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The Perfect Knife
In Time Past Every Man Had a Knife
Time was when nearly all men carried knives, if only a small pocket knife while in town. Whenever one went into the wilds his hunting knife, as they were then called, was always close at hand.
Many people have forgotten the necessity of always carrying a knife. Indeed it has become commonplace to meet people who are afraid of knives and question those who carry them. It is a sad fact that the majority of modern day people have no idea about the many uses of a good knife.
Often while I'm out and about I'm asked to loan my knife for multiple tasks. I usually reply, "It's time you buy your own knife." I usually get a reply like, "I'm not sure what knife I need" or "What's the best knife to buy?" The following are my thoughts on those questions...
1st thing 1st, How to Choose the Right Knife for You!
It is very important to research the type of knife and style of knife when you are going to purchase a knife for yourself or for someone else as a gift. Some important issues to think about when choosing that new knife are the size, weight, function/functions and purpose. If the purpose for your knife is to be the most useful tool you own and you plan on putting it in a sheath on your belt then size and weight may not be as important. But if you want to carry it in your pocket then size and weight become very important. The function of your knife also may determine what knife to get. If you just want your knife to cut open boxes or strip wires etc, then a knife with a small blade or two would work fine. But some may want their knife to be a portable tool box, this would of course be a larger and heavier knife. So before you purchase your knife, shop around and find out what's out there. Think about what you would want to do with your new knife. Then purchase one that fits what you want it to do for you, or someone you are buying it for. Here are a few things to think about:
Knife Blade Materials
There are two main types of steel used in making high quality knives:
•Stainless Steel knife blades are rust resistant and work especially well in wet environments. They require less care than the carbon steel knives. Drawbacks to using stainless steel in knives is that they tend to be more expensive, are more difficult to sharpen, and may not hold an edge as well.
•Carbon Steel knife blades will rust if not used regularly or coated. Many feel carbon bladed knives hold an edge better than their stainless steel counterparts.
Types of Knives:
You basically have two types of knives, Folders and Fixed blade. I want to talk about the folders first.
I have experienced three types of folders over the years...
1. Basic - Non-Locking basic folder like Case, Old Timer to name a few. This was the original pocket knife that your Grandfather carried on him. Easy to carry in your pocket.
2. Lock back Folders - These knives are usually, but not always larger than a basic folder and are more suited for tougher jobs. These knives typically come in the single blade arrangement.
3. Tactical Knives - Most have aggressive design and either a small thumb stud in the main blade, or spring mechanism to allow them to open very quickly. Spyderco was one to the first to introduce these knives to the market in the 80's.
A Fixed Blade Knife is just that... A knife with a blade that is fixed to the stock and does not fold. these type of knives typically come with a sheath and is used by hunters... Buck is the most popular brand, but all makers produce fixed blade knives.
I prefer the Basic type pocket knife for my everyday carry around... It's small and comes in handy when needed. Get a good brand with a good steel blade and it will last for years.
Case, Boker, Buck, Gerber, Ka-Bar, Kershaw... (( rules violation ))
All in all, the choice of a pocket knife is a personal matter and depends of many subjective things. However, I hope that these tips can help you to find the right pocket knife for you.
In Time Past Every Man Had a Knife
Time was when nearly all men carried knives, if only a small pocket knife while in town. Whenever one went into the wilds his hunting knife, as they were then called, was always close at hand.
Many people have forgotten the necessity of always carrying a knife. Indeed it has become commonplace to meet people who are afraid of knives and question those who carry them. It is a sad fact that the majority of modern day people have no idea about the many uses of a good knife.
Often while I'm out and about I'm asked to loan my knife for multiple tasks. I usually reply, "It's time you buy your own knife." I usually get a reply like, "I'm not sure what knife I need" or "What's the best knife to buy?" The following are my thoughts on those questions...
1st thing 1st, How to Choose the Right Knife for You!
It is very important to research the type of knife and style of knife when you are going to purchase a knife for yourself or for someone else as a gift. Some important issues to think about when choosing that new knife are the size, weight, function/functions and purpose. If the purpose for your knife is to be the most useful tool you own and you plan on putting it in a sheath on your belt then size and weight may not be as important. But if you want to carry it in your pocket then size and weight become very important. The function of your knife also may determine what knife to get. If you just want your knife to cut open boxes or strip wires etc, then a knife with a small blade or two would work fine. But some may want their knife to be a portable tool box, this would of course be a larger and heavier knife. So before you purchase your knife, shop around and find out what's out there. Think about what you would want to do with your new knife. Then purchase one that fits what you want it to do for you, or someone you are buying it for. Here are a few things to think about:
Knife Blade Materials
There are two main types of steel used in making high quality knives:
•Stainless Steel knife blades are rust resistant and work especially well in wet environments. They require less care than the carbon steel knives. Drawbacks to using stainless steel in knives is that they tend to be more expensive, are more difficult to sharpen, and may not hold an edge as well.
•Carbon Steel knife blades will rust if not used regularly or coated. Many feel carbon bladed knives hold an edge better than their stainless steel counterparts.
Types of Knives:
You basically have two types of knives, Folders and Fixed blade. I want to talk about the folders first.
I have experienced three types of folders over the years...
1. Basic - Non-Locking basic folder like Case, Old Timer to name a few. This was the original pocket knife that your Grandfather carried on him. Easy to carry in your pocket.
2. Lock back Folders - These knives are usually, but not always larger than a basic folder and are more suited for tougher jobs. These knives typically come in the single blade arrangement.
3. Tactical Knives - Most have aggressive design and either a small thumb stud in the main blade, or spring mechanism to allow them to open very quickly. Spyderco was one to the first to introduce these knives to the market in the 80's.
A Fixed Blade Knife is just that... A knife with a blade that is fixed to the stock and does not fold. these type of knives typically come with a sheath and is used by hunters... Buck is the most popular brand, but all makers produce fixed blade knives.
I prefer the Basic type pocket knife for my everyday carry around... It's small and comes in handy when needed. Get a good brand with a good steel blade and it will last for years.
Case, Boker, Buck, Gerber, Ka-Bar, Kershaw... (( rules violation ))
All in all, the choice of a pocket knife is a personal matter and depends of many subjective things. However, I hope that these tips can help you to find the right pocket knife for you.
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