Well Crap... Mom's knife destroyed

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exracr

Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
468
She had this cheap spring assisted; push the button it flips open and locks knife. I took it apart, cleaned the rust/ junk out of it since apparently she keeps it in her saddle bag for horseback riding. Poor knife probably hadn't been cleaned/lubed/sharpened ever in it's life? Got it all cleaned up, lubed, re-assembled, sharpened up and green leather stropped up. Delivered it to her tonight.. she had some 3/4" leather bits she wanted to test the 5x blades I sharpened for her. Btw, the Fillet knife I resharpened cut cleanly thru in one swipe.. the others 2/3 cuts.

Anyways, I pushed down on this push button knife handle/blade to the leather and CRUNCH... it broke the plastic molded loop inside where the stop pin that stops the blade when it whips open. Busted the handle up; luckily no injuries. Knife was re-assembled correctly. The molded plastic inside busted on both sides. I feel kind of bad though! She's out a knife, and I put all that effort/work into making it nice for her! Talk about loosing brownie points fast!?! :mad:

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Maybe I can make it up to her by buying a her a new knife?:rolleyes: Something that won't snap like that cheap POS she had. Busted knife has no name on it anywhere, and blade only says "Stainless" on it.Thinking maybe Spyderco H1 blade since it's supposedly super corrosion resistant, and blade shape is about the same in none serrated. No hook bills or serates plz; (personal choose).

She loves bright colors, so the bright yellow would appeal to her. Costs prefered to stay under $80. What do you guys think about the following options?

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco-Keychain-Ladybug--4197

or

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco-Salt-I-Yellow--6370

or

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco-Dragonfly-2-Salt-Yellow--9301
 
Is the spring assist important to her? If she was used to that, I'd be hesitant to replace her knife with one that didn't have an assist.

Both the Kershaw Leek and Blur come in a wide variety of colors, with assist. No H1 obviously, but well within the pricepoint you are working with.
 
Yeah she liked the push button flip to it a lot .... but I think a better steel and corrosion resistance would help out a lot more with the poor conditions it will more than likely go thru? I'm sure if I don't keep an eye on it, she'll leave it in her saddle bag for a few years then expect it to perform perfectly. She doesn't have the greatest finger strength at 69 yrs old; but she tries her darn-est! Figure I owe her a new knife for destroying her other one. :o

Keep the ideas coming guys..... I need help here
 
Sosa said:
Unless she likes sharpening knives I wouldn't recommend h1.
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She'll only be using this for maybe ropes or small leather pieces for repairs while out riding horses (Bridle/ reign repairs n such). It's one of those things she keeps around for just such occasions while out miles from camp. It won't get used very often fyi.
 
Just sayin h1 is best suited for highly corrosive environments because it's very poor when it comes to holding an edge.
 
exracr said:
Yeah she liked the push button flip to it a lot .... but I think a better steel and corrosion resistance would help out a lot more with the poor conditions it will more than likely go thru? I'm sure if I don't keep an eye on it, she'll leave it in her saddle bag for a few years then expect it to perform perfectly. She doesn't have the greatest finger strength at 69 yrs old; but she tries her darn-est! Figure I owe her a new knife for destroying her other one. :o

Keep the ideas coming guys..... I need help here
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You should try the kershaw clash. my mom has one and loves it. my lady caries one daily also. Very good utilitu blade, decent steel gets sharp and easy to sharpen, strong assist and overall ergonomic. if your mom is cutting a lot of rope/leather the serrations make it a lot easier. under 30$ , give it a shot I bet she'd love it.
 
stonproject said:
You should try the kershaw clash. my mom has one and loves it. my lady caries one daily also. Very good utilitu blade, decent steel gets sharp and easy to sharpen, strong assist and overall ergonomic. if your mom is cutting a lot of rope/leather the serrations make it a lot easier. under 30$ , give it a shot I bet she'd love it.
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Couple reviews show it's easy to rust/corrode.

Here's the thing guys... the Saddle bag she keeps here spare stuff in is right behind her saddle and she usually (100%) has saddlebags hanging off each side of her horse with ice/beers. Yes, her poor horse.... Darn thing drinks beers too! :thumbup: So when those are right beside this other pack; I'm mainly worried about corrosion for her knife/being able to find it. She'll probably never need it sharpened it in at least a year or two.
 
With what I've experienced with H1 I'd recommend you buy one and try it out before giving it to a loved one. They go from shaving sharp to butter knife with a quickness.
 
Sosa said:
With what I've experienced with H1 I'd recommend you buy one and try it out before giving it to a loved one. They go from shaving sharp to butter knife with a quickness.
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That's not good! :eek:

Any other recommendations for blade steel type then for this instance?
 
Sounds like a Buck Momentum would fit the bill and make Ma very happy. They retail for just under $80, are made in America, and have S30V steel.

exracr said:
Here's the thing guys... the Saddle bag she keeps here spare stuff in is right behind her saddle and she usually (100%) has saddlebags hanging off each side of her horse with ice/beers.
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BTW, how cool that 69-year-old mom is riding around on a horse with a saddle bag full of cold beers! :thumbup: :D
 
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Try VG10, the Delica, Endura, Stretch. You cold give S30v a sot and go with a Manix2 or a Native.
 
exracr said:
Couple reviews show it's easy to rust/corrode.

Here's the thing guys... the Saddle bag she keeps here spare stuff in is right behind her saddle and she usually (100%) has saddlebags hanging off each side of her horse with ice/beers. Yes, her poor horse.... Darn thing drinks beers too! :thumbup: So when those are right beside this other pack; I'm mainly worried about corrosion for her knife/being able to find it. She'll probably never need it sharpened it in at least a year or two.
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I mean some surface rust never hurt anything, if it gets a little rustier than you like steel wool cleans it right off.

H1 is rust resistant, but thats only the blade. the rest of its gonna rust just like any other knife. Plus it sounds like its just gonna be a beater knife.

And your mom is gonna want another assisted blade I bet :)

but best of luck on whatever you choose!
 
exracr said:
She'll only be using this for maybe ropes or small leather pieces for repairs while out riding horses (Bridle/ reign repairs n such). It's one of those things she keeps around for just such occasions while out miles from camp. It won't get used very often fyi.
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Then H1 is pretty much the last steel I'd choose. It's corrosion-resistant to the extent that you can take it swimming in the Dead Sea, but the trade-off is extremely poor edge retention; there's a reason most H1 knives are serrated or have serrated versions. So it's a lousy choice for cutting leather in the first place, and with the need for frequent sharpening, it's definitely not what I'd want "miles away from camp." Or, really, in the entire state of Iowa. Any good, modern stainless steel should be enough

I think your best bet will be to take a look at Kershaw's offerings, particularly the Blur, G10 Cryo, or maybe the Skyline. The Leek's a bit delicate for cutting things like saddle straps, and not to presume, but at age 69 I'd imagine that a grippier/fatter handle would be preferable to two thin slabs of stainless or titanium. The reason I say Kershaw in general is that they have the best selection of inexpensive flippers/assists of decent quality—there are other, better options if assist isn't so important.
 
stonproject said:
I mean some surface rust never hurt anything, if it gets a little rustier than you like steel wool cleans it right off.
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Amen. Any good modern stainless steel is stainless enough, unless you're literally diving in salt water all the time.
 
You mom sounds like a very cool lady. Bummer that your good deed backfired but good of you to be thoughtful about the replacement.

If I was in your situation, I would look for a folder as silmilar to the one that broke as possible. If that is what she likes, and finger strength is becoming an issue, a button automatic may be the way to go. The opening mechanism may have been a big part of her enjoyment of the knife. I did a quick search for automatics and the Kershaw Launch 2 has a CPM154 blade, anodized aluminum handles, is made in USA, and is $80.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you and her. :thumbup:
 
For extra brownie points, pick her up a nice hoofpick and wildrag to go with it. She'll appreciate the extra sentiment.

Zieg
 
Boker Plus Kalashnikov has a couple push button assisted models that are pretty inexpensive. Not all that colourful though.
 
RevDevil said:
Try VG10, the Delica, Endura, Stretch. You cold give S30v a sot and go with a Manix2 or a Native.
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:thumbup: Polished VG-10 really is rust resistant. I tried to make it rust by taking a Spyderco in the ocean, clipped to my shorts. No joy.

The orange or blue Delica would work nicely.
 
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