Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Favorite pocket knife?

Had this one for over 20 years and it's been in my pocket every day since I bought it except for when I had to send it in for service.. Actually bought it with the first $100 I made with my business. Benchmade 720. Started life with the combo blade. Hated the serrations. Sent it in and Benchmade changed it out for me free of charge. It's been back a few times for spring replacements in the Axis lock. They reground the tip for me after the guy at the knife counter at Sportsmans Whorehouse F'd it up with an electric sander claiming that he knew what he was doing. The anodizing is about wore out and I'm thinking it would be nice to have a back up in case I ever lost it. I've got a few other folders, but this one is the one my kids will fight over when I'm gone.

Anybody else have a favorite?

I normally carry a cheaper pocket knife.

Rat 2. Kabar dozier. Case trapper. Etc.. for work.

One the weekend, a Benchmade bugout.

I keep eyeing those customs Vince put up for sale. Those are nice.


Anyone have one of the Hogue Ritter mini-rsk?

I’m partial to my Case trapper, Buck 112 lt, or Spyderco Wegner. I mostly use a pocket knife for daily cutting tasks. The Case trapper sees field dressing duties.

Have a Buck Stockman that I bought when I was 12 years old with money earned putting up hay for my grandfather. Fast forward 58 years, main blade is worn quite badly so I sent it to Buck to get a new blade put in the knife. Received an email from Buck saying the knife was too old to repair and they would send me a new knife. I received the new knife and my old knife by return mail. Total cost was $10.00 for postage. Truly a first rate company and a first rate product.

Menefee trapper. 👍

I’ve got piles of more spends ones, but a Case trapper gets the daily nod. Carbon steel that gets rust spots if I don’t oil it nightly it seems.



Have a single blade and a double blade trapper as full blown customs, but scared to lose them. Not scared of using them, just don’t want to misplace them. Reserved for dress occasions only.

Case Slimline Trapper.

Me too Judman...

I can't say I really have a favorite and rotate through several. All my EDC's need a pocket clip, one hand opening and 3.5 - 4" locking blade. Today it's a Benchmade Griptilian. Tomorrow maybe a Cold Steel Bush Ranger or Ontario Rat -1.

I love the look of your 720! I had a 720 years back and had to send it back to Benchmade. No matter what I did I couldn't sharpen it. I can sharpen a knife, but not that one. That 720 came out of the box dull, wouldn't shave a hair off my arm. I was surprised, Benchmade does a better job than that. Benchmade replaced the blade and admitted they had a bad run of blades that didn't heat treat properly. They sent a hat and some stickers and odd and ends along with the knife with new blade which was razor sharp. The new blade sharpened up like it was expected to when the time came.

As for new, a Custom Shop Bugout and Mini Crooked River get a lot of pocket time. Mini Griptilian sees work. A Spyderco PM2 is another that gets packed along a lot. I have a ZT 0450 gets some pocket time. I just picked up a Microtech LUDT auto from the classifieds here that when it gets here is going directly in the rotation. Looking forward to that, haven't owned an auto knife in a long time. Lot's of choices.

I bought a Lloyd slip joint on here from Vince awhile ago. Really nice knife, useful around the farm for lots of simple cutting tasks and it skins raccoons easily. I have a lot of folders but this one is one I will hand down to my son.

Before I got the Lloyd my favorite was a Buck 422. Similar to a 112 but with a plastic handle. Easy to sharpen and good at everything.

Out of the knives in my EDC rotation, my Spyderco SS Delica is the one I lean to as a favorite. Something about the perfect weight and solidness of it just makes me feel secure when carrying it. My Rat 2 and my Kershaw Leek with carbon fiber scales both are great and get carried a lot as well.

Depends on where I'm going, what I'm wearing and what I plan on doing. A Case Trapper is my favorite probably. Most with bone or Stag panels. CV steel mostly. SS steel in hot weather. I like variety.

The Case Kickstart Trapper I bought a few weeks ago is very handy. One handed open and close. It's spoiling me.

Definitely prefer classic styles more than the newer folders.

I am with Gibby, a Case or Tree brand Trapper has been in my pocket for 60 years!

I love all kinds of folders .
Sometimes I'll buy a framelock or a liner lock to check out ,etc. But usually always carry a custom hand made slipjoint
These below are my current carry knives . Some too pretty to work hard. There's even one that doesn't fold by Charlie May there



Recently I bought 2 Opinel ring lock knives for beach fishing etc. SS blades are thin,these are light in weight and while not the slimmest for carrying,the rounded fatter handles are good feeling in hand .I think for what I bought them for they will work great ,a #8 and #9 .

If I think I'm going somewhere that day where I could possibly lose a knife in any way ,I'll carry a factory knife .

One fella above mentioned John Lloyd . Prices have increased but IMHO still an excellent value for a really well made custom slipjoint
I have these ( below) available & listed on my website



Buck ,Queen,Case ,all great IMHO .

GEC is the rage these days and I shake my head at what some people will pay for " rare" versions on second market . Prices that are so high you can find customs for around the same .

Bob Dozier has been offering folders on his website,I recently missed a large folding hunter in maple . Oh well ,can't afford them all

Happy New Year's guys !! Thanks for everything
PS a few nice fixed blades listed on my site too www.vcmcustomknives.com

Benchmade Mini Griptilian.

Been abusing the hell out of it everyday for about 8 years, and it shows. But the joint and lock are still tight as day one. It takes and holds an edge well. I have a full sized Grip, NIB in the safe, for when this one ever schidts the bed. Looks like I'll be leaving it in my will.

Opinel No. 6, they weigh nothing but still do what I need a knife to do.

From this morning's hunt. It was 76 on New Years, today 26 and 2 inches of snow.

90% of the time, it's a Spyderco Delica. The other 10% is a ZT 0357.

Like Long Spur Hunter said, i now carry a Opinel also. Used to carry a Syderco but recently bought the Opinel and really like it.

I'm diggin' your choice in rifles.
Not a fan of the knife though.

I carry a Hubertus lever lock with stag handles daily.

Benchmade mini barrage I carry and use hard every day. Probably oughta go back for a service some time?

The other is a 970T my wife bought me when we had our first baby. $30 we seriously couldn’t afford at the time. We we’re saving for a down payment on a construction loan for me to build our house. We made $32k a year before taxes combined and saved $10k that year. She went without but spent that money on me. Engraved with my daughters name and the year. They’d done a review on it in Fur, fish and game and I told her I was going to buy it one day when we had a little extra money. Both these mean more than any custom I own.
Crazy how times change….

Great story and a knife with value that money can't buy.

Boker W.C. Davis Hunter II

Schrade Improved Muskrat or a Case Trapper,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Big +1!

Nice!

Them things are incredibly sharp!

Makes me glad my 720 has aluminum handles. Used it as a hammer on many occasion.

I've got some custom slip joints but I don't carry them very often.

Day in day out, I carry a case slimline trapper and a chris reeve small sebenza. They have both seen lots of use and abuse and both still work just as intended.

For Christmas I received a benchmade bugout that's a SMKW exclusive, it has M4 steel and g10 scales instead of plastic. I've been carrying it ever since and so far I really like it.

Dude, I have a Bugout from the Benchmade Custom Shop with G10 scales. Changing the scales on the Bugout really does makes it a nice solid little lightweight EDC.

It sure does, it's like a different knife from the zytel model.

I doubt the bugout will stand up to the abuse of some other models but I appreciate it for being slim, light and having a thin, slicey blade.

I started carrying a GEC 72 in elk back when they used the 2 squirrels on the blade as their trademark. My son and I hunted squirrels together way back then and elk when he got older. Seemed natural that I should start collecting GEC elk knives with the squirrels on the blade.
I believe I have at least one of every pattern and variation that GEC has made in elk. Some of those are indeed rare and all are now hard to find let alone afford.

Like Vince said, the prices have skyrocketed like crazy. I still enjoy carrying the ones that I set aside for casual carry.

For everyday carry, any Spyderco as long as its a Delica.

I have a handful and prefer a pocket clip - the Ontario Rat 2 in D2 seems to be the one I carry the most.

What JGray said. +One of the best for the money out there.

Reading through this thread tells me that lots of you guys are carrying knives with more sentimental value than you would ever want to lose. I nearly lost the Schmidt & Ziegler stock knife that my late little sister had given me back when we were just kids. Ask yourself how you would feel if you lost your edc? Now mine is a replaceable A.G. Russell mini lock back with a 2.25" drop point ATS 34 blade. That little one rides around in my jeans upper right front mini pocket and never falls out. It is a Chris Reeve Small Sebenza come deer season.

Rather lose it than never carry it. Better to have loved and lost than never have loved it all.

Yeah, I'd hate to lose my 720, but I'm not a complete retard and look after my stuff.

Right up until I lose it!

LOL.

A tool doesn't get to be a favorite by sitting in a box, it gets to be a favorite thru use and experiences.

I carry a cheap Gerber LST. Easy to sharpen, but 420 SS? so edge doesn’t keep. But easy to sharpen. They are now up to $23 @ the Chinese embassy, so easy to replace if lost or when the blade gets worn thin.

Like button for 358!

I'm kinda just the opposite on the sentimental knife thing . Maybe cause I'm knee deep in knives ,constantly new ones incoming.
But anything that I've had for many many years ,like a Case lock back my Uncle John sent me when I was about 14 years old . I gutted my first buck with it ,I wouldn't want to lose it . So even though it has honest wear on it ,I keep it put back ,like a " collector"

I have a bunch of others with stories mostly about who they were from ,that I no longer carry .

I also have friends & clients who own very high end stuff that they carry ,but also are drawn to older knives with honest wear on them.

It's hard not to like any knife ,even the ugly ones ,lol

Some aren't tools, just sentimental keepsakes.

I’m careful’ish with a menefee folder I have. It doesn’t get carried daily and is a shame I guess. Daily carry knives are a mini coalition benchmade or however you spell it? Aluminum handles auto open and s30v. It’s a good knife I’ve used daily for 4 years or a little less. It’s just a good tool. My pocket knife that’s also carried daily is a smaller type trapper or 4 blade Congress. That’s what I’ve always used as a pocket knife. I swap up between a few different ones. Buck creek or case mostly. It hurt my feelings to loose the buck creek I carried for years so I swap them out not getting so attached….lol.

I don’t use the clips anymore on knives with them. I lost one for 7-8 months when my duffel bag slipped it out of my pocket and on to its sstrap luckily. That isn’t the only occasion I have had a knife pulled out by the clip. I have had a rein slide one out and the net wrap from a roll of hay twice. Haven’t permanently lost one but figured enough is enough.

I have weak fingernails and hate folding them back so I carry automatics. Piranha P1 most commonly because they are light and have never failed me. Inexpensive Boker Kolashnikov are my latest EDC yard knife. I do carry my Chris Reeves Mnandi when out socially where snapping out an automatic may not be appreciated.

I can usually be found carrying a Chris Reeve small Sebenza 21 or 31, Spyderco Para 3 (various upgraded steel blades M390, 20CV, S90V), or (for an auto) a Microtech LUDT or Benchmade 9400.

Growing up I carried Case, Schrade, Buck etc like most in my area. As an adult I think my two most carried were a Benchmade 705, now discontinued, and one of my Chris Reeve small Sebenzas; a Classic Micarta that I still carry a lot when at home - paired with a small fixed blade. On the road, depending on where I am (for instance I spend a lot of time hunting in the UK and Europe), I carry either a TRM Neutron2, or a Manly Wasp. To be honest I'm carrying the Wasp more and more wherever I am. It is just a cool badass knife...a four stop slipjoint, with guard and pocket clip in S90V, with awesome blade profile and thinnest behind the edge of any production knife out there...

A little off topic, I apologize. My Grandpa made sure my cousin(5 years older) and I always carried a pocket knife!
Kind of a "Believe it or not" pocket knife story.
My Grandfather carried a pearl handled 2 blade pen knife with a broken tip on one blade, some rust, and missing some pearl. He carried and used that knife everywhere!
He passed in early 1974.
When I was a kid, he dropped it in a river from a boat while covering a duck blind. I heard the splash and both Grandpa and my cousin swore they saw it fall in the water. We found it stuck inside the gunnel of the old wood rowboat the next summer. A year or 2 later he lost it again in the river, this time we all saw it fall in. It was like in slow motion! My Grandpa took my pocket knife and finished what we were doing and gave it back to me. I asked him if he was mad about losing his knife, and he calmly and kind of matter of factly said "Not really, I've lost it before and it always seems to find it's way back to me".
He passed a few months after that and the knife never found it's way back as afar as we know.
30 years ago or so, I opened my dresser drawer and his knife was in the bottom of my drawer!
I showed it to my cousin and of course recognized it immediately and turned pale asking where I found Grandpas knife!
Today that pocket knife sits out on a table in my den.

Wow, neat story. Spooky. That knife needs a pedestal.
That stock knife that I wrote about earlier that my late sister gave me was my constant deer hunting knife, then one deer season it wasn't in my pocket. I realized then that the knife meant more to me than any deer and I retraced my every step looking for it. The second week of the deer season it rolled out from under the front seat in the truck. I know, just a sentimental old guy, but that knife hasn't left the house since.

Spyderco Delica half serrated for me. I've owned 3 and this last one hasn't been lost in 20 years. It get misplaced, but not lost. I fear it will be lost in a metal detector someday.

I 'm rare I like the half serrations and it works good for cutting twine when I'm back at the farm
Now its a pocket money clip in the office usually. Holding the knife up with money & cards up has made it through several security lines because it looks like a money clip.
I never use the pocket clip because it shreds pockets.
The lightweight and flat structure lay flat in my pocket and the folded money & card keep it up in my pocket where a SAK sits at the bottom crosswise.

My other knife is my old Camillius cub scout knife my mom gave me when I was seven. It made it through my farm years and college, but she is loose. Its slightly smaller than a SAK Pioneer I have and I carry the cub scout knife occasionally for variety.

Crazy stories.

And here I thought my Dad digging up his sisters Ouija board and putting under their bed was funny! LOL

[url=https://postimg.cc/T5dSc9Bc]
North Arm Knives Skaha

I like that!

So touching and emotional...

I have carried a small 3 bladed Schrade folder in my pocket for the last 50 years or so.
Some stainless blades and some carbon.
I have worn out about 4 of them and still have a couple in reserve. All USA made.

IF I need anything more, it is a fixed blade.

Just my favorite.
Tim

Benchmade Rukas or a Bugout

Been carrying a TL-29 since 1973 when I was issued my first one in the Navy. Gone through about 4 of them since. Not quite as fancy or handy as some the one hand flippers some of you guys use but stays sharp and never lets me down.
Just a simple man.
George

I was rotating through knives from Kershaw, Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber, etc. until I bought a Spyderco Delica, then a Byrd, and finally a Spyderco Manix 2 Blue. Was biased against the Byrd/Spyderco until I tried them, and now I prefer them over everything else. Too bad they are in CO, and the other big names are local.

Manix 2 has been my daily since 2019. No other knife has lasted that long. I normally get bored or find something that I don't like about a knife but the Manix 2 sticks around. I like the two-way texturing on it. I had a Benchmade Mini Barrage in D2 that was probably one of my least favorite knives due to lack of texturing.

I love the blade marking on my Spyderco PM2. It says, Golden Colorado, USA Earth. Nice!

Spyderco Stretch 2 with G10 scales. ZDP189 steel can hold an edge for a long time.

For many years, my EDC has been a Victorinox Huntsman.

Evnin people's, carry a leatherman wave, and a new kube pretender in d2 wich replaced another kube model (?????) and sometimes a boker trapper double lock. Have some bucks, Brownings, Kershaw, case, cold steel,etc. etc. Love all knives, make some fixed blades for myself (not considered a knife maker) make 2 or 3 each year to try different shapes, different handles and steel just for fun. Bill out. 👣🐾👣🐾🇨🇦

Puma Game Warden here

fav. is a case sod buster size is what I am doing that day

Case Sodbuster, Jr.

Usually a Buck 112 or 110 slim for a pocket knife. Pretty often the sheath version of either one of those and occasionally the 110 or 112 Auto

Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 FFG LC200N

Case trapper for me. Carry a Small stockman at work.

Back when i worked offshore, no knives.

But they’d give you one of these jewels…..



😂😂😂

Jesus, that's a heck of a thing.

Why no knives Dave? Worried about somebody getting stabby?

I've been through quite a few everyday carrys over the years. From cheap Swiss Army, to Bucks and Kershaws, and probably a few others, but the one I'm happiest with now, and for the last several years, is the CJRB Centros with a pointy 3 1/2" D2 blade. Costs about $35, lightweight, easy to open, and a solid lockup.

Yeah.
Getting cut.

Plus being out in the Gulf.

Medics could do sutures, just not on face or hands.

So if it was bad enough you’d have to go to town.

Plus, some folks have no business with a knife. 😂😂

Sow belly stockman as built by BOKER. Very useful blade shapes.

Sherwood

Boker Treebrand Stockman #9885

FV(K...old colleague passed...

He turned me on to William Henry, so will be carrying this for his memorial next week:

William Henry makes some real beauties. And they are so super light. And NOT cheap. I’ve owned a few.

Wow! Did you get fired if you were caught with a knife ?
Had to go to the Courthouse a while back. Got almost to the door when I realized I had one of my High End Protech OTF switchblades in my pocket.
Which, of course, is perfectly Legal in TX. Just not in the Courthouse.
Sherrifs Buddy of mine was working the Metal Detector at the Door. He said they never arrest anyone. Just confiscate their knifes. 😳

The "William" in William Henry is William "Matt" Conable, son-in-law of David Boye.

That should be "'Nuff Said" for provenance...

Spyderco Dragonfly 2 Lightweight Signature Folding Knife with 2.3" VG-10 Steel Blade and High-Strength Orange FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C28POR2

4.8 out of 5 stars 2,368 ratings
$73.50


take the clip off and carry in pocket.

Bugout for me.

Most often in my pocket is my Benchmade Mini-Grip with the AWT honeycomb aluminum scales, or a ZT 0562 in Thunderstruck micarta. If I want a traditional then I have a GEC 92 with single blade spear in ebony or a EZ open 85 in smooth bone.

Buck 442 or a stainless Opinel #9

My favorite I will not carry. It's a Lake Tail lock copy . I usually carry a Civivi Rustic.






Lake

SAK Walker or #6 Opinel but I'm not above dropping my Becker BK-11 my front right pocket

PM2 is one of the best. other bests in my book:

benchmade bugout
RAT 2
spyderco delica
spyderco PM3

for pocket swords, i like the endura and the full-blown military

honorable mention to kershaw leek and scallion

knife that i carry the most is the dragonfly 2. they are amazing cutters for the size

Just bought a Spyderco PM2 two weeks ago.
Most $$ I ever spent on a knife, but it's something I carry every day.
Also bought a deep carry titanium clip from LynchNW.

Be advised, there are vendors on Amazon selling Chinese knock-offs. YouTube has several videos showing how to tell real from bogus.

I used my PM2 recently to skin, and take the backstraps and both rear quarters off an eating size wild hog in the field for backpacking out. Worked like a champ and put the meat from that 125 pound sow in a game bag with zero issues.

ive watched the videos, there are some scary good clones out there. better to buy from a reputable seller.

Got this a few years ago from my wife for Christmas. Madison barlow by Northwoods (GEC).

Western #693 liner lock. My all time favorite pocket knife. For something a little smaller, a schrade 194ot liner lock works to.

4 inch stockman with bone handle scales by BOKER. - Sherwood

Bought two different Benchmade's and loved the mechanism on them. Tough blades but problematic for me to sharpen when needing it. Gave one to SIL who promptly lost it and I finally lost my own. Replaced it with a USA made Ken Onion Kershaw Scallion model. Had it for years and love it. The clip keeps it comfortable in the pocket,. Easy to keep sharp. and opens fast.

I sometimes carry in the change pocket too- and when I do it is a bone Case mini - trapper. Good blade and right size. Like Case knives.

Have switched up last few months after carrying a benchmade 710 for a dozen years. Lately the R2 D2 Rat is getting all the attention. It just flat works for what I need a knife for.

Tag

BTT

Been carrying a Case medium stockman for 40 years. Not the same one.....I'm waiting for the ones I've planted to germinate and grow.