Hello world and recommendation request

J

Jaelus

Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
14
Hello all. I've been a knife enthusiast all my life, but while I have many blades that I picked up both for display and for utility, I've only started to look at it as a serious hobby beginning this year. I've picked up a few good custom knife books and found some great online resources (this place included) over the last few months, and have been learning a lot.

While I usually only buy cheaper blades, I've got the itch to purchase something nicer as a start to a more serious collection and I'm hoping for some recommendations. What I would like is a good quality damascus folder, preferably with a metal or metal/wood handle up to around the $300 range or so. I've been looking at a few pieces online and with my tastes I was thinking something like the Boker 112023DAM. Is this a good quality knife or am I better off looking at something else in this price range?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Jay
 
Welcome to bladeforums!

Boker Solingen makes very good knives. If that one suits your tastes and is in your price range....buy it! :thumbup:
 
There's also the limited Spyderco Delica... other than that I can't think of very many really nice damascus folders like that that don't cost an insane amount. Solingen-made Bökers are quite nice in my experience, so if you like that one go for it.
 
Well I picked up a Boker 2023 from a seller on ebay. It was sold as "new" but the knife I received was in very disappointing condition and I had to send it back. I'm not sure what I think of the knife as my impression was colored by the state of disrepair.

I was thinking about picking up a Bradley Alias II Damasteel LE instead, but at that point I'm getting into the price range where I might as well just pick up a Chris Reeve. There's a knife show in my area in less than a month. I may just hold off my purchase until I can see what's available first hand.
 
Jaelus said:
Well I picked up a Boker 2023 from a seller on ebay. It was sold as "new" but the knife I received was in very disappointing condition and I had to send it back. I'm not sure what I think of the knife as my impression was colored by the state of disrepair.

I was thinking about picking up a Bradley Alias II Damasteel LE instead, but at that point I'm getting into the price range where I might as well just pick up a Chris Reeve. There's a knife show in my area in less than a month. I may just hold off my purchase until I can see what's available first hand.
Click to expand...

The Chris Reeve is probably the better choice. Good luck.
 
Welcome. I know you're asking about a knife, but if you want to fully appreciate your knives, take time to learn how to sharpen them. Invest in good sharpening equipment. Once you can properly sharpen a knife, you can appreciate the different types of steel, the different heat treatments and the different blade designs. At that point, you'll be asking a much different question -- one that will take you closer to where you want to be.
 
I can appreciate that the best way to understand something from a collector standpoint is to know how to make it, use it, and care for it. I've worked with metal as a hobby for over 15 years (I make plate and chain mail armor) so I'm very familiar with the properties of different steels and non-ferrous metals and with how to get a good finish. I recently picked up a 1977 copy of How To Make Knives (Loveless) and have been otherwise reading a lot online to be able to improve my understanding and know what I might want to look for and what questions to ask.

Right now I have a small collection of Victorinox swiss army knives (my current EDC is a Victorinox lockblade Centurion), a few nicer reproduction swords and daggers from Museum Replicas Ltd, and a small collection of late 19th century bayonets, so I haven't done much sharpening. I was looking at the Spyderco Sharpmaker since I've heard it's good for beginners.

What I want is a robust EDC; a good utility knife that will last a lifetime with the right care. I like the look and manufacture of the CRK large Sebenza 21 very much, but I'm wondering how the stainless damascus holds up under normal wear and tear. I want to carry and use the knife, but I want it to have some customization to give it more of a personal feel. Based on what I've been reading on the downside to carrying damascus, I'm leaning more towards getting a polished S35VN with wood inlays as my user.
 
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