Duty knife recommendation

[Pinneditonagain]

I need some opinions on a good, moderately priced folding knife. I would prefer half the blade to be serated. I have owned a Gerber and its been dependable but I am looking for a more serious knife. I have been looking at the SOG, Benchmade and the Gerber Applegate Covert...any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[WC145]

I don't know what you consider moderately priced but a couple of months ago I picked up a Camillus "Heat" assisted opener, half serrrated. I was looking at the S&W autos but the Camillus was faster and felt sturdier. So far I'm very happy with it, they retail for around $60 and I think they're worth the money.

[kirch]

I've spent a lot of time (and money) trying to work out the best on-duty knife choice for myself. For me, this hasn't been such a bad thing, because I collect knives and love an excuse to buy a new one. But my wife started taking me to task for my drawer full of knives that I've used a for a few months, then retired in lieu of 'the perfect carry knife'.

Let me give you the benefit of my experience, for what it's worth. Here are some considerations I believe anyone who's looking to carry a knife on duty should consider:

1. What is it for?
If you're carrying for purely utilitarian reasons, something like a multi-tool is a great choice. But it's not going to be exactly fast-deploying if you ever plan to use it for self-defense. If your knife is going to serve as your last line of self-defense, then you'll want something that's easily accessible and quick to deploy. In that case, an auto-opener or assisted-opener (or even a fixed-blade) is probably a better choice.

2. What does your policy or law dicate?
In some states, auto-openers -- even for LE -- are illegal. Some departments won't allow fixed-blade knives. Make sure you know what you're allowed to carry before spending money.

3. Where will you be carrying it?
If I had my druthers, I'd carry a fixed-blade knife on my duty belt. I did for a while. But concerns over having it used against me as well as belt-space issues caused me to change my mind. I've seen knives carried just about any place you can imagine -- and I've tried most of them myself. Hip pocket, cargo pocket, duty belt, vest, inner belt, neck chain and more. The locating of carry can have a great impact on what kind of knife is perfect for you.

4. What hand will you be using to deploy it?
I'm right-handed, so my everday knife has always been on my right side. But I realized that's also my gun side. If I need to draw a knife while fighting for my gun, my right hand is going to probably be pretty busy. So I decided I needed a knife I could easily draw with my left hand. Here I ran into a problem. I'm well-practiced in drawing and opening a folder with my right hand. Not so much with the left. My options were to either practice a lot in opening a folder left-handed until it became smooth enough to rely on even in a high-stress situation, or find some other kind of knife, like a fixed-blade or auto- or assisted-opener.

5. (Folders only) How is the pocket-clip oriented?
A knife's pocket-clip location can dramatically change the way the knife is deployed. The same goes for thumb-studs. Unless you know for sure where you're going to carry your knife and how you're going to draw it, look for a knife that allows the position of these accessories to be changed. That gives much greater flexibility, and much less need to purchase a new knife when a new carry option is devised.

6. What can you afford?
Some guys look at their duty knives as disposable and are happy to purchase the hardware store specials for $10. I've spent way more than many people would think is wise for some of the knives in my collection, but I don't carry those on duty. My personal opinion is that knives in the $50-$100 range make the most sense for on-duty carry. You have plenty of options for quality users in that range, but you're not going to cry in your beer if you lose it. I consider brands like Spyderco, Columbia River Knife & Took, Kershaw, Ka-Bar, Benchmade, Gerber, Buck and Boker (I'm sure there are a few others I'm forgetting right now) to be the best value for the money.

Develop answers to these questions and you'll be well on the way to determining the on-duty knife that best suits your needs.

[Pinneditonagain]

THanks guys much appreciated. I consider moderate price at $100 or less. If I would happen to lose it, I would not feel quite so bad!

[kirch]

If there's one thing I can blather on about, it's knives. :o

After re-reading my previous post, I thought it might be beneficial to mention some of the carry options and knives I've tried, and why I changed. As I said, I've attempted several options before settling into what I consider to be the best for me.

My EDC knife is (and has been, for over 10 years) a Spyderco Delica, set up for right-handed use, which I carry in my right hip pocket. My model is an older one, with a molded pocket-clip, rather than the newer models with moveable metal clips.

When I began carrying a knife on duty, I placed my Spyderco in the right thigh pocket. As referenced in my previous post, I realized my right hand might be pre-occupied at times and the thigh-pocket location made it hard to reach with my left hand, not to mention my lack of practice in opening the knife with my non-dominant hand.

I soon switched to the Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn Covert. This had the advantage of having a moveable pocket-clip, so I set it up for left-handed use and started carrying it in my left cargo pocket. I discovered 3 primary difficulties. First, I was not exactly adept at opening a folding knife with my left hand and I didn't see myself taking the time to relearn how to open a knife proficiently with my left hand. Second, The Covert had a thumb-stud, where my Delica used a thumb-hole; getting used to the stud took time. Third, the Covert carried in a tip-up configuration (the tip of the blade pointed up when folded), whereas my Delica was tip-down. So the knife operated exactly opposite of what I was used to. Again, you can train yourself to deal with this, but I was more interested in a new knife than training. ;)

Next I decided to forego the opening problems completely, and went with a fixed-blade design. My first choice was the SOG Pentagon, a double-edged boot knife with serrations on one side an a smooth blade on the other. I pretty quickly retired this, as the handle did not have a cross guard and I was concerned about my hand slipping onto the blade if I was putting it to hard use.

So I switched to the SOG Mini-Pentagon -- a short shorter version of the Pentagon with more of a flare to the handle near the blade. An excellent multi-purpose knife, and small enough to stay out of the way. I carried it clipped to my duty belt. I stopped carrying that because it was TOO sharp. I found I had to be extraordinarily careful when resheathing it. The tip was gouging the lether of the sheath itself, as well as spots on either side of my duty belt.

I switched to the Smith & Wesson Police model, a single-edged boot knife a bit larger than the Mini-Pentagon. This lasted a while, but I eventually moved on due to a concern that someone I was presenting someone I might be wrestling with a weapon on both sides of my body. I was also having issues with space on my duty belt. With a Taser soon to be added, gear was creeping around to my kidney area, and something had to go.

I found my salvation with the Ka-Bar TDI knife (http://www.tomarskabars.com/1480_INFO.html). It's a bit unusual, and a few people have started threads about it (including me) here on Officer.com. I began carrying it as it was intended, on my inner belt. The handle curves like a gun butt, so I never had any issues with it getting in the way. I changed the location of carry because I was continually taking it off and putting it on to thread my belt through my pants' belt loops. This started causing wear and tear on my leather belt. That's when I discovered my current carry location.

My duty pants have dual cargo pockets. The outer pocket has a flap. The inner pocket zips open and closed. The TDI knife draws from a plastic friction sheath by pressing on a thumb spot. I found that I can carry the knife in my inner cargo pocket, left unzipped, and easily reach it with my left hand. To draw the knife, I can depress the thumb spot while the knife is still in my pocket and then draw the knife out. Or I can draw the knife and sheath out together, then press the thumb spot and the sheath will literally jump off the blade.

I like this method of carry for several reasons. The knife is easy to deploy with my non-dominant hand. It's hidden, so no one knows it's there until I decide to reveal it. I got the serrated model, which is very nice for cutting seatbelts. The knife is small enough to stay out of the way when not needed, but large enough to ruin someone's day if he/she's at the wrong end of it. And, at $30, I'm not going to lose any sleep if I lose it.

Okay, I've said my peace (and then some -- whew!). I hope this is helpful to anyone looking at on-duty knife options.

[Pinneditonagain]

Wow!! Thanks for the in depth reviews! Its funny because the first two models you mention are the ones I am drawn to. You would not be interested in moving (read selling) that Applegate would you?? ;)

[M.C.S.D]

My CRKT's have been extreamly reliable. They are decently light wieght, sturdy, and will stay sharp for a good deal of time. I personaly like the tanto blade knifes over the traditional straight tipped.

Its on personal preference, and what you need it for.

[Pinneditonagain]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I appreciate it. I bought a knife today, went with the Benchmade Griptilian 550SKB...liked the way it felt in my hand over some of the others I looked at. It is a decent sized knife but not so big as to be bulky and cumbersome. Again, thanks for all the input. You guys stay safe and have a great weekend.

[Pinneditonagain]

Here is the one I got.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c111/JakeTrout/bm550sbt.jpg

[kirch]

Nice knife, the Griptilian. When I was thinking about replacing the Delica with a knife that had a moveable pocket-clip, the Griptilian was at the top of my list.

Sorry, I don't think I'll part with the Covert. It looks so cute next to the standard-sized Gerber A-F in my knife drawer. I'd hate to break up the family. ;)

[Mitchell_in_CT]

Don't buy a knife for duty you can't afford to loose.

Have a family member buy that knife for you. :D

[OLDSPLE]

S&W First Responder. At the time it was about $40.00 Has a serrated blade for seat belts. A hole punch and a flat heade screwdriver end. Real handy, small and cuts through the seat belt like a hot knife through butter

[kirch]

S&W First Responder. At the time it was about $40.00 Has a serrated blade for seat belts. A hole punch and a flat heade screwdriver end. Real handy, small and cuts through the seat belt like a hot knife through butter
I almost bought that knife for EMS work a few years ago (I promise I won't start talking about my decision process for my perfect EMS knife ;) ). I got on a knife forum to do some research on it and a couple of guys said they actually had the window punch separate from the knife. One dealer said he wouldn't carry them in his store anymore, after a customer pushed the window punch button and the punch flew across the room and busted one of his display cases. :eek:

[mfroseth]

There are so many good knives out there it isn't even funny. One of the must fuctional I have seen so far are the Harley Davidson Police or Sheriff Knives. The have the knive, seatbelt cutter, and carbide glass breaker. You can check them out at my online store if interested.

[FNA209]

Here's what I carry:

http://theswitchblade.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Benchmade9500S600.jpg

Benchmade Mini Stryker 9500S Silver Serrated Automatic Knife

I got mine for about $100 at a gun shop. List prices I've seen range from $130 to $190.

[jwise]

I carry a plain-jane Benchmade folder. It has a thumb-hole opener, and is 'well-loved.' I carry it clipped in my right front pocket under my holster, to prevent anyone from taking it from me. I carry my ASP on the weak side, in case of gun-grab.

Kirch- Great posts! It really made this thread worth reading. Thanks for sharing the info.

[Sean0352]

I'm new here but I do know my knives. Everybody has a different opinion of what they like, what works and what does not. For affordability, go with CRKT or Spyderco. Both are great knives and CRKTs customer service is out of this world. You may also want to look into the Strider mass production models by Buck. Or Kershaw too. If you ever get a itch for an expensive blade, Strider will do the trick. Expensive and damn near indestrucable.

[irishnut]

.........................................

[pkagel]

I traded an all black Spyderco for a used Police Model Spyderco back in the mid 90's. I tell you what. I've tried and tried to find a knife I like better but I just can't find it. I have modified it by putting skat board tape on the non clip side so it doesn't fall out of my pocket. What I really like about it is how slender it is. You put it in the pocket and it doesn't print at all. Mine is all serrated but I understand they are making them half/half now which is what I would choose if I were buying a new one.

[SUPERMAN .45]

I like my CRKT M-21 and my old Gerber Gator knife it's non slip grip.

[Mitchell_in_CT]

Spend less on knives...more on knife training...

http://www3.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5bu5ZLIZ1s&search=kali

http://www3.youtube.com/watch?v=T6RSheR9qwM&search=kali

Gotta love those island arts...