few Q's

X

-X-

Joined
May 5, 2004
Messages
17
Just found someone willing to part with a NIB Steel Heart E.
I had my heart set on a infi with screws (hand fitted handles) but oh-well. I want a knife to leave to my son (10) that I have deployed with. To alot of guys, even specop, it doesn't seem like a high priority to obtain a great blade (prob. due to desert environment). To me it was a question of the one weapon I will deploy with that I can always keep and leave to my son...

Anyway, I'm inerested in any impressions of this knife..

Also, is the factory edge sufficient or will I need to sharpen?

Any suggested sheath modifications to the older factory nylon w/ insert sheat to carry on a blackHawk Tac vest? Belt?

Any Verticle Insertion issues with this sheat or set up?

Any Maritime issues? Corrosion? Sheath holding salt water? etc.

Whats the BEST thing to coat the blade with (in said sheath) petrolem jelly? WD-40? gun oil? ???
 
-X-

The SH is an excellent choice!

You will not need to "adjust" the factory edge at all. In fact, be VERY careful with it as it is extreemly sharp. The assymetric grind is also incredibly durable.

I can't address the sheath issue as I am INCREDIBLY biased. There's a "better than even" chance that the next post or 2 will reveal the reason.....

INFI is pretty "stain resistant". You should have no problems with it, but I'd suggest a light coat of CLP if you are going to be in a "maritime environment" for an extended period of time....even a "super stainless" like ATS-34 will oxidize a bit under those conditions. I suggest CLP mainly because I suspect that you may have some handy. Any light oil will do.

I'm sure I'm expressing a common sentiment amongst this crowd when I say "THANK YOU!" for doing "the job".
 
QUOTED FROM OKU'S SITE:"I needed a rig for my knife that I new would survive fast-ropping on to gas and oil platforms, boarding and seizing foreign sea vessels"

Good testimonial! Very similiar to my needs...
I really like the two piece lower profile,lower drag, design as opposed to the folded sheaths. I'll probably give you a call when I get back from this Op. Thanks,
-X-
 
the busse edge is what id call hard use sharp - as in its fairly obtuse, but mirror finished at the cutting edge.

my battle mistress was something like 40-45 degree's on both sides, but it was sharp because the cutting surface was mirrored, like it had been leather stropped.

if you can keep that edge like that, with stropping and steeling every now and again, it'll take all the abuse you can give it.

getting it really sharp, 17-21 degrees on both sides will make it rather prone to dinging out. wich will result in a lot more needed maintanence. that being said, it will ding out, not chip out, and 99+% of the damage will be able to be burnished out over time.

i hated the busse edge on every knife i recieved that hadnt been post factory sharpened because it was a fat edge, and couldnt slice for beans. but, when i got the howler from swamp rat, and then the SHBA, i realized that those blades before were only like that because they had been used and not stropped, so the edge had lost some of its sheen and keeness. once i got one that was sharp, i realized why it was good for the harder use knives, able to cut, but able to take massive abuse.


so, in a steel heart sized blade, with plenty of slice room and ability to put pressure behind the edge, id say it'll be sufficient, but will be even more so if you can steele/leather strop it every couple of days/weeks depending on usage.
 
Great knife, definetly buy it and use it. Your son will give it to his son some day. The one suggestion that I would make would be to get a leather sheath for it. Leather is more comfortable, ages well, and gains character and experience that travel's with the knife.
 
-X-
I have the NO.... just a tad bit shorter blade than the SH. It does the job like a champ..... maritime, desert, cold weather, tropical, you name it! Mine had the black crinkle coating on the blade before i sent it in to be modified..... no problems with corrosion at all...... I would suggest coating the edge and any other bare metal areas that occur with petrolium jelly or some other corrosion inhibitor if your going for a swim though!...... Also, the Busse sheath will do the job, but that's about it..... it will retain some salt water and my knife rattled a little too much for my liking. Oku hooked me up with a great rig for it and my Emerson Commander..... turnaround is pretty quick as well. As far as keeping it sharp........ piece of cake..... just remember it's blade design is more for chopping than slashing or piercing.... hench the edge profile. Mine was hair popping sharp when it arrived. I've found it relatively easy to maintain it that way too!....... Hope this helps. De Oppresso Liber

Jay
 
I find SH to be better for my uses...Larger blade--better feel than NO. SH with sharpened swedge is my rec.

I agree with stropping edge to maintain. I use Tuf-Cloth to wipe down. I am
not concerned for finish wear, and Tuf-Cloth is rec. for maritime environments. Tuf-Cloth in reseable pouch is easy to carry(in BDU or vest)

I would recommend kydex sheath--great sheath makers have been discussed. Kydex will survive maritime use, and you can always use hose or
compressed air to free kydex of crud, grit...

best wishes


mrspike
 
Thanks for all the response. Cant wait to recieve it.

Ronin, you say you had it modfied...details?
 
mrspike said:
... I use Tuf-Cloth to wipe down. I am
not concerned for finish wear, and Tuf-Cloth is rec. for maritime environments. Tuf-Cloth in reseable pouch is easy to carry(in BDU or vest)...
Click to expand...


I'll second the Tuf-Cloth recommendation. I've used them in the past and have had good luck with them, even with non-knife applications.
 
-X-
When I left actice duty, I sent it in for a face lift...... now my NO has a bead blast finish, clip point with false edge, and a birds beak skull crusher pommel! My old computer crashed so I don't have any pics of it...... but I'm sure one of the regulars here has a pic laying around somewhere! They affectionately call her the Snake Killer No, since I've used it to dispatch several rattle snakes here in NM. I wanted more penetration at the point and wasn"t going to need the tactical advantage of a black coating anymore...... the birds beak was just a nice touch for the fighter look I wanted!

Jay
 
sweet.
didn't realize you could send 'em for a face lift...
that makes me feel better about hard usage.
 
I will respond to the sheath issues. The stock sheath is not bad; in fact, I'm beginning to like its design more and more. However, I'm not satisfied with its long-term durability and it's not all that versatile. Whiners like me are why they're going to give sheath options from out of house now (great idea).

My suggestion is to examine the sheath yourself when you get it, do a bit of testing, and decide if you need to upgrade. It's just hard to predict whether you'll like it or not. If you do need to upgrade, there are a quite a few sheath-makers on this board who will cook up whatever you need.
 
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