Knives: money money or not

[5MilesBack]

I’ll spend money to not have China stamped on the side

I've never seen a Chinese steel knife blade that will resharpen to shaving sharp. So they're not even an option from the start.

 

[Dented]

Sharpening isn't the grand myth it's often made out to be. The issue seems to be that there are so many ways to achieve the end result. This makes the real challenge trying different methods until you find the one that suits you personally. There are a couple of ways I just don't do well, but a couple others I can really nail.

Eww tubes is your friend in this arena.

 

[Obsessed1]

I've never seen a Chinese steel knife blade that will resharpen to shaving sharp. So they're not even an option from the start.

I have a few Chinese made edc folders in D2 that not only get hair popping sharp but also hold a good edge for much longer than many USA made knives within the same rough price range. I agree most are no good though

 

[jpadia]

I've never seen a Chinese steel knife blade that will resharpen to shaving sharp. So they're not even an option from the start.

Spydercos do, but they don't retain that sharpness very long. Life is too short for for those steels in my opinion though and they aren't an option for me either. Especially when there are much, much better options for not much more $.

 

[Dented]

I agree. I like the"super" steels. Touch them up regularly and you don't need to spend hours sharpening them.

Spydercos do, but they don't retain that sharpness very long. Life is too short for for those steels in my opinion though and they aren't an option for me either. Especially when there are much, much better options for not much more $.

To many good and great steel's now available to waste time with inferior products.

 

[Ross]

I have followed this to a tee for the last decade since I saw a havalon in use That being said this knife is cool looking and looks sell

Personally, I carry a fixed 4" blade S30V steel knife that I paid $30 for, and a Havalon that I also paid $30 for. I use the Havalon for skinning and caping, and the fixed blade mostly for everything else. I just try to keep everything as clean as possible. The S30V knife is still very sharp after a bull elk, and the Havalon gets a new blade for the next one.

 

[arlenmyles]

I'll bite.. I'm a knife nut as well as a gun nut... for me it's about finding something that doesnt just work but that works WELL.. I have AO in my hands and chronic tendonitis in my forearms from my career.. a poorly designed knife is so much harder to use as it requires different hand / wrist angles as well as just not being designed to utilize the full length of the blade... the more though put into grip ergos, blade ergos, grip to blade ergos, grind ect the better the knife will perform. Look at a mora for instance...great knife that will do the job, but its ergos are designed for bush craft not skinning. Most of the blade isn't even used while gutting or skinning because its designed for a different task. Other things like heat treat, steel type, play a big roll in higher priced knives as well.. I have no interest in wasting time sharpening when I should be disassembling a downed elk. Nor do I want to carry two knives if I can only cay one..
I liken it to axes. A cheap department store axe will chop a tree down. But a well designed properly built axe with detail taken to the overall design of what makes an axe chop well does the same job in way less time with way less effort. Until you use top notch gear it's hard to understand why a guy would spend $200 dollars on an axe when a $50 dollar axe will cut too unless your only ever going to cut one tree down...same as a knife until you use a well though out design made by a skilled craftsman built specifically for the task your trying to do, you'll be more than satisfied with a bargain knife especially if you dont use it a ton or often.. at the end of the day a broken bottle will gut, skin, and part out any deer ever born...most guys would rather use a knife.
As I 90% of the time do gutless for my use a knife has to "unzip" a hide, skin, and part out/ debone as well as not wear my hands arms out in the process as well as hold an edge for the whole duration of the job. I've never found a "cheap" knife meet those parameters.

Well on that note, what knives do you have and like!? Im a bit of a knife nut myself!

 

[Obsessed1]

Well on that note, what knives do you have and like!? Im a bit of a knife nut myself!

I went with a full custom made by a somewhat local builder here in Alberta. As I do gutless 90% of the time the knife is designed solely around those tasks. It's a semi skinner type with my own preferences. I had it made in magnacut with a really nice high hollow grind. The grip is 100% custom and shaped to fit my hand/ grip perfectly to reduce hand and arm fatigue while using it. ( with OA in my hands this is a big issue for me) As such it might not fit the next guy well but hey it's my knife! Lol I'm hoping to have a boning knife and a bird and trout made with similar attention to details given to the particular tasks they will be required to do.