Cliff Stamp's top folder choices?

[HoB]

For $500 I would agree that you can probalby get a knife custom made pretty easily. If you don't trust yourself in figuring out which parameters (such as blade thickness, thickness behind edge, profile, steel edge angle and so forth) represent the ideal trade-off I would go with a custom maker which has extensive experience with this, such as one who has competed in a cutting competition for example. There are plenty of such custom makers out there, and I am sure they would be happy to help you design your ideal user and build it for you.

 

[WadeF]

I do realize that harder more premium steels could conceivably be made "sharper" by working the edge geometry - but I am more than satisfied with the edges and cutting ability on SAKs and stainless Opinels and those kitchen knives - caveat - for my usage.........

For people who are doing things like carving wood, cutting up a lot of card board boxes, etc, they would benefit from the newer steels that can hold their edge for a longer period of time.

I have all the latest super steels and I don't find any of them hard to sharpen. If you have the right equipment and knowledge it isn't a problem and you can take full advantage of the newer steels.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I like knives that cut well - this seems a silly redundant thing to say - but there are plenty of knives that will shave - yet have difficulties cutting through things.

Yes sharpness is only one factor in cutting ability, the other is the blade profile, and lastly the handle design. An opinel, even very dull, will whittle wood far better than a much sharper tactical knife with a much thicker cross section.

As for sharpness tolerance, I can see getting really high end, extreme if you are really skilled because it isn't a lot of effort to push past shaving. As well when you start to seriously invest in the uber steels it doesn't make a lot of sense to give them just a decent sharpening.

Similar again, a lower end steel with a more optimal sharpening, profile and finish will readily outcut and out last a higher end steel.

-Cliff

 

[UnknownVT]

For people who are doing things like carving wood, cutting up a lot of card board boxes, etc, they would benefit from the newer steels that can hold their edge for a longer period of time.

You won't get a disagreement from me on that - however I don't do much wood carving even whittling - however I have heard many people who do use SAKs for whittling.

But as far as wood carving is concerned - if I did it - I would use a set of made for purpose wood carving tools and maintain those for their require sharpness - BTW - I have not heard of many popular sets of wood carving tools that use any premium exotic steels that we talk about on BF, but I'd be more than happy to be corrected......

Cardboard boxes - I'd use a boxcutter or "Stanley" knife with disposable blades - that goes for carpet cutting as well - I don't think there are any premium steel disposable refill blades....
wouldn't these show some advantage over the commonly available Stanley blades?

I have all the latest super steels and I don't find any of them hard to sharpen. If you have the right equipment and knowledge it isn't a problem and you can take full advantage of the newer steels.

I don't either - diamond hones and ceramic crock-sticks all work fine -
but the original blade grind/geometry makes a huge difference over what steel is used.

So-so geometry coupled with latest premium steels will require a lot more work to get the blade to cut as well as any SAK or Opinel with no or minimal work.........

So why would I want to pay hundreds $$$'s for a knife with "great" steel that under-performs significantly when compared to a humble $20 SAK or even $8 Opinel?

Before you object, I do have plenty of those...
OK,
......I'm an idiot

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I have not heard of many popular sets of wood carving tools that use any premium exotic steels ...

The japanese wood knives and tools are ran out of very high end steels.

I don't think there are any premium steel disposable refill blades....

There are many including HSS, even Olfa offers a regular and "ultra-maxx" line.

-Cliff

 

[UnknownVT]

The japanese wood knives and tools are ran out of very high end steels.

I stand corrected (actually I'm taking this sitting down )

Thinking of it, I know I've heard of Japanese wood working tools using pretty highly regarded steels -
but not what we generally talk about in folder steels..........

There are many including HSS, even Olfa offers a regular and "ultra-maxx" line.

This I did not know -
I'm sure they must have at least some perceived advantage to be offered, I obviously was not aware of them.

Carpet cutting - often it isn't just the carpet that dulls the blade but the hard stuff the blade hits like concrete flooring - unfortunately even the best steel can't survive that kind of common mishap.

I'll be on the look out for these to use in my "Super Knives".

Thanks,
--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/

 

[db]

I'm one who has reprofiled a few of those super duper steels and it's really not that much work to do and well worth doing. However, I'm one who has also reprofiled my SAKs.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Carpet cutting - often it isn't just the carpet that dulls the blade but the hard stuff the blade hits like concrete flooring - unfortunately even the best steel can't survive that kind of common mishap.

Cutting carpet even the more wear resistant and harder steels will take dents/rolls almost immediately, from hitting rocks just as you noted, however the frequency and extent of the damage will be much reduced.

Alvin has made HSS blades for tradesmen who cut a lot of carpet and they have reported that the performance was much better than the regular blades. He has also done it himself, and I have seen it with a bunch of knives.

On the lower end steels with a low wear resistance you can actually wear a hook right into the blade, I did this with a cheap knife just removing the carpet from a living room and cutting it up for removal.

Note how easy it was to sharpen the 1095 paring knife after I remove the square of sod from the earth for example. Yes it blunted, but the very high hardness and decent wear resistance minimized it and made resharpening efficient, the geometry played a part too.

I'll be on the look out for these to use in my "Super Knives".

I saw an ad for these recently on TV, they were bi-metal HSS, one of the demo's was the flexibility, put the point into the wood and flex it back and forth, regular "stanley" style utility blades.

-Cliff

 

[Sledgehammer]

So where's your choice of folders?

What do you carry daily Cliff?

 

[benchmademan]

what is this world coming to..

 

[WarRaven]

So where's your choice of folders?

What do you carry daily Cliff?

I'll second this one.

Curious too, is it a production or a custom that CS EDC's?

Or, is it a Olfa?

WR

 

[USAFSP]

He probably carries a bag with 30 different knives of varying make, model, and build as well as a fully mathmatically prepared matrix that tells him what knife to use in any given situation. Just cuttin' on you a little Cliff.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

What I daily carry is usually lot of knives, usually one which is the focus of a review in progress which gets used for everything and a half a dozen or so that are carried for comparisons. Some of what I carry for this reason is often really low end.

In regards to what I seen and would carry for use only, what tends to standout to me right now as a general purpose highly versatile folder is the Paramilitary. It has no real weak points aside from some clip issues and has a near perfect balance of strength and cutting ability.

For a more focused cutting blade I would go with a decent custom stockman, and for a more rugged folder for prying and such something with a blade profile similar to the Howling Rat. That has the minimal profile I had found necessary for a blade that length for heavy work (~200 lbs loads).

Out of what I have seen, the U2 from Fallkniven is a nice light duty cutting folder, especially if you have Krein mod it, and the Fulcrum is a nice heavy duty poker, though the ergonomics are lacking and it is overbuilt profile wise to absurd levels.

-Cliff

 

[Tracker81]

Gentlemen,


Thank you for your advice and insights regarding my question. I'm serious on this one year hiatus and will have the time to put some solid thought on a "knife for life" type blade. Cliff, thanks for the offer on seeing the para-millie but I'm ok for right now. I appreciate your help and will definatley let you know if that knife crosses my radar.


Thank you once again to everyone who weighed in on this and I'll let the forum know when I do find something.