Just became interested in knives

C

Cuahutemoc

Joined
Mar 6, 2002
Messages
10
Hi everyone, I think I'm doing this right. Anyway, like I said I just recently became interested in knives after having seen Hibben's Kenpo 2 model. However I was informed that the knives by United Cutlery are average at best. Is this true?
 
Welcome to the forums Cuahutemoc. Glad to have you along for the ride.


At best we consider the United stuff good wallhangers. At worst, well lets just say there are better choices. Stick with this group they will steer you in a better direction, but hang on to your wallet :).
 
Most knives of outrageous, flamboyant design, and the other, more normal knives from companies that make the fantasy blades, are usually cheaper grades of steel, poorly heat treated for edge holding, and are probably poorly put together, too.

There are custom knives and high-end productions that have it all: great design, materials, and manufacturing tolerances -- and the price reflects this.

There are state-of-the-art production companies, who will provide you with an endless supply of excellent, good-looking working knives at fair prices.

There are a few fine companies that use cheaper but acceptable materials to make good working knives at a reasonable price.

Now all you have to do is fill in the blanks: which knives go in which category! :D Welcome to Bladeforums! Stick around and we'll make you dizzy -- and poor!
 
Thanx, I guess that answers what I first heard. Up to now I've seen that benchmade, busse combat, and cold steel make very good knives. However I find them expensive at times ( specially the busse combat knives ). What comapnies should I be looking at when looking for a combat knife??
 
Greetings and salutations! Always glad to have a new partner in crime!! lol.

Ditto what Gus said about United. They can be quite lookers, but unfortunately, not the most highly functional pieces.

Good luck, and remember to take everything with a wink and a smile...later man.
 
Gracias. However I'm looking for double edge combat knives. Still I think I must ask something first. Could a combat knife double as a camping or hunting knife and vice versa??
 
From what I've been reading in other postings, people here seem to know what they're taking about. Pretty kewl. thanx.
 
Welcome to the forums.
For hunting and camping I'd stay away from double edge designs....far, far away. A single edge is much safer in these uses. Check out Camillus' Becker line. I'm sure something there will catch your eye.

Paul
 
Thanx Paul I can see what your taking about. Does the metal used in a combat knife vary much from the ones udes in a hunting or camping knife? If so what is the difference in performance??
 
I think that Essav did a nice job of breaking it down.

There are custom knives and high-end productions that have it all: great design, materials, and manufacturing tolerances -- and the price reflects this.
Click to expand...

Any number of names come to mind here: Darrel Ralph, Chris Reeve, Tom Mayo, etc., etc., etc.

There are state-of-the-art production companies, who will provide you with an endless supply of excellent, good-looking working knives at fair prices.
Click to expand...

Here, the names that I think of first are: Benchmade, Camillus, Spyderco, Cold Steel, some of the Bucks, Microtech, Fallkniven. There are plenty of others in this category.

There are a few fine companies that use cheaper but acceptable materials to make good working knives at a reasonable price.
Click to expand...

Try CRKT, Schrade, some of the Bucks, and Victorinox.

IMO, a good fixed blade can serve many functions, from combat to hunting to survival to camping. It really is the strongest and most utilitarian design. Take a look at some of the Fallknivens in VG-10. Also check out the Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V or AUS8. All are good knives.
 
I do not know much about preferable steel properties for such knives, but I guess that a steel of which a good hunting knife can be made should also perform adequately for a fighting knife.
Check out the Applegate-Fairbairn knives at www.boker.de, the black one is used by the German Special Forces Command, and they´re all made of 440C steel.
The Fällkniven G1 is made of VG-10, an even better steel for knives.
It is a short dagger which you should be able to behold at www.fallkniven.se .
 
Any steel used in a combat design will work just fine for hunting and camping purposes.

Paul
 
Many many thanx guys, I have learned more here this past hour than I have in a week of looking at a million websites who all swear that their knives are very good. Up to now I must say that I am in love with Busse combat knives. The design is exquisitely simple, however those prices will keep me from buying one soon. Thanx guys, as soon as I know something helpfull I'll start adding more substance to my postings. Cheers!!!
 
The Busse knives are good looking designs. However, I'm always a little skeptical of any knive dubbed a "combat" knife. Unless you're a soldier who might actually wind up in a hand-to-hand situation, the last thing you want on your person is a self-labelled combat knife. A good lawyer would eat you alive by that fact alone if you ever, God forbid, had to use it for combat.

And really, the last place you want to find yourself is in a knife fight. Everybody is going to get cut, and everyone will come out a loser to some degree. Faced with a knife, I'm going to do one of two things. First, put some distance between me and the knife wielder. If that isn't possible, or if my wife is with me, I will present said offender with the business end of a 9mm. Only idiots bring a knife to a gunfight.

That said, my pick for an all-around, affordable (note that I said affordable) fixed blade with good steel would be the Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V. If you're going to be around a lot of water, it also comes in AUS8 (stainless) steel. For $47 (try this link http://www.wholesalehunter.com/product/coldstee/colddes/masterhunter.htm ), it is a heckuva lot of knife for the money. Comes with a great kydex sheath, and it can handle about anything you want to dish out.

The Carbon V, though it requires more maintenance, gets sharper than any steel I currently own (which includes 154CM, ATS34, VG-10 among others). VG-10, which the Fallknivens feature, gives it a run for its money, but the Fallknivens are around $50 more new.

For the money, you can't beat the Cold Steel. If you want to spend more, you can beat it, but not by a whole lot.
 
Fossilhunter is right,if you liked Busse I think you'll find the Strider knives very attractive (also big prices, same reason I don't have one.. yet).

It's nice to see a fellow compatriot here.
 
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