A pocket knife: San Mai or Ceramic?

B

bricco

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Aug 12, 2006
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I have managed to gather enough money to buy one of those useless and fancy pocket knives. You know the kind: a nice little thing, razor sharp, bent to be opened with a well practiced flick of the hand for trifle matters. Generally in front of an audience.
Now, I can't decide: I could buy an Mcusta, an M3 or an M5, or choose a Boker Cera-Titan, a Delta or maybe an Infinity.

Can you help me? I would appreciate it if you could reveal to me the pros and cons of these two variety of blades.


Thanks
 
I would go with the Mcusta simply because they will actually be good, tough working knives if you need them to be, where as a Ceramic knife will certainly snap right in two the minute you try to really use it. I personally like the looks of the Mcusta more, as well.

You may also want to check out the Kershaw Nakamura:
1480.jpg

It has a laminated (San Mai) blade as well.
 
HAve you broken a ceramic knife?
I've never had one and was wonderng how good the stuff was- i read that its ok for cutting but hard to sharpen.
 
I have not personally broken one, but I was interested in them at one point as well, and have heard too many bad things about them to ever consider buying one. That they never really take a good edge, they are very difficult to sharpen and gum up your stones, the edge chips easily, the snap under any sort of prying, etc. Sounds like you can pretty much use them for nothing but light slicing, and they don't even excel at it, so what's the point?
 
I'd get a damascus Mcusta, I got one a couple of months ago in Japan, the bammbo model, and can't be more satisified with it.

The fit and finish are amazing, it opens SMOOTH and It's the sharpest knife out of the box I've get until now.

About the ceramic knives, I don't own one myself but a close friend of mine got a Boker Ceramic, really nice design but after some normal use, ii didn't shave hair anymore and after a year of use, it's not dull but no too sharp and sharpening ceramic its way harder than sharpening steel.
 
Thanks, I think I will buy a Mcusta then. I feel slightly disappointed, however: I read the most amazing things about ceramic knifes, and the supposedly endless durability of their edge...

I suppose that advertising works its bullshi**ing wonders even in the knife industry :)

Thanks again!
 
I have managed to chip a Boker ceramic knife (older ceramic-not this new cera-titan). Say what we will--there is simply no substitute for steel at this time.
 
Ceramic is not a very good knife blade material. It is brittle, delicate and won't take a very acute bevel angle without chipping. Edge retention is very good. That is the only plus besides the inherent light weight of the blade. It's pretty hard to beat steel.

On the positive side, we've sold many, many ceramic bladed knives and have had no more returns with them than any other type of knife.
 
o1Alex said:
HAve you broken a ceramic knife?
I've never had one and was wonderng how good the stuff was- i read that its ok for cutting but hard to sharpen.
Click to expand...

I have a Boker Delta Ceramic and it's still in one piece. But it's true I didn't have the guts to use it for anything else but cutting. Overall, the knife is wonderful: nice looking, smooth action, feels great in the hand and the materials are top notch - (titanium and ceramics). It makes for a great conversation piece, just take care not to inadvertently drop it on the concrete floor during the discussion(s) :rolleyes:
I don't know about chipping (and God will, I'll never know), but these things can get shaving sharp and I have the real thing to prove it. :cool:
Resharpening them is indeed a pain, the blade glides over the gritstone like a pair of freshly oiled rollerskates on a well polished floor. And you were saying ZDP-189 is hard to sharpen... ;)
 
Howdy,
If you want a nice knife, and you are considering san mai steel. Try the Cold Steel Hatamoto, a little pricey but alot of knife. ~baba~
 
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