so.... has anyone actually used a frost knife?

[bladeboss]

i was given a ton of them a while back. theyre obviously not much to sneeze at, but theyre still knives nonetheless. they must be able to handle SOMETHING.
i usually carry better knives (obviously), but i was wondering if any of you folks have given them a chance

 

[jackknife]

When I worked as a machinist, one of my co-workers who was NOT a knife knut by any stretch of the imagination, carried a Frosts two blade copperhead pattern. He didn't care about it, to hm it was like a .99 cent screw driver from the dollar store. He'd even sharpen it on the smooth cement steps up to the tool room crib. Every day, he'd cut the filthy greasy tape holding the round stock for the lathe section that he worked in, and other stuff. It worked just fine for him. Crude but effective is the term that comes to mind.

Some people use Snap On tools, others swear by Craftmen. They you have the guy who will use the .99 cent dollar store screw driver because he doesn't care.

Who's to say that for him, he's not right?

Carl.

 

[PropThePolecat]

I used to work as maintenance technician in a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. We were all issued Frost knives, which we used for all sorts of thing - scraping, cutting, prying and all the other things youre not supposed to do with a knife. They led a hard life and we went through one every couple of months.

I guess its ok as a working knife - use it and throw away - but as a knife enthusiast, id never buy one myself. Life is just too short for cheap knives.

 

[davek14]

I'm a machinist now and it's handy to have a hunk of metal handy in your back pocket that you aren't scared to abuse a bit.

That's what Rough Riders are for.

 

[mr_anderson]

Unfortunately yes. My dad collects knives as do I now, but when my parents first got married my mom bought my dad several Frost knives, I have played with them on many occasion. She didn't know and well, he really didn't know anything about knives either at the time. They just looked pretty.

 

[Javelin]

I've used a frost, both their regular line and their Metal Warrior line. The Metal Warriors are alright, they're a step below Rough Riders in my opinion but it worked ok, got sharp, held its edge well enough. Their regular stuff in 420j though, yick.

My biggest issue with the cheapest of brands like Frost, ect. is that they just cannot get sharp without a ton of work, yet lose their edge immediately. The super soft steel just burrs and burrs, only if I sharpen it in a certain way will it take any sort of sharp edge. I like sharp knives.

Rough Rider knives aren't that bad at all though, certainly worth their price. The steel/HT they use is almost on par with cheaper American knives and even some good companies like Case, but not as good as Buck's 420HC. The grinds and finish won't be as good as Case for the most part, and most RRs aren't nearly as good as a nice carbon steel blade. The one exception to this is their San Mai knives, but it seems that was only a short run.

 

[bladeboss]

well i carry a rough rider everyday. its well worth the money i spent on it. the blade isnt exactly straight, but thats a minor issue

 

[BRL]

My kid had one that her mom let her buy for $1... a tiny Frost half-serrated lockback. It was so crappy and that flimsy lock so terrifyingly untrustworthy that it 'disappeared' one day and was replaced by a Becker BK13.

 

[matt1987]

I worked at a warehouse with a guy that carried a frost liner lock. He told me he bought it off TV because the guy said it never needed sharpening and now that it's dull he was going to return it. Being the nice guy that I am I took my coffee cup and touched up the edge for him on our lunch break. It really needed a course stone but he seemed happy with the edge.

 

[sandmountainslim]

I have a Frost Family small Canoe with blue bone handles which is a very good knife for the price. Also the Japan made Frosts in the eighties were not bad at all.

 

[SaintlyBrees]

I had a Frost that was given to me some years ago by a friend who knew little about knives. I don't remember the model, but it was a medium sized two bladed knife. I was whittling wood off of a stick with it in the backyard and the blade snapped. The only blade that has ever broken on me (that I can recall, anyway). Just making little shavings, no extreme pressure, no chopping - just shaving some nice, soft, pine.

That may have been the exception to the rule, but I have never bought another and likely won't. YMMV.