looking for a new knife.

[maxama10]

Lovelock is about 90 miles east of Reno on I-80. Geographically north of reno though, I suppose.

We basically have to travel to Reno all the time to do anything though, because Lovelock blows and has about 2800 people.

[Smoothice]

Lovelock is about 90 miles east of Reno on I-80. Geographically north of reno though, I suppose.

We basically have to travel to Reno all the time to do anything though, because Lovelock blows and has about 2800 people.

I was born and raised in Tahoe. So same boat as you. Anything fun and exciting was in Reno. I think my high School may have gone to Lovelock for some soccer games. It sounds very familiar at least.

[druid]

I didn't bother reading this whole thread.

So if somebody else has suggested this then please ignore.

But this is the greatest knife you will ever own.

http://www.belt-buckle-knife.com/

It is always where you need it and its fashionable.

I have had the same one for about 8 years. Use it everyday.

You can get them in left and right handed models.

and be aware that some State and Local laws...like mine and my Department...consider it and charge you accordingly, for a "concealed..." and "prohibited, offensive weapon." Of course this is NOT every State or Municipal jurisdiction...but you should ask before getting caught up in something you can't recover from. Same goes for knives carried like the KA*BAR as mentioned above...anything over a 3.25" fixed or folded blade normally gets 1-3 years around here (even if used in self defense) just for possession of it in a confrontation.

[NoLifeLeft]

Kershaw is a fantastic knife and a great company too. My original Kershaw finally had the spring assist give out after many years of daily use. Long story short: I had the replacment spring and a spare in my hands free of charge in less than a week with only a phone call. Best customer service i have ever recieved from any company. They're the only knives i carry now.

[Smoothice]

and be aware that some State and Local laws...like mine and my Department...consider it and charge you accordingly, for a "concealed..." and "prohibited, offensive weapon." Of course this is NOT every State or Municipal jurisdiction...but you should ask before getting caught up in something you can't recover from. Same goes for knives carried like the KA*BAR as mentioned above...anything over a 3.25" fixed or folded blade normally gets 1-3 years around here (even if used in self defense) just for possession of it in a confrontation.

agreed. I think they have some information on the website about that.

[drg]

I didn't bother reading this whole thread.

So if somebody else has suggested this then please ignore.

But this is the greatest knife you will ever own.

http://www.belt-buckle-knife.com/

It is always where you need it and its fashionable.

I have had the same one for about 8 years. Use it everyday.

You can get them in left and right handed models.

i don't mean to be a naysayer, but a belt buckle knife is no more handy than a pocket knife with a clip, and I daresay something designed to be a belt buckle will have more design compromises than one that is not. that said if it works for oyu, it's certainly an option.

while we are expanding horizons, the OP might look into neck knives as well.

But to reinforce -- know your local laws and the laws of places you travel to!!!

[Ratt]

SPYDERCO!!! I have been in the Navy for 15 years, and for the past 12 years I have carried one form of a Spyderco or another. I was sold the first time I held one and used it. Since then, I have refused to spend my money on any other knife. Spyderco has so many handles, blades, and metals to choose from. They have a knife for EVERY job. The Byrd series of Spydercos are great. I have 3 or 4 of those. When we do boarding operations, I carry a Spyderco Civilian. It is a sick-looking knife. www.knivesplus.com is having a pretty good sale right now. Check out the Byrd Cara-Cara straight-edge. It's a really good knife at a really low price (that is the knife I carry on a daily basis on the ship). And get a Lansky knife sharpener. I strongly feel they are the best sharpeners out there (even better than the Spyderco sharpener!) That's my .02 worth.

[gam-e]

Edit: Look into the <b>Boker</b> knives. I've never owned one but I have heard good things about them and I still want one.

I love bokers, but more than brand I tend to look into the steel the knife is made with. I tend to lean towards German solingen steel. Might could check into layered damascus stell as well as it is very durable.

Dion

[drg]

I love bokers, but more than brand I tend to look into the steel the knife is made with. I tend to lean towards German solingen steel. Might could check into layered damascus stell as well as it is very durable.

Dion

I hate to be a naysayer but this is not really good advice. I mean checking into the steels is a good idea, however the steels you have listed are ... not really good recommendations for pocket knives. Especially damascus, I would recommend staying away from damascus steel for user knives unless you really like the looks of it. The premium is just too high and there is no performance advantage. Most damascus steels are not created with performance in mind anyway.

As for Solingen-sourced steels, that's not really a specific type of steel but a steelmaking region in Germany. Most high-end pocket knives I have seen do not use German-sourced steels (other than Boker), but regardless you would want to judge the specific steel rather than its area of origin.

[PumpPlayer]

Steel grade only tells you what the knife may be capable of. The forging process, temper and other treatments are far more important than the alloy.

Even the one dollar bargain-bin knives are all at least 440 (though usually without a carbon content designation). They suck not because of the steel but because they're completely untempered. You can make a fine blade out of 440 but those suckers in the bin ain't them.


The reason why steels like D2 or S-series or VG- are so great isn't because the steel itself is somehow miraculous but because the composition of the steels allows them to take and retain a superior temper. You can temper a VG- steel up to about 65 RB hardness and still have it remain durable (won't chip/crack when used). Most knife companies will temper up to about 62, 63 RB. Compare that to a common 440C steel where the upper limit on hardness is about 50-55 RB before it becomes too brittle to actually use.

Some steels are special purpose like those intended for marine environments. There, you have to sacrifice some edge properties in order to get corrosion resistance. Impact tools like hatchets, etc. also need a different steel and generally go for a relatively "soft" plain carbon steel to get increaded durability and tool life.


But for a pocket knife which has only one purpose - cutting things by hand - your best bet is to go for a medium to high hardness steel/temper with good durability from a solid, reputable manufacturer.

FWIW, the vast majority of these companies use American, Japanese, Australian and some French steels depending upon alloy and purpose.

[drg]

What you say is true for lower-end steels like 440, but in general higher-end steels, VG10, S30V, CPM154 and what have you, are only used in knives by makers who have excellent heat treat/tempering. In general you won't go wrong with one of the higher end steels, although, as you said, the temper and heat treat are important.

That said, it is not true that, as you imply, all tool steels are the same except for their ability to be treated/tempered to different levels. The steel alloy itself has important properties for various considerations, such as stain resistance, grain structure, etc.

[LoonWulf]

my vote is JAPAN made spyderco, The biger kine in the picture was my moms before it was mine, its used every day on alot of things it prbobly shouldnt be, ive cut braided steel wire with it, and if youll notice i DID bust the tip of last night poping a snaped tap out of a 3way shaft. I agree that they are brittle, but honestly id rather have a blade that was so hard as to break before it would bend. The down side is that this one is heavy, so i tried a a smaller liter US made spyderco that wasnt nearly as good as this big endura, i ended up giving it away.

I also like Kershaw and that leek is a good size for carrying around (i normaly carry 2 of the in the picture, some times all of them), its got assited opening so its basicly a legal switch blade, and its blade keeps its edge almost as good as the Endura

blade materials on the 3 are
AUS6 stainless for the spyderco
i dunno for the Kershaw
and good old 440 "surgical" for my...um...hey its a FROST