The Knife Life (Minor Topics and Random Stuff Thread)

[eschwebach]

Hey thanks Erik! How's your weekend going?

Terrible actually, I've been laid up all weekend with a bad back. I have degenerative disk disease, so the discs in my back are slowly breaking down. Just a fact of life for me. Already have had two surgeries and I am sure there are more in my future.

The good part is I get to catch up on a few shows and keep a close eye on the "Exchange". :thumbup: I've been watching "The Killing" on Netflix. Very good show!

I hope your weekend has been good Harris.

 

[Zeta33]

Terrible actually, I've been laid up all weekend with a bad back. I have degenerative disk disease, so the discs in my back are slowly breaking down. Just a fact of life for me. Already have had two surgeries and I am sure there are more in my future.

The good part is I get to catch up on a few shows and keep a close eye on the "Exchange". :thumbup: I've been watching "The Killing" on Netflix. Very good show!

I hope your weekend has been good Harris.

Going well on my end, sorry to hear about the back though! I hope that the pain eases up on you soon, Erik.

Hopefully you'll find a nice score on the exchange, I try to look less often to avoid temptation.

 

[Zeta33]

Fresh recolor on a 801 I previously anodized. Hope dude likes it.

[video=youtube;UuXZDkMTOY4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuXZDkMTOY4&list=UUYoZfdAV5AHbbKZxk-tF_mw[/video]

 

[eschwebach]

Well it looks good to me Harris, nice work as usual. Got my Spyderco PPT in the mail today. I owned one a few years back and sold it. Glad to have it back, it's a solid knife and very ergonomic, although a bit on the heavy side.

 

[grownstar]

Time for me to pop in!

@Harris, your work keeps getting better and better! I just want you to anodize everything I own! I'm going to send you a pair of New Balance shoes to start on

@Erik, I'm also sorry to hear about your back. Netflix and BladeForums have kept me sane on more than a few occasions when I'm not feeling good. I have tendon damage in my neck due to an old football injury and that can really get me down at times. Keep your chin up, brother!

Back to knife life, I've been working the interlibrary loan department today. Dude called in so I'm covering for him today. My composite blade Leek is just laughing at all the packages and zip ties I have to open! D2 is a little harder for me to sharpen but I've got a really good edge on it and it shows :thumbup:

 

[Zeta33]

Well it looks good to me Harris, nice work as usual. Got my Spyderco PPT in the mail today. I owned one a few years back and sold it. Glad to have it back, it's a solid knife and very ergonomic, although a bit on the heavy side.

Thanks Erik and nice score! I hate selling a knife and wanting it back...Can't wait to see it posted up in the EDC thread

Time for me to pop in!

@Harris, your work keeps getting better and better! I just want you to anodize everything I own! I'm going to send you a pair of New Balance shoes to start on

@Erik, I'm also sorry to hear about your back. Netflix and BladeForums have kept me sane on more than a few occasions when I'm not feeling good. I have tendon damage in my neck due to an old football injury and that can really get me down at times. Keep your chin up, brother!

Back to knife life, I've been working the interlibrary loan department today. Dude called in so I'm covering for him today. My composite blade Leek is just laughing at all the packages and zip ties I have to open! D2 is a little harder for me to sharpen but I've got a really good edge on it and it shows :thumbup:

Haha I appreciate it John! You're always so supportive man. Yeeeeh lets shock those suckas up! Man come to think of it, I haven't done any ano work for myself since I did my EDC's timascus insert. Neeeeed mooooore Ti!

 

[eschwebach]

Time for me to pop in!

@Harris, your work keeps getting better and better! I just want you to anodize everything I own! I'm going to send you a pair of New Balance shoes to start on

@Erik, I'm also sorry to hear about your back. Netflix and BladeForums have kept me sane on more than a few occasions when I'm not feeling good. I have tendon damage in my neck due to an old football injury and that can really get me down at times. Keep your chin up, brother!

Back to knife life, I've been working the interlibrary loan department today. Dude called in so I'm covering for him today. My composite blade Leek is just laughing at all the packages and zip ties I have to open! D2 is a little harder for me to sharpen but I've got a really good edge on it and it shows :thumbup:

Thanks, I am back to work today and I would say the back is at about 60% so it's making progress.

Do you carry your Leek clipped or just throw it in your pocket (watch/coin pocket)? I took the pocket clip off my Mcusta (it was tip down anyway) and just throw it in my pocket. I don't carry anything else in my RFP so no worries about scratching, etc... I do this with small, thin, lightweight folders quite often.

 

[grownstar]

Haha I appreciate it John! You're always so supportive man. Yeeeeh lets shock those suckas up! Man come to think of it, I haven't done any ano work for myself since I did my EDC's timascus insert. Neeeeed mooooore Ti!

Haha you need to be a little more selfish! And that little insert looks awesome. Reminds me of coral reef or something. Sorry, I was watching Finding Nemo the other day with my daughter...must still be fresh in my head.

Thanks, I am back to work today and I would say the back is at about 60% so it's making progress.

Do you carry your Leek clipped or just throw it in your pocket (watch/coin pocket)? I took the pocket clip off my Mcusta (it was tip down anyway) and just throw it in my pocket. I don't carry anything else in my RFP so no worries about scratching, etc... I do this with small, thin, lightweight folders quite often.

Any progress is a good thing! :thumbup:

As for the Leek, I actually like to just throw it in my pocket right now. I had a small piece of cordage on it but I tied it really cheap so I took it off. Since then I put the clip back on but still drop it in my pocket. I agree that smaller folders do great at the bottom of pockets.

 

[B.F.U]

Does it irritate anyone else that it seems like for every knife out there you need a specific screw driver to preform simple maintenance...
Okay, my rant is over.

I agree. I don't have that many knives with screws (less than 5) but the idea of proprietary screws is dumb. I don't see the point, unless the manufacturer does it so that users can't take the knife apart.

I have an Emerson coming. I think he has great design ideas, and the simple screw system is one. I will be able to take this Horseman apart with the leatherman style I carry every day on my keychain.

Also, I looked at my backpack today and saw that my "TC", as in Charlow, button was missing from its pin. Bummer.

 

[eschwebach]

It irritate me as well, but it doesn't seem that wide spread. To me it seems like 90% use torx or hex, at least of the knives I own. Although I do have a couple Striders on the way which will lower that percentage. :thumbdn:

Bummer about the pin on your Charlow! :grumpy: I wonder if GEC would repin it for you? I assume they still warranty SFO's.

 

[SadSappySucker]

ALLHS, you're sig just reminded me. Last night I finaly learned how to sharpen using sand paper! I don't know what I was doing wrong, but last night something just clicked. So I spent all night bringing my esse 4, sebenza, and opinel 9 all to just about push cutting sharp, and I was using real thin catalog paper. I'm quite stoked to say the least. Actualy it was paper from my college pre alg. book. HAHA, and they said you would never need that crap in real life. Well I proved them wrong. College is already proving beneficial, and I haven't even graduated(or chosen a major for that matter).
And to think, I was just about to pull the trigger on a good set of water stones. Now that money can go towards new steel.

 

[Zeta33]

ALLHS, you're sig just reminded me. Last night I finaly learned how to sharpen using sand paper! I don't know what I was doing wrong, but last night something just clicked. So I spent all night bringing my esse 4, sebenza, and opinel 9 all to just about push cutting sharp, and I was using real thin catalog paper. I'm quite stoked to say the least. Actualy it was paper from my college pre alg. book. HAHA, and they said you would never need that crap in real life. Well I proved them wrong. College is already proving beneficial, and I haven't even graduated(or chosen a major for that matter).
And to think, I was just about to pull the trigger on a good set of water stones. Now that money can go towards new steel.

Get the stones. I'm in GA too. I'll be happy to help you learn how to sharpen on them, and hone way past "push cutting".

 

[B.F.U]

It irritate me as well, but it doesn't seem that wide spread. To me it seems like 90% use torx or hex, at least of the knives I own. Although I do have a couple Striders on the way which will lower that percentage. :thumbdn:

Bummer about the pin on your Charlow! :grumpy: I wonder if GEC would repin it for you? I assume they still warranty SFO's.

The Strider pivot is an enigma to me. Granted, I've only seen one once for like a minute in person.

Oh haha not on the knife, thank the knife gods for that. They include a button, like that you pin to a shirt or bag, with some knives. Some TCs had them and I had mine buttoned/pinned to my backpack. It must have ripped off or something.

By the way, as I've said before I bout my first traditional/GEC/TC because of your awesome pictures!

 

[SadSappySucker]

Get the stones. I'm in GA too. I'll be happy to help you learn how to sharpen on them, and hone way past "push cutting".

Oh I'll definitely be practicing. I was just saying how before that I would have trouble cutting thick paper. Hey it's progress not perfection!
Where about in GA? I live about half way between Atl. and Athens.

 

[Zeta33]

Oh I'll definitely be practicing. I was just saying how before that I would have trouble cutting thick paper. Hey it's progress not perfection!
Where about in GA? I live about half way between Atl. and Athens.

I'm in the Sandy Springs area by Perimeter Mall/Dunwoody. Push cutting is PLENTY sharp, I was just mentioning the extra hone in case you were interested! Good job btw!

 

[SadSappySucker]

In your opinion should I keep practicing on the sand paper for a while or just bight the bullet and get some stones? Christmas is coming, and honestly there is nothing that I want or need. So if push comes to shove I figured I would just get some stones.

 

[eschwebach]

The Strider pivot is an enigma to me. Granted, I've only seen one once for like a minute in person.

Oh haha not on the knife, thank the knife gods for that. They include a button, like that you pin to a shirt or bag, with some knives. Some TCs had them and I had mine buttoned/pinned to my backpack. It must have ripped off or something.

By the way, as I've said before I bout my first traditional/GEC/TC because of your awesome pictures!

Whew, glad the pin wasn't one on the knife! LOL

I am also glad I could help steer you in the traditional direction a bit. :thumbup: It's a whole 'nother world of knife goodness.

 

[Zeta33]

In your opinion should I keep practicing on the sand paper for a while or just bight the bullet and get some stones? Christmas is coming, and honestly there is nothing that I want or need. So if push comes to shove I figured I would just get some stones.

If your edge is doing well by you, stick with sandpaper. You can get a very sharp edge that way. Stones aren't much harder if you're steady, but not as forgiving as sandpaper is.

 

[AntDog]

^^^sage advice there. If your edges are to your liking, no need to change a thing. It would only add a fresh round of trial and error learning how to perfect your technique with stones.

If you are getting results that make you happy, stick with it until either it doesn't please you anymore, or forever.

I have sharpening down to a science. I use a few different methods depending on the results I want, but if I found 1 solitary method that fulfilled every need I have, I'd stick with it.

Just in case you're curious: I tend to either strop on sandpaper at a very specific angle (for a convex edge), or use benchstones, then use the Sharpmaker and strops and a smooth steel to keep sharp in between. I use the smooth steel more often than anything. Usually, after a quick alignment my edges are in order:

 

[AntDog]

I have an interesting observation. I visited a knife store at a mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When I saw it (from afar) I was excited!

I instantly veered my daughter's stroller on a course..... My wife looked up and knew exactly where I was headed......

Major letdown. The whole store looked like Bud K had thrown up everywhere. Wall to wall shite. Except for one iiiiity bitty little section. Ensconced in "the case of glory" were a few Kershaws, CRKTs, and Cold Steels.... Nothing of interest to me at all. I had already owned all the ones I was interested in, and the rest - meh. But this case was this guy's prized wares, so I took a look at a couple just to make him feel good. Chatted him up for a while and left.

SMH, where have all the real knife stores gone? I think they have mostly all gone the way of the dinosaur, except for a few.