Centofante Iii.....

338375

338375

Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
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I found a Centofante III online , and looks to be a nice knife. I really prefer flat grinds, but I haven't looked at one of these knives in person. Anyone have one or had one in the past ? What are your thoughts on this knife ?
 
I have one I picked up cheap. It is a nice knife, although I prefer a sharper point. I also prefer flat grind, but the blade on the Cento is thin enough that the saber grind doesn't bother me. It is quite a slicer, and looks good doing it. I don't think it will replace my Endura for work, but it is thin and light enough for me to use for a dress knife.
 
I bought one about 6 weeks back - mostly out of curiosity. I haven't formed a strong view on it yet. It is capable of taking a very sharp edge, opens smoothly and locks up nice and tight. The blade is thin which seems out of character for a folder of this type and I haven't quite come to terms with this yet. Most people will tell you that it is good for slicing and they are no doubt correct - I suppose this is good news if you do a lot of slicing. I am warming to it but wouldn't recommend it if your are looking for something heavy duty.
 
I consider the Centofante III one of the most solidly built FRN's I've handled. Mine has no play whatsoever. No vertical play or horizontal play. The thing is put together perfectly and looks great with the bug inlay. I have xlarge hands and the handle is right at my limit for a full grip. It sits low in the pocket and is fairly light.

If you look around the different forums, you'll see a lot of talk about blade geometry and cutting efficiency. You'll see a lot of people who thin out their blades to increase slicing ability and overall sharpness. This knife already has that. The thin blade, hollow grind, and quality construction make the Cenotfante one of a knife knuts top ten, IMO.

Short and sweet. The knife is great and is one of the most bang for buck knives out there.
 
I have both the CIII and C4, and yes, they are slicers. As mentioned, probably closer to a dress knife, though, it's probably still pretty tough. I used my CIII as desk knife for a while - good for subs and sandwiches:) Very nice looking blades IM). My workhorse blades tend to be a Delica 4 or BM Mini-Grip.

- gord
 
Seems like the thoughts are the same regarding the blade. I'm not real used to a thin blade either. Might make a good Goin To Town Knife...
 
Don't let that thin blade fool you. I carried and used a BM 640 Mini-Spike for years, with a blade just as thin. I never used it for a beater like I do my Endura, but it was a great slicer, and made a great woodwork/whittling knife. I recently replaced it with the Centofante II, which is flat ground, needle pointed and (unfortunately) discontinued.

I tend to use my knives hard, and the Cento III is just too pretty to get all scratched up (so far).
 
gordonk said:
I have both the CIII and C4, and yes, they are slicers. As mentioned, probably closer to a dress knife, though, it's probably still pretty tough. I used my CIII as desk knife for a while - good for subs and sandwiches:) Very nice looking blades IM). My workhorse blades tend to be a Delica 4 or BM Mini-Grip.

- gord
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You know, I thought the Cento's were more of a light use knife till I lent it to a friend for a couple days while I worked on his EDC to get some nicks out. This guys hard on knives and I thought I might have made a mistake in lending it to him instead of something else. I got it back and after looking at some slight scratches I thought he really didn't use it that much. I asked if he liked the knife and he said it was very nice and he only used it to cut drywall, some elelectrical wire and wood. He hammered the blade with his palm to cut the electrical outlets in the drywall and also cut the drywall to dimension. Other than some very tiny nicks the knife came back just like it went out. I don't pry with my knives, even the larger ones, but I bet the Cento III will take every cutting chore in stride.
 
I think maybe I'll go ahead and pick one up. I have other knives to use if I gotta really get after something. It does look real nice in the pictures I've seen.. Thanks
 
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