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Hotshot10

Hotshot10

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2012
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347
What factors are most important to you? Size? Weight? Blade material? Aesthetics? Price? Grind? Style? Just curious.
 
I look at size, aesthetics, and blade shape. Lately I've been looking at more knives around a 3.25" blade and 7.5" - 8" overall length. Price matters somewhat but if i really like it, im gonna save up and buy it. What about you hotshot10?
 
First and foremost, will I use the damn thing? Size, weight, material, all are moot points if the knife isn't going to be used...I'll play, however:
- When I look at a grind, I look for a useable shape (no super dramatic recurves or compound grinds).

- When I look at a steel, I look for one I can easily maintain myself. The harder the knife is to sharpen, the less likely I am to use it (as I don't want to mail off the knife and twiddle my thumbs to their backlog). I want a steel I can easily maintain myself with the tools/skills I have. I don't get lost in the magical steels. CPM154, S30V, S35VN, M390/204P/20CV, 154CM, VG10, etc. are a few of my favorite steels as I have no issue sharpening them. I tend to stay away from exotic blade materials OR steels that require a lot more time on the stone (S90V, S110V, S125).

- When I look at style, I am a sucker for bolstered knives with green scales (think John W. Smith, Custom Emersons, etc.).
 
All of the above.

My parameters henceforth:

No framelocks
No metal handles/scales
$300 or under
Flat grinds
No tantos or odd blade shapes. Prefer drop point.
Medium to lightweight.
No S30V.
Preferred steels: S35VN, CTS-XHP, CPM-M4/S90V/S110V, Elmax, ZDP-189, M390, CTS-204p, and other medium to high end steels.
Flippers, though difficult to find in a non-framelock.
 
Ergonomics.

Do I think it will be comfortable in my hand? Kinda the reason why I am partial to Emerson and Spyderco.

Second is blade length, minimum of 3.5"ish.

Everything else is negotiable.
 
K.O.D. said:
My parameters henceforth:
No framelocks
No metal handles/scales
$300 or under
Flat grinds
No tantos or odd blade shapes. Prefer drop point.
Medium to lightweight.
No S30V.
Preferred steels: S35VN, CTS-XHP, CPM-M4/S90V/S110V, Elmax, ZDP-189, M390, CTS-204p, and other medium to high end steels.
Flippers, though difficult to find in a non-framelock.
Click to expand...

Curious as to the reason for this, especially as a fan of flippers.

Also, I'm a little surprised you won't accept S30V but you will accept S35VN. What do you think about CTS-BD1?
 
Smooth_Operater said:
I look at size, aesthetics, and blade shape. Lately I've been looking at more knives around a 3.25" blade and 7.5" - 8" overall length. Price matters somewhat but if i really like it, im gonna save up and buy it. What about you hotshot10?
Click to expand...

I usually look at the blade material first. My favorite is M390. And I can't carry something that isn't aesthetically appealing (at least to me).
 
I have a list of boxes it has to tic off and if any box is left unchecked, its not even a contender...

1. stainless liners
2. g10 slabs
3. liner lock
4. no smaller than 3.5 inch blade
5. easy 1h open AND close
6. pocket clip

if it meets all 6 of those, it gets judged based on blade shape and handle design.....

currently, I carry a Spyderco Resilience..... its a 45.00 knife but I'm happier with it then I am my 300+.00 knives......of which I have more than I care to admit, and never carry any. It took me years and literally THOUSANDS of dollars worth of fails to narrow down that little list...../sigh
 
TsarBomba said:
Curious as to the reason for this, especially as a fan of flippers.

Also, I'm a little surprised you won't accept S30V but you will accept S35VN. What do you think about CTS-BD1?
Click to expand...

I've owned quite a few knives in S30V, and all chipped like my dads teeth. Some worse than others. I have three knives (had four) with S35VN, and I find it vastly superior. Three of those I've owned are on the higher cost spectrum (sebenza, which I sold, TSF Beast, and SG Spider Monkey. I also have a Kizer 423 with it. All have been great). I've never used BD-1.
 
Hotshot10 said:
What factors are most important to you? Size? Weight? Blade material? Aesthetics? Price? Grind? Style? Just curious.
Click to expand...

1) Aesthetics- If the knife doesn't tickle me, I won't get it unless its a cheap throwaway like a mora or a opinel.
2) Grind- It needs to cut, I don't need a bulky pry bar as an EDC.
3) Size/Weight Sometimes I "need" to carry a large folding bladev But I can't have a boat anchor in my pocket
4) Blade/Handle Material- G10/Titanium frame locks (more for aesthetics) is a big ding for me, though not a total deal breaker. Blade steel I'm not too picky about. As long as it holds a decent edge.
5) Price- If I think its too expensive for what I get, I won't buy it. Its why I've primarily stayed away from Hinderers and Striders.
 
Excellent question. I suppose first I look at the blade steel but almost at the same time I am looking at blade shape / grind. The steel has to be at least decent meaning no bottom of the barrel stainless (just so I could get a knife that LOOKS good). I don't care if it rusts but I do care if it is gummy stainless with that endless burr when sharpening. I hate that stuff.
Preferably a powder technology steel with a flat grind and thin. For my use I have yet to find a blade that is too thin. Think three or four inch long blade and 1.5mm thick. Yah . . . I am talking kitchen paring knife with an attitude . . . dude.

Next I look at the handle. These days I am liking four inches or more in length, rounded corners, fairly thick more like a Griptillian or Cold Steel Ti Lite rather than thin slabs like the Hold Outs but I get along super well with the Hold Outs as well. It is just that for best dexterity I have more control for carving kind of cuts with the rounder, thicker, but less wide handles.

Takes up pocket space. I have several clip on pouches that I use. Also I carry my keys in my left hand pocket and my knife in my right hand pocket (I'm right handed). I don't use my keys too often though. I don't live a hectic drive every where life style though.

As far as the lock I think I would love the axis lock but keep buying knives with anything but. Stupid huh ?

Pocket clip is next on the list. I want a thin light clip that is fairly long. I don't need the knife to stay in place while I am in a full on motocross crash . . . it has to just not fall out of my pocket when I sit on the ground. Most clips are WAY, Way, way, too tight and thick and often too short which just exacerbates the death grip on my pocket.

Handle material . . . titanium . . . I just love that stuff. One of, if not theeeeee, coolest metals on the planet leaving out the blade steels now.

I could go on and on but best stop now.
 
In order of importance, weight, dimensions, price, blade grind, hardness, blade size, aesthetics, basketball and handle material, country of origin/manufacturer. There's a huge drop off after the first three.


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K.O.D. said:
I've owned quite a few knives in S30V, and all chipped like my dads teeth. Some worse than others. I have three knives (had four) with S35VN, and I find it vastly superior. Three of those I've owned are on the higher cost spectrum (sebenza, which I sold, TSF Beast, and SG Spider Monkey. I also have a Kizer 423 with it. All have been great). I've never used BD-1.
Click to expand...

Either I've gotten exceedingly lucky with heat treatments or you were exceedingly unlucky. If anything, the bulk of complaints I've read about S30V in the past were that it wasn't hard enough.

Not that I'd say no to an S35VN knife by any stretch of the imagination. I just won't pay twice as much as an S30V knife.
 
If it doesn't appeal to my eye, it doesn't go any further than that.If it does, I also look at the maker, then I look at the materials. Are the materials materials I like? I like knives with 3 to 3 1/2 inch blades. Do I like the blade material? If it meets what I want in a knife, I buy it.
 
I'm pretty shallow! It has to look cool to me! I prefer heavy knives! It has to fill my hand up and it needs a 4+ inch blade!


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First thing I look at other than aesthetics is closed length. The aesthetics give me an impression of the ergonomics based on my experience to this point.
Then manufacturer and street price.
I generally am not interested in "flippers". (Been there and done that.)
I prefer no metal scales. (Not even on one side.)
I have no strong steel preferences other than I generally do not want 440A or the equivalent. I generally avoid "mystery steel".
Country of origin is not a discriminator if the other conditions meet my satisfaction.
 
Lately I've been looking at more knives around a 3.25" blade and 7.5" - 8" overall length.
Click to expand...

That's where I'm at currently. I think that blade size is perfect for my tasks.
It has to feel right in my hand/pocket or I will not buy it. I have more under $50 knives that feel better than some of my $200+ knives.
Steel? 440C minimum but am a big fan of CPM154.
 
3.0"-3.25" blade length is my preferred length. I compare many knives to the Spydero Delica as I find it is just big enough for day to day stuff.
 
I seem to have been buying more knives for EDC lately than I have in the past. The things that are most important to me are:

1. Aesthetics
2. Blade Shape and Grind
3. Quality
4. Weight
5. Price\Value

I like to have a variety of knives at my disposal for EDC and rotate them out. They need to hold and edge and be easily sharpened. I have kids in college so it is really hard to spend more than $150 on a knife. Fortunately there are a lot of option in my price range that fit my criteria for a desirable folding knife.
 
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