I am sure a newbie dumb question

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osguy

Joined
Nov 19, 2015
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3
Although I have had knives my whole life I never gave a lot of thought about quality since I guess I just muddled through one use or the other and just heaved the one that didn't work. I never knew a lot about knives and still feel like I don't even after some study. Even though my knives don't get heavy use now, as I get older I am inclined to go with a quality knife as in what if it was the only knife I had . Prior to this thought I acquired a set of Camp USA knives. When I look up the brand all I can find is climbing gear. (A) Can anyone advise the quality of these knives and (B) I am thinking of buying Syderco knives as an EDC if these Camp USA knives are not heavy quality. Any thoughts appreciated. And yeah I know I should of thought of this years ago so please don't judge me. LOL. I joined BladesForums to get knowledge so I guess I am going forward. Thank you.
 
Welcome to the forum.:thumbup:
Don't pay any mind to those who judge we are all on here to learn.

Someone more knowledgable than I, or has better googling skills, will be by soon to help you out.

All the best.
 
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/camp-usa-wood-handle-lockback-knife?a=67337

Like this?

If so, any spyderco will be leagues ahead. If a knife doesn't list blade steel, then that means you don't want to know.

There is also a game processing kit with saw inside. The description said 420 stainless. Given that, it is likely 420j2, which is not a good steel at all.

If either of these are accurate, spyderco is a great upgrade.

Zero
 
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"Camp USA" is a low-cost import line formerly sold by the Meyerco knife company. I don't have any personal experience with them but from what little I can find, they are probably not very high quality knives.

Spyderco does make very good knives at many price points, so I'm sure you can find something in their product like you will like.
 
Well first off welcome to BF we were all new once. What kinda knives are you drawn too folders fixed blades? Then ask what you are going to use it for and what price range you are comfortable spending. And ask questions there is 1000 of year of experience piled here use it.
 
Welcome, osguy. Please take your time to do some reading on BF before making too many purchases. It will pay dividends.

Think about the questions gonebad asks. If you are budget minded, brands such as Victorinox, Opinel, Mora, Becker Knife & Tool, Condor Tool & Knife, Spyderco Byrd series, Ka-Bar and Case yellow delrin (plastic) handle with CV blades come to mind as I type. I am sure there are more. This is not to limit your efforts, but to give a kick start.

If you are not on a budget, you can have one of the many makers in the world create almost anything you can imagine.

Blades are fun. Good luck.
 
WELCOME!

The only dumb question is the one not asked.

First, we need to know what tasks you need performed and your budget.
 
Thanks all, I was thinking about a folding knife that I could EDC and would be useful both in my present urban setting but also in my part time off grid setting. The most elaborate thing I have done so far, knock on wood, is sharpen small branches,cut boxes,cords,Etc. I guess I was thinking something that could take heavy abuse even if I never needed it.
 
Look at the rat 1 or 2 if you're just getting into folders. It's like 25 bucks. It has a thick blade, smooth action and holds an edge well. Only downside is it's kind of... Uh... Fugly... But it gets the job done.
 
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Welcome welcome! I'm a recent spyderco nut and really can't speak highly enough of these knives. Also, while I'm not sure about your budget, I think they have a lot of different offerings for different budgets. I don't own a Delica or Endura (which puts me in the minority) but those are both very highly regarded options. Going up in price, the paramilitary 2 and native 5 are both terrific edc options around 120 dollars or so depending on where you purchase. I own both of these and am nothing but impressed!

Again, welcome and happy hunting! This is a great community and a great place to find enablers [emoji106]🏽
 
osguy said:
Thanks all, I was thinking about a folding knife that I could EDC and would be useful both in my present urban setting but also in my part time off grid setting.
The most elaborate thing I have done so far, knock on wood, is sharpen small branches,cut boxes,cords,Etc. I guess I was thinking something that could take heavy abuse even if I never needed it.
Click to expand...

Okay so mostly small tasks; and you said you don't run into heavy work that often.
If you're budget allows, I would recommend finding a fixed blade for the off grid stuff. Many folders can handle the abuse of wood processing etc, but it's not recommended and it can make the folder a bit large to carry comfortably.

Start us off with a budget, good luck
 
I would find a brick and mortar store near by. It is really nice to be able to see how it feels in your hand. You will spend a bit (maybe a lot more like in my case) but getting one that feels right is worth it in my opinion.

After you get one that you really like you will be able to tell more just by looking what you would like.

Are you a lefty? I am and consequently don't like liner locks. Maybe I just don't like them but I am blaming it on the lefty thing

Edited to add: Where do live? There is probably some decent stores relatively nearby. Around me one of the places is a surplus/outdoor store and one the hunting store. The other camping, hardware, gun shops don't have very good selections, but they still are worth checking sometimes
 
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osguy said:
Thanks all, I was thinking about a folding knife that I could EDC and would be useful both in my present urban setting but also in my part time off grid setting. The most elaborate thing I have done so far, knock on wood, is sharpen small branches,cut boxes,cords,Etc. I guess I was thinking something that could take heavy abuse even if I never needed it.
Click to expand...

Those jobs are pretty much what I use my knives for as well. Even so, I like having a knife that has the capability to take a little abuse when it's necessary. But I'm a knife knut and I own dozens of knives just because I like knives. Need has little to do with it when I buy a new knife.

I think you'll be well satisfied with one of the basic Spyderco models like the Delica, Stretch and Endura. Just pick the size that you prefer. All are good, solid performing knives that won't cost you a fortune but they will handle all your listed tasks as well as shrug off some heavy use and a bit of abuse. I carried an Endura for a decade or more as my only knife and I only replaced it because I got interested in a lot of other knives (I started on the rocky road to becoming a certified knut).
 
The Spyderco Delica (2.8"), Native (3"), Manix2 (3.4"), Stretch (3.5") and Endura (3.8") would make excellent urban+rural choices.

Stepping up in more rugged construction, consider the Cold Steel Recon 1 (4") or Mini Recon 1 (3"), Ontario Rat 1 (3.6") or Rat 2 (3"), or Spyderco Paramilitary 2 (3.4"). But these are more bulky and may affect your urban carry.

As already noted, all recommendations so far are good solid choices. Just pick the one that best fits your hand and budget.
 
There's no reason you have to spend a lot of money to get a nice, quality knife these days. I'm a big Spyderco fan, I don't own an absurd number of them (5), and most are the cheaper, plastic-handled versions. I almost always suggest the Delica as the best entry model to get as it was my first. The Endura is becoming a close 2nd now, too. I don't have a Stretch, but I see no reason not to get that over the other two. There really isn't any way to go wrong, honestly.
 
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