Why are "tacticals" so much money?

I asked a different question... Why can't I find a premium steel in a multi-bladed slip joint?

I was told about Queen D2, which comes sharp as a marble and needs to be reprofiled with a diamond stone… for a long time. I think we share an answer, the newer steels used in the tacticals are expensive and hard mass produce (hence $$$).

When I have to spend +$400 for a slip joint in S30V (going through a custom maker), suddenly the ‘tacticals’ in S30V or ZPD suddenly look like a good value.

Did I mention I want a multi-bladed S30V slip joint for under $100. Help me.

-Mat
 
You're SOL on the S30V, but look once more to Queen, who happens to sell some ATS 34 models. Most of the "File & Wire Tested" series is mirror polished ATS 34. There's been sunfishes, toothpicks, lockback jumbo trappers, two blade jumbo trappers (like the Rem. 1123), stockmans, English jacks, and buncha other patterns. Look over at the Queen forum on Knifeforums, Bill Horn from Cumberland Knife Works has posted pictures of all of them. I have one of the series three F&W Mountain Man lockbacks, and the ATS 34 blade was very well profiled and quite sharp right out of the box.

BTW, regarding reprofiling and sharpening the D2 Queens, with the right hones, it doesn't take a long time. With conventional gear that is made for sharpening softer steels, it can take forever, BUT if you start with coarse diamond, then medium and fine, then polish it up with the fine and extra fine normal hones, it takes only a short time. I did a 39 CSB folding hunter and a CSB 92 fixed blade both in one night while sitting here reading the forum. Just think of it this way, hard steel takes hard honing material. What worked on 1095 or 420HC at 54-56 RC is not good on 60 RC D2. Diamonds = speed.

Case has a few select patterns floating about in ATS 34, but be prepared to faint when you see the pricing! :eek: EDIT to add, look over on CaseXX.com, Shephard Hills had some of the Cattaraugus ATS34 trappers here a while back down to $110, might have some left.
 
1095 alloy blades are better than most super alloys. You sometimes find that in a traditional folder, but never in a high-tech wonder knife. I would rather have old Solingen carbon steel in a stockman blade than any fancy alloy. The fancy stainless is too brittle for the thin and narrow profile of a classic pocket knife.

I wonder if we could talk Sal into making a 1095 Calypso Junior?
 
On the issue of "Tactical vs. Traditional" I thought the traditional fans would enjoy this post by Yablanowitz from another thread. Just shows, it's not a matter of performance vs. aesthetics as many tend to argue:

"I was using the small blade on a Benchmade Switchback to cut silicone caulk off the edge of ceramic tiles by the bathtub in one of our apartments, and the blade snapped right off. I wasn't prying, chopping, batoning or anything else, just cutting caulk when it went. When I contacted BM about it, they volunteered to replace the blade at no charge, but advised me that it was not suitable for such "heavy duty cutting tasks"

I finished the job with a Case Wharncliffe Mini-Copperhead with a main blade of nearly identical dimensions to the BM that broke.

I didn't bother getting the decorative blade on the BM replaced, and I don't carry their knives anymore."
 
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