For me it's the CRKT Nirk Tighe 2.




I can't embed a YouTube short but here's a video of a brand new Tighe 2 catching the light:

https://youtube.com/shorts/04Z...?si=OI5fmsjGQ0o-OH37


I got my first Tighe 2 around 10 years ago after winning a dueling tree contest, best of 3. A friend I shoot with from time to time put it up as a wager for the little impromptu competition we put together. We were pretty evenly matched and in lieu of $50 cash he didn't have on him, he said he had something that was worth "at least $100" and that if I didn't like it he'd buy it back for the $50 the wager was for.


Whatever he was putting up I wasn't planning on keeping it if I won. The purpose of the wager was to put some pressure on each other to add a little something extra to a pretty routine back and forth with no clear frontrunner. It was best of three and at the end of the 3rd bout I was the clear winner.


As he reached into his pocket I started with the "Hey it's alright...." and then I saw it: The blue anodized inlay illuminated by the sunlight, accentuated by the polished stainless handle meshed together in this artistic maze of cutouts and finger grooves. Then he flipped it open. The light and reflections playfully transitioning between the edge, bevel, flat and swedge. He flipped it around and handed it to me holding it by the blade. "Try it out and see how it feels" he said to me. The only way to describe the initial handshake: when it's right it's right.


The finger grooves were spaced perfectly. My thumb aligned perfectly with the jimping. The blade was locked solidly in place with ZERO play. At the time I didn't know much about pocket knives. I used a family hand me down and if you know anything about my Father and Grandfather they liked to consider themselves "frugal." To them a knife is a knife and it's up to the owner to sharpen it to their liking (and they took pride in how sharp they got their cheapo knives). I didn't know anything about different grades of steel, the advantages, disadvantages, etc. I had a knife. It was sharp. It had a little play when the blade was in the locked position but it got the job done. It was a tool, nothing more.


Back to this knife my friend asks: "Now try to close it." I slid my thumb down looking for the locking lever and... nothing. He laughs and challenges me to figure it out. I stare dumbfounded by the design while mesmerized by its beauty. He offers to show me but I politely declined as my interest was piqued and like a little kid trying to solve the maze on the cereal box before going to school, I was scouring the handle, following the lines trying to figure out how could something so inconspicuous could have such an effective locking mechanism.


Then it hit me. I saw the fulcrum, followed it to the pivot and confirmed the bar locking the blade in place. I retraced back back down the handle to the base and discovered that the skeletonized cutouts were not just for aesthetics, they were essential for the locking mechanism to release the blade. I had to look twice because the carry clip is visible through the cutout and in a way it camouflages the gap in the handle that allows the fulcrum to pivot the locking mechanism to release the blade. I squeezed the base and gravity freely dropped the blade perpendicular to the ground. I closed it and saw the flipper protrude outwards. I gave it a go and the blade swung open effortlessly, gliding across mini ball bearings with ease.


Needless to say, I did not give this knife back. He tried to win it back from me a few times and I agreed with the condition that before he gets it back we locate a vendor who has one of these in stock. In those subsequent contests I made sure to bring my X5 Competition to ensure that wouldn't be necessary. It wasn't.


The locking mechanism is modified Klecker Lock. In essence the tighter the grip on the handle, the stronger the lockup. I think it's a genius design and am partial to it. Sure, traditional locking mechanisms may have advantages over the Klecker Lock in certain scenarios but for the majority of what I use my knife for, it's preferred.


Regarding the title of this thread I have never gotten so many compliments on a knife before in my life. It's definitely an ice breaker and I love giving people the same little challenge to close the blade once it's open. It's interesting to see how long it takes someone to figure it out. To date, no woman has ever figured it out without help. Some have closed it by accident but when asked to close it again they couldn't do it. What I found to be even more interesting is that the blue collar men could figure it out relatively quickly. 1-2 minutes tops. The white collar "cerebral" types would struggle for much longer and most would figure it out eventually. Based on my unofficial sample size the higher the education the longer it takes to figure it out. It's a fun little exercise and after completing it they always say something along the lines of "I've never seen that kind of design in a pocket knife." I have to agree.


One of my best friends in Puerto Rico is obsessed with this knife. Every time we hang out he always asks to see it. He loves giving people "the test." Last month I broke my shoulder skiing and had to make an emergency trip to Puerto Rico to see an Orthopedic Specialist. While I was there he was my right arm. He carried all the beach gear, setup the grill, did the prep, grilling, cleanup, takedown, etc. As usual, he always asked to see it to give people "the test." Then I got a brilliant idea. I went online and despite this knife being discontinued I found one in green that was new old stock. I had it sent to me in Puerto Rico and here's the unboxing:


https://youtube.com/shorts/dZ5FQcXQ5f4


A solid knife for a solid friend. I did notice after he opened it that the green version of this knife is made in China. I noticed that side by side the blade of the green knife has a tint to it whereas the blue knife is shiny and bright. I did some further investigation and found that the major difference between the two (other than the color) is that the blue version is made with AUS-8 steel whereas the green version is made with 8Cr14MoV. Apparently the performance of both materials is nearly identical. Either way it doesn't matter, he's very happy with the knife and I was honored to give it to him.


I didn't mean to write as much as I did but I'm in a waiting room with nothing else to do. I'll close by saying when I read that this knife was discontinued I went ahead and bought a few more. Brand new these are going for around $60 and they are as razor sharp as they are gorgeous.

I have so many knives, it's extremely difficult to pick one(1) most aesthetically pleasing. I carry a different knife most every day ... although it's sometimes difficult to kick my Buck 110 Folding Hunter LT from my pocket.

But if I had to pick just one(1), maybe it's my Chris Reeve Sabenza 31 ... or maybe it's a fixed blade, my Ruana Vic's Blade or my Randall made Denmark Special or maybe even my Western F66 or L66 ... but I rule out fixed blades because I don't normally EDC them.

So maybe it's one (or several) of these ... and these are just a few from my French made knives. Don't make me dig out the Douk-Douk's and Opinel's LOL

Now if I only had a pistol for every knife I own

EDIT: All the knives pictured are either 12C27 or 14C28N. The NONTRON knives made in France for the last 500yrs, use a proprietary T12 steel produced in France at Forge de Laguiole and is said to be equivalent to 12C27.



This Pradel from Fontenille Pataud has an interesting blade lock release. I have yet to meet someone who figured it out. The release is most highly visible but not at all obvious. The video explains. In a bar when betting someone they can't figure out how to close the blade ... I've yet to buy a beer.

I digress ...

I call it a bargain ... the best I ever had

Buck 110 Folding Hunter LT I picked up at Walmart. It has the Walmart proprietary "BUCK" on the handle and is the difference found when compared to any 110 LT sold on the Buck website or elsewhere.

It was the last one in our local Walmart and two clerks there said it was not going to be restocked. I paid a grand total of $5.45 including tax for this beauty.

This 110 LT is a big, shavin' sharp knife but the nylon handle makes it an easy pocket carry. The knurled features on the handle make it very grippy. The 110 is a recognized classic favored by many.

It just fits me. It's aesthetically pleasing and feels as though it's a natural extension of my hand when blade deployed and ready to work.

Aesthetically speaking, there are a few folders out there that I like the look of but, by far I prefer the Griptilian.

Carried a Benchmade for years, and now the last couple the Hogue version. I'll throw a pic up in a bit, wife carries a mini Grip in pink that she's fond of.

Probably my Emerson Persian.

Of the knives I have in my carry rotation, the most aesthetically pleasing one is my SpyderCo Vallotton. I carry a Hinderer XM-18 just about everyday, but the SpyderCo slips in there every once and awhile.

WR M1 Backpacker Pro in it's kydex sheath without a clip is what I've been carrying for the last few years.
Fits perfectly in my pants pocket.
Before that a Izula.
They are both flat are great for my everyday needs.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--...ker-Pro-Fixed--85350

Sebenza 21.

Buck 110 or 112.

CRK Umnumzaan in every way.

As an industrial designer I have always appreciated Allen Elishewitz’s great knife design work. I have a number of his blade designs but my favorite EDC one is the Hogue SIG Emperor Scorpion Auto.

I met Allen at a S.H.O.T. Show over 10 years ago. Very nice guy.

This is the other perfect EDC to me- CRK large Inkosi Insigno:



I'm stoked because I just bought it at retail. They're hard to find at cost.

Pretty fond of my small Sebenza with Chad Nichols raindrop Damascus blade

Movado and P2AT by Brad Benzing, on Flickr

Love the lines on my Calypso sprint...