There was a dude in Arizona that was passing off well known models under his own logo. Is that the dude? I think Quartermaster is legit.
Ernie is worse than Rick. Not crooks, don’t get me wrong. But very difficult in different ways. Mick has been A+++++ to me and in spite of his bad internet rap, I will always own at least one of his knives. With respect to quality on the production knives, Mick took a step back to focus on customs and Damascus and he got so many complaints he got really involved again. I’ve given away a lot of knives, but SnG’s go to guys I like a lot. I gave my brother my Arctic gray S110V SnG and I do miss that one. I have a DB in the car or in my pack at all legal times.
No, I think it's the Quartermaster guy or the guy used to be involved with Quartermaster. It was someone trying to pass off Chinese imports as US made.
There was a lot of fuckery with Gareth early on. He got overwhelmed and didn’t handle it well. He’s doing better since his brother joined him to handle that side of the business. My experience with him has been completely different and I consider him and Jason Bull friends.
All 3 have contributed a lot to the knife world over the years. It just feels like you are paying more for their marketing than a quality product.
Ricks lock bar stabilizer and XM are sharp ideas The CQC-6 is on any tactical knife collectors wish list Mick’s SMF is so ubiquitous it has an NSN number But you’re right, I don’t think they’re eating steel grit 12 hours a day these days.
9mm mainly but always looking to add 40, .223, and 357 magnum. Can’t find 9mm anywhere around here and haven’t been able to for months. I bought some 40 and 45 this weekend, up to what they had. (Exile in Weaver if anyone is close to central Alabama- best gun store around with prices and their blue label stock is great as well)
Hinderer led the way with easy customization. It is the direct precursor to companies like Three Rivers Manufacturing that make swapping out blade scales easy.
He’s made the AR-15 of the knife world and you can play infinite Barbie doll with it. But if you make an accessory, even for your own knife without permission, you will get a cease and desist if his team sees it. Oh, and his flippers flip like old people fuck. Soft and not to completion.
Back to sub $100 knives, what would you pick out of: Kershaw Blur Spiderco Tenacious Kizer Begleiter Bench made Mini Griptilian
Correct, I jokingly want to slit my own throat if those are my options. Kershaw - I actually own a couple, pretty nice knives for the price. Spiderco - Fuck Spiderco and their Glock-like fanboy following. Kizer - #alabamashruggif Benchmade - Local company. One word by the way. They've been in hot water recently after it was discovered they were helping local PD destroy guns and it was also discovered they've donated to multiple anti-gun politicians. Save your outrage though, it's not what it seems. They make a quality knife.
Spydercos are typically thin and slicey. I’ve got a Salt H1 at arms length in my truck. It’s handy and small enough that even if I use it at the post office no one calls 911. Spydiehole is easy to manage with gloves or when hands are wet. Mini grip will be a little beefier and the axis lock is interesting. I’ve heard they are really good on warranty stuff if you bend the clip or something. Kershaw blur is cool. I have heard instances where in areas that local or state laws ban switchblades that assisted openers can cause issues if you catch a cop on a bad day. In general though, don’t get arrested and if you do any knife will be a problem I’d imagine. I love a paramilitary 2. I’ve sold all mine but if I had these choices in front of me I’d buy a Para 2, mini grip, then a blur. But I also typically have a fixed blade nearby where the thin slicer is used for just that then heavy duty stuff will be a fixed blade task. in that price range I’d also consider a Boker Leviathan. But the designer/maker they bought that pattern from is a good friend and I have 7 custom versions including the first 3” one ever made.
I own and have owned several Kershaws and Spydercos. They hold an edge pretty well and stand up to daily wear and tear. Just pick one you like the fit and feel of and get it.
A buddy of mine stupidly used his benchmade to pin a target to a tree to make sure his rifle was zeroed. It wasn’t, so now he has a pocket knife with a bullet hole in it. It’s in shockingly good shape, all things considered. We’re going to see if they warranty it.
There’s a very famous maker who has a handle pattern somewhat like that. Here’s an example of it (MOA) on his Dr. Death model. Granted, he drilled the holes. https://steeladdictionknives.com/shop/tom-mayo-moa-doctor-death/
These would be good choices a few years ago. Right now, you can get a lot more bang for your buck (better materials, bearing actions, performance). I know I’ve said this before but Ferrum Forge’s offerings at this price point are hard to beat (Gent, Stinger, Crux, Mini Archbishop, Prolix). Most of these are custom knife designs scaled down for the EDC market. Here is a video of my stinger. There are also several Chinese companies that started putting out decent stuff at a good price. Companies like Kershaw are struggling to keep up bc they can’t pay their workers $0.12 an hour. Civivi, Real Steel, 2 Suns, etc make some decent stuff at the budget level. Having Chinese companies putting out there own designs instead of just ripping off the work of others is a win imo.
Thanks Jc6 I’m leaning towards the axis lock or a similar mechanism. I’ve had plenty of frame locks, would like something different. I’ll definitely check out these other manufacturers though
Chinese companies (mostly) aren’t coming up with their own designs. You see dozens of them taking cell phone pictures at knife shows and 3 months later a “new” stolen design appears. Ferrum has been busted for “borrowing” not only patterns, but names of patterns and product lines. Certainly not to create confusion and purely an accident I’m sure.
I won’t defend Chinese companies that have been looting others work for years, but they have started putting out their own designs and/or at least licensing designs of others. That is an improvement and good for the industry. Not perfect but an undeniable improvement. I’m not sure what you are referring to about Ferrum Forge. They are custom makers
True story, as a broke high school senior, I worked with a guy who was a SOG rep on the side. I purchased one of their full size folders (later became the SEAL folder) for like $50 with his discount. That knife still has a razors edge on it and is the sharpest knife I’ve ever owned. It’s never been sharpened and that purchase was in 1995.
Also, don’t be all telling your friends and whatnot, but tacticalshit has 9mm and .223 in stock and shipping.
I have an account out there I usually visit a few times a month. I’m unfamiliar with GA Arms, but their site is cool. Big ammunition manufacturer?
They posted a link in their stories to sign up for their “mailing list”. That “mailing list” is them texting you when they get ammo shipments in.