A Knife is a Knife is a Knife.. Isn't it?

A Knife is a Knife is a Knife

I have been thinking lately about what a lot of people have told me over the years about knives.

1. Never short change yourself on a knife
2. Always spend the bulk of your money on a good knife and boots
3. Never trust a cheap knife

I will admit I have always thought there was much truth in all of this.

BUT IS THERE?

Steel:
1095 : This is the steel most top knife makers trust. High Carbon, takes a razor edge and holds it, yet not so hard as to be brittle or too dense as to be impractical for field sharpening.
1075 : A little softer than 1095, still great field quality and actually much easier to sharpen in the field.
420 Stainless : While this steel will never hold the edge as well as 1095, the stainless quality makes it a good choice for those around salt water or those just too lazy to care for 1095.

Yes, yes I know there are a myriad of other types, but let’s face it, these are the most common and for all intents and purposes, probably the best. Either way, it serves to illustrate my point and is not the true purpose of this treatise.
*From here on let us consider “1095” as whatever steel YOU think is best for the purpose of this paper.

Questions:

What is more important to you when buying a knife considering only 1095 steel? Maker/Manufacturer or Shape?
Does it matter whose name is affixed to the blade? Or is the shape of the knife so that it is comfortable and will perform as needed the most important? I hope if your survival attitude is one of practicality, you answered the second one.

It is all one big chunk of 1095 steel.

As a collector I have knives that cost a thousand dollars and knives that cost 4 dollars. The quality and design of my knives are as varied as the inspiration and imagination of those who designed them.
Yet one thing holds true.
All of my 1095 knives will serve me well in the field as per their design characteristics. Large/Medium/Small, they all have their place.



*(Other than to collect, I avoid and will not carry into the field “Trick” knives or other blades of strange shape/design. Just my personal preference)

****

I think what I am trying to say, and not doing so well, is if you choose a Shrade SCHxxx knife, made of good, solid 1095 and costs 40 dollars, it will serve you as well as a handmade knife of 1095 steel that costs 800 dollars. I just cannot see how that is not true.

I love my “Tops” knives.



But my Smith and Wesson collection is just as viable, usable and valuable in bush crafting and costs far less.

*Note: I am not being at all political and if you want to only buy American, good for you. That is not what this is about

In closing let me say this.

Buy a knife that is made of 1095, or some equivalent steel, make sure the shape fits your needs, that the handle is comfortable and it is of a size you need and you will be happy; no matter what it costs.

As always, THANK S FOR READING

Semper

I lived in Japan for 5 years and I became fascinated with how they make their steel for their swords. I think one day when I retire I might like to make a knife from iron to the finish product.

I'm surprised you didn't mention 440 steel with 440C in particular as a very common but good quality steel for knives.

For me a name does carry some weight but only as far as reputation of quality. Gerber was a fairly good name. They stood behind their product as did Buck. But then things changed as they lowered their standards. I hate to say "Chinesse knife". But many of the old big names did the same thing.

A1095 steel is a 1095 steel. But a consideration is full tang, rat trail tang, was there a weld point. I look for uniform thickness, angle of grind, comfort of use and the undefinable gut instinct that can be summed up as " Is this a good purchase for me? "

The initial out of the box sharpness isn't really a selling point as I can take an old pocket hone and put a serviceable edge to just about anything. Even an old bill hook carpet knife that is nearly as dull as the spine can be made to breeze through shoe leather on a work boot in a few hours. And yeah, found that out the hard way but at least I did not cut my foot.

So for me, a knife is sorta a knife is a knife. But only if I feel comfortable with that knife for that particular need. Of course that can lead to arguments on drop point versus clip point or a curved trailing point which I like for some but not all tasks, which I know you don't really like at all.

a reply to: semperfortis

Just wrote a huge response and lost the post. But long story short I think the handle is the most critical then the steel quality then the blades shape lining up with what it's intended usage will be.

The handle probably has the most thought put into its design if it's a good knife and the design has been tested and vetted by many people competent with the blade. The handle dictates what your wrist will be able to do and that is one of the most determining factors as to what grips you'll be able to do and what assortment of functions you'll be able to express or carryout with the blade.

Steel quality helps but so does not cutting any corners with construction as alluded to by another poster when discussing tang etc..

Lots of other stuff I wanted to touch on but for me the most important is the handle design.

I feel a nicely shaped lawn mower blade can handle everything i could ever throw at

Even though it's not a "knife," really, I got a broken machete on the back porch that proved it's worth by chipping and breaking... ($5)

There's another one beside it, that even though it's rusted cause a nephew left it outside, still performs well, in the same "test" the other one failed easily on... ($30)

There's a new reality competition show you should check out: "Forged in Fire." One of my fave shows now... Third episode was yesterday.

Get a good knife, would be my advice. OR get a BUNCH of bad ones, for when they break. Lol

Very pretty blades.
Thank you for sharing your collection, it's lovely.

Really, it has some to do with the composition of the metals used, but more to do with heat treating/tempering than anything.

You can easily make any steel brittle.

I have been collecting knives for years. I have worked in the top knife makers shops (Onion, Carson, Blackwood, Elieshewitz, Burke, Etc...) on numerous occasions. They all have their own way of working the steel.

While there are great manufacturers out there of the steels you mentioned, I can't say any of them would be my first choice.

I prefer S30V for daily carry, or 01 tool steel for the field and easy sharpening....01 can be stropped dry on a leather belt, back to hair popping sharp.

A company is not what I trust when it comes to knoves, the knife maker is. I know plenty that design for all the companies you have represented, but I can't think of a single one of the designers that actually has a knife from those companies that they carry.

On topic, Swamp Rat would be my likely choice for a "production" knife to use daily.

The Buckmaster and its copies i found can be exceptional knives if you slip a collar over the blade reminiscent of a Katana Habaki, then Tig welded to the guard front and back on blade and handle. that will resolve the thin blade going into through the guard and secure it permanently to the handle making it true full Tang

originally posted by: SPECULUM
The Buckmaster and its copies i found can be exceptional knives if you slip a collar over the blade reminiscent of a Katana Habaki, then Tig welded to the guard front and back on blade and handle. that will resolve the thin blade going into through the guard and secure it permanently to the handle making it true full Tang

Never, and I repeat, never buy a non-full tang knife.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: SPECULUM
The Buckmaster and its copies i found can be exceptional knives if you slip a collar over the blade reminiscent of a Katana Habaki, then Tig welded to the guard front and back on blade and handle. that will resolve the thin blade going into through the guard and secure it permanently to the handle making it true full Tang

Never, and I repeat, never buy a non-full tang knife.

I have because i thought them cool in design, but i found their flaws and modified to make them literally indestructible. even more so than a manufactured full tang. But that's only because i wanted them as a functional knife i could actually rely on and not just pretty..Lol

The issue with non-full tang blades is not the thin blade slipping though the handle. It is that they break much easier at the hilt than a full tang. Welding it to a thicker piece of steel won't help this issue at all. They break because of how they are made and tempered.

A full tang blade has a full temper well past the stopping point of the hilt/handle, and with the heat treat is is much more stable. With a non-full tang blade, the heat treat is typically done from the choil (start of visible blade) to the tip...the clamps hold the part that is inserted into the knife and either held in place by glue or a pin. This makes that particular piece of the blade very brittle compared to the rest.

a reply to: semperfortis

I have owned many cheap Knives.......Now I own a Chris Reeves Pacific and Chris Reeves Green Beret. I love them...........I seriously love them. For my folder I have a Benchmade Adamas......Like not love.



Best cheap knife I have owned Gerber LMF2.

Ahhhhh Blanket Statements...

I admit I will normally shy away from knives that are not full tang, I have found real life to be somewhat different..

1. USMC KaBar.... Rat Tailed
Saved MANY lives, (Yours truly included once while climbing).. I have used this knife in schools most people can only imagine and it functioned perfectly for this old STA Operative

2. Buck Buckmaster.. Hollow Handle
This knife was designed for the Navy SEALS and while they did not adopt it due to it's weight, the knife was tested by DOD and held up under conditions most humans would never experience unless they have experienced Spec Ops

Just 2 examples of how real life often does not imitate forum text...

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: semperfortis

I have owned many cheap Knives.......Now I own a Chris Reeves Pacific and Chris Reeves Green Beret. I love them...........I seriously love them. For my folder I have a Benchmade Adamas......Like not love.



Best cheap knife I have owned Gerber LMF2.

If you like Chris Reeve knives and want a really well made folder, try a sebenza or an Umfaan. I like your taste in fixed blades...

Chris Reeve is about as close to custom as you can get. More of what the industry calls a Mid-tech....mostly machined with some custom work.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: semperfortis

I have owned many cheap Knives.......Now I own a Chris Reeves Pacific and Chris Reeves Green Beret. I love them...........I seriously love them. For my folder I have a Benchmade Adamas......Like not love.



Best cheap knife I have owned Gerber LMF2.

If you like Chris Reeve knives and want a really well made folder, try a sebenza or an Umfaan. I like your taste in fixed blades...

Chris Reeve is about as close to custom as you can get. More of what the industry calls a Mid-tech....mostly machined with some custom work.

Ya I really wanted one......But after spending 600 US on the two fixed blades the wife slashed my folders budget. Hardcore hardware out of Australia make good stuff also I sold that to buy the pacific.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: semperfortis

I have owned many cheap Knives.......Now I own a Chris Reeves Pacific and Chris Reeves Green Beret. I love them...........I seriously love them. For my folder I have a Benchmade Adamas......Like not love.



Best cheap knife I have owned Gerber LMF2.

If you like Chris Reeve knives and want a really well made folder, try a sebenza or an Umfaan. I like your taste in fixed blades...

Chris Reeve is about as close to custom as you can get. More of what the industry calls a Mid-tech....mostly machined with some custom work.

Also I wanted to add before going to bed......Thanks for the info. I am not an expert on knives in the least and information like yours is the reason I was able to figure out what is good vs ok vs bad. Information is power and it also helps save hard earned money buying crappy stuff......Thanks again.

All they will know is me jumping out screaming ," meet my machete!"a reply to: japhrimu

I mean I gotta:

This is a BBC program showing a bladesmith making a goodly sized kitchen knife from scratch and should give some idea of the effort that goes in when doing a proper hand made job so you can see why when you order one your wallet screams