Dress up knife carry - what's yours?

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
785
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The U4 exists, if that is what you mean

https://www.heinnie.com/fallkniven-u4

This knife is what got me thinking about this thread....
Ahh, yeah, my mistake.

I really like the blade but kind of want a slipjoint with that type of handle. They do a LTC with aluminium scales but its a right numb looking grip to my eyes. Kind of hit every branch on the way down looks.
I like the idea of their LTC but jeez the grips are a bit first year metalwork arent they?

To be fair, I kind of alternate between a Viper Drop and a Fallkniven U2 mostly.
Both short blades and relatively inoffensive but thats at work where I have just cause to use them along with a hammer, chisels, a nailgun and whatever else.
Both are locknives though which can be kind of dodgy but they both feel great in the hand
I don't carry a penknife if I'm going up town or out for the night so a "Dress knife" is a bit of a misnomer for me.
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,610
1,406
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Ahh, yeah, my mistake.

I really like the blade but kind of want a slipjoint with that type of handle. They do a LTC with aluminium scales but its a right numb looking grip to my eyes. Kind of hit every branch on the way down looks.
I like the idea of their LTC but jeez the grips are a bit first year metalwork arent they?

To be fair, I kind of alternate between a Viper Drop and a Fallkniven U2 mostly.
Both short blades and relatively inoffensive but thats at work where I have just cause to use them along with a hammer, chisels, a nailgun and whatever else.
Both are locknives though which can be kind of dodgy but they both feel great in the hand
I don't carry a penknife if I'm going up town or out for the night so a "Dress knife" is a bit of a misnomer for me.

Have you seen the U1? That's the slippie version of the U2 to my mind. Metal handle with undersized scales though. I've made a few sets of full sized handles for folk and it improves it a lot.

Always wondered why they didn't do a plastic handled slipjoint. Missed a trick there.
 

C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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2,701
Bedfordshire
Boker Plus Techtool 1 (just come out with wood and orange glow handled versions, although mine is just black G10)

Lion Steel Bestman was new for Christmas, not had a chance to carry, but it would certainly fill the bill. Titanium, Micarta and M390 in a very traditional looking modern folder.

Lion Steel Thrill, also new. Has a one piece cnc milled aluminium handle, including an aluminium back spring and flush fitting, spring loaded pocket clip, also M390

All three are sub-3" non-locking, but at different price points.
 

Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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I’ll get some pics done tomorrow. One of my favourite gentlemans folders is the carbon fibre Enzo PK70 of which I’m glad it’s found a new owner. It’s in the right materials, and has the high quality of design and finish you’d expect of a I suppose, being picky, the flat grind version would fit the bill slightly better, but it’s a sleek knife.

Boker Slack springs (literally, it’s tight!) to mind), tad over length, but slim and stylish. Plus a few more, I’ll have a dig around, I think I still have a little Joker olive handled toothpick somewhere.
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Florida
I guess I’m going out of character now. Any of you you have been here more than a couple of years know I usually favor bigger knives. That said, in a real dress situation pretty much any knife is too large to carry. I love SAKs but they make quite a bulge in a suit pocket. Does having a knife in the truck count as “carrying?”
 
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stevec

Full Member
Oct 30, 2003
552
149
Sheffield
Is that a couple of Shings there Steve? I’m not sure I’ve even seen a two bladed Shing, though I must have done.I’ve bust more than one fingernail on the singles :D
Hi rich, yes 2 blade serpentine jacks. One is D2/Ti very slim. The other is 52100 with solid brass scales milled out for Di scales. The only Shing I wish I had got a chance at buying was a 3 blade stockman.
To be honest these were the pics I had left on my phone from the knife a day thread on EM. Like Chris I have a lion steel best man, mines a 2 blade, I ditched the micarta and made some redwood burl scales, there is a thread on that in EM too.
The damasteel/carbon/Ti folder is one of Russell Whites.
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
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derbyshire
Boker Plus Techtool 1 (just come out with wood and orange glow handled versions, although mine is just black G10)

Lion Steel Bestman was new for Christmas, not had a chance to carry, but it would certainly fill the bill. Titanium, Micarta and M390 in a very traditional looking modern folder.

Lion Steel Thrill, also new. Has a one piece cnc milled aluminium handle, including an aluminium back spring and flush fitting, spring loaded pocket clip, also M390

All three are sub-3" non-locking, but at different price points.

Cor those lionsteel thrills are nice......wish I hadn't seen this post now lol
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,067
212
Yorkshire
I have a very small knife I got in Atlanta, inch and a half slip joint, ebony scales with a little mother of pearl inlay, sadly no pic as not at home at present. It sits unobtrusively in a pocket and lolks very smart if it comes out.
 
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I guess I’m going out of character now. Any of you you have been here more than a couple of years know I usually favor bigger knives. That said, in a real dress situation pretty much any knife is too large to carry. I love SAKs but they make quite a bulge in a suit pocket. Does having a knife in the truck count as “carrying?”
The SAK walker often has me searching through suit pockets to find it as it is so slim and light :)
 
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Nice65

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Here are as many as I can find.

A9396768-F32-E-46-D2-BA05-9-FB4-C1-AD54-D8.jpg


Joker
Sanrenmu
McHenry William Benchmade
Boker Slack
Spyderco PITS
AG Russell
Masarin
Chinese folder, not sure what it is
Spyderco Urban
Alox SAK

Can’t find my Higonokami.
 
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demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
785
-------------
Have you seen the U1? That's the slippie version of the U2 to my mind. Metal handle with undersized scales though. I've made a few sets of full sized handles for folk and it improves it a lot.

Always wondered why they didn't do a plastic handled slipjoint. Missed a trick there.


I've seen the U1 on a site but its not doing it for me.
I really like the slim lightweight handle on the U2 I have, the blade is great and although I really like locknives, the police don't so much.
Most times I reckon I have good enough reason to have one in my pocket but I'd just like a slipjoint version of my U2 as well.
Nothing at all fancy looking, just plain but with a good blade.
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
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3,270
W.Sussex
Cor those lionsteel thrills are nice......wish I hadn't seen this post now lol

Same here ;). Molletta and Lion Steel really do exude Italian class. I see one of those Thrills in my pocket when funds allow. Probably the best knife in the thread to illustrate its title of dress up knife. :)
 
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gra_farmer

Full Member
Mar 29, 2016
1,911
1,087
Kent
Thank you everyone for the recommendations, there is a lot of support weighted towards SAK's and understandably so....so worth me looking into them again.

The short list according to me (in no order) is as follows:

Alox SAK's (possibly the farmer or pruner)
Fallniven U4 or U2
Spyderco dragonfly or UKPK or native
Leatherman squirt PS4 or style CS
Lionsteel best man (2 blade version)
Manly wasp (s90 blade)
Case large stockman cv
Enzo pk70 scandi or flat grind

Out of all of these I am leaning towards the fallkniven and the Enzo.

My last Enzo pk70 (scandi) was my grail knife until it changed ownship without my consent, so ideally that would be the one, but not available (unless anyone has one to rehome )

So the fallkniven U4 or U2 might be the answer....how does the U4 preform as a small whittling, edc carry?

I'll keep you posted on what I find?

Cheers everyone for your thoughts and opinions
 

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