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

The reputation of a company should reflect the quality and consistency of their heat treatment/tempering. When quality control slips less reliable knives get onto the market. I had one recently from a well known manufacturer. I was surprised at how easily the tip broke, although I was abusing it horribly at the time. I once did destruction tests on a whole series of knives to get an idea of what would fail how during extra hard use. Many of us consider a knife to be more that a cutting tool at times.

Full tang with exposed metal touching the hand can be uncomfortable in very cold weather. It's the extreme situations that weed out the ill-prepared. If the extra coldness of an exposed metal full tang prevented use of the knife you'd be very pleased to have a more traditional style. This is a traditional knife suitable for use in cold weather. They are also available in much larger sizes.


The higher value of steel in the past along with available handle materials and fixing methods made stick tangs the obvious choice. I think there is more to it than that. When using a knife every day as part of your lifestyle the extra bit of flexibility offered by the stick tang helps prevent repetitive strain injuries. Learning from those around you in a traditional lifestyle teaches sensible use of the knife within it's strength limitations.


Handle and blade shape and size varies according to the main use of the knife. The old saying is, 'The best knife is the one you have with you'. The one you will have with you is the one you feel comfortable with. That will be partly down to size and weight. Wearing a heavy knife on your waist will adversely affect the way you walk.

Handle material will have a big effect on how you feel about the knife. For occasional use synthetics are fine. I like a grippy rubber handle for safe, short term use. Friction is what makes it grippy. Friction means heat. Heat means blisters. A well designed handle will be suitable for longer term use without having to be rough or grippy. Golden rule. Stop before you get tired. A serious cut far from home is no fun.

If you are living with your knife day in, day out, you will probably find a handle made from natural materials will feel better. I suspect this is something to do with our own electrical fields. A natural material will feel friendlier. On an expedition by all means use a synthetic handle. For living the life choose natural.

Folding knives deserve a mention. The Opinel is a good dry weather folder. I don't trust the stainless versions, I had one that broke with the slightest pressure. The carbon versions take a fantastic edge and come in many sizes. They're lightweight and have a pleasant handle. Sensible use avoids snapping the blade. If the handle gets soaked it swells and the knife is almost impossible to open. I still remember the shock that gave me one very wet, cold afternoon far from civilisation. I stopped to light a fire. When it came to preparing some dry shavings and the knife wouldn't open I was terribly aware of my predicament. After a lot of tapping on a rock I got it open. I was a fool to rely on one lightweight folder.

A folder made by Trevor Ablett of Sheffield took the best edge of any knife I've owned. Looking up his name I'm sorry to see he's not well, and shocked to see he's started using stainless!

Chinese folders are now excellent value for money. Chinese activists who visited my town advised against buying Chinese goods because you're contributing to slavery. There have to be reasons for the very low cost of Chinese knives.

I prefer a Spyderco for a back-up folder. For main use, carbon steel, natural handle.

I don't have a lot of knives.

I bought a bowie at a yard sale several years ago...three decades,actually. I paid seventy-five cents for it, and it's travelled the northwoods of Alaska with me. It's helped start campfires. It's dressed out deer. It's about a half inch or so shorter than it once was... It's been abused/used. It's hand made by someone who knew what they were doing, holds an edge like no ones business, is well balanced. It's my go to blade for heavy duty use.

Another I carry is a knife my dad made from an old file when he was a kid. I need to sharpen it fairly often, but its conveniently sized, and fits into my BOB quite nicely along with my folding saw.

My knife that I'm never without is a Swiss Army pocket knife that I bought on a whim when I was a kid. I love it. It cuts everything I need it to when in camp, and many, many other things.

Nothin' very fancy, in fact my two fave knives are hand made.

I've found that yard sales, if you know what you're looking at, can yield up remarkable treasures where knives are concerned.

For me and probably in this order
Steel quality
Manufacture method
Blade shape, right tool for the right job
Comfort ergonomics and balance
Manufacturer

For simplicity of point ask a butcher or a chef if a knife is a knife

The finest blade I ever had cost £50 (I dunno$ 70-80)

Love the gutter with the filet blade and reverse half serrated

a reply to: semperfortis

As long as I can gut and skin a deer with it, it's fine by me. That said, I have a few that I wouldn't take into the field. They may be cool looking but I don't think they'd stand up to the kind of use and abuse I'd put them through.

originally posted by: Maxatoria
should give some idea of the effort that goes in when doing a proper hand made job

I looked at your avatar and didn't notice the word 'made' in that sentence....

anyway, cool video. Thanks

sagebladesSomebody started a thread a while ago about these amazing knives: www.sageblades.com

I really want one!!
But they are pricey...

a reply to: coastlinekid

You're not kiddin'! Those are some spectacular blades, but no way am I paying that much money for a blade that isn't going to be head and shoulders above others a third of the price.

Nice looking though, I'll say that for 'em.

a reply to: seagull

They look like Hipster blades to me...give me function over 'style' any day.

Anyway, interesting thread.

a reply to: semperfortis

i think its all in the user for me a use 2 kmives a crkt d007 razell when i am in the bush or camping and a gerber fixed blade from the bear grylls collection from wally mart both are very sharp and do good jobs cutting through most things i obly use fixed blades and recommend anybody buying a vamp knife to make sure it has a full tang construction

a reply to: semperfortis
Wish I found this thread when it was active.

But ya! 1095 is far from a bad steel, and its been around forever, I would say you cant go wrong with any knife made out of 1095. Unless off course its just made badly. In which case no matter what steel there made of, they will suck. Being high carbon they will rust, so for every up side there is a downside, no matter the steel.

And stainless knifes? Well they do and can hold an edge longer and better then 1095, 440 would make just as good a knife as 1095, but 440C due to the higher carbon content would be better, most especially for survival or bushcraft type knifes, or pretty much whatever you would want to do with them.

Steels like 1095 1070 and the others, have literally been around since the dark ages, in one form or another. And even steels most knifes on the market that are popular like A2 and D2 and other air hardening steels, have been around since ww2. Or at least D2 was around since then, not to sure about A2, but not long since.

And really there is only once advantage that modern steels would have over steels like 1095, and that is for all intensive purposes, being a whole lot less prone to rust. But if you take care of your knife, or have a patina or coat on it, even if you dont, over time if taken care of, it will develop a patina on high carbon steels, over long use and time. Making them a whole lot more rust proof.

Not exactly stainless steel even with a aged patina, but close enough. As for more modern steels like Elmax - M390-3V and all the others. I cant say its unwarranted as things do evolve. But in a real world situation, for something that would do what a knives is supposed to do.

Well a knive in 1095 would do all that and more.

In fact I would say that if your stuck on a desert island, or out in the jungle and for a long period of time. A knife in 1095 or 1080 or any the other 10 series would serve you better. Simply because there much easier to sharpen then more modern steels, you can literally do it with river stones if you have to, or a coffee cup or whatever is lying around.

More modern steels while having the advantage of being stainless. Well! some of them while they would hold an edge a lot longer, they will eventually go dull after use no matter what or how though or high of a edge holding it has.

And due to the high content of chromium and Vanadium and whatever else more modern steels are composed of, well makes for harder steel but also harder to sharpen. If in the higher RCs would only be able to sharpen with anything but something harder then the knife steel, so river rocks or coffee cups wont do it, you would need something like diamond sharpeners on you, or a belt grinder, when you get stranded in said island or woods.

Or at least you can try it, and it can be done, but poorly, and it would literally take all day.

In the end, just get what you like in whatever shape and form you like in whatever steel you like, and it all works, if it works for you. Not the other way around.