Help choosing new knife

[WWill]

Help me choose :-)



For years I've carried a Benchmade butterfly knife as my EDC. Lately I've been carrying my Spyderco Remote Release. I picked up the Remote Release when it was being closed out at a local store and have come to like it more and more. But for pocket carry the clip is an unnecessary addition. I decided I'd pick up a new everyday knife, jumped out on the web to shop and now I'm overwhelmed.



I'd like a light, low profile folder with a 3"-4" blade length that's effective both as an everyday utility knife and also for self defense applications.



The Gunting is interesting but I'm afraid it wouldn't be a good pocket carry knife. That sent me looking at the Lil Temperance, Chinook and folding Tanto. Any suggestions for breaking the tie? I've seen reference to certian knive's locks being MBC rated but I haven't found a list of which knives carry this rating.



I've also considered the fact that I could get an Endura and a Spyderhawk or Matriarch for the price of any of the above knives. For self defense I've always prefered a reverse grip and slashing movements so a curved blade is nice. (Although I think I'll buy a SPOT as well and thinking through this blade the last few days has made me think I've been too narrow in my thinking with my almost single minded support of reverse grips. A SPOT karambit would have saved me this thinking and let me sit dumb and happy.)



A slightly related question, one of the appeals of the butterfly to me has always been the fact that I can quickly and directly open into a reverse grip. I've never figured out how to do that with a "standard" folder. Anyone have a method?



Sorry for the many questions but I just discovered this forum and I've got lots of questions swirling in my head.



Thanks in advance,



Will

[Mr.Skin]

Hey Will,

There’s nothing wrong with the Spydies you listed. I carry a Delica and would favor the Delica or Endura, since you can get a trainer too. If you are serious about using the blade for SD you should go to Mike’s MBC classes. You’ll learn how to open one-handed in reverse. With practice you can do it with your pinky.


Gavin D.

[Michael Janich]

Dear WWill:

Thanks for your post.

As a former Benchmade bali carrier (I carried a Model 68 for about 10 years), I sympathize with your dilemma. As Gavin pointed out, any of the knives you mentioned will make a servicable EDC/MBC knife. I would recommend finding a good cutlery store that stocks the full Spyderco line and handling the choices yourself. Try them in your pocket and see how they ride based on your physique and typical style of dress. You might also want to research the blade length restrictions in your area and see how that affects your choice. The best way to choose something that fits your needs is to "test drive" it first.

Although I respect your preference for a curved blade for reverse-grip work, I actually like straighter blades because they allow you to cut more effectively with even a slight articulation of the wrist. I've found that blades with a lot of "belly" to the edge tend to perform poorly in high-speed reverse grip cuts. For pressure cuts they do very well, however.

For the record, my favorite reverse-grip knife is the Ronin. The grooves that provide the purchase for the thumb in standard grip grab and bite when the knife is used to hook in reverse grip and the straight edge cuts extremely well.

As for reverse-grip openings of folding knives, I describe these in my book "Street Steel" and demonstrate them full speed and in slow motion in my video "Fighting Folders." Both are available from Paladin Press at www.paladin-press.com.

Good luck with your decision. Take your time and do your homework and you're sure to find something that meets your needs.

Stay safe,



mike j

[WWill]

Mike,

Thanks for the reply. I was really hoping to narrow my choices before I went out shopping - it would be especially nice to eliminate some choices so I don't buy too many at once :-) I agree that there's no substitute for actually trying the knives but there's also something to be said for folks who've spent some real time with them as well. With a lot of things in life you don't always understand the real pros and cons until you've broken each other in a bit. (Hope my wife doesn't see this.)

I've always carried fairly straight edges knives and your comments regarding high speed versus pressure cuts make sense. My martial background is in an Okinawan Kenpo and Kobudo style in which the only bladed weapon traditionally taught is the kama - I guess that adds some appeal to the curved blades for me. The draw for reverse grip work with a knife has always been that my empty handed techniques carry over easily and control of the blade is natural.

I'll definitely pick up a copy of your book and video. Perhaps you'll convince me to replace my butterfly with a folder as my defense knife.

It's great to see you so active in the forums. Stay safe yourself,

WWill

[Qship]

Mr. Janich,

The discussion about reverse grip fighting brings a question to mind. Because hooking with the back of the blade is common with that method, I am concerned about lock strength. What are your thoughts on the matter?

In particular, what kind of lock is planned for the production Yojimbo?

Thanks,
Qship

[Michael Janich]

Dear Qship:

Lock strength is definitely a concern if you plan to play with reverse grip. When hooking with the blade (called palasoot in the Filipino arts) you can minimize the stress on the lock by camming your wrist and creating a more acute angle between the back of the blade and the ulna. However, the stress on the lock is still considerable. As we all know, the worst thing in the world is a folding knife that lives up to its name at the wrong time. The Yojimbo will have a compression lock (like the Gunting) and will therefore be much more suitable for use in reverse grip than most conventional locks.

Thanks for your post and your question.

Stay safe,

mike j