JoesPizza11B
Verified Military
Cold Steel Vaquero and a Gerber Multi-tool
One of these days I'll update the pics of my collection... afew new ones, and a few found new homes...
Freeman Outdoor Gear - get in on his first solo knives now - this is the same Freeman who used to design for that legendary company in Portland...
Freeman Outdoor Gear - get in on his first solo knives now - this is the same Freeman who used to design for that legendary company in Portland...
xGenoSiide
SOF Support
amlove is quite the storyteller, but my favorite moments were during his roles as 'passive agressive operator,' and any time the PC vs MAC conversation up.
I almost forgot to mention Christmas Party MC...
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Benchmade griptillian... issued to me.
I went on a Benchmade boycott after they bought Lone wolf, fired the staff, dropped all the products and screwed a few designers... they're the friggin devil. Their knives are ok, the steel is ok, but their business methods suck.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2012
- Messages
- 12,824
This would not be the first time I followed the lead/advice of folks on this board. What do you recommend as an equally reliable and durable alternate ?
I have a Professional Soldier I use at work but generally I just have a Leatherman multitool knife on me.
Anyone rate Damascus steel blades?
High Carbon or stainless? Who's the Designer and maker (could be different people), where is the steel from, how was it hardened and to what hardness, and etched/stopped?
The knife geek Troll wants to know... If it's a Strider, Elishowitz, Onion, or somebody of that caliber, no issues... Art knives may or maynot be durable enough for daily use, but a well made Damascus edc can be a good tool, they just take a little more care than a single grade steel blade (CPM S30/35, T10, C3, etc)
YOO HOO.... @Barbarian ... calling Barbarian and @Gary Melton ... your total expertise is needed.
What do you use it for? What's your price point? What's your sharpening skill?
My 2 favorite folding edc's are nice car payments each... my fixed edc's are the same. I like Chris Reeve, Spartan Blades USA, Gerber (USA), Fox USA, some Spydercos (American made), although... a Les George folder is on my wish list - Most of the really nice Strider and Onion and Brock stuff is too rich for my wallet. Remember - you get what you pay for and if your life depends on it, get the best you can afford.
The Mojave Desert borrowed my Spyderco and has yet to return it...
Don't hold your breath, the Mojave is a knife Bogart...
That knife was supposed to come to me... NCOs get knives, Officers get gummy bears or something....
Pardon me for a probably double post, but I have been imbibing. Deal with it.
My current "Carry Knives" are a CRKT M16-14ZSF, and a Gerber Hinderer.
The Hinderer I carry because it's a seatbelt cutter, blunt tip pry device, 3/4+ serrated blade, and easily manipulated regardless.
The CRKT I carry because it's a tanto style blade, which provides advantages for specific work that I usually encounter... and it's a full hilt folder which has the advantage of being able to do a pocket draw opening. I pull that out with "A purpose" and it's out ready to rock already, which is something that is an advantage for an "emergency deployment" but is also something I have to be coherent of with typical application/deployment because basically any time I pull it out of my pocket I have to be careful because it DOES auto-deploy due to the blade spine hilt catching on my pocket edge. Even pulling it out to pick at fingernails or whatnot, it's coming out so I have to be careful.
Would I like "nicer" knives like a Harsey D2 for constant carry? yeah.
Would I like to see about a Pacific/GB combo from Mr. Harsey? Yes... as the Troll knows, I like the GB blade but the Pacific handle fits me better. That falls into "Coin" region to make happen, which I have damn near nil of... so I work with what I have.
Both knives I have and carry on me daily serve their specific purposes and are quickly deployed specifically for those purposes through individual tuning of bolt tensions, etc. While the kid's car seat has a seat belt cutter mounted on it (a Benchmade 5 hook and a specific "WRECK/FIRE DISMOUNT" battle drill planned with the wife if we have to unass for those reasons) I keep one on me specifically to back that one up.
The Hinderer covered additional purposes when I was actively serving as a firefighter, specifically because between the toolkit and the serrated blade it allowed me prying/hose cutting/quick maintenance purposes while working a fire. Wildland fires you have to be prepared to "cut and run" if a fire is overtaking your position (literally shutting and cutting off lines on the engine and hopping in to outrun the fire as a worst case) as well as having repeatedly served duty as fixing equipment while on-scene that needed on-the-spot repair to be able to continue the mission of fire suppression/etc. When I was firefighting, it had a distinct advantage of being specifically designed with an externally manipulable liner lock as well as a deployment stud set on the blade that let me pull it and put it to work quickly even while wearing structural gloves (Think your heaviest winter gloves). No other knife is specifically designed for deployment and redeployment while wearing gloves of that nature. Most people just end up going with fixed blades which while a valid effort for warfighters, isn't a valid option for firefighting due to extra snag/equipment restraints.
The CRKT covers "every other purpose" for a knife. If I "drag" on pull out of my pocket on the lower edge of my pocket, it deploys and locks instantly as I pull it out of my pocket. If it doesn't deploy, or I just pull it out.. a flick on the edge side (as folded) hilt or a wrist flip kicks it out and locks it. It's got about 1.5" of serrated edge for dealing with webbing, and the rest is a single bevel which for me is easy to maintain considering that I've worked with woodworking hand chisels before so it's something I have experience with maintaining.
To be honest, if the Hinderer CLS had a spine hilt, I could be able to avoid carrying both knives and go down to one knife. The CLS has a tanto style blade in combination with a "primary bevel" half serrated edge, and all the other features that a Hinderer does. They don't make it with a hilt built onto the blade, so I deal with carrying two knives for more specific purposes per knife.
Here's pictures of each, for some reference as to what I'm talking about.
My current "Carry Knives" are a CRKT M16-14ZSF, and a Gerber Hinderer.
The Hinderer I carry because it's a seatbelt cutter, blunt tip pry device, 3/4+ serrated blade, and easily manipulated regardless.
The CRKT I carry because it's a tanto style blade, which provides advantages for specific work that I usually encounter... and it's a full hilt folder which has the advantage of being able to do a pocket draw opening. I pull that out with "A purpose" and it's out ready to rock already, which is something that is an advantage for an "emergency deployment" but is also something I have to be coherent of with typical application/deployment because basically any time I pull it out of my pocket I have to be careful because it DOES auto-deploy due to the blade spine hilt catching on my pocket edge. Even pulling it out to pick at fingernails or whatnot, it's coming out so I have to be careful.
Would I like "nicer" knives like a Harsey D2 for constant carry? yeah.
Would I like to see about a Pacific/GB combo from Mr. Harsey? Yes... as the Troll knows, I like the GB blade but the Pacific handle fits me better. That falls into "Coin" region to make happen, which I have damn near nil of... so I work with what I have.
Both knives I have and carry on me daily serve their specific purposes and are quickly deployed specifically for those purposes through individual tuning of bolt tensions, etc. While the kid's car seat has a seat belt cutter mounted on it (a Benchmade 5 hook and a specific "WRECK/FIRE DISMOUNT" battle drill planned with the wife if we have to unass for those reasons) I keep one on me specifically to back that one up.
The Hinderer covered additional purposes when I was actively serving as a firefighter, specifically because between the toolkit and the serrated blade it allowed me prying/hose cutting/quick maintenance purposes while working a fire. Wildland fires you have to be prepared to "cut and run" if a fire is overtaking your position (literally shutting and cutting off lines on the engine and hopping in to outrun the fire as a worst case) as well as having repeatedly served duty as fixing equipment while on-scene that needed on-the-spot repair to be able to continue the mission of fire suppression/etc. When I was firefighting, it had a distinct advantage of being specifically designed with an externally manipulable liner lock as well as a deployment stud set on the blade that let me pull it and put it to work quickly even while wearing structural gloves (Think your heaviest winter gloves). No other knife is specifically designed for deployment and redeployment while wearing gloves of that nature. Most people just end up going with fixed blades which while a valid effort for warfighters, isn't a valid option for firefighting due to extra snag/equipment restraints.
The CRKT covers "every other purpose" for a knife. If I "drag" on pull out of my pocket on the lower edge of my pocket, it deploys and locks instantly as I pull it out of my pocket. If it doesn't deploy, or I just pull it out.. a flick on the edge side (as folded) hilt or a wrist flip kicks it out and locks it. It's got about 1.5" of serrated edge for dealing with webbing, and the rest is a single bevel which for me is easy to maintain considering that I've worked with woodworking hand chisels before so it's something I have experience with maintaining.
To be honest, if the Hinderer CLS had a spine hilt, I could be able to avoid carrying both knives and go down to one knife. The CLS has a tanto style blade in combination with a "primary bevel" half serrated edge, and all the other features that a Hinderer does. They don't make it with a hilt built onto the blade, so I deal with carrying two knives for more specific purposes per knife.
Here's pictures of each, for some reference as to what I'm talking about.
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I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, buying another firestarter (the flint, steel, magnesium thingy) and they had a "tactical" folder for $1. Couldn't pass it up. Intending to put it through its paces soon; it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts... 
I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, buying another firestarter (the flint, steel, magnesium thingy) and they had a "tactical" folder for $1. Couldn't pass it up. Intending to put it through its paces soon; it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts...
I was doing some urban E&E once, I had $5 total to my name after breaking out of containment... went into Wal-Mart, figured out where I was on the map, bought the cheapest flashlight I could find, the cheapest knife I could find, and still had enough left to buy lunch from the McDonald's they had in the store. Thank you, Wal-Mart, for all your cheap shit.
I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, buying another firestarter (the flint, steel, magnesium thingy) and they had a "tactical" folder for $1. Couldn't pass it up. Intending to put it through its paces soon; it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts...
