A Good Weekend and a Bleg
Had a great weekend doing the usual foolishness up on the farm. This included putting guns in the hands of about a dozen people who have never shot. Half of them are women, which is even more gratifying. We have great photos of the faces people make while firing their first round.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the first time somebody shoots with us, they typically fall in to two camps. The first wants to run a thousand rounds through every gun and spends the entire day talking about how much fun they had. These people are hooked and they’re the ones who will be shooting every chance they get. They are now on our side.
The second camp will barely empty one magazine before politely saying thanks and leaving. I used to worry about that second group. We just weren’t reaching them the way I wanted to. I feared that instead of turning them on to the fun and safety of shooting we’d just scared them away.
Now that I’ve been doing this for a few years, though, I’ve realized it’s not the case. The people who consistently only run one magazine are never going to be enthusiasts, but I’ve discovered that they are happy for the experience, enjoyed shooting and are mildly interested in doing it again in the future. Most of them eventually do shoot with us again, and some of them even try out other guns. The important thing is that they all get to see what responsible gun handling looks like. I’ve stopped pressing those people to shoot and instead just let them come to us when the desire strikes.
And now the bleg: In the course of the weekend, my prized knife went missing. It was a folding Bear with a gorgeous brown wood handle. The blade was 4 to 4.5 inches, took a sharp edge and held it well. It fit nicely on my belt and in my hand. That knife had great balance.
I’m looking to replace this knife and seek suggestions for a quality knife that meets the above description. I’m willing to spend some money on this, although I want good functional value for my money. Thanks.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Check out the line up from Camillus (on ebay). but move fast, they just went out of business and you probably won’t see many.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Josh likes SOG. Looks good to me.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
camillus is out of business?! man, that sucks – i had wanted a sizzle folder. i guess i’ll have to save up for another benchmade, then.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
nomen, check out ebay or google up camillus as lots of places still sell their stuff.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Camillus is gone, Schrade/Old Timer went out, but someone bought their equipment. Victorinox is even having a tough time.
May 29th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
If you can find any Camillus, or anything Cold Steel offered that was made by them, snatch it up. Great heat treatment, viable steel.
Wouldn’t advise a Gerber. Don’t even touch anything ‘made’ by a gun company — they’re all Taylor Cutlery, and I wouldn’t use that metal for a liner. CRKT’s stuff can be great or flakey depending on the model, I really wouldn’t advise much outside of their M16- series and even then would only suggest them as beat knives. They’re cheap, but none of their current models last me more than three years before they really start to lose locking strength. Emerson’s workable, surprisingly, but again, more of a beat knife that something for multi-year use. Most Spydercos and SoG are worthwhile, and I’ve had luck with some of Al Mar’s stuff for use. Wish I could recommend a Kershaw, but their wooden scaled knives are stupidly expensive for the steel they use.
Are you looking for any specific point, grind, or blade shape? Liner lock, harsher locks, or no lock at all? Preferred price point? Wooden grips, or are any scales okay? Is use going to primarily building work, hunting, or just ‘general use’?
May 29th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
This knife will be the first knife I reach for when I need one, from opening a package to stripping a wire to cutting rope in the field. This knife is often the only thing I carry on the farm.
There are three blade shapes I like. In order of preference for this knife, they are tanto, sheepsfoot and drop point.
I’d like wooden grips. I like the way they look.
My old knife had a liner lock and I liked it.
One-handed opening would be nice too.
I don’t want something “tactical”– no carbon fiber, chisel point, etc.
I’m open to all price points, though my primary goal is utility, so I don’t want anything fancy. I’d like to strike a nice balance between a knife I can keep forever and a knife I won’t cry over if I lose it in five years.
May 29th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I carry a Spyderco Native everywhere. It is the perfect knife for me.
But it is too short for you; however, if you can budge on the grips, I’m sure Spyderco has a knife for you. Check this one. It’s too spendy for me, and I like my knife ultralight.
Good luck.
SB
May 29th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I recommend A.G. Russell. He seems to have inherited the Gerber mantle for quality and finish that only custom knifemakers can match. My Gerbers from the early ’80s (when the Gerber family owned the company) are still going strong but gattsuru is right — the Fiskars and after stuff is no good.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Yeah, A.G. Russell’s pretty much the only place to go for a good, reliable, non-mall ninja blade when you’re asking for something that specialized. Too much plastic and rubber til you get to the 150+ USD or custom knife range.
You may want to look at Boker’s Magnum lines. They’re not excellent knives, but they provide a lot for their price, and you really can’t feel too bad about beating the crap out of them. Despite the liner quality steel, they’re heat treated well enough to survive some pretty hefty usage, although they won’t hold an edge nearly as well as your Bear did.
It’s what I use when my other knives are too “tacticool” for the situation.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Spyderco. I have used the lifetime guarantee and they stand behind their product. I have carried on for work for over twelve years and it comes to my hand better than my…. well you know. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:13 am
If you want a knife that can take some abuse and hold a decent edge look into cold steel. I have owned a Recon 1 tanto point or as long as they have been out. I have abused this thing and then some and it keeps coming back for more. The prices are a bit on the high side but if you frequent a good gun shop they should be able to get you a good price. I took mine to the 2004 shot show and was told it was one of the first models made since it was made in Japan.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:14 am
If you want a knife that can take some abuse and hold a decent edge look into cold steel. I have owned a Recon 1 tanto point or as long as they have been out. I have abused this thing and then some and it keeps coming back for more. The prices are a bit on the high side but if you frequent a good gun shop they should be able to get you a good price. I took mine to the 2004 shot show and was told it was one of the first models made since it was made in Japan.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Uncle,
If you get a chance and are in Knoxvegas be sure and check out Greybar on Central and look at their Kleins they have there. A touch pricey, but I gurantee these knifes will not dissapoint from sharpness to durability. I never leave the house without my 44032. The model that sounds like what you are looking for is:
http://www.kleintools.com/
Cat. No. Blade Length Blade Steel Length Closed Weight (lbs.)
44037 3-3/8″ (86) stainless steel 4-7/8″ (124) 6.5
I will never buy another knife after years of searching these blades are (in my opinion) some of the best.
May 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am
You want to buy one knife and use it forever, right? To me that says Benchmade
You probably want a current 710 – it’s a 3.9 inch blade of D2 Tool steel (a fairly recent change so check to make sure you’re getting a new one). You’ll have to settle for G-10 handles and a drop point blade with a very slight recurve, but you get the Axis lock (one hand open / close). MSRP is $165, street price runs to about 20 – 30% less.
Another choice is the 615 Mini-Ruckus. 3.4″ blade of S30V. And yes, it is the mini – the full size 610 has a 4.25″ blade. MSRP on the 615 is $220.
Check out New Graham Pharmacy for good deals on knives.
Most important note: with either D2 or S30v do NOT let the blade get dull – they’re extremely tough, extremely wear-resistent steels so they’re a bugger to sharpen. Touch up your blade when it starts to get a little off and you’ll be good to go for years.
May 30th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the choices, and this thread has narrowed it down quite a bit.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:44 am
I love my Spyderco but it doesn’t have wooden handles.