Knife Enlightenment for a Lefty

P

Pinball

New member
Hi all,
I am looking for a daily carry with serrated/regular blade which can be opened

easily by a left handed person. I'd like to keep the price at 60.00 or lower. I

absolutely will not buy a knife from China. You suggestions appreciated as I am

not up on the subject. Jump right in.
 
I have NO idea what size knife you are looking for and how much abuse you will want it to take. For true lefty operation, you will want to get something ambidextrous ... knives, like firearms, have action styles ... some lend themselves better to being made ambidextrous than others:

Liner-locks and integral/frame locks are really one-sided while Benchmade's Axis lock and the many variations that have appeared in response to it are GREAT for being ambidextrous. While the cheapest of the Benchmades are now made off-shore, many are still made in Oregon. I typically dress in slacks and EDC one of these: http://www.defenseknife.com/bm530.html ... it ALMOST fits your budget. If it had aluminum scales, it would be perfect ... as is, it is a really nice knife and is exceptionally thin if you take the clip off. Benchmade makes a LOT of their designs with the axis lock ... of the US made knives in your price range, the BM website merits a long visit ... then look on-line to get a good price. Keep in mind that the BM models with 5 digit part numbers (their "Red Class") are usually made in Taiwan ... I'm pretty sure that the 3 and 4 digit models are all made in Oregon. If you are comparing brands, keep in mind that 2 to 4 Rc hardness points will make a big difference in how well your blade will hold an edge ... I have made knives in the Rc 62-64 range that will dress half a dozen deer before needing a sharpening while a knife with Rc 56 would be lucky to finish one (I'm guessing, though, as even my EDC is a RC 58-60 ... I wouldn't buy a knife that was softer than Rc 58).

Hope this helps ...

Saands
 
Hey saands! Thanks! I usually wear jeans so a knife of 6.5-7.5 inches when open seems okay to me. Appreciate the info.
 
If you can skip a few beers and squirrel away the change, look at the Benchmade mini-presidio ... it is a little too thick for slacks, but it is my jeans knife ... as a working knife, it actually IS perfect. I have a Chris Reeve Sebenza (and a little bit of a knife problem, obviously :rolleyes: ) and I still prefer to carry the mini-presidio. It locks up like a bank vault and is worth the $105 that it costs.

Just a thought ...

Saands
 
My CRKT PM and my Kershaw1560ST suit me. The Kershaw has a reversible stud. The CRKT has double studs. In both cases, the clip is not reversible, but that is not a large factor for me.

I wonder is either of those companies would move the clip, or, at least, drill and tap the opposing scale for us. hmmmm

Pops
 
Lefty knife for under $60

Would you buy a knife made in Japan? I have 2 Spyderco Delica folders, and they are tapped for the clip to be mounted on either end and either side. The serrations are pretty wicked. I like Benchmade too, but I've noticed that their serrations are more like waves these days. That might be a good thing since serrated blades tend to catch and rip, rather than cut, for some applications. The steel handled Delica models are 3" blades good for us living here in "Kalifornia", and are typically selling for $45-$55.
 
Hey guys. Sorry I haven't gotten back sooner. Thanks for the info. Saands, I have no problem with knives made in Japan or Philipines. I will check out your suggestions. Shop20, I am gonna look at those also.
 
Check out Ontario Cutlery knives. The RTK3 is a folder with a 4" 1095 carbon steel blade. Very well made and hold a good edge for a long time.
 
Check out www.knifeworks.com . I've bought quite a few knives from them before and they are a top notch company. I agree with the Benchmade recommendation, especially the Axis lock for ambidextrous opening. Most of their knives also come in half serrated versions. You could also check Ebay, but most Benchmades are from Ebay stores rather than regular auction. Knifeworks.com beats Ebay prices most of the time anyways.
 
One of the Kershaw Ken Onion speedsafe designs... Very quick one finger opening with either hand. Opens with a spring not a flip of the wrist... Like a switchblade but legal. I've carried the scallion model for 5 years now. You can be carrying something and pull the knife with the other hand, deploy blade, cut, close blade and put back in pocket with one hand in a matter of seconds. The blades sharpen easily and are set in place with a thumb operated liner lock. This model includes a pocket clip and a crossbar safety that is actuated with the pnky of either hand. The scallion is under $30 at Walmart and is available with a serrated blade.
 
CRKT SF Knives

If you buy the CRKT Special Forces version
(with the aluminum handles) you get a great
knife, reversible belt clip. Tip up or tip down, too.
Stay away from the Zytel "Z" and "G" versions.
The handles are plastic & do not have the
reversible clip feature and they lose the quality
knife feel. I have several really nice knives that
I like, including some very nice Ken Onion Kershaw's
with opening assist, but my every day carry to work
& weekends is my CRKT M-16 SF. It is 4-5/8"
closed & 8-1/8 open. If that is too large, the M16-10
KE is it's smaller brethren. At 4" closed & 7-1/8" open,
it's a little less intimidating if you get at out in a work
place where political correctness is spoken. The
dual thumb studs make it quick to deploy & the
liner lock coupled with the Auto Lawks, it makes
for a very sturdy tool.

I haven't looked at retail prices for these knives
lately, but you can find these at guns shows &
other discount locations for under $60

The M-21 series is just too big for me personally,
& I have large hands.

http://www.crkt.com/m16spfrc.html

Sorry to ramble, but when I find a nice product
at a reasonable price, I tend to tell my friends
about it. And I don't work for CRKT...

Later!

Johnny C!
 
For what purpose? I also have a CRKT and a Kershaw Onion, a Leek. The Kershaws are much nicer - straighter grinds and such - and made in the USA. The CRKTs are cruder, made in Taiwan, but chunkier and sturdier, and as Johnny said have a stronger lock. Probably a bit more ambidextrous as well, with their "flipper" openers. They'll tear up your pants pocket, if that's a concern. I like the CRKT for outdoor stuff, but I have more affection for the Leek.

If you're looking for a se;f-defense piece, save up your milk money and get an Emerson.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top