Folding Knife Consulting

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SSS Aaron

Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
16
I am looking for a new knife. I have been carrying a Sheffield 3inch black blade with a metal handle with rubber inserts. My company bought this for me at home depot for $10.
I would like a minimum 3 inch blade, partially serrated. Strong blade that will hold an edge and that I can find for less than $100.

Please respond to one, a few, or all of these questions the best you can.
Thank you


What is your opinion of half serrated blades?

Which blade materials are your most deisred? Least desired?

If you were to buy a folding knife for less than $100 what would you buy? from which company? serrated? assisted opening?

Which companies, knives, features, and materials shoudl I stay away from?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Serrations are a matter of personal taste. I have carried both straight blades and partially serrated blades, and I much prefer straight blades, although part of the problem is that the straight part is where the serrated part should be (the belly, for slicing), and the serrated part is where the straight part should be (near the grip, for fine work.)

I personally don't like assisted openers. It scares me when the blade flies past my thumb, even if it is edge trailing. That's just my personal taste. I like thumb holes and the Carson Flipper. Thumb studs work just fine, and I wouldn't pass on a knife I otherwise really liked just because it opens with a stud. They're a little uncomfortable though.

As far as metal goes... Well, just don't cheap out and you'll be fine. Stay away from 420j2 and AUS4A, but it's not like your knife won't cut if it's not made out of CPM S30V. VG-10 and ATS-34 are good choices, I'm sure there are some other good steels as well besides those three.

I bought my Spyderco Endura 4 this summer, and you should be able to find one of those for *well* under $100 USD. They're VG-10 steel, and I'm extremely happy with mine. They do come in partially serrated.

(But if you look carefully you could probably get a serrated Endura 4 and a plain edged Delica and still come in under the line.)

There's lots of other good companies out there, like Emerson and Benchmade, but I don't know their product lineups as well. Stay the hell away from Gerber, they used to make good shit, but they really went down the toilet after Fiskars bought them several years ago.
 
Great answers, thank you.

No I do not know how to sharpen. How easy is it to learn?

I like the partially serrated edge cause it just looks cooler to me.
I'd rather an aggresive looking blade like a serrated black tanto or the CRKT Pharoah.

A few more questions:
What do you think about CRKT?
What weight is ideal? How many ounces does it take to make a knife heavy?

Wheres the best place to purchase? Ebay?
 
The first question that you should consider is what you will be using your knife for. If you will be using your blade for hunting, you will want it to have a drop point. A drop point knife has an appearance similar to a spear in some ways. These are ideal for skinning animals because of the angle at which the blade is ground. If you will be using the knife for self defense, you should lean towards a long, serrated style blade. Most plain or serrated knifes will do just fine if they are used to open boxes all day, but the plain edge knife might require sharpening more often. If you work in law enforcement or public services, you should consider at least a partially serrated blade due to the possibility of encountering a self defense or emergency situation.

Once you have decided what your knife's primary function will be, it is important to decide whether you want a plain or serrated edge. Plain edge knives have several advantages over serrated edges. They are able to make more precise cuts, are easier to sharpen and the edge will not break or crack as easily. Serrated knives are ideal if you are going to use your knife for self defense or if you are experienced in knife sharpening. While sharpening a serrated-edge knife can be a bit tedious, most people should have little trouble keeping them sharp with some practice. Several manufacturers sell knife sharpeners that are specifically made for serrated edges.

Many knife companies offer black, powder-coated blades on their folding knives. This feature is popular with a lot of knife buyers and is practical in some ways. The Black coating not only looks nice, but also serves as an anti-reflecting sealant that can protect you in a situation where you need to hide from an attacker or sneak up in a self defense situation. Before you purchase a knife with a black coating, be aware that the coating will wear off after enough use and you will basically be left with a silver blade.
 
Thanks

I plan on using this as an everyday pocket knife. Open up boxes, tear down card board, etc

What do you think of the Camillus Robo Heat with Aus8? EBay has them for $25!
 
I have a lot of folders and most have part serrated blades. I cut quite a bit of rope and the serrated part works great for that and scaling fish. My favorite is the Kewrshaw Blackout which you can find for under 60.00. The kind of steel is hard to choose because its more in how the steel is tempered and prepared than the actual type of steel itself. When it comes to folders, I am a Kershaw man. That said I have some other brands like BM and Kabar. They are also excellent folders and of course you can't go wrong with any Spyderco. I like the s30v Native the best followed by the Endura.
 
If you are looking at getting a 3" folder, stick with companies such as Benchmade or Spyderco. For a 3" folder i would suggest having a partially serrated blade unless you know how to sharpen and keep it hair shaving sharp at all times. That 1.50" of serration helps when you're cutting tough materials such as rope, plastic shipping straps, seat belts, etc. It really rips right through it. Buy a sharpenning kit such as the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It has simple instructions to start with. Later you can advance to other shapenning products from DMT or Edge Pro. Go to www.knifecenter.com if you are looking at purchasing some of these products.
 
I think Camillus Heats are great. I'm not a huge fan of AO, but I like the design. It was my first quality folder. Camillus has shut down, so you'll have trouble with any warranty issues though.

Not a fan of serrations, but as stated earlier, it's a matter of personal preference. Halkf serrations on a 3" blade is too small IMO. Serrations are ideal if if you're going to cut cardboard, rope, fibrous materials more often than not.

My suggestions under $100:
Spyderco Delica, Native, Caly 3
Benchmade Mini Griptilian
Kershaw Leek

Welcome to the forums:).
 
Kershaw Blur in SG2 , or S30V ( 3 3/8th blade, assisted openers)
Spyderco Endura (3.7" blade, VG10 steel, non assisted opening)

Both excellent knives from excellent companies. Endura comes in plain, partially serrated, or fully serrated.
 
I just won a Camillus on EBAY for $25.
My brother bought a Camillus Tonto Heat Robo from a boat show for $75 right before they went out. I love handling that knife which is why I wanted one so bad. I am still interested in more, particularly the ones mentioned above.
Check out my first real knife (sheffield doesnt count does it?)
lg_heat_004.jpg


The Camillus Heat Knife was designed by Darryl Ralph. The illustrated Heat Knife features a 3.65" part serrated clip point blade made of AUS8 stainless steel. The blade has dual thumb studs, a blade extension, and ROBO assist for ambidextrous one hand opening. The glass filled nylon handle, 4 1/2" closed, comes with dual stainless steel liners, liner lock, and lanyard hole. The side to side reversible metal pocket clip is mounted at the pivot end. The Camillus Heat Knife has an overall open length of 8", and weighs 4 ounces.
Click to expand...

What does "heat knife" mean?
Thanks again for all the help.
 
"Heat" is the name of the model. Darryl Ralph is a world class knife maker. Great 1st choice:thumbup:
 
SSS Aaron said:
Thanks

I am now contemplating on whether or not I want to collect by brand.
Click to expand...

While that's an option that a few people on these forums tend to do, I suggest looking at individual models first, just because you lack the experience with what different brands/types/models have to offer. If anything, the experience will tell you which brand you'll tend to be most happy with.

I think it would suck if you were Camillus loyal, spending your hard earned cash when just a little handling of other knives would tell you that Spyderco or Benchmade were really the brands for you.
 
A good serrated blade is the Spyderco Delica. It is not all that tactical looking but it is relatively inexpensive and performs exceptionally well. If you have no interest in learning to sharpen, Spyderco will sharpen yours for free minus $5 for shipping.
 
I'll recommend the CRKT M16 series. They are available in a variety of styles. Green/black/tan handles, black or grey blades, straight edge or partially serrated, regular or tanto tips.

Pick your favorite combination of the above features and IMO, you can't go wrong.

M16ZGRP07.jpg

M16EDCGRP07.jpg
 
I was told to stay away from CRKT because they are now using inferior materials. This salesman told me to stick with Spyderco, Emerson, Benchmade, and the higher end Kershers.
Also, from what I have been reading, plenty of knife people have stated to stay away from AUS4.
This salesman also told me that Camillus was great but they were going out of business for awhile so towards the end the fit and finish was not as good.
 
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