things I have learned over the last 16 years

[jlfletcher83]

I was showing my father my new Spyderco Endura with the full flat grind. He reminded me that this week will make it 16 years since he bought me my first knife. It was a Spyderco Delica. I was eight and had just finished the third grade on the honor roll. I had been taking on a few more chores around the ranch and he felt like I deserved it. I carried it for a couple of years and the clip broke then I just dropped it in my back pocket for a couple of more years until I bought bigger knives and then lost the Delica in the Red River. I know that most of you guys have been carrying and using knives at least twice as long as my humble 16 years. I thought I would share a few things I have noticed and a few of my favorites. Keep in my that I am young enough that pocket clips and one hand openers are not new to me they are all I have ever used until the last two years when I bought a couple of case knives and a Vic Farmer. So this may reflect in my views.

1. The Sharpmaker is a godsend for the sharpening morons like myself.
2. I like tip down better generally.
3. I can never buy just one knife.
4. I can never carry just one knife.
5. My wife never approves of my purchases no matter how justified I feel they are.
6. Never loan a knife that you like.
7. Expensive knives are fun but the sweet spot in my opinion is between 100 and 150 dollars.
8. Blade Tech makes awesome knives
9. Spyderco makes awesome knives
10. RAT Cutlery makes awesome knives.

That's what I have figured out what do have the rest of you learned?

 

[THG]

Sweet. I've been into cutlery for a whoppin' 2 months now

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Knives are good, M'kay.

 

[Kaizen1]

Here are a few from my experiences over the last couple of years from these forums:

1) Opening and closing as fast as possible can be cool, but it's not all that important for most of my EDC purposes.

2) Sharpening is a whole new world of fun that you can get out of knives.

3) Free hand sharpening isn't mystical, it just takes time if you're willing to invest it.

4) Edge holding for as long as possible isn't as much of a priority as I once thought it was.

5) Quality slipjoints are very cool too.

6) Price doesn't necessarily equal value

7) There are so many quality features that a knife can have. Most newbies get fixated on a couple of features (for example, autos or tactical looks) and block themselves from finding out what they might actually like had they given the other knife options a chance.

 

[THG]

1) Opening and closing as fast as possible can be cool, but it's not all that important for most of my EDC purposes.

Hmm... I'm into fast opening/closing knives... Would you consider that an important factor for a defense knife?

2) Sharpening is a whole new world of fun that you can get out of knives.

I'm quite new to sharpening! It is kinda fun, although I suck at it lol

4) Edge holding for as long as possible isn't as much of a priority as I once thought it was.

Really? Wow, that's like one of the #1 things on my mind right now (I'm considering a new knife, a Benchmade 710 D2 to be exact)... lol

Since you say it's not as much of a priority to you as it used to be... Would you care much if you had AUS8 vs D2 now, for example?

 

[jlfletcher83]

I also thought I should throw in some things I want to see.
1. Benchmade 710 in CPM M4
2. Spyderco make the Military a titanium framelock.
3. A sprint run of the Spyderco C01 worker with CF/BG 42
4. RAT Cutlery needs to make a folder.
5. Blade Tech needs to get that fixed blade out.
Those are my wishes thanks for reading.

 

[Kaizen1]

Hmm... I'm into fast opening/closing knives... Would you consider that an important factor for a defense knife?

I would consider it a factor, but not necessarily the primary focus. Things I would look for other than fast opening (don't care if they close fast, even for SD):

Lock security
Ergos/grip
Blade shape

I'm quite new to sharpening! It is kinda fun, although I suck at it lol

If you put in the time, reading the suggestions of sharpening gurus onon the forums and ask a ton of questions, you won't suck for too long. I knew NOTHING about sharpening before coming here and now I've been able to split a hair in 4, shave without touching the skin and other types of things I thought was impossible.

Really? Wow, that's like one of the #1 things on my mind right now (I'm considering a new knife, a Benchmade 710 D2 to be exact)... lol

Since you say it's not as much of a priority to you as it used to be... Would you care much if you had AUS8 vs D2 now, for example?

Edge holding is important, but with the new "super steels" (ZDP-189, S90V, S125V, M4, etc) holding edges for really long periods, they become more difficult to sharpen because they're so hard. I'd definitely take D2 over AUS 8, but the steel wouldn't be the deciding factor in chosing between two knives. I look at all of the features of the knife when making a buying decision.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[orca8589]

#5 - "My wife never approves . . . " that's us. I usually get it anyway, and we talk our way through it. She'll never understand my knife addiction . . .

#6 - "Never loan a knife that you like." True, to a point (no pun intended); I usually won't loan a knife to anyone I don't know, and those who do know me, know me well enough that they know how much I like knives. I've given knives to all of my close friends anyway, so they rarely ask.

"What have the rest of you learned?" I've learned that I'm a carbon steel junkie. Nothing wrong with stainless, but I'll take a nice carbon blade with a patina over stainless anytime.

thx - cpr

 

[Cotherion]

1. Never buy expensive knives if they come from China (EBay). My lockback Dark Ops arrived as a liner lock and a shitty one too.

2. Get good torx drivers, shitty ones deform and bugger up the screws as well. Also it is never necessary to over-tighten a screw (buggers up the screws especially the small ones), stick with a consistent screwing (torsional) resistance.

3. Neck knives are difficult to pull out under stress, possible to disembowel oneself

4. You get what you pay for, better to pay a high price and get a gem instead of regretting over a pile of cheapies.

5. Grippability (not sure it's a word) of the handle is sometimes more important than the blade.

(Thanks to BF members for sharing experience)

 

[ToyKnife]

You get what you pay for.

And M4 anything would be nice. Ti, M4 in a framelock would be nice.

 

[Lycosa]

I've come full-circle. I carry a friction folder with A-2 tool-steel and a Case Sodbuster. My FB, is a Busse Game Warden. Everyone needs a slab of INFI. I sharpen with a belt grinder and a buffer. And I treat my knives with respect. Knives Rock! GOODAY!

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Jlfletcher83,

Wise and humble at 24. :thumbup:

Ingredients for a good life.

(and good taste in knives )

sal

 

[RedRockNv]

Wish I had some good stuff to share. Been carrying for 50 years now or there abouts. I will just tell you what I can think of.
1. When you give a youngster a first knife teach him the how's and why's. I got my first knife (Davy Crockett folder) when I was about 7 or 8. Twine got wrapped around the axle between the wheels of my wagon I tried to cut it off. When the blade finally cut through since I didn't know to cut away from myself the force jerked the knife back and I cut myself right next to my eye.
2. I never thought to pull my knife in a fight. I think that was a good thing. People just wanted to beat me up not kill me.
3. Take frequent breaks while sharpening a knife. Your wrist gets tired fast and can't hold a consistent angle. The pressure on your hands makes it hard to test the edge. Ever notice your edge seems keener later in the day after sharpening? The blood is back in the skin of your hand and your hand is more sensitive.
4. Don't lend a knife to a female. They will use the blade as a pry bar and break it.
5. If a guy asks to borrow your knife and asks if it is sharp tell him the truth. When he finds out for himself it is ok the laugh out loud. People that are bleeding don't usually want to get in to a fight to defend their stupidity.
6. To the ladies out there if your husband is turning a knife over and over looking at and feeling it from every angle don't ask why or what are you looking at? It is a primal thing. Secondly and most importantly don't ever move a mans weapon (ever noticed how we can't find anything unless we put it there) in wilder times men needed to lay their hands on their weapon in an instant if you moved it he wouldn't find it when he needs it. Ask a carpender if he has to think about pulling his hammer. It just comes to hand thinking about it just slows things down.
7. Used blades have character they have done what they were designed to do. I have only one knife I bought new and didn't use right away. It has it's box and paperwork even the plastic it came in. It pisses me off I never used it. The man that raised me told me when you get a new truck put a wheel barrow in the back and drive 20 miles down a rough road and you will never worry about scratching it again. A knife or a truck is ment to be used not worried about.
8. I have lots of stones but diamond sharpeners rock. I have a Smith's diamond combination with a course side and a fine side. Sharpener stones stores in the handle it's well made and handy. Down side made in China. If I was a chinaman I would be damn proud of it. We got rich when we added value to materials by manufacturing things. And getting poor servicing peoples needs. How many knives get thrown away or lay unused because they are dull the work to sharpen them adds value. Same with anything.

 

[babakanoosh45]

Great Thread!!!

#1 I have learned to listen more and talk less...

#2 Slow down while driving,(So as to never answer the "do you have any weapons on you Sir" Questions)

#3 I DO NOT NEED TO SHOW MY WIFE EVERY KNIFE I PURCHASE!

#4 I Love Buck 110's Again and wish I had all the 110's I have givin away over the Past 30 years...

#5 Do something else for 10minutes when you think you "HAVE TO" hit the ~Buy It Now~ button. Sometimes you come to your senses!! LOL

Number SIX and the Most Important!!!! I am NOT Bald, I choose to wear the hair on the side of my head Short!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Manix07]

Great thread! I've only got two years over the OP, and I am the blacksheep of my family for buying knives but this is what I've learnt:

1. Owning lots of different knives is great. But most of those were purchased in my experience on a whim. If I could do it again, I would stick to a cadre of a few decent blades and really use them to their maximum potential, and then move on to buying more.

2. You'll always have a soft spot for the knives that got you into this hobby. For me, those would be the black aluminum handled Cricket (I wish it made a comeback ), CQC-7, and air SOG. Even though I haven't bought a SOG in years (nothing against the company, just haven't) I still love checking out their old fold-out catalogues with the cocobolo handled variants they used to carry

3. Newgraham is a great place to buy from, even for a Canadian.

4. Sebenzas are that good.

5. Take a chance on a custom folder at least once.

6. You can always trust Spyderco. Its there in almost every mall brick and mortar, its always well priced and always solidly built. The millie goes with me along the trails I run , and the Calypso 3 is there with me at work. If tomorrow I had to ditch my whole collection and start over in another town, I can always count on being able to get a decent knife again because of Spyderco.

7. Don't get tunnel-visioned into this hobby. Using a quality tool supports other aspects of your life but shouldn't consume everything. Snowboard, take up photography, travel etc.

8. Still can't decide on which I'd chose over a good dog or a good knife.

9. Kershaw customer service is one of the best in sales. Period.

 

[Bob W]

Interesting points. I especially like your idea of a "sweet spot" price range. Mine is $50-150. Anything less than $50 and I don't have high expectations (certain exceptions, of course). Anything more than $150 is a rare treat, and a price reserved for customs.

My own:
1) VARIETY is the #1 key to enjoying knives!!
2) No amount of knives is too many
3) Don't carry anything that can't be easily replaced
4) Any knife bought for carrying, buy an identical for the collection
5) Keep the boxes and paperwork in good condition for collection knives
6) Keep records as knives arrive (my memory sucks)
7) Knives increase and/or keep their value better if not overpaying to begin with
8) A knife found or received as a gift is better than a knife bought
9) If there's a must-have knife in the For Sale By Maker section, JUMP ON IT, don't wait.
10) The guys at BladeForums, and other knife collecting websites too, are pretty cool

 

[jlfletcher83]

Hi Jlfletcher83,

Wise and humble at 24. :thumbup:

Ingredients for a good life.

(and good taste in knives )

sal

Thanks Sal coming from you that carries some weight. Thanks for getting me hooked on knives with that old plastic clipped delica. It took some abuse and worked like a champ.

 

[Voided37]

I'm 52.
The things I learned in my first 16 were way more stressful than the things I've learned in my last 16. But I learned that I would make 20yrs old. And even 30! And thank goodness, 40!! How in the world could I of ever made 50? Sure wish I would of prepared for all this!
Get the piece of paper signifying a good education.
Remember that your job is not your life, it's how you'll live a life.
Treat them folks how ya' wanna be treated.
Peace of mind and freedom are most valuable possessions.
Stuff owns you as much as you own it.
The lighter you travel this life the faster and further you'll go.
This is not our home, it's a part of the journey.
Treat them folks how ya' wanna be treated.
Keep an open mind.
The only thing that's going with you is what you've learned, and how you've treated them folks.
Sharpening knives free handed is a lot harder to begin than it is to end.
Chase your fears. That way lies true liberation.
There is nothing what so ever to fear. Period.
To shoot straight and hit your target become the bullet.
In a knife fight you'll almost certainly get cut also.
It's better to say there he goes than here he lays.[Granma]
It's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. [Granma]
Never argue with an idiot, a drunk, or anyone else if avoidable.
Treat them folks how ya' wanna be treated.
Might is always right. The victor writes history.
History is a fable agreed upon. [Napoleon]
Never let another person sharpen your knife.
The first tool in our history probably was a knife, but may of been a club.
There's no real defense against a baseball bat if your unarmed.
Uh, what else...?
Always treat them folks the way ya' wanna be treated.
It's easy to give advice.
Sometimes it's best to be quiet.
Wish I could always practice what I preach...
Great question, jlfletcher83.
One last thing...'The Outlaw Jose Wales' was a damn good movie. You reckon so?

 

[Voided37]

PS, Never cuss another mans dog.
There is no friend as good as a good dog. Treat your dog better than yourself.
The other guys here wrote great, agreeable stuff.
Thanks, guys, for the good read.
I'm glad I registered here.
Cheerio!
Steve

 

[Moondrop]

4. Don't lend a knife to a female. They will use the blade as a pry bar and break it.

I resent that remark. I've never used any of my knives as pry bars. My father, on the other hand, would think nothing of it. He's not into knives.

\
6. To the ladies out there if your husband is turning a knife over and over looking at and feeling it from every angle don't ask why or what are you looking at? It is a primal thing. Secondly and most importantly don't ever move a mans weapon (ever noticed how we can't find anything unless we put it there) in wilder times men needed to lay their hands on their weapon in an instant if you moved it he wouldn't find it when he needs it. Ask a carpender if he has to think about pulling his hammer. It just comes to hand thinking about it just slows things down.

My father can't find stuff *he's* put down himself.

I had a fairly close relationship with a guy who couldn't understand why I carried SAKs, let alone any other knives.

What I've learned since I bought my first knife eons ago (was a pen knife similar to the AG russell UPK, which I bought as soon as they made the verson with the bail):
Women have given women a bad rep as far as knives.