Do You Notice Anything About These Four Knives?

[Niall88]

I know each person's taste in knives is very specific and unique. Each of us has own unique knife desires. For me, I have had an interesting learning process. I go back and forth from Calif to Hawaii often (Big Island). In Hawaii, I don't have all my tools at my disposal like I do here in Calif, and I dont always want to carry the exact torx bits for the knife or knives I might bring with me. In addition, when in Hawaii, it is moist, raining, and I am ALWAYS cutting coconut, mangoes, papayas, avocados. Thus, my favorite knife in Calif may not be the best choice when in the environment of Hawaii. Why? Because blade steel that is unaffected here in this dry Calif climate, may start to corrode in the moisture of Hawaii. In addition, there is nothing I dislike more than trying clean fruit and food debris from thumbstuds, thumbholes, thumbdisks, or fancy looking cutout holes in the blade. My favorite Emerson in Calif, when in Hawaii, was a pain keeping the avocado and mango debris from collecting under the thumbdisk, and keeping that blade oiled to avoid possible corrosion.

Now I know many of you use your knives for tasks other than food. I am only sharing my story with you. I have always used my knives for food. Growing up in Southern Calif, you never knew when you were going to run into a huge avocado tree in an alley with ripe avos under it, same but even moreso in Hawaii. So my knife evolution has just taken its natural course through basic experience.

Notice the knives in the photo below. What do they each have in common?

NO DEPLOYMENT METHODS IN THE CUTTING PATH! Ya, maybe I am wasting your time with my rant? But as mentioned, I am simply sharing my own knife evolution. My favorite, way too expensive knife? The Hinderer Project X. Why? Nothing in the cutting path to act like a food collection basket and it carries its own takedown tool. No extra tools needed. Marine Raider, clean blade path. That ridiculous Maxace Goliath ($99 ha!), nice big cutting blade with nothing in the path. Cool Gerber auto, nothing in the blade path. Just some thoughts in case there are any other nature boyz out there who hunt, kill and eat wild fruit!

 

[shane45-1911]

NO DEPLOYMENT METHODS IN THE CUTTING PATH!

I don't use folders for food, period. Food gums things up, and gets into places that is hard to clean/sterilize.

And all my fixed blades don't have holes or thumbstuds, so I guess my knives don't have any deployment methods in the cutting path, either.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

They are all folders. None have thumb studs/discs or opening holes. Is this like an IQ test cause I think I just failed?

 

[Fonedork]

All 4 have flipper tabs/guards that prevent the full edge from being able to contact a cutting board

 

[chevyrulez1]

I agree, and dislike holes in the blade for this very reason. Nothing like cutting a hunk of cheese and then trying to rake it all out of the spidey hole. And matchstrike pulls are the worst for trapping food and being hard to clean. I also tend to dislike thumb studs because most are placed too far down the blade and I feel shortens the effective length of the blade and/or gets in the way when sharpening. Some are designed so it doesn't seem to be an issue, but I have some that always seem like they are in the way.

 

[Niall88]

All 4 have flipper tabs/guards that prevent the full edge from being able to contact a cutting board

When I am in the kitchen, I use kitchen knives. When I am hunting, killing and skinning fruit in the jungle, there is no cutting board. So a flipper tab is just not an issue.

 

[Niall88]

They are all folders. None have thumb studs/discs or opening holes. Is this like an IQ test cause I think I just failed?

You did not fail any test, there is just no deployment styles that catch food debris.

 

[Niall88]

I don't use folders for food, period. Food gums things up, and gets into places that is hard to clean/sterilize.

And all my fixed blades don't have holes or thumbstuds, so I guess my knives don't have any deployment methods in the cutting path, either.

You are smarter than I am! I have two super nice fixed blades, but I don't carry them, because a folding knife with pocket clip is what I have become used to. But yes, you are correct, that is what fixed blades are for!

 

[nhobo]

They are all ugly as sin.

 

[ferider]

You need a Buck 110. And a Fulltrack.

 

[Niall88]

They are all ugly as sin.

Ha! I imagine that 'ugly as sin' translates into that you like some holes, thumbstuds or swedges on your blades dude.

 

[Niall88]

You need a Buck 110. And a Fulltrack.

That's right, I have been waiting for a Fulltrack. But it may be another lifetime for those!

 

[Final Edge]

What definitely stands out is that they are all folders. Good food knives are never folders. Sure, you can get by with one for cutting a slice of apple but that doesn't make a knife a good food knife. Fixed blades have become so demonized by lawmakers that we are all forced to carry folders, whether we like to or not. Don't get me wrong....I love a good folder, but they are for small things. Nothing beats a fixed blade for strength, flexibility of purpose and simplicity.

 

[ferider]

I don't use folders for food, period. Food gums things up, and gets into places that is hard to clean/sterilize.

And all my fixed blades don't have holes or thumbstuds, so I guess my knives don't have any deployment methods in the cutting path, either.

Speaking of which, I still have to figure out what the "eye" here is for .... Any ideas ?

 

[shane45-1911]

Speaking of which, I still have to figure out what the "eye" here is for .... Any ideas ?

I'm gonna guess that is just a utilitarian addition with no specific use. It could be used to bend/twist wire, or a lashing point for an improvised spear (does anyone really do that?), or perhaps it is a fuller-like weight-reduction function. Or maybe you peep through it and pretend you're looking out a WWII bunker, or a medieval castle....

Who knows????

 

[Niall88]

What definitely stands out is that they are all folders. Good food knives are never folders. Sure, you can get by with one for cutting a slice of apple but that doesn't make a knife a good food knife. Fixed blades have become so demonized by lawmakers that we are all forced to carry folders, whether we like to or not. Don't get me wrong....I love a good folder, but they are for small things. Nothing beats a fixed blade for strength, flexibility of purpose and simplicity.

I agree with you 100%. The purpose of my little rant however, was suggesting that when in Hawaii, going to town or into the jungle for hunting fruit, I am not going to wear a fixed blade on my body. Also, one's attire in Hawaii is always shorts and tank tops, not jeans and a belt. So a hidden folder in the pocket is the way I go. If I was backpacking in the mountains, of course I would be carrying my 3V Bradford on my belt.

 

[Niall88]

Speaking of which, I still have to figure out what the "eye" here is for .... Any ideas ?

I told you guys, that is a food collection portal!

 

[DocJD]

Speaking of which, I still have to figure out what the "eye" here is for .... Any ideas ?

Those are called "blood holes (or pits) " !

Nah ...just made that up !

 

[trevitrace]

Ha! I imagine that 'ugly as sin' translates into that you like some holes, thumbstuds or swedges on your blades dude.

I think a couple few of those have swedges?

 

[The Grendels]

A good full flat edge fixed blades would be ideal, but you can't always carry them. I keep a folding knife in the kitchen that rotates in (currently an Ontario Rat 1) just for processing packaging, to keep my kitchen knives from being misused. It sometimes gets stuff on/in it and it just doesn't get folded back up with anything on it. When I'm out at the shed to sort out chicken chow and need to cut fruit for them, I often use my Opinel #15 Slim. It's a nice fruit knife and easier than most folders to keep clean when you use it on food.