What is general opinion about CRK " Green Beret " knives?

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I talk with an retired toolmaker about this knife ( Green beret ) and explain what happend with blade. He acclaims that such a thing shouldn't happend with any steel blade. He took one dollar knife and start hitting on back of knife ( about 1 mm thin knife ) and nothing happends. Blade stood any abuse ( flexing, hitting). He is sure that steel of GB isn't properly heat treathed or that steel has maybe unwanted particles in his structure. When I told him that is so called " powdered " steel he answered: " Steel isn't instant drink! ". I don't know really what's going on but think that this is just an presentation knife, it looks really great.
 
cabala said:
I talk with an retired toolmaker about this knife ( Green beret ) and explain what happend with blade. He acclaims that such a thing shouldn't happend with any steel blade. He took one dollar knife and start hitting on back of knife ( about 1 mm thin knife ) and nothing happends. Blade stood any abuse ( flexing, hitting). He is sure that steel of GB isn't properly heat treathed or that steel has maybe unwanted particles in his structure. When I told him that is so called " powdered " steel he answered: " Steel isn't instant drink! ". I don't know really what's going on but think that this is just an presentation knife, it looks really great.
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Cabala,
Chances are that this "one dollar knife" is made of ultra-soft steel, likely not to have been heat treated, which explains why it failed to break. Ask your retired toolmaker friend to perform a test of that knife's edge-retention by counting how much cardboard it can cut.;)

Regards,
3G
 
cabala - I'd say buy one, use it reasonably, and post here what you think.

IMHO, you can find a knife just as good, for 1/3 less $$. I've had a (Camillus) Becker BK7 for 4+ years, and it's taken all the reasonable "abuse" a knife of that type could be expected to take.

thx - cpr

ps - I have never, nor will I ever, test a knife the way Noss does. To each his own, but IMHO, his tests are way over the top.
 
When I was young, I had a old former lumberjack yell at me for pounding on the flat side of a single bit ax with a hammer. Being a tool of his trade, he felt axes should not be treated like that. I guess that stuck with me because I feel pounding on a knife with anything is improper use, and is also dangerous. You test a knife by cutting. If you need to bang on something with a hammer, get a chisel.
 
pvicenzi said:
When I was young, I had a old former lumberjack yell at me for pounding on the flat side of a single bit ax with a hammer. Being a tool of his trade, he felt axes should not be treated like that. I guess that stuck with me because I feel pounding on a knife with anything is improper use, and is also dangerous. You test a knife by cutting. If you need to bang on something with a hammer, get a chisel.
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If knifemakers, custom and production, don't want their tools to be abused, tested, and to have to deal with the reprocussions, they should leave statements like 'prybar strength' and 'shrugs off the harshest of abuse' the heck out of their ad copy! Of course, this is the age of the 'tactical knife,' where makers/manufacturers have to make claims like that to sell their wares to mall ninjas, chairbore rangers and the like, who want to believe what they say.

Certain members here try to fault the knife 'tester/reviewer' for trying to see if knives measure up to the manufacturers' claims, saying that such use and testing is 'irresponsible,' while I instead choose to fault the manufacturer for making the claims if they know their products can't stand up to them. That, to me, is irresponsible.

As long as one maker/manufacturer makes a knife that will stand up to that sort of abuse, and advertises as such, other makers/manufacturers are going to follow suit, and the cycle will continue.

Regards,
3G
 
I have never seen a CRK add stating you can stab a car door, or bend the knife in half, or hammer it through a brick. That's another company. If you intend to hammer a knife through 2x4's, then the tests might mean something. If you intend to use the knife for cutting, the tests are useless because they show nothing about cutting ability, or edge retention. Some watches advertise being tough. Maybe someone should smack a Rollex with a hammer to see how well it tells time.
 
I don't expect my expensive knife to crush concrete blocks, but I do expect it is able to withstand a lot of heavy use for what the knife is intended for. I've seen the test on knifetests.com and although his tests are way over the top, it gives a good picture of how strong a knife is. When you compare his videos there is definitely room for comparisons as he carries out his (extreme) abuses on the knives fairly consistently. And with that in mind, it seems that GB is not a very strong knife when you compare it with Scrapyard, cheap(ish) knives and the Fällkniven A1. In short, as I can have a stronger knife with excellent cutting abilities for less, my choice is easy.
 
cabala said:
I talk with an retired toolmaker about this knife ( Green beret ) and explain what happend with blade. He acclaims that such a thing shouldn't happend with any steel blade. He took one dollar knife and start hitting on back of knife ( about 1 mm thin knife ) and nothing happends. Blade stood any abuse ( flexing, hitting). He is sure that steel of GB isn't properly heat treathed or that steel has maybe unwanted particles in his structure. When I told him that is so called " powdered " steel he answered: " Steel isn't instant drink! ". I don't know really what's going on but think that this is just an presentation knife, it looks really great.
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This is complete fiction.

3Guardsmen said:
If knifemakers, custom and production, don't want their tools to be abused, tested, and to have to deal with the reprocussions, they should leave statements like 'prybar strength' and 'shrugs off the harshest of abuse' the heck out of their ad copy! Of course, this is the age of the 'tactical knife,' where makers/manufacturers have to make claims like that to sell their wares to mall ninjas, chairbore rangers and the like, who want to believe what they say.
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This is the excuse so often invoked by the knife-breaking exhibitionists, who, if we are to believe them, stand as the only bulwark between the hypnotic and hyperbolic marketing of nefarious knifemakers and the poor, unsuspecting buying public. The fact is, however, that there is no knifemaker in the world who advertises his knives as being able to withstand the kind of cinder-block-breaking, blade-hammering nonsense to which these ignorant fools subject blades in the course of their "tests."
 
I see knifetests.com as complementary/additional information on other tests. Depending solely on knifetests would be a bit ridiculous, but then again, I think very few among us are.
 
I just 7" GB yesterday delivered to me from a trade I made here in the exchange. I already am very pleased with the few things I did with it out back. I will be going up north next weekend and use it for what I use all my medium to large FB knives for. Clearing trails and chopping fire wood. I won't be trying to punch it through the hood of my truck or split a cement block but I am sure it will handle the chopping I'll do just fine. When I get back I'll post pics and maybe a video. The blade is good and sharp and the overall feel and balance of the knife in hand is great. The middle finger groove seems like it could make you a bit raw between the Index and Middle fingers while chopping depending on your grip. The serrations at a glance don't look like much but made kindling and starter shavings very well. The grip panels and the overall balance and design did great in easing the impact while chopping. I only used it for an hour out back and on nothing real big. But it was very enjoyable. I am sure there are folks out there that will demand more out of a knife such as this than I will. But I do use my knives a bit harder than any of the folks I hunt or camp with. It would be great to see some real world applications reviewed about knives such as this rather than destruction test. IMHO!!!!
 
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Without using strict, measurable procedures, there are too many ways to either accidentally , or on purpose sway the results of tests. What are the tester's credentials? Is he a mechanical engineer? Is he a metallurgical engineer? Has he even taken a course on statics/strength of materials? As there are too many ways to skew test results, I will question this guy's credibility long before I question a reputable manufacturer.
 
I, personally, wouldn't call Green berets " exibitionsts " or " knife test nuts ". If they use this knife on duty and are satisfied, that's OK by me. But if I must worry would my knife cracked if falls on concrete, rock or other hard material that's not quality at all. My friend just showed on 1 $ knife how must stood force, he isn't making test. His credibility isn't important, and knowledge isn't matter but what he sayed to me and showed me sounds absolutelly corect. Much cheaper knives on same test didn't cracked so easy. Ek knives wouldn't break like this. Russian " Kizlyar " knives are 56 hrc too, but don't believe that they cracked so easy. I'm so sure that both hold edge equally to GB,
 
3Guardsmen said:
Cabala,
Chances are that this "one dollar knife" is made of ultra-soft steel, likely not to have been heat treated, which explains why it failed to break. Ask your retired toolmaker friend to perform a test of that knife's edge-retention by counting how much cardboard it can cut.;)

Regards,
3G
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Good idea!
 
I have used both GBs and they are excellent at what a knife does best - cutting. The handles are far better, for me, than the one piece line (Project II, Mark VI, Aviator, etc.). IMO, the 5.5 would be less prone to brittle cracking due to less weight stress on the metal. The way that the heat treatment is performed on the S30V seems to make all the difference in the world in terms of the steel properties, which is why S30V from different makers seem to have different characteristics and stress limits. I think the GB are excellent field knives for most applications. If you needed a super-knife for non-standard applications, you could always try to find a Busse ASH 1 Combat Grade, but it would be like carrying a bowling ball in weight, and weight kills.
 
Cabala, I'd like to see the link for the test where a GB broke simply by dropping it.
 
Sharp Phil said:
'Snip' The fact is, however, that there is no knifemaker in the world who advertises his knives as being able to withstand the kind of cinder-block-breaking, blade-hammering nonsense to which these ignorant fools subject blades in the course of their "tests."
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Sorry to contradict you here, Phil, but there are three companies right off the top of my head that say "You break it, We buy it":thumbup: They put their money where their mouth is, too:D Two of them have forums here at BF;)

-Walter
 
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