Is this knife the cream of the crop?

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I see that a few have an issue with the aluminium use on handle. Is it just because it's not that expensive or will it have a negative effect on the knife's strength or longevity?
 
RevDevil said:
Looks good, I like the design a lot it looks comfy. As far as being the best in the world, that depends on a lot of things. I haven't seen one of those up close, much less held or used one. The truth is, the term "best" is very subjective. There are so many custom makers out there that produce very clean, tough, elegant, utilitarian, artsy, overbuilt knives that there really is no one true best. It varies from one person to the next. That is definitely a nice looking knife though, but for that price I think you can get something that is built to Sebenza like tolerances with even better materials. Aluminum handles for $1700+ = no thanks. I would much rather have Rick Hinderer or Darrel Ralph make something to my exact specs for that kind of money.
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Ankerson said:
That's 1000 push cuts, doesn't really mean all that much, there are a lot of knives that can and will do that.

Jerry Busse did over 2000 push cuts with a Battle Mistress in public and it would still shave hair.

It's marketing really.

For that knife I would be suprised if it could do 250 slicing cuts and still cut paper.
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^^Exactly my thoughts. There are plenty of knives that will easily pass the tests Rockstead is touting their knives' performance in, at a small fraction of the cost. There are also plenty of knives that have impeccable F&F, again at a small fraction of the cost.

And regardless of what they harden their YXR7 -- which is basically M2 -- to, like Ankerson said there are plenty of knives and steels that will blow it out of the water in a real cutting test (i.e., one that involves more than push cuts and tapping the edge on some bamboo). And, at the risk of redundancy, such knives are available at a small fraction of the cost of the Rockstead.

If the knife cost a tenth of what they're wanting for it, I might consider getting it. The fact that something is (one of?) the most expensive production knives in the world doesn't mean it's also one of the best in terms of anything except exclusivity.
 
Sami P said:
Thanks everyone for your comments.

I see that a few have an issue with the aluminium use on handle. Is it just because it's not that expensive or will it have a negative effect on the knife's strength or longevity?
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A little bit of both. first of all, aluminum is decidedly easier to scratch and dent than titanium, and is also cheaper. on a knife of this price and supposed quality, i would expect something that was a bit more, say, optimal and expensive than aluminum. from all i hear, you knife would start to get scratched and less pretty sooner.
 
thegeek574 said:
A little bit of both. first of all, aluminum is decidedly easier to scratch and dent than titanium, and is also cheaper. on a knife of this price and supposed quality, i would expect something that was a bit more, say, optimal and expensive than aluminum. from all i hear, you knife would start to get scratched and less pretty sooner.
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Yeah, as far as the functionality side, aluminum is very durable and lightweight, but it also does show scratches and such easily. That's why it's mostly seen on knives that are intended as "work knives" (e.g., a lot of autos targeted at law enforcement/military).
 
For that cost I would say there are much better blades out there for much less. That's just my .02 though, in reality its worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
 
Pretty good knife? -Yes.

Cream of the crop? -Doubt it.

I'm pretty sure that I could bang on a bamboo hunk with my Benchmade 940 and still be able to cut paper. Probably could do that with my CRKT M16Z. All my Spydies? -you bet.
 
neuron said:
Yeah, as far as the functionality side, aluminum is very durable and lightweight, but it also does show scratches and such easily. That's why it's mostly seen on knives that are intended as "work knives" (e.g., a lot of autos targeted at law enforcement/military).
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Another question for everyone: Are titanium scales seen on other top knives left raw or they are painted/anodized? If anodized, is anodizing on Titanium more resistant to scratching than anodizing on aluminium? Not talking about the metal, rather if anodizing sticks better to one metal over the other.
 
I've handled them at 3 knife shows already. The quality and precision is indeed truly excellent, among the very very best I've ever seen. Is it worth it? Well, non-knife people have the same doubt towards a cheaper Chris Reeve knife. Here the question is: for the extra fit and finish and great blade material, is it worth the extra money over say a Chris Reeve? With the law of diminishing return, I would say yes for perfectionists.
By the way, they also had a lovely gentlemen folder with a titanium handle that looked like scales (think an armadillo).
 
Dagon said:
I've handled them at 3 knife shows already. The quality and precision is indeed truly excellent, among the very very best I've ever seen. Is it worth it? Well, non-knife people have the same doubt towards a cheaper Chris Reeve knife. Here the question is: for the extra fit and finish and great blade material, is it worth the extra money over say a Chris Reeve? With the law of diminishing return, I would say yes for perfectionists
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Good points, but I think that the question as currently posed leaves out the fact that there are a lot of other knives -- and corresponding combinations of materials, price points, etc. -- besides CRK and Rockstead. If the only two options available were a CRK and the Rockstead, then for the reasons you note the Rockstead's significant premium could be worth it for the perfectionists or just for those who want the exclusivity factor. But there are many other knives to consider, particularly once one brings customs into the discussion, something that's perfectly reasonable to do given the price point of the Rockstead. For instance, an RJ Martin custom in S110V will have F&F/quality/precision that matches the Rockstead, a blade steel that will hold an edge longer, and costs half as much (or less).

Again, this doesn't mean that the knife isn't worth the high asking price to some people, who may want it for the exclusivity, to show off to their friends, or simply because they love the design. What I'm trying to argue is that the price can't even be remotely justified on grounds of F&F, performance, or materials, since there are plenty of knives at far lower prices that equal or beat the Rockstead on all three of those dimensions.
 
I strongly recommend a custom for that price tag. As for who, that would be hard to say. It depends on your tastes I suppose. Aluminum is functionally very good as a knife handle material. It's light, it's strong, and while it'll be scuffed to hell, you can run over it with a truck and it'll still be whole(seen this done on a Surefire flashlight). Just that titanium is a harder material and provides even more strength on top of that.

However, I warn you, if you sink that much money into a knife expecting an indestructible lightsaber that will cut through steel, you're in for one hell of a disappointment. Back when ZDP-189 was the flavor of the month "super steel", I bought an Endura 4 in the steel and tried to cut a mango pit in half with it. Needless to say, nature won out, and my knife edge was chipped to hell.

For cream of the crop performance, I would recommend one of farid's custom in CPM-Rex 121 here on the forums. For cream of the crop "bling" or a very pretty looking knife, try William Henry.

I personally feel the truest definition of "cream of the crop" or "the best" knife is a custom made knife from a professional knife maker for a customer that has full knowledge of what he wants in his knife.

For Example:
I like to sharpen my knives to a razor edge. I cut a lot of cardboard and food. I live in Hawaii, and I'm not as diligent as I would like to be in taking care of carbon steels, so stainless is the only way to go. I know I can sharpen 9% vanadium steels with little difficulty. I like bright fluorescent colors. I don't use my knives as prybars, nor do I use them particularly hard. I like large and long knives(but not too long) with a grip that fills my hands. I like smooth, wood-like handles(in feeling).

So I got a Phil Wilson custom fixed blade in M390 stainless(4% vanadium, 3rd generation PM technology that gives it very fine grain refinement, allowing it to take and hold a razor edge) and orange G10 scales polished very smooth. Blade is a little over 4" and comes in a kydex sheath. The edge is ground insanely thin, letting it cut through most things like warm butter.
 
Checlout Nemo's review on some of their lines. Nemo also has high opinion on CS Recon 1, at much lower price tag.

At the end, it's your money and how you spend it.
 
I have handled and played with many a Rocksted knife as well as owned a couple. IMO they make splendid blades and I like the style as well as steels they use. BUT, I dislike their handles with great intensity, the shape, detailing and materials all nip me on the wrong side. They do make one knife that interests me though and that is the "cold weather" folder with the micarta handle. I'm hoping to be able see and handle that knife at the Taipei blade show in December.
 
Does it get delivered by a Brinks truck?
There are many nice customs that are of the same great quality for 700 - 800.
Personaly if i had an extra 1750 laying around, i'd get a new Strider SMG, a new Glock, take the wife out for a nice steak dinner and put the remaining 700 away for the next custom knife show. But if you really want it and can afford it, why not???
 
Noctis3880 said:
I strongly recommend a custom for that price tag. As for who, that would be hard to say. It depends on your tastes I suppose. Aluminum is functionally very good as a knife handle material. It's light, it's strong, and while it'll be scuffed to hell, you can run over it with a truck and it'll still be whole(seen this done on a Surefire flashlight). Just that titanium is a harder material and provides even more strength on top of that.

However, I warn you, if you sink that much money into a knife expecting an indestructible lightsaber that will cut through steel, you're in for one hell of a disappointment. Back when ZDP-189 was the flavor of the month "super steel", I bought an Endura 4 in the steel and tried to cut a mango pit in half with it. Needless to say, nature won out, and my knife edge was chipped to hell.

For cream of the crop performance, I would recommend one of farid's custom in CPM-Rex 121 here on the forums. For cream of the crop "bling" or a very pretty looking knife, try William Henry.

I personally feel the truest definition of "cream of the crop" or "the best" knife is a custom made knife from a professional knife maker for a customer that has full knowledge of what he wants in his knife.

For Example:
I like to sharpen my knives to a razor edge. I cut a lot of cardboard and food. I live in Hawaii, and I'm not as diligent as I would like to be in taking care of carbon steels, so stainless is the only way to go. I know I can sharpen 9% vanadium steels with little difficulty. I like bright fluorescent colors. I don't use my knives as prybars, nor do I use them particularly hard. I like large and long knives(but not too long) with a grip that fills my hands. I like smooth, wood-like handles(in feeling).

So I got a Phil Wilson custom fixed blade in M390 stainless(4% vanadium, 3rd generation PM technology that gives it very fine grain refinement, allowing it to take and hold a razor edge) and orange G10 scales polished very smooth. Blade is a little over 4" and comes in a kydex sheath. The edge is ground insanely thin, letting it cut through most things like warm butter.
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^^Excellent post. :thumbup:
 
I have to agree with noctis3880, he is a man that knows what he wants/needs and can communicate that to a custom maker, THAT will give you "the best" knife. Otherwise, you're just opening a wasp's nest of useless ego driven discussions on what's the "cream of the crop".

$1750 pretty much demands a fully custom maker. you'd get just ONE known/famous knifemaker working on your creation from start to finish, and many will do a "one off" for that kind of money, you might just have to be patient while on their waiting list.
I personally would rather have a very well known custom knifemakers name on the blade for that much money. I got back into collecting the past few years and dont have many customs now but in the 90's i owned a Terzuola, Kit Carson, Elischewitz, Crawford, Brend, in the hayday of the tactical folder boom (all STILL more reknowned than Rockstead). Yeah, most of those knives had the now "inferior" ATS-34 steel compared to todays standards, but if I still had those, you bet your ass I'd be in an exclusive club with loads of bragging rights even if there were a few more similar knives out there.
Again, for that much money i could afford a world famous custom makers folding knife with stronger titanium handles to show off, a sebenza as a strong enough usable folder and a fixed blade Busse for more serious chopping/bushcraft/camping.

just my $.02
 
Good lord man, nearly 2 grand can get you a full custom built to your specs......
why would you go production for that kind of scratch, theres scott cook emerson hinderer and darrelralph just to name a few.

i could never ever pay that much for a production knife, and why would you, you could havesomething literally made to fit your hand out of the newest and best super steel and whatever handle material and locking mechanism you desire. so how can it make sense to get something that is going to have a shortcoming???
 
Thanks everyone for your input and the treasure of information and suggestions you have provided. Your time is much appreciated.

Cheers.
 
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