Knife Chatter. Show and Tell!

[Modernflame]

I carried one in Japan back in 97' with a fully serrated edge... was considered a saw and not a knife, and was very handy on January 17th of that year..

Was this the earthquake you referred to in another thread? Very interested to know how it came in handy.

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

Was this the earthquake you referred to in another thread? Very interested to know how it came in handy.

The Great Hanshin Earthquake. Lot's of fun... well, not so much but a hell of a good experience.
I lived in Higashinadaku and about 80% of the neighborhood went crashing down. Most of the houses where quickly constructed at the end of WWII and mainly consisted of twigs and mud supporting a very heavy clay tile roof. Good for typhoons and not worth a crap for the quake that so rudely awakened me at 5:46 on the morning of January 17, 1995. Very inconsiderate if you ask me.

So, I had carried the Spyderco for a few months. I had actually purchased it in Japan (at the Tokyu Hands near Sannomia), and since it was fully serrated, Japanese law classifies (or at least did) it as a "saw" and not a knife... interesting to note that Japanese law prohibits carrying a knife over 2.5 centimeters (straight edge only) which is why so many combo edges are produced there (part serrated with the plain edge being under 2.5 centimeters). Seki City is pretty much the knife making capital of Japan (used to be swords but the round eyes sort of frowned upon that at the end of the war... I'm a round eye so no disrespect is intended).

Anyway, after being awakened and tossed from one end of my walk-in closet apartment to the other (which thankfully was relatively new and didn't come crashing down on me), I went outside to find nice piles of rubble all over where houses once stood... and the digging started. First through the roofs, then through tatami mats and floors. I used the knife a lot that day cutting through tatami mats in order to get people out of their homes.

This was the house directly across from my apartment. It was a two-story. The entire family survived which was the husband (in photo), his wife, his sister, his mother, and his young son (about 10 years old). The son was actually on the ground floor, which split and he rolled under the entire house. Took a good deal of digging to get him out. Anyway, that's how I spent that day and that Spyderco fully serrated Police Model did great work that day.

More of the neighborhood...

I lived about 100 yards to the left of the Hanshin Expressway. Made quite a noise when it fell.

And a rare and elusive picture of the round eye Hogo by one of the expressway's pillars.

I still have that Hein Gericke Concord motorcycle jacket. I did lose the Spyderco knife many, many years later when back in the States, and immediately replaced it with a non-serrated one from my previous post.

And it was this that started Hogo on the road to flashaholism with a good understanding that Mr. Murphy wrote his law for me.

 

[Modernflame]

What a terrifying experience, Hogo! The story about your Spyderco deserves to be posted on the internet.

My Spyderco Endura was made in Seki City. Not sure if they are still being produced there, but I've often wondered why they make so many knives with VG-10. Any insight into that? Nothing wrong with that steel, just curious.

 

[sledhead]

Knives? I just came through TN on the way back from AZ. Happened upon the "Smoky Mountain Knife Works" Superstore. I could have spent a full day there. It was like the Bass Pro Shop of knives...never saw anything like it. Every knife from every manufacturer. If you ever get a chance to go do not pass it up.

Also, the "New York Custom Knife Show" is on Nov 22nd & 23rd in Jersey City. Great show if you can make it!

 

[LTBL777]

Sled,
Smokey Mountain is just great.
Easy to spend a day there.
Ive been there a few times and always look forward to going back.

 

[Random Dan]

Ok, I'll play. I like knives.

Here we have the always there and always good Victorinox SAKs. Most knives rotate, but the farmer is always in my back pocket.

Spyderco Caly 3.5 and Benchmade 940. My two oldest and longest serving EDC knives. Arguably two of the best representatives of their respective manufacturers.

North Arm Knives Skaha. Sturdy but light linerless G10 handles and the best flipping action of any knife I've ever handled. I don't carry this one as much due to the size but I still love it.

Recently I've taken a liking to Spyderco's FRN models. They are light, strong, and good grip. Pictured here are the Chaparral LW, UKPK, and Para3 LW.

White River Knives M1 Backpacker Pro. Great for backpacking and camping trips or just daily carry anywhere that it's legal.

KH Daily Bushcrafter Mini. My favorite general purpose camping knife for when the M1 is a bit too small. Great for outdoor food prep as well.

Carothers Performance Knives Utility Field Knife. Most expensive knife I own by a good margin and, to be honest, way more knife than I need. It's truly top quality though. Nathan's attention to detail reminds me of HDS. Everything from the super comfortable handle, the grind, the steel, and the custom heat treat protocol has been perfectly dialed in. There's a reason that there's so much hype around these blades.

 

[LTBL777]

Hogo
Impressive story. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Modernflame]

Ok, I'll play. I like knives...
Carothers Performance Knives Utility Field Knife.

Thanks for the photos, Dan. You've just taught me something new. I'm really digging the looks of that Carothers Utility Field Knife. More importantly, I appreciate the way it is ground thin enough to actually cut things, which is kind of hard to find.

Thicker survival type blades have their use, of course, but it seems to me once a knife blade exceeds 4", every knife maker assumes you must be Paul Bunyon, treading off to hack down the mightiest tree in the forest with your belt knife. Most of us just need to cut stuff.

Good choice.

 

[Random Dan]

Thanks for the photos, Dan. You've just taught me something new. I'm really digging the looks of that Carothers Utility Field Knife. More importantly, I appreciate the way it is ground thin enough to actually cut things, which is kind of hard to find.

Thicker survival type blades have their use, of course, but it seems to me once a knife blade exceeds 4", every knife maker assumes you must be Paul Bunyon, treading off to hack down the mightiest tree in the forest with your belt knife. Most of us just need to cut stuff.

Good choice.

The "performance" in the name isn't just to sound cool. Nathan also makes knives for cutting competitions (yes that's a real thing) and regularly wins. I can't think of any other knives that match the CPK pedigree.

 

[archimedes]

.... Thicker survival type blades have their use, of course, but it seems to me once a knife blade exceeds 4", every knife maker assumes you must be Paul Bunyon, treading off to hack down the mightiest tree in the forest with your belt knife....

The blade stock on some of those is so thick, it might actually be easier to use a herring[emoji14]

 

[Modernflame]

The blade stock on some of those is so thick, it might actually be easier to use a herring[emoji14]

It was a heavily veiled reference, but you got it!

Ni!

 

[archimedes]

It was a heavily veiled reference, but you got it!

Ni!

:laughing:

 

[nbp]

How can we not say It if we don't know what It is?!

 

[5S8Zh5]

For my spydercos, I like a straight spine. Take a look at a PM2 and you'll see what I mean. Had this Endela (first pic, top - PM2 on bottom) modified to a straight spine. Second pic: Pacific Salt w/spine mod. Third pic: unmodded Salt 1, fourth pic is modded Salt 1 straight spine (the first one I did). All work done by Josh at Razor Edge Knives.

 

[Modernflame]

For my spydercos, I like a straight spine.

No sheepsfoot or wharncliffes for you, then? That's an interesting mod. When I first glanced at the top photo, I thought the Endella was the PM2. Personally, I like to have both sorts. The strong tip of the sheepsfoot with its unsharpened swedge is great for small prying jobs. I don't allow my fingernails to get much beyond the cuticle, so I need the help. On the other hand, I have a few blades with fine tips for detail work.

 

[Modernflame]

My Opinels have healthy self esteem and don't feel intimidated in mixed company. Anyone else use these? They boast a lot of cutting performance for $15. Pictured below their braggart cousin are a pair of number 8s, one stainless and one carbon. Both are very skinny behind the edge. Both cut like a laser. I also appreciate the classic appeal.

 

[desert.snake]

Great, nice to know yours stories and opinions Opinel cool, like Douk-Douk. But I stopped using Opinel because of the weak heel. Part of the blade can be simply torn when turning the lock ring, if you do not open the blade to the end and start rotating the ring. Now I have a whole bunch of knives, but the most used and convenient Kershaw 1510ST 440V, the best knife of 1998. This is a good hardening steel, I can't say the exact hardness, but he is not inclined to form a lot of burrs when sharpening. Burr is easy to remove and the knife stays sharp for a long time. When I received it, its spring almost did not work, several hot oil baths cleaned it and it clicks like new.

 

[xxo]

My Opinels have healthy self esteem and don't feel intimidated in mixed company. Anyone else use these? They boast a lot of cutting performance for $15. Pictured below their braggart cousin are a pair of number 8s, one stainless and one carbon. Both are very skinny behind the edge. Both cut like a laser. I also appreciate the classic appeal.

This is my Opinel – a No. 8 in stainless and walnut:

I slimmed down the back end of the handle to better fit my hand and pocket. I also put in a scallop in the wood under the nail nick to be able to get a pinch grip the blade making it easier to open – sort of like they did with the old easy open jack knives. I also gave it a tung oil finish for water resistance.

It has seen a fair amount of use as a utility knife and for light food prep over the years and is still going strong. Opinels cut real well and are light and easy to carry. BTW If you are going to carry an Opinel in a pocket, don't forget to engage the twist lock to keep it closed or it is liable to open up in your pocket! Some have had problems with their Opinel handles getting wet and swelling up to the point the blade gets stuck closed - this has never happened to mine probably because of the good tung oil soak I gave it inside and out followed by infrequent conditioning with mineral oil.

 

[bigburly912]

Loving the opinels! Glad I'm not the only one that appreciates those guys.

 

[Modernflame]

The oil treatment has brought out so much character in the wood. My fear was that any sort of oil treatment would cause the wood to swell and permanently tighten the pivot. Good to know I was wrong about that.

That's a well used blade! Mine were both dull out of the box, but I find them to be very easy to sharpen.