A place to find reviews on folding blade knives from top knife makers!
Folding Blade Knives
In 2010, big-time knife manufacturer Benchmade acquired Wilsonville, Oregon’s Lone Wolf Knives. Lone Wolf specializes in designing and producing knives for serious outdoorsman. The Lone Wolf Swale is an outdoor knife with a classic old-school look. I’d never used a Lone Wolf knife before but after experiencing the Swale I’ll definitely try them again.
I recently came into the possession nice little folder from SOG called the Salute and I thought I’d do a short review of it today. The Salute is part of SOG’s Fusion line, a group of knives and blades which are suppose to combine different elements from traditional designs into new, affordable blades. Certainly the Salute is a folding knife with a unique look, combining a Bowie style blade in a folding knife with scalloped full length liners and G10 handles. As an added innovation, SOG’s adjustable thumb stud is included in the design. So, the Salute is a unique knife with a unique look, but is it any good? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
(Source: knifehog.com)
Back in 1998 the Spyderco Calypso (Caly) made a name for itself, dominating the knife scene thanks to its 4 inch blade and micarta handle. 14 years later, Spyderco is on its third generation of the Caly and each model has gotten better and better. One of the main complaints about the earlier versions was that the ergonomics weren’t great. Spyderco listened to the critics; the latest version of the Spyderco Caly fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. The Spyderco Caly 3 is improved in every way be it blade design or style. This knife has a little bit of panache, meaning you can carry it in your Carharts or concealed in a suit. I got my Caly 3 mainly as a collectible but this thing is built like a bank vault and this knife is now one of my favorite EDC’s
(Source: knifehog.com)
Spyderco’s Manix2 is a follow-up to the successful Manix series of knives, replacing the original lock back design with a ball bearing lock and utilizing a hollow saber grind. The Manix2 is a really nice folding knife and I’m really excited to go over it today. It’s a bit heavy for a folder, though certainly lighter than many other folding blades on the market and while this might scare some people away, I think this is a wonderful EDC (Every-Day-Carry) knife. It handles great, and is solidly built. If the weight bothers you, I urge you to try it out. You’ll be getting a really capable knife that’s weight is more than offset by its capabilities.
(Source: knifehog.com)
In many ways the Endura is Spyderco’s signature knife. The original Endura was revolutionary for its time. It was the first lightweight production folder to feature a pocket-carry clip and have a one-hand operable, high-carbon, performance blade. The model has been so popular that it’s currently in it’s 4th generation. I love little lightweight folders, so I was excited to get my Endura and put it through the paces.
(Source: knifehog.com)
I recently picked up a Pika II on the recommendation of a friend. My initial impression was very positive. The knife was reasonably priced and I really liked it’s look (Spyderco influence?). However, several minutes playing with this knife out of the box convinced me that the Pika II has some serious flaws.
(Source: knifehog.com)
I’ve long been a fan of Case knives. They’re not known for their big hulking tactical blades or “EDC’s” that you can chop down a tree with. Instead they excel at making old fashioned pocket folders. Case knives remind me of the kind of pocket knives my grandpa use to use and the truth of the matter is that sometime bigger isn’t better. Too many knives today are so blade heavy that they’re cumbersome to use for more delicate and mundane task. The Case Peanut is not one of those knives.
(Source: knifehog.com)
Buck’s fixed blade Alpha Hunter’s have long been popular among knife enthusiast, but they also offer a folding version of the Alpha Hunter and that’s the model we’ll be reviewing today. This blade comes with a liner lock system that secures the blade firmly was deployed. The Alpha Hunter I’ll be reviewing is the drop point design, which differs significantly from other Alpha Hunter’s in that it does not come with a gut hook. I don’t really feel like I need a gut hook but if you do check out the Buck Alpha Hunter 278. Don’t think you’re getting nothing in return for the loss of the gut hook, though; the drop point version of the Alpha Hunter gives you a much stronger tip, which can be a great trade off if you are experienced at dressing game.
(Source: knifehog.com)
