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Blades, Bows and Tools Discussion of non-firearm weapons and camping/survival tools.

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  #81  
Old 10-01-2017, 5:25 PM
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I like my halo and ultratech, I edc a socom elite I got from a member here and have for years, while in the shop I usually carry a beater snap on knife I got for free from the snap on man. I've beat the hell out of both the edge on the microtech had held a lot better against other metals than the snap on.
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  #82  
Old 10-02-2017, 9:20 AM
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Originally Posted by HooYah View Post
I feel that Winkler knives are actually a good value for what you pay.
IMHO BUSSE is a great value for what you get... the values go up after they are not on sale anymore, but a Team Gemini Light Brigade in coated INFI steel was around $380 when offered. Battle Grade Team Gemini's were $257 IIRC (coated SR-101 steel which is 52100 steel with proprietary heat treat)... Pretty affordable for an 8" combat knife that's basically indestructable, but warranted for life. I see lots of small knives selling for prices that seem nuts compared to BUSSE's, not to mention Scrap Yard or other makers like Mineral Mountain or even Bark River, etc... Also super small garage shops with custom hand made stuff like Hard Edge Knives and Black ROC, GimmeJR (Jeremy Garrison), Malanika, Duck Childress, etc...

Of course good Kydex or leather is gonna add some dollars to that, but at least you can get the sheath you like... and BUSSE is popular enough to have many talented sheath makers waiting to get their hands on a new model to roll out kydex for it.
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  #83  
Old 10-02-2017, 9:28 AM
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If I was gonna get back to the blade addiction, I'd probably dive into lots of Black ROC's... I don't see many of his designs I don't like. Kydex included too, and it is nice kydex.









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  #84  
Old 10-02-2017, 2:36 PM
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Worth it to whom? Some folks will pay big money for a specialty product.

For me, my EDC cost about $25-30, I think. Too cheap a folder and you're asking for trouble. I want a solid lock on a folder and I've bent them over a time or two over the years. The quality of the steel is of small concern to me. I want a solid lock first. Sharpening is fast and easy so I don't mind cheapness there.

For hunting, I usually use a cheap, $10 fixed blade. I have to touch up the edge in the middle of quartering/skinning a deer but it does its job well enough and I always carry a sharpener while hunting. I wouldn't pound it into spinal joints but, being careful, I can free up the skull enough to twist it off for carry back to the truck. It ain't the sturdiest but it is light and easy to work with.

Expensive knives sure are purdy and I can appreciate the craftsmanship. But I can break a lot of cheap ones before I'll ever run up to the cost of an expensive one. I'd rather spend the extra money on lighter packs, sleeping bags, clothing, etc. I run through the soles of my trail shoes every couple years (my hiking shoes are also my running shoes) so most of my money has gone there over the years and that seems right to me. Knife quality is the least of my concerns.
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  #85  
Old 10-02-2017, 6:32 PM
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Originally Posted by CVShooter View Post
Worth it to whom? Some folks will pay big money for a specialty product.

For me, my EDC cost about $25-30, I think. Too cheap a folder and you're asking for trouble. I want a solid lock on a folder and I've bent them over a time or two over the years. The quality of the steel is of small concern to me. I want a solid lock first.
Def some truth there. A $25 Cold Steel GI TANTO probably wont fold over on your fingers... but cheap knives with crappy heat treats might break when you need them. Fixed blades though, i think most people don't want to sharpen in the field if they know there are options that won't need it. Definitely weak locks are scary though... Axis and Tri-Ad are pretty good. So are frame locks by ZT.
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  #86  
Old 10-02-2017, 6:45 PM
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  #87  
Old 10-04-2017, 1:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DEFCON ZERO View Post
after the first couple of resharpenings than a $20, $10 or even $2 knife?

anyone done scientific tests showing a $200 knife is enough better that a human could actually tell in a double blind test?

Take two knives and wrap both handles in enough tape to hide the shape, then ask a exp user to cut some meat blindfolded and see if he can guess which is which.

Sounds like a hard sell TV info merical.
I'm absolutely not a brand whore, but after having to replace knives every few months (and re-sharpening them every few days), I switched to a Benchmade and never looked back. I've had Spyderco's latch mechanism fail, a few Kershaws unlock and one had half my finger sliced open, Chinese stuff just break, and most cheap knives just become loose and wobbly. The main thing I like on my Benchmades is the Axis lock. I abuse my knives (my fault and I don't condone this to anyone else) but the Benchmades are the ones that held out the best.
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  #88  
Old 10-04-2017, 2:34 PM
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The most expensive knives I own:

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  #89  
Old 10-10-2017, 8:12 PM
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I enjoy collecting and using quality blades. I have $10 throw aways and the max I'd paid for a knife is around $350.

There are some knives that sell for $200-$300 direct and that's considered a deal compared to other makers in the same category. There's some where you have to wait 6 month to a few years. The nice thing with those is you can use them and still sell them later and even make a little money.

The steel, fit, grind, handle materials, and finish have a lot to do with the pricing. Realistically, are we going to cut cinder blocks, use our knives as a repelling anchor, cut through a windshield, cut through a steel vehicle door, etc. Probably and hopefully not. However, the higher end "Super Steels" cost more and the heat treat has a huge difference in performance.

There's definitely a difference between Smith and Wesson, Buck, Benchmade, Spyderco, CRK, and the different steels used. Some are more stainless and others may rust more, but provide more impact toughness. Some steels are less tough, but are great for edge retention.

Fixed blades you will notice the difference between Mora, Gerber, Cold Steel, Becker, Fallkniven, Bark River, CPK, Survive, Swamp Rat, Busse, etc. All have different handles, materials, steel, edge grinds, etc. You'll notice a difference when batoning wood and other moderate to hard tasks. Definitely don't want to use a Mora companion to baton a hard oak log.
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  #90  
Old 12-23-2017, 12:19 PM
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Sorry to post on a 2 month old thread but there are absolutely without question major differences between cheap knives and better knives, particularly when talking about folders. Without even considering the steel (which affects edge retention, hardness and sharpening and rust/corrosion resistance) the style of lock, the grind on the blade, the material of the handle, the stupid clip that almost no one makes right...
I use knives hard at work and have been buying cold steel recons since I was in high school. I've gone through a few but I can tell you that I've had cheap knives fall apart at the handle and pins numerous times (big 5 smith and wessons, bulk pack knives, Kershaw's

I use husky razor knives at work too, but there is no substitute for a solid folder. The difference between a $20 folder and $60-$100 folder is Extreme. Past that the differences become more minor and detail oriented.
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  #91  
Old 01-15-2018, 10:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crufflers View Post
but cheap knives with crappy heat treats might break when you need them.
I had a carbon Kabar I took backpacking once, must have had a bad HT, chopped off a 1/4" pine limb and lost dime sized chunks from the blade on day one. Only blade I brought which made for a Miserable trip..... Kabar took care of me and replaced it, but little good that did when I actually needed it.
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  #92  
Old 01-16-2018, 5:37 PM
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I have cheapies from BudK that look like knives, but after 10 min. of use, wouldn't cut butter. My Buck 110 from 1978 holds an edge better than any other blade I have, and I have a few. Will not spend hundreds on a knife that might be needed for brutal work (the Buck was used when backpacking to cut a fiberglass tent pole; it came back for more), but if it is a show piece that sits in a case and is an example of fine workmanship, well perhaps.
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  #93  
Old 01-16-2018, 6:38 PM
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As others have said, law of diminishing returns. I have a relatively expensive Wusthof chef’s knife that I got on sale for about $60. It serves me well, so I doubt I would be significantly happier with a thousand dollar chef’s knife. Maybe if I was a professional chef...

Outside the kitchen, the tool I’ve used the most is my keychain Swiss Army knife. It has the scissors, nail file, tweezers. I’m a girl so I can do just about anything I need to with those three things.

Now for some knife pron:

This guy, Dan Thornburg, makes knives from old files.

http://www.dtknives.com/Information.html







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  #94  
Old 01-20-2018, 8:02 AM
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Having a knife when I need one is better than not having one, no matter what kind it is. Higher end tools of all sorts, with higher end materials and better design and workmanship will result in a better quality, longer lasting tool.

Better steels will take an edge faster/easier and keep an edge longer. Higher end folders will open and lock smoothly, and their locks will be more solid. A high end knife designed for hard use will take much of that abuse.

At the end of the day, like someone said, its kind of like wine. Is that knife twice as good? Maybe. Is it ten times as good? Maybe not. Use what you like and what works for you.

My folders are most often Emerson or Spyderco. My fixed are various productions and customs. I am a huge knife guy, and I carry and use spendy ones and cheaper ones too. If it locks up well and has decent steel, I am good with it.
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  #95  
Old 01-20-2018, 8:13 AM
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In my experience

The more expensive the knife the better the edge retention. The better the edge retention, the harder it is sharpen.

So a cheap knife you have to sharpen more, but it is easier. A more expensive knife you have to sharpen less but it is more difficult.
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  #96  
Old 02-27-2018, 7:08 PM
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If you use a particular tool to make a living, it pays to have the best quality possible. Knives are pretty simple tools though. My favorite pocket knife is an Ontario Rat 1 with the D2 blade. $40. Durable, quick opening and holds an edge really well.

There’s a huge difference between a $5 and a $30-40 one. I wouldn’t carry one of those if you paid me. The ones that you can sharpen for an hour and get dull in a single use. But I’ll happily carry knives that are at least AUS8, 440C or even 8cr13mov.

Generally speaking, I would say that under $25 and over $100 are knives that I typically won’t use.

Cold Steel, CRKT, Ontario and Leatherman are brands I’ve been happy with.


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  #97  
Old 02-27-2018, 8:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffC View Post
In my experience

The more expensive the knife the better the edge retention. The better the edge retention, the harder it is sharpen.

So a cheap knife you have to sharpen more, but it is easier. A more expensive knife you have to sharpen less but it is more difficult.
This really depends on how dull you let the blade get before resharpening and the method you use to sharpen the blade. If the method is one that's easily done, the difference is 'how long it takes,' not the difficulty of it.
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  #98  
Old 03-01-2018, 9:37 PM
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Originally Posted by naeco81 View Post
Yes expensive knives are legitimately better tools, up to a point, though not everyone will value this equally (think about socket wrenches, you can get by with cheap ones and maybe that's fine for you, but there are certainly ones of better quality at a premium price). Your sub $100 blade just isn't the same class as higher priced options. That doesn't mean they're not usable or can't be sharpened to the same degree, but the quality isn't equal and it will be apparent to people who have handled better knives.

Up to around $250 you typically are paying for the quality of the steel itself and the workmanship in the overall package - particularly the action. That is to say, a $200 knife will generally have much better steel (stronger, less brittle, keeps edge longer, etc) and will have a noticeably better action. It is simply a better tool. Beyond that you are probably paying for art alongside function, as the best knife makers are talented artists who happen to fashion tools.

Here's a video comparing some of the steels commonly used in today's knives:

I totally agree with this post. I love a good knife with nice quality steel, but up to a point I just don't know beacuse it gets very hard to justify the extra cost. I've tried some various steels such as D2, 154cm, VG series, 1095, spring steel, etc from Benchmade, Cold Steel, OKC, etc. Not the very high end stuff, but they are in the $100-200 range. No doubt they are nice, holds an edge very well, but also takes longer and more work to sharpen.

For my practical use (and probably for most average knife users out there) I still find myself using knives more in the AUS 8 and 440C range. Probably beacuse they hold their edge pretty good and are very easy to sharpen. With that said my favorite EDC is a Benchmade 710 in 154cm and one of my favorite deer knife is a Kershaw in AUS6 that was gifted to me 15 years ago. For some reason that Kershaw can be sharpen to be razor sharp very easily and holds it very well.
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  #99  
Old 03-01-2018, 11:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Widdle View Post
As others have said, law of diminishing returns. I have a relatively expensive Wusthof chef’s knife that I got on sale for about $60. It serves me well, so I doubt I would be significantly happier with a thousand dollar chef’s knife. Maybe if I was a professional chef...

Outside the kitchen, the tool I’ve used the most is my keychain Swiss Army knife. It has the scissors, nail file, tweezers. I’m a girl so I can do just about anything I need to with those three things.

Now for some knife pron:

This guy, Dan Thornburg, makes knives from old files.

http://www.dtknives.com/Information.html







I have a bunch (10-12) Anza knives, I really like em and I don't think I ever paid more than 65.00 for one. The bad thing about Anza is they dont use rivets. That last one you have on your post is sexy as hec. I got to look into one of these

Okay then, I got to pass on those
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Last edited by golfish; 03-01-2018 at 11:06 PM..
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  #100  
Old 03-02-2018, 1:53 AM
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Both inexpensive knives, but only one cheap!

Found this house knife when I moved in vs $12 mora! Test is nothing more than splitting dimensional lumber into kindling! Scientific, not in the least ~ good steel (ht) vs the opposite...... you be the judge. I'll keep spending my $12

https://m.imgur.com/a/cTE9z
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  #101  
Old 03-02-2018, 2:27 AM
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I like having knives handy so having many knives there is a mix of qualities. I also have several stones to keep them sharp.
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