thinking about a new folder

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When I know I am going to be opening a lot of boxes and tearing them down I carry my Gerber folding utility knife. It is small, light and a really nice handy size but the best part is that when the blade is dull I just put a new blade in. (The Gerber utility blades are a bit thicker than standard utility blades which is nice and I don't mind paying the little extra for). Pretty sad but when I pay $100+ for a pocket knife I am more hesitant to actually use it!

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I have considered and looked seriously a some of the replaceable blade hunting knives.

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Some people enjoy the fine art of sharpening their own high quality knifes... unfortunately I am not one of them.
I ordered four of these,
https://www.amazon.com/1282-Gadget-...d+1282&qid=1576550275&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-2
After all Christmas is near,
Thanks.
 
You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated.

Second this! Funny, these are my two 'go to' knives - although lately I've been preferring the Ontario Rat 2 (perfect size for carrying)
 
Adding to post #76 I have a old Craftsman folding utility knife which is a early Sheffield knockoff if weights 3.9oz which is heavier than I would like to carry, it lives in the shop.
I've noticed some new variations of this concept that look interesting, let me know what you find.
 
You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated.
Why do you like the Mini Grip in D2? It's twice the price of the Rat 2 D2, but they have the same blade steel.
 
It's a funny thing when snow flakes get offended when they see someone carrying a knife that is no more lethal than the drawer full of knives in their kitchen.
being a veteran of the Army medical corp--I have no problem offending people, but then again I have been known to convince an attacking Doberman to back off--it helped that I was a 5'7" version of football linesman cousins with a very fast counterattack and a powerful stage baritone
 
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I recently picked up a Tops Mini Scandi folder for the EDC rotation. Bohler steel and great flipper. Made in Italy. Tops warranty.
 
I recently picked up a Tops Mini Scandi folder for the EDC rotation. Bohler steel and great flipper. Made in Italy. Tops warranty.
I checked that knife out on the Tops web sight and it looks to be a good knife, I have 4 scandi grind fixed blade knives that I am vary happy with.
 
Why do you like the Mini Grip in D2? It's twice the price of the Rat 2 D2, but they have the same blade steel.
RAT has liner lock which disqualifies it for me. The Mini Grip has Axis lock, which is stronger, safer and easier to use.
 
RAT has liner lock which disqualifies it for me. The Mini Grip has Axis lock, which is stronger, safer and easier to use.
I agree, but I was asking that question of @94045 who said:
"You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated."

I'm curious as to why 94045 likes the D2 Mini Grip when it's a little more than twice the price of the Rat 2 D2. He mentions the 80-20 rule, and arbitrarily (or perhaps conveniently) sets his max price where knives become a luxury item to include the D2 Mini Grip, but exclude the S30V Mini Grip that's just $22 more.
 
I agree, but I was asking that question of @94045 who said:
"You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated."

I'm curious as to why 94045 likes the D2 Mini Grip when it's a little more than twice the price of the Rat 2 D2. He mentions the 80-20 rule, and arbitrarily (or perhaps conveniently) sets his max price where knives become a luxury item to include the D2 Mini Grip, but exclude the S30V Mini Grip that's just $22 more.
Fair enough. I'll watch for an answer too.
 
I purchased and received a Rat 2 with D2 steel I just couldn't resist. The knife is made in Taiwan and the fit and finish is good for a knife in this price range. The steel appears to have a good heat treat, I think I will be happy.
I would rate this knife at 4 out of 5 stars, the thing I do not like about the knife is the thumb stud. If the thumb stud was .125" taller the blade would deploy more reliably, I mean this in a the vertical axis not the horizontal meaning the width of the blade would need to be wider at the spine near the thumb stud allowing the stud to be higher. Hope that made sense.
 
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I purchased and received a Rat 2 with D2 steel I just couldn't resist. The knife is made in Taiwan and the fit and finish is good for a knife in this price range. The steel appears to have a good heat treat, I think I will be happy.
I would rate this knife at 4 out of 5 stars, the thing I do not like about the knife is the thumb stud. If the thumb stud was .125" taller the blade would deploy more reliably, I mean this in a the vertical axis not the horizontal meaning the width of the blade would need to be wider at the spine near the thumb stud allowing the stud to be higher. Hope that made sense.
So, you're saying either a taller blade or a deeper handle cutout? Not a wider thumb stud, but a thumb stud located higher on a taller blade?
 
So, you're saying either a taller blade or a deeper handle cutout? Not a wider thumb stud, but a thumb stud located higher on a taller blade?
A taller or wider blade allowing the thumb stud to be taller or higher. If I do a quick deploy of the blade the opposing thumb stud often encounters my index finger, I am training my index finger to drop at the proper moment to rest on the ramp of the belt clip. I can do a rapid deploy left handed with less interference from the opposing thumb stud with my index fingure.
Other than this issue this seems to be a good knife, I will let you all know what I think of the steel and heat treat after some use.
I should add this, I am right hand dominate. When doing a rapid deploy of the Rat 2 I need to use a thumb finger movement that is similar to snapping your fingers but I do this motion with my index finger instead of my middle digit.
 
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I agree, but I was asking that question of @94045 who said:
"You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated."

I'm curious as to why 94045 likes the D2 Mini Grip when it's a little more than twice the price of the Rat 2 D2. He mentions the 80-20 rule, and arbitrarily (or perhaps conveniently) sets his max price where knives become a luxury item to include the D2 Mini Grip, but exclude the S30V Mini Grip that's just $22 more.
I agree, but I was asking that question of @94045 who said:
"You can get decent knives anywhere from.$30-80. After that they are a luxury item. The same old 80-20 Rule as anything else.

Ontario Rat 2 D2
$36 Knifeworks (Might do better if you shopped around)

Benchmade Mini Griptilian D2
$80 Cabela's (Might be cheaper elsewhere)

I like both those for a 3" Knife at their price point. D2 might not be the most corrosion resistant but it's a very good compromise in price, durability and sharpenability when property treated."

I'm curious as to why 94045 likes the D2 Mini Grip when it's a little more than twice the price of the Rat 2 D2. He mentions the 80-20 rule, and arbitrarily (or perhaps conveniently) sets his max price where knives become a luxury item to include the D2 Mini Grip, but exclude the S30V Mini Grip that's just $22 more.

I'm sorry I had somehow stopped following this thread and got a private message asking about this. I just found where I made the statement and context.

I think people are reading more into that statement than I intendeded.

Those are the range of what I generally spend on working knives. It's not a hard and fast rule. If I wanted something more expensive I would buy it but don't feel it's required to get a quality usable tool for most applications

I don't actually remember the reason I selected those two knives as an example other than I think earlier someone was discussing D2 knives and I like both of those knives and they are within my normal range.

Certainly if you like a knife that cost $22 more and you can afford it buy it. But I still contend it's not really required in most circumstances so is as I said a luxury.

As I said in my answer to the PM I have spent more for a custom fixed blade intended for a working knife but it was intended as a gift for a PH in Africa so the esteem I held him in was part of the reason I bought it not because I couldn't get a serviceable tool for under $80.

The 80/20 rule is just that you get 80% of what's possible for 20% of the effort or expense. After that your chasing very small improvements at great expense.

I might clean a stage faster with a STI 2011 than I can a Police Trade-In Glock but it's not going to be proportional to the difference in price.
 
Thanks for coming back to this after my PM to you. Life has been busy so it's taken me a few days to get back here with enough time to post, myself.

The 80/20 rule is just that you get 80% of what's possible for 20% of the effort or expense. After that your chasing very small improvements at great expense.
Given that, how is the Benchmade Mini Griptilian in D2 not a luxury when the Ontario Rat in D2 is less than half the price? I'm just trying to understand your reasoning.
 
Thanks for coming back to this after my PM to you. Life has been busy so it's taken me a few days to get back here with enough time to post, myself.


Given that, how is the Benchmade Mini Griptilian in D2 not a luxury when the Ontario Rat in D2 is less than half the price? I'm just trying to understand your reasoning.

As I stated they were just within the range I normally spend and I was simply searching for quality D2 options within that price range as close to the bottom and top as possible.

Certainly individual budget and disposable income would play into what is or isn't a luxury. Someone that's making minimum wage would likely have a different definition of a luxury than someone who's net worth is increasing at 1.5 Million an Hour.
 
As I stated they were just within the range I normally spend and I was simply searching for quality D2 options within that price range as close to the bottom and top as possible.

Certainly individual budget and disposable income would play into what is or isn't a luxury. Someone that's making minimum wage would likely have a different definition of a luxury than someone who's net worth is increasing at 1.5 Million an Hour.
That still doesn't answer the question. What about the Benchmade makes it worth twice the price of the Ontario to you?
 
Well I've been using the Native 5 in s35vn and the Rat 2 in D2 and I find both of these knives to be very acceptable for my needs.
The D2 steel in the Rat 2 is very good, the s35vn in the native 5 is great both of these knives are good tools.
With that said, the Rat 2 with the D2 blade is perhaps the best value but the Native 5 is a dandy.
I find the blade geometry of the Rat 2 to be a better slicer, so for the price of a Spyderco Native 5 in cpm s35vn you could have a Rat 1 and 2 with D2 steel for the same price.
Well I made my choices with no regrets, jmho.
 
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