I'm lost in the steels

M

MBAIGENT

Joined
Dec 7, 2015
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Hi all, hope everyone is having a good day. The past few weeks I have been looking into getting a moderately priced folder To replace my old eickhorn which I wasn't a huge fan of. Now I am a bit more aware of the steels and the advantages/disadvantages I have become very unsure for the type of knife.

I'm looking for an EDC but one that can take some hard work when needed and one that is (I know it makes no difference) pretty nice to look at and hold. I'm looking to spend around the £60 mark.

So far my options are

1) crkt shenanigan aluminium handle
2) crkt fulcrum 2
3) kershaw Emerson 5k
4) lionsteel g10 opera green
5) realsteel h7
6) fox nihiser

The fulcrum 2 is really taking my fancy mainly because of the way it opens but it has a softer HRC so I'm a tad unsure.

Any help choosing out of these or even another knife would be great.

Thanks very much,

Matt
 
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From your list, I would go with the Lionsteel Opera. It seems to me that they would pay closer attention to details then the other companies at the given price points, and the Opera might be a better overall finished product in terms of quality than the others.
 
I agree about the Lionsteel.

Some other ideas that have a good EDC steel:

Spyderco Delica
Spyderco Native5 Lightweight
Spyderco Manix2 Lightweight
Benchmade Mini Griptilian
Kershaw Skyline
Kershaw Blur
Kershaw Leek
Kiser Vangaurd Gemini
Kizer Sunburst
Spyderco Sage1
Spyderco Chaparral
 
Unfortunately most of those are a bit too much money and I really don't like the look of any of the spyderco.

My issue with the lionsteelis the d2 steel. I have read that it is very brittle and chips easily!
 
MBAIGENT said:
Unfortunately most of those are a bit too much money and I really don't like the look of any of the spyderco.

My issue with the lionsteelis the d2 steel. I have read that it is very brittle and chips easily!
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It doesn't. Its an excellent steel. I might not make a machete out of it, but it doesn't sound like a machete is what you are looking for.
 
Does anyone have any experience of the realsteel h7? I'm aware it's made in China and may not be as good it I much prefer the lines of it!
 
MBAIGENT said:
Does anyone have any experience of the realsteel h7? I'm aware it's made in China and may not be as good it I much prefer the lines of it!
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Realsteel has impeccable quality. Every review of them I have seen has nothing but good things to say. You can't go wrong with them for the price.
 
MBAIGENT said:
Does anyone have any experience of the realsteel h7? I'm aware it's made in China and may not be as good it I much prefer the lines of it!
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Sandvik 14C28N is the main reason I put those Kershaws on my list... Very good EDC steel for the price point where 8Cr13Mov is the norm. The H7 looks like a pretty heavy knife for EDC though IMO.
 
Yea, but I will only be carrying it at work due to the law in the UK. And I do enjoy a tool with weight behind give. Gives the feel of confidence! Thanks very much, so are the crkt knives not all they're made out to be?
 
MBAIGENT said:
Thanks very much, so are the crkt knives not all they're made out to be?
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Eh. They are not going to explode on you or crumble into dust, but they really aren't the most-respected brand...though everyone here, including myself, bought one when they started out. Mine is in my car someplace. Nice design (Crawford Kasper), but too soft steel, the clip was loose, and the whole thing was kinda wiggly.

I would say that, for the price, you can do better, and for a little more money, you can do much better.
 
I have the small opera, its a very well made knife.

Softer hardness is not always a bad thing. With knife steel, its a balancing act based on what best suits your needs. A softer steel will require more frequent sharpening, but is also much easier to sharpen. A very hard steel will keep the edge a long time, but can be a real pain to sharpen.

Whatever you choose, don't let it get too dull. Semi-frequent stropping and touch ups on diamond stones will keep you going.
 
MBAIGENT said:
Unfortunately most of those are a bit too much money and I really don't like the look of any of the spyderco.

My issue with the lionsteelis the d2 steel. I have read that it is very brittle and chips easily!
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D2 is a good steel in my experience. My issues with lionsteel were some years ago and the TI used for the frame locks seemed to be soft , had 3 knives pass through my hands and the lock face deformed on 2 and wore to 100% on the 3rd. The knives your are looking at is a lockback though. This has been some years ago though.

I agree spydercos are ugly , but if you ever get a chance to handle one do yourself a favor those ugly knives fit your hand like a glove and cut like no other .
 
Spartan00 said:
D2 is a good steel in my experience. My issues with lionsteel were some years ago and the TI used for the frame locks seemed to be soft , had 3 knives pass through my hands and the lock face deformed on 2 and wore to 100% on the 3rd. The knives your are looking at is a lockback though. This has been some years ago though.

I agree spydercos are ugly , but if you ever get a chance to handle one do yourself a favor those ugly knives fit your hand like a glove and cut like no other .
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+1
I've owned my delica since January. I always though spydercos were ugly as hell and 6 months owning one it's still ugly as anything. Very comfortable to hold even with my large-extra large hands.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
MBAIGENT said:
Unfortunately most of those are a bit too much money and I really don't like the look of any of the spyderco.

My issue with the lionsteelis the d2 steel. I have read that it is very brittle and chips easily!
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Reading is one thing, but using it is something else. You might be better off removing that knife off the list then. Stick with AUS8 and hope for the best. D2 won't chip from normal use, if you try and cut large metal staples in half or are generally careless with your tools, then buy something cheap.

MBAIGENT said:
Ok good. It's hard to read reviews as people only ever write bad stuff online.
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You have to remember that those negative reviews are ONLY EVER one side of the coin. Many people write good stuff about knives online, it's just easier for people to believe some whiny dingbat with too much time on their hands with unrealistic expectations of a pocket knife they thought could be used as a tire iron or prybar. Learn to recognize there are 2 sides to every story. Sometimes both are equally crappy too.
 
MBAIGENT said:
Does anyone have any experience of the realsteel h7? I'm aware it's made in China and may not be as good it I much prefer the lines of it!
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I have a Real Steel H6 S1 and a E77 and both are very good quality. The H6 uses the same Sandvik steel as the H7 (and many US made Kershaw knives) which is a really nice steel. It's not S30V, you will need to touch it up more often but it's easy to maintain and sharpen.
 
I can't comment on the specific models in the OP. But a couple notes from my own experiences. The Sandvik is pretty good stuff, but I really love what I have in D2. It's very hard, but so far no problem with chipping. Seems to hold an edge for an insanely long time.

I also did not like the looks of Spyderco's and avoided them for a long, long time. Finally decided to try one, and absolutely loved it. Then bought another, and another, and another. Sixteen and counting. Now don't give looks another thought because form, function, fit, and finish pretty much outweigh any of my prior misconceptions.

My only real suggestion is to go with your gut and buy what looks the most interesting to you. Use and enjoy it. When time for the next one you'll know better what you like/dislike.






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People are Strange, When You're a Stranger....
 
I have just purchased the h7 because of the steel reviews and I love the lines of it, but I think I will also be getting myself a lionsteel as I like the idea of a solid steel. I would love to be able to walk into a shop and have all these knives to pick up and feel it in the uk, shops like that pretty much don't exist, and when they do, it's usually just full of Swiss Army knives!
 
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