Sell me a knife.

RemyKaze

RemyKaze

Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
2,177
Hey guys, I'm usually one of those who disdains semi-customs and higher end knives like the CRKs and Hinderers. This includes most of the ZT lineup as well. The reason? I haven't seen anything that could outslice and outperform knives in the $100-$200 range. So, sell me a high end knife! Make me a believer.

The ones that catch my eye but haven't made me want to pull the trigger include Sebenza 21, 25, the ZT 0562CF, the William Henry E- series, and the 531 Gold Class Benchmade with M390.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I can't, don't have the right membership level. ;)
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Ha, I think I was thinking more along the lines of the "sell me this pen" scene in Wolf of Wall Street.

I'm still doubtful about a lot of the more expensive knives people rave about, but in the interest of fairness I have only handled the ones I tend to think of as not worth the price. Owning one would give me a better perspective and stance as to whether I'm a convert or still don't find them to be worth it. Like many people say, if my opinion doesn't change, I can always turn around and sell it on the Exchange.

I've been in love with the WH's for a while now but just never went in for the kill.
 
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I can only speak on behalf of CRK. I purchased mine because I had been burned a few times with the f and f from certain companies. When I pulled the trigger on the seb 21 I knew exactly what I was getting. I knew the chances of it having any flaws were practically zero. Then again I'm probably pickier then the average person, and things like blade play irritate me to no end. Especially when my $50 Kershaw was tighter than half my knives in the $200 range.
 
SadSappySucker said:
I can only speak on behalf of CRK. I purchased mine because I had been burned a few times with the f and f from certain companies. When I pulled the trigger on the seb 21 I knew exactly what I was getting. I knew the chances of it having any flaws were practically zero. Then again I'm probably pickier then the average person, and things like blade play irritate me to no end. Especially when my $50 Kershaw was tighter than half my knives in the $200 range.
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What really holds me back is that while I do see better tolerances, and fit n finish, I don't see an increase in cutting performance. I'm so used to really slicey knives like SAKs, Opinels, Delicas, etc that I can't stand it when a blade gets caught in materials like dense plastic or cardboard. Hard to tell how such knives perform when the focus is usually on those tolerances.
 
The William Henry will slice better than almost any 100-200 knife while still being impeccably built and weighing under 2 ounces for a 3.5 blade.
 
Scurvy092 said:
The William Henry will slice better than almost any 100-200 knife while still being impeccably built and weighing under 2 ounces for a 3.5 blade.
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That's the series I am ogling most. Which is 3.5"? I thought all the E series knives were kinda short.
 
The E10 series has a 3.5" blade.

I think what you are getting at is value, which can be defined as quality divided by cost. If you are looking at quality primarily as cutting ability, then there probably isn't a good justification for spending more. But quality can also include craftsmanship, design, ergonomics, production tolerances, customer service / warranty, and cool factor.

I own a WH E10 and am satisfied with the value the knife gives me. But does it cut 3 times as well as my $100 Griptilian? No.

Another knife which is more expensive but I find a good value is the the Sascha Thiel Officer.
 
I'd say the ZT 0562cf. Of course you get the CF. You get M390 steel. Almost disappears in pocket. It's light weight due to the CF and Ti construction. A price that's not higher than most car notes. If you really hate it you could always sell it back on the forums.
 
TechDoc said:
The E10 series has a 3.5" blade.

I think what you are getting at is value, which can be defined as quality divided by cost. If you are looking at quality primarily as cutting ability, then there probably isn't a good justification for spending more. But quality can also include craftsmanship, design, ergonomics, production tolerances, customer service / warranty, and cool factor.

I own a WH E10 and am satisfied with the value the knife gives me. But does it cut 3 times as well as my $100 Griptilian? No.

Another knife which is more expensive but I find a good value is the the Sascha Thiel Officer.
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You're right. 100ish is probably the max for highest value to strictly cutting performance.

The WH will not cut 3x better than a grip but it will cut markedly better. It will have a much better edge, much higher build quality, carry much easier and be a lot lighter. All that adds up.
 
TechDoc said:
The E10 series has a 3.5" blade.

I think what you are getting at is value, which can be defined as quality divided by cost. If you are looking at quality primarily as cutting ability, then there probably isn't a good justification for spending more. But quality can also include craftsmanship, design, ergonomics, production tolerances, customer service / warranty, and cool factor.

I own a WH E10 and am satisfied with the value the knife gives me. But does it cut 3 times as well as my $100 Griptilian? No.

Another knife which is more expensive but I find a good value is the the Sascha Thiel Officer.
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Scurvy092 said:
You're right. 100ish is probably the max for highest value to strictly cutting performance.

The WH will not cut 3x better than a grip but it will cut markedly better. It will have a much better edge, much higher build quality, carry much easier and be a lot lighter. All that adds up.
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I was thinking more like...High quality materials and craftsmanship without negating slicing ability. Like the WH and possibly the Sebenza. The WH knives appeal to me more because they seem thinner but also have that beautiful texture and the inserts. The Sebenza seems closer to the thickness of a Griptilian. Just from recollection, I may be totally wrong.

I see things like the 0562CF and I love the style and want to make the purchase, but when I see the thickness of the spine, I always reconsider. So, I guess I don't base it solely on slicing performance, I just expect it to cut extremely well AND have that awesome fit and finish. That's usually my argument for not buying one. Case in point, the Grayman Dua. Awesome knife, but I can't see it cutting the way I want to.
 
I recommend the ZT0770cf, especially the m390 version. ZT quality, warranty, etc, nice thin blade. As far as even higher end, I've heard the sebenza is a decent slicer with it's high hollow grind. Brian Tighe makes some nice thin blades if u wanna go custom.

For general purpose, I love my TSF Beast.
 
Most of my experience is in the under-$200 realm, and once I stopped buying knives that I thought were "nice" or "cool" and started buying them for specific purposes, my perspective changed quite a bit. For one thing, it actually brought the average knife price down because I wasn't necessarily looking for something with a superior steel or certain aesthetic; the grind or handle material or even belt clip took priority. Of course, sometimes it's tough to get past certain factors in order to get the best knife for the job. In my case, a flat grind makes the most sense for the bulk of what I need a knife for, and a number of Spyderco models would seem ideal for my purposes, but I absolutely don't like the look of most Spydies. Then again, I've had an EDC purchase backfire on me: I bought an aluminum ZT 0770 because I prefer flippers and like aluminum scales, but the flipper shape/size on that knife combined with the aluminum make it difficult for me to deploy. I love the look and feel of the 0770 but never carry it. I often read about how tough Emerson knives were, but because I hated the look of the wave as well as most of their blade shapes, I ended up buying a Mini A-100, arguably the least "Emerson-ish" looking knife in their lineup. Reflecting on that purchase now, the Mini A-100 seems downright bland and unremarkable to me, but I bought it for a purpose (small but tough EDC) and not looks.

When all is said and done, nobody here will steer you towards a crap knife, but if you want to see superior function out of a more expensive knife, have a specific purpose clearly in mind. You use the word "outslice" so I take that to mean that you indeed want a good slicer?
 
Inazone said:
Most of my experience is in the under-$200 realm, and once I stopped buying knives that I thought were "nice" or "cool" and started buying them for specific purposes, my perspective changed quite a bit. For one thing, it actually brought the average knife price down because I wasn't necessarily looking for something with a superior steel or certain aesthetic; the grind or handle material or even belt clip took priority. Of course, sometimes it's tough to get past certain factors in order to get the best knife for the job. In my case, a flat grind makes the most sense for the bulk of what I need a knife for, and a number of Spyderco models would seem ideal for my purposes, but I absolutely don't like the look of most Spydies. Then again, I've had an EDC purchase backfire on me: I bought an aluminum ZT 0770 because I prefer flippers and like aluminum scales, but the flipper shape/size on that knife combined with the aluminum make it difficult for me to deploy. I love the look and feel of the 0770 but never carry it. I often read about how tough Emerson knives were, but because I hated the look of the wave as well as most of their blade shapes, I ended up buying a Mini A-100, arguably the least "Emerson-ish" looking knife in their lineup. Reflecting on that purchase now, the Mini A-100 seems downright bland and unremarkable to me, but I bought it for a purpose (small but tough EDC) and not looks.

When all is said and done, nobody here will steer you towards a crap knife, but if you want to see superior function out of a more expensive knife, have a specific purpose clearly in mind. You use the word "outslice" so I take that to mean that you indeed want a good slicer?
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You are correct. I can't stand how a lot of folks on here talk about how well their pocket tanks slice. The thickest blade I use is a PM2, and it struggles through thick plastics and cardboard compared to a Delica, Avispa, Rat 2, Opinel, SAK, Svord etc. I've handled the Benchmade 530 and was impressed; the 531 and its gold class versions are even more impressive. The William Henry knives seem very thin and purpose designed while also aesthetically pleasing. I've tried to sell myself on a Sebenza, or a ZT, but I just don't see them as slicers. I see the Seb in the same range as a Grip or PM2. I'd like to see some out of the blue suggestions in the semi-custom range.

It's kinda odd in a way that the best slicers are the cheapest knives I own and have owned.
 
I think if what you are looking for is slicing ability you will be fine with your Rat 2. Why would you need more? When you say out perform, it is a little vague.
 
craytab said:
I think if what you are looking for is slicing ability you will be fine with your Rat 2. Why would you need more? When you say out perform, it is a little vague.
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Let's say I want to get into the hype. The fit and finish that is supposed to astound me. The super steels that would hugely benefit a thin blade. But, I'm looking for a 3mm or less thickness. 3mm is pushing it just a little. I want a perfect, unique grail knife like many people do. One that looks gorgeous but has great performance.
 
I've owned a benchmade 530. It's basically the poor man's William Henry. Is the only knife that can really compete with the William Henry when it comes to blade length to weight ratio. The difference being is the 530 feels super cheap.
 
It seems like the 0562cf is the easiest higher end production knife to justify. Awesome materials, great company with an awesome reputation and, of course, it looks cool.

The knife that got me up over the 100.00 range was a Techno. I wanted one and finally bit. It's a cool feeling to have something that is basically perfect, no defects, super smooth, just a hard-to-describe feeling of quality.

Regardless: good luck and I hope you find something.
 
Well first of all you must be kidding Lycosa :) and yes I have a Strider SnG, it ain't much of a slicer. Remy, you have stated the conundrum of knives in general, true 'great slicers' are usually simple designs with slim blade geometry found on simple knives such as kitchen style blades. You will search a lot (to no avail IMO) to find a better slicer than an Opinel. I have a lot of them 'round the kitchen, and they are my favorite for slicing various meats, veggies and fruits--and oh yeah--cheese. I love my higher end knives, but slicing isn't what I have them for--for me it's other design features that exhibit extreme quality, like say some of my flippers, various folders with perfect functionality etc. I am one of those who owns a couple of CRK knives, but to me they are what they are, simple framelock folders, that frankly are kind of boring. I really am a fan of flippers that function well, it to me shows a good design, that inherently must be well balanced and tightly made to function well.

I think you are on the right trail with WH, their knives are usually beautiful and stay with thin blade geometry making them somewhat good slicers--but still don't expect them to outdo an Opinel....perhaps you should look at the exotic wood Opinels, maybe even their slim versions, one with say an Ebony handle is a beautiful thing.

Good luck in your search.
 
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