- Joined
- Oct 21, 2010
- Messages
- 552
Got a few new cheapies in that I like quite a bit.
Buck 301 Chairman large stockman - I like large stockman patterns, might be my favorite overall slip joint. Great size for EDC and the three blade types cover a lot of ground.
From the factory the blades aren't very sharp and the overall grind is pretty coarse as far as the look/finish of the blades too. I stropped this one up and it's usable but I'll have to sit and fix it on my stones to make it truly sharp.
For the $30 or so I paid, the overall fit and finish is 'o.k.' After washing it up thoroughly the joints are a lot smoother operating than they were out of the box so my initial impression is a bit better. It was very coarse opening at first, now it's quite a bit better with a good cleaning and lube with some silicone/teflon spray.
The Dymondwood Cherrywood scales are a richer/darker color than a lot of pictures show. Much less red than I'd expected which is actually a pleasant surprise.
The Opinels - I got a 6,7,8 in the Opinels, all in carbon. Pictured is the 6 and the 8 as I already gave my wife the 7 to carry around. The factory edge was a bit rough and uneven on them, but still very sharp. I took my stones to the 6 today and now it is simply a pocket razor...very very sharp.
An Opinel was the very first knife I ever bought with my own money. At about 12yrs old or so I bought what I think was a 7 or 8 from the LL Bean store in Freeport, ME. I haven't had one in many years so it's been fun fiddling with them.
I wasn't sure what size I'd like to have handy and I'm still not. The 8 is certainly small enough to EDC though with a longer blade for those chores that need it I prefer a heavier steel and thicker blade. I generally carry a stout one-hand opener combined with something like a stockman or this size 6 Opinel for finer cutting tasks. That's the fun of it though, more for the pile. I'll likely add a couple larger Opinels in stainless for the kitchen drawer too.
