# Decent small, cheapish locking pocketknife?



## ABTOMAT (Mar 23, 2004)

I've carried a locking knife ever since I was a little kid. Only recently my supply of $0.50 Pakistani folders has run out. So now I'm in the market for something new. Can't afford a real big $$ model but I'm tired of the junk. Paki knives had thick blades and bad locks, older ferrous knife I have won't take an edge, had a Chinese one-hand type with a stainless blade the hardness of swiss cheese.

Prefer traditional types without serrated edges or plastic bodies. I've seen some neat little German ones with a leaping cat on the side. What are those?

And sheath knives are nice but don't fly around here.


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## J Smith (Mar 23, 2004)

For around 40.00 you could get a Spyderco SS Delica.
or for about 20.00 to 25.00 a spyderco BRK Native.


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## BlindedByTheLite (Mar 23, 2004)

here's a couple suggestions..
the Kershaw "Chive" is an all metal knife and is plain edge.. it's $31.97 plus shipping..
the AG Russell "Ultimate Pen Knife" is extremely small.. here's a picture Kakster posted in another thread comparing the size of the knife to a smoke:





it's only $19.95, all metal, titanium handle and a plain edge blade of VG10 steel.. Kakster did point out that it lacks a lanyard hole tho..

i think either of those knives look pretty good for pocket carry.. the AG Russell is the smaller of the two.

Edit:
oops! Kakster has corrected me in a post later in this thread.. the AG Russell is _not_ a locking blade.. my bad!


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## Frank (Mar 23, 2004)

Check Walmart and Sears for Schrades and Kershaws or Target for Gerbers.

Does that Ultimate Pen Knife clink against coins? I have 2 old Victorinox smooth scaled aluminum knives. They both make clinking noises when I walk, enough to bug the c&^p out of me.


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## this_is_nascar (Mar 24, 2004)

Blinded, what's that thing that your Glowring is attached to?


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## kakster (Mar 24, 2004)

Thats a Windmill JP2 lighter. 
BTW, the knife does NOT lock, its a slipjoint. Its a great little blade nonetheless, very handy for most light duty cutting tasks. Im amazed at how small it is, and its still a very functional tool.


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## paulr (Mar 24, 2004)

I don't know what you mean by "small". I just got a Spyderco Jester in forest green with the matching Photon II. It's on sale at www.spoonrivercutlery.com (click on "specials") and at least if you get it with the matching Photon II, you can get free shipping by entering promotion code "CPF" in the checkout page.

It's a nice little keychain knife. My one disappointment is that it's a darker green than the photos on newgraham.com had made me expect. "Forest green" is still a good description though. The knife and flashlight come attached to each other via three linked 3/8" split rings, which is nice if you want to just drop the pair in your pocket. For keychain use, I separated the knife and light, replaced the 3/8" ring in the knife with a 1/2" ring (may not have been really necessary) to fit on the keychain better, and put the Photon on the keychain next to it. I also (gasp!) removed my Arc AAA from the keychain since the knife bulked up the keychain somewhat. I just did all this tonight, so it will be a while before I know how well I like the new arrangement.


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## RebelRAM (Mar 24, 2004)

You said you like the traditional lockback knives. Well you can't get any more traditional than Buck. The only question is what size blade you are looking for.

These are the smaller Buck lockbacks
http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/256

And these are the larger ones...
http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/223
Look specifically at the Hunter and Ranger models.

Walmart carries the most common of the Buck line, so you should be able to find any of these at a great price.

Also a Buck that I have had for several years now is the Protege
http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/detail/263/230
I think I paid $19 for mine at Walmart. The rubberized grip handle is the best part of this knife and the blade is more than enough.

Now if you want something more modern, just let us know, there are several guys on here that are certified knifeoholics.

--Jason


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## Charlie Fox (Mar 24, 2004)

How small do you want to go? A couple of good strong lockblades for under $20 are the Cold Steel Tuff-Lite(get the clip point). This knife has a 1.75" blade and absolutely disappears in a watch pocket. The lock is VERY secure and it holds a great edge.

The other knife is the Gerber LST. I would go with the 2.75" blade. Again, very light, very sharp and a strong lock.

Good luck!


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## rajanf1 (Mar 24, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*paulr said:*
(click on "specials") and at least if you get it with the matching Photon II, you can get free shipping by entering promotion code "CPF" in the checkout page.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is the CPF code applicable for the specials only or can you use it for regularly priced products and any size orders?

TIA.


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 24, 2004)

Thanks guys, I'll look into those. By small I was thinking around 3" blade, I guess not too small overall. The kind I'm not interested in are the "tactical" type folders with bulky grips.


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## Blades (Mar 25, 2004)

Kershaw Vapor is a nice little blade for the money. I've given a few as gifts. 



Blades


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Mar 25, 2004)

Ditto on Vapor!

I managed to get two made in japan Vapors. 

I have a China VaporII that isn't QUITE the same quality, but close...


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## Ratus (Apr 1, 2004)

If you want a good cheap knife, get a vapor! 

Or for $10 more get the chive. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


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## JJHitt (Apr 1, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*ABTOMAT said:*
I've seen some neat little German ones with a leaping cat on the side. What are those?

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be a Mercator K55. (WWII design)
Can be found from a number of vendors for about 25 bux.


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## haertig (Apr 3, 2004)

Here's another vote for the Kershaw Vapor. They sell them at WalMart for less than $20 (for the smaller of the two models, which is the one I have). I am astonished at how smooth this knife operates and how solid it feels for the price. I have the plain blade - I don't really care for serrated blades all that much for an everyday carry pocket folder.


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## revolvergeek (Apr 5, 2004)

Kershaw Vapor
Gerber LST/LST Magnum Jr
Spyderco Delica/Dragonfly/Jester 

The Delica or Dragonfly will probably give you a little better edge holding thatn the others, but all are nice solid inexpensive knives.


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## avusblue (Apr 5, 2004)

I am very pleased with my all-stainless Spyderco Delica -- it's my first "nice" knife. But it's not very small in the pocket and wow, I'm really intrigued by the AG Russell "Ultimate Pen Knife" above. Looks great!

My current EDC is the Victorinox SignatureLite:





With a small LED light, a ball point pen, and a small blade, scissors, & nail file, all in a teensy tiny 2 1/4 inches long, it's a great deal for $15 at your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart.

Cheers,

Dave


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## pedalinbob (Apr 5, 2004)

that is cool!!!

dammit...gotta stop by walmart...

Bob


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## Datasaurusrex (Apr 5, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*JJHitt said:*
[ QUOTE ]
*ABTOMAT said:*
I've seen some neat little German ones with a leaping cat on the side. What are those?

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be a Mercator K55. (WWII design)
Can be found from a number of vendors for about 25 bux. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn, I have been looking for these for a long time! One of these used to be my EDC when I was a kid. So slim they just disappear in the pocket... and having a locking feature is a must imho.

These knives rock! The only drawback that I remember is that the locking mechanism wears out over time... but the pros far outweigh that.

Two big thumbs up for the Mercator K55 (lol, now I know its name!)


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## ABTOMAT (Apr 6, 2004)

Thanks again guys. I'm carrying whatever I'll get as a cutting knife, along with a tool knife for other work.

Did more looking into those Mercator cat knives. Looks like I'll be going with one. From what I've heard they're great except the paint wears off over time. Found one on eBay for $19.50 shipped.


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## Datasaurusrex (Apr 7, 2004)

MercatorK55 
Ok, I dug into my old box of childhood memories and found a few of my old knives.

I remembered things wrong though... it was the Japanese knock-off of the Mercator K55 that always had its lock fail after a year or so of use (I went though many of these cheap knock-offs).

My original German Mercator K55 never had the lock fail, it held up great! I used this exact knife for years and eventually retired it due to nostalgic reasons... then I started using the cheap knock-offs untill I found Spyderco.

The quality of the original far surpasses the imitation... fit and finish, quality of steel... all around better hands down. I seem to recall that the imatations ran $5 ea, if bought in bulk, so they were actually a great deal. 

I'd love to find another source for the knock-offs!

Now that I have refamiliarized myself with the original, I would whole-heartedly endorse it for EDC as a super slim knife that functions great and holds up well.

The knife at the top of the pic is an old one from Pacific Marine Supply Company in Seattle. It is a great knife, on par with the original Mercator... virtually the same construction, although it lacks a lock so I did not use it too often (I bought it a long time ago at a flea market so mine has been well used). It appears to be marked KAUFMANN SALINGER Germany.

I too saw that ebay guy, he seems to sell them regularly. Great, another item I need to start saving pennies for... and I just commited to a new XM-2 -- I guess a new Mercator will just have to wait for a month or so lol.

I think you'll be very happy with this knife, it'll just dissapear in your pocket.


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## ABTOMAT (Apr 8, 2004)

I think there's an outfit on eBay that sells knockoffs for around $5.


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## dabiscake (Apr 8, 2004)

the one on the pic looks nice! How long (or short?) is it though? Any comparison pic available, anyone? Thanks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


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## ABTOMAT (Apr 10, 2004)

About 7.5" long open, 3.5" blade.


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## Cones (Apr 11, 2004)

What about a CUDA EDC?

Very well made and simple design.






See my Website listed below for a Review

Mark


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## Datasaurusrex (Apr 12, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*ABTOMAT said:*
I think there's an outfit on eBay that sells knockoffs for around $5. 

[/ QUOTE ]

I looked using every keywords I could think of and found nothing... if you happen to come across them again please, oh please, send me a link /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif


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## dark star (Apr 20, 2004)

I have the A.G Russel Ultimate Pen Knife - ultra sharp and small-but no locking blade


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