Pohl Force - Mike One (Survival)

Hi!

@ Mete: Glad you support this as an expert :). From my empirical only experience and my type of EDC use, I think this is the reality. Not only valid for “super steels”, I find “toothy” edges work better for me also on the D2 or VG10 and other “conventional” steels, irrespectively from the blade shape and thickness. Maybe that's the secret of Miracle Blade :D:p.

One thing I hear often - and now it seems you’re confirming this - is about the "heat" generated by a grinder. Now, the ChefChoice 120 has a rather low spinning speed (when compared with average factory floors maintenance shops’ grinding wheels – I found no data available about rpm values) and I never feel such an “heat” which could be realistically able to damage a blade. Not even producing sparkles! I mean these super-steels need > thousand C° to melt. Not even placing a blade on open fire can do much damage besides blackening it a bit. Don’t know, my edges are fine, they don’t roll or chip so far.

About sharpening “systems” vs. free-hand. Well, I don’t know, really :). I am able to sharpen a knife, in a way it can cut, free-hand. I use – rarely, to be honest – a DC4 in the fields if some blade gets too dull. I have a KAI stone (400/1000) which I use mostly for my IKEA kitchen knives :). It’s OK for me free-hand, though I always get out a kind of convex-ish edge. I can say like this: I have an “engineering” approach to this :D, so, for me, standardization of operations, repeatability and reproducibility, minimizing the process variations, etc. it’s always something good. Any "poka-yoke" system, use of jigs/templates, etc. I see as beneficial :). Doesn’t matter if I had a good or bad day, if I am nervous or upset, happy or a bit over the top, the edge will look the same when done with a jig. Free-hand, not so much for me. Yeah, in case of need, everything goes, even a river stone but, when set at home, I have no problem in stting up whatever “system” might help me to be precise and consistent. But that’s just me, eh! :)

About tortellini, we have actually one classic recipe for what we call “tortellini di magro”, which involves the use of spinaches and ricotta cheese as filling/stuffing, instead of the meat. Very typical on Fridays or during the Lent. The dressing for these is plain butter and sage sauce. It’s a simple dish but very nice, if the ingredients are good and well put together :):thumbup:.
 
Nice review! I have and love a few different Lionsteel knives. I had never sought this one out until I read your review. It looks like a very nicely done folder. I like the roto-locks on my DPX folders. I really like how the high handle on this model lends itself to food prep in the field. This review is likely to cost me some money :)
 
mistwalker said:
Nice review! I have and love a few different Lionsteel knives. I had never sought this one out until I read your review. It looks like a very nicely done folder. I like the roto-locks on my DPX folders. I really like how the high handle on this model lends itself to food prep in the field. This review is likely to cost me some money :)
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Thanks Mistwalker :)! Yes, you are right, when it comes to ergonomics, this folder works fine when using a chopping board! BTW, I have “copied” your idea to carry a small one on the trails and it’s really improving all the food prep operations :)!

Agree, for me also, even if I managed to find a good offer on this one (270 EUR during sales in a brick and mortar store close to where I live), this is the most costly folder I currently own and the one which temporarily paused my knives/gear purchase :). It’s anyway a quality product, likely going to last me long.

Roto-block… mmmh… I’m still not enthusiast about these “gadgets” on knives but, as said, it’s an “extra” which, in this case, it’s not a disturbance and not getting in my way during use :p.
 
Herlock said:
Update about Niolox steel sharpening - 2016.09.18:

Hi there! So yesterday, having some time, I put myself to work to refresh the edge of the Mike One, which I wanted to carry this week, being her turn in my rotation :). Edge was not completely dull but, since I have used the knife rather extensively on wood, it was not shaving paper cleanly any longer.

I normally use a basic Lansky system. I found Niolox very hard to sharpen with the stones, basically the stones just tickle it :). Rubbing and rubbing for half an hour but very little done. I went then to the diamonds, medium and fine, but still I had hard times. It looked the edge was polishing but not sharpening :confused:. Then I run short of patience and put it through the ChefChoice 120 – sacrilege :D! But it worked! I finally put a good edge on it, I got some steel grinded finally! I refined the edge by hand, always with the Lansky, using the fine diamond and the Blue Sapphire stone. Now we were talking! Finished up with the leather hone with red compound first and plain leather hone after that. Yesss! It has now a good edge, still a bit on the “toothy” side, not super polished but I prefer these “aggressive” working edges, really good for my EDC use. I managed to thin out a bit the edge angle as well and now I really like this baby. Yeah, for purists and duty to report, I have put a couple of good scratches on the blade coating in the process, actually not because of the ChefChoice :D, rather I scratched it with the Lansky medium diamond hone which went “whoops”. Nothing dramatic, this baby is a user (as all her sisters :)). My personal conclusion is to sharpen properly the Niolox one needs some electrical belt grinder, probably a WorkSharp will do much better than the ChefChoice but, by hand systems only, it can be quite challenging. Niolox has been one of the toughest steel to sharpen for me.
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I know how you feel. I make knives in Niolox on a regular basis. And after having done the first one (without power tools) I swore I'd never use it again.

Now I love it though. It performs a lot better with thinner edges though. Sharpens up easier then too.
 
LX_Emergency said:
I know how you feel. I make knives in Niolox on a regular basis. And after having done the first one (without power tools) I swore I'd never use it again.

Now I love it though. It performs a lot better with thinner edges though. Sharpens up easier then too.
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Thank-you for your words :)! When even a pro experienced this, I feel not so rookie, not alone and not so clumsy :D!
 
You'll find that now that you've given it a proper edge it's pretty easy to maintain though.

Like I said I love the stuff. Carried a blade that was 0.006 behind the edge for about a year. Cut wood, thick plastic, cardboard, tape, foodstuffs all sorts of things with it. Never had any chipping, never got extremely dull. Was always easy to sharpen. No corrosion.

After that I love the stuff. I usually have it hardened up to around 61hRC though. Performs even better at that hardness.
 
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