Perfect blade?

[JayDeep]

Is there such a thing? Such a thing for you? It's arguable clearly.

Right now I say yes, but in multiples. I've collected on and off for 20 years. Mostly off because watches come first, guns second, then knives a distant third. That said, after finding two knives, recently, I honestly don't care about anything else. I'm still buying other things, because I've got the disposable income and I'm curious by nature. However i want every iteration possible with these two...

WE Kitefin & Benchmade Mini Bugout!

Both thin blades, both relatively small and concealable while still filling out the hand. Neither suited for particularly hard use, but for a white collar guy they're both more than up to any task I'll ever need.

So do you have such a knife or knives? Do you believe in the possibility of?

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Perfect ? No never. And my “perfect” will be different to the next person in line’s. Task and Purpose will generally drive such an assessment as well as individual rates and certainly experience(s). Could I settle on one knife and have no other, yes I could, by close of business today. But do I wish or need to, well to use a time honoured Australian response….yeah nah mate.

 

[beeinak]

I am not being a smart ass, but talking about perfect- you might want to check your title!

 

[brownshoe]

For knife knuts there's no single knife. We all have some we like more than others, but not just one, more like 10 - 20

 

[dogstar]

A basic Mora and a Swiss Army knife are my perfect blades. I have others, but I keep going back to these.

 

[762cal]

I do always ponder for the answer these past 10+years. I knew there's no such thing as ONE perfect knife for me. So I change the question: "what knife is the one I carry/use the most?"

easier to answer. Large Sebenza 21. 3 years ago, it was the Spyderco Endura.

 

[BSheppard]

Most carried for me is a large Sabenza of some type.

Probably the knife art version because it is lightweight and still a good size blade.

 

[JayDeep]

A basic Mora and a Swiss Army knife are my perfect blades. I have others, but I keep going back to these.

I can definitely understand the Mora without question. I'll never understand the appeal of or appreciate SAKs. Probably my most hated knives/brand in fact.

 

[beeinak]

Perfect edc folder- PM2 (I just love that model and it is really easy to clean out when dirty or covered in snow)
Perfect edc fixed blade- David Mary drop point (light, slicey, great ergos),Bark River Cub- I just got one in 3v and been carrying it horizontally at 1000 position. I love the handle shape/size, and it is a great overall size), and Dozier Prof Guides Knife (just a great do all knife), or Dozier slim outdoorsman (super handy)
Perfect hiking knife- Dozier Prof Guides knife and CPK SDFK (pretty perfect knife)
Winter trail knife- Fallkniven A2 (very grippy and comfortable in cold/snow)
Summer trail knife for maintenance- Mike Deibert chopper, Bark River Crusader, and just got a SKYCO DT-12 that will see lots of clearing duty. My CPK SDFK can do this duty even though smaller.
Perfect hunting/skinning- Steingass drop point hunter (great shape, ergos and steel).
Perfect hard use folder for a ‘chore’s knife’ to use for things around the property and while building- Spyderco Tenacious have been fantastic and tough and durable and I don’t wince to cut things or in spots not ideal. Also Brutalia Tsarap I love for the Wharncliffe blade when building with wood- they are stout, strong, and a wide enough blade to allow pinching up on the blade for fine work.
Perfect hard use/chores fixed blade- David Sloan utility knive- just does everything well and is stout.
Perfect bushcraft- CPK Kephart
Perfect ‘can only take one knife’ for a week to month long Alaska solo trip- CPK SDFK. Pretty close to a perfect knife for any/everything

Perfect knife for given need- yep, I have them (and others to back them up).

 

[Slice O Life]

I can definitely understand the Mora without question. I'll never understand the appeal of or appreciate SAKs. Probably my most hated knives/brand in fact.

Why the hate for sak?

 

[ibute21]

Yes, it’s called the Sebenza

 

[Shorttime]

I enjoy threads like this because they make me think. The problem is, I sound jaded, because I've thought too much about optimizing my carry options.

Near as I can figure, I could get away with five knives, if I had to. This allows me enough room to have a spectrum of tools ranging from something reasonable for everyday tasks to a sharpened prybar for doing dumb gorilla stuff. The everyday carry would have something like a 20 degree bevel per side (40 degrees inclusive), but the "dumb gorilla" knife would be closer to 35 degrees per side. I would also want what's called a "Hamaguri" or "apple seed" bevel, which is a whole other argument about blade shapes and bevel angles.

As for steel choice and heat treat? I don't think this is the right place to start either one of those fights. The fact that I'm using Japanese words to describe the kind of bevel I want should tell you that there are several other cans of worms sitting on that same shelf. Along with a couple of dangerously over-extended metaphors.

 

[ferider]

By definition the perfect blade has to be a fixed blade, as folders are always a compromise and mainly carried out of embarrassment - nobody likes an unknown Karen to complain about the knife we carry

Now, if you carry/use fixed, you’ll see that some knives are perfect for some applications, but not for others.

For example, here’s a perfect batoning knife, but it’s arguably too heavy to belt carry:



Here, we have a perfect meat cutter among other uses, but it’s a lousy batoner:



And here we have a good champagne saber, not a good batoner or kitchen knife though:



If you follow my logic, I’ve just proven to you that there is no single general purpose perfect blade.

 

[mmyron1]

Perfect blade? I'll let you know when I find it. The RIGHT blade for me at this time is the Shaman but it isn't perfect.

 

[Hammer67]

By definition the perfect blade has to be a fixed blade, as folders are always a compromise and mainly carried out of embarrassment - nobody likes an unknown Karen to complain about the knife we carry

I was about to type the same thing. A "perfect" blade can't start out broken and needing to be put together to work.
And it sure as hell isn't made by communists....

This is about as darn close to a perfect all-arounder as I've come across, after owning many that aspired to be this good:

 

[jude_061]

For me: the Buck 110 and a SAK. Anything I do in the woods, the mountains, or on the sea that requires cutting can be accomplished with either or both of these knives.

 

[pholder]

Para2,3, Gayle Bradley 2, Benchmade 705, Buck 301 90’s flat ground

 

[Monofletch]

This Maxace Killer Whale does it for me. I’m not sure why, but I got to have one!

 

[jstn]

The Carothers DEK1. For a folder, I’m really digging the James Brand Kilne right now.

 

[MolokaiRider]