Quality pocket knife where to buy?

[CecilM]

If you’re willing to pay the price:

http://ddknives.com
has the best selection in Thailand. 
 

He’s good to deal with. 
 

Note that carrying a knife in TH is illegal, so don’t whip it out in public to slice up some fruit. (Yes, I see Thai knife enthusiasts carrying pocket knives. Yes, I see people using pockets knives. Yes, farmers openly carry machetes. All true. But the law is the law and we’re guests here. And you don’t want your expensive blade confiscated.)

[Yellowtail]

1 minute ago, huangnon said:

Copies or fakes. The real Buck knives (made outside US under license) start at around 1,500THB (40 USD).

I carried one a Buck 112 Ranger from '75-'88. great knife. Looks like about $65 in the US and $76 on Lazada, sounds about right. 

 

มีด BUCK112 มีดด้ามไม้ที่คนทั้วโลกรู้จักและนิยมใช้ ของแท้ ผลิตUSA.(ขนาดเล็ก) ใบมีดเหล็ก420HC | Lazada.co.th

[sapson]

Are you a hunting, fishing, camping, arm wrestling all action sort of guy? or do you just like to carry a knife at the ready in the urgent need to peel some fruit.... during a round of golf.

[Yellowtail]

1 minute ago, sapson said:

Are you a hunting, fishing, camping, arm wrestling all action sort of guy? or do you just like to carry a knife at the ready in the urgent need to peel some fruit.... during a round of golf.

So, no knife in your man-bag then? 

[sapson]

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

So, no knife in your man-bag then? 

No I always carry a spanner and a rope ladder in case of an urgent need to adjust my nuts or make a quick exit.

[RocketDog]

12 minutes ago, huangnon said:

Copies or fakes. The real Buck knives (made outside US under license) start at around 1,500THB (40 USD).

Of course you are correct. I think Yellowtail was being facetious.

[Lacessit]

Check out Opinel knives, they come in various sizes. The blade ( high carbon steel ) holds an edge much longer than stainless.

Locking ring, folds into a wooden handle. Originally from the Savoy region of France.

[wwest5829]

17 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Lost my mother of pearl copperlock at Dubai airport security....

 

 

 

Had two things confiscated over the years. Both I had forgotten had been in my roll-on in a misc. bag with a bit of emergency things. Folding lock blade knife immediately replaced after return home. The latest my "Leatherman Tool" which I had flown with in the roll-on many times. This time out going from BKK on the way to the USA this year.

[BusyB]

19 hours ago, Mahseer said:

Yes I am looking for a quality knife. I managed to loose my previous one which I had for 12 years in India couple of months back and more than willing to pay the cost of a suitable replacement.

 

I will check Star Dome on Thursday, thanks folks.

Always sad to lose a knife with history.

[HarrySeaman]

3 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I just looked, Buck knives that sell for $50-100 in the US are only $4 on Lazada, great prices! 

I was tired of the small cheap pocket knives I had bought in Thailand that wouldn't keep an edge so I bought a 2" blade locking Buck knife at a hardware store in Merritt Island, FL back in 2002.  I paid a small fortune for it but it is not one bit better than the cheap ones for keeping an edge.  The blade does lock open so it can't accidentaly fold up and cut my hand so that is what I carry now.

 

Just be aware that the police may deem a pocket knife a weapon and they can arrest you for carrying a weapon.  If they do find a small blade pocket knife they most likely will confiscate it and charge you a small fine.

 

Having a large blade like a machete under your car seat is an entirely different matter.  A few years ago a couple on the way to Swampy got stopped for speeding and the police searched the car.  They found a Swiss Army Knife in the glove compartment and arrested them.  Fines and a missed flight.

 

I have a couple of old Cambodian army swords that adorned my walls in BKK for years.  I bought them in the Russian Market in Phnom Phen in 2002 along with a set of three cheap knock off Japanese type swords and stand for a friend.  They wrapped them all up in newspaper and taped it closed.  They wouldn't fit in my suitcase so like an idiot I carried the package on board the plane.  It was after 7/11 but no questions were being asked in Phnom Phen yet.  Once I collected my suitcase I headed out of the airport only to get stopped by the guards, who asked what the package was.  I slurred my voice and very quickly said the word, "Swords.".  The guard didn't understand so he asked again, with the same results.  When he asked again I realized I could have a problem so I very slowly and carefully said, "Take to US."  He said okay and waved me on.  Lesson learned, don't try carrying swords onto an airplane. ????

 

 

[Mahseer]

Made it out to the Archery shop and the young lady just handed me the entire box of Buck knives to search through. Unfortunately for me the vast majority came with a clip attached which I am not interested in but did buy a smaller sized lock knife which didn't come with a sheaf or even a sheath but will do for my upcoming trip. Many thanks to Dante99 & Folkguitar.

 

Search to resume for the perfect knife when I return from India.

 

Thanks for all recommendations folks.

 

 

[mikecha]

hi i going to switzerland next week returning in 2 weeks  make contact with me i would bring u one back no problem

[Mahseer]

42 minutes ago, mikecha said:

hi i going to switzerland next week returning in 2 weeks  make contact with me i would bring u one back no problem

Appreciate the offer but I'll be off on my travels when you return plus I'd much prefer buying locally just so I can inspect. 

[FolkGuitar]

Invest in a 'Benchmade' brand with an Omega spring/Axis Lock. A medium-priced one will run about $200 U.S, and be worth every penny. You can remove the pocket clip if you don't want it, or switch it to the other side if you so choose. The axis lock mechanism is virtually bomb-proof so your fingers are safe. It holds an edge forever if you change the angle to 20 degrees, and keeps its value if you wish to sell it later.

From your OP, it sounds as if the Mini-Griptilian would be a perfect fit for you! 

 

[Bill97]

3 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

Invest in a 'Benchmade' brand with an Omega spring/Axis Lock. A medium-priced one will run about $200 U.S, and be worth every penny. You can remove the pocket clip if you don't want it, or switch it to the other side if you so choose. The axis lock mechanism is virtually bomb-proof so your fingers are safe. It holds an edge forever if you change the angle to 20 degrees, and keeps its value if you wish to sell it later.

From your OP, it sounds as if the Mini-Griptilian would be a perfect fit for you! 

 

Like that recommendation.

Why do you like the sheepsfoot blade compared to a drop point?  Droppoint has serrated too, do you like that?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[FolkGuitar]

1 hour ago, Bill97 said:

Like that recommendation.
1. Why do you like the sheepsfoot blade compared to a drop point?  

2. Droppoint has serrated too, do you like that?

Thanks for your advice.

 

1.  Actually, I prefer a drop-point, but it sounds as if the OP needs a rather small-frame knife, and that's what came to mind.

I like a Droppint for 'looks,' rather than purpose.  Truth be told, my favorite is the slight recurve and belly of the Benchmade 710 Axis lock, but that's been out of production for years. I lost one here in Chiang Mai last year that I'd carried for the past 20 years. Fortunately, when I bought that one, I bought two!  ????

2. Today, it seems that most quality knives can be bought with almost any blade style and configuration. Personally, I have no 'need' for a serrated edge, and it only gets in my way of getting a hair-whittling edge on a blade.  While obviously any shape will 'cut' anything, rope and cordage cut better with a serrated edge, push-cutting is best done with a Sheepsfoot or Wharncliff shape, but they have a relatively narrow-use range, while recurve blades give the longest edge vs blade length.

Because this is this forum, let me edit to say that a serrated edge actually does give a longer edge surface to a blade, but does not give smooth cutting the way a non-serrated edge will do.

Edited July 13, 2023 by FolkGuitar

[jchfriis]

May not be what the OP is looking for, but I wanted to show my favourite knife. It's a Laguiole, bought in France in the late 70's. Wasn't cheap then and today they start at about 100 Euros. It's still tack sharp.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

If you want QUALITY, which was mentioned several times already, then I would go with this:

You can order here in Asia, probably with speedy delivery, too.

Such a beauty, and I would not consider ANYTHING else, in fact...

 

 

[Yellowtail]

6 hours ago, jchfriis said:

May not be what the OP is looking for, but I wanted to show my favourite knife. It's a Laguiole, bought in France in the late 70's. Wasn't cheap then and today they start at about 100 Euros. It's still tack sharp.

 

Looks similar to the old Case "Texas Toothpick":

 

[FolkGuitar]

5 hours ago, jchfriis said:

May not be what the OP is looking for, but I wanted to show my favourite knife. It's a Laguiole, bought in France in the late 70's. Wasn't cheap then and today they start at about 100 Euros. It's still tack sharp.

 

Laguiole knives truly are very high quality knives! Each is hand-made, start to finish. Even the Bee on the lever-lock is individually hand cut, as is the jimping on the spine of the blade. The knife blades are now made of high-quality, high-carbon Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. Laguiole is world famous for it line of fine table knives and bar accessories, not just its pocket knives.

 

Between Laguiole at the very high end, and simple Opinel at bottom the low end, France has the pocket knife field well represented!

(I consider Opinel the very best 'value' in the entire pocket knife line. Like the 'Mora' for fixed-blades, the Opinel give the most knife for the dollar spent. The Opinel blade steel takes an incredibly sharp and long-lasting edge, yet can be bought for Less than $10 for the smaller sizes.  I carry an Opinel when traveling so if confiscated, I only lose a few bucks.)

[FolkGuitar]

6 hours ago, jchfriis said:

May not be what the OP is looking for, but I wanted to show my favourite knife. It's a Laguiole, bought in France in the late 70's. Wasn't cheap then and today they start at about 100 Euros. It's still tack sharp.

 

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Looks similar to the old Case "Texas Toothpick":

 

 

Case made some excellent 'trade' knives, and still does today. The big differences between that Laguiole and this Case are the steel used for the blade, the material used for the scales (handles) and the attention to detail in manufacturing.

Also, the Laguiole has a locking blade while the Case is a slip-joint.

[Yellowtail]

23 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

Laguiole knives truly are very high quality knives! Each is hand-made, start to finish. Even the Bee on the lever-lock is individually hand cut, as is the jimping on the spine of the blade. The knife blades are now made of high-quality, high-carbon Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. Laguiole is world famous for it line of fine table knives and bar accessories, not just its pocket knives.

 

Between Laguiole at the very high end, and simple Opinel at bottom the low end, France has the pocket knife field well represented!

(I consider Opinel the very best 'value' in the entire pocket knife line. Like the 'Mora' for fixed-blades, the Opinel give the most knife for the dollar spent. The Opinel blade steel takes an incredibly sharp and long-lasting edge, yet can be bought for Less than $10 for the smaller sizes.  I carry an Opinel when traveling so if confiscated, I only lose a few bucks.)

I was surprised at how cheap they were, I might get one next time I'm in the US.

[FolkGuitar]

4 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

If you want QUALITY, which was mentioned several times already, then I would go with this:

You can order here in Asia, probably with speedy delivery, too.

Such a beauty, and I would not consider ANYTHING else, in fact...

 

 

That's a very pretty knife, but I'd be afraid to use it as an EDC. The blade has no locking function, not even a slip-joint to prevent accidental closure. It just pivots on its axis. Notice how easily he closes it with just one finger's pressure?

What is the blade material? It says it's 'Damascus Steel' but that just means is a fusion of two or three different steels? WHAT STEELS? You can forge-weld low quality steels as easily as good steels. The company calls the steel used in several of its other knives as 'Magic Steel.' That's enough to turn me off completely.  They do, however, tell you what wood is used for the scales. That's probably important when trying to cut something...

 

The sheath that comes with this knife looks as if it was made by a group of elementary school children doing a crafts project. The edges are left rough and unfinished, single-stitched by machine. It's just a flat pancake sheath. The leather isn't even molded to the shape of the knife!

 

But this IS a pretty knife. For $80.

[Yellowtail]

19 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Case made some excellent 'trade' knives, and still does today. The big differences between that Laguiole and this Case are the steel used for the blade, the material used for the scales (handles) and the attention to detail in manufacturing.

Also, the Laguiole has a locking blade while the Case is a slip-joint.

Yeah, the knife in the photo is about $50, and it comes in stainless or carbon, you can also get it in about fifty different handle materials depending on what you want to spend. Here's one in Abalone:

 

[Yellowtail]

This is the knife (not my photo) I lost to security: 

 

[Mark1066]

On 7/11/2023 at 7:31 PM, Dante99 said:

Hi is a fisherman not an English teacher.

Does one need to be an English teacher in order to be literate nowadays? I know the world is dumbing down by the minute but I'm sure we can aim a little higher than this.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/11/2023 at 4:59 PM, Martin71 said:

Can't beat a good Leatherman..

Where does he buy one in CM, that's what he wants to know? 

Incidentally, there are many brands that are just as good as Leatherman knives so they are not "unbeatable" but I wasn't aware that Leatherman make the distinction between "good Leatherman knives" and other quality Leathermans in their collections!

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/11/2023 at 5:36 PM, NickyLouie said:

Spyderco 

Stockist in CM is what he wants to know.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/11/2023 at 6:27 PM, Plern said:

http://overzeas.net/

That appears to be an online supplier, surely?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:52 AM, giddyup said:

I still have the pocket knife I was given 50 years ago. It's an Old Timer brand, made in USA I believe, and it's a great little knife.

Very useful information for him in his search for a knife in CM fifty years later!