Moving away from folders towards fixed blades

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I kinda made the switch. I carried a folder for normal tasks in the mil and a TOPS CQB for anything else. I'd say that a few years after the mil I switched to mostly fixed. The main reason was that any wiggle in the lockup drove me up the wall along with the thought that there were points of failure in a folder that are not present in a fixed.

I still carry an OTF or folder in my pocket, but for anything that's not cutting a box open or stabbing an olive I reach for my fixed.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
sorry, they're long gone now
G2
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I have one of them that just arrived 2 days ago - but I've been carrying the Mazer "Walk-about" in AEB-L and white bone micarta by navman navman (on the right in pic) for a few days ever since it arrived. Right front pocket carry for now.

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I still need to find me a good old sharp finger. The new one just doesn't do it.

This one is the drop point hunter and was my first "EDC" fixed blade for around work n'at. Kinda got me into the idea that I can comfortably carry a fixed blade without scaring too many people.


Usually, I just wear them on my belt and no one ever bats an eye. I'm right on the city line so you would think people would give me 💩 about it, but no one really cares.

I was recently told (by someone at work) that most of my knives are neat but my new "black one" is "kind of scary". It's a guardian 3.5 sheepsfoot. I don't know why it's any scarier than the other ones, but it's alright. I wasn't really loving it anyways. Haha!
 
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Horsewright said:
I haven't really posted here as I've always been a small fixed blad kinda guy. At least for the last couple of decades. I do have four folders two of which were sent to me from fellow BF memebers.
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Have you ever made one of your (super cool custom) sheaths for a Sharpfinger? Their popularity has fallen off over the years, but back in the late 70's/early 80's they were common when I lived in Arizona. Especially among the "biker" crowds I used to run with in my youth.
 
I have come across members of my church that used to hunt….i have seen a few Sharpfingers, and one or two Deer Slayers.
 
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Murphy Slaw said:
Have you ever made one of your (super cool custom) sheaths for a Sharpfinger? Their popularity has fallen off over the years, but back in the late 70's/early 80's they were common when I lived in Arizona. Especially among the "biker" crowds I used to run with in my youth.
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Yes sir I have. Quite a few in fact. I have one customer, semi local (bout an hour away), and he too tries to buy every one he comes across. He then brings them to me for sheaths. He is a mule packer and uses them on the trail. Had one my self back when I was a lot younger too.
 
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A quickie group shot of the little guys….
Russ Easler caper/skinner. ATS 34 IIRC. Amazing how sheep horn moves around with the seasons.

South African maker whose name I forgot. Bought it from his table at a NYC show. A bare blade blank. I put on the French Ivory (read: cow bone) scales. Interestingly, it vis flat ground on one side and hollow on the other. Must’ve been a bad show for him to sell his demo piece…

Northampton table knife ground down to a point years before wifey found it at a yard sale.

Arno Bernard as discussed earlier

Bruce Evans faux tortoise shell, also shown earlier.
 
Getting down to a select few, one that I might give a try is the Kizer Smolt that should be releasing soon this month. Speaking of Kizer I did get this fixed blade and it's pretty nice, word of warning though, the kydex was SUPER tight when it arrived so that trying to remove the knife was all but impossible with a real possibility of the pull to open reaction could end up stabbing the hand holding the sheath. SO, I took my heat gun and warmed up the sheath lightly and then drew the knife out and let it cool down, now it functions perfectly, no rattle either but no death grip on drawing it.
The most natural way to hold this is utilizing the forward choil area, I did grind the start of the edge a little so it was more of an angle up plus to give my index finger just a tad more room.

Kizer Magara



The other fixed blades that are 'sticking' around are the Civivi Stormridge and a custom from Joe Calton Joe Calton



I added the tape to the end of the handle to provide some texture for gripping, the front part goes into the kydex sheath so I didn't put any on there.


I do have a couple of folders that ride along, a Manly City folder is my main folder due to it's very thin grind and midlock.





The other folder is the CRKT Forebear, small two bladed folder that fits into my watch pocket, used mainly for carving out areas in foam to ship things out safely.





So, right now these are my main stay blades, again not including any of the Swiss Army models as I use the tools on them more than the blades.

G2
 
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Gary W. Graley said:
Getting down to a select few, one that I might give a try is the Kizer Smolt that should be releasing soon this month. Speaking of Kizer I did get this fixed blade and it's pretty nice, word of warning though, the kydex was SUPER tight when it arrived so that trying to remove the knife was all but impossible with a real possibility of the pull to open reaction could end up stabbing the hand holding the sheath. SO, I took my heat gun and warmed up the sheath lightly and then drew the knife out and let it cool down, now it functions perfectly, no rattle either but no death grip on drawing it.
The most natural way to hold this is utilizing the forward choil area, I did grind the start of the edge a little so it was more of an angle up plus to give my index finger just a tad more room.
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I like some of the recent fixed-blade designs from Kizer. The Deckhand was very compelling. My problem with them is that they've chosen D2 for all of them. I don't get it. They've otherwise moved away from Chinese D2 with their folders so why go back for these? It's not like D2 is much tougher than the 154CM that's become standard on their budget folders (or the N690 that was formerly their standard). The edge retention for Chinese D2 could be decent but it never lived up to expectation and inconsistency had been a problem. Kizer's 154CM gets consistently good edge retention and is a big step up from D2 in corrosion resistance.

So I have to wonder if it isn't a cost issue relative to size but still, other Chinese companies have been releasing fixed blades in good, tough stainless like 14C28N and Nitro-V at decent prices. Heck, you've handled some of the 9Cr18Mov via Sencut or Ferrum Forge (both made by WE). Especially given Kizer's recent foray into 9Cr18Mov for their Laconic series, the high corrosion resistance of that steel would have been a much better choice than D2 for a knife called "Deckhand"...
 
I like a 2.5-3.5" FB for EDC. I still carry a folder, usually a cheap one for the quick tasks, but prefer to have a fixed on my person for real cutting stuff. Tinkered with a few over the years. I like a longer/fuller handle, but am trying to come around to smaller handled stuff, too!

2.75" CPM 20CV blade on this one, but a longer handle.
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This is the latest that is getting time in the rotation. 2.5" 80CRV2 blade and a handle size/shape like the Benchmade Bugout and fairly slim:
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Going to see how well carbon steel holds up during the sweaty summer months!

This was my EDC for the last year, S90V blade and still gets a lot of belt time:
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Used it last year at a Take a Vet Trout day my fish and game club hosts and cleaned well over 100 trout with it. Gets used for everything, opening up packages, breaking down cardboard, cleaning fish, etc.

It's larger, but I EDC vertically around the 4 o'clock position on the belt, with the clip on the belt and the sheath itself either IWB or between the belt and pants. Utiliclip XL or a soft IWB loop allows some movement of the blade from vertical so it's more comfortable when standing/sitting/driving, etc. It's not held in one position rigidly. I want to play more with horizontal sheaths eventually, too since I think that would be more comfy and easier drawing!
 
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