Which knife for a gift?

E

expwmbat

Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
496
I have a buddy who deserves a good knife as a gift--he took me to Borneo to supervise a study abroad trip, has loved borrowing my knives (because they are sharp), and he's having a baby. So I'd like to get him something nice, but that he will use and enjoy. I recently let him use my KR Johnson sodbuster, and he loved it and how sharp it was.

The problem here is that there are too many options. I want to give him something nice, that will last as a keepsake (to celebrate the birth of his first child), but that he can also use as an EDC. Here's the question:

Do I get him a GEC? And if so, which one (the Bullnose might suit him, since he liked my sodbuster).

Or do I get him a Buck 505 from the custom shop with S30V?

Any help would be great--I've not handled either knife (no GECs at all, and not a nice Buck 505), so experiences are needed here.

Best wishes,
Daniel
 
I've bought a few Great Easterns and I've not been disappointed yet. I think they're very reasonably priced for what you get: a quality piece that will last you a long time. Difficult to recommend a particular model; so many great choices available! An alox Victorinox might be another idea...

Good luck! :)

-Brett
 
A GEC will be an awesome gift and a knife he'll be proud to own. Keepsakes just beg for natural handle materials. Since he likes sodbusters get him a a single blade #73 Scout with wood, bone, or stag covers.

- Christian
 
The choice of knife all greatly depends on the person receiving the knife. Is he a non knife carrying person? How does he dress, and what kind of job is he employed at? The knifehas to be matched with the persons profile. All to often a knife nut will gift what they think is a cool knife, but the guy getting it, while saying "Oh, thank you." he will be thinking "What the heck am I going to do with this?"

You wouldn't give a college professor who spends his days in an academic surrounding a large trapper, just you would not give a country dwelling outdoorsman and hunter a tuxedo pen knife. Study the guy and see what would suit him well in his everyday lifestyle.

Carl.
 
expwmbat said:
Or do I get him a Buck 505 from the custom shop with S30V?
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I only saw the 501 model having the S30v available in the 500 series over on the buck site (just a heads up)

Good luck with your decision. I have been pondering what knife to get myself to get myself more into traditionals. I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I've been eyeballing the Dymond wood USA made Buck Stockman, or a Case brand, but I'd also like a small lock-back. That was the first time I have seen the Buck custom shop, and that 505 looks like it may be a good match for me. GEC are soo sweet looking, but you'd have to really be dedicated to get the most out of it. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but I haven't seen many Stockman style from GEC on the market lately.
 
I've had old timey knives all my life, but I just recently joined and got more into knives in general. Since January, and because of this forum, I have added four GECs to my meager collection. I'm itching for a few more too (one being a bull nose farm and field and I already have one Sodbuster Jr!). I have a few Cases as well one being a recent accuisition. Buck makes a good knife, but I'm just not as fond of them.
 
I find buying knives as gifts to be fraught with peril. It's like picking out shoes for somebody else. Just too personal.

Two roads... First, give him a gift certificate and go with him (or sit by the blue light of his laptop) and help him select his knife.

Or, just give him a knife that means something to you, with the understanding that he may or may not use it.

Raise of hands... how many people on this forum have stuck with their first knife? Yeh, I didn't think so. Heck, even if he picks his own knife and even if he becomes a knife guy, there's a good chance the gift will fall into disuse.

When my nephew asked about knives, I actually loaned him some to try for several weeks at a time. He settled on a medium single blade lockback (he tried a Schrade 5OT) and so I bought him a similarly sized Buck 501.

If your buddy is liking sodbusters, that's a safe bet.

If you think he'll groove to the Buck 500 series, those are awesome knives too. Buck just brought back the 500, btw. I'm not convinced the "better" steel is needed on the Bucks. Has a reputation for being brittle and Bucks 420HC is a great day in/day out blade IME.
 
jackknife said:
The choice of knife all greatly depends on the person receiving the knife. Is he a non knife carrying person? How does he dress, and what kind of job is he employed at? The knifehas to be matched with the persons profile. All to often a knife nut will gift what they think is a cool knife, but the guy getting it, while saying "Oh, thank you." he will be thinking "What the heck am I going to do with this?"

You wouldn't give a college professor who spends his days in an academic surrounding a large trapper, just you would not give a country dwelling outdoorsman and hunter a tuxedo pen knife. Study the guy and see what would suit him well in his everyday lifestyle.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Good point, but funny example. We are both college professors, but very outdoorsy. It would need to be pocketable for an academic uniform, but useful for outdoorsy stuff too. A sodbuster, for example, covers the ground fine, as would most any slip joint under 4", I think.

DJK
 
I guess it depends on the field of study. A sodbuster is perfectly appropriate for an anthropology, archeology, or biology professor. For less field-oriented disciplines though a small penknife may be more in order.

- Christian
 
Depending on your work rules, one of the Great Eastern/Tidioute/Northfield single blade 73's or 72's would be a perfect knife. Single blade, any number of scales. Maybe one of the single blade 48 patterns from Great Eastern. Both would be fine in the classroom and in the great outdoors. Depending on what handle materials are offered on the Buck, and what steel, that would be a good choice too. Both companies make great using knives.

One thing to remember is, when you give him this knife, he is under no obligation to use or carry it. It is a gift. If he puts it on the shelf, in the kitchen junk drawer, or proudly carries it everyday, you have no more say in the matter.
 
Something to consider also is how the giftee will sharpen his/her knife, that would have a lot to do with the steel that I would choose.



Kris
 
I favor the GEC. Nothing wrong with Buck, but I prefer different handles scales and the flat ground 1095 steel of the #73.

- Christian
 
Get him a Case Bose back pocket, or if you are willing to spend more, there is a Case Bose Lanny's Clip in ebony on sale here for $200.
 
kamagong said:
I guess it depends on the field of study. A sodbuster is perfectly appropriate for an anthropology, archeology, or biology professor. For less field-oriented disciplines though a small penknife may be more in order.

- Christian
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Speaking as a (former) math professor, I think it more depends on how "outdoorsy" he is and what he uses his pocket knife through out the day.

While I no longer work in academia, I work in a closely related field which allows me to wear professorish (read: baggy, comfortable) clothes. That frees me to carry pretty much whatever I want, which for me means largish locking folders with blades in the 3" range. Typically this means an Opinel #9 or a Buck 500.

So, the question becomes, what style of knife would the receiver most want.
 
Man, you guys are good! Getting right down to the nitty gritty specifics and brass tacks--okay, he's a biology/ecology professor and a plant guy. Very outdoorsy. We don't have any real rules about what we can carry on campus here because no one cares (I'm a philosophy professor, and I carry a pretty wide variety of things without issue, from a small WH to my sodbuster to bigger framelocks.) I think he would be more likely to carry something under the 4" frame size (so a 3 3/4" or 3 1/2" slip joint would be perfect).

He probably won't sharpen well himself, so it would be better if it stayed sharp longer. I imagine I'll have to assist him with sharpening, having seen another knife he has. That was partly the reason I was considering the S30V steel Buck. But if you all indicate that the GECs are at least as nicely made, then I'll look in that direction for sure. The Case back pocket was a contender, but I think it's just a bit big for a comfortable EDC.

DJK
 
Another point is what sort of blade? Clip, Spear, Wharncliffe?

I'd suggest a Wharncliffe here. Why? It's unusual&looks good but if your friend is a Biologist etc this is a useful pointy thin blade for sampling things. It slices well. it's very easy to sharpen!

Consider a GEC 55 Houndstooth (Wharncliffe version not Spear) say. It's compact and slim enough (3.5" approx) for pocket carry, looks special and is quality. Another GEC Wharncliffe to consider is the 57 Half Whitt, Wharncliffe/Pen blades on single spring so remains compact too.

Not so sure about the Bullnose, could be a bit big&heavy in the pocket, rugged knife mind.

Just my thoughts, Will
 
My Grandfather gave me a Barlow, and as I remember he went with a 3 bladed (Stockman). I was just on GEC's site and they have an offering called the Buckaroo in the new 2013 line up (sweet), lots of cool knives there though.
 
expwmbat said:
...he's a biology/ecology professor and a plant guy. Very outdoorsy. We don't have any real rules about what we can carry on campus here because no one cares ... I think he would be more likely to carry something under the 4" frame size (so a 3 3/4" or 3 1/2" slip joint would be perfect).

He probably won't sharpen well himself, so it would be better if it stayed sharp longer. I imagine I'll have to assist him with sharpening, having seen another knife he has. That was partly the reason I was considering the S30V steel Buck. But if you all indicate that the GECs are at least as nicely made, then I'll look in that direction for sure. The Case back pocket was a contender, but I think it's just a bit big for a comfortable EDC.

DJK
Click to expand...

i dont think i have anything helpful to say about selecting a knife. my taste runs towards things like douk douks and peasant knives and opinels and the like. excellent working knives but not what i would pick to commemorate once-in-a-lifetime landmark events like births (or trips to borneo).

what i *do* suggest is getting the guy a regular, old style knife steel that is relatively easy to sharpen. and get a nice pocket hone of some sort to go with it, perhaps with some sort of compact 'field case'. re-profile the knife yourself if it needs it so that it is very very easy to sharpen and then show your friend what to do.
it just seems that if your friend likes borrowing your extremely sharp knives then helping him be able to get *his* knife sharp would be the real gift.
 
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