I Need to Rant

Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
6,675
Well…… I quit smoking, and I’m having a nicotine fit. Instead of tearing the throat out of a coworker, I’ll think I’ll go off on a rant…….

What is it with these v-grind edge bevels? I’m absolutely sick of these things!!! I thought these were just for people who care more about the appearance of their knives than the actual performance. The darned things are everywhere!!!! Do you know how hard it is to find a knife with a full convex grind? I’m not talking about some convex edge bevel on a hollow primary grind. I’m talking about a full convex grind, ala Marbles and Blackjack. I honestly have no idea why a person who actually cuts stuff would not want a full convex grind. And if you’ve never tried one extensively, don’t give no crap about it!!!!! The convex grind is the HOLY GRAIL of grinds.

And while I’m at it, am I the only person who’s sick of stainless steel? What ever happened to good old carbon steel? Carbon steel folders are very hard to come by!!!! Yah, yah, yah. I’m always hearing people say that carbon steel rusts so easily. Let me tell you something. I’ve been storing my Marbles Fieldcraft in its leather sheath for the last year. It has yet to develop a single speck of rust or patina. When carbon steel is done right, it’s actually quite stainless.

So I want carbon steel and convex grinds, which leaves approximately ZERO production folders!!!!! @$%*!!@^+!!!!!! So I guess I’m gonna’ have to retire my spec-ops black voodoo tactical wonders, and start carrying a good old fixed blade again. I ordered a Blackjack Small yesterday, which has that nifty back pocket sheath. Maybe the Blackjack will cure my thirst for a knife that actually cuts well. At least I hope so. Then again, one of the new knife magazines had a great article on tiny fixed blades, which use small pocket clip sheaths. I love this idea. Does anybody know a maker who does small fixed blades like this, and has extensive knowledge of 52100 and convex grinds? I’d really like one of these with a stag handle.

Oh yah….. the knife magazines. Who else has gone to the bookstore lately, and totally missed the latest knife magazines because only pop culture cabbage rags have a big glossy mug of Wesley Snipes on the front? It took three visits to find two of my knife magazines, simply because I mistook them for TigerBeat or some other stupid fan mag. I have nothing against Snipes personally, but Rob Simonich’s left nipple would be more appropriate for a knife magazine cover. This world is goin’ to the shitter in a hurry!!!! I hear that next month will feature a picture of LEONARDO DiCAPRIO in a loincloth.

Okay. Now I feel better. Sorry about that. I had to get this stuff off my chest.
 
Buzz, I don't have a convex grind knife. I know where one is, I saw it in the Special Projects Cold Steel catalog that comes to my house periodically. I didn't buy it.

It's a great edge, to be sure. But truth be told, I don't know how to re-sharpen it.

Call me lazy, and I could go the the 'net or a book or a good friend who knows how to do it right. I don't even know if I have the right tools. I simply whip out the Edgepro on Sunday afternoon, sharpen the dull stuff while I'm schmoozing with a friend.

As for stainless, again, call me lazy. Yes, I know how to oil stuff. I have CLP, I have Rig, I have several Tuf-Cloths. I just look at EDCs as knives that probably will see bad weather, sweat, salt and other things. I buy stainless because it solves a problem.

I have two carbon steel knives; an Opinel and a custom Pacific Rim Bowie made by Eric Chang. They cut like chain-saws. Everything you said is true, but I don't know if I could do it.
 
Maintaining a full convex grind is outrageously easy. Most of the time, all you have to do is strop. That's it. It was only after about 36 hours of actual use that I had to sharpen my Marbles Fieldcraft. Once I had to, all I did was to run the blade along a hard stone in the same direction as a strop. I ran the entire side of the blade along the stone. You don’t do that whole “hold the perfect angle” thing that you have to do on a v-grind edge bevel. You remove steel along the entire side of the blade. It really takes quite a bit less skill than a v-grind, IMHO.
 
Do you know what else I can't stand....
What the @#%$&*# is going on in India that we can't get sambar stag anymore? I love stag, it is the most handsome looking of all the handle materials that I currently have. Of course, I still have a ironwood handled knife and curly maple handled knife on the way.
BUT... my biggest rant is for the G-D sheeple in this world that call knives "weapons".:mad: :mad: :mad: The other day, when I thought that my Stag handled doctors pattern slipjoint was stolen... one of my employees said "why do you need that WEAPON anyway" I felt like strangling her sorry ass right there and then. Would have driven home the point that my hands are more of a weapon than a Doctors knife. Or maybe a nice bic pen in the eye-socket.

Off to attend an anger management class.... Mongo
 
Ooooooh!!! The evil doctor's pattern!!!! It's not the blade that'll kill yah. It's the spatula!!!!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!! My toenails are a deadlier weapon than a doctor's pattern. And how many doctors have you ever heard of that carried one for self defense?
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
And while I’m at it, am I the only person who’s sick of stainless steel? What ever happened to good old carbon steel? Carbon steel folders are very hard to come by!!!! Yah, yah, yah. I’m always hearing people say that carbon steel rusts so easily. Let me tell you something. I’ve been storing my Marbles Fieldcraft in its leather sheath for the last year. It has yet to develop a single speck of rust or patina. When carbon steel is done right, it’s actually quite stainless.

Yup. I never had a problem with my CS blades when I bothered to wipe them off from time to time. I've been paying more attention to CS lately. My next knife will probably have it. Wish Buck would do a CS blade option for their PCKS 110 (and add the 112 :D ).


Originally posted by Buzzbait
So I want carbon steel and convex grinds, which leaves approximately ZERO production folders!!!!! @$%*!!@^+!!!!!! So I guess I’m gonna’ have to retire my spec-ops black voodoo tactical wonders, and start carrying a good old fixed blade again. I ordered a Blackjack Small yesterday, which has that nifty back pocket sheath. Maybe the Blackjack will cure my thirst for a knife that actually cuts well. At least I hope so. Then again, one of the new knife magazines had a great article on tiny fixed blades, which use small pocket clip sheaths. I love this idea. Does anybody know a maker who does small fixed blades like this, and has extensive knowledge of 52100 and convex grinds? I’d really like one of these with a stag handle.

I came very close to buying that model blackjack. It's a nice knife. The only problem is that I don't spend enough time in places where I could carry a fixed blade to make it worth my money. Still, I may pick up one anyway. I really like small, pocketsheathed fixed blades.


Chris
 
Hey Buzz, quit thinking about my left nipple! :D

I quit smoking one about 15 years ago. I got really cranky and ended up in jail, the deputy gave me a ciggarette and sent me home! :p
 
Hey Buzz. So ya went hunting for a quality folding knife with a convex ground blade and quit smoking at the same time. I advise doing one or the other. Not both at the same time. It really is too much for a guy to handle. Quitting smoking is easier. Trust me.
Greg
 
If you are looking for a small convex blade take a look at the Marbles Mini Caper. I got mine with stag and that little 52100 blade is a cutting machine. I love convex edges so I bought a Fallkniven WM-1 as a backup but the VG10 just doesn't hold a candle to the Marbles.

Rant on Buzz! :D
 
Enjoyed the rant. Very valid points, especially the carbon steel issue - that's why I still carry a good old Old Timer Stockman :)

A nice folder with 1095 would be awesome.

Best of luck on kicking the habit.
 
I quit about a month ago. There's a lot to be said for tearing out co-workers' throats! Meantime, I actually got lucky and found a Blackjack folder with a convex edge. Also, have a new small Blackjack. Great knife, but the pocket pouch is a bit large for jeans back pocket carry.
 
No worries. Quitting has made me eat like a rabid dog. At the rate my ass is growing, the sheath should have plenty of fitting room back there. :barf:
 
Folder, full convex grind, and non-stainless? Sure sounds like an Opinel to me. Great price also.
 
GronK, is that folder a Mamba? If it is, do all Mamba folders have a convex grind? Thanks.
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
So I want carbon steel and convex grinds, which leaves approximately ZERO production folders!!!!! @$%*!!@^+!!!!!! So I guess I’m gonna’ have to retire my spec-ops black voodoo tactical wonders, and start carrying a good old fixed blade again.

Damn right! Only you forgot to rant about how stoopid it is to put a joint right in a middle of a knife! @$%*!!@^+!!!!!!
 
Originally posted by toothed
GronK, is that folder a Mamba? If it is, do all Mamba folders have a convex grind? Thanks.

From what I've been able to learn, it's a Mamba in black micarta. The "convex" part is somewhat of a guess. It appears to be, but I haven't looked at it all that close. Found it, like new, in a box full of "$10 each" at a gunshow.
 
Hey, all my knives have convex edge bevels. I sharpen free hand. There is no way that edge bevel is going to stay flat. Anyone who isn't using one of those sharpening jig doohickeys or an EdgePro most likely has a convex edge to one extent or another anyway.

And as to stainless steel...dude, you gotta get out more. One half-day hike to a top of the mountain in the Alaska rain forest will grow rust like moss all over a 52100 blade, even black oxide coated. I never liked the flavor of rancid bear grease. CPM S30V rules! ;)
 
Funny you should mention a 1095 folder - Camillus recently reintroduced traditional folders like this in their CARBON SERIES (Camillus models 61, 62, 63) with 1095 blade steel.

I can't tell you if they are convex ground, but I'm sure Will could tell you.

cam-61.jpg


cam-63.jpg
 
Wow that Camillus folder is sweet :D

Since I live in a desert climate, carbon steel blades are a breeze to keep rust-free. Don't know if I'd like them as much in a humid climate, though.
 
Back
Top