Design wise, I think the strongest folder design I've seen is the Scott Cook Lochsa. Very similar to the Sebenza design, but the entire handle is one piece of milled titanium. That means there is really only one screw/bolt used in the entire assembly; at the pivot. Therefore, it can be made extremely strong just by using more metal, since there is very little to fail.

As far as the actual strongest production folding knife, I have no idea, as there have been a lot of pretty amazing designs both past and present. However, I will say that if I was looking for a hard use knife it would be a fixed blade, especially a Busse/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard fixed blade. A folder is always a compromise of strength compared to a fixed blade.

I don't know.

Most reputable manufacturers produce folding knives that are entirely strong enough for just about any practical field use. I wouldn't worry about it. If you are stressing a knife so hard that your in danger of breaking it your using it wrong. You need to forget about trying to use a knife and invest in a splitting froe or crowbar.

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I have two Cold Steel Pocket Bushmans. One in each emergency kit. I like it. It is a crude, inexpensive knife, but if I ever need it, it will work.

The lock is bomb proof. I think the only way to get the lock to fail would be for the pivot bolt to separate from the handle. It is damned hard to unlock even when you want to.

The handle is comfortable enough to use. The edges are round enough. If I were in a situation where I was using it heavily and wasn't wearing gloves, I can imagine wrapping the handle with cord or tape and treating it like a fixed blade. The way it locks up that's not unreasonable.

I haven't done any prying with one, but have batoned some fire wood. No problems.

It's an inexpensive knife. The blade is not made of super steel. It doesn't take or hold a razor edge, but it does the job. No chips in my use. There's a Sterling knife sharpener in each emergency kit as well. I'd never touch that thing to a good knife, but it sharpens the Pocket Bushman just fine.

It's half the size of an equivalent fixed blade and has proved tough enough to do what I want it to do. It's inexpensive enough that stuffing it in the emergency kit where it may never be used again doesn't seem a waste. As a folder it is less intimidating to LEOs. It is not a tactical-looking knife; actually it looks like an Opinel. Aside from the sheer size--it's a big damn knife--it is not very threatening looking, which is a good thing IMHO.

It is a good, inexpensive alternative to a medium fixed blade for an emergency kit. I can imagine some rough use situations where it would be appropriate for regular use, but not for me. My EDC is a Bradley Alias 2 which is pretty much at the opposite end of the folder spectrum.

And with surgical precision. What knife did you use?;-)

Welcome Grahund, I take it you have one or more of the greatest dogs in the entire world living at your house?

JohnE

Welcome Newguy!!!

Welcome. It does sound like the 40MPH couch potato dog doesn't it.

Do you or anyone else have any idea what kind of steel this knife uses? I like it's cheap price and solid construction, but I hate, hate, hate when a steel is labeled with nothing more than 'stainless' or '420 series stainless'.

In this case it is labeled 420 series. Anyone know if that is A, B or C? If C I would consider one, but otherwise not.

The Pocket Bushman has only been used for testing to verify its utility. Once I was satisfied they weren't junk I put them in the emergency kits. If I need surgical precision in an emergency and don't have my EDC, I have the scalpel in the AMK PSK.

And yes, I have one of the greatest dogs ever lying on the floor next to me. He's a sable working line GSD, called a "gray dog" in Germany.

Thanks for the welcome, OBG. (I've been lurking and leaning the lingo.)