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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Inexpensive with good quality like Victorinox, Mora and Opinel?
- Thread starter sogflash
- Start date
Mam knives seem to be fairly crude and poorly finished. More bang for the buck with a Opinel.
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2000
- Messages
- 1,049
Boker Plus. Their Tech Tool range is excellent. 12C27, with contoured G10 scales (not just flat slabs with rounded edges). Not Opinel cheap, but sub $30 for a nice slip joint in modern materials isn't bad at all.
- Joined
- May 29, 2020
- Messages
- 2,590
Bigfattyt
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 19,212
I have about 10 Opinel. Carbon and a few stainless less.
The carbon is easy to sharpen. Holds an edge about whst you would expect for a simple carbon steel at middling hardness. I would prefer harder steel, but I still carry and use the carbon versions. I have several in their stainless, which is just as easy to get screaming sharp, but seems to have a bit better edge retention and seems a few points harder.
Great bang for the buck, with the slight edge going to the stainless versions for edge retention.
The stainless is very easy to get hair whittling sharp. If you zoom in you can see the hair has been whittled a few times.
If I'm doing yard work, carwork, camping, or castrating cows, it's a good bet I'll have at least one Opinel on me.
The carbon is easy to sharpen. Holds an edge about whst you would expect for a simple carbon steel at middling hardness. I would prefer harder steel, but I still carry and use the carbon versions. I have several in their stainless, which is just as easy to get screaming sharp, but seems to have a bit better edge retention and seems a few points harder.
Great bang for the buck, with the slight edge going to the stainless versions for edge retention.
The stainless is very easy to get hair whittling sharp. If you zoom in you can see the hair has been whittled a few times.
If I'm doing yard work, carwork, camping, or castrating cows, it's a good bet I'll have at least one Opinel on me.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 3,285
Mercator.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2020
- Messages
- 2,428
My Moras are mostly the woodworking types - spoon knives, etc, but I have all kinds of Hultafors fixed knives and at least three or four hatchets and axes. They are tremendous value. Also Marttiinis. My first fixed blade that I bought with my own money is a small Marttiini puukko.
My only Svord is the Peasant and while I like the concept, I rarely carry it.
My only Svord is the Peasant and while I like the concept, I rarely carry it.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2020
- Messages
- 187
Same here, finally got my first MAM (friction folder) and it's very good for the price (and heck I'm french so a little bit partial to the Opinel!)
I have about 10 Opinel. Carbon and a few stainless less.
The carbon is easy to sharpen. Holds an edge about whst you would expect for a simple carbon steel at middling hardness. I would prefer harder steel, but I still carry and use the carbon versions. I have several in their stainless, which is just as easy to get screaming sharp, but seems to have a bit better edge retention and seems a few points harder.
Great bang for the buck, with the slight edge going to the stainless versions for edge retention.
The stainless is very easy to get hair whittling sharp. If you zoom in you can see the hair has been whittled a few times.
If I'm doing yard work, carwork, camping, or castrating cows, it's a good bet I'll have at least one Opinel on me.
Are you sure you are castrating cows??I have about 10 Opinel. Carbon and a few stainless less.
The carbon is easy to sharpen. Holds an edge about whst you would expect for a simple carbon steel at middling hardness. I would prefer harder steel, but I still carry and use the carbon versions. I have several in their stainless, which is just as easy to get screaming sharp, but seems to have a bit better edge retention and seems a few points harder.
Great bang for the buck, with the slight edge going to the stainless versions for edge retention.
The stainless is very easy to get hair whittling sharp. If you zoom in you can see the hair has been whittled a few times.
If I'm doing yard work, carwork, camping, or castrating cows, it's a good bet I'll have at least one Opinel on me.
Bigfattyt
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 19,212
Well....making bull calves in to steer calves, if you want to be pedantic about it....Are you sure you are castrating cows??
The banders are sized for little bull calves, or big bulls. When they drop early, or the roundup has to be a bit delayed, we end up having to cut a lot more than we would like, because the bands don't fit...and the big bands for adults are way too big.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2014
- Messages
- 2,585
Mam knives have better heat treat than Opinels,and i love Opinels,but all my Mam knives perform better,are easier to carry in pocket...will get more of these...try them
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2007
- Messages
- 2,254
I never found banding to be 100% reliable and you take a big dock on price for calves that are still carrying one. My vet said to cut them all and that is what I did as long as i was running my small herd.Well....making bull calves in to steer calves, if you want to be pedantic about it....
The banders are sized for little bull calves, or big bulls. When they drop early, or the roundup has to be a bit delayed, we end up having to cut a lot more than we would like, because the bands don't fit...and the big bands for adults are way too big.
Opinel's are still great. I prefer the Carbone versions but have heard good things about the Inox. If you are looking to get into modern folding knives i.e ones with an action, a lock, and some modern features like a pocket clip there are brands like Civivi, CJRB, and QSP that are putting out some exceptional knives for the money right now. Hard to beat moras in the fixed blade bang for your buck.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1,249
I've got an Opinel #8 folder, but for fixed blades that function well and aren't overly expensive, I don't think you can beat Morakniv. At Mora's upper end of knives they run up against Condors and I like them a lot too.