Thought I'd start a perpetual knife/blade thread.

Until recently, I haven't thought much of pocket knives. Slowly I've been doing research and looking into them. I did just fine before I had purchased my first pocket knife. So when I was first considering one, I thought I'd get a cheap $10 pocket knife and see how much I'd use it. Slowly, I began to realize the utility in carrying a pocket knife. At first my wife thought I was crazy, but it wasn't long before she started asking me to borrow my pocket knife. After a few months of carying around a Ka-Bar Tanto Warthog, I realized how cheap my knife was and how inefficient it was at cutting things. So I did some searching. I didn't know what I was really looking for other than I didn't want to spend a lot. I ended up with a $15 Browning Model 935 and I figured it would be good enough. Well, for a $15 knife, one really can't complain as it was much better than my Ka-Bar , but it has served me well in the past 6 months. Not a day goes by now that I don't whip it out. After much research and consideration, I'm about ready for my next pocket knife...

Here's what I'm considering:

Price range $35-$65

Product(s) currently interested in for EDC (Every Day Carry):

Cold Steel Voyager Lg. Tanto Point Plain Edge
Cold Steel Voyager Lg. Clip Point Plain Edge by Cold Steel
Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto Point Plain Edge


Ah decisions decisions...


Feel free to use this thread to show off knives, swords, ask knife/blade questions, ask for advice, or whatever.


[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 1:30 AM. Reason : ]

11/30/2011 1:27:55 AM

As long as you don't start filling the thread up with full-screen high-resolution pictures of knives cutting apples or being held in threatening ways a la SaabTurbo, then this thread has a much brighter future.

11/30/2011 2:50:58 AM

I'm hoping that we can take this thread in the same direction as Fumbler's Gun thread. It's actually what inspired me to create this thread in the first place. I did a quick search in the lounge and didn't find one already existing.

[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 3:05 AM. Reason : .]

11/30/2011 3:04:19 AM

grabbed a couple Leatherman Freestyle CX's off of woot for ~$16 each. They are somewhat small, but look to be pretty useful for the price

¦Features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance, making it great for those adventures that really put your gear to the test
¦154CM knife blade holds its edge three-times as long as traditional stainless steel
¦DLC-coated Stainless Steel Handles with Carbon-fiber Handle Insert
¦With its powerful jaws, outside-accessible blade, and removable pocket clip, you can use it like a pocket knife, or a multi-tool
¦Locking Blade
¦Stainless Steel Body
¦Removable Pocket Clip
¦Dimensions: 2.6” (6.60cm) (blade length), 3.45” (8.76cm) (closed)
¦Weight: 4.5oz (127.57g)

size comparison:


[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 7:48 AM. Reason : not my pic]

11/30/2011 7:46:38 AM

the freestyle and the skeletool it's based off of are super uncomfortable to use the pliers on

11/30/2011 8:22:05 AM

yeah, but they'll get you out of a bind.

11/30/2011 8:28:48 AM

I carry a kershaw leek or a kershaw scallion every day.
I absolutely love them for the <$50 price range.

11/30/2011 12:08:16 PM

I think I remember posting this before, but I do <3 my Spyderco Native. It's about $50 on Amazon right now.

11/30/2011 3:31:06 PM

Benchmade Mini-Griptilian.
The Axis Lock on them is better than anything I've seen in that price range.

11/30/2011 3:42:32 PM

say what you want about saabturbo but the dude knows his knife shit.

that said i've been carrying a small gerber ultralight since i was in the scouts.

11/30/2011 3:58:55 PM

Quote :

"I think I remember posting this before, but I do <3 my Spyderco Native. It's about $50 on Amazon right now."

Best little cutting knife ever. I'm a steel snob and the Native's S30V is as good as it gets.

Quote :

"Here's what I'm considering: Price range $35-$65 Product(s) currently interested in for EDC (Every Day Carry): Cold Steel Voyager Lg. Tanto Point Plain Edge Cold Steel Voyager Lg. Clip Point Plain Edge by Cold Steel Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto Point Plain Edge"

Tantos suck for cutting. Get a clip point.

11/30/2011 4:35:57 PM

what are the laws on carrying these things?

11/30/2011 6:20:27 PM

NC's law is you can't carry anything bigger than an "ordinary pocket knife."
That size is always up for debate. The big point is if you aren't sketchy you'll probably be fine.

11/30/2011 6:29:43 PM

does the native have the liner lock?

11/30/2011 6:33:50 PM

I hate liner locks. They should just call them finger cutters.

11/30/2011 6:40:16 PM

Quote :

"does the native have the liner lock?"

I dont think so. To unlock the blade you push on the back side. Amazon calls it a "back lock."

11/30/2011 7:06:28 PM

I think liner locks are great.
If you are anywhere near cutting your finger with a liner lock knife, then you need to go back to safety scissors.
Liner locks are great for one handed use of a folding knife.

11/30/2011 7:16:31 PM

I hate that people say that. I have a Delica 4 that I can EASILY manipulate smoothly and quickly and it has a back lock. Just takes some time to get used to that particular system.

11/30/2011 7:27:17 PM

I didn't say you can't use a back-lock one handed, or that it can't be done easily.
I just said liner locks are great for one handed operation.


[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 7:39 PM. Reason : .]

11/30/2011 7:39:03 PM

does spyderco make something that is small enough for comfortable edc with a G10 handle and a S30V blade that isn't $$$ ?

because i want one of those

[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 8:29 PM. Reason : it should have a liner lock too, SANTA]

11/30/2011 8:28:58 PM

more like liner locks are great for right-handed operation

[Edited on November 30, 2011 at 10:11 PM. Reason : knife companies screw over the lefties]

11/30/2011 10:11:11 PM

^ I sold a Chris Reeve Sebenza left hand model last year that could have saved you a ton of headaches for the low low price of $250.

11/30/2011 10:37:12 PM

Kershaw Leek. The one with a G10 handle and s30v steel is a great little knife.


http://www.amazon.com/Kershaw-Leek-Knife-G10-Handle/dp/B001CDJAJ6/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1322716064&sr=1-2

12/1/2011 12:16:27 AM

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 2:18 AM. Reason : .]

12/1/2011 1:54:46 AM

I thought I'd share some useful information I've compiled:

http://www.benchmade.com/about_knives/our_blades.asp

http://media.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/Applications/TechnicalNotes/application_pages/knife_steel_and_handle_material_chart.htm

http://www.knivestown.com/ktown/blade_steels.asp

Steel Selection Chart

1055/1095 Carbon: The "10" series steels have an increasing amount of carbon in them as the number increases and a corresponding degree of wear resistance as well. 1095 is the default knife steel out of this series (Tops Tom Brown Trapper). Items such as swords or hatchets are often made out of the lower carbon 1055. The Cold Steel Vietnam Tomahawk is made from 1055.

17-7 PH: Good corrosion resistance, excellent for water sports applications. This alloy is a chromium-nickel-aluminum precipitation hardening stainless steel with good edge retention. Great corrosion resistance generally means a high chromium content, and this means knives made with this steel will be a little harder to sharpen than blades with a lower chromium content.

154 CM: Originally designed for jet engine fan blades, it is the precursor to the Japanese made ATS-34. In recent years, this steel has made a resurgence in the knife industry, offering good blade toughness, edge holding capability and corrosion resistance. Fairly easy to resharpen.

3CR13: 3Cr13 is a stainless steel alloy, with high hardness and strength, so it possesses excellent wear-resistance performance.

420: A hard, strong blade steel. This stainless steel is commonly used in knife blades, and offers good corrosion resistance at a low cost. Decent edge holding capabilities and fairly easy to resharpen, this steel is a good balance of the most desirable traits for knife steel.

420 HC: A high carbon version of 420 steel, this steel combines the excellent wear resistance of high carbon alloys with the corrosion resistance of chromium stainless steels. The high carbon content makes this steel harder to resharpen, but the tradeoff is better edge holding properties.

440 A: A high carbon stainless steel, used in many production knives. A good balance of edge retention, easy resharpening and corrosion resistance.

440 C: A high chromium stainless steel which exibits an excellent balance of hardness and corrosion resistance. This steel takes a nice edge, and is fairly easy to sharpen even for a novice.

1095: This is a plain carbon steel, which means it has low resistance to corrosion, and low to medium edge retention. The benefit of this steel is it's easy to sharpen, will take an extremely sharp edge and is generally available at a low cost.

5150: A medium carbon, low alloy steel that hardens well. This steel is ideally suited to blades with a very thick cross-section such as tomahawks and axes. Extremely tough and impact resistant, this steel is most often used on blades which are hafted and/or thrown.

8Cr14MoV: A Chinese steel with similar performance characteristics to AUS-8. An excellent value priced steel for its performance.

9Cr13CoMoV: A Chinese made high-carbon stainless steel with increased levels of cobalt added for greater edge retention. Offers a higher level of corrosion resistance at a great value.

ATS-34: A very high carbon, chromium stainless steel with additional amounts of molybdenum. This steel has good edge holding properties and high corossion resistance, but is more difficult to resharpen than lower chromium steels.

AUS 6A: A medium to high carbon stainless steel, this steel holds a good edge and is particularly well suited for heavy, long blades that are subjected to a lot of stress while chopping and hacking. It has good edge retention, and is fairly easy to resharpen with decent corrosion resistance.

AUS 8: A Japanese stainless steel, with surperb toughness and good edge holding capabilities. This steel is fairly easy to sharpen and generally low cost with great corrosion resistance.

AUS 8A: A high carbon, low chromium stainless steel which has proven itself to be the ultimate compromise between toughness and strength, edge holding and resistance to corrosion.

BG-42: A high quality, bearing grade alloy with significantly increased amounts of carbon and molybdenum content plus vanadium for improved edge retention and strength. Easy to sharpen, with decent corrosion resistance.

Bohler M390: A high performance blade steel with superior cutting ability and wear resistance due to its high concentration of vanadium and chromium carbides. Its unique powder metallurgical process also promotes a uniform carbide distribution and clean steel properties, making M390 a popular steel used in surgical cutting instruments and in applications requiring a high finish. As a blade material it offers excellent corrosion resistance due to its high concentration of Chromium.

Bohler N680: A chromium-molybdenum conventionally produced stainless steel with the addition of vanadium and nitrogen. Excellent corrosion resistance properties, especially in salt water. Good hardenability and high obtainable hardness. High wear resistance and ability to preserve keenness.

Carbon V®: This low alloy, cutlery grade steel is superior to most other steels due to its chemistry. Decent corossion resistance with superior edge retention make this a premium steel for knife blades. This steel is exceptionally tough, and therefore harder to sharpen than most stainless steels.

CPM S30V®: This American made and engineered steel was created especially for the knife industry. It is a powder made steel with uniform structure and great corrosion resistance. Excellent edge retention and first rate toughness make this steel one of the best all-around knife steels, striking a balance between corrosion resistance, edge retention and sharpenability.

CPM-M4: Special purpose, high-speed steel with a combination of high Carbon, Moly, Vanadium and Tungsten for excellent wear resistance and toughness; A powder-metal, non stainless steel.

D2: This air hardened tool steel is sometimes called a "semi-stainless" steel, because it contains 12% chromium. It offers decent corrosion resistance with exceptional edge retention. It is harder to sharpen than most, but can be finished to a high-polish shine. 59-60

Damascus: This steel is made from dissimilar steels folded or fused together with heat. It is often acid etched, which brings out the different steels in a striped pattern. Excellent toughness and edge holding capabilities make it a great blade, but the cost of production is high. Damascus is most often used in special applications like decorative blades.

H1: A precipitation hardened steel, H1 is made with nitrogen instead of carbon and thus is impervious to rust. It is the choice for diving knives which will come in contact with salt water or other highly corrosive environments.

M2: This high-speed, tool grade steel is used primarily in cutting tools in industrial applications. This is metal used to cut metal. With excellent strength, enduring toughness and tremendous wear resistance, this is some of the toughest steel used to make knife blades. The tradeoff for all this toughness is that this steel is hard to sharpen, and it is highly susceptable to corrosion. All blades made from this steel will have a corrosion resistant coating applied, to give good corrosion resistance with such a tough steel.

N690: An Austrian made stainless steel, it is comparable to 440C in performance. It offers good edge holding qualities with excellent corrosion resistance, and fairly easy sharpening.

O1: A good steel that is easy to work with. O1 takes an edge well and holds it. It is also quite tough but can succumb to corrosion more easily than others.

S30V: This steel contains carbon along with high amounts of chromium, molybdenum and vanadium. This steel is double tempered for hardness and edge retention.It has excellent corrosion resistance, but is slightly more difficult to sharpen.

Sandvik 12C27: This stainless steel is made in Sweden. It is generally known as a premium steel for knife blades, offering a good balance of corrosion resistance, sharpenability and edge retention.

San Mai III: San Mai means "three layers". It is a term used when talking about traditional Japanese swords and daggers. The laminated construction is important because it allows the blade maker to combine different grades of steel in a single blade. A high carbon center layer provides the strength and edge holding qualities, while the outer layers are lower carbon steels, providing flexibility.

VG-10: A stainless steel with a high Vanadium content which can be sharpened to an extremely keen edge. Good toughness, wear resistance and edge holding as well.

X-15 T.N: Developed for the aircraft industry for jet ball bearings, and used in the medical industry for scalpels, this steel resists rust in the worst of conditions while maintaining ample edge retention. Offering an easy to maintain edge and excellent corrosion resistance, this steel is ideal in knives used for watersports.

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 2:40 AM. Reason : .]

12/1/2011 2:27:09 AM

Handle Materials

Carbon Fiber: This material is a woven composite of graphite fibers fused together with an epoxy resin. Providing ultra light weight and extreme tensile strength, it most often has a visible weave-like pattern. The weave pattern can be varied, as can the color of the epoxy used.

Delrin®: This lightweight and durable polymer was engineered for excellent long-term wear characteristics. It can be molded to form, and is used in many industries.

G-10: G-10 is an epoxy filled woven "E" glass composite, reinforced with glass fibers for strength. Originally designed for circuit boards, it offers the knife industry a handle which is impervious to most elements like oils, water and acids. It can be made in many colors, and finished in a variety of ways, offering different amounts of texture matched to different end uses.

Kraton®: This black thermoplastic elastomer offers superb flexibility and memory elasticity even under harsh conditions. Most often molded onto a harder sub-structure, Kraton® offers excellent grip and comfort.

Micarta: Technically described as "fabric reinforced phenolic laminate", micarta is created by pouring a resin into a flat pan, then laying down a strip of linen or paper fabric, which gets saturated with the resin. This process is repeated until the desired thickness is achieved. It can be made in lots of colors, is lightweight and and can be finished in many ways including polishing to a high luster.

Noryl®: GTX A modern, engineered plastic offering extreme durability. It is impervious to harsh environments and chemicals and is very strong. It offers no flexibility, but can be molded to any shape and in any color.

Phenolic: This hard, ebony-colored compound is almost impervious to heat cold and shock, making it practically indestructible.

Valox®: A reinforced resin with exceptional stiffness, Valox® offers strength and dimensional stability. It has outstanding chemical and flame resistance, and is molded to form.

Zytel®: Zytel® is a material made up of fiberglass and nylon. The two are combined and heated to near 600°F and then injection molded to the desired form. Strong and lightweight, it offers excellent surface grip.


BLADE STYLES

TANTO: Most tantos seen on the American cutlery market are Americanized formats. Like the Japanese tanto, the Americanized tanto has a high point in-line with the pivot. A flat grind is applied to the point, leaving it very thick and extraordinarily strong. This thick area helps absorb the impact from piercing, as the tanto was originally designed for armor piercing. The front edge meets the bottom edge at an obtuse angle rather than curving to meet it as seen in the Japanese tanto. The only negative aspect of the tanto blade shape is the cutting surface area is sacrificed to gain tip strength.

DROP-POINT: A slow convex-curved drop in the point characterizes a drop-point blade. The drop-point format lowers the point for control but adds strength to the tip. Usually coupled with plenty of belly for slicing, this format is often used for hunting knives. It is also a fantastic all-around blade format. This blade shape can be found on a wide array of knives.

SHEEPSFOOT: This blade shape has no point on the tip, very little to no belly and the spine of the blade curves down to meet the edge. It is used in applications where slicing is the main requirement, and a point is either not needed or would actively get in the way. Emergency rescue blades are usually of this design. The lack of a point prevents the rescuer from inadvertently injuring a victim who is being cut free from something restrictive.

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 2:28 AM. Reason : .]

12/1/2011 2:28:11 AM

http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Point-Man,687,37.htm



This full-service tactical folding knife features a signature ergonomic handle, distinctive spearpoint blade, improved lock geometry, and a high-strength liner-lock mechanism.

Specifications:
• Blade length: 3.400”/86 mm
• Overall length: 7.800”/198 mm
• Blade material: AUS8A stainless steel
• Blade finish: Black PVD coating
• Edge type: Plain or partially serrated
• Handle material: 420J stainless steel liners nested in textured G-10 scales
• Pocket clip: Right- or left-side, tip-up or tip-down carry

$100 knife

12/1/2011 5:56:32 PM

^The handle on that knife reminds me of the Ka-Bar Warthog; I love that handle.

I think I'm in love with this machete...



I need to find an ax. I don't know why, but the wife wants an ax "just in case" She jokes about it alot, but I figure it'd be a nice christmas "gift" (besides, I could use an ax as I don't have one in the shed yet).

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 7:25 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2011 7:18:45 PM

I've had good luck with my Ames axe. Pretty sure the handle has a lifetime warranty. Mine has cut down a lot of small trees and split a ton of logs. I've broken many wooden handled axes or had the head come loose in the past, but this one has been 100% trouble free so far. I just run it across the grinder every year or two to freshen up the edge.

For general purpose hatchets I would recommend avoiding Fiskars/Gerber regardless of how cool they look or how many zombies they kill on The Walking Dead. The shaft just doesn't hold up to any real abuse. Just get the Estwing and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 7:44 PM. Reason : s]

12/1/2011 7:42:19 PM

i realize you had a bad experience while splitting firewood with your fiskars/gerber hatchet, but a lot of folks, myself included, split a lot of firewood with their axes and have been very impressed with their performance.

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 7:46 PM. Reason : hatchets are dangerous as fuck and pretty much good for nothing]

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 7:48 PM. Reason : if you've got the money, order a gransfors bruks axe]

[Edited on December 1, 2011 at 7:48 PM. Reason : ds]

12/1/2011 7:46:14 PM

^^What happend?

My brother in law broke the handle on a Fiskars axe but it had been stored outside where it was really cold so it was brittle.

I love Fiskars/Gerber products.
I have a few of their axes and they're great as long as you don't need them for pounding wedges...on the other hand i take my Fiskars axe into the woods when firefighting (to use with a chain saw) because it's light. They're fine for felling wedges, but not splitting wedges.
If you broke a handle then bring it to Lowe's and exchange it. You don't even need a receipt, just tell them you bought it there and they'll let you walk out with a new one.

I'd pay good money (ok, maybe not $Gransfors Bruks) if Fiskars would produce a real full sized american single bit felling axe or a real maul.

Yall should try maintaining your axes in convex edges rather than putting them on grinders. A convex edge works a lot better for chopping and is easy to maintain with sandpaper and a soft backing like a piece of foam or a mouse pad.

12/1/2011 10:19:40 PM

I had some of my fixed blades out last night and took some pics.


That's an Ontario Ranger RD-7, second gen Swamp Rat Howling Rat, old school flat grind VG-10 Fallkniven F1, and Swamp Rat Rodent Solution.

Here are the dilemmas...
I got the Howling Rat because I wanted something a little bigger than my F1 that I could beat on. It's not that the F1 is weak, it would just be better for batonning if it was a tiny bit longer or wider. I love the HR handle, but I'm not a big fan of the huge choil on a knife this size. My RD-7 and Native have choils and it makes sense. The Native's handle is real short and the RD-7's blade is long as hell. A knife in between doesn't really need it, so I feel like there's a huge waste of space that could otherwise be used for cutting edge. The HR blade is almost 3/4 longer than the F1 but the F1 cutting edge is almost half an inch longer. I haven't used the HR much because I don't want the value to go down if I decide to sell it. 1) I'm wondering how the big choil is going to affect its usefulness since the choil effectively puts the cutting edge an inch farther from my hand.

I discovered Swamp Rat made a Howling Rat Little Mischief (who the fuck gives them these stupid names?) which is a micarta handled small choil version of the HR. I think that's what I'm looking for, but they're out of production now. 2) The thing is, SW has the Ratmandu (again, wtf?) for sale now. The RMD is basically the HRLM with an extra 1.2 inches of blade.
Sounds cool, right? Well, I think the RMD is getting to the point that the blade is longer than I want. I already have the RD-7 and have a Scrap Yard Sykco 711 on order if I need a bigger knife. IDK if the RMD would work for what I want or if it's going to be too big. If I buy it I can easily sell it for at least what I pay, but it's still money I'd have tied up in a knife.

In the midst of all this pondering about the HR's choil, I ordered up the Rodent Solution because it looked close in size to a HRLM in some pics and it's a full tang Swamp Rat so it should be tougher than the F1. Turns out it's exactly the same size as the F1 and probably isn't that much tougher. The RS handle is waaaaay better than the F1. Both blade shapes and grinds are very similar so they should function similarly. The F1's VG-10 should hold an edge slightly longer than the SR-101...so 3) I've spent a lot of money so something has to go. Do I keep the RS and sell the F1 for probably $60-70 since it's used, sell the RS for retail (easy to do with any Busse kin knife), hold onto the RS til they go out of production and sell it for double my money, or just keep both ?

4) I originally got the RD-7 because I couldn't get a Swamp Rat Camp Tramp. They're out of production and even well used ones sell for twice the original retail. Scrap Yard came out with the Sykco 711 which is almost identical to the CT and is available now. I bought one. What do I do with my RD-7? Sell it for half the purchase price (it's used) or keep it in my truck just in case I ever need to hack apart zombies?

#firstworldproblems

BTW, check out my RD-7 and F1 tips:


I put a polished convex edge on the F1


Lastly, Ranger knives come with minimal shaping on the micarta and are uncomfortable, so i shaped these up then did a little file work for added grip.

12/1/2011 11:08:58 PM

Quote :

"i realize you had a bad experience while splitting firewood with your fiskars/gerber hatchet, but a lot of folks, myself included, split a lot of firewood with their axes and have been very impressed with their performance."

Quote :

"^^What happend? My brother in law broke the handle on a Fiskars axe but it had been stored outside where it was really cold so it was brittle."

I had a Gerber hatchet for one camping trip.
Took some small dry oak in the back of my buddy's Jeep. Split a handful of pieces with the hatchet and it sliced through them like butter. This was very dry stuff and not much thicker than a 4"x4" post so it didn't take much to get it to split. Tried to split one more log and the head sheared clean off like it had never been attached. Took it back for a refund and never looked back.

I realize any type of cast material like this is prone to defects...It's easy to overheat, underheat, get air bubbles into the mix, etc during the manufacturing process. The shaft was also a hollow core; presumably to save weight. They look cool and have a nice feel, but I just wouldn't buy another one for any kind of serious use.

Compare that to this:



A single piece of forged steel forms the head and the handle. I don't see how you could destroy it from normal use. The weight difference is negligible and the price is cheaper. You never have to worry about how hot it gets, how cold it gets, exposure to sunlight or UV rays, etc. This is the hatchet your grandkids will fight over one day when you're in the grave and they want something cool to put on their mantle.

It's not rare, it's not expensive, but it gets the job done like a boss and only costs $35 or so. Plus it comes with a leather sheath which I'm pretty sure counts as its first kill.

[Edited on December 2, 2011 at 12:20 AM. Reason : s]

12/2/2011 12:02:52 AM

Quote :

"Do I keep the RS and sell the F1 for probably $60-70 since it's used, sell the RS for retail (easy to do with any Busse kin knife), hold onto the RS til they go out of production and sell it for double my money, or just keep both ? "

I'd keep both, but not because I'm a Pack Rat

[Edited on December 2, 2011 at 12:11 AM. Reason : .]

12/2/2011 12:11:18 AM

12/2/2011 12:25:14 AM

I likes my Becker Companion, though I never use the thing

ONE DAY THOUGH

12/2/2011 12:49:41 AM

This thread is probably going to look like arghx's technical ramblings thread (message_topic.aspx?topic=617123 )

Couple interesting links on Hardness and Toughness:

http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Mechanical/Hardness.htm

http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Mechanical/Toughness.htm

12/2/2011 7:47:07 PM

^interesting stuff for those learning about steel. I've been impressed with my RD7, which is made of 5160. I've chopped a bit with it and the edge hasn't chipped or deformed at all. The only chip I've made was the result of accidentally hitting the edge of a glass desk top and that chip was tiny. I've chopped lesser material with 1095 that had similar edge geometry and it chipped and rolled badly. 5160 is tough but relatively low in wear resistance. As a result, the RD7 is real easy to sharpen. IMO it's a great steel for large blades.

^^how do you like the becker's handle? They look really fat to me but I've never seen one in person.

12/2/2011 11:47:12 PM

What's a good fixed-blade knife to give as a gift?

12/5/2011 5:57:25 PM

price range?

[Edited on December 5, 2011 at 6:23 PM. Reason : and what do you think they'll use it for?]

12/5/2011 6:23:33 PM

Up to $100. General utility for someone in construction.

12/5/2011 6:26:08 PM

Quote :

"Yall should try maintaining your axes in convex edges rather than putting them on grinders. A convex edge works a lot better for chopping and is easy to maintain with sandpaper and a soft backing like a piece of foam or a mouse pad. "

I've always found a double bevel edge on a maul to be far superior to an axe for cutting wood.

12/5/2011 6:52:06 PM

i haven't found any log on which i'd rather use my 8 lb maul over my Fiskars X25. if the X25 won't split it, then the maul won't either and i'm gonna need a wedge or two.

12/5/2011 8:10:10 PM

Any of y'all own any Kramer knives?





This guy is legendary up here in Seattle. His custom knives go through a lottery for buyers.

12/6/2011 3:25:52 AM

Quote :

"I've always found a double bevel edge on a maul to be far superior to an axe for cutting wood."

Wha?
You cut (as in chop across grain) wood with a maul? There's no way that can be better than an axe with any type of sharp edge. The primary grind on a maul is simply too wide to out cut an axe. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.
Double bevels on mauls are a good thing. Flat grinds and edges are better for splitting wood than for cutting wood. On an axe though a well formed convex edge will out chop a flat ground edge (not that flat is bad, just not as good). The slight hollow grinding you get from sharpening on a grinder isn't good for an axe unless you grind most of the hollow shape out.

Quote :

"What's a good fixed-blade knife to give as a gift?"

For someone in construction you probably want a beefy blade. The Ontario Ranger Ready Detachment series (like the RD7 in my pics) is good because the 5160 is real tough and less prone to deformation than something like 1095 and it's a good hunk of 1/4 inch steel.
They cost about $80-90 for the 7" or shorter blades.
You could also do something like the Schrade Extreme Survival. I think it's made of 1080 for good impact resistence.
Oooh I know, how bout this:
http://www.scrapyardknives.com/knives.htm
Look at the Sykco 511. It should be a tough blade.

On a side note, I got a Swamp Rat Ratmandu in the mail today. It's exactly what I wanted. Ergos are great and it bridges the gap between my F1 and RD7 nicely. It's a big knife, but not too big.

12/6/2011 3:38:38 AM

Quote :

"grabbed a couple Leatherman Freestyle CX's off of woot for ~$16 each. "

Hey Dr Pepper I want one of these to give my brother for Christmas. They're currently ~23 with Super Shipper on Amazon, so likely it'll get tossed in with my other gifts. Any thoughts on it? He's not a hobbyist or anything, just "handy" and doesn't have a leatherman or any kind, so I figured it was better than a CD and a book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T82R4Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[Edited on December 6, 2011 at 3:50 AM. Reason : v]

12/6/2011 3:49:37 AM

get it - although I find more utility in the non-serrated blade (in 154CM material). It is smaller, however i like the size of the pliers and general fit. its width is just a shade much for my liking for carrying with the pocket clip (currently wearing it), but in general I like. Currently one-handed opening is a stretch, but i feel like the blade pivot might loosen up as I use it.

[Edited on December 6, 2011 at 7:42 AM. Reason : -]

12/6/2011 7:39:50 AM

I've got a Chris Reeve Yarborough, it's a sweet fucking blade but I'm too scared to do anything with it but display.

12/6/2011 8:21:12 PM

^ x 5
Those Kramer knives are gorgeous.

12/7/2011 1:03:39 AM

paging SaabTurbo

12/7/2011 8:36:22 PM