Newbie question - Dummy's Guide to Knives

H

Hawk59

Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
3
I have acquired an interest in knives but have no knowledge of them from a general sense. As a live long golfer, I know why there are putters, wedges, irons, hybrids, fairway woods/metals, and drivers and driving irons. I can discuss why in one situation an iron is better than a hybrid, while from the same distance and general layout you may choose the hybrid over the iron. But I have no knowledge about why you would want one type of blade shape or length or design for one thing while you would want some other knife for some other purpose. So my question, is there a good guide, i.e. a Dummy's Guide to Knives, that would provide a good basic knowledge? I'm not looking for a brand specific discussion, but a general source of information (book, website, existing thread that I didn't find already on this forum).

Thank you in advance for your help.

Cheers,
Hawk59
 
Many "guides" to such a thing exist on the www. One I can throw down here quickly is:

http://www.knives-reviews.eu/conten...ent-info/knife-structure/130-fixed-blade.html

It will land you in the midst of the site, not on the home page, but you'll notice a side column with links both within that site and outside of it that might get you started for the bigger quest of information. This isn't the greatest site by any means but I happened to have just been there checking something and had it handy in my history. :) You'll get better recommendations as more people post this thread.​

Frankly, the best thing you can do is hang here and read/study as much as you can. Check out the many other sections of this forum for more specialized stuff. This site is better than any Dummies book or Dummies site for learning. The best knivers in the world post here and are usually eager to help. I learn things here every time I visit. You're going to get some helpful posts. Soak 'em up and enjoy....and don't be afraid to ask questions.
 
Thanks to all of you for the recommendations. I look forward to reading each one of them. Definitely plan on making great use of the search function and various forums here, as well.

Cheers!!
 
Last edited:
If you are driving you need one knife, if you are puttering around the house you need another knife...

Blade shape- depending on use you might want a keen point or you might want an edge with a lot of curve. To some extent this is personal preference, to some extent it is functional. There are a lot of different blade lengths, handle types, lock types, etc. Mostly though until you decide what you like it is just a knife. You can look at pictures and find something that you like to start with, but it takes experience with different knives to refine what you really like. That's just part of the fun.
 
Hi Hawk59,
When searching for a new knife you'll definitely want to find a knife shop with a wide variety of knives and go check out a few in person. The things that are important to me are blade shape, how the handle fits in my hand, and the weight of the knife. Personally, I like a heavier knife with a sharp point and a bit of a curve in the center (belly) of the knife. I also like knives that can be easily opened with one hand. If you think you'll use your knife a lot, you will definitely want one with a good steel. My personal favorite steels are D2, S30V,and ZT's ELMAX.
 
I'd recommend just hanging around here reading threads, and google any terms you aren't familiar with. Buy a knife that appeals to you, with a general use blade shape (usually drop point or Spyderco's leaf shape is a pretty good "do it all" blade shape) and from there you will start to learn what works and doesn't. Its yay more fun that way than reading a book. Welcome to the addiction :)
 
You will also learn a lot by using knives.
Buy a couple of well regarded knives, start using. You will learn how you relate to a knife.
 
First thing is set a budget for how much you are willing to spend on knives. Secondly take your original budget and add several zero left of the decimal point. Then take this revised budget and ripe it up. This is a great start.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top