What's important to you?

[shinyedges]

What's important to you when it comes to your knives?

Option 1:

Absolute highest toughness at the cost of edge retention, corrosion resistance and strength?


Option 2:

Absolute highest edge retention at the cost of basically all durability, where a drop isn't just a ding, it's a complete failure?

Option 3:

Or is having a well rounded set of attributes most important? Does well in all areas but isn't the single best performing in any area?



Option 4: Turtles survive winters by burying themselves in the mud at the bottom of a pond or lake.



If you prefer one of the extreme attributes at the cost of the others, post and explain what you use your knife for why that single attribute is all that matters.

 

[RBid]

As a frequent user of folders, I want low maintenance knives. That means having good enough corrosion resistance that I never have to think about it, good enough toughness to not have chipping issues, and good enough edge retention to feel like I’m not sharpening too frequently.

Thankfully, I don’t have to sacrifice anything to get all of that.

 

[JupiterPaladin]

I like turtles! And don't need extremes

 

[ScooterG]

It all makes sense now.

 

[danbot]

I tend to like "middle of the road" steels for most of my use. If I were to be doing a very specific task on a regular basis, I would want something made specifically for the purpose.

 

[Deinos]

Also, I prefer an all-arounder that might have a slight edge in one attribute, but not so much so that it forsakes all others.

 

[shinyedges]

I tend to like "middle of the road" steels for most of my use. If I were to be doing a very specific task on a regular basis, I would want something made specifically for the purpose.

I agree, I don't have use for a steel with one extreme attribute, though I'd like to hear what someone who does, uses it for.

 

[Colorodo]

Edge retention so I can cut through those tasty turtle chocolates.

 

[Dangerously]

Important for which knife?

 

[shinyedges]

Important for which knife?

That's up to you, if you have uses for extreme attributes I'd like to know what for?

 

[BITEME]

I used my endura hap40 to process a deer my brother got this year ,did all the skinning and cutting hide into smaller pieces (knife was still catching fingernail after all this) I was so impressed with hap40 -this is the type of performance I was wanting from my knives all along btw all the guys that were there usually use the replacement blade knives- havalon,etc...We're blown away definitely made some converts.
I usually wouldn't use a folder for this type of work,but having some hap40 in the pocket couldn't resist, happy that I did have some new found confidence not only in the steel but the Endura platform so easy to carry and blade length came in handy versus using a stubby blade. Option 3 for me

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I picked first and then read the options, what do I win.

Oh yea, in on 1.

 

[McFeeli]

I went with the all rounder option, 3. I believe toughness and edge retention are both important aspects of knives, though I do tend to lean more towards edge retention especially with folders. But really with all of my knives I’d much rather have something in the middle. I don’t want a steel that can breakdown thousands of boxes, but chips on a toothpick. Same idea with toughness. There are special cases where one knife is destined to be abused, and another is strictly a fancy box cutter, but mostly I like them to be a wee bit of both.

I also voted for 4, because turtles.

 

[shinyedges]

I picked first and then read the options, what do I win.

Oh yea, in on 1.

An opinel!

 

[Pilsner]

I like all rounders. But I do like tough steel for outdoor fixed blade knives at the expense of edge retention. In the outdoors I like to have a tough fixed blade and a folder that keeps a good edge.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

An opinel!

And a Micra?

 

[GermanyChris]

I'm not very smart so I trust that the maker I'm buying from is using an appropriate steel for the intended application

 

[shinyedges]

And a Micra?

Sheesh, are you planning on climbing Everest?

 

[91bravo]

 

[navman]

All things being equal I tend to stress edge retention over toughness in the size blade I tend to carry. That would obviously change pending the situation.