My question got answered by DCA! :D Thank you! I intended to ask about a beefier dedicated blade in addition to the Cadet, sorry for not clarifying. But now I'm sorely tempted to wear a multi-tool in a belt sheath and add a propeller hat to my outfit whenever possible. That Vosteed Nightshade is pretty cool, I haven't had a crossbar lock yet. Maybe I can find one I like with a sheepsfoot or that leaf-shaped blade and a cutesy color. And I agree with the point you made about how deliberately you open it makes a difference. Lots of good comments so far, too, I'm excited!
I have thought much (and bought much) about non-scary knives - and my favorites are: Spyderco Squeak/Urban - for non locking. I also enjoy the lil native if you want something fidgety. Knafs Banter & Civivi Baby Banter are also on my short list. I would also recommend the spyderco dragonfly... it is a little less traditional - but lots of colors.
As the resident "guy who opens the supplies" at work, I do think a bit about avoiding scaring the people around me. I've found that there's a couple of things that get less remarks: - Pointy tips, get remarks, regardless of size. I had a sub-3" Spyderco Byrd get someone quoting the Crocodile Dundee "this is a knife" bit at me. Sheepfoot blades, rounder bellies or a utility without a forward point gets by easier. - The reason traditional slipjoints seem less threatening is the deliberateness in opening. I've found you CAN open quickly but the key is having the blade NEAR the thing that you're intending to cut. If I put the blade right next to the box, pop it open, and then usually pinch grip it, people instinctively file it as "tool being used" not "open sharp thing waving around". That said, deliberateness in using blades around other people who don't have some sense of giving space to people using tools is a good thing!
If a knife scares the people you work with I'd carry a cold steel XL vaquero... I assume the people you work with don't have knives in the kitchen? What a soft society we have become.
Excellent points! Love it. I was that guy in a kitchen job, always unloading the truck and opening boxes, and an older lady looked at me like I was crazy over a knockoff Sebenza clone, which puzzled me greatly. Everyone in my church community did Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Most of the people in my neighborhood growing up went hunting or fishing. The thought that a pocket knife would get me side-eye hadn't even crossed my mind until then, but they grew up in a totally different culture. For some reason that experience stuck with me. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. Also, that was a job in a kitchen! So the same lady used our work knives to chop vegetables for our salad bar. Weird, I know.
I am 38 case pocket knives and all but one of them were bought in person the problem is ordering these things online it's a crapshoot you never know what you're going to get
Another less-ferocious looking knife feature is wood handles. An Opinel #6 or #8, most people will think you're cutting up lunch or getting ready to whittle like grandpa, but not many find them menacing. And of course points are generally a bad idea. Sheepsfoot knives are less alarming for folks as it's very easy to identify quickly if a knife has a "stab potential" or not.. If all that fails though, go with a utility knife / boxcutter. They're not cool or fidgety, but they're mostly looked upon as an office supply and are designed to have an amazing cutting geometry.
I love my slipjoint knives. Case knives have a special place in my heart. Nowadays I also love and appreciate modern slipjoints. I will never stop collecting slipjoints. I love 'em and use 'em.
I love my non locking UKPK's. They're super light, affordable, extremely practical, open and close one handed easily and safely, are finger safe with a forward choil, fun to collect, and open boxes like nobody's business. I don't understand why so many people are weird about non locking knives if they don't work trades or actually need something tactical. There are absolutely compelling needs for strong lockup, but most of us are opening packages, doing food prep, and fidgeting with our toys and I think we owe it to ourselves to be honest about that
I have to laugh at the ridiculous proliferation of weak-willed candy-mammbys in our society. I'm a school teacher, and my daily carry regimen is my Carbon Fiber Demko AD20.5 in my pocket (although I occasionally carry my K390 Endura) my Spyderco Enuff 2 in K390 carried scout style above my wallet, and my Glock 43X in the waistband with a Shield Arms S15 magazine and 2-20 rounders in my shoulder bag locked in the filing cabinet by my desk. Thank God for living in Utah, one of our only free states left.
For the Muggle friendly knife, I think the Spyderco Dragonfly is perfect! Great knife, small, functional and more suited to rolling out rather than flicking so it would be mostly unnoticed. I honestly don’t think the Bugout fits this because, while it isn’t a big knife, it isn’t quite as subtle as the Dragonfly. Thanks for the great video, DCA!
The original kershaw shuffle would be worth a try too. Both the shuffle and dragonfly come in funky colors as well, that seems to make people less uncomfortable.
@@Woolsocks Ooh, I do like those colors! And I'm currently making faces like that kombucha girl meme over the Shuffle II DIY, with the drill bits in the handle scales? Interesting...
Based on the title, the issue of are they worth it was never brought up or addressed in the video. They do have a serious QC issue but this was not talked about why?
They wouldn't bring it up because they sell them, but in my experience they have been much better in the past 5-6 years and I've only been burned once. I've heard many people say Rough Rider is just as good, but I've only had a single good one and every other example I've experienced was not only terrible but far worse than any flawed case I've had or seen. That one bad Case knife I've had was still a perfectly good knife. My only problem with them is the fact that they rarely use carbon steel on the knives I want with the handle materials I'm looking for. I want carbon steel and peachseed jigged amber bone.
My favorite slipjoint/non-threatening knife I carry is the Cold Steel Lucky Two. It's small, has a simple non-threatening look, made in Italy, and has both a plain and serrated S35 blade!
Victorinox are among the very least threatening I think (McGyver made us a favor) and one of the reason I EDC them so often. And I can choose the right size for the occasion as long as there are so many lenght ranges. If the 91 mm had some locking mechanism (but not the one of the 84 mm that gets in the middle of the grip, more like the Swiza maybe) and more premium steel options, I likely would end up rotating very few times to other pieces of my collection
For me another plus of having a non-locking knife in EDC is when someone asks to borrow. It's such a crapshoot which locks people will find intuitive or confusing - sooo many times I've had someone futz two-handed with a knife (backlock, linerlock, compression lock, button lock...) before awkwardly handing it back still open and point forward. I think DCA has commented before on this benefit of having a small SAK on hand.
dude their sodbusters are AWFUL. i literally got a cv steel one and the handle had a gouge in the plastic, there was a ton of gapping, there was a HUGE burr on the entire edge, the scales and back spring were ridiculously uneven, and worst of all the blade was not only off center but also warped or something because it literally bent off to the right on opening.
I love that jigged bone sod! So pretty amd such a fantastic blade shape for daily cutting! I'm not to much on traditionals but I do carry a sod Jr everyday on my hand bag. I love the sod pattern and the jigged bone ones are awesome! I'm really wishing someone would make an exact sod and sod Jr pattern slippy in a steel like K390 or M4... ide be in love
Four things: 1. Grind the back springs, spacers, and handles flush. 2. Square off the spring ends and tangs. 3. Center the blades. 4. Stop over tumbling the blades. All of these are easily doable and will put Case back in the game.
Dear DCA Thomas Seth V and Seth V's Moustache, (please note that was facial hair envy / admiration). I have a question which perhaps you might be able to answer. Recently I bought an about house beater of a folder. Because of the level of abuse such a knife was likely to get I decided to go cheap, to my amazement a knife termed (I believe) a gas station knife in the US and costing below £20 was not horrible, in fact beside being heavy the cross bar lock is good, there is no play in it, one hand opening using the cross bar worked great out of the box the ergonomics are fantastic, the blade which is about 3.5 inches has a choil which is really well shaped and discrete, acres of belly and a thumb scallop in the back so you cant get further out on the blade, there is clearance so when using a cutting board your knuckles don't drag etc. it's just well made and thought out. The steel is a bit pants 3Cr 13 but at less than £20 and the purpose I got it for that's acceptable to me. So here is my question, it's a good design and not badly made for what it is. Do more significant brands ever "buy" the design rights to a mega cheapo folder and then put the same thing together with better materials and finish? Just for the record I have not bought a G**zo, I have ethical problems with buying that brand.
Dad was an electrician and handyman. Carried a case peanut for decades. Sharpened them until there was almost no blade left. I still have them even though they’re not useful. Case is THE classic American pocketknife, even more than Buck.
None - threatening I would go with the Free P4 I've carried mine since it came out, never had anything but curiosity and positive comments about it. And it's not black and has a lower price than the arc.
Most all modern designed knives are single blade knives. Traditional slip joint knives advantage over modern knives is providing more than one blade style. Providing a better suited blade design for the cutting purpose intended. 🤔
Love the old fashioned clip joints. My favorites are Boker and Case. These knives are high quality with exceptional craftsmanship. Some of the brand new trapper series were actually made in the 50's, 60's and 70's and were still on the shelf. Just bought a Boker with 5" folding blades with Damscus steel for only $100.
For a non-threatening folder, I like a Ka-Bar Dozier folding hunter. They come in a lot of colors, are pretty generic looking and they are a good value.
Can confirm the Eldris gets an easy pass. I’m a teacher in a small school and teach outdoor Ed so I often need a knife but need it to be clearly not a weapon. The Eldris is great it fits easy in a pouch or pocket and only has gotten comments about how useful and cute it is lol.
How to not scare the non-knife folk : pink knives are really great for that. The Spyderco Dragonfly, Native or Para 3 LW work well in pink to not scare. People will only focus on the fact that the handle is pink and often say "ohhh, cute" rather that "ahhh, knife".
17:03 Fun fact almost nobody seems to know: Steel rods are there to straighten back up a deformed edge, specifically on thin kitchen knife edges. (Because it is lightning fast, which is especially great in a work-environment-kitchen. And you also save material, because you don't necessarily have to take off material via sharpening / honing / stropping. Saves a lot of time and material in the long run, but not really needed at home. I like to have a pocket steel-"whetting"-rod near me though, because if I can straighten back up an edge instead of creating a new one, I will do that instead.)
And yes, you do move the blade on it as if you were stropping; direction-wise. Unlike ceramic rods, which you use like a regular sharpening stone; direction-wise.
Usually I take care not to deform an edge though, so I also prefer to just one on white (very fine) ceramic and smoothen things out even more with a pocket strop without compound.
Differently worded, but the same sentiment about non-locking knives. They're a great teaching tool for knife safety. Especially the ones with backsprings. Teaches you to get your fingers out of the way when closing it as they can be a bit unpredictable to new users with their propensity to close. Also can teach about "angle of attack" for lack of a better phrase. You stab a knife into something perpendicular to the ground, the blade has a high chance to fold back onto you. Angling the knife can drastically reduce that from happening. Generally speaking, those cuts are easier to continue, and add less stress to a knife if it does have a lock.
Slipjoints are still great. $70 for Case knife rivaled by Rough Ryder in quality, materials and construction is not great. The "Tree branded" Bokers are the best value in my eyes right now.
I've had a tree brand xl sodbuster with ebony scales for 40 years. I love that knife, carbon steel and worked wet and manure-y farm life the whole time
I used to carry benchmade 42 46 or 43 balisongs. Now I carry large Case Copperlocks. There's so many to choose and collect. Also like the tiny trappers.
6 месяцев назад
Very interesting question these (non/least threatening knives), maybe a more complete video on these subject can be useful
Get him to Moras. If the carbon steel blade rusts while in his possession, consider it a cheap lesson in purchase one of his choosing and stainless. 154 cm 14 C28N are solid budget choices.
Bluntly - a lot of folks seem to spend a lot of time thinking about the 'least aggressive looking blade' and not enough thinking about how they present the rest of themselves. I appreciate that some of those variables can be outside of our control depending on what your local LEOs profile you by, sadly. But, y'know, you can buy the friendliest cutting tool on the market and then dress like the Unabomber and you're gonna have a problem...
Well, for what it's worth, I'm no longer at this job where I had someone worried about my knife. But I also had somebody else at that job comment that I had the sweetest customer service voice, and they all loved me for that, but when the customer service mask slipped off and I went back to work, my face went back to Resting-Bitch-Face-Mode. For whatever that's worth. I try not to dress like the Unabomber, or even pretend that I'm smart like he was. Although one of the most hilarious footnotes I've ever seen in all of academia was when someone cited the "Elegant proof of T. J. Kaczynski [1]" in their mathematics paper, with footnote [1] reading "Better known for other work."
@@mugsofmirth8101 perhaps he used a SAK to strip the wires 😛 One of the edgier influencer channels could do a comparison video, "best multitool for constructing an IED". @tylerthansen I've seen that citation, it's one of my favourites too! Up there with that Arctic expedition Wiki edit-war over the penguin photo caption (that should be enough info to Google it with if you're not familiar, I can't remember the specific article). I didn't mean to suggest every person asking that question neglects to consider the rest of their appearance, I admit it was a sweeping generalisation. It just always brings to mind the people who go on about "grey man" & dress entirely in literal grey 5.11 err'thing 😆 Of course you're right, it's still an entirely fair thing to consider in circumstances where you've really covered everything else & are still getting hassled.
I have a whole case full of Case knives. I have 2 that I consider acceptable. The rest are bad to extremely bad. I can't recommend anyone buy one of their knives. I also carry a SodBuster jr every day, but I've got a lot of work into it to fix the problems it came with. The blade is still warped but I was able to get it to stop rubbing the liner, it came with huge gaps that i closed up some, and you couldnt cut butter with it or poke it through wet toilet paper. With Case prices going up, they have to step up their qc.
Really like that yellow bone from Case. For a less scary knife wood handles are a good option. It gives the knife a classic look which could be less intimidating. Brass and copper might also be good options, although they can be heavy. A smaller knife can help too. Great video DCA!
I don’t know if different online dealers get preferential treatment, but I’ve had great luck over the years with Shepherd Hills. I’ve got a feeling that since they are case brand only they might get preferential treatment when it comes to quality control.
Looking for a knife for my daughter in scouts. 3 inches or less, locking, prefer finger safe (not liner or frame lock), easy to maintain and in the sub $50 range. Maybe $75 if needed.
I’ve got about every sod buster model ever made and it’s my favorite model. Unfortunately the ones with a nicer handle material are not for use. If you do anything more than opening an envelope with them there will be immediately extreme blade play. They are nice to collect but not to use.
I love all knife types and have a number of Case and Buck Traditional slipjoints. I would say the number 1 would be the Stockman be it a small, medium, or large/jumbo. And I know that the Stockman isn't just a Case brand model but it and the Trapper are 2 of the highest produced models. My only complaint with the stockman would be the Spay blade. While at one time it was extremely handy, I think a scissor option might make it more useful in the modern times. Lets face it, companies like Victorinox are adding the scissors layer to a large number of their knives. As for the Dogsleg Jack for the Pug, while comical, it is a top flipper which tends to be opened by the thumb of a human. You also used your thumb to close it. Yes, this is technical knit picking but this is the most serious of questions after all.
I been looking at case knives and was told a medium stockman is a good choice which ive not handled yet, but i like the canoe style also because my gf has her grandfather's case canoe knife I've looked at and handled a few times which also fits nice in the hand but can't dicide what to get.
Yes case knifes are still good I normally use a stockman or a trapper. I like the stockman because i can normally keep the long blade clean if i need it to eat or cook with or cut off a pice of plug chewing tobacco. The otheres work wonders as box openers, making steers cleaning deer or hogs. Cutting a tangled main. Striping wire. They been a solid choice for over 100 years
I wanted a Case medium stockman and found a local dealer. I found one that looks great, but the spring fails to firmly "click" the blades into position. It's perfectly functional, but I was disappointed in its lack of "walk and talk." Also, the clip point blade does not have a sharp point.. I can poke my fingers with it without hurting.. At $79, I can't say it's worth the price, but I bought it anyway.
If you get a good case knife, they're great. The problem is a complete lack of quality control. I would never, ever buy a Case knife from Knifecenter or any other online store for that reason. The reject rate is just too high. Fortunately, there are a couple of local hardware stores that are big Case dealers and they let me pick through the stock to get a knife whose blades are reasonably centered, that don't scrape on the liners, that don't have ridiculous gaps between the scales and liners, that have good snap, etc. Eight out of ten that I look at are ridiculously bad. You can't buy online with that kind of quality control, it would take a year of buying and returning over and over before you'd get a good one. I usually carry Spyderco knives but my dad bought a couple of Case Trappers last year and gave me one. I like it, he picked good ones, and I've been carrying it nearly every day. Its a great knife, takes a razor edge, holds it decently, is less scary looking to non-knife people when I have to use it. I just wish Case would get their QC up to decent standards so buying them wasn't such a painful experience!
I find my Viper Turns are well received by "Muggles." Most of them actually seem to appreciate the elegance and statement more than the tactical-gentleman vibe it really gives off. The elegance and gentleman shine more than the tactical in the non-initiated crowds... And I work at a church BTW...
DCA: For a change of pace, instead of "non-threatening" blades, what would you consider the most threatening/intimidating looking blade? Could you suggest at least two, a two-handed blade and a one-handed blade? Here are some limitations: fixed blade, minimum of 4.5" blade, and not the carcass splitter (since we see it frequently).
I get what you mean about knives with strange shapes being less intimidating, but I think the nightshades strange shape in particular might make it more intimidating. The least intimidating knife in my opinion is the boker mermaid. You know why.
Hey DCA and Co. My son turns 10 this year, and for sometime now I've said I'll buy him his first knife. Fixed blade of cause. He's been using my Tops Scandi trekker to do some basic carving and really likes my Finnish puukkos. I was thinking around 3" stainless would be best. Willing to spend $50-60 for something a little special. Thanks and keep up the stellar work.
To start, thank you for the in hand look at so many knives. It is nice to see animated "reviews" vs still photos. I also appreciate the opinion of your Knife center team, to that what knives did you, Seth and Thomas put in your collections for 2023? Quantify as you wish, and, maybe what has your eye, early on in 2024. Note, I too am smitten by the We Equivik. Thanks
I always enjoy your videos, but your case, selections, as being specific, to case, were interesting to say the least! The sodbuster is a pattern that is over 400 years old, and seems to have begun life in Germany/Austria. Case, trademarked the name in 1967, And their name has become synonymous with the pattern, but the pattern is by no means synonymous with case. The peanut is again an old pattern that has been made by many companies. The Seahorse Whitler is a name unique to case, but the pattern is the original Joseph Rodgers wharncliffe Patton of 1830. It is still made today in Sheffield. As far as I’m aware, big copper lock is unique to case, as it is a development of the widely made copperhead.
Thats what I heard but not actually handled one yet, thinking on getting a slipjoint but not sure if I should go with case or rough rider. I have handled a case knife a few times
Buck 110 or 112 and add a thumb stud for the least threatening one handed opening but heavier duty than a 91mm SAK. My second choice would be similar to the Rescue Tool but any of those large Victorinox knives with one handed opening in red would be pretty unthreatening. I feel like non-knife people just think red knife = SAK and is acceptable.
Some money-clip type knives have a large enough blade for a wide variety of tasks. I have a Katz that I used to carry on airplanes prior to 9/11. With some dead presidents clipped,nobody paid attention to it in the dish, and you could skin a whitetail with if need be
hey DCA and Thomas what's a good first knife for a 7yo girl it's gotta be pink was thinking a black and pink spyderco but now the wife is saying maybe a traditional would be safer so I'm leaning towards the pink opinel any other input would be greatly appreciated. love the content I've been watching from the beginning
I sell knives, swords, axes, etc at farmers markets and special events. I see some folks scared to even cone up to the booth ( i keep all my knives in open position in a case with a plexiglass top) I just don't get it!
It is weird! I asked this question because of an awkward experience I had a couple years ago. I was working in a kitchen, and I was always the guy unloading the truck and opening boxes, and an older lady looked at me like I was crazy over a knockoff Sebenza clone, which puzzled me greatly. Everyone in my church community did Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Most of the people in my neighborhood growing up went hunting or fishing. The thought that a pocket knife would get me side-eye hadn't even crossed my mind until then, but they grew up in a totally different culture. For some reason that experience stuck with me. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. Also, that was a job in a kitchen! So the same lady used our work knives to chop vegetables for our salad bar. Weird, I know. I don't pretend to understand, but I'd like to be considerate of others to a degree, y'know?
current production case slipjoints are NOT worth paying for. they have WORSE quality control and fit and finish than $14 rough ryder knives made in china, and cost 3-4 times as much and sometimes even more.
Hey David, I've been wondering what would be better for camping and bushcraft, a big knife like the Joker 6.5 Nomad, or an axe? I've got other knives like the Benchmade Leuku and Puukko, and the Mora Garberg. I'd really appreciate some recommendations. Also, if you could throw in an extra suggestion for a tactical/camping/bushcraft knife, either fixed or folding, that would be great too.
The Case black synthetic jack knife #22087 and its siblings with different scale options never gets any love and is in my opinion the classic American pocket knife style and only slightly larger than the Peanut. I get knife catalogs from a Case only retailer all the time and even they almost never have the Case Jack knife in their catalogs.
Hi DCA and Crew! I am hoping this question can be answered for an upcoming video! I'm putting together a Medieval Style Costume for the upcoming Renaissance Faire (in April) and would like to complete my costume with a Dagger on my hip. Any recommendations? Price range preferably sub $150. Thank you
