What makes a great knife?

J

JakeP

Joined
Jul 29, 1999
Messages
122
I have come across this question many times and it always astounds me how a knife I see as just outright beautiful someone else can see a ugly. Some knives just kind of call to me, something just catches my eye and I have to get one. When you look at a knife what catches your eyes and makes it a great knife?

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Jake P
Anchorage,Alaska

 
The knife calls out to me, carry me. use me. abuse me.
I'm sharp as hell.
I have clean lines.
I don't have a liner lock (although my random task is really growing on me)

I hate fancy knives (like decorated and stuff like that). The farthest I'd ever go in terms of decoration would be maybe an apogee. But even that's a little much for my taste.

I'm generally inclined towards man-made handles, just because I don't want to deal with something that has to get cleaned a lot, or needs special care...

I dunno.
my thoughts
 
To each his own, of course. I have an Uncle who would not give the Most Stunning Creature on Earth the time of day unless she is Blonde. And I have seen him out with some blondes that were strait out of Creature Features, if you get my meaning.

I like a wide variety of different knife types, from MOP with granulated Sterling Silver to your most basic strait blade with a simple Micarta grip. What I look for is quality of design and excellence in execution.


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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
You'll get many views. I think each person needs to decide for his/herself what makes a great knife.
There are the things that most people agree upon, sharpness, does it feel good in your hands, etc.
Many think that the Sebenza is a great knife. I have no doubt that they feel it is great for them, but I held one, and I didn't think it was that great for me. That's why you have to decide for yourself. I trust the people on this forum very much and almost ordered a Sebenza because of how great people think it is. I finally had a chance to hold one, and I don't think that at this point the Sebenza is a great knife for me (this may change over time though).
I say go out and find what you like. Those are the knives that you'll think are great, because to you they will be. That's what's so great about knives, each person can have their own opinion, and each person is right.

Just my $0.02,
Mitch
 
For me, the knife has to call to me, to feel alive in my hand. I want to pick it up and feel as though it is an extension of who I am. Sounds mystical, but it is pure design I speak of not some mystical mumbo jumbo.
I have a "few" knives and I like them all, but the only ones I feel truly fit me are my Military, my Sebenza and my Greco. The others I like, but they don't "feel" the same.

I also like some of the modern materials. Titanium is nice, but not as rugged as I would like. G10 is great as a handle material as is micarta. I personally am not fond of natural materials, but that is me.
Overall, you can glean some great info here and narrow your choices to some truly fine pieces, but you need one that is an extension of you, one that you will not hesitate to carry and use.
Happy hunting.

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The vague and tenuous hope that GOD is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the conscience of millions.

*A. W. Tozer

2 Cor 5:10
 
Knives are as very individual. Customs especially, but even production knives are. They come in an almost unlimited range of sizes, styles, materials, designed for a multitude of tasks. Some are plain using knives for run-of-the-mill task, others are specialized for a particular task (EOD, diving, skinning...), some are pure artwork.
As individual as the knives, so is the buyer and undoubtly he/she will identify himself on one level or another with the knives he chooses. It's all a matter of taste. Loop at a Picasso. I think they guy was nuts, others think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Who's right? Does it matter? What matters is that you are happy with your choices.
 
I own several "great" knives, and each has it's merits, though none are really exceptional. They are all "users".
The first one is a little Victorinox, (the tiny one) that gets daily use. After four years it has not failed me once. It sits in my pocket, unnoticed until needed.
Next is a Parker (Yes, I do have one of those
and it does say "surgical steel") butterfly knife with slim stainless handles. The reason it's great? The many hours of fun I have had flipping it.
One more...an old Case redbone slimline trapper. The carbon steel blades have been worked over, (still very sharp) and the handle scales are well worn. When I found it in my father-in-law's basement, the blades and backspring were slightly rusted. This one is special because it had belonged to him. He is now in the advanced stages of Alzheimers and we had to remove all the knives and other sharp tools from his home. His wife has all the kitchen knives secured away, by the way.

What makes a great knife?

You do.
 
In this order for me

Sharp performance (it's got to flow through the material to be cut)
Good blade design (Broad short blades over small short blades)
Good grind (if you can't sharpen it what good is it?)
Good steel
Good balance/weight
Good sheath (I hate it when the sheath moves)
 
I'd have to say that knives that catch my eye have a sense of purpose to them. Since buying a bowie whose only purpose was to make me poorer and leave me with a POS at the age of 12, I have come to know a lot about knives. CR Project I screams, "take me out to the woods and get lost- I'll bring ya home." My CS LTC kukri begs for something to get in it's way. My AFCK looks like it is looking for ANYTHING to cut with its talon-like appearance and fine point. The knives that are only for taking $ from 12 year olds who know no better don't do anything for me anymore, but the ones that are really made to do a job and do it the best sure catch my eye now.

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"Come What May..."
 
USE

If you can't or won't use it, then it is not a knife, but a wall hanger. I like to look at wallhangers as much as the next guy. I love to use knives. If a knife screams use me. Then it screams own me. That is at least my opinion.


Thanks for reading,

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Lynn Griffith-Knifemaker

My website
GriffithKN@aol.com


 
You go Lynn! I respond to a functional working knife that looks like its been around enough to be tested in the real world, sharpened enough by some one who knows what they are doing to be at its best edge. When I see a knife that is too, too new, too shiny, too plastic, too fashionable; I don't get a friendly vibe.
 
One of the things that makes a great knife for me is the handle shape and size. I can usually look at a handle and tell how it is going to feel in my hand. Sometimes I'm mistaken, but not very often. The latest knife that gave me a "headfake" was Kershaw's Random Task. The photo I saw looked as though the handle were rounded but upon actually holding one I could see the rounded look was an optical illusion caused by the G10 laminate--the laminate appeared to have concentric rings--like contours on a map--and gave it a rounded appearance. Actually it is very flat and not to my liking.

The best handle I've ever felt on a knife was a Randall #5-6 I owned, with a Border Patrol leather handle with a slight drop at the butt. Both the size and shape fit my hand perfectly! I wish I hadn't sold it now!

Some knives with really good blades have less desirable handles. I bought a custom once that had a handle with what looked like a good palm swell. When I actually received it, the handle was very small in diameter, too small for my average to slightly large hands. I had to wrap it with paracord to get any control on that blade.

I like a medium sized handle with a slight palm swell and a slightly larger butt to stop the knife from slipping from my hands. There are several shapes that fit this pattern but they must have rounded edges, a slightly oval feel for control, and enough length to handle a variety of hold techniques.

A handle that doesn't fit right, or is too square on the edges, hurts when you use it all day. Knifemakers, just remember that what fits your hand doesn't fit everyone else's. Since the handle is the surface that contacts you, the user, it should have more care given to it than is usual.

Bruce Woodbury
 
St.james and uv mitch hit it on the button.
It will always be different things for different people.
 
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