YOUR perfect knife?

marthinus

marthinus

Joined
Dec 10, 2006
Messages
5,956
What is your perfect knife? I mean from tipe of material for the blade, edge grind, material used for the lock up etc. Fixed blades also considered.

Example. I like the following in a knife:

Blade style: Tanto, Clip point, Drop point. (In that order)
Blade Hardness: 56-58 hrc. (I find this to be the best souted for me. Easy to sharpen, holds a good edge. A blade that is a bid dull is better than a blade to hard and breaks in two peaces!!!)
Blade material: AUS6-Aus8
Blade grind: For normal EDC use, V-Grind. When out and about: Chisel grind

Handle material: G10 prefered or a handle shape that I feel comftorble with
Handle style: Thin and broud, not thick and bulcky. Do not want to look as if I have a sidearm in my pocket.
Point up carry when closed and has a pocket clip.

Lock mechanism: Axis, Liner, lock back
Lock material: Titanium if liner

So far I am happy with my Kershaws, my good ald trusforthy Swiss army knife and my CRKT M16-14LE. I have used and abused my knives threw my years and I am happy. Would like to own a Emerson Comander, but they are WAY to expensive in South Africa.

This is what I like in a pocket knife and this will obviously differ from other people, but I would like to know what is YOUR charateristics of the perfect knife!:)
 
Fixed Blade

Overall length: ~16"
Blade length: ~11"
Blade style: double edged spear point, top edge fully serrated (and beveled on both sides)
Blade Hardness: HRC 60
Blade material: 1095 with DLC coating
Blade grind: flat
Handle material: G10 with some sort of grip tape inlay, similar to the MOD CQD Mark V
Handle design: tubular with finger ridges
Pommel: heavy pommel (good for hammering) with hardware for mounting the knife as a bayonet on an AR15 rifle
Guard: integral single guard, similar to one of the striker hilts of the Mark V (great for prying)

Alas, my perfect knife is turning out to just be the mutant bastard child of the M7 bayonet and the MOD Mark V.

It's a bayonet/large dagger that can saw, pry and hammer.
 
i think i recently found mine !:D

Blade style: sebenza look-a-like
Blade Hardness: don't care... if it's easy to sharpen, cause i like it!
Blade material: i like VG-10, but i found good one in 440C, etc..
Blade grind: V-Grind

Handle material: G10 or aluminium

important points:
1) need to have a clip
2) need to be light
3) opening should be "smooooth"

I don't care for the lock, but i prefer it, "one-hand-opener"

if you do some search with "Burger" knife on this forum, you'll find my perfect knife :D
 
It's hard to say. Right now the Kershaw Spec Bump is my favorite because of its ergonomics, blade shape and lock.

That being said, the Spec Bump fails to meet many of my expectations for 'The Perfect Knife'.

In my perfect world:
*All metal parts except the blade should be made of titanium instead of SS.
* Blade would be of S90V instead of S30V.
* Blade would be zero flat ground from edge to spine, instead of the extra angle creating a false edge on the Spec Bump.
*The "decorative" speed holes on the Spec Bump are something I could do without. But I put up with them only because, taken as a whole, this folder is the best thing going now from this viewpoint.
*It would have 'deep pockets' clip.

It's an almost invariable rule one has to make compromises when buying production knives. The same goes, to a lesser extent, even with production knives. Most makers use their own materials and construction methods and if one wants to pay the $$$ for product, there are things that have to be overlooked.
 
What I could say and what I use are sometimes not in sync with each other. I find myself using my own D2 lock back that I made as a prototype to send to Sal for a new Spyderco model more than anything else. Its flat ground thin, like down to .024 at the point right above the edge bevel and keeps a very good edge, is light weight, has ample handle and leverage and a very secure reliable lock. To me any knife that fits those desirables is as near perfect as you can get one. I like a good point also on my knives for splinter picking and poking or penetrating well, and just a touch of upsweep toward the tip even on my Wharncliff style blades. Something with a choil to choke up on the handle for detailed point work is a plus also.

STR
 
My perfect folding knife:
Blade Style: Drop point or clip point, full flat ground or close. (1/8" - 5/32" thick)
Blade Hardness: ~60 I guess
Blade Steel: VG-10 or S30V, both have worked well for me.
Handle Material: G10 or Titanium if a framelock
Style: Thin
Lock: If it's Benchmade: axis lock, if it's Spyderco: compression lock, generally I like framelocks though I prefer grippy material to a bare metal handle.

Perfect fixed blade:
Blade Style: Full flat ground Bowie (1/4" - 5/16" thick, ~9" blade) with finger choil.
Hardness: 58-60
Steel: Only had experience with 1095 and Carbon V as far as carbon steels go. They're both decent, though I'd like to try 5160. No stainless here.
Handle Material: Micarta
Handle Style: Plain straight handle that tapers out a little at the end with an oval brass guard.
 
My perfect knife:Blade finish..... Plainedge, satin finish
blade length..... 3.5"
blade thickness...... 125"
handle length..... 4.5"
handle material..... G-10
blade material..... 154CM
locking mechanism ..... Auto or liner lock
The closest I've found is the Benchmade 814 Mini-AvancedFoldingCombatKnife
and the Microtech UMS/UDT.
 
Blade Style: Persian, Clip Point, Spear point
Blade Steel: INFI, D-2, A-2, ATS-34, all properly heat treated
Lock Type: Axis type is way above any other, then lock back
Handle: G-10, Micarta
Blade Size: 4" to 3.75"
Carry syle: deep pocket clip in black

Right now my BM 710 is pretty close but I like the handle shape on my Buck/Stridder 882 a little better due to the deep finger grooves. However the 882 has a liner lock that tears up my thumb when disengaging. My Cold Steel Black Sable has a great handle and blade but it opens a little stiff (although it is new and is getting smoother every week). The one thing I don't like is the mirror polished blade as it gets smudged constantly and is a pain to keep clean. also it is quite heavy. I've got an Ontario Bossum Retribution II coming in the mail and can't wait to get it and see how it measures up. Then I'd like to get a Spyderco Keating Chinook as it looks good.:D :D
 
My "ideal" knife would have to be a custom, but it's a very traditional thought, not any of the new synthetic/liner lock/pocket clip variety. I'd want a knife like the 5-1/4'' slipjoint folding hunter pattern, such as the Queen 39 or Case 65, except scaled down to 4-3/8'' to 4-1/2'' long. Make it stag or maybe green bone like an old Case, and with stainless liners, bolsters and shield like many of the custom slipjoints by builders like Bose or Tomes. Any really good stainless in the blades hardened to 58 or better, 154 CPM, S30V, ATS 34, even 12C27 or 440C, I wouldn't be subjecting the knife to brutality, just common gentle everyday usage and for small game hunting purposes. Flat ground blades with high polish finish, and long pull instead of short nail nicks on both blades.

I like the 5-1/4'' folding hunter, but it's a bit large for small game. I also like the European style "large copperhead", which to me looks just like a folding hunter scaled to 3-3/4", which is a tad on the small side. 4-1/2'' would be about the size of a large jackknife like the Queen 28, or about like the Case 111-1/2 or 211-1/2 size knife. Bigger than a trapper, smaller than the hunter, just right like Goldilocks was looking for. :p The Queen 28 farmers jack ain't bad, I've got one of them, really like it. Wouldn't mind finding a Case 6211-1/2, like the "Cheetah, but two blades and slipjointed. Don't believe that one has been made in many many years. :(
 
I'd want a 3.5 inch, flat ground modified leaf style blade in CPM 125V, or 15V, or T1. The grip would be a fairly stoutly constructed Titanium frame lock about an inch and a half longer than the blade, with about 3 finger grooves.

The edge geometry would be thin as I damn sure wouldn't be chopping or prying with it. I want a slicer, pure and simple with decent penetration capabilities secondary.I'd want decently high RC for the steel, not too low for ease of production. I can sharpen anything on my diamonds.

The Spyderco R2 has a blade shape that is close to perfect for me. Joe
 
here goes
Blade style: Spear point, Tanto, Recurve
Blade Hardness: 58-61 hrc.
Blade Length : 3.5" + or -
Blade material: S30v, Ats-34, Bg-42
Blade Finish : tiger stripes a +. TiNi, bead blasted, satin.
Blade grind: not chisel. anything but that. compound grinds a +.
Handle material: G10 and Ti
Handle style: ergonomic and kinda bulky, i like something i can grip well. choils a +.
Point up or point down doesnt matter so much but pocket clip is a must!
Lock mechanism: Framelock, Liner Lock, noooooo lockbacks.
Lock material: Titanium a definite plus

Edit to add blade length.
 
I would quibble and say I'd need two perfect knives: a folder and a fixed blade.

The folder is fairly simple in design - drop point BG-42 blade of 3.5 inches, hollow ground and stone washed finish. Titanium handle slabs sporting a stout frame lock and nice carry clip. Sound familiar?

The fixed blade - Well, if I have a 3.5 inch folder I don't need a small fixed blade so I would go with something larger for camp and all around work. It would have an 8 inch blade, full flat grind with a convex edge, slightly tapered micarta slabbed handle with pommel at the end. The steel would be INFI. I can go with either a coated or satin finish on the blade. Anyone know where I might find one like this? ;)
 
I would imagine that a lot of us at this forum are in search of that "perfect" knife. We think we find it with the newest acquisition only to discover, within a week or two, that this is not the perfect knife we sought and then the hunt goes on. I have several knives that have perfect parts but not the entire knife.
The sebenza I have has come the closest, but I would like to see it built as a heavier knife. I talked with Pat Crawford this morning and switched an order from a large Wortac to one of his new Marauders. The handle on this one has the best shape I've seen in a long time and I look forward to handling this one come Christmas morning. It also has a nice pointy blade that I like. It is a linerlock, but I've had good experiences with Pat's linerlocks so I suspect this one will be right on the money. But will it be the perfect knife? For a while I suspect it will, at least until that next "perfect" knife catches my eye!
 
Sorry, my intention was to start another thread, Marthinus, not hijack yours.
Just posted it and fixed things.
 
The Last Confederate said:
No, I didn't know they made a 730 ARES in M2 that would be sweet!



The ergonomics, it's like they used a mold of my hand to shape the handle on the 730 ARES series.
Click to expand...

Second that. The ergos are quite sweet on the 730. Sadly, the knife is no longer produced. I've never handled the 710 so I can't give you an opinion of one vs. the other, but of all the folders I have handled, the 730 is tops. :thumbup:

BTW, the M2 LE version came with a carbon fiber handle, which made it even sweeter!
 
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