Tough thoughts on tough steels.

Cobalt said:
No, I totally agree with you that tough steels should come thin. I have no need for a 3/8" thick knife. With a tough steel 3/16" to 1/4" thick is more than enough. I am also not a fan of sub 1/8" thick knives.
Click to expand...

It's funny, i was cutting some leather the other day using a very thin blade. Despite the thin blade, pushing through the thick leather required a lot of force, but the spine of the blade (<1/16") was too thin for exerting thumb-pressure right where it was needed. I switched a to a knife with >1/8" spine with an edge almost as thin and voila! less pain to my thumb, just as easy to cut :cool: This made me appreciate the thin, hollow-grind of some thicker knives - even more platform for exerting pressure, just so long as the edge thickness is right for the task.
 
I just cut out another profile from 3/16" CPM4V. A bi-metal bandsaw blade would not even scratch it. Had to use an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel.
 
I really gotta try an opinel, no reason not too at its price point.
 
Wowbagger said:
Blues Bender,



I was going to shut up and stop hogging the thread but since you mentioned traditional stag I just had to show what came in the mail yesterday.

I was considering a GEC but I wanted a warmer looking stag. The GEC stag for this style seems to be black and white basically. I looked at this Case for a month mulling over handle materials and CV v.s. SS. I couldn't help but think SS just made more sense for this knife.

Up until this year I never really gave stag much of a look but at the beginning of this year I received a Boker and they sent the right knife but with the wrong handle material. I ordered Green bone and they sent stag. I nearly sent it back. Then I realized what I had.
1. a considerably more expensive knife for a give away price and
2. a really beautiful classic knife that was beginning to grow on me. I kept it and ordered another Boker in green bone from a more conscientious vendor.

So the more I looked at this style of Case knife the more I could only see having the stag. And the knife is . . .
Can't be too much more traditional than . . .
A Case Trapper in Prime Stag
(it isn't as orange as in these photos. More white, tans and brown with a little black.
Some stag creeps me out but I really like the example I received.
PS: Case seems to really have it together and is working hard to make well executed knives in this price point. I keep coming back to them this year.

Blues
It will be fun to see what you get from the big dogs.



Click to expand...

That's a beautiful Case Brother!

I've considered a Case quite a few times. There's a sporting goods store near me that sell Case knives, and every time I'm there I stop to admire the beautiful shine and shimmer they give off:D
 
opinel
Click to expand...

Yes, in some ways they are "the ultimate" knife.
Thin, super light, hard enough to be a real knife, easily obtainable if you loose it or give it to a young deserving person.
One very attractive feature is it is easy to carve/modify the handle to make it easily identifiable as YOUR knife. Really useful handle shape as it is by the way.

What is totally chapping me, but I realize is all part of the knife game, is . . . every time I see a totally cool pocket knife that fits my idea (at the time) of what I want in a particular style/design/size/no. of blades . . . it is out of production and I can't even find one on ebay at an exorbitant price to buy. I never, so far, go to knife shows so I am just out of luck. And then if I ever found the knife, bought it and lost it that would be a small disaster. Not so the Opinels. Just go get another one.

My only gripe about the Opinels is the joint totally locks up if you get it even a little damp, . . . probably considered by some a safety feature of " the perfect knife" . . . not by me though . . . forget about using the knife for the rest of the day if you get caught in the rain or falling in a stream. Yah I know I can o'haul it for a performance upgrade. Maybe some day I will get serious about what to do there. It will probably involve a thirty dollar stainless steel cartridge bearing pressed into my $16 knife ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

I suppose everyone caught my photo, posted recently, of my super modified #12 and are now trying to get that disturbing image out of their minds. I chose it for the huge handle and thinnes of the blade. I call it a high control knife (well I just now made that up) but that was the intent anyway. The Chef calls it a box knife . . . with that tone of voice that indicates tolerance but suggests money and time has been, yet again, frivolously wasted.

It sure cuts up boxes though and with such precision and control . . .er, I mean . . . and . . . well . . . other stuff too . . .

 
Last edited:
Hilarious! Love the third "knife" I have several,from all sorts of companies. Never could understand the concept of "batoning" such abuse of a knife. As I work in construction and weigh about 225lbs I just use a 10 in chef's knife and cut the sucker in half. Of course there is always "Eldridge" the Cleaver!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top