What do you really need?

CryoGuy5272

CryoGuy5272

Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
891
After a good week or so of beating on my Kershaw Freefall. I ask this. Do you really need higher grades of steel? I have touched this knife up twice back to phone book paper sharp And I have thrown everything bit the kitchen sink at it. Its done some scraping prying up against things to cut very thick zip ties And anything else you can think of you may come across in construction and it has far surpassed my expectations. So do you really need anything more than a good budget steel like 8cr13mov?
 
Need is a very subjective word. Do I need to carry more than one? Do I need to own 20+?
Imagine though, instead of touching said blade up twice in a week, not having to touch it up in two!
I will use this analogy: A harbor freight wrench and a Snap-on wrench will both take loose a bolt, but how long and how hard can you use each one before they reach their breaking point?
 
I know there is the want factor I argue that with my wife at least twice a week. But using a knife that costs $20 rather than $200 dollars to do those things to me warrants the 10 minutes I will spend to repair the damage I have done.
 
I have a few 8cr blades, and they do their intended purpose. BUT theu certainly dont get as hair popping sharp as s30v, and they cetainly dont hold an edge like vg10.

So I mean it works. But I will always pay a bit more for a better steel.

1095 is even way better that 8cr in my opinion.
 
I didn't say I wouldn't pay for the better because I most certainly will lol. But for the tasks I'm throwing at it it is functioning very well. I feel like the higher priced knives are like a fine watch. You wear the $10 Walmart one to work and the nice one when out with your family or doing errands. I feel the same about my knives.
 
I guess I'm the opposite. I wouldn't carry anything less than my Sebenza (or Umnumzaan) to work. They're probably the only knives I'd trust falling from 10ft+ drops.
 
Blues Bender said:
I guess I'm the opposite. I wouldn't carry anything less than my Sebenza (or Umnumzaan) to work. They're probably the only knives I'd trust falling from 10ft+ drops.
Click to expand...

Yep^^

Sebbie's are a lot tougher than most people give them credit for
 
CryoGuy5272 said:
I didn't say I wouldn't pay for the better because I most certainly will lol. But for the tasks I'm throwing at it it is functioning very well. I feel like the higher priced knives are like a fine watch. You wear the $10 Walmart one to work and the nice one when out with your family or doing errands. I feel the same about my knives.
Click to expand...

To me I have always opted for the best tools I can afford for work. Nothing worse than at a critical time having a tool fail or not performing to expectations, a knife falls into that category for me. Hey what ever works for you, seems like you're satisfied.
 
I am for the time being. My Freefall experiment started because I really don't care for the knife so it was the one I didn't mind beating up.
 
I don't.

I mainly use carbon steel Moras and Victorinox knives. I have found a good stropping on the weekends is all I need to maintain my blades for a long time. I probably only sharpen a few times a year, and if I get lucky and wind up field dressing a deer then I am happy to give my blade a few strokes on a Arkansas stone afterwards and bring it back to shaving sharp.

I do have two knives in "premium" steel, one in 154cm and the other in CPM M4. They spend most of their time in the drawer, as I just don't carry a locking pocket clip folder that often.
 
I prefer steels that I can sharpen up myself. I don't mind spending time with them to bring them back to a nice edge, so I don't seek out knives that specialize in edge retention. I don't mind wiping down my blades or keeping them clean after every use, so I don't especially seek out the best stainless steels. I do care about toughness, so that is my most important factor.

Spyderco's S30V and Chris Reeve S35VN have both made me very happy. I have an SNG that I love that I think must be CPM 154 for how shiny I can get the edge, but it could be S30V (since the blade isn't marked) and I just didn't notice how smooth the last owner's sharpening job got. They work great for me. I don't have any burning desire for S90v or S110v in my knives.

So, when I look for a knife, I want something that I will enjoy and won't worry about.
 
I love spyderco vg10 and never feel I need more expensive steel than vg10. Although I own 25+ knives with "better" steel, I would have bought most of them in vg10 if avaliable.
 
I enjoy knives, and when it comes to modern folders I find higher end ones more enjoyable than budget priced ones. On most days, a simple SAK could accomplish all that I need a knife to do, and for a very long time a 12C27 fixed blade was all I used at the ranch or outdoors.

I'm picky with the stuff I like. I don't think there's anything wrong with that as long as it stays within reason. I've got a favourite brand of notepads, and use a nice fountain pen with my choice of ink. A regular notepad and a cheap biro would probably work just as well.

Everybody has things that they enjoy beyond their mere utility, and there's nothing wrong with that.
 
Honestly? I dont even really need a knife. I like them. But really isnt that the case with anything? We dont need 90% of what we as humans consume and or purchase. But I dont think that means I should NOT get a knife with better steel. I enjoy it and that is what is important to me. I dont need a knife period and I sure dont need to spend the amount of money on them that I do. But a cheap knife doesnt put a smile on my face or get me excited which really is where I feel my money is going. Not to any real world performance advantages.
 
Because I can, don't need the best steels, I like to enjoy the fruits of my labor and the higher end steel gives me a warm fuzzy feeling
 
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