Jeff Randall reviews in new TK mag

J

James Y

Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
6,502
In the Nov. issue.
I always look forward to these, he has 2 articles, one on Jay Maines of Sunrise River Knives, the second one on the Camillus Companion and Junglee Tri-Force liner lock folder.

As always, they are put to the tests, and the photos often show the wear on these knives...thanks for the reviews, Jeff.

BTW...have you ever tested a BM Axis lock to see how it would hold up in rain forest conditions?
Jim
 
I have also found that the articles written by Jeff Randall (and Jerry VanCook) are very well written and more importantly well researched. I am always happy when a writer uses extensive field tests in seeking the relative merits of a product and writes an unbiased review. It is very reassuring to be able to purchase equipment knowing that it will not fail you when you need it the most, and I have found that the best tests are done "in the field" not by arm chair writers.
Thanks Mr. Randall (and Mr. VanCook) for putting your butt's on the line so that mine will be safer when the time comes.
Chad


[This message has been edited by chad234 (edited 08-06-2000).]
 
The nice thing about Jeff's reviews is that, in addition to being clear and well-written, they are based on practical field experience, not rope slicing or chopping through copper pipe in your garage. For instance, he showed just how practical and useful the Companion can be, given the conditions he uses it for. He doesn't boil the knife in acid or run over it with a tank but he does tell you that it can be used to strike sparks from flint and the edge holds up well after long usage in the field and you can do hard work with it comfortably for an extended period of time.

Don't get me wrong. I think we need the occassional crash test of knives, but I really enjoy hearing more about the practicality of knives from people who use them daily for specific purposes. Jeff excels at this.

Great stuff, Jeff.

------------------
Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
Thanks for all the kind comments. Writing is something I truly struggle with so it's nice to have an editor that can put the words in the right order. Of course Vancook doesn't need this help since he's a professional writer anyway. I always enjoy his articles and form of writing, and on top of being a good writer he knows his stuff....this was obvious when he spent several days training the Peruvian military during our last trip. Tactical Knives magazine is lucky to have someone like Jerry that couples writing skills with real world skills.

Field testing is something we do a lot of. I make a point of not writing about it unless it has been done. I write solely for the person that is interested in what works and what doesn't in the bush. I don't write for the guy interested in fighting knives, collecting knives, or someone just wanting to spend a lot of money to have a high dollar piece of cutlery. I'm sorry, brand names or labels do not make surviving any easier when it comes to hard bush. As I have said countless times, I've seen 5 dollar machetes out-do a lot of high dollar 'survival' knives. With that said, you are still just getting my opinions based on what we do in the field. Everyone is different and should always research what works best for them.

I also agree that different types of testing have their merits. In fact, rope cutting has become a standard cutting efficiency test for me, especially on folders where I expect and want a more efficient edge.

Thanks again for the comments and look for more interesting stuff coming up in Tactical Knives magazine.

Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
TK IS my favorite knife magazine because of all of the tests and comparisons. Some of the other mags. just seem to fill up the pages with fancy, expensive, and non-using knives. I would much rather see comparisons between using knives such as Busse and Cold Steel then look at pictures of $3000.00 show knives!
Good work Jeff
COMPARE, COMPARE, COMPARE!

Ron

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Ron,
Now Thets-A-Noif Shop
Bremerton, Washington
 
Great stuff as usual Jeff! Hoodoo, you are right on the money, but there are folks in this forum that think field testing is meaningless!
wink.gif
Keep up the great work Jeff, and I sure get a lot of "where did you get that t-shirt" Thanks again!

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www.simonichknives.com

[This message has been edited by Rob Simonich (edited 08-06-2000).]
 
Jeff :

rope cutting has become a standard cutting efficiency test for me
Click to expand...

Have you every encountered a blade that in some field use would perform much better at slicing or push cutting than another blade which handled the rope test (cut in a similar way) much better?

-Cliff
 
Before some people get too excited about my comments, I have nothing against destructive testing of knives or rope cutting (I frequently test my knives by cutting rope too) but I don't think they tell the whole story about a knife. If I did, I wouldn't be carrying around an Opinel folder every day, which I happen to like very much. And I came to believe in them through a friend of mine who carried one for 15 years. If the guy used the knife that much and it still is ticking, there must be something to them, was my way of thinking. And yes indeedy, I have 4 opinels now and love every one of the them. Sure, I know if I tried to pry something with it, it would bend or break but that's not the practical use of the knife. And that's why I like stories of practicality. When I take out my #12 opinel and start slicing bread as good as a serrated knife, people start asking me where the heck did I get that knife. The other day at a friend's lake cabin, this friend was slicing tomatoes with a serrated knife and I said try the opinel. It zipped right through them. Try it with a fat-bladed tactical folder sometime and you'll know what I mean.

Yes, the Opinels dull rather quickly but they also sharpen quickly too and I can use just about anything to get a quick edge.

Now if just anybody starts singing the praises of their "experience" with a particular knife, I usually take a "wait and see" attitude, but when people who I know have a lot of experience (like Jeff) using knives under field conditions (read practical here) start singing the praises of a particular knife, then I'm inclined to trust their judgment more. If it works for them then it must work.

And then there are those that have neither handled or used a particular knife, either in the backyard or the field, yet that doesn't seem to stop them from voicing their "authoratative" biased opinion on it. Those opinions I tend shrug off or take with a grain of salt.

------------------
Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
Hoodoo:
What you said about the Opinel folders reminds me of the way I love my regular SAK knives. Nowadays there are a lot of folders with "superior" steels, etc., but for some cutting jobs, for me at least, nothing beats a good, sharp SAK blade, esp. slicing certain foods. The edge geometry, easy cleaning, easy-to-resharpen quality makes their usefulness timeless.

Regarding Opinels, I don't own one, but I've seen them on sale and am amazed how inexpensive they are. It goes to show you even well-made, inexpensive knives can help the right person accomplish amazing things -- the Native Americans and mountain men long age used to live off the land with ordinary butcher or kitchen knives.
Jim
 
James, I feel the same way about SAKs. In fact, they are one of the few stainless knives that I use for whittling. They seem to take and hold an edge well for my purposes. I love the small, two bladed pocket pal for carving. And I never go anywhere without an SAK in my pocket. Totally reliable, practical, and awesome (yes, awesome) knives. Why awesome? If Benchmade produced the kind of consistent quality that SAKs show (and contrary to some, I like both Victorionox and Wenger), Benchmade would not enjoy the mildly nefarious reputation that it has. I've never bought a defective SAK and I own at least 20 of them (although I'm sure there are some out there, aren't there?
wink.gif
). Considering the number of knives they sell, it's hard to fathom how they can produce such consistently good knives (or maybe the other is harder to understand: given SAKs consistency, why can't some other knife companies show similar production consistency?).

As we move into the world of high-tech, we shouldn't forget that there are a lot of 'old-tech' knives out there that are still pretty good. Yes, I love my Sebenza and my Mean Street, and my Magnum Camp and my Spydies and my AFCK etc. and I want more, but...people can have a lot of fun with knives for not a lot of money. Good stuff out there for the bargain hunter and really, it's a great time for knife lovers, whether you want to buy a cheap Tramotina machete, a Busse Battle Mistress, a bone-handled Case, or a Talonite, BG 42, VG 10, or cobalt knife or whatever.

I got a real kick out of Fred Perrin's review of the Schrade Sharpfinger. Probably most high-tech knife aficionados were scratching their heads at first wondering it he was for real or not. I've had a sharpfinger for eons and yup, it's a good knife. While we appreciate all the good stuff coming down the road, let's not turn our noses up at what's already on our plate. Lot of practical stuff out there that works and works well, depending on the job at hand.



------------------
Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
Does Tactical Knives has a web site? I can't find a copy in my local bookstore, how do i subscribe? Thanks
 
Originally posted by Steven Dick:
Our web-site is www.tacticalknives.com
Click to expand...

Hello Mr. Dick,

Love your magazine (could you ask Jeff to smile more in his pictures?) and am wondering if you will contribute more to our forum here? I love your down-to-earth approach to knives. Your fairly recent articles on stainless blades and thin-bladed camp knives were memorable and made me a subscriber.




------------------
Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
James :

for some cutting jobs, for me at least, nothing beats a good, sharp SAK blade, esp. slicing certain foods.
Click to expand...

With the heavy "tactical" heavy market, a full flat ground thin edged SAK will easily outcut many popular blades because of overly thick edges or obtuse grinds. Even the "low quality" blades on most multi-tools cut better than a lot of heavy duty tactical knives. However there are lots of people who are making custom blades that are optomized for low stress cutting, Wilson, Boye, and Schott to name a few. They will easily outcut your SAK, be more durable, require far less frequent sharpenings and have many other advantages including a more ergonomic and secure grip.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 08-08-2000).]
 
Originally posted by Cliff Stamp:
James :

They will easily outcut your SAK, be more durable, require far less frequent sharpenings and have many other advantages including a more ergonomic and secure grip.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 08-08-2000).]
Click to expand...

Yeah, but do they come with tweezers and a toothpick?
wink.gif


------------------
Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
Cliff:
Of the makers you mentioned, I've only seen Boye's work, and I agree they are excellent knives. But my real point about the SAK's, along with their ability at fine cutting, is that I can get that type of performance at all at such cheap prices.

As far as non-SAK knives that cut out of proportion to expectations, these also include your aforementioned multi-tools (the blades on my Supertool cut like crazy), as well as the Spyderco Calypso Jr., which can still be bought at a relatively low cost.
Jim
 
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