My favorite edc knife

msmith · December 30, 2025, 05:01:29 PM

My favorite knife.

So, being an ol' country boy, I've had several knives over the years. Everything from Chinese cheapos, Buck, Schrade, Old Timer, Case, Boker, and even a few Benchmade. For some reason I got a hankerin' for a ZT. I don't know why I all of the sudden decided on a Zero Tolerance but figured I'd give one a try.

A few years ago, my missus and I were visiting my Pumpkin at the University in Searcy AR. We were beating in some time and happened to drive by a shooting range and on their sign was an advertisement for ZT knives so I pulled in. STICKER SHOCK! OK, I get that they are REALLY nice knives, but $300 and up, I couldn't do it so I left. The next day we were driving by it again and my wunnerful wife said to stop and get the knife, so I pulled in again. The owner, an older gentleman (lol, prolly my age) was there and we talked. I told him the young guys yesterday said that I just hadda hadda get a ZT. I told him I wasn't so sure. He said that he wasn't going to pay that much for something he was probably going to lose at some point. That hit home as I have lost my share of knives including a couple of Benchmades. He said he carried a Kershaw Blur. I seen that it was made in the USA and about $70 so I bought it.

I really like it. It's the perfect size for me. I thought the Benchmade Griptillian was too big and the mini Griptillian was too small. This is right in between those two. Assisted opening, aluminum slabs, and it's fairly thin yet robust. The one in the pics is mine but the blade isn't original. I broke the blade prying aluminum nails out of facia of my garage. That's the kind of use/abuse it's had over the last 5 years. I currently also have a Benchmade Bugout but continue to carry the Kershaw. Even at ~ $190, I don't think the BM would hold up to what the Blur does. I do carry the BM for Sunday going to meetin' because it's lighter with dress pants and I do really like Benchmades Axis lock.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. For a knife that you are going to use to gut deer, skin squirrels, strip wire, scrape paint, pry on stuff, use as a screwdriver, etc. it's up to the task. The blade also takes an edge pretty easily and holds it decent enough. Some people don't like the recurve blade but I think it's because they can't sharpen a knife.

Is it the tacticoolest knife? No. Is it the highest quality? No. It was the best bang for my buck and the quality is on par with Buck, Case, and, in my opinion, some Benchmades. If I ever lose it, I'll get another. I may even get another as a spare some time.

nastygunz · December 30, 2025, 07:15:51 PM

Buck knife man my whole life, but I have different brands scattered all over ha ha.

FinsnFur · December 30, 2025, 11:13:00 PM

NiiiiiiCE!

I LOVE Kershaw knives.
My absolute all time favorite is the Ken Onion Kershaw Leek with speed safe release.
I got three of em and there's always one clipped to my pocket.

msmith · December 31, 2025, 11:24:51 AM

I always liked Buck Knives but gravitated toward Case. I keep a Case Trapper in my hunting bag for field dressing and skinning critters.

The Leek is absolutely a winner! The Blur is also a Ken Onion design.

Now I'm thinking that I am going to have to pick up a Leek in the near future.

Todd Rahm · December 31, 2025, 03:20:52 PM

I've been carrying the same Benchmade for 25 years. Even send it back periodically for a cleaning, sharpening and tune up.

msmith · December 31, 2025, 04:41:00 PM

Quote from: Todd Rahm on December 31, 2025, 03:20:52 PMI've been carrying the same Benchmade for 25 years. Even send it back periodically for a cleaning, sharpening and tune up.

I've lost more Benchmades than a feller ought to.

Bought one and carried it daily. Was in the backwoods of WV, across a creek from a backroad. I got off a power pole and noticed it was gone. There was about 4 inches of snow, but I sifted through snow and leaves in an area about 10 feet in diameter. No luck, so I bought another one.

Six months later I happened to be in that area and decided to stop and take a look. I found it about six inches outside the perimeter that I had sifted snow and leaves. Since I now have two of the same knife, I gave it to my Big Dawg. He lost it.

Later that summer I was weed eating and the weedeater lifted it off my pocket and I lost the replacement. So I got another.

The next year, I forgot that weedeaters seem to pull these knives from my pocket and lost another. This is why I was looking at the ZT knives.

I have had the Kershaw for about 5 years now and it seems to be immune to weedeaters. I think it's the rubber inserts in the slabs and a stiffer clip. I really like it and I like my BM too. I really like Benchmade's Axis lock.

nastygunz · January 01, 2026, 06:06:20 AM

Many years ago I was out deer hunting and I sat down on a log and I happened to look down and there was an old timer pocket knife stuck into the log. I gave it a new home in my pocket

msmith · January 01, 2026, 08:20:40 AM

Quote from: nastygunz on January 01, 2026, 06:06:20 AMMany years ago I was out deer hunting and I sat down on a log and I happened to look down and there was an old timer pocket knife stuck into the log. I gave it a new home in my pocket

Good find!

I'm sure someone thought the same when the found the Boker Barlow I left laying on a rock while cleaning trout.