I am a city guy, retirement age, with aching knees and aging eye sight. However, I am a very busy non-stop handyman type of guy.

If I was going to buy a fixed blade and a folder that can "save the day" as they say, if I was stupid enough to get myself into whatever kind of trouble. What is the knife going to be ??

Have been thinking of the Coldsteel SRK knife, but not sure about the folder

Any good multi-tool would work if it had the tools you need. I do like a one hand opening capability as I always seem to be holding in one hand what I need to work on and pulling the tool out with the other. It gets awkward. However, my Swiss Army Ranger gets a lot of use.

Depending on what cities you are in or will travel to, the fixed blade can be problematic, even if not illegal. I like the SRK, but might choose a shorter knife.

I'm an unabashed Leatherman fan. The Wave+ is outstanding.

On the higher end from Cold Steel, I'm a big fan of Bradford Knives for a fixed blade.

Give us a clue on where to start. There are lots of options in steel, price point, size... I’d recommend stainless steel rather than carbon steel because being a city guy this knife will likely just sit in your bag getting no use or care, and stainless blades should be fine.

For the fixed blade I’d recommend a Mora Companion in Stainless, not because it’s the best knife available, but because it’s a good knife that’s inexpensive and won’t set you back when you decide you need to step up. There are lots of better knives but not at that price. A lot of folks in this forum like Mora knives.

Folders? A single blade locking folder or a multiple blade slip-joint?

Check out Doug Ritter RSK® MK1-G2 a Knifeworks Exclusive. As I understand a % of the price goes to support this forum.

I am a fan of Mora knives. I own several, the first dating from the 1970's. Extremely inexpensive, there are some models that cost more (almost $80!!) I also have several RSK Mk5's, which inhabit many of my kits.

For folders, it is hard to beat the traditional Buck 110,although it is a bit heavy for my taste. Recently, lighter weight (and cheaper) models are on the market.

my go to appliance is a Leatherman Skeletool, which gives me a couple of screwdrivers and pliers, along with a quality 3" blade. Alwaya EDC where permitted.

I am not a fan of the over hyped, over priced "Rambo" blades which seem to be everywhere.

There should be many comments on this topic...

Concur, a Buck 110 is a great place to start in a locking folder. I recently found my second Buck 110 (circa 1988). My first Buck 110 was from 1972 but my father liked it so much...

Here are some options:

Rustick 4 Inch

TCT PEC

CRKT SIWI

The CRKT SIWI is the mass produced version of the TCT PEC. Both of those knife makers (Rustick and TCT) are friends of mine, just for full disclosure.

And I do agree with Hikermor that Moras are excellent for the price.

Thanks everyone


Well, here are a few pointers

# We can leave the law consideration here because I am not going to carry it on my person. Most likely it would be sitting in a bag in the car trunk until needed.

# The fixed blade may be most likely used in improvising stuff in urban setups

# I live in a city that is humid, and hot (not in the U.S.)

# About steel type ..etc. The knife should be able to take rough treatment. If I had to choose between harder and softer steel, I choose softer. If it bends under heavy use I can hammer it and un-bend it

In all honesty, my vision of the knife purpose is very blurry. It all has to do with the fact that I am expecting lots of hard work and hard circumstances (on the personal level) some 1.5 years from now, and decided that a good knife has to be on my side to rely on when life decides to squeeze my wits again. If I am in the middle of a home construction project, and my knee collapses again, I may need to fashion some crutches for example. But before you laugh, I do have two canes in the trunk, and now I am adding two real crutches, but that was an example where a knife can be handy.

Just in case you may ask : what it is you are worried about when you are in a city. People are around you all the time.

Well, a few years ago, when I was younger and dumber, I did spend time supervising our first home being built. I was alone inside the construction area, but had a "batman belt" carrying a cell phone, a multitool ..etc. with whistle around my neck. Something did collapse on me and I was pinned under for about 15 minutes. Wasn't too serious and I had the cell phone to call if I needed , but I freed myself.

Now, I am many years older, with poor knees and much less fitness level. I have to rely more on tools to save the day. And the most important would be a knife.

Make sure your multi tool has a saw. I like the metal saw/file on the SAK Ranger; I have used it a good bit.

A partial serration on the fixed blade makes cutting through rope and straps easier.

You might consider keeping a small prybar (6-8 inch length or so) handy. I don't always have one handy, but they are great tools when prying is required and they are small enough to keep handy.

This post and the one that follows seem to be something of a non sequitur
and
A great knife, fixed, folder or pry bar will not be of any use if it’s sitting in a bag in your car trunk while you are pinned down and can’t get to it.

You need to work out your actual needs/requirements and how you intend to have it ready for use and at the same time legal. Nothing is perfect, but consider the legalities of wherever you happen to be and how that dovetails with your needs.

You caught me there, Russ. LOL
I admit being clumsy with words sometimes because I try not to elaborate on many details, fearing the post will become lengthy and people become bored

Those two phrases are not contradictory in reality. What I meant actually was that I will not be taking the knife on my person when I go around town, however, in places where I think I may need it (like in my own construction site, my own home, when I am alone) I will put the knife on my "batman belt" with other tools.

One of the other details I have failed to mention is that cell phone reception may be compromised. Although it is a city environment, and cell phone towers are everywhere, but the construction site itself makes a micro-environment that may not receive cell phone signal, and thus increases the risk of a survival situation. Due to the high temp in our area, I have designed the outside walls of the house to consist of a sandwich of two brick walls and a 2-inch sheet of foam in between. This is great for temperature insulation, and great for AC to work efficiently, but it is bad for cell phone signal.

So, if I am inside and something goes wrong, my cell phone may not send or receive very well. And this is why I need to have adequate preps and tools on my person, when I am inside, and alone.

1+ on the multi-tool. I have been carrying one for over 30 years and find it useful many times a day. Currently I have 3 leatherman tools.

Favorite is the Wave. I really like the file and diamond "blade". The saw works well. I used it yesterday to make a restraining device for an antenna, opened several boxes, cut some very fibrous plants with the serrated blade, used the screwdriver to repair a door at a friends and more. Mine is an older one without the hex tool support but that is not an issue for me.

The Rebar model has a different cut on the file which I do not like as well as the Wave. However the Rebar has replaceable cutting blades on the wire cutter so it resides with my field electronics gear.

The third is an original leatherman which I purchased a few weeks after they were first introduced. I keep it in my desk more as a retirement home for a good friend. It has seen me through many a difficulty.

I won't leave home without one.

+1 on the multitool

The reason I still need more knives is that knife is my most used tool of the bunch. So, I hate to overburden the multitool's blade. Plus if a separate folding knife is broken, it can be replaced easier than a blade on a multitool.

So, Buck 110 will be added to my batman belt. But I am still undecided about the fixed blade.

What do you think of the Gerber Strong Arm ??

Thanks Montanero

These knives are fine, actually too fine for me.
I like to lean on the budget side.

I carried the first Leatherman, the PSK, for many years,starting in 1985, Came in very handy on many occasions, some of which were critical.

A PSK with a locking blade and the ability to utilize a Bit kit would be a very fine multitool indeed.

OK, so finally I decided on the Mora Companion, and the Buck 110

Thanks

Oh no! You really should spend more than that! Who gve you those low end possibilities, anyway?

Try this: https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CULZHIM...d-mokume-inlays

For a mere $4,295 you can have a really nice blade with a mirror finish - and for an additional $3800 they will furnish a fine fixed blade.

The wild variation in knife prices never ceases to amaze me. I am confident your choices will serve you well.

$4,295!? I hope they take internal organs as payment!

I pass. I want to keep both kidneys.

Jeanette Isabelle

Some people buy knives as collectors, and some are users
While I may admire the beauty of some knives, but I am a practical user, and will not spend this kind of money on any knife.

Decision made already, but I want to ask you guys. There are some "sharpened pry-bars" out there. Half-knife, half prybar. How practical are they ?? Do you know people who use them ??? A few years ago County Comm used to sell those. Can they beat a knife in any situation ???

Here is an example

https://countycomm.com/products/eod-robotics-breacher-bar

They are good prybars. They cost more than normal ones because they are designed for Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) specialists. They are non-ferrous and non-sparking. You can find excellent prybars at a hardware store, a little larger and you can sharpen one part if you think you need it, and much cheaper. I would not, however, count on those prybars replacing a knife. They are sharpened to get into tight cracks or dig through wood or masonry.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dasco-Pro-Pry-Bar-Set-3-Piece-91/202585548

For everyday use,I have found pieces from this set quite useful, more so even than the County Comm items which i also have. Quite cheap and good to pry with, saving stress on your knife blade. Similar sets are available from many other suppliers.

I have a 21 oz. Vaughn Framing Hammer with Fiberglass Handle paired with a 12 inch Stanley Wonder Bar; the 15” Wonder Bar is a good choice too. They can do much more demolition used together than either one alone. Other hammer weights and pry bar lengths can be substituted according to taste. The 16” handle on the claw hammer comes into play once the pair get started.

IMO, FG handles are much easier on your wrists than the steel handle of the Estwing and they’re tougher than wood.