Knives, motor oil, ammunition.....

S

Sgt 127

Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
222
Bet thats the first thread here with that title...

Been pondering this. Curious if others feel the same way. I have long felt that It doesn't really matter what kind of motor oil you buy. As long as you change it regularly and buy a quality brand...theres really no big difference, one may have more detergents, one may gum up a little more, one may come in more grades.

Same with ammo. As long as you put the bullet where it needs to go, as long as you are buying premium ammo from one of the big makers...theres really no big difference. One may expand better, but not penetrate as well. The other may expand great but is not as accurate.

Same with knives. As long as you buy a quality product, from a major manufacturer you will be well served. Yes, some people prefer Penzoil...Others Quaker state....Some prefer Federal ammo...The guy beside me swears by Speer. I like Spyderco...My friend is smitten by Benchmade.

You can go to the higher end stuff and get a little more for your money. You can buy Synthetic Motor oil. You can buy Cor-Bon ammo and you can get a hand made knife.

Randall VS Busse? You will likley survive anything that you find yourself into with either one. Randall may cut a little better, Busse may chop a little better.

Carbon steel may hold an edge a little better. Stainless will hold up a little better in a humid enviroment.

Back lock? Very rigid...Liner Lock? Easier to clean.

The only absolute is there are NO absolutes. The greatest thing is that we have all of these choices all of the time. The fact that this Forum exists proves how great it is for us. And that each of us can make such a great argument for what we believe in.

Buy one of everything and try it yourselves!!! Then sell me all the used knives cheap...

Random ponderings while sleep deprived.
 
The cool thing is it is all true! I always felt the same way. Like when we "knife knuts" search for the perfect blade. There is a secret, there is no "perfect" knife. We LOVE knives. So we could never give up and settle on one. Even if it seems perfect, it would probably end up being replaced, or at least rotated for EDC. Not all of us are like that, but I know I am, and a few of you as well.

PS- I like Synthetic oil or combination.
 
As I put on my flame-retardant boots, here goes.

As for oil, I agree. There are ratings, like SAE and the like, which guarranty that oils from different sources can be blended. Like a friend of mine says, "Buy something in a nice looking can." I have heard that reclaimed and reprocessed oil is better because all of the varnish is burned off. Oil does NOT 'wear out,' it just gets dirty.

With ammo I disagree, but only because I handload. For example, commercial 45-70's are loaded to be safe in a trap-door Springfield. With a modern load, in a Marlin rifle with a cast linotype bullet, a 45-70 will shoot through a cape buffalo. Further, a traditional spire point .243 would be good for deer; a Nosler Ballistic Tip in .243 is good only for varmints and would blow up on the shoulder of a deer. Like I say, I pick components; don't get me started on bulk 'white-box' ammo.

For knives, I say no. Just the heat treating alone makes the same steel react differently. Then there's blade geometry, sharpening angle, flat ground, hollow ground, tip strength, and I could go on. Each user must select the right one for the job he does. For example, a buddy just bought a Buck full-size Strider. You couldn't break that knife with a hammer. Because of the blunt tip, I doubt it would be good for "caping" a trophy on a hunt without major reprofiling.
 
You pretty much summed it up in a general sense Sgt 127. Now get ready for someone to disect your idea and get really microscopic.
That's the way it goes.
Greg
 
Hmm, as far as ammo goes, some guns perform better with certain brands, bullet weights and bullets. This can be seen in tests done with a Ransom rest.

Just want to add, that the operative here is to buy the best quality that one can afford.
 
Personally, I just like my Maxx :p :D :p :D
 
I think Phillip missed the point of the post here with the old "Buy the best you can afford" generic advice.

Suppose you can afford $50 for a knife. Right off the top of my head I'll give you 3 knives. There is the Camillus EDC, or the Spyderco Endura, or even the CRKT Michael Walker. 3 different knives with 3 different steels and 3 different locking mechanisms.

Which one is best? I doubt you will be poorly served by either of the 3, and that is the point that the good Sgt was trying to make. And a well stated point if I may say so myself.
 
I just hope I never find the perfect knife, as that would be the last knife I buy :D
 
I suppose I may have missed the point, it's been known to happen. ;)
However, Sgt. 127's original post does state 3 times to the effect that one should buy quality. Whether it be motor oil, ammunition or knives. Hence my generic advice "buy the best you can afford."
 
I like the basic concept this thread espouses. There are lots of good choices out there. We are lucky to be awash with great knife options at this time. I agree that for most of us, there are several choices in a given catagory that will perform the functions we require. There will always be that 1.5% of users who have specific hard use requirements that may dictate one particular knife over another. But by and large, it is enough to buy a quality knife and maintain it properly. The whole concept of a "best" or "perfect" knife is incredibly subjective. It is fun to debate, but is not so much of a practical issue as it is a theoretical one.
Dave
 
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