Best factory knife?

S

superc

Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
382
Since so many of the big boys in the industry are now selling knives of unknown steels, factory dulled, with cardboard or too thin plastic sheaths, built in whistle and flashlight, questionable quality blades, etc., or have even totally gone out of business, who, in your opinion, still makes a good, sold over the counter in a local store, sheath knife?

General requirements (add more if needed)...
Single edged (no cutesy teeth, false edge, or serrations), sharp from the box (i.e., equally capable of peeling an apple or slicing webbing), practical blade shape, easy to resharpen, but holds an edge for at least an hour or two when unused, full (or at least 3/4) tang, adequate blade thickness (i.e., over 1/8"), length of blade between 3" to 6.5" length, a rugged sheath with belt loops that fit a belt and can hold the knife securely, a guard to protect fingers, a blade tip or edge strong enough to bend back a bent roofing or framing nail from a piece of lumber at least enough to get the claw of a hammer under the nail (note that many knives fail this common use test), a handle that isn't super slippery when wet (rough leather seems to be the best handle material in my experience, but can rot and hates snow), less than $50?
 
A buck 119 may fit the bill except for the slippery handle. Also, I'm not 100% sure about the tip strength. I did manage to break one prying at a piece of wood, but it may have been a bad heat treat or I may have been applying more force than I really realized (probably the latter).

Also:
Case (Not sure if any of their fixed blades are under 50 bucks)
Gerber
Columbia River Knife and Tool
Cold Steel
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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a blade tip or edge strong enough to bend back a bent roofing or framing nail from a piece of lumber at least enough to get the claw of a hammer under the nail (note that many knives fail this common use test),

Which Spyderco fixed blade do you recommend for this?
 
Using a knife to bend back a roofing nail is not what I would call a common use test. Unless your life is in imminent danger from said nail, I believe I would go get a flat head screwdriver to pry the nail with.
 
I would use a nail puller, since, y'know, they don't cut stuff very well and I gotta have an excuse for having one.
 
superc said:
Since so many of the big boys in the industry are now selling knives of unknown steels, factory dulled, with cardboard or too thin plastic sheaths, built in whistle and flashlight, questionable quality blades, etc., or have even totally gone out of business, who, in your opinion, still makes a good, sold over the counter in a local store, sheath knife?

General requirements (add more if needed)...
Single edged (no cutesy teeth, false edge, or serrations), sharp from the box (i.e., equally capable of peeling an apple or slicing webbing), practical blade shape, easy to resharpen, but holds an edge for at least an hour or two when unused, full (or at least 3/4) tang, adequate blade thickness (i.e., over 1/8"), length of blade between 3" to 6.5" length, a rugged sheath with belt loops that fit a belt and can hold the knife securely, a guard to protect fingers, a blade tip or edge strong enough to bend back a bent roofing or framing nail from a piece of lumber at least enough to get the claw of a hammer under the nail (note that many knives fail this common use test), a handle that isn't super slippery when wet (rough leather seems to be the best handle material in my experience, but can rot and hates snow), less than $50?
Click to expand...

Not common to me, friend. I carry a cats paw in my pouch when I do such work.

Sheath knife carried by local stores.
Not sure what kind of store you are considering nor what knife brands your local store carries. Wallmart carries a Buck sheath knives. I would consider them. But if you have an option for KaBar or Ontario those would be good, and they come in carbon steel, which may stand up to your prying needs better. (But I would still recommend the cats paw.)
 
Knives of Alaska
Spyderco
Kershaw
Kabar
Ontario.
SOG.
In no particular order. Your intended use would have to be the your guide. I also agree that the Buck 110 is a great knife. I bought a new one for 29.95 and got a ten dollar rebate. Thats a deal thats pretty hard to beat. Depending on your use, IMO no folder even comes close to the 110 in overall value.
 
A tip strong enough to bend nails? That seems extreme to me. There are knives out there that can do that, I'm sure, but the only thing I can think of that's within your budget, would be a small kukri, though it doesn't have a guard. Take a look in the kukri forum. Yangdu (HI) offers some good deals there, and they make small bowie-type knives as well. Ever since I discovered them, I've got several. I even drove a 2-1/2" nail into a 2x4, with the blade spine, just to see if I could do it. worked fine. Kukris may look a little extreme, but they are real workers, IMO.

thx - cpr
 
For a fixed blade that I can find at a local store, as in not having to buy it over the internet, I'd say Buck, Ka Bar and Knives of Alaska are the way to go.

All available at the Gander Mt. store that is a block from my work.

They might have a Benchmade or Spyderco fixed blade in there on occation too, which are also fine choices.
 
Ka Bar and Ontario are my suggestions. ka bar because mine has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. Rat Cutlery or Ontario because my rc-3 is too perfect for words. Although Ontario/RC knives are hard to find for under $70 they are worth it.
 
superc said:
Since so many of the big boys in the industry are now selling knives of unknown steels, factory dulled, with cardboard or too thin plastic sheaths
Click to expand...

Busse Sells knives in Cardboard sheaths and they are one of the big boys of the fixed blade industry. I hope your not talking about them.:D

Save up Buy an INFI you wont look back.


aj
 
I hate false edges and the lack of specifications, too. "Stainless steel" doesn't tell us anything. "Sugical stainless" is even worse. "440 stainless" or "400-series" also are fairly meaningless.

When shopping for Damascus blades, there's no mention of layers or Rockwell hardness.

It's maddening.
 
fallkniven (edit, not <$50), spyderco etc. lots of knives fit that bill. moras too.
 
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