Author Topic: Blade aficionados?  (Read 5714 times)

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Offline Glock32

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Blade aficionados?
« on: February 23, 2015, 10:51:34 AM »
Any blade aficionados here?  I've never really been much of a knife guy, but I do appreciate a well made blade and figure everyone should have at least one knife capable of social work.

To that end, I have purchased myself a Gerber Mark II.  It was introduced in the mid 1960s and quickly became known as the combat knife of Vietnam. Evidently the Mark II is considered a legendary blade among knife people.

My own way of choosing the Mark II was far more mundane.  It happens to be the knife used in the famous scene from Aliens when the android stabs the knife between a Marine's fingers at superhuman speed.  Always thought that was a cool scene from a cool movie.




Aliens : Bishop knife scene
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 11:35:15 AM »
Oh yeah, I like a good knife...folders like Ken Onion, Kershaw, etc...fixed blades by Gerber, SOG, etc...Exotic jobbies by Boker...

I am always buying a new one and always carrying something...

I've gotten good deals at this place over the years.

You get to learn steel types and their pluses and minuses...

Your Gerber is 420 stainless which is overall decent for strength and edge retention.

There are different coating and such too, handles/materials that are better for certain uses than others...

I have this and a couple like this and your guy reminds me of a spear point, something like this I could screw into a hardwood stick for those Vlad Tepes moments.

Almost everything is made in China or Asia somewhere...
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Offline Septugenarian

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2015, 12:18:41 PM »
Ahh, a puukko, a classic Scandahoovian desgin, the Nordic K-Bar! 
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2015, 12:38:21 PM »
I also need to learn how to properly sharpen a blade.  I bought a sharpening kit a few years ago that has a few different stones and rods, and some sort of plastic mount that supposedly keeps the angle correct.  I still don't really know how to use it though :)
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2015, 12:56:32 PM »
I've used stone and honing oil (mostly on hunting type knives), 2-stage sharpeners of various configurations (typically a course and a fine ceramic rods/discs [or coarse carbide and fine ceramic], works well on most folders and fixed blades, I have one that works real well on fish filet knives) and you will need a rattail diamond sharpener for serrations.

I would recommend reading knife manufacturer suggestions as to sharpening or look it up by type of metal on the internet and see what works for people.  The softer the metal the easier it will be to sharpen but the easier it will loose edge.  For most knives the carbide/cermaic 2-stage devices work well, just get a reliable and durable model, I've had luck with ones obtained from Cabelas and other outlets.  Knife Country has a huge selection.

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Offline Septugenarian

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2015, 03:23:16 PM »
Ahh, a puukko, a classic Scandahoovian desgin, the Nordic K-Bar!

Yes.  These puuko has been used in our family for generations.  The ranger knife was a gift from my cousin's husband when they visited a couple of years ago.

For those who don't have the touch for sharpening with stones, the Work Sharp works really well.  I bought one and am impressed with its results.  Fast and effective when there is not time enough to sharpen a lot of blades with stones.  http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200431964_200431964

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2015, 06:32:58 AM »
Hmmm, not a bad price on that little jobbie...I might have to add that, would work much better and quicker on larger knives.   ::thumbsup::

Still, don't forget some packables for BOB's.   ;)
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2015, 01:14:03 PM »
I got my Mark II this week.  It's very cool!  I guess I've never handled a dagger before, because I have never seen such a sharp point on a knife. It penetrates stuff effortlessly.

I do need to sharpen the edges though.  I guess they ship with a somewhat dull edge.
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2015, 06:38:11 AM »
That condition is probably more comon with daggers as they have double-edged blades, but it is a good habit to sharpen any new knife upon receipt.  I only have a couple daggers, one is compact one I can carry around my neck and detatch for use quickly and another is a little boot jobbie.  I've been thinking about getting some good throwing daggers, see if that might be a fun pursuit to practice and play around with.
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2015, 10:35:32 PM »
So I guess I'm on a blade kick now.  I just ordered a Spyderco Endura 4, like this one:





It's made of VG-10 stainless, which I gather is a high quality Japanese steel.  I guess guns and reloading gear weren't eating up quite enough of my disposable income so I had to find a new obsession :)
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2015, 01:46:33 PM »
My interest in blades continues.  I picked up an Ontario Knife Company Mk. 3.  That's the official issue combat knife of the US Navy.  Now if I could just learn how to properly sharpen a blade!

Libertas did you ever come across these in the Navy:



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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2015, 02:46:16 PM »
I don't recall coming across any of those, but then again in my rating I didn't need one, though I always carried a decent sized pocket knife...practically since I learned how to walk.

But I see this is standard 440A steel, so it should be relatively easy getting any sharpening method to put an edge on it, of course it comes down to preference as to method and to angle for sharpness to be slicing or chopping.  I have a Gerber of this steel and run it through a standard sharpener, as 440A is a lower-end stainless and softer, it is easy to put an edge on and just as easy to take it off with use, so you tend to sharpen it more.  So, keep your sharpener handy.

Looks nice though, looks to be a quality item and good handle and GI belt scabbard.   ::thumbsup::

Reminds me, I have to check all mine...I know for fact my filet knives need a new edge as well as a couple of my Kershaw's I carry and use a lot!
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2015, 04:55:16 PM »
I keep reading online where people say they get a knife sharpened so fine that they can shave hairs off their arm with it.  My Spyderco knife will do that, but it came sharpened from the factory.  I cannot for the life of me seem to get a blade anywhere close to that on my own.  I can sharpen a blade to where it cuts through a sheet of paper pretty cleanly, but that's as good as I can do.

I think maybe you have to use a leather strop to get a razor edge on a blade.  Definitely must be an art to it.
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2015, 07:14:38 PM »
As I read more about the Mk 3, evidently the Navy specifically chose 440A because it's quite resistant to corrosion from a saltwater environment.  It's not the best for holding an edge though.

Out of the knives I've recently bought, the VG10 in the Spyderco is clearly the best quality steel.  I'm amazed at the edge on that blade -- you could easily shave with it.  I think I'm going to get a belt sharpener and try to learn how to really put a nice edge on a blade.
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2015, 10:36:08 PM »
I have a couple that have basically surgical stainless steel and they can get real sharp.  But usually the harder the steel the more brittle, and softer tend to dull quicker.  A harder 440 or a VG10 IIRC are good mid-range metals.  I have all these as well as a couple other higher end stainless and no carbon blades to speak of.  l do have a small folding Damascus that wasn't cheap l like.  l forget what SEALs favor, there is one that has titanium and no ferrous metal, so it is non-corrrosive and nonmagnetic, but a bitch to get sharp.  l have a few different sharpening systems that work better on some than others, plus a honing stone for going old school on difficult knives.  Sometimes you have to do in stages for angle and depth to get it where you want it.  Never tried a strop, interested to see how that works.
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2016, 08:01:46 AM »
Interesting post, everybody has favorites and yeah some can be over-priced gimicks, but there is a case for general purpose knives.

https://brushbeater.wordpress.com

Simple Gerber's are often "good enough", some regular meat cutting knives (outside of critter cleaning) I didn't really think of, thought anything could do in a pinch, but maybe not.
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Re: Blade aficionados?
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2016, 08:47:20 AM »
Came across this chart at WRSA, pretty nice little one stop shop of material performance...



I have some folders in S30V I like, good all-around quality there.  Everything has pluses and minuses...and some tools are better for certain jobs than others. 
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