Steel weight

SOLEIL said:
iv'e never understood peoples obsession with small variations of knife weight. to me it has never mattered. what's the deal? am i missing something? it's never a detriment to my knife use.
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For me it’s not so much the weight as the fact I have 2 knives in the same grind, length,width made by same manufacturer yet the steel used could have such a noticeable overall effect on the feel and balance of the blade.
Just tapping the blades on something sound is totally different.
I’ve let 2 other non-knife people handle them and they both preferred the feel of the M4 blade over the M390 weight and balance.

Discovered something totally unexpected by getting a knife I already had and liked in a different steel. I thought weight was the same.
I keep the M390 handy but the M4 is one I carry.
 
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OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
Is the M4 version skeletonized under the scales? A 20% weight difference would require a lot of extra steel.
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I don’t know.
I’d have to remove scales, or call Bradford.
They locktite scale screws so would have get a strong #4 spanner. Can’t find any local to fit it.
 
i still don't get it. why ask non-knife people? these people probably gravitate towards a heavier knife following the belief that a heavier tool is a more stout tool. this is a misnomer as anyone who has used a variety of tools for many years will attest to.
 
SOLEIL said:
i still don't get it. why ask non-knife people? these people probably gravitate towards a heavier knife following the belief that a heavier tool is a more stout tool. this is a misnomer as anyone who has used a variety of tools for many years will attest to.
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Edit: my definition of non-knife person is someone who uses knives but is about function rather than brand or steel.
I’ve been woodworker and mechanic most of my like and I prefer the feel of the M4 too.
Most people choose a 16oz hammer for framing rather than a 20 or 22oz. 🙂
Want some one to tell ya honest get someone who just use them as tools way I look at it, and not into brands and steels (aka non-knife person).
 
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you have great knives and yes people do have their preferences, totally agree with that. more power to ya'll, but i've never understood how the weight of a knife really mattered in most cases. if it feels better to the user that's great. i guess i'm old school. most of my life has been to use what you have and adapt. that has obviously projected into my latter years. reminds me of an old adage, "i've done so much for so long with so little that i feel i can do anything with nothing". it's all good, by what you like and like what you buy.
 
SOLEIL said:
you have great knives and yes people do have their preferences, totally agree with that. more power to ya'll, but i've never understood how the weight of a knife really mattered in most cases. if it feels better to the user that's great. i guess i'm old school. most of my life has been to use what you have and adapt. that has obviously projected into my latter years. reminds me of an old adage, "i've done so much for so long with so little that i feel i can do anything with nothing". it's all good, by what you like and like what you buy.
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I never paid any attention to it until those 2.
Weight never entered my thoughts. They are listed as the same weight on retail sites.
I only bought a second because I liked the M390 I had and wanted a backup in tougher steel in case something happened to my one.
After getting it I got intrigued.
 
DaveHb said:
I don’t know.
I’d have to remove scales, or call Bradford.
They locktite scale screws so would have get a strong #4 spanner. Can’t find any local to fit it.
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Having seen what the cutout in the "standard" Guardian 3.5 looks like, I could see a variation in how much steel is removed being the difference. Spyderco has made some folders with skeletonized and non-skeletonized liners, and it affects the weight more than you'd think. For example, a skeletonized Manix 2 weighs 4.3oz, and the S30V base model with solid liners weighs 4.9oz.
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
Having seen what the cutout in the "standard" Guardian 3.5 looks like, I could see a variation in how much steel is removed being the difference. Spyderco has made some folders with skeletonized and non-skeletonized liners, and it affects the weight more than you'd think. For example, a skeletonized Manix 2 weighs 4.3oz, and the S30V base model with solid liners weighs 4.9oz.
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The Manix2 in any lightweight or skeletonized variant is awesome, the base model just feels like some steps were missed at the factory, it's that confusingly heavy for a G10 knife with a fairly light lock mechanism.
 
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