Great "Every Day Carry" knives

BruceRPA

Addicted Member
I have always carried a 2" Swiss Army knife, scissors, nail file, little pen, and an LED light. It comes in handy for many different things nearly every day but it is too small for some things. A number of friends have serious pocket knives and after receiving a few tips and demonstrations from some well informed folks, I was determined to get a decent, but larger, every day carry knife too. The brand that kept rising to the top in my online and in-store research was Benchmade. Everything that I read or saw online seemed to confirm what my friends had advised. Unfortunately, the online research raised some questions as I narrowed my search, so off to Field and Stream and then Cabella's I went. We have a brand new Field and Stream store not too far away but I was not able to make a selection after my visit there. I went to Cabella's yesterday and talked with a guy there that could easily have been right off the set of Duck Dynasty. Man, did he know his stuff about knives! As busy as the store was, he very quickly answered my questions and was able to show me why the more expensive model that I was considering was not going to be ideal for me. He also showed me why the other less expensive model that I had in mind was not only going to do the job but it was actually better in several key ways for my intended uses. I wanted a small, easy to carry, easy to conceal, and fast and easy to open knife with a high quality blade that was no longer than three inches. The suggested model was the Benchmage 556 Mini Griptilian. After doing some research I thought that I wanted a spring-assisted opening model like the Benchmade 586 Mini Barrage. It only took a few minutes to check both models at Cabela's. A brief discussion and demonstration by John "with the beard" behind the counter helped me to decide that the Mini Griptilian 551BKD2 was the best choice for me. He cleared up my confusion and misunderstanding about how both models actually operated. He showed me how, with a quick flip of the wrist, the Mini Griptilian could easily and quickly be opened or closed. It would take some practice to get really good at doing so but it sure worked well, even for a novice. He then showed me his personal full size Griptilian 556BKD2 and how the somewhat heavier blade worked even better. Wow, that is really sweet! Decisions, decisions... screw it! I came home with both!

I am really impressed with the quality of these two knives and enjoy handling and working with them. I am still intrigued by that spring assisted Barrage and may check it out again at some point in the future. If you have never owned a decent pocket knife, as I never did before, or have not checked out the Benchmade Griptilian series, I encourage you to do so. They are a joy use and hold in your hand. I also believe that they are an incredibly good value. There is a LOT of information on the web and lots of great video reviews on YouTube. There are few pictures below but you will be able to find hundreds more with a quick Google search. In spite of all that, there is nothing better than going to a store where you can check them out for yourself. I hope that you can find someone as good as John "with the beard" to help you as I did.





 
Here's my everyday gear. Gerber knife and a 300 lumen tactical flashlight.

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Those knives all look pretty darn nice too. The selection of good quality knives is overwhelming, especially for someone like me that is just entering the steepest part of the learning curve. This little voyage of discovery reminds me how newbies to the world of quality music reproduction and audio gear feel when they first stick their head in the door around here. I am very fortunate that I have received such good advice early on. Somehow, I doubt that I have purchased my last knife. I don't have any interest in collecting knives just for the sake of building a collection though.

I appreciate and enjoy using quality tools but I don't think that the assortment of screwdrivers in my shop should be considered to be "collection" either. So, my quest for additional variations on a theme is very likely to continue. I am interested in quality, features and function as opposed to quantity. I don't see myself spending $500 on a knife, (that kind of money is set aside for audio gear or firearms) but quality and value are important.

I find it to be exciting to recognize that I have so much more to discover and to learn about something that is seemingly so simple as a pocket knife. Thanks for your help so far. :thmbsp:
 
I always carried a Victorinox green handled Swiss Army Champ and a Victorinox Swiss tool at work. Now retired, I don't carry, but both cars have Swiss army in the box. I have a substantial Swiss Army Knife collection and a 40 year old Randall Knife.
 
Here in NYC "assisted opening" knives are being targeted under old 'gravity Knife" laws, think "West Side Story". Any knife that can be opened by flicking the knife is illegal and the carrier subject to arrest, regardless of how much effort is required to flick said knife. If you carry a knife on your belt you are subject to arrest, any knife longer than 3 1/4 inches is a violation as are fixed blade knives on your person. Of course switchblades are as well. You would do well to read the knife laws in your particular locale so you are not in violation.

If you come to visit, leave your Gerbers & Schrades etc at home. I carry a small Buck Lite knife that can really do a number on those stubborn French Baguettes.
 
Hmmm... not sure how you'd get a steak knife home from the store. Just never have it on your person? I just measured one of my Victorinox lockblades and sure enough, it was just a fraction under 3 1/4 inches. Wonder if that was intentional? I'm also a fan of the Leatherman, though they make so many I'm not even sure which one I've got.
 
Nice choice, Bruce. The Mini Grip was on my short list the last time I went looking for an EDC knife. I ended up spending a smidge more and went with the Sequel (707). It's very similar to the Mini Griptilian but has an aluminum handle and slightly different blade. It's a little less bulky in the pocket. I love it.

(not my knife but same model)
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When I was down in Bardstown, KY for my nephew's wedding in September I picked up a well worn Camillus 3 blade stag handled pocket knife in a thrift store for $7.00. It looks to be old and US made,.probably from the 1950s-1960s, and I like the way it holds. It's in my pocket every day.

I've got a lot of nondescript import knives kicking about here, and a Swiss or two, but this one charmed me and it's semi-rural Kentucky history also was enticing. I like to tell myself these blades got worn on lots of sticks and stones by colorful locals before it found it's way to my pocket...:yes:

Looks about like this one...

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You guys have me drooling! I know that I said that I don't intend to start a collection but I want one of everything I see. That Smith & Wesson Executive is a sexy looking knife. I think I know where this is going if I'm not careful!

Thanks for the cautionary advice RT Fan. The law here in PA is pretty lax as I understand them so far but you bring up some excellent points. Thanks!

After only two days with the Griptillians, I continue to be very happy with them -- BUT, I had a bit of a scary incident with the smaller one. As I was pulling it out of the right side of the right front pocket of my jeans, one of the thumb studs must have caught on the top seam of the pocket and that cause the blade to open approximately 33 degrees as it exited my pocket. No blood spilled, but there sure could have been some! I will have to be very careful and be certain to place the opening side of the knife firmly against the outer side of my pocket. That and I will have to be aware and careful when I remove the knife from my pocket. When that incident happened I stopped and considered what happened and why. The Griptillian does not have a manual safety or locking mechanism, just the spring tension from the Axis lock. I then realized that I had the large knife in my left front pocket with the opening side of the knife facing away from the outer edge of my pocket (along side my hip, parallel to my leg). If the knife shifted in my pocket and that blade opened for any reason while it was in my pocket, I hate to think what could have happened. :yikes:
 
Here's my everyday gear. Gerber knife and a 300 lumen tactical flashlight.

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I was given a Gerber very similar to this (smaller) that is always in my pocket, and there is a Leatherman Mini in my gear at work. The Gerber is pretty comfortable in my hands and takes a decent edge, but I don't really like the blade release to close - I've nearly cut myself several times, and the skeleton design seems to collect lots of debris. I'd like to get another Gerber LST like I used to have. The one I lost had bright orange scales. The Leatherman Mini I have is a decent tool, but the blade does not lock open and I've had some close calls with it; this is why I have the second knife in my pocket. If I go in the field and need something a little more substantial I'll grab the Buck 112 or 110 and hang that on a belt.
 
pocket knives

Hey
I've been using a Benchmade AFCK Fighter (the smaller of the two) for years. I'm on my second one. I lost the first one about two years in.I prefer the black finish with the combo edge. I also have the larger model that I used when I hunted (long time ago ).
Those griptillion knives look pretty cool. Eric
 
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