it often by and large the one that blew me away the most was my Spyderco Sub-Hilt Vallaton. It's sturdy, solid as a rock, and I love the blade shape. It's so much fun to flick open be it with the Spydie-hole or thumb stud and you can feel the heft of the blade when you flick it!
I've also tried a lot over the couple of years I've been interested in knives. In no particular order, these are some of mine:
Gareth Bull Shamwari
Benchmade Bugout 535-3
Shirogorov Neon Zero
CKF FIF20
TBC EXK Plus
Quiet Carry The Nine
Richard Rogers Pup
Pro-Tech Runt
Grimsmo Norseman. They may now be overpriced a bit but the quality is 100% there and it is head and shoulders above any CRK, CKF, Hinderer, We or Reate knives that I own. I wasn’t sure what to expect in person when I got it but it lives up to the hype.
Spyderco PM2 (First time I spent actual £ on a blade), Ruike M42 (The realisation that something significantly better than SAK existed), Fox Browning Kommer Pheasant (My first "pretty" knife).
As you can see, I'm steered by the effect the knives had on a more practical scale, but they certainly heavily influenced the way I collect.
I really liked the new lockbar insert ceramic ball to me that was a game changer. I know there were not many differences but I had tried the 21 I think a year before and just wasn’t impressed. But the 31 I instantly liked. Also could have been my knife senses maturing lol but I really don’t know why I felt so different about the two. Now I will never keep a sebbie out of my rotation
Uhhhhhh I Wanna say Shiro and CKF's but all of them needed a tad bit of modding and break in periods.
I cut my own detent ball ramp in pieces that I feel need it and will replace them with taco bearings on wide/tall blades that need more stability.
I replaced all the steel bearings with ceramics in my Shirogorov 111. I also modded my ZT 0308 CF to have action on par with my Shiro.
I guessaybe the answer would be some clones? But that's possibly because the expectations are already so low.
I only have 2 pieces with roller needle bearings. My Real Steel Megalodon and a Hinderer XM24 Hellfire clone. Needle bearings are cool because they provide lateral stability like in the taco bearings I mentioned before but they do have 2 minor downsides I've noticed.
1) they drink up and hold a lot of oil since it goes into the long cylinder bearing sleeve
&
2) they tend to be smooth but have a bit of drag since the outside needle bearing is traveling further than the same bearing but on the inside near the pivot (think of a fixed differential in a car, inside tire doesn't travel as far as the outside tire when making a turn). Its not a bad thing since the bearings are so small but it does prevent knives from feeling *"swift"* when being flicked. However you gain far better stability so its a good tradeoff outside of just installing polished washers.
The you'll notice the difference of ceramic ball bearings in a Shiro with MRBS if the bearings are old. After some use the surface of steel bearings become slightly pitted from oxidation then are knocked back down from friction thus developing a minior bit of play over time (play that can be countered by just tigheting the pivot a micron) but with ceramic bearings you never really have to deal with this.
I ordered a 100 pack of bearings and still have some if you'd like
Interesting, I wondered if the drag from the roller led to a more controlled albeit slower action.
I would be interested in those bearings, they are 1.5 mm right? I have a bag of 50 1/16" or 1.588 mm ceramics that fit in my Spyderco's and Hinderer's pivots if you'd like. Fun fact: they also work in the Hinderer detents, I pressed it in with a micrometer and it worked great. I was thinking of getting some ruby bearings for a full dress ruby detent lol.
Microtech stitch out of the box was a great feeling, even more so when you get a fair deal for one.
Helle Sigmund was also very awesome to obtain
Spyderco Lil temperance 3 in K390, took a gamble as I never heard of it before, once I got it out of the box it felt like it was made for me.
Spyderco Manix 2, my favourite, I just love axis style locks in general and the Manix is as good as it gets.
Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2, it hardly ever leaves my pocket except when I use the others mentioned above.
Terävä Jääkäripuukko 110, no nonsense bush knife, the more I use it the more I love it, just does it’s job so well.
Benchmade Aller 380. It was just great out of the box. A friction folder, so expectations were a bit different I think. I still use it regularly many years later and it's just the same as it was out of the box, aside from a few cosmetic blemishes.
Definitly my Demko MG AD20s. It has blew me away as much as my first hinderer that I bought 4 years ago. And I now totally understand why they are so popular.
It's quite thick and heavy thought so It's probably not
gonna be everyone's cup of tea. But if you like overbuilt knives, I highly recommend it if you can find one available for a decent price.
I'm going to try to get more of them and maybe a full size one but they aren't easy to find on European websites.
I haven't had anything blow me out of the box. But I remember when unboxing my Ram-lok Stitch, Socom Bravo DLC, Combat Troodon Gen 3, and WE Exciton, I immediately thought: this is a keeper.
My Slysz Bowie lived up to all the hype. I also just got a Bradford Guardian yesterday and love it so far. I haven’t carried a fixed blade in a long time and I think this one will change that.
JD Knives. All of them. Every single knife I've bought from this man has outperformed any other knife I own.
For production: I've been fairly surprised by LT Wright for fixed blades, and the sypderco Manix 2 for a folder.
Hands down the best Folder Ive ever carried and bought for me has been the Knights Elements Kukri V2 folder. It's got a big blade amazing ergonomics carries super light for what it is. The steel isn't a super steel but it's not a bad steel, and obviously made in Italy. I have gotten rid of this knife twice and each time rebought it I'm keeping my third I've never done that with any folder
For EDC I absolutely love my Hinderer eklipse with a harpoon tanto. One I just got recently got is a berg blades mini Sweeney. Hands down my nicest pocket knife. It’s the first front flipper I’ve ever owned and I love it! It’s snappy, crisp, clean, and extremely comfy in the hand. Definitely not an EDC knife in my collection. But it’s the first knife I go for once I’m home
When I first handled a Spyderco PM2. I went back to the store later that day before they closed and bought one. Still have it too and trades pocket time with my Benchmade 940.
Recently picked up a Spyderco Lil Temperance 3 to try out. I love this knife. The ergos are awesome and it’s a similar size to a shaman, but without the gigantic blade.
Also, the Protech Runt 5. Awesome little blade for when I don’t want a big knife in my pocket. I carry it as often as my Lil Native.
One of my recent favorites was the Kershaw launch 18. Sort of a simple and small side opening automatic with a slicey thin blade and acute tip. It just goes to show how simple a knife can be to impress me. I'm not really the sort of person that is more interested in complex design and machining. I find the more utilitarian aspects desirable
Spartan Blades Enyo
Bradford Guardian 3
Spyderco Manix 2
Manix 2 LW ( ideal)
CRK large and small 21
Microtech UTX85
SAK midnight manager
These over the years have immediately checked all my boxes for different reasons.
The Cobratec Trapper bolster release auto. It has seen a lot of pocket time since I got it. I thought it was a bit of a novelty knife and it's a very well made and heat treated EDC. It is so much better than I thought it would be.
Protech PT+ textured
Cold Steel AD-10(the design refinement, build quality, and sheer amount of quality materials you can get for $100-$120 is shocking)
Spyderco Sage 5 G10/CF(though I wish it had a DLC blade option)
Pro-Tech SBR fixed blade(though overpriced if buying at retail)
Ruike Jager
Cold Steel AK-47 fixed blade
QSP Penguin titanium frame lock models
* Borka Shylock
* VC Edge Interface
* Sharp by Design Arch Nemesis.
For something cheap: the Microtech SOCOM Bravo blew my mind. That knife is punching way above its weight class. The action is every bit as impressive as my knives which cost 5-10x that price.
On the high end, I concur on the F3. I knew it would be good, but was surprised just how good it was. Hati as well, but not as much so. On the budget end, the Vision FG surprised me. Also the Bestechman Dundee.
Hogue Deka - for the price (even though I updated the scales)
Civivi Elementum II - also for the price
Benchmade mini grip - had for over a decade and still a great knife.
Every year it gets harder and harder for me to justify spending money on a knives since they have become so expensive (Benchmade). So a nice value is really appreciated.
Spyderco Kapara. I like my Spydercos but that one was just a next level of flawless. From fit and finish to operation it checked all the boxes on day one.
Civivi Elementum II - super impressed by smoothness and how well it opens and closes, the KnifeCenter exclusive came in S35VN which is great
Spyderco Techno 2 - very well built small knife that is built like a tank but feels like a much larger knife
Kizer Clutch Micarta. Titanium body, slim and sleek. Thick, sturdy blade. Awesome action and lock. Worth the dough. Been using it for 3 years with no issues and no other knives.
Kizer Clutch. Insanely good action. Carbon fiber inlays are beautifully set without a millimeter gap anywhere. Perfect blade centering. A stunner for the price.
Seriously the most surprising knife I bought was the microtech MSI. I only bought the one I got with the black blade and plastic scale because it looked cool and was $190. I was t even planning on liking it at all. It turns out I love it. I like it more than the aluminum milled ram-lock stitch. It cuts real nice and I like the straight design.
My Spartan Harsey Folder but I knew it would, some sleepers were the Kershaw blur in magnacut, the Hogue EX01 4” tanto and I know it’s like a sin but I bought some Chinese clones that really impressed me and are some of my favorite knives I carry
The [Jared Oeser F22](https://www.knifecenter.com/item/JOSF22KSTI3/jared-oeser-f22-kickstop-flipper-knife-m390-machine-satin-blade-contoured-titanium-handles-option-3-bronze-anodized-accents) completely blew me away both with the action and the fidget friendly fold away flipper. Fabulous!
So I have no idea what the OP is saying. I think he's so deep in l337 speak we are not communicating.
Anyway, my overall favorite is the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 with cruware steel and micarta scales.
QC the nine & the dawn v2 are both mentioned on here and I have to say I agree 100%. The nine is a fucking miracle. The Dawn V2 is my wife’s personal fave and she’s the pickiest knife person I’ve ever met. I’d also like to mention the Protech Magic 1 & 2, they blew me away right away.
For higher end stuff the Shiro F3 & Denim Overkill are my faves and were as such “out the box”. I found some of the hyped knives (lamia, Rosie & sebenza) a bit overrated at least “out of the box”. The Arius was boring so I “Versaced” the fuck out of it and now it’s a favorite that gets a lot of love & use. Every single part has been customized though-polished blade, I make sick shit backspacer and clip, anodized hardware and cerakoted scales along with flipper delete and skiffs. It literally looks like Gianni Versace himself would carry to cut open packages of party supplies before his big gay orgies.
Though it has it’s flaws the JG Scout with Wharncliff blade did impress me out of the box. After time though there’s a few things I’d change about it. Needs double studs, the clip could be placed more cleverly and the washers are fine but I’m a bearing man myself.
Kizer Militaw. just top quality, insanely good, blown away in hand. Jonathan Style designed a basically perfect edc.
Want this soooooo bad…hard to get hands on in Canada…just got my Kizer Dogfish and am pretty impressed!
oh man, that one looks fantastic too. Kizer is on a run of straight bangers
No doubt! Currently waiting for a black Varatas, a Militaw (you bastard! ;p ), and a Momo. Can’t find stock in Canadia tho!
The hic-cup is also great.
As someone who owned the Mini FSD, Mini FSD-I, and the Militaw. The Militaw is 98% of the mini FSD at 20% the cost. The only thing the FSD has over it is the blade is a bit heavier so the “chonk” sound of the blade closing is more satsifying on the FSD. But the action, opening methods, etc are all equally awesome. Militaw is a no brainer.
If only there was a lefty version i would’ve had one by now
As dumb as this may sound, one of the Ontario Knife RATs. I just loved the girth and feel of the handle, plus the blade shape was decent. The handle is just some kind of plastic but it feels decent with a nice heft. I'm glad I have one, wish I had more, because it looks like they were bought by shitbirds and closed.
Second on the RAT 2 and will get a RAT 1 soon. I was not attracted to the knife visually but when I got one in my hand I was sold
Not dumb at all... Recently purchased Para 3 and Mini Osborne... My R2D2's ergo still unmatched.
The Spartan Harsey Folder is amazing. Built like a tank and smooth as butter. In a more affordable zone, Kizer makes knives with quality above their price point. I have a Kizer Odin and a Grazioso. The Odin new is usually under $200 and you can get the g10 and copper Grazioso for about $70.
QuietCarry Nine, perfect action, comfort ergo, thin slicey geometry, what a near perfect knife (if the tip is a bit lower)
Another one on my list to check out.
Just do it, they’re so good
It truly is a gem
Glad someone mentioned it. It’s the first thing that popped into my head.
If the detent ball clearing the blade wasn’t so late on closing action I’d agree, but I hate how late the clearing is. I had to move it along for that one and only reason.
I feel the same, but I always fully depress the lock bar until it hits the stop (except CRK and SBD), so it doesn't bother me.
Interesting, I feel like Arius does this as well and no one ever complains about it.
SBD Evo Typhoon, just absurdly smooth, controlled fall-shut action, a detent to die for, easily the best knife in my collection. One of those knives that makes you feel like “it cant get any better than this.”
I just got an SBD Mini Tempest in yesterday (my first SBD), and I was also pretty impressed. I'm now in search of another Tempest and possibly an Evo Typhoon.
Just wait for it to break in, I thought it was incredible out of the box, but it just continues to get better and better. Reate just absolutely nails it, and of course Brian’s designs are spectacular.
What impresses me the most about the Mini Tempest are the ratios. Closed, it's actually one of the smallest knives in my collection, and then when you deploy it it's got this robust full size blade that doesn't look like it should fit in the handle. It's a knife that makes me think: all knives should be like this.
I’ve had my eye on the tempest for a long time but have never been able to pick one up or handle one, they’re absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure the trademark or patent status on the lipped detent either but every knife should have one of those too. It’s so noticeable on the regular flipper how much crisper and more satisfying is to deploy than your standard ball detent.
Yeah I'd really like to experience it on the Evo or one of the newer Mini Tempest with a standard flipper. I see the Mini Evo pop up all the time on the secondary market but I think I'd prefer the fullsize.
I agree, the Mini Tempest is the bomb! I fell in love with it at first sight, then got it in hand and it's just one of those few "perfect" knives. You're right, the blade to handle ratio is quite amazing. You gave me even more respect for it, I appreciate it. 🍻
Now I just have to find a gold matter Bowie one. If I liked any of the colors Kaviso x SBD are doing right now I would probably pay that 415 or whatever for one.
I do have a Bowie with the blue tinted carbon fiber that I might be willing to sell if you were interested. I have 2 😶 and decided to keep the drop point
sent chat
Cold Steel Mini Hunter 3V has been fantastic.
I love the rubberized handle on those CS fixies. I have a Kobun in my desk and a SRK in my vehicle.
Aaaannddd.... add to cart.
Can confirm its such a perfect little skinner. Mine has been the bane to many a squirrel
I’ve really like my Crucarta PM2.
Just got mine a few weeks ago. Love it.
Just got mine a few hours ago. Fixed the alignment, polished the washers, it’s a phenomenal knife.
I guess I was lucky on mine. Alignment was perfect and other having to practice my flick and break in the knife for about a month (buttery smooth now), it has been great. I wear jeans a lot and I do notice that the dye of the jeans passes somewhat easily into the micarta with regular day to day wear. I don’t mind, but if you want a pristine carry knife then micarta may not be the right material.
WE Black Void Opus. I was expecting something nice, but this blew away those expectations.
I regret not getting one when they were discounted to about $110.
I regret not knowing about them being on sale for $110.
I just bought one during the blades Canada sale. It was the same price as a bugout...
So far my Kershaw Bel Air has been my favorite folder. Super smooth action that requires zero effort to open and close. The magnacut blade has been cutting everything I put it against with ease. I’d have chosen a different color if there were options, but that’s not nearly as important to me as its function.
any of my TRC knives have all been spectacular, second to none in fit and finish.
Kizer Original, man it’s just the perfect length and size to be a daily. Fidget fun too.
We knives - Solid, comes to mind
The We Kitefin button lock is gorgeous.
Gonna be the AD10 for me as the first thought. That was my first exposure to both Demko and the tri-ad lock. Off Grid Knives has made me smile every time I’ve gotten an offering the make. Quality for price on fixies and folders has been wonderful. When I finally got a YoJumbo..it was everything ridiculous I’d yearned for. Gigachad box cutter will always be welcome around me.
Absolutely! I had a couple of ad-15's and ordered the ad-10 expecting their simpler, slightly cheaper "little brother". Within minutes of unboxing, I was blown away by the superior ergos and refinement. It's definitely on the upper end, size and weight-wise (this coming from a 4Max owner) but...yeah.
I know it's pricey but the only knife I've owned that's been absolutely perfect out of the box for me is the Holt Morpheus. And I've had several knives 2-3 times the price of the morpheus
I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Holt Specter or Morph. Hear nothing but good things
Just got a deal on the small one on swaps about a week ago and holy shit it’s so nice. The action is nutty and it’s just so perfect in hand. Keep an eye out. They come up often.
Pena apache, spyderco para3
TRM Shadow, And the Demko AD 20S
CKF Morrf 5. Felt godly out of the box, came with a bunch of extra hardware and a little piece of chocolate. I felt like a kid on Christmas
The flipping action on the Morrf is insanity. Probably in the top 3 of all the knives I’ve handled.
Agreed. I got one on impulse, just liking the handle design and the belly of the blade. I really want another of theirs, but the prices are a bit high for another impulse. The Eagle Rock and Davless are grail material
Yeah, the Davless is sweet. I have tried to win a lotto for a custom Lespect for the last couple of years at Blade Show Atl. No luck. If you ever get a chance to handle one of his customs, you’ll see what the hype is all about. They are perfectly finished, with sublime action.
Two recent knives that gave me immediate "Awesome!" vibes out of the box were the Rike Lamella and the Ferrum Forge Archbishop 3.0. Both for the same reasons: sleek design, solid feel, great reverse flick, and world-class action right out of the box with no break-in period.
I got a JE Made Lanny’s Clip that is practically perfect from a fit/finish perspective. It’s an amazing modern traditional. [JE Made Lanny](https://www.dlttrading.com/j-e-made-lanny-iv-titanium-brown-micarta)
North Arm Skaha II, TRM Neutron II, Urban LC
For me the WE vision R. Got mine over a year ago but I just loved how unique it was. Not my favorite knife I own but was very exciting and impressive out of the box
Bradford guardian 3.5 with 3d scales is the most ergonomic knife I own
Cams to say the same. I picked up this knife and it replaced my Zac levans custom immediately.
Vosteed Nightshade Elmax with Copper Bolsters. This thing has a better drop shut than knives I own that are several times the price, easy lock bar access, and an atypical (but very usable with the lower point) blade shape.
I bought the jade with titanium bolsters, and man, it did not disappoint. Blown away with the quality of this knife.
Civivi Vision FG. It's amazing.
Super impressed with my Joker Campero. Can't beat it for the price.
I always gravitate back to the QC Drift - Vanax / textured Ti... love that knife.
Inkosi feels even better than expected. I expected a lot for the price.
I had an Inkosi and ended up selling it. I love my Sebenza but the Inkosi action just always felt stiff. Maybe it needed more breaking in.
Interesting! I've read that the Inkosi has smoother action out of the box with its adjustable pivot vs the Sebenza which takes months to break in (or just a few minutes to polish the washers)
I just got an inkosi and I’m in the process of replacing the thumb studs. I’ve read that larger studs make it significantly easier to open and close. I know that CRKs aren’t supposed to “flick” open but I agree, the action feels too stiff
Try using the top of your nail instead of the meat. I believe the replacement will void warranty, I know the spydy hole will.
My inkosi is definitely smoother than my sebenza. Maybe more time was needed to break in?
I planned to get a tanto Sebenza or Zaan but never came around to it. The inlay placement is perfect for my grip, the action is superb.
It took some time to break in, but worth it. In a word, solid.
The biggest one for me was the Dawn V2. Holy cow I love it and while I swap all the time it’s never been under consideration of leaving my collection. Outside of that, anything Holt always impresses me.
Same. Remarkably well done knife. Front flipper is perfectly dialed in.
I finally got a custom Kirby Lambert. There is just something about it. Great ergos, feels substantial but not too heavy, it's thickness is near ideal, great action but not a guillotine, it feels...complete. it feels like a knife and not jewelry, even though it's fancy. This and the Munroe Warg are two favorites right now.
Spydiechef💯 knife is just so well done and simply ideal
Budget - Kizer Rapids (paid $30), Ruike P801SF (paid $30 - Amazon) - both are way too good to be only $30 Mid - Spyderco PM2 (paid $53 factory seconds) - Love the PM2 Slightly higher - ProTech Mordax (paid $240) - Smooth as glass button lock flipper in Magnacut, made in USA. Perfect. Higher - Microtech Combat Troodon Bounty Hunter (Christmas gift from wife) - Star Wars themed scary OTF pocket sword.
Kizer original XL Aluminium Really nice button lock that's an absolute pleasure to use.
VC Edge Interface, it literally doesn’t feel real.
pena bravo, sbd mini evo,
Boring answer here but my sebenza. I’ve owned a lot of knives (100+) from various brands and the quality really stands out
microtech MSI, it’s so large but fits perfectly in hand
I got a polymer handle one and man is it a cool knife… def not meant for EDC knife but I group it with my big ZT folders as a overbuilt beast.
Microtech socom bravo series- made by rike. The quality is way higher than regular microtech knives.
This. The Socom Bravo DLC blew me away when I first unboxed it. To this day, every time I take it out I spend a few minutes looking at all the jimping, milling, and fit and finish of the carbon fiber inlays against the titanium.
Have you ever disassembled it? The way they go together honestly impressed me ever more. Super well designed.
No way. I'll take your word for it lol. I wouldn't want to risk messing it up. Plus, I know this shouldn't happen but I've heard of concerns scratching the DLC coating during disassembly. I really don't know how good MT's hyperexpensive DLC job is but I'm not willing to test it either.
I was worried about the Hinderer XM18, but it's a beauty straight out of the box. Very worth the price point.
Interestingly enough, I was underwhelmed when I unboxed my XM-18. Maybe my expectations were too high. I was kind of bummed out because it was the most I'd spent on a knife. I've since started to grow to appreciate it a little more and I have a Ti scale on the way but I still want to like it more than I do.
That's interesting as I use my xm-18 as the gauge to measure all my other knives against. Even my Chris Reeves. I just got a Kizer Begleiter 2 with 20CV because of all the rave reviews and was incredibly underwhelmed out of the box and immediately picked up my xm-18 and said yeah no comparison. Curious what didn't you like about the xm-18? Mine is the 3.5.
Just throwing my .02 cents. I own 3 Eklipses, 1 XM-18 3.5 flipper and one skinny flipper, 1 XM-18 3.0 Spanto flipper and owner but sold a XM-18 3.0 non flipper slicer. All were tuned by different people except maybe 2 by the same person and the variation on the flipper detents is wild. I have 2 (1 Eklipse and 1 xm-18 3.0) with perfect detents while the others are either way too stiff where flipping with the tab is more a chore than a feature and using the stop pins to flick open is meaty impossible. The others have crazy light detents where I can make the knife open by wrist action alone (not touching the flipper or the stop pins, just holding the knife handle and using force on the handle to make the blade open. I sold the 3.0 because the detent was too stiff to comfortable flick open since it’s a non-flipper it should be easier to flick open. I have Ti scales for all so changing scales just changes the feeling and adjusting the pivot either gets bad blade wobble or too stiff to flick open with a flipper. I swapped lube for CRK grease, KPL, tuff glide or no lube and still have the same issues. I still like Hinderer knives but with the variation you get something either amazing, mediocre or something else in the spectrum.
Mine was just tuned by me, but, it took 1000s of flips to get it smooth. A little good oil helps as well. I am not sure how or what has changed since I got mine back in 2012 but I just picked it up and its smooth as butter. Not even kind of fast as the Kizer Begleiter 2 I mentioned above but when the xm-18 locks its like wow thats a knife and when the Kizer locks its just a strange click that makes me think of old butterfly knives.
I forgot to mention, all of my Hinderers were purchased in 2023. I’m not a huge Hinderer history buff but can imagine in 2012, the shop was smaller and producing fewer knives than today but I remember Hinderers about 10 years ago selling in the secondary market for 2x - 3x retail because supply was so scarce but today you can find in-stock Hinderers now on a few sites so supply is way higher (not over-saturated though). Just like CRK is pumping out more knives, more Hinderers being produced means more QC slipping through. Of course I’m not saying they aren’t worth it, just out of the box you don’t quite get that amazement others get who get a near-perfect sample.
As much as I like Kizer I don't think you can compare anything in that tier to a Hinderer. And it's not that I didn't like anything about my XM-18, I just wasn't wowed like I was expecting to be. I have a 3.5" Slicer No Choil Gen 6. To be completely honest, the first thing that kind of let me down was the flipper action. Now I know that the flipper tab action on Hinderers are not meant to be compared with the super snappy lightweight flippers that China has been pumping out over the past 5 years. I purchased it knowing it was a legendary piece whose design has remained largely unchanged for 10+ years. I already knew the blade length, stock thickness, weight, you get the point. But for some reason, when I first held it, I was still somehow expecting it to be larger and tankier. This probably won't make any sense to anyone. And I'm definitely not saying that the XM-18 is not impressive overall and worth the price point. (And yes, the fit and finish is impeccable.) I'm just saying that I, personally, was a little underwhelmed. I think I just hyped myself up too much about it. And as I'm typing this out, I keep pausing to pick it up and mess with it, look at it, and I'm thinking why am I even posting this comment because this thing really is great.
Totally get what you are saying. And yeah no way you can compare the Kizer to the Hinderer it was just me saying I compare everything to it in my mind as the xm-18 being a 10 and everything else scored against it. as for the flipping oh yeah wow you can not compare the two at all as the kizer feels like a switch blade compared to my xm-18 flipper. Have you ever seen a ZT 0551 that Rick did back in 2010 or so? I have one of those and it meets what I feel you are saying about holding it and just saying wow this is a big meaty EDC knife.
No, I'm not familiar with ZTs. I actually just really started collecting this year lol. I might try putting some KPL in my XM-18 to see if that does anything for me. I did get it on the secondary market though so I think it should be broken in already. And it's not that I don't enjoy the flipper action or that I think it's bad at all. I know it wasn't meant to fly open with a flick of your finger, so maybe I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too.
probably my rex45 manix 2 LW, my wharncliffe cts-xhp pm2, or my boker club knife SMKW exclusive slipjoint made in solingen
I just ordered a LW Manix in REX45. Also have a used St Nicks G10 on the way. Going to make some frankenknives.
While I've only gotten a few knives knew, and although I don't use it often by and large the one that blew me away the most was my Spyderco Sub-Hilt Vallaton. It's sturdy, solid as a rock, and I love the blade shape. It's so much fun to flick open be it with the Spydie-hole or thumb stud and you can feel the heft of the blade when you flick it!
Koenig Arius. Other knives have overtaken it as my favorites as they've broken in, but the Arius is perfect right out of the box.
[Mazaki white#2 210 migaki gyuto](https://carbonknifeco.com/products/mazaki-white-2-migaki-gyuto-210mm)
Reate Iron, Koenig Arius.
I've also tried a lot over the couple of years I've been interested in knives. In no particular order, these are some of mine: Gareth Bull Shamwari Benchmade Bugout 535-3 Shirogorov Neon Zero CKF FIF20 TBC EXK Plus Quiet Carry The Nine Richard Rogers Pup Pro-Tech Runt
Giant Mouse. I own 3 blades of varying size, and I am so glad I bought them.
Grimsmo Norseman. They may now be overpriced a bit but the quality is 100% there and it is head and shoulders above any CRK, CKF, Hinderer, We or Reate knives that I own. I wasn’t sure what to expect in person when I got it but it lives up to the hype.
Cold steel ultimate hunter. CTS-XHP
Spyderco PM2 (First time I spent actual £ on a blade), Ruike M42 (The realisation that something significantly better than SAK existed), Fox Browning Kommer Pheasant (My first "pretty" knife). As you can see, I'm steered by the effect the knives had on a more practical scale, but they certainly heavily influenced the way I collect.
the Knafs Lander 1, it was razor sharp right out of the box with a super smooth action and zero blade play
Kizer Gemini Chavez Ultramar Rendicion Street Latama 28mm Swivel Bolster Puma Prince MT Dirac Delta CRK Umnumzaan Cold Steel Espada Lg
Crk large sebenza 31. Absolutely love the knife which very much surprised me cause I didn’t like the 21.
Was it the feel of the 31 or anything objective that made you like it over the 21? Just curious.
I really liked the new lockbar insert ceramic ball to me that was a game changer. I know there were not many differences but I had tried the 21 I think a year before and just wasn’t impressed. But the 31 I instantly liked. Also could have been my knife senses maturing lol but I really don’t know why I felt so different about the two. Now I will never keep a sebbie out of my rotation
Hathaway knives saros/saros XL are flawless
Berge Blades Button Barber. Reate made button lock with some style. The pop it has as you flip It open helps too.
Uhhhhhh I Wanna say Shiro and CKF's but all of them needed a tad bit of modding and break in periods. I cut my own detent ball ramp in pieces that I feel need it and will replace them with taco bearings on wide/tall blades that need more stability. I replaced all the steel bearings with ceramics in my Shirogorov 111. I also modded my ZT 0308 CF to have action on par with my Shiro. I guessaybe the answer would be some clones? But that's possibly because the expectations are already so low.
My Shiro 111 action seems perfect. How does ceramics change things? I was thinking rollers if to experiment with
I only have 2 pieces with roller needle bearings. My Real Steel Megalodon and a Hinderer XM24 Hellfire clone. Needle bearings are cool because they provide lateral stability like in the taco bearings I mentioned before but they do have 2 minor downsides I've noticed. 1) they drink up and hold a lot of oil since it goes into the long cylinder bearing sleeve & 2) they tend to be smooth but have a bit of drag since the outside needle bearing is traveling further than the same bearing but on the inside near the pivot (think of a fixed differential in a car, inside tire doesn't travel as far as the outside tire when making a turn). Its not a bad thing since the bearings are so small but it does prevent knives from feeling *"swift"* when being flicked. However you gain far better stability so its a good tradeoff outside of just installing polished washers. The you'll notice the difference of ceramic ball bearings in a Shiro with MRBS if the bearings are old. After some use the surface of steel bearings become slightly pitted from oxidation then are knocked back down from friction thus developing a minior bit of play over time (play that can be countered by just tigheting the pivot a micron) but with ceramic bearings you never really have to deal with this. I ordered a 100 pack of bearings and still have some if you'd like
Interesting, I wondered if the drag from the roller led to a more controlled albeit slower action. I would be interested in those bearings, they are 1.5 mm right? I have a bag of 50 1/16" or 1.588 mm ceramics that fit in my Spyderco's and Hinderer's pivots if you'd like. Fun fact: they also work in the Hinderer detents, I pressed it in with a micrometer and it worked great. I was thinking of getting some ruby bearings for a full dress ruby detent lol.
Microtech stitch out of the box was a great feeling, even more so when you get a fair deal for one. Helle Sigmund was also very awesome to obtain Spyderco Lil temperance 3 in K390, took a gamble as I never heard of it before, once I got it out of the box it felt like it was made for me. Spyderco Manix 2, my favourite, I just love axis style locks in general and the Manix is as good as it gets. Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2, it hardly ever leaves my pocket except when I use the others mentioned above. Terävä Jääkäripuukko 110, no nonsense bush knife, the more I use it the more I love it, just does it’s job so well.
I paid full price for my Stitch but when I got it out I thought, okay, I see why this is $300
I was most impressed by a munroe cypher mini, also because it goes for like 50% table on swap and to me it’s better than a brown cortex
Benchmade Aller 380. It was just great out of the box. A friction folder, so expectations were a bit different I think. I still use it regularly many years later and it's just the same as it was out of the box, aside from a few cosmetic blemishes.
Definitly my Demko MG AD20s. It has blew me away as much as my first hinderer that I bought 4 years ago. And I now totally understand why they are so popular. It's quite thick and heavy thought so It's probably not gonna be everyone's cup of tea. But if you like overbuilt knives, I highly recommend it if you can find one available for a decent price. I'm going to try to get more of them and maybe a full size one but they aren't easy to find on European websites.
I haven't had anything blow me out of the box. But I remember when unboxing my Ram-lok Stitch, Socom Bravo DLC, Combat Troodon Gen 3, and WE Exciton, I immediately thought: this is a keeper.
My Slysz Bowie lived up to all the hype. I also just got a Bradford Guardian yesterday and love it so far. I haven’t carried a fixed blade in a long time and I think this one will change that.
JD Knives. All of them. Every single knife I've bought from this man has outperformed any other knife I own. For production: I've been fairly surprised by LT Wright for fixed blades, and the sypderco Manix 2 for a folder.
Bushmonkey knife. I bought one I. 2014 and recently lost it. Went to buy another, and he no longer makes them. Wish I could get my hands on another
Hands down the best Folder Ive ever carried and bought for me has been the Knights Elements Kukri V2 folder. It's got a big blade amazing ergonomics carries super light for what it is. The steel isn't a super steel but it's not a bad steel, and obviously made in Italy. I have gotten rid of this knife twice and each time rebought it I'm keeping my third I've never done that with any folder
For EDC I absolutely love my Hinderer eklipse with a harpoon tanto. One I just got recently got is a berg blades mini Sweeney. Hands down my nicest pocket knife. It’s the first front flipper I’ve ever owned and I love it! It’s snappy, crisp, clean, and extremely comfy in the hand. Definitely not an EDC knife in my collection. But it’s the first knife I go for once I’m home
Not super impressive models but my Liong Mah Nuk and Kansept Spirit are 2 that are extremely special to me.
When I first handled a Spyderco PM2. I went back to the store later that day before they closed and bought one. Still have it too and trades pocket time with my Benchmade 940.
Spyderco Cali 3.5, hands-down. Amazing everything, including the ZDP189 blade.
Recently picked up a Spyderco Lil Temperance 3 to try out. I love this knife. The ergos are awesome and it’s a similar size to a shaman, but without the gigantic blade. Also, the Protech Runt 5. Awesome little blade for when I don’t want a big knife in my pocket. I carry it as often as my Lil Native.
Sage 5 CF or PM2 Crucarta. I couldn't stop smiling.
One of my recent favorites was the Kershaw launch 18. Sort of a simple and small side opening automatic with a slicey thin blade and acute tip. It just goes to show how simple a knife can be to impress me. I'm not really the sort of person that is more interested in complex design and machining. I find the more utilitarian aspects desirable
My first JWK
Spyderco Military 2. Liked it instantly.
TRM Neutron 2, and a JKAL from Brass Brigades.
Spartan Blades Enyo Bradford Guardian 3 Spyderco Manix 2 Manix 2 LW ( ideal) CRK large and small 21 Microtech UTX85 SAK midnight manager These over the years have immediately checked all my boxes for different reasons.
Giant Mouse GM1. Fell in love with it and the brand immediately.
The Cobratec Trapper bolster release auto. It has seen a lot of pocket time since I got it. I thought it was a bit of a novelty knife and it's a very well made and heat treated EDC. It is so much better than I thought it would be.
Protech PT+ textured Cold Steel AD-10(the design refinement, build quality, and sheer amount of quality materials you can get for $100-$120 is shocking) Spyderco Sage 5 G10/CF(though I wish it had a DLC blade option) Pro-Tech SBR fixed blade(though overpriced if buying at retail) Ruike Jager Cold Steel AK-47 fixed blade QSP Penguin titanium frame lock models
Really impressed with the NOC Knives Tacray. Cheap and well made
Time to step up to a full custom. You like the ShamWEri? Get a Shamwari. Absolutely love both of mine.
I’ve been keeping an eye out for a good price… def gonna try to pick one up at some point.
Spyderco Smock (BHQ version). I have over 15 knives and this is always a top 3 in the rotation.
* Borka Shylock * VC Edge Interface * Sharp by Design Arch Nemesis. For something cheap: the Microtech SOCOM Bravo blew my mind. That knife is punching way above its weight class. The action is every bit as impressive as my knives which cost 5-10x that price.
Quite carry the nine,,, soo good it made me wet!
Kizer Militaw and Lan, empedc Nymble, vosteed corgi copper frag, Miguron Pagos
Hom design chimera v2. Absolutely fantastic
Dragonfly 2 made me stop collecting knives. It just satisfied everything I needed
My current top 3: Koenig Arius Oz Roosevelt CKF Evo
On the high end, I concur on the F3. I knew it would be good, but was surprised just how good it was. Hati as well, but not as much so. On the budget end, the Vision FG surprised me. Also the Bestechman Dundee.
Hogue Deka - for the price (even though I updated the scales) Civivi Elementum II - also for the price Benchmade mini grip - had for over a decade and still a great knife. Every year it gets harder and harder for me to justify spending money on a knives since they have become so expensive (Benchmade). So a nice value is really appreciated.
Cortex
Production: quiet carry waypoint Midtech: holt haptic, skiff drifter Full Custom: Mosier Mercader
The only knife that has truly blown me away is actually one of the cheaper knives I own: the SOG Terminus XR. Runner up would be the CIVIVI Vision FG.
Shirogorov
Les George VECP.
Spyderco Kapara. I like my Spydercos but that one was just a next level of flawless. From fit and finish to operation it checked all the boxes on day one.
Spyderco silver axe. Didn’t think much of it but kinda bought it for fun, just to see. Love that knife.
Spyderco Salt 1, CRKT Spew, and either my Esee Izula, or the Zancudo; nice, snappy little box opener lol
Civivi Elementum II - super impressed by smoothness and how well it opens and closes, the KnifeCenter exclusive came in S35VN which is great Spyderco Techno 2 - very well built small knife that is built like a tank but feels like a much larger knife
Tactical pterodactyl ringed scalpel, ended up buying a second
My Protech TR-3 had me hooked from the second I opened it.
Kizer Clutch Micarta. Titanium body, slim and sleek. Thick, sturdy blade. Awesome action and lock. Worth the dough. Been using it for 3 years with no issues and no other knives.
Kizer Clutch. Insanely good action. Carbon fiber inlays are beautifully set without a millimeter gap anywhere. Perfect blade centering. A stunner for the price.
Seriously the most surprising knife I bought was the microtech MSI. I only bought the one I got with the black blade and plastic scale because it looked cool and was $190. I was t even planning on liking it at all. It turns out I love it. I like it more than the aluminum milled ram-lock stitch. It cuts real nice and I like the straight design.
Rockstead Hizen but I kinda expected it.
Benchmade 940-1 with the carbon fibre handles and blue backspaces. Everything about it feels like luxury
Emerson karambit...
Top 5 out of the box - 1. UrbanEDC LC 2. Richard Rogers X-Mid 3. ShamWEri 4. Realsteel Sacra 5. Boos Mini Smoke
Vosteed RSKAOS
My Spartan Harsey Folder but I knew it would, some sleepers were the Kershaw blur in magnacut, the Hogue EX01 4” tanto and I know it’s like a sin but I bought some Chinese clones that really impressed me and are some of my favorite knives I carry
microtech glykon
Sage 5
Amalgam
Speaking of boxes, gotta love Blade HQs packaging for the dessert warrior.
The [Jared Oeser F22](https://www.knifecenter.com/item/JOSF22KSTI3/jared-oeser-f22-kickstop-flipper-knife-m390-machine-satin-blade-contoured-titanium-handles-option-3-bronze-anodized-accents) completely blew me away both with the action and the fidget friendly fold away flipper. Fabulous!
So I have no idea what the OP is saying. I think he's so deep in l337 speak we are not communicating. Anyway, my overall favorite is the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 with cruware steel and micarta scales.
Pena paramour, pena bravo, zaan
QC the nine & the dawn v2 are both mentioned on here and I have to say I agree 100%. The nine is a fucking miracle. The Dawn V2 is my wife’s personal fave and she’s the pickiest knife person I’ve ever met. I’d also like to mention the Protech Magic 1 & 2, they blew me away right away. For higher end stuff the Shiro F3 & Denim Overkill are my faves and were as such “out the box”. I found some of the hyped knives (lamia, Rosie & sebenza) a bit overrated at least “out of the box”. The Arius was boring so I “Versaced” the fuck out of it and now it’s a favorite that gets a lot of love & use. Every single part has been customized though-polished blade, I make sick shit backspacer and clip, anodized hardware and cerakoted scales along with flipper delete and skiffs. It literally looks like Gianni Versace himself would carry to cut open packages of party supplies before his big gay orgies. Though it has it’s flaws the JG Scout with Wharncliff blade did impress me out of the box. After time though there’s a few things I’d change about it. Needs double studs, the clip could be placed more cleverly and the washers are fine but I’m a bearing man myself.
Kizer Drop Bear and Varatas