(Newbie here) Bought my first "real" knife. Questions follow.

D

DLoken

Joined
Sep 11, 2002
Messages
15
Last night I was leaving work (I'm 19, and I work at Wal-Mart =p), and was going by the sporting goods counter looking at the knives, and I decided what the hell and bought a Gerber AR 3.00.

I've spoken to a few people about knives and i've been told it's not the best of knives. At any rate, it seems fairly nice to me, and worlds better than the various 7 dollar chinese folders i've played with in the past. Cost $36, which is to me quite a bit to spend on a knife (Although i've been drooling over the Emerson CQC-7A).


Now for the questions.

As i've never really owned a decent knife, how do I maintain it. Sharpening, cleaning.. etc?

Thanks (And sorry for bugging you guys =p),

DLoken
 
Sharpening? What is this thing of which you speak? Once you become a certified knife knut, sharpening becomes irrelevant because when your knife goes dull, it's already time to buy a new one :)

Seriously though, welcome to the forums! I'm afraid that I can't give you a simple answer though because there are a million theories on the best way to sharpen (e.g. the type of cutting you plan to do might affect the angle etc.)...also, I don't want to recommend a sharpening "system" (e.g. Spyderco's Sharpmaker) since most cost double the price of your knife!...there was a video "pass around" on the Razor's Edge sharpening system...perhaps you could sign yourself up??

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=217255

Regards,
RL
 
Joe Talmadge authored a nice article on knife sharpening on the KnifeArt website. They have great knives there and also helpful articles on stuff about knives.
 
That was also my first knife. Spend a bit of time and read the forums, you'll find plenty of useful information in there.

I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker 204 (~$50) to sharpen, Tuf-Cloth (~$7) to clean, and Tuf-Glide ($16 for a huge bottle) to lubricate the pivot and other moving parts.

There's quite a lot of theory involved in sharpening. You should read the knife sharpening FAQ first, and then try to put what you learnt into practice. Don't worry, nobody gets it right the first time. :) Learning this stuff is really fun and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

You should also read the other FAQ's at BFC. They might not make much sense right now, but they're really a kind of summary of all the knowledge here at the forums.

Oh, stick around longer, and before you know it, you'll be tossing around terms like 710HSSR, 806D2 and CPM440V. :) Ah the joys of being a knife nut.
 
If it's not too late to return it, you might find the Kershaw Vapor a better buy, at $20. The AR 3.00 is a good place to start with quality knives, some folks here are fond of them.
 
I'm sure this is a pretty stupid question.

But is flicking the knife open in any way bad for the knife?


I've been flicking it open for the hell of it (Entertaining while sitting at my desk), and on the back portion of the blade, the black coating is showing signs of wear where it impacts with part of the handle (Dunno what this is called, but it's what stops the blade from going up when open)
 
Originally posted by DLoken
But is flicking the knife open in any way bad for the knife?
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If it is, then we're all in trouble here... :p If it's a quality knife, then it won't matter.

ps...welcome to the forums...
 
flipping it open will tend to wear it out faster. The stresses put on the knife are much greater than just opening it normally. Like the poster above mentioned if its a high quality knife it shouldn't really matter but I'm not so sure about the Gerber AR.

I cringe to think that you paid ~40 dollars for that gerber. You could of had an Spyderco Delica/Endura or a CRKT M-16 for close to that price and probably would of gotten more knife for the buck. Live and learn though eh?
 
Well, since I wanted to buy a knife then and there, I had to pick from what Wal-Mart had.

It'll probably get pretty beat up from normal use though, since I plan on using it at work.


I have my eyes on an Emerson CQC-7A or Commander though. Christmas for myself, maybe. =p

I might not need a $100+ knife, but why the hell not. ;)
 
It'll probably get pretty beat up from normal use though, since I plan on using it at work.
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The more knives you have, the less each individual knife gets beat up :D.
 
Welcome to the forums!
Originally posted by DLoken
I might not need a $100+ knife, but why the hell not. ;)
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You're going to fit right in:D

Second the Sharpmaker for sharpening. It's not cheap, but it's easy to use, and works great.
One of my friends bought that same model Gerber for a work knife. The liner lock is flimsy, wore down quickly, and lost its "spring" so that it no longer moves over to engage the tang on its own. I don't know if that is typical for this knife, but keep an eye on the lockup, lest it give you an unpleasant surprise. Overall, it's been a decent knife, according to him, but a reliable lock is important. It's whats protecting your fingers. I'm sort of attached to mine, and would kind of like to keep them attached to me...
 
Originally posted by ZENGHOST
If it is, then we're all in trouble here... :p If it's a quality knife, then it won't matter.
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Just to say right off, I have always flicked my knife open, and my new Mini Commander was practically made to be flicked open. However, as quoted from Chris Reeve's FAQ regarding his Sebenzas and other folders,

What causes the action of the blade to become rough?

Dirt, sand, pocket lint, etc. can cause the action of the blade to become rough. To allow you to correct this, each Sebenza and Umfaan is supplied with an Allen wrench so that you can dismantle the knife, clean the hinge area and apply lubrication. Please note that flicking of the blade will also produce a rough action. Continuous wrist flicking will damage the lock and give it a gritty feel. Not to mention that the stop pin and back of the blade are not designed for that sort of continual shock. Flicking the blade out is very hard on any knife and is not recommended.
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From what I gather by reading these forums, his knives are held with high regard as being quality.

Just something to think about.

Mike
 
From what I've heard, the Gerber that you have is pretty nice...a good solid start. In the future, for the 35 dollars that you spent on the Gerber, you could add a few more, and buy a Spyderco model which IMO is quite a bit higher in quality than a Gerber (even though I really do like some of their models). If you want to learn some blade terminology, check out AG Russels website, I believe it's http://www.4knives.net/
Have fun with your new knife!
Matt
 
I am a young guy, too (at least compared to the geezers that run this place), but I started down the enlightened path over three years ago. A chance sale in Smoky Mountain Knife works landed me a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande, and the knives have added up since then.

Here is my advice: don't get ahead of yourself and throw 200 bucks into a knife. Your Gerber is fine for now. Learn how to sharpen it and how to use it, what you can and can't do with a blade, and what features you do and don't like about it. Make your mistakes with this knife.

Next, get yourself a solid working knife. I personally think Spydercos offer the most bang for the buck, and if you are patient and surf for specials, you can get a really nice one for no ore than fifty bucks. My last purchase was a Howard Viele C41 Plain Edge, a very nice knife taht usually goes for 120-140 bucks. I found it on special at www.knifeworks.com for 60 and never looked back. There are baragains to be had out there. Other good places to check are www.1sks.com and www.quickknife.com for good prices and good service.

Most importantly, get what will please you. If you like tip up as opposed to tip down carry, or lockbacks as opposed to liner locks, get them. Other people are useful inasmuch as tehy can give their opinions and experiences with certian pieces, but never let them make your purhcase decision for you. You work hard for your cash, you should spend it on what you want, not what everyone else thinks is great. That said, I will be buying Spydercos for a decade before I get a Sebenza. Just a utility issue, I guess.

Last: don't be afraid to use your knives. That is what they are made for, and if they can't cut it (hehehe) they aren't worth it anyway.
 
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