Sadly, the knife shop had no Benchmarks with an axis lock, though the guy said they often did. He had another knife with a copycat lock, but I’m going to have to assume that it wasn’t a very good copy, as it didn’t operate anything like Magiver’s description. They did have a Spyderco Native, which I’ve decided I like very, very much. I may have to get one.
Bibliovore, Spyderco makes a top quality knife. Simple and well made. The thumbhole opening deal works very well. They have numerous small utility folders with ~2" blades. Check their catalog for the Dragonfly, Jester, Ladybug, Meerkat, and possibly Cricket and Dodo.
Bibliovore, take a look at Spyderco. They’re well made knives, not cheap but not super costly like Benchmade. Of all the knives I own I can open the Spydercos most quickly and securly and that includes automatics. Once you get the hang of the thumbhole every other easy open knife will seem second rate.
Check your laws to see if you can carry a partial assist knife.
If you want a small-lightweight knife then I suggest a SOG flash-1. It is a partial assist and can be locked closed. This is what I carry most of the time. What looks like a slide switch in the picture is the release to close it. You can get different blades including a hybrid and you can get a black coated blade. It is lightweight and well made. The blade is 2 1/2 inches.
Another good partial assist knife is a Kershaw model 1600. It also locks closed. Not sure I would carry it in a pant pocket. The bottom tang sticks out the back when closed and that is how you open it. It really wants to spring open. If you like knives you will probably buy it just because of it’s uniqueness. Don’t let the image fool you, its a neat knife. It has some heft to it as it is all-metal. The blade is 2 inches.
Yet another favortite of mine is a Benchmade 310 The link is to the automatic version but it looks the same. You will note that the handle is different on each side. This is a work of art. It locks open and closed and is completely unassisted. If you try to flick this blade open you will poke your eye out. It’s about 1/2 a centimeter thick and the blade is 2 inches. The non-automatic version is competely manual.
If the laws ever change in the UK I would suggest a GT mini automatic. The button to open it and unlock it is part of the blade pivot so it is completely hidden to the eye.
Although I don’t collect knives I guess I like a certain variety.
An additional thought. You could buy a GT mini and remove the spring (if you’re handy). I tried this to see if it can be done (it’s tricky). It works. Makes a nice knife. I wouldn’t recommend trying that with either the SOG or the Kershaw mentioned above.
I feel the tanto point makes for a stronger blade and can also be utilized as a chisel, screwdriver, or scraper if the situation demands. Also, on one of my first tanto-point knives, the salesdroid made the pitch that you could “hammer this through a car door.”
Disadvantages? A little harder to sharpen than a regular straight blade and you have to get used to the fact that your blade has an angle.
Dare I ask why you need to carry a knife that sounds as if it could disembowel a water-buffalo? I’m not being snide, I’m genuinely curious. Is this an American thing?
Actually, I find myself having to explain to a whole lot more Americans why I carry a knife than to any other group.
I’ve found over the years that knives/multitools etc. come in damn handy and have saved my bacon more than once. I also collect blades, fence, and throw knives as a hobby, so for me it seems normal.
The specs I listed are what I’ve found work best for me through trial and error, working in a variety of situations. Normally I carry my Walther, a Leatherman Micra, and a Victorinox Swisstool with a 64MB USB drive. If I’m camping or hiking, I have a Leatherman Wave and a Ka-Bar that go on my belt. Right tool for the job, after all.
I also carry a knife (or knives, as the case might be) because I have a habit of living and working in dodgy places, and it makes me feel better knowing I have something that I can use to defend myself that I’ve practiced with since I was nine. I’ve never had to even take one of my blades out of the sheath, much less open it, so either I’ve been lucky or knowing I have it allows me to project confidence.
(In all honesty, however, what they get used for mostly is opening mail and packages and cleaning gunk out from under my nails.)
I’m looking for a new little knife (one that’ll fit on my keychain) to replace my Victornix that has a little LED in it. I’ve thought about getting one of those knives with a 128 mb flash mem. Has anyone tried these?
The Swissbit memory line is really good, and they even have a version that you can carry on an airplane. And it has a red LED. And a pen. And scissors. And a nailfile/screwdriver. Oh, aand there’s a knifeblade in there too.
The Gerber LST comes in two sizes, compact and very thin. They also make a micro keychain size. The steel isn’t as hard as some other knives but is adequate if you arn’t trying to drive it through steel body panels on a car.
I have to go luddite here. Knives are probably the oldest made tool in use. Why would I want to tack on the planned obsolecense of a USB memory device? A compass in the stock of a Red Ryder BB gun may be kid stuff but those compasess are just as useful now as when Ralphie got his in the late forties. No electronics in my knives please.