Newbie full of questions......

G

Gentleman Bob

Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
14
Hi, Newbie here. First things first - get yourselves a drink, mine's a cup of tea. Cheers!! :D

I'll start with an apology.... I have lots of questions to ask but very little to contribute so its gonna seem like a one-way street starting out. Sorry 'bout that! ;)

I want a good knife to add to my snowboard/trailride toolkit. I've read about the S.A.T. knives and the technology attracts me greatly... :cool: However, over here in the UK it's not that easy to find a shop that has these knives on the shelf so I can poke and prod etc.

So, I'm going to take a punt and simply buy the knife this forum tells me to!!!

I think I want a flash or a twitch. Plain blade. (I have a serrated blade in a multi-tool). Because of size issues I'm reckoning on getting the smaller version of whatever knife I buy. Also I am left-handed.

So, gentlemen... your advise would be very welcome on this matter, feel free to jump in! :D :D

Oh yeah, I've only picked the flash and twitch because I like the look of 'em, functionality is my main priority.

Thanks

Rob.
 
Gentleman Bob, welcome to BladeForums.

One way street is ok, we like to give advice or opinions :D . I would recommend the Flash series without much thought if it is to be used outdoors and you want function.

The zytel handle is a very tough material, and the assised opening is addictive. The Flash series is a wonderful well made knife and comes razor sharp, just a little "break-in/get used to it" is all thats needed.

I have several Flash IIs and love them all. My son has carried one for over a year now and loves his. Hope this helps.

Small Flash I - plain blade... http://www.1sks.com/store/sog-flash-1.html Click on knife to enlarge. (sorry I posted wrong link at first corrected now)




Robbie Roberson ;)
 
Excellent. Thankyou. :)

Again, purely from what I read, you release a safety, push with your thumb to start opening the knife and the SAT then takes over, am I about right? Does the blade then rotate out at a steady rate or (as I'm hoping ;) ) whip out at a healthy pace? Also, is the Flash OK for lefties?
 
The Flash I is a smaller knife, for me it's a little small to hold, but I can hold it and easily make it open.

The Lock should be engaged while in your pocket, with practice it can be disengaged and opened with one hand, though it does take a little practice and patience. Yes it can be opened with the left hand just as easy as the right.

I have shown these knives many times in the past to potential buyers and the only mistake I have ever seen them make it to leave the fingers in the path of blade pivot while opening, thus slowing it down and not letting the blade build up enough speed to lock.

You will know if you do it right because it simply will not open fast enough to lock in. with a few minutes practice. you can learn to "choke up" (if you have large hands) on the handles enough to allow for blade to open properly.

Another thing is to use the thumb stud to slightly push, while NOT dragging the blades speed down with your thumb by allowing your thumb to stay in contact with studs too long......... I have seen people actually keep their thumb on the stud as the blade tries to open, and while doing so it slowed the blade down so much that it would not open properly.......sounds kind of complicated, but you will see it is an easy thing to do.

Just a slight push, fingers out of the way, and it's open, it's that simple. but the knife will sure tell you when you are not doing it right. It pops out fast, if you do it right. :D

Robbie Roberson ;)

P.S. Check measurements on the Flash I and you will see how big it is closed, then check Flash II.
 
Bob;

The SOG BLINK would be a good bet for you. Its small, but, IMHO, a great gentleman's knife. If you can't find a knive you like in the SOG line-up, you'll probably not find anything you'll like.

BTW, if you are thinking of buying online from a US retailer, check their shipping policies first. 1SKS won't ship outside of the US anymore. Don't ask me why. They just don't like doing the extra paperwork, i guess.

-- Blue Orca.
 
Actually, that was going to be one of my next questions, I've found a UK shop - a mail order place, which shows the complete range but I would rather spend my little bit of money with somebody recommended to me, know what I mean?

I'm guessing overseas shipping to someone other than a dealer may be tricky, but if you blokes have a dealer over there you like to use, then I would pass my dollar that way.

I'm off to check out the blink now :)
 
Gentleman Bob,

You might want to check out New graham knives. While I have never personaly purchased anything from them, I have heard many many good comments from other people on Bladeforums. Not to mention the fact that they give a free pack of band-aids with every purchase (or so I've heard).:D
 
Cool. Cheers :)

OK, I've looked at the blink....... Now it looks like I may be buying two knives ;)

Another question. The blade size difference between the Flash I & II is one inch, yet the overall size differs by 2 1/4 inches. What gives there, just a bigger handle?
 
:D :D :D

Yeah, got that..........! But, why not just one inch bigger?

What exactly is the TiNi coating on the blade, and aside from the look, is it worth having?
 
Well it definitivly is good looking and if I had to guess it probably helps inhibit rust from forming (yes even Stainless Steel can rust). Other than that I am not quite sure.

Is it worth having? It all really depends on what you want and can afford.
 
OK. Having looked at New Graham Knives, I see that either the product range has grown (and my UK site hasn't been updated) or some of the range is not available from the aforementioned UK dealer.

Decisions, decisions......... :confused:
 
Gentleman Bob said:
OK. Having looked at New Graham Knives, I see that either the product range has grown (and my UK site hasn't been updated) or some of the range is not available from the aforementioned UK dealer.
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Probably both. ;)
 
Gentleman Bob

Reason for 2-1/4" overall length difference in the Flash I and Flash II is that the blade is 1" longer and also the handle is slightly larger. So you add the 1" from the blade and 1-1/4" from the handle and you have 2-1/4" additional overall length.

The TiNi coating on the Flash adds some corrosion resistance and dulls the blade for low-reflectivity. You know for all those times you have to open boxes and you don't want to be spotted, by the box police!

Well I hope this helps you out and you enjoy your future knife purchase. You can't go wrong with either the Blink or Flash.

Chris
 
OK gentlemen, looks like its a flash II for me.

Plus a cheeky blink for the pocket.

Plus a micron for the keyring............

You are all very bad people. ;) Why can't I buy just one?


Now, does anyone here know anything about import duty, tax etc? I'm trying to work out the economics. Do I buy in UK at inflated prices, or from U.S. at decent prices but take the tax hit when my package arrives in Blighty?

Anybody know a way around this?

Once again, I thankyou :D
 
OK gentlemen, looks like its a flash II for me.

Plus a cheeky blink for the pocket.

Plus a micron for the keyring............

You are all very bad people. ;) Why can't I buy just one?
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If you only buy one now, than you will have to buy more later (it's the way it always works) . So try to buy as many as you can now so you can save on shipping.:D

Now, does anyone here know anything about import duty, tax etc? I'm trying to work out the economics. Do I buy in UK at inflated prices, or from U.S. at decent prices but take the tax hit when my package arrives in Blighty?

Anybody know a way around this?
Click to expand...
Sorry, can't help you there, I don't know much about european import tax. But I would imagine there is no way around it. Unless of course your buying from a more local dealer;)
 
Gentleman Bob,

Regarding your question about the economics of getting your knives into the country I can offer a few observations and suggestions.

I purchased a KA-BAR knife for my brother online from a very reputable American seller for what seemed like a really good price. Far cheaper than any dealers I could find in Europe. The dealer, being very reputable and honest sent the knife using official channels and giving full disclosure. As a result the KA-BAR was stopped at customs and I received a phone call requesting payment of import duties, tax, etc. In total I believe I paid around £35 - £40 in duties etc for this one knife. This was in fact more than I had paid for the knife!

More recently I bought a nice shiny SOG SEAL 2000 knife for myself :) :) :)
I purchased this from a seller on eBay who had lots of very positive feedback and was claiming to cover the costs of any import duties etc if necessary. My knife arrived very quickly from the US and the seller had used the somewhat sneaky method of claiming the knife was a gift and quoting the value as $16.00! :eek:

As far as I am aware this practice is not illegal, just a little immoral. So I would say it is up to you. If you are happy paying around £30 - £40 minimum for import duties that is fine. If you want to pay inflated prices from a European retailer that is also fine and I have certainly done so in the past. However if you want to get your knives at the best possible price (so that you can afford to buy even more SOGs ;) ) I would recommend taking a look at what some of the sellers on eBay and the like can offer you. With a little searching I am sure you can find the knife you like at a price you really like.
 
Thanks for that, bud. I will have a good search through evilbay ;)

I have had a bit of a rethink, however, and am now probably only gonna buy a Flash II. Need to tighten the 'ole purse strings... :grumpy:
 
Gentleman Bob said:
I have had a bit of a rethink, however, and am now probably only gonna buy a Flash II. Need to tighten the 'ole purse strings... :grumpy:
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that.:( But I'm sure you will love the Flash II so much that you will have to get more SOGs in the future.:D It's the way it always works.;)
 
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