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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
What knife / knives do you not "get"?
- Thread starter Comeuppance
- Start date
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It sure works for me.... The main thing exhibited in your posts to this thread is your obloquy regarding another's use, as well as appreciation, of a knife.
Adding now, I am one who is rooted since youth in fixed blade knives for survival in extreme conditions. Gentleman's folders don't fill the bill in those situations a lot of times. I didn't get into folders until much later.
I've owned several of both, Emersons and CR's. Never run into a QC problem with either--although, as you say, I've read posts here from those who have. Both brands. IMO there is more rationalizing it away as OK for the 'gentleman's" knife, perhaps because someone paid far more than what it's really worth not only in use, but within their own spectrum of how it will ever BE used--a most conspicuous consideration, rarely admitted to.
I see in other posts here you've chopped up bags of ice with a SOG. Ever done it a half-mile out on lake ice above timberline at 3am with no moon in 20-below to get to the fish on time, when your fancyknife steel with its nuclear heat-treat would risk fracture? Perhaps.
I've never been aroused by the term "gentlemanly;" especially since about the '70's. Maybe I'm just cut a little rougher--I'd have never been able to handle being stuck in an office for an entire career either. So? Just a difference between you and me. I don't order multi-languaged styles of coffee and I always decline sprinkles too. Is the "half-caf decaf, double machi-caramelo marshmallow, fat, wet, with Nubian virgin sprinkles" worth thrice as much or more than plain black? A lot of people believe it is, citing the ingredients being added. Again, so?
I've noticed over time that most of your justifications regarding knife quality, as well as your two descriptives above, are quantifiable really only as numbers and phrases that, real world, are good only for reading on paper.
There are more things that go into not only the dependability of a knife, but the appreciation of one as well. I'm one of those guys for whom a Sebenza does absolutely zero. I've given my descriptive terms and reasons for same in these pages enough...for now. And let me proudly add I am not one who obsesses over steel type, Rockwell numbers and whose posts said negative things about specific brands of knives on BladeForums. I do know what constitutes a good knife for my uses, however.
I realize you don't understand the appeal of Emerson knives. I do. Many people DON'T want the features you specify above. So they buy another knife. You and I are different in some of our knife preferences. Once again, so?
BTW, a Kershaw Emerson is a Kershaw. Perhaps being an office worker DOES influence your priorities in a folder. It's understandable. And btw.... most Emerson owners could teach you to properly wave or not wave upon withdrawal in under an hour had you ever been interested.
Finally, further scrutiny of your thread posts reveals that you're almost my size. As to a couple of your other subtle brags--I know REAL ones. We don't do that.
I'll continue to read your posts here. Usually I've found them interesting and informative. Just a little taken aback at some of your rants in this thread....
I posted somewhere here, several months ago, that I had worked my old Emerson combat karambit into my EDC rotation a few months prior to see what would happen.
Been carrying it regularly for about six months now and, frankly, haven't run into one thing in everyday use where I wished I'd been carrying another folder instead. In fact, the pointiness of it has been very handy a few times when a different blade profile folder would not have gotten into the tight space I needed to start the cut. Particularly, secured zip-ties come to mind. It's great to carry for general yard work too. That blade style will grab and cut like a bitch.
Add to that the convenience of its wave and the far shorter thumb throw it takes to open and lock it than any folder, due to its design.
BUT....as I posted at the time, it's certainly not for slicing food on a plate or flat surface. If you're a carrot slicer you might consider something else. So far that's been the only thing. I'm surprised about it as I had fallen into that mindset too....that it would be lousy for everyday carry things. Hasn't happened yet.
It's like those who demean a tanto for EDC---never ran into a problem with those either. Still carry my tantos a lot for everyday and find them very efficient.
gopeder111
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2007
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- 118
Heavy, stubby folders like the ZT0900 or Boker Pipsqueak.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2014
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- 218
Funny you should bring that up. Over the past 8 months or so, I've been moving towards fixed blades in general, and even been slowly eliminating my locking folder from my EDC rotation in favor of a small fixed blade for a number of reasons, though I definitely acknowledge pro's and con's.
+ It's partly aesthetic, as I find it much easier to find a beautiful fixed blade than a beautiful folder (personal preference, I find the locking mechanism tends to busy-up the looks of the knife).
+ There are no moving parts, no locking mechanism to get gummed up with pocket fuzz or residue of whatever you were last cutting (including blood and guts if you just cleaned fish or game).
+ There is no chance of it ever in a million years closing on your fingers.
+ No blade play...ever.
+ They're easier to clean.
+ Since you're not paying for a mechanism, most of your dollars (or whatever units of currency you happen to use) go toward the handle ergonomics and the blade.
+ As such, it's much easier to get a really comfortable handle (no mandatory grooves, ridges, clips, w/e)
- It might take up a little bit more space in your pocket.
- A folding knife might be a little bit safer in many cases. My Benchmade 940 can be easily opened and closed with one hand. If I'm opening a box, I can cut the tape, close the knife, and keep it in my hand (not have to worry about putting it down somewhere) to examine the contents of the box.
- People tend to look at you a little bit stranger than usual.
- It might not be legal where you live (it is where I do).
- You might have to pay extra for a sheath.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some things.
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Deleted.
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- Joined
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A 6 pack of beer and a few cans of beans and I cut cheese all day long, no knife needed.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2014
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I've owned one waved Emerson that I carried a lot 15 yrs ago + one waved collab (Fox) that I ended up never carrying. The idea of somebody needing instruction on how not to utilize that feature is saddening...but not as much so as the idea that said instruction could take an hour.
As far as knives I don't get - anything with a "complex grind"
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Hard to believe anybody here would exclude themselves from and/or or not 'get' small fixed blades...., but to each his own.
JesseT pretty much covered it above.
Small fixed blades looks great, work equally great, are easy to clean i.e. dont pose the same health hazards as the same size folder etc etc.
Here my favourite hunting knife, which I would NEVER exchange for a folder;
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ing!!?highlight=scheppmann+hunter+outstanding
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- Aug 21, 2013
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Apparently I have put someone's panties in a bunch so I'm just going to shut up now. What started as fun and joking turned into something much less desirable. FWIW, my SOG is an old ats-34 model. No super steel etc.
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jdm61
itinerant metal pounder
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- Aug 12, 2005
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- 47,357
With most quality carbon pattern welded steel made by individuals and small "manufacturers" today, the steels used are not as dissimilar as you might think unless someone is using layers of pure nickel for show. For example, 1084 or 1095 and 15N20 damascus is differentiated only be the presence of 2% nickel in the 15N20. Carbon diffuses during the forge welding process, so the slightly lower carbon content of the 15N20 really is not a factor.
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That's hilarious
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- Jan 8, 2015
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Yes, YES!! That's actually one thing I like about my 0450 and 0808 is that the logos, except for on the clips, are different and less in your face.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2014
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Hmm, the more you know. Thanks for the info! (Commence orgy of consumerism directed at damascus blades.)
jdm61
itinerant metal pounder
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2005
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LOL. Done properly, it is strictly for looks. The steel is at best, the sum of the component steels. I have heard it said that say pattern welded steel made form O1 and L6 results in steel that is slightly tougher than O1 that take a fine edge and holds it a bit better than L6. As for the Japanese blades, the "folded a million times" thing was done for the same reason that the Eurupean smiths did it. You were essentially "manufacture" better quality steel by beating the nonmetallic impurities out of what came out of the bloomer furnace. On the Japanese kitchen/utility knives and such, lower carbon steel or "iron" was used as a laminate becausee it was cheaper and more readily available than the very expensive high carbon steel. It was also easier to HT than pure high carbon steel using the methods they had available. that is still the case today. For someone like me who had a HT oven and purpose made quenching oil, a "honyaki" or "true forged" monosteel blade is easier to make than ANY pattern welded/laminated blade. That is not the case if you are using say Hitachi White #1 still and traditional "pre-indutrial" heat treating methods. Odds are fairly high that you will have a blade go "ping" in the quench unless you REALLY know what yo are dong and even then, you site loose some..
The "damascus" patterns that you see in say Viking swords, were done as decoration. The "real damascus" or wootz was a monosteel made in small crucibles in places like what is today Sri Lanka. It's pattern comes from carbide dendritic formations cause by the slow cooling and low temperature forging. The most famous of the "Ulfberht" Viking sword appears to be made of that same crucible steel material, but forged in a more common manner so that the dendrite pattern does not show but the steel shows the quality/purity not seen on other "pattern welded" contemporary swords from the region.
The "damascus" patterns that you see in say Viking swords, were done as decoration. The "real damascus" or wootz was a monosteel made in small crucibles in places like what is today Sri Lanka. It's pattern comes from carbide dendritic formations cause by the slow cooling and low temperature forging. The most famous of the "Ulfberht" Viking sword appears to be made of that same crucible steel material, but forged in a more common manner so that the dendrite pattern does not show but the steel shows the quality/purity not seen on other "pattern welded" contemporary swords from the region.
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It all depends on the trainee.