Newbie questions

J

Jinxstarr

Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
20
Hello everyone,

I'll start with the standard newbie apology about asking the same old questions (have spent quite a bit of time on watch fora so I appreciate the patience of existing members who have to answer the same questions over and over :) ).

Having said that, I'd appreciate it some help. I've just recently started looking at obtaining an EDC and wanted to know what the members thought would be a good, rugged knive, one that would probably be the only one I carry, so I would like to get it right the first time if that is at all possible.

I am familiar with CRK and Spyderco, but would like something custom which would still be a good EDC, although from what I read CRK seems to be the Rolex of knives (have to methaphor to something I know :) ) - well-known, rugged, and most people's entry into the world of high-end knives. Have seen a few artists' work on the net - among them I like Koji Hara, Darrel Ralph, W.D. Pease, William Henry Knives, Steve Jernigan, Des Horn. What do you think of these guys, and is there someone else I should be looking at?

Also what features would you recommend on a EDC? Would Damascus be too much (have read that it can stain though usage)?

I won't even try to get into steel grades etc as that is a bit beyond me for the time being, but from what I understand most of the grades used would be sufficient for an EDC (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Thank you in advance for your help. It's tough to ask questions when one doesn't even know what they don't know. :)

Cristian
 
:eek: You wanna go custom for your first EDC? Damn.

Are you really willing to spend the $$$ to get a custom knife that you may end up not liking? I recommend you pick up some production models first. Get a feel for what you like in a knife. Then make a list of features and go find someone to make it for you. ;)
 
Jinxstarr said:
Also what features would you recommend on a EDC? Would Damascus be too much (have read that it can stain though usage)?
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Damascus is only too much if its out of your price range. Carbon steel damascus will rust if not cared for, but stainless damascus will not. There are only a few makers of stainless damascus, Devin Thomas and Mike Norris being the most well known. Chris Reeve uses Devin Thomas damascus, so you could get stainless damascus blade from him. It will perform just fine, and is beyond any junk in most production folders, it will have greater ease of sharpening than S30V, but not as good in edge retention. The toughness is just as good as S30V when it's AEB-L (Devin Thomas stainless ladder and raindrop patterns), but will be a little less when 440C (Devin Thomas stainless exotic patterns), but the soft layers going through the steel will add toughness. Both have excellent corrosion resistance, at least as good as S30V. This is only if you want to get a Chris Reeve Sebenza, though there is Devin Thomas and Mike Norris damascus used by many custom knife makers. The big decision with damascus is whether you think it looks good or not, if you think the plain blade looks better, buy it. Other than the extra money, there should be no worries for buying it, especially in stainless.
 
Thanks Larrin for the detailed info on Damascus - there definitely is a lot for me to learn.

And thanks to everyone else - just to explain a bit why I am considering a custom right off the bat, experience has taught me that if you're looking to obtain something you desire but because of the seemingly high-price you choose a cheaper but less desirable alternative, you still end up with that which you first wanted but in the meantime have spent a lot more money getting there.

My budget is up to $1,000 and am looking for a small, light folder EDC (up to 3" blade, around 4" closed) that is rugged and nice to look at (granted a personal thing) and that can fit in an office environment. A customized Sebenza (Unique Graphic, Damascus) seems to cost about as much as some of the true entry-level customs I've looked at, so I'm wondering which way would the money be better spent if one is looking to own only one knive (I know this may be wishful thinking as I also started my watch collection by looking for that one perfect watch, and now I have... well, more than one :) ).

And out of curiosity, if the Sebenza is not considered the Rolex of the knive world, which one would be?

Thanks,

Crisitian
 
If you do buy a true custom I would suggest a couple of things. Always check our the makers reputation very thouroughly before putting any money down. Insist on an inspection period once it's received.
 
Jinxstarr said:
And out of curiosity, if the Sebenza is not considered the Rolex of the knive world, which one would be?
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To answer that question I'd have to know how many Rolex's are made a year, but if Rolex is the best production watch, then you could compare them to Sebenza's. Right now I can't think of any higher quality production folder. I doubt there are any.

As to the right entry level custom folder, I think good ones are Scott Cook and Tom Mayo. They should be around the $1,000 range. Maybe less, maybe more. There are several other makers in that price range as well, but I know both Cook and Mayo use damascus fairly often.
 
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