Recommendation? Good Beginner Knife and sharpener kit

[SunnyHours]

Hi guys!

I've been looking at getting a new knife. This would be my first high quality knife but I do have other knives to practice sharpening with before trying my hand at it with the new knife I'll be getting.

I'm looking for an EDC knife and maybe an additional full tang fixed blade knife since I "prefer" them. I have to say I like the look of Spyderco, Boker, Benchmade and CRKT knives...at least some of their designs I've found particularly attractive...

I also have an attraction to Japanese swords like the Katana, Wakizashib etc...
So I have a tendency to go for Tanto blades, but I quite like the shape of a traditional Japanese sword too, and I've grown to like the Wharncliffe. I also like the look of Damascus steel, but I'm unsure of how it compares to other blade steels...it is by no means important for it to be a feature of the knives recommended.

I'm looking for suggestions of knives to look at.
Please keep in mind that I'm in Canada so even though I'd love an Auto knife, all that's accepted is Assisted Opening. But knives like the SOG Flash 2 are legal...I also think the Benchmade AXIS knives are legal too...
But if you know of some quick deploying knives that fit my profile above, that'd be great to know.

And if any of you have a recommendation for a fixed blade Karambit...doesn't need to be fancy since it's not a knife I'd like to use lol
And if anyone knows of a Canada legal type of Push Knife? I think I saw one that was legal because it was like the CRKT or Boker ring knives but without a handle...
Would also love a Balisong/Butterfly knife but they're illegal up here...I think our weapon laws all around are messed up...gun laws And knife laws...

Sorry for the ranting and thanks for the suggestions!
Looking for good knives that I could pass on (maybe). Doesn't hurt if they look good and hold an edge well hehe
Thanks a bunch!

 

[Work Truck Man]

Ontario Rat 1 and Worksharp sharpener

 

[Mo2]

Ontario Rat 1 in d2 steel. The rat 2 in D2 steel (the small version) should be out by Christmas ish.

Start with some stones and learn to freehand.

I'd recommend Venev bonded Diamond stones. if I knew about them from the start I'd have got them first. But I'm not sure this is great for a novice or not. But good quality SiC stones are affordable and work well also.

 

[stonproject]

I recommend against d2 for a newbie. That stuff is a pain to sharpen in my experience. A really good utility edc knife id say go for a spyderco delica. Solid knife, reasonable price, and vg10 steel. Vg10 is pretty easy to sharpen, holds an edge good enough, and gets real sharp.

Fixed karambit? If its just for fun, go for a cold steel or some no name kbit. I seen some cool no name Chinese karambits on amazon for cheap. If you're looking for the real deal, I like bastinelli karambits.

 

[Puleio]

For the blades:

• For folding blades, I'd get a Spyderco. When I can't carry a fixed blade, I usually carry a Manix2 or Persistence. My wife carries a Delica or a Dragonfly 2. There are also higher end options others may be able to point you to. If there is a good local knife shop, see what fits your hand well.
• For fixed blades, I recommend a Bradford Guardian. The G3 with 3D scales is great for belt carry EDC if fixed blades are legal where you are. Mine is on my hip most of the time. They have drop point, sheepsfoot, and warncliffe style blades available at different times, and can put together something for you from the many options of steels and scales. Other folks have been recommending the Spyderco Street Beat or a Mule in your choice of steel as a fixed EDC blade.
• For sharpening, I have DMT diamond plates (the ones with one grit on each side) and a Sharpmaker. The plates are nice, but most of the time, I prefer the sharpmaker. For reprofiling, I found some coarse 1/2 inch triangle rods from Congress Tools that fit the sharpmaker (the ruby ones, I believe) in several different grits for a reasonable price. The 2-sided strop and compound I got about 6 months ago has also changed how keen an edge I can end up with and sped up touch ups on a number of knives.

Good luck, enjoy, and say goodbye to your discretionary funds.

 

[sharp_edge]

If you like spyderco, get a Military, PM2, Manix 2, or Delica 4. Buy a dealer exclusive or sprint run.

If you like Benchmade, buy a 710-1401.

Otherwise, just buy a CRK Sebenza or RHK XM-18.

 

[SV-97]

I'd advise against some stuff mentioned above; D2 is a pain to sharpen without diamonds; CRK imho are absolutely overrated and for sure shouldn't be a first knife.
I'd second delica(Go ZDP if you want a really hard use -cutting- knife)
If you want a wharncliff: BM Grip(20CV If you want to spend a bit more) but you should try if it fits your hand beforehand. Also the DPx H.I.T. could bei worth a look. There are others but I'll have to look which ones when I'm home.
A honorable mention: Fox knives; they're a superb value in my experience.

Regarding fixed Blades: White River knife and Tool Caper, absolutely best feeling knife I ever experienced for good price and best out of the box sharpening

Sharpening: I'd go naniwa 800 and 10k(If you want a mirror); the lower grits can be dealt with with sandpaper. They're really forgiving.
If you want to go all in get a wicked edge

 

[SunnyHours]

Thanks for the replies guys!
I appreciate the info you all have given me on the different types of steel.

Another probably stupid question: I'm really looking for a straight edge, because when sharp I have no need for serrations and it would only make sharpening more of a pain, unless I'm mistaken...
(At least, until I find a fixed double edge dagger/spear with aberrations on only 1 side, and have the money to add it to the collection )

Also, for what I'm planning to do a straight blade 3.2-4in is best. My question is, is there an advantage a drop-point or other common knife shapes would be an advantage over a Tanto for EDC?

Thanks!

 

[SV-97]

Thanks for the replies guys!
I appreciate the info you all have given me on the different types of steel.

Another probably stupid question: I'm really looking for a straight edge, because when sharp I have no need for serrations and it would only make sharpening more of a pain, unless I'm mistaken...
(At least, until I find a fixed double edge dagger/spear with aberrations on only 1 side, and have the money to add it to the collection )

Also, for what I'm planning to do a straight blade 3.2-4in is best. My question is, is there an advantage a drop-point or other common knife shapes would be an advantage over a Tanto for EDC?

Thanks!

With a tanto you sharpen two edges; plus they're thicker behind the edge most of the time

 

[stonproject]

If you mean literally a straight blade, check out dirk pinkertons collab knife with Kizer knives called "rogue". Hell of a knife, fantastic steel (s35vn), titanium handle framelock knife. Actually all Kizers would be worth looking at.

 

[Lapedog]

Canadian legal knives which can be held as push daggers:

(Ignore small fixed blade and trifolder)

The two on the right (hold better as punch daggers than ones on left) are Brous Blades Silent Soldier neck knives. They can easily be belt mounted and come with belt clip. These are great littled fixed blades for edc too.


The ones on the left can be held well like a punch grip too especially the smaller one. They are most specialized specifically for self defense.

 

[dkb45]

Some of these recommendations are just cruel, suggesting knives that run nearly or over $200 in Canada with super steels as a beginner knife? Why not throw in a Wicked Edge for the sharpener too, together it will only run like $1200

If you are new and interested in driving down the rabbit hole of knife addiction, there are some great low cost options to get your foot in the door. If you want a fixed blade, look no further than Mora. Under $20 (US, unsure of the Canadian cost but it can't be more than $30), tough as nails, great steel (stainless or carbon, both are fantastic). People with knives over $300 go back to their Moras from time to time, so they clearly do something right.

For a folder, there are a lot of options, but I would recommend a RAT 1 (or 2 if you like the roughly 3" blade more), and a CRKT Heiho for something reasonably priced with a more traditional Japanese Tanto blade.

Sharpeners are a hard thing to recommend, because there are just so many to choose from in so many styles. There's stuff that's properly guided like a Lansky clamp system, stuff that is semi guided like a Spyderco Sharpmaker or Worksharp Field Sharpener, and completely freehand like a basic silicon carbide stone (I would recommend SiC over AlOx because it can handle tougher steels more easily, so it will be the ideal tool for longer into the addiction, even useful for many super steels). The stone is the cheapest, followed by the Lansky or Worksharp depending on where you shop, then the Sharpmaker. Having all of these sharpeners, I would recommend the clamp system like the Lansky first, then the semi guided, then the stone, but that's because my hands were shaky and unreliable when I first got into sharpening, if yours are steady I'd suggest learning the stone.

 

[SunnyHours]

dkb45 it's ok, I'm actually not that far off in price...which I don't mind paying...as long as it's a knife I find aesthetically pleasing and that can last a lifetime with good care and do a good job for what I want it for. I'm happy to pay 250$ for it.

I've had 440C and 154CM knives before but they were low quality and usually amongst the cheapest available. Though I'll take your advice and get a Mora just because I tend to lose things sometimes so a "throwaway knife" is always welcome...

Though I won't be spending a ton of money on a sharpener...at least not a ridiculous amount of money...

Are there some steels I should stay away from?
Like some that are too hard to sharpen for a Novice?
Or too soft and don't hold an edge well?

I see a lot of S30V/S35VN in Spyderco. Currently looking at the Vallotton Sub-Hilt which I really like for some reason...
The Manix 2 S90V/154CM Sprint Run (not sure about this one, any info on the alloy mix?)
The Military or Para-military 2
And Fixed Blade: Puukko and Temperance.
But I'm also looking at the Benchmade 940-1 Osborne and the 710. The Blue/Black G10 mix is a beauty as are their Carbon Fiber Scale versions...

 

[SV-97]

1. dkb45 it's ok, I'm actually not that far off in price...which I don't mind paying...as long as it's a knife I find aesthetically pleasing and that can last a lifetime with good care and do a good job for what I want it for. I'm happy to pay 250$ for it.

I've had 440C and 154CM knives before but they were low quality and usually amongst the cheapest available. Though I'll take your advice and get a Mora just because I tend to lose things sometimes so a "throwaway knife" is always welcome...

Though I won't be spending a ton of money on a sharpener...at least not a ridiculous amount of money...

Are there some steels I should stay away from?
Like some that are too hard to sharpen for a Novice?
Or too soft and don't hold an edge well?

I see a lot of S30V/S35VN in Spyderco. Currently looking at the Vallotton Sub-Hilt which I really like for some reason...
The Manix 2 S90V/154CM Sprint Run (not sure about this one, any info on the alloy mix?)
The Military or Para-military 2
And Fixed Blade: Puukko and Temperance.
But I'm also looking at the Benchmade 940-1 Osborne and the 710. The Blue/Black G10 mix is a beauty as are their Carbon Fiber Scale versions...

I'd advise against tool steels of all sorts, (except your decision regarding sharpeners falls to some Sort of diamond) can't recall any stainless as particularly hard to sharpen, though I never tried S110V without diamonds; that said it's a steel I don't like anyway(I'd rather have 440C...). You often hear S30V isn't exactly a breeze to sharpen but I can't confirm that.

For midrange Steel N690 has been my goto for a very long time

 

[sharp_edge]

What is wrong with a beginner knife of $200+? If I could redo the whole process, I would go straight from the likes of pm2, zt0562, benchmade 710.

 

[DJC72]

The Worksharp guided sharpening system with the upgrade kit is under $100 and extremely versatile. Only real negative is if you chose to use the guided, put tape on the blade so you don’t scuff it up.

 

[dkb45]

dkb45 it's ok, I'm actually not that far off in price...which I don't mind paying...as long as it's a knife I find aesthetically pleasing and that can last a lifetime with good care and do a good job for what I want it for. I'm happy to pay 250$ for it.

I've had 440C and 154CM knives before but they were low quality and usually amongst the cheapest available. Though I'll take your advice and get a Mora just because I tend to lose things sometimes so a "throwaway knife" is always welcome...

Though I won't be spending a ton of money on a sharpener...at least not a ridiculous amount of money...

Are there some steels I should stay away from?
Like some that are too hard to sharpen for a Novice?
Or too soft and don't hold an edge well?

I see a lot of S30V/S35VN in Spyderco. Currently looking at the Vallotton Sub-Hilt which I really like for some reason...
The Manix 2 S90V/154CM Sprint Run (not sure about this one, any info on the alloy mix?)
The Military or Para-military 2
And Fixed Blade: Puukko and Temperance.
But I'm also looking at the Benchmade 940-1 Osborne and the 710. The Blue/Black G10 mix is a beauty as are their Carbon Fiber Scale versions...

S30V is okay if you follow the factory edge, but a damned nightmare without serious sharpening equipment to reprofile. S35VN is actually a whole lot easier to sharpen while still offering very similar edge retention (hence the change to S35VN in many new knives). D2 is similar to S30V but not quite as hard to sharpen.

440C done right and 154cm from a reputable maker are actually really solid performing steels while still being moderately easy to sharpen. Haven't had a single complaint about either steel when done right (haven't had bad 154cm but I've had soft 440C which was pretty meh).

As for the S90V... Hour much do you hate yourself? I just finished sharpening (reprofiling actually) a knife in S90V yesterday morning and I didn't think it was ever going to finish setting a new bevel. Just trust me, don't do that until you need to punish yourself or have a lot of experience.

Of all steels, what I would recommend the most for super balanced, good edge retention, great ease of sharpening, and all around great qualities would be any Sandvik steel, but namely 14C28N. Sharpens fast, takes a killer edge, and holds it well. One of my favorites for a reason.

 

[strategy9]

If you like fixed blades, japanese styles, and tantos, check out the Italian made Fox Knives Colt Samarai Tanto. It's a nice size at 5.5", not too big or small;
Nitro-B steel, not ridiculously hard to sharpen like some tool steels mentioned, but still a decent performer in edge retention and toughness for a fixed blade. Still a stainless for minimal "extra" maintenance, (comparable to 12c27). Whenever you do feel comfortable enough to sharpen it yourself, it won't be a huge challenge, and it's nicely done regarding workmanship at a very reasonable price at around $100 usd.

As for an EDC folder that ticks all your boxes, look at the Mcusta Katana. Japanese made, vg10 core stainless Damascus, looks great and holds an edge well, and has that katana-tanto-japanese look all over it. Blade just over 3", weight just under 4oz. Makes it very suitable for edc, and Definitely nice enough that it is something you can pass on (possibly). And again, a very fair and reasonable price, just north of $100 usd.

 

[cbach8tw]

I say try an Enzo necker for a small fixed blade, or a Landi knife, various sizes. Or a Mora. For a folder, I am trying a Opinel #6 in stainless, want a #8, or try a Buck knife. I cannot really say that I am very good at sharpening, so I am trying my user blades first to practice and cannot recommend a good system, just trying stones and a diamond sharpener with coarse and fine sides that store in the rubberized handle. I have found the 01 blades I have are easier to put an edge on.

 

[bikerector]

I will add that cold steel has some interesting knives for use but they can look completely utilitarian, even more so than spyderco. The broken skull is a great knife (stupid knife, great design).

If you have had good knives before then I wouldn't discount D2 as some have suggested. Diamond stones are pretty easy to find, I really like the buck knives edgetek for affordability and versatility, it can still sharpen forward curving edges like a hawkbill.

As far as blade shapes, specifically the tip, tantos are about the worst slicers available as there is no curve or belly. Really, any completely flat edge isn't great at slicing against a hard backed surface. My beef with a tanto vs a wharncliffe or sheepsfoot is the the edge at the tip actually moves the front of the primary slicing edge away from the tip instead of the cutting edge starting at the tip, if that makes sense. If you think in terms of cutting on a cutting board, the point where the two edge meet is where it all comes together for a biting edge for many angles of wrist movement, which is why belly/curvature of blade is nice for hard backed surface cutting. If cutting without a back, like cutting up cardboard or plastic pouches, I prefer flat edges. The problem then with the tanto is that your primary cutting edge starts at the end of the tanto edge so you have to push past that point to effectively cut the material, the tanto edge tends to push the material towards the tip instead of cutting. Tantos do pierce really well but that's about the only advantage I've seen with mine and frankly, I've stopped using it as I find it more awkward than my other knives. However, there's nothing wrong with carrying a knife that looks badass and isn't the perfect tool for the job as long as it can do the job needed. I also think tantos tend to be better prybars if you are into abusing knives.

My EDC favorites:
Spyderco: native 5, chaparral, want to try a stretch and gayle bradley 2. Didn't care for delica, PM2 or PM3 but many love them.
Benchmade: mini-grip, 940/943 (amazing EDC), wouldn't mind trying a presidio, crooked river, or bugout but love my mini-grip with modified sheepsfoot
Coldsteel: broken skull for a 4" blade that's very easy to carry
Ontario: rat 2, rat 1

For EDC fixed blades, I tend to go after bird and trout designs on the maker's market. I have a crkt mossback B&T that is also nice and is very cheap. It's a well carrying, tiny little blade. The mossback hunter is a little bigger but still well designed from what I can tell. I have several from forum makers I could send pics and what I paid if you want to send me an email

Disclaimer: I have a strong preference for lower tips (midline of handle and lower) so take that bias into consideration if you prefer differently. I love the look of a higher tip like a trailing point but I don't own any, anymore as I don't care for them in use. I do have some clip points still with decent enough bellow to get the job done if skinning comes up.