Standard Bearer Blades
Almost every one of the major knife companies has a standard bearer knife in its line up. Boker's line up is too large and unfocused and Buck seems to be unsure of what kind of knife company it is, but for Benchmade, Cold Steel, CRKT, Kershaw, SOG, and Spyderco, there is a knife (or pair of knives) that is perhaps the perfect representative of the company, the best value, and the best seller. Having finally reviewed all of them, I am going to summarize what I have found. I was going to do this as a Shoot Out but it got very unwieldy very fast.
Its a small knife with none of the benefits of being a small knife or a big knife with none of the benefits of being a big knife. As Anonymous A.D. pointed out in the comments on the review of this knife--it is a total afterthought in the Voyager line, which really starts at 3.5". But even an afterthought that weighs this much and runs the fabulous Demko Tri-Ad lock is really damn good. Its not too pricey either. If you need a beater for an EDC, look no further.
#4: CRKT M16
More features does not equal better performance and here nothing could be truer. The additional lock for the lock is as ridiculous as that phrase is describing it. The grind is really ugly and awkward. But the price is good, the handle is nice, and the flipper works like a charm. There is a reason this thing has sold like gloves in winter. Its the best of the "flawed" standard bearers. The rest are amazing knives and I am just picking nits, but even here the knife is special.
#3: Spyderco Delica
Ah, my first real knife and even now, three models later, I am still enamored with the Delica. It is practically perfect--thin, light, easy to open. With a full flat grind it is probably a better slicer than the standard model. With ZDP-189 it is a world class production knife. I don't like the VG-10 steel, but it is definitely decent. I am not thrilled with the exposed tang in the closed position. And the blade:handle stinks. Other than those three things, there is nothing bad here, and those three things are like complaining about Kate Upton's lip mole.
#2: SOG Mini Aegis
Color me shocked. After one bad experience after another with SOG's SAT pivot I was ready to throw in the towel. Good thing I didn't. This is an AWESOME knife. Complaints, hmmm, let me see, complaints....I'll let you know when I think of some. Oh...it runs a merely average steel, using AUS-8, but that's about it. Its a three inch blade that weighs two ounces. What else do you want? How about a price at or under $50. Pretty amazing. And then there is the deep carry clip. Very, very good SOG.
#1: Benchmade Mini Griptilian 555hg
The thumb stud version would rank behind the Delica, but the 555hg, with its thumb hole opener and sheepsfoot blade is awesome. I wish Benchmade would make their split arrow clip standard, as it would move the contact point out beyond the handle texturing and fix the only very small flaw I had with this knife. The Mini Grip 555hg is a knife anyone--workaday guy/gal or knife knut--can be happy with for a very, very long time. I love this knife and this is one reason why Benchmade is always in the discussion when someone asks for a recommendation. The knife also happens to weigh 2.56 ounces. Great, nearly perfect blade.
Here are some other notes, left over from the potential shootout that got to complicated.
Best Steel: 14C28N (on the Kershaw Leek)
Designed as a inexpensive steel just for Kershaw, this Sandvik steel is very good. In my use it has stacked up nicely to steels perceived as more premium, such as S30V.
Performance Ratios: SOG Mini Aegis
Nothing is really close here. 2 ounces in a 3 inch blade is kind of ridiculous. Super, super awesome.
Favorite Deployment: Thumb Hole (on the Mini Grip)
I like the thumb hole a lot, better than the flippers on both the M16 and the Leek and leaps and bounds better than the thumbstuds. The smoother pivot and less friction between the tang of the blade and the locking mechanism makes the Mini Grip smoother.
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First, let me define the standard bearer--this is the blade that rests in the hallowed spot in the market--above entry level but below the expensive enthusiast only blades. They usually have better than entry level steel, they have been in the company's line up a long time, they are frequently used in marketing campaigns, and they have roughly the same size. Often there are two models--a big and a small one (in sticking with my preference for smaller blades I systematically reviewed the smaller of the two or three standard bearer blades). They also have step up features, usually the company's signature technology. They are also the platform for sprint runs and variations. Finally, they are usually the company's best seller. These are the Honda Accord/Toyota Camries of the knife world.
Here are the standard bearer blades I have reviewed (in alphabetical order, no favorites yet):
I would have included the Gerber Instant on this list, but the week I was intending on buying one, they issued a recall because the lock failed on many models. Boker's line is too mixed up and Buck really hasn't figured out where to go yet. The Vantage line was good, but troubled. The 110 is great, but not exactly in the same league as these knives, design and features-wise. Victorinox makes a little thing called the Cadet, maybe you have heard of it, but again, not what I am looking at here.
So with no possibility of a coherent shootout here I am going to rank them from worst to best, with comment about why the knife is where it is on the list.
#6: Kershaw Leek
This Ken Onion design is long in the tooth. The newer Hindered models, like the Cryos and the Thermite are much better, but they don't have the history that the Leek does (the Cryo 1 in G10 would rank second or third, I am not sure). The Onion knives really put Kershaw on the map in the mid-90s. I wish they would have kept the Random Task in the line up as that is better knife than the Leek. I dislike the weak tension spring and the uber-thin tip. The pocket clip is meh. But this is still a worthy EDC. It is super slim and slices like the Devil. Its a bit chunkier than it needs to be thanks to the steel handles, but it is a darn good blade. Its worst here because the other knives are so damn good. Just like one of the Kardashian sisters has to be the smartest, one of these knives has to be the worst. Have I ever told you about my dream for an integral Leek with the Random Task blade shape? Oh it would be awesome.
#5: Cold Steel 3" Voyager
So with no possibility of a coherent shootout here I am going to rank them from worst to best, with comment about why the knife is where it is on the list.
#6: Kershaw Leek
This Ken Onion design is long in the tooth. The newer Hindered models, like the Cryos and the Thermite are much better, but they don't have the history that the Leek does (the Cryo 1 in G10 would rank second or third, I am not sure). The Onion knives really put Kershaw on the map in the mid-90s. I wish they would have kept the Random Task in the line up as that is better knife than the Leek. I dislike the weak tension spring and the uber-thin tip. The pocket clip is meh. But this is still a worthy EDC. It is super slim and slices like the Devil. Its a bit chunkier than it needs to be thanks to the steel handles, but it is a darn good blade. Its worst here because the other knives are so damn good. Just like one of the Kardashian sisters has to be the smartest, one of these knives has to be the worst. Have I ever told you about my dream for an integral Leek with the Random Task blade shape? Oh it would be awesome.
#5: Cold Steel 3" Voyager
Its a small knife with none of the benefits of being a small knife or a big knife with none of the benefits of being a big knife. As Anonymous A.D. pointed out in the comments on the review of this knife--it is a total afterthought in the Voyager line, which really starts at 3.5". But even an afterthought that weighs this much and runs the fabulous Demko Tri-Ad lock is really damn good. Its not too pricey either. If you need a beater for an EDC, look no further.
#4: CRKT M16
More features does not equal better performance and here nothing could be truer. The additional lock for the lock is as ridiculous as that phrase is describing it. The grind is really ugly and awkward. But the price is good, the handle is nice, and the flipper works like a charm. There is a reason this thing has sold like gloves in winter. Its the best of the "flawed" standard bearers. The rest are amazing knives and I am just picking nits, but even here the knife is special.
#3: Spyderco Delica
Ah, my first real knife and even now, three models later, I am still enamored with the Delica. It is practically perfect--thin, light, easy to open. With a full flat grind it is probably a better slicer than the standard model. With ZDP-189 it is a world class production knife. I don't like the VG-10 steel, but it is definitely decent. I am not thrilled with the exposed tang in the closed position. And the blade:handle stinks. Other than those three things, there is nothing bad here, and those three things are like complaining about Kate Upton's lip mole.
#2: SOG Mini Aegis
Color me shocked. After one bad experience after another with SOG's SAT pivot I was ready to throw in the towel. Good thing I didn't. This is an AWESOME knife. Complaints, hmmm, let me see, complaints....I'll let you know when I think of some. Oh...it runs a merely average steel, using AUS-8, but that's about it. Its a three inch blade that weighs two ounces. What else do you want? How about a price at or under $50. Pretty amazing. And then there is the deep carry clip. Very, very good SOG.
#1: Benchmade Mini Griptilian 555hg
The thumb stud version would rank behind the Delica, but the 555hg, with its thumb hole opener and sheepsfoot blade is awesome. I wish Benchmade would make their split arrow clip standard, as it would move the contact point out beyond the handle texturing and fix the only very small flaw I had with this knife. The Mini Grip 555hg is a knife anyone--workaday guy/gal or knife knut--can be happy with for a very, very long time. I love this knife and this is one reason why Benchmade is always in the discussion when someone asks for a recommendation. The knife also happens to weigh 2.56 ounces. Great, nearly perfect blade.
Here are some other notes, left over from the potential shootout that got to complicated.
Best Steel: 14C28N (on the Kershaw Leek)
Designed as a inexpensive steel just for Kershaw, this Sandvik steel is very good. In my use it has stacked up nicely to steels perceived as more premium, such as S30V.
Performance Ratios: SOG Mini Aegis
Nothing is really close here. 2 ounces in a 3 inch blade is kind of ridiculous. Super, super awesome.
Favorite Deployment: Thumb Hole (on the Mini Grip)
I like the thumb hole a lot, better than the flippers on both the M16 and the Leek and leaps and bounds better than the thumbstuds. The smoother pivot and less friction between the tang of the blade and the locking mechanism makes the Mini Grip smoother.
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