knife advice

B

basjoo

Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
118
I work in the horticulture field where a sharp bladed tool is often handy for a multitude of everyday hort tasks from cutting ball and burlap twine to pruning small branches, dead heading flowers, grafting, cutting roots and even digging up weeds. The only dedicated tool I've found is a Japanese implement called a hori hori; a large (6" blade) fixed blade, heavy, combination trowel/serrated blade thing that is made from cheap steel and is very dull. Obviously it's not the type of thing one wants to lug around all day! I'm looking for a folder that can handle the above tasks, take the abuse of being wet and dirty, can be opened one handed and won't force me to commit ritual sepaku if I happen to lose it (which, unfortunately, is likely). It also needs to be a little sheepie friendly as I work in a public garden with volunteers so something with about a 4" blade would probably be all they could handle. From what I've read here the American tanto type blade seems a likely candidate but I'd appreciate any advice on brands, lock types that could handle the grime, and knives that are inexpensive enough to perhaps replace on an annual basis. (geeze basjoo, anything else?!)
 
I would get a *gasp* partially serrated Spyderco Endura. Yes, I said partially serrated; those who know me know this is a first. I think this will work for you because:
a) it's inexpensive ($50 or so)
b) it's very sharp and reasonably tough
c) it won't rust too easily
d) the partial serrations will cut the really tough stuff you'll be working with better than the plain edge will.

Also, the Spyderhole is one of the best one handed opening systems available IMHO. Get yourself a Spyderco Sharpmaker for another $50 to keep it and all of your knives sharp and you'll have an unbeatable combination. Naturally, there are some better choices available, but all of the ones I can think of would be $100 or more. The Endura is a big, sharp, tough knife for the money, and inexpensive enough to replace without much difficulty. There's my $.02 anyway. Good luck. :)
 
I'd suggest a knife made from VG-10 stainless steel. Why? Here's a contribution by Ken Cox:

"Similarly, some steels, such as VG-10, have a natural grabbiness due to the size and spacing of the various carbides, and they will cut soft tissues, such as green plants, with very little pressure.

Reportedly, VG-10, often thought of as a Swedish steel, actually comes out of the Japanese horticulture industry, which wanted a steel that would cut through plant capillaries without crushing them."

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292367

Spyderco knives have a reputation equalled by few - and exceeded by none - in the "Value for money production knife" stakes. Here's a link to their entire VG-10 range.

Pick the knife that suits your purpose, eye and pocket.

maximus otter
 
I almost agree with roadrunner, only difference is I'd go with the fully serrated Endura. A full spyderedge is a hungry blade, it'll eat anything you throw at it. Maybe look at the Harpy too, about a inch smaller but the hooked blade is a great cutter.
 
i also think you need a spyderco in VG10 for the same reasons that were stated above but due to the nature of your work i'd recommend the rescue 93mm, it's VG10, it's mostly serrated but it has enough of a plain edge for delicate tasks & it has a sheepfoot blade which will help keep your knife in one piece while digging with it.
i also recommend the sharpmaker.
by the way, the rescue costs about as much as the endura, even a little less i think, look in newgraham.com or culeryshoppe.com
 
I work in a similar environment (not cutting plants, but down in the dirt digging, working outside etc.). I would first off recommend partial serrations. Second I would recommend tip up carry so that the pivot end of the knife is down inside your pocket. That will keep the knife a lot cleaner. My tip down knives always end up gritty at the end of the day regardless of how much I used them. Tip up so the pivots down in your poicket do a lot better.

If you really want sheeple friendly you might consider a Buck 110, get one of the special models with better steel. Cabelas has them in S30V right now. You'd probably carry it in a belt pouch which would help alot with keeping dirt out of it, and with some practice they can be opened one handed with no problem. I think you can still buy a clamp on thumbstud too.

I'd say something like this would be about perfect, although I'm not sure if its tip up or down.
http://www.1sks.com/store/crkt-desert-m16-13zm-military.html
 
I defiinately agree with Spyderco VG-10 advice. However, I would not get a serrated blade, or would at least limit it to partial serrations. When pruning, the serrations will cause greater tissue damage.
 
you mentioned folder. why not a smaller fixed blade? they will stand up to daily abuse in wet dirty envrionment easier than a folder. a 2-3 1/2 " blade sounds good for the work you do.
 
Guy G just stole my advice. I would highly recommend you go with a small fixed blade instead of a folder. A folder is going to get gummed up with sap and stuff, not to mention the dirt. My wife is a horticulturist and I loaned her my Benchmade AFCK (liner lock) for a day. She used it to cut.. I want to say it was yucca rhyzomes or something like that that grows in sandy soil. When she came home, it was duller than you can believe and I had to really work to get all the dirt out of it.

My recommendation is that you get a few separate tools, as I don't think there's a single knife that would do all of the tasks you mentioned very well. For grafting you want a thin, hellishly sharp blade that doesn't need to be very long. For digging or chopping, you want a longer, thicker blade for more weight and thus momentum. For digging, you want a trowel. For dividing roots, you want something with very high abrasion resistance.


For pruning small branches, deadheading flowers, etc, get a pair of Felcos. (my wife recommends the #2's) http://www.midcitynursery.com/shopping/felco.htm

For pruning larger branches, just call the arborist! :D But if the arborist isn't available, get a japanese-style folding saw. We've got a Silky and it's AWESOME. http://www.dustbeegone.com/foldingsaws.htm (we've got the F-180)

For grafting, they have special knives... http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=1790 or you could get something like a small Swiss Army Knife. The SAK blades can get scary sharp, and are nice and thin. Get one with two non-serrated blades, and use one for utility tasks while saving the other one for only grafting.

For dividing roots while staying fairly small, you could try a Swamp Rat Bog Dog. They've recently released some shots showing that it can take a beating, and the D2 steel is known for high abrasion resistance. Also, it's not a coated blade or anything, so it's not too terribly "tactical looking". Eric Isaacson's wife uses a Battle Rat for dividing while Voracious uses a Camp Trap. My wife agrees that the longer blades of those knives would be better if you were going to be dividing things in, say, gallon pots, but the shorter Bog Dog is probably more sheeple friendly. http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=001946
http://www.swamprat.com/knives.html#bogdog

I know that this is probably more than you wanted to spend, but think of it as an investment in your work. You could save some money by using the Bog Dog for grafting and general utility work, but you would have to sharpen it up just for grafting when you think you're going to do some of that. I know that the Bog Dog is bigger and scarier than a polite folder, but the optional leather sheath looks very tool-like, and once the people see you use it a few times, they'll be asking to borrow it.

Hope this helps!
 
Sounds like you need a fixed blade. My father is a gardener and he does quite a bit of work with a small serrated kama (sickle). He tucks it into his belt which is not the safest way to carry but it works for him.
 
foxholeatheist (existentialist too?): You're right on all your points, and I do have all the tools for the job that you mentioned, they all have their place. My problem is I'm in "the field" most of my time and already edc on my belt a two-way, key ring, two sizes of pruners and a leatherman blast. I need a blade that's a good four inches long so in a fixed blade that would be a long knife on the belt which might freak out alot of sheeple types. I see A.G. Russel has a tactical knife with a tanto blade that looks like it might work but I need something at a much lesser price. Thanks for you time an input.
 
basjoo, check out the CRKT M16 line. They have a good reputation for holding up, the design is simple, not garish or scary, and you can get them in different blade styles and serrations.

You might also like the CRKT Model Seven with its big spade-shaped blade, also available with partial serrations.
 
b1_1.JPG


Try one of these. They are cheap and easy to maintain. There is alot to be said for a good quality knife. But, if you working in a rough environment where the knife is going to be in constant contact with rough materials and harsh chemicals, it will wear very quickly. With one of these you don't need to worry about the knife and can just concentrate on the work.

n2s
 
not2sharp, Got one! great little tool that I use at work for the craft stuff we do, cutting boxes and related jobs. Again, not another tool I want to carry around on my belt all day. Nobody seems to mention tanto blades. Any down side to the design? Seems the tip of the blade would be very strong, the front edge could be kept sharp enough to push cut roots etc. Opinions?
 
E. Benyamin, Yeah, the M16-14 looks more like what I'm thinking of. Is AUS-8 a tough, stainless enough steel for the application? Anything similar but a little cheaper? (What is the lower $ limit for a "decent" knife?) Many thanks to all that have responded!
 
AUS-8 is a pretty good steel. AUS-6 is maybe a little more corrosion-resistant. They don't hold an edge as well as the latest steels, but they are much cheaper.

Price can be a real variable. Depending on what you are willing to accept for performance, you can pick up a piece of junk at a flea market and it may do the job for you. Others may spend a little more than they absolutely have to to get that slight extra bit of performance. And depending on where you shop, you can get a much better price on the same knife.

I like the tanto point, but there is a certain amount of controversy over how gimmicky people may feel it is. Some are stronger at the tip than others. I carry a tanto Sebenza. I cannot imagine how anyone could break that tip. But it still is sharp.
 
I like the VG-10/Spyderco advise, but if you want an inexpensive tanto folder the Cold Steel Large Voyager, which has a 4" blade, is one you might want to look at. The AUS-8A steel will have to be sharpened more than the VG-10, but it isn't bad. You can get it partially serrated. I've found cheaperthandirt.com to have the lowest prices I can find on Cold Steel knives.
 
Yeah, it should go without saying, but prices can vary HUGELY!

I have a CRKT M16-03Z and an M16-12 that I paid either $12 or $14 each locally from a gunshop that was no longer going to carry them.

There are definately better kinves out there, but that was the best $30 I've ever spent on two knives.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top