Work Knife

N

ncpat

Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
9
I have found as close to the perfect work knife as I can for my trade. I am an electrician.

The Klein 44004 is lightweight, well made & easily sharpened. 10-20 strokes with a "knuckle" sharpener gets a keen edge. Nylon/rubber handle easy to grip wet or dry. The sheep's foot blade is just the right curve for slitting cable or skinning larger wire. Lots of guys used to use hawk bills but I found them unwieldy & heavy. I think it is a high carbon SS blade so sharpens easily but does not rust. This is a lock blade with a thumb notch, easy to open with one hand and stays open well. Klein makes the same knife with drop point blades that are good general purpose knives.

Only drawback. Blade is very fragile for any bending. I learned the hard way (twice) not to use it to pry anything. It will break. However, I have a broken one that I am going to grind the shape back onto and still have a useable knife.

$25-30 at electrical supply houses. I have not seen it sold anywhere else. They sell a wide variety of other knives as well if anyone is searching for a good work knife. I also had a 44007 which was a good knife if one likes a straighter blade and metal handle. It also has a pocket clip.

See them at www.service.kleintools.com.
 
I am in HVAC and my current work knife is a Kershaw Select Fire. Good blade with a 1/4 inch bit holder that swings out and stores 4 bits in the handle.

I use a lot of Klein tools though and really like most of them.
 
I'm a huge fan of Klein tools and own their strippers, cutters, and pliers. But their knives seem flimsy and cheap to me, although I admit to never using one. Where are their knives made?

For electrical work I prefer a small fixed blade, something that doesn't need to be opened or closed, and that won't close on my fingers. For less money than the Klein knife and made with better steel,
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Celtic, I have heard of Kershaw but don't recall seeing them. I will have to read up on them. How do you like the Milwaukee duct knife I have seen on shelves? Klein makes one too. I also used to see a lot of HVAC guys use a long filet knife for insulation and foam tubing. Have you tried those?
 
ncpat said:
Celtic, I have heard of Kershaw but don't recall seeing them. I will have to read up on them. How do you like the Milwaukee duct knife I have seen on shelves? Klein makes one too. I also used to see a lot of HVAC guys use a long filet knife for insulation and foam tubing. Have you tried those?
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I haven't used the duct knives actually. I use a standard razor knife with a linoleum blade for cutting the ductboard and find scissors work best for most insulation.
 
My brother has a Klein knife. It was made in Japan. I don't have any steel data on it.
I saw a Klein sheepsfoot knife at an other local pawn shop. The blister pack said it was AUS-8A.
 
Im a Carpenter by trade but now I do mostly remodeling and new home construction and I have been using the Jason Brous SS in the warn cliff V1 style. But due in next week is a custom Jon Graham Stubby Razelcliffe in CPM 154 with a pocket sheath. Its a Flat style razor grind with a chisel tip. I have been leaning towards smaller fixed blades lately for my work knife. Jon Graham also has a line that he does with CRKT that look good to if you don't want to spend the money for a custom. I also carry a Strider SMF from time to time as my work knife, and I have a DPX hest 2.0 on the dash of my Work van.
 
I'm a skydiving instructor. I carry a Spyderco Pacific Salt in H1 everyday. It never rusts next to my sweaty skin.

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Damage from batonning with cinder block (I know)
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When working at my family's ranch, I've settled for some sort of plastic handled Mora with a carbon steel blade. Lately it's been this Hultafors HVK combined with a Leatherman ST300 (plus the ratchet and bits from my SwissTool).

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When I was working over the summer, I carried around a S&W Oaisis because I would care what happened to it, and I didn't know any better :o. The Enlan I bought will probably replace it.
 
9blades said:
Still not a good idea but, it is a testament to quality of spyderco knives..
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I agree lol. I had to clear a tree from the side of our runway that got too tall and it's all I had available.
 
Celtic, I just saw the Kershaw 3115BT on their site. That looks like a good knife. It has a similar blade to a metal Klein I used to have. While that is their only work model I see that I could use, I like a lot of what they show. For any general use, you could just about pick one for every day of the week.

Whether I worked trades or office, I always kept a knife. I usually had some mid sized pocket knife, had a few to choose from. When I wore suits, I used a very small Old Timer that did well in the pocket of slacks & suit pants. I used a knife in the office nearly as much as anywhere else. Opening mail or packages, clearing paper jams in copiers, etc. I kept 1 blade sharp enough to cut out newspaper articles if my scissors were not close by.

I returned to trades in the 90's and met a lot of kids who didn't carry a knife of any sort. I scolded a lot of them, told them a knife is the most basic tool of any trade. Some of them had been brainwashed into thinking they were evil, I guess.
 
Just unboxed my new work knife. Custom Jon Graham Stubby razel in CPM 154 Black /Orange G-10 with acid washed blade.
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I have a cheap lock blade razor knife here.
Got it as a gift some years back.
It is just swell.
Use it abuse it then change the blade:)
 
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