Recommendations for discreet sheathed knives

August 31, 2005 5:31 PM

I'd like recommendations for a discreet sheathed knife.

I'd like a sheathed knife that I can wear comfortably and discreetly on my belt or elsewhere. I'd prefer a fixed blade knife, and I'd consider high-style and additional tools a bonus. I'm thinking more along the lines of a diver's knife than a six inch Bowie knive, but I'd be interested in anything you've found useful and comfortable for regular use.

Basically I'm looking for a perfectly designed knife that is comfortable to carry routinely. Though they are great tools, I don't need another Leatherman or Victorinox. Anyone have any recommendations?

posted by McGuillicuddy to shopping (15 comments total)

I have a smaller frame so I opted for a liner-lock folder instead (a teflon-coated CRKT Apache II) so I never really researched the fixed-blades.

However, the Apache II is a wonderful tool, fits in the small of my back and I can completely forget that it's there. I've forgotten about it until getting frisked/wanded at clubs/bars and not.a.single.time has it been detected. Sheesh.

Are you thinking of small tasks, heavier tasks, or personal defense?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 5:44 PM on August 31, 2005

I am a fan of Cold Steel's products.
posted by Ostara at 6:17 PM on August 31, 2005

I have a CRKT that I love, but their fixed blade stuff seems pretty tactical and without other tools. I think that the fit and finish of CRKT is very very good. Not benchmade good, but hey, its 10% of the price for a quality knife.

I'd definitely get something that's part serrated. You never know when you're going to need to rip through a seat belt to free yourself or someone else. Most dive knives have this, but most "hunting" type knives don't. CRKT only has 3 models of fixed blade that come like serrated.
posted by zpousman at 6:23 PM on August 31, 2005

PP- I've always liked knives. I think it is generally good practice to carry a knife. I was a commercial fisherman, where one always carries a knife. Now I'm in an office with a five inch Victorinox in my front pocket. Something lighter and more stylish would be nice.

And I'd like to broaden my question a little. What's your favorite knife? From filet knife to throwing knife, what knife or knives work for you?
posted by McGuillicuddy at 6:28 PM on August 31, 2005

I've got the CRKT M16-12FD and love it. It's resistant to corrosion, and fits nicely in a back pocket with the integrated belt clip. There's an almost identical model available in black, but I don't think it has the anti-corrosion feature.
posted by odinsdream at 6:35 PM on August 31, 2005

I actually love dive knives. I don't carry one, due to the fact that PA dislikes folks carrying fixed-blade knives. But, if I lived in a state that didn't have such strong objections to it, I would *definitely* carry a blunt-tipped steel dive knife.

As Porpoise above points out, it would be far easier for us to make recommendations if you could provide us with a use profile. A knife that's designed for fighting, for instance, may well be useless for cutting nylon webbing. And something designed for rescue work might prove dangerous for use as a flat-metal-tool-with-an-edge*.

*This is what I currently use my pocket knife for. It serves as a screwdriver, a poking device, a prybar, a torsion wrench for lockpicking, an eating utensil, an electrical short-circuiting device, and a knife. I abuse the hell out of it in a way I'd never imagine doing to a knife that cost me more than $25.
posted by Netzapper at 6:37 PM on August 31, 2005

check out Spyderco.com
posted by madstop1 at 6:43 PM on August 31, 2005

What about that belt-buckle knife guy? I can't find the link on Google any more, but I remember about a year or so ago, there was a link to a site where a guy kept on bragging how quickly he could whip out the knife hidden in his belt buckle. ("By the time you even think about drawing your knife, I've got mine in my hand. By the time, you reach in your pocket, I've stabbed you in the throat." That kind of thing.)

Sounds like the kind of thing you're looking for, at least.
posted by LairBob at 7:41 PM on August 31, 2005

Well, it's a little hard to give to-the-point advice without a better sense of (a) what purpose you want the knife to serve and (b) how much you want to spend.

With that said, I'll make a couple of recommendations to you that come from, ahem, a bit higher on the price spectrum. Not outrageously so....but somewhat pricier than CRKT, Spyderco, Cold Steel, et al.

First, let me HIGHLY recommend anything that Bob Dozier makes. His grinds are legendary. I have a custom Arkansas Toothpick that I would never consider trading off. Probably my favorite all around knife and very similar to the toothpick seen here.

If you are interested in something "built like a tank" then check out Strider Knives. I have an EB-S and am favorably impressed. A bit much for everyday carry, though.

I would also commend to you the knives made by Chris Seeve. His Shadow III might float your boat. I don't personally own one, but I've handled them and they are quite nice.

If your pocketbook is feeling a bit pinched, don't overlook the offerings from the folks at Swamp Rat Knife Works.

Anyway, I could go on and on......best of luck to you in your quest.
posted by FredFeral at 7:41 PM on August 31, 2005

Damn! It's Chis Reeve, not Chris Seeve. My mistake, sorry.
posted by FredFeral at 7:44 PM on August 31, 2005

LairBob, you may be talking about Greg Gillespie, creator of the "World's Fastest Knife." The video there has the "while you reach for your pocket, mine's in my hand" bit.

Personally, I've wanted to upgrade from my current craptastic knife to something decent, and am torn between the Benchmade 705S and the aforementioned CRKT M16, though I'm leaning toward the M16-13SF, which offers a full (although small) hilt and stronger locking mechanism, kind of a folding fixed blade, as the marketeers call it. Then again, it's not like I really need to spend this money on a knife.
posted by sysinfo at 8:04 PM on August 31, 2005

I suppose the trait I'm trying to find is a discreet fixed blade knife (that is still a decent size and a useful tool). I don't have any specific purpose in mind. I carry a knife all the time, I use it for tasks large and small, work and pleasure. Mostly I use my knives for cleaning my nails, trying to turn screws, or pop corks, but it is nice to have something that could cut a hole in my roof if it came to that. Non-metal knives also interest me.

Price is not really an issue, value for the money is paramount. Thanks for all the answers so far.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 8:35 PM on August 31, 2005

Simply contact us by phone, fax or e-mail and we’ll give you the names of one or more of our North American CRKT retailers who carry the products you want to buy.

Bah, wouldn't it be easier just to have a list?
They're right down the street, I wonder if they have a factory outlet...
posted by madajb at 12:19 AM on September 1, 2005

The site "Equipped to survive" has excellent knife reviews, with an eye to constant carry and emerggency preparedness. He's NOT a survivalist, but someone interested in what would actually work in an emergency situation (aircraft down, hiking injury, civil disaster, that sort of thing). His emphasis is on knives as tools, not weapons. I've found him very useful for putting field kits together, both for work and for personal use.
posted by bonehead at 6:05 AM on September 1, 2005

sysinfo - I had a Benchmade 710 for a bunch of years, it is a really nice knife. The 705 is nice too. Almost anything Benchmade is pretty nice.

Bonehead nailed it, I'm not interested in a knife as a weapon but a tool.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 2:37 PM on September 1, 2005