OH Sentinel and similar blades

[TonySal]

More Sentinal guys on board!
Great common sense comments, I aree with you (I have a spydie and BM too).
Here in NYC the shiney Sentinal, or my blacked out, would freak some snowflakes out, so for now, it's red Spartans and Tinkers 

[nate j]

To me, the real value of SAKs is the ability to carry a number of highly functional tools (in addition to a knife blade) in a compact package.  If this is what one is looking for, then SAKs are second to none, and this is the reason you'll find a SAK in my pocket every day.

If one is looking purely for a OHO single blade knife, I believe there are better options out there, including some knives by Spyderco, Benchmade, SOG, etc.

SAKs are not just traditional anymore. Many do not carry toothpicks and bottle openers or nail files. They go up to 130mm. If a one-blade knife is not desired, there are many other options.

I cannot speak for America, but the cheapest Spyderco or Benchmade or SOG in much of the world is two to three or four times the price of a simple 111mm Victorinox Sentinel. And many do not honour any warranties in a meaningful way in much of the world. On price, there are "cooler" knives than Victorinox. Certainly. And lots of fine old fashioned slip joints that will compete well.  Where I live pulling out a pseudo-tactical folder, or even a genuine tactical folder, is just not acceptable. A Tavor assault rifle over the shoulder on a bus or in the supermarket, no problem. But flicking a blade open that looks like a weapon--no. That little Vic Swiss emblem defuses the issue.

As said, if you have all those great knives at a similar price to the Sentinel, then go for the best deal. I doubt they give better actual useage. My oldest Victorinox is 50 years old.
 

Different strokes for different folks.

Here in north central PA, I can carry pretty much any knife I want (as long as I don't try to carry it into a school or courthouse) and not raise any eyebrows.

But getting back to the original question posed in this thread, as someone who often carries both a SAK (usually 91 mm) and a larger locking folder, if I were given the choice for my larger locking folder of...

...Vic Sentinel or Spyderco Endura, I would choose the Endura.

...Vic Sentinel or Benchmade Griptilian, I would choose the Griptilian.

...Vic Sentinel or SOG Spec Arc, I would choose the Spec Arc.


If the Sentinel works for you, though, stick with it.   

[israelpiper]

A knife is pure tool for me. I have the experience to say that a meter-long oak stick is far better protection than a knife 8 days of the week. But we don't have the civil violence that America has, from guns or knives, including terrorism, so I cannot judge what is best over there. Nor do I really know if carrying knives has made the general population safer. Most of my American knife friends have absolutely no knife training, either defensive or offensive. I worry about them dealing with violence not of their choosing. 

With a knife, I just want to cut fruit, string, whittle a bit, and be able to cut fishing line and plastic bags off sea turtles that wash-up on my neighbourhood beach. I think that a knife as tool is radically different from a knife as weapon. I use a blade, but never deploy a blade. The ingenious mechanics of many modern knives is very interesting to me, and I understand the appeal. Yes they are leagues above Victorinox in that sense. On the other hand, a long-experienced Israel knife fighting instructor for the IDF once said, if about to be attacked by a knife-wielding terrorist, "Scream like a girl and run like the wind." 

[TonySal]

Ha! nice one Ipiper, and I agree! 

[TonySal]

Ha! nice one Ipiper, and I agree! 

Yes, wil probably use my OHO Sentinal more as spring and summer come around....

[nate j]

I think the implication/assumption that everyone who chooses an OH locking knife other than the Sentinel is making that choice for defensive purposes, or because they fantasize about getting into knife fights, is erroneous.


Personally, I carry knives for utility and enjoyment.  If/when I want to carry something for protection, then I carry a gun.


Could a knife be used as weapon, if the circumstances made the use of a weapon advisable and the knife was the best option available?  Of course the answer is yes, but the same is true of a stick, baseball bat, screwdriver, hammer, pen, chair, or cup of coffee.


I would also submit that, rather than being "radically different", many of the characteristics that make a OH locking folder desirable as a tool would also help make it as desirable a weapon as it could be.  For example:

- Blade steel, hardness, geometry, and finish should be a good compromise among edge retention, sharpness, toughness, ease of re-sharpening, and corrosion resistance.

- Blade size and handle size should be comfortable both to carry and to use.  Sometimes it helpful to have "enough" blade, in the sense that tasks like cutting fruit, blocks of cheese, or sandwiches can be easier with a blade that is longer than the dimension of what one is trying to cut.

- The knife should open (and ideally also close) quickly and easily with one hand.

- The lock (and overall construction) should be strong and reliable.

- The knife (or user) should have means of carrying the knife in a consistent position, so that it can be easily and quickly accessed (this beats having to pat or dig around in one's pockets looking for the knife).

- The knife should have a usable edge and a usable point.

- The handle should be comfortable and secure in hand, to minimize the possibility of the hand slipping or accidentally dropping the knife.


Is the OH Sentinel an acceptable and serviceable choice for a pocket knife?  I agree that it is.

However, the original question was (paraphrasing slightly), "How does the OH Sentinel stack up against the Spyderco Endura, Benchmade Griptilian, etc.?"  I stand by my assertion that, for a user seriously considering all of these options, there are likely better choices than the Sentinel.

[TonySal]

I think the implication/assumption that everyone who chooses an OH locking knife other than the Sentinel is making that choice for defensive purposes, or because they fantasize about getting into knife fights, is erroneous.


Personally, I carry knives for utility and enjoyment.  If/when I want to carry something for protection, then I carry a gun.


Could a knife be used as weapon, if the circumstances made the use of a weapon advisable and the knife was the best option available?  Of course the answer is yes, but the same is true of a stick, baseball bat, screwdriver, hammer, pen, chair, or cup of coffee.


I would also submit that, rather than being "radically different", many of the characteristics that make a OH locking folder desirable as a tool would also help make it as desirable a weapon as it could be.  For example:

- Blade steel, hardness, geometry, and finish should be a good compromise among edge retention, sharpness, toughness, ease of re-sharpening, and corrosion resistance.

- Blade size and handle size should be comfortable both to carry and to use.  Sometimes it helpful to have "enough" blade, in the sense that tasks like cutting fruit, blocks of cheese, or sandwiches can be easier with a blade that is longer than the dimension of what one is trying to cut.

- The knife should open (and ideally also close) quickly and easily with one hand.

- The lock (and overall construction) should be strong and reliable.

- The knife (or user) should have means of carrying the knife in a consistent position, so that it can be easily and quickly accessed (this beats having to pat or dig around in one's pockets looking for the knife).

- The knife should have a usable edge and a usable point.

- The handle should be comfortable and secure in hand, to minimize the possibility of the hand slipping or accidentally dropping the knife.


Is the OH Sentinel an acceptable and serviceable choice for a pocket knife?  I agree that it is.

However, the original question was (paraphrasing slightly), "How does the OH Sentinel stack up against the Spyderco Endura, Benchmade Griptilian, etc.?"  I stand by my assertion that, for a user seriously considering all of these options, there are likely better choices than the Sentinel.

good points Nate

[TonySal]

... and I dont care if its a,bigger shiney blade,  its slim, great for pocket and I will carry it if I need a knife...