Which Folder Of Yours Has Seen The Heaviest Use?

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Vivi

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Which folder of yours has seen the heaviest use, and how has it responded?

For me it's a #10 Opinel. I've used it to chop and baton a lot when outdoors and it's seen a lot of acidic juices in the kitchen, especially for a carbon steel blade. I haven't really had any issues with it or the lock so far. A patina has formed from the food, the handle has gotten small dents in it from being whacked with a log and the blade has seen a couple of sharpening sessions, but otherwise it's still in great shape. I've been an advocate of these knives since the day I got my first, but I'm even a little surprised at how well they're holding up for me.
 
CS El Hombre and Medium Voyager in Tanto. Response? They beg for more!

Matador-
 
med Voyager clip point, works well. The edge blunts instead of chips, which I prefer
 
Spyderco Manix... Lasted me a summer of hard use during landscaping. Resharpened many a time. Reprofiled a couple times... Workhorse of a knife, and will last me for many years to come.

A close second is an old CRKT M1... Not the greatest steel, but it was a tank.

Travis
 
Probably my old Calypso Jr. Lightweight. I carried it almost exclusively for a couple of years and used it for everything. It even saw some action cutting skateboard griptape, which is hell on a knife blade. It has held up well though. (That reminds me, I need to sharpen it again. :) )
 
cerulean said:
Probably my old Calypso Jr. Lightweight. I carried it almost exclusively for a couple of years and used it for everything. It even saw some action cutting skateboard griptape, which is hell on a knife blade. It has held up well though. (That reminds me, I need to sharpen it again. :) )
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Yeah, griptape is real rough on blades. I keep a cheap fixed blade in my car for cutting it, just some small, chisel ground thing that's cheap steel, meaning easy to sharpen.
 
And Old BM Emerson. It's a liner lock that has been flicked open and closed over months, been thrown, stab into trees, old oil drums, car doors....just plain abused. It still keeps ticking and the liner is still dead center and locks up well.
 
I don't mean to start an arguement, Vivi, but I am surprised your Opinel is still going so strong. I decided to "destroy" my Opinel just to see how much it could handle. I was surprised at how strong the handle and pivot were. I thought I would be able to break the pivot. But the lock and the blade were very weak. I could defeat the lock with not much force because the blade would make a dent in the lock and the lock would wear into the wood. And the blade was so fragile that I could cause major edge damage just by pushing it into hardwood and plastic. Not chopping, just pushing. It peeled the edge back like tinfoil.

My Opinel may not have got a very good heat treat, or something.

The folder I have used the hardest is my Strider SMF (or rather had, since I have sold off all of my folders). I used it to cut metal strap at work. I used other knives to the cut the metal strap as well, but I did it the most often with my SMF. Over time, all of the knives showed some minor edge chipping, but the SMF with its obtuse final bevel showed the least damage. I never even sharpened it, and the "chips" were almost impossible to see.

When I sold the knife, I of course told the buyer all about the chips beforehand. When he got the knife, he said he was expecting much worse.

The SMF is a tank and held up very well to cutting metal (albeit very soft metal).
 
My Strider AR and TAD SmF. Both have cut thru wire without a mark or nick amongst other things and have held their edge amazingly.
 
for me it would be either a victorinox soldier or a spyderco endura 3. both of which i carried for extended periods of time and both of which withstood terrible abuse. the only way i broke my soldier was by accidentally shooting it with a black powder rifle{don't ask}. later,ahgar
 
Post shop visit Strider SnG or SMF. Whenever I think I may hurt a knife I grab a Strider and just do what I got to do and don't worry about it. Cosmetically they may not look the best anymore but they will do all of what I want them to do and more.:thumbup: The first day I got my SnG I was cutting up pop cans with it to get that first scratch on it as that first one is the one you care most about.
 
Hair said:
I don't mean to start an arguement, Vivi, but I am surprised your Opinel is still going so strong. I decided to "destroy" my Opinel just to see how much it could handle. I was surprised at how strong the handle and pivot were. I thought I would be able to break the pivot. But the lock and the blade were very weak.
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The blade of the #10 Opinel (the Vivi's one) is thicker and stronger than the one of a #8 which is pretty weak.

dantzk.
 
Buck 110....outstanding quality,can be upgraded in the Buck custom shop
with different handles,bolsters,engraving,blade steels.
 
Vivi said:
Which folder of yours has seen the heaviest use, and how has it responded?

For me it's a #10 Opinel. I've used it to chop and baton a lot when outdoors and it's seen a lot of acidic juices in the kitchen, especially for a carbon steel blade. I haven't really had any issues with it or the lock so far. A patina has formed from the food, the handle has gotten small dents in it from being whacked with a log and the blade has seen a couple of sharpening sessions, but otherwise it's still in great shape. I've been an advocate of these knives since the day I got my first, but I'm even a little surprised at how well they're holding up for me.
Click to expand...


Queen stockman, Spyderco Native III.
 
Buck 450, I have REALLY been rough on this folder and it just eats it up!

Buck-450.jpg
 
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