Author: whitemountainknives

What makes a knife great? Is it the blade shape or profile? The size and weight? The lock type? The steel and scale materials?

Or is it something that’s a little harder to qualify, such as deployment, form factor or even fidget-friendliness?

When it comes to the question of the best Spyderco knife, the Dragonfly 2 often carries that laurel, and it’s not too hard to see why.

Enter the Spyderco Dragonfly 2

The Dragonfly 2 is often called a “little big knife,” because of its deceptive dimensions. As a result of the nature and breadth of the forward finger choil, the small grip of the Dragonfly 2 can accommodate four fingers on a grip the size of which would typically accept a three finger grip at most.

This gives users the ability to use the Spyderco Dragonfly 2 for longer periods of time, with less fatigue, and minimal cramping with no hot spots. That alone makes it a contender for the best small Spyderco, if not the best Spydie of all.

But size alone won’t do a knife like that, and there are other things that users and reviewers have been quick to note about the value offered by this model.

Another thing that makes it a crowd favorite is the fact that it is available in several different configurations. While the Dragonfly 2 is available with some more standard steels, like VG-10, you can also get it with a blade of some select super steels.

Take, for instance, the Dragonfly 2 with a ZDP-189 steel blade. This lesser known super steel, a Japanese alloy, is renowned primarily for one thing: its ability to respond well to a heat treatment designed to engender hardness.

And you know what that means: edge retention. ZDP-189 blade steel can take a really hard temper, which means that it can both accommodate (and maintain) a razor sharp edge.

The downside is that it’s hard to sharpen. But you won’t need to, not for a long time. This steel holds an edge like you won’t believe – well, maybe you will, if you experience it.

And, in a EDC knife of this side, the brittleness that usually accompanies a super hard heat treatment is negligible, so you can write that off – another bonus for the Spyderco Dragonfly 2.

What else is there to love about the Dragonfly 2? Well, plenty. Consider the lightweight and low-maintenance FRN scales that come with some versions that offer a good grip in basically any conditions. This and a high thumb ramp on the spine offer excellent control despite the small size of the knife.

Or, perhaps, the lock back, which, though simple, is a time tested mechanism that has served the knife community admirably for over 60 years. It’s no compression lock but it is an excellent alternative.

Is It the Best Spyderco Knife?

Ultimately, that’s up to you. Calling any or other knife the “best” is highly subjective, so what one man’s favorite Spyderco is may not shake down the same for you. You have to test it – and other Spyderco knives – for yourself.

With that said, you could do a lot worse than to make a treat to yourself of a new Dragonfly 2. What do you have to lose from the endeavor?

Where to Explore This Spyderco Knife

Want to find out if the Dragonfly 2 really is the best Spyderco knife? There’s only one way to find out. Visit White Mountain Knives and get yourself a new model, test it out, and see if the enumerated merits here have been accurately represented.

Of course, White Mountain Knives also sells a wide range of other Spyderco models (among other pocket knives), so if there’s something else you’re looking for, they can help.

For more information about Zero Tolerance Pocket Knife and Benchmade Pocket Knife please visit:- White Mountain Knives, LLC

If you haven’t heard of Bradford Knives yet, made by Brad Larkin in the United States, and indicative of traditional American quality, it might be time to change that.

Whereas other knife manufacturers are (by and large) chasing trends and visibility, Brad Larkin and his namesake Bradford Knives are committed to pursuing something much simpler: tactical and EDC fixed blades that are basic but effective.

Here are 3 ways they break the mold.

Design Aesthetics (or Lack Thereof)

There are some that can’t stand simplicity; others think that the beauty of a thing is tied to how effectively it can accomplish its purpose without any non-value added eccentricities.

Bradford Knives exemplify the latter viewpoint. Yes, they are simple, and their blade profiles and handle designs are never going to be exalted for looks alone.

But who’s out here buying a knife (or reviewing it) on looks alone? That’s perverse.

These knives are designed to stand up to the rigors of hard use, and let’s just get a basic truth out of the way. Anything pretty won’t be pretty for long if subjected to the former conditions. So in that way, Bradford Knives are actually categorically superior.

Refusal to Jump on the Folder Bandwagon

Bradford Knives may be a relatively new entrant into the market for high-quality knives, but there is one thing they utterly refuse to do.

That is jump on the popularity of folders.

For a host of reasons, folding tactical knives have surged in popularity over, say, the last 30 years. This goes beyond the ascendancy of Spyderco and Benchmade, and encapsulates other brands like Kizer, CRJB, Artisan Cutlery, CIVIVI, WE Knife Company, and countless others.

Hingeing on consumers’ collective demands for convenience and discretion, these brands have flooded the market with folders ranging in size, function and price, and the market is now awash.

We’re at the point where most people that carry everyday probably carry a folder.

And, not that there’s anything wrong with that (a folder can offer a lot of value if selected wisely) but there is also something to be said for sticking to the proverbial guns and producing fixed blades.

Which is precisely what Bradford does.

Serious Steels

Lastly, and perhaps the best reason to be interested in Bradford Knives, has to be what steels the company uses in its production of high-end fixed blades.

Here are just a few of the alloys you’ll encounter in a catalog that contains Bradford Knives: N690, Elmax, MagnaCut, M390, and CPM-3V, to name just a few.

This is not a selection of knives in which you will find budget steels like 420HC or 8Cr13MoV. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but they are not as wear resistant, don’t offer the same carbide distribution (and therefore fall short on edge retention) and generally just aren’t as tough as the super steels enumerated.

The point is, Bradford spares no expense in its unflinching, unapologetic pursuit of quality, and that is quite evident in the steels selected for the production of its blade blanks.

Simply put, these steels are chemically stable, extremely hard and strong, wear and corrosion resistant, and easy to maintain. They’re all you could want from a knife steel and perhaps several things you didn’t know you’d want.

Interested in Bradford Knives?

Want to explore more about Bradford Knives? Check out what’s in stock at White Mountain Knives. They carry a select variety of knives from Bradford’s collection, along with models from other top brands in the industry (including those mentioned earlier in this post, along with countless others). Visit their website today and get in touch with them at WhiteMountainKnives@gmail.com if you have any questions.

For more information about Zero Tolerance Pocket Knife and Kershaw Pocket Knife please visit:- White Mountain Knives, LLC

The quality of QSP Knives is embedded in the name – quite literally. With QSP Knives, there are three definitive attributes – quality, service and price.

With a name like that – though it represents a high promise – you could expect to find a few things to like.

These are some of the best of them.

Unique Designs

The first thing about a QSP Knife that’s likely to catch your eye is that many of their designs break the mold.

Not to suggest that there aren’t plenty of QSP Knives with classic lines and profiles, because there are, but for each of these there is one or more that sports a unique design.

You don’t have to look far; check out the Penguin with its sheepsfoot profile, or the Swordfish with its aggressive, nearly wharncliffe-like character. The Variant and Hedgehog are fairly unique as well.

Blade Steel Selection

Another thing to love about a QSP Knife is the fact that the company has invariably selected a premium steel for its construction.

Some of the steel alloys you will encounter in the QSP lineup are tough tool steels like D2 and hard-use, corrosion-resistant heavy-hitters like 14C28N. QSP also uses some other high-end steels like VG-10 and 20CV in some select models.

In the spirit of fairness, QSP doesn’t get as into super-premium steels as some other manufacturers, but their selection in quality steels is far beyond the basic.

Beyond Basic Lock Types

Just like every other knife manufacturer, QSP makes folding knives with liner and frame locks, as well as a few token lock backs and even some slipjoints, as is the case with their Hedgehog (another unique model, by the way).

But QSP Knives also represent advances that have been made in the knife industry with respect to lock types.

For instance, there are a variety of popular models made in configurations with button locks, which are stronger and safer than other common lock types like liner locks.

QSP also produces a special type of lock that they call a “Glyde” lock, which is basically a knockoff of the Benchmade AXIS, and which is one of the strongest and most failure-resistant lock types in the knife industry.

Indestructible Scale Materials

Just as QSP Knives are representative of high quality in terms of blade steel, so too does the company use high-quality and extremely durable (but generally affordable) scale materials.

Some of the common ones you will encounter are aluminum and carbon fiber, but probably the most common one is G10.

This synthetic consists of a composite material, commonly a fiberglass weave, that has been impregnated with an epoxy resin.

It is light, strong, and effectively impervious to moisture absorption, corrosion, decay, and other common ailments, and requires effectively no maintenance at all.

Commitment to Following Industry Trends

Another great thing about QSP Knives, although it is not unique to the brand, is a commitment to keeping in touch with what’s popular.

Part of this is reflected in what has already been covered here – that many instances of a QSP Knife will sport a unique blade profile, an ultra-modern design, or will be made with a lock type that’s growing in popularity, like a button lock.

But the point is that what you’ll find in a QSP catalog will never be stale, which should be appealing to you if you always like to have what’s new.

Where to Learn More About QSP Knives

Want to see some actual examples of QSP Knives beyond the ones that are mentioned here? Visit White Mountain Knives. They carry a wide range of models from QSP (as well as some top-sellers from other brands). Visit their website for more information today.

For more information about Best Cold Steel Knife and Victorinox Swiss Army Knife please visit:- White Mountain Knives, LLC

It’s hard to talk about CIVIVI knives without getting wrapped up in the buzz and hype surrounding the Elementum and similar models like the Altus and Conspirator.

But there are so many other great CIVIVI knives out there. Take, for instance, the CIVIVI Vision FG, a comparatively newer model, and one that’s destined for greatness.

Here are two of the main things that make the Vision FG a great model, even by CIVIVI standards.

The Blade Profile

It’s hard to pick one “best” thing about the CIVIVI Vision FG, but if one must be picked, it has to be the blade profile.

The knife is actually not that unique in this respect. It’s made with a sheepsfoot style blade, a profile that’s not too infrequently encountered in pocket cleavers that are all the rage right now.

But despite the fact that it isn’t a factor of rarity, it is still a great feature in the Vision FG.

Leaving knife blade steel entirely out of the picture, this profile is highly practical and extremely strong.

With a sheepsfoot, the point of the blade is turned down sharply, resulting in a fairly dull point, as knife points go.

This minimizes the efficacy of a sheepsfoot with respect to piercing tasks, but it also results in a tip that’s extremely strong and less likely to chip, break or get deformed, even under hard use.

It also doesn’t compromise the ability of the blade to be used for slicing tasks, or as a push or draw knife.

No doubt, the sheepsfoot style blade is popular simply because it is different from the clip points, tanto points and drop points, but as has been demonstrated, this is not the only reason for its popularity and prevalence.

The Lock

Even greater than the sheepsfoot profile of the CIVIVI Vision FG is the lock type – it’s a “super lock.”

This is a fairly new lock type in the folding knife market, and one of the stronger ones out there.

The best way to summarize how a super lock works is as follows.

The super lock is sort of like a lock back, but instead of having the lock bar by the end of the handle, it’s up by the shoulder of the blade.

Not only is it strong, it is very unlikely to unintentionally disengage, and on top of that, it keeps your fingers out of the way of the blade when closing.

As you can imagine, it is an exceptionally strong lock type that is easy to use and very safe. It’s also not failure-prone.

Or, maybe you can’t imagine. In which case you need to get yourself one, because this lock type (and model) is one of the best CIVIVI knives out there.

Where to Learn More About The CIVIVI Vision FG

Interested in learning a bit more about the CIVIVI Vision FG or other CIVIVI knives? Check out White Mountain Knives for more information.

For more information about Cold Steel Tanto Knife and Victorinox Swiss Army Knife please visit:- White Mountain Knives, LLC