Knives and other stuff.

[Tyguy]

I was in the hardware store today pretending to need interior paint when I came across a sharpening stone for knives. Having 4 desperately dull knives myself I bought that shit immediately. It took me 20 minutes to get the hang of it but they came out splendidly. The whole process made me come to appreciate a sharp blade for the time put into it.

I've also decided to start carrying a knife with me wherever I go. It's not so I'll be seen with it; more so I want to be prepared to cut my seatbelt away after landing upside down into a river. I also want to learn how to be efficient with a knife in case I'm ever in a situation where I need to defend myself. I don't think I'd pull a knife while being mugged but there's this inherent "guy" attitude I embody when thinking about that which makes me aspire to be Rambo.

Any of you good with a knife? Wanna talk about it?

 

[Maestro]

At home there's a drawer I have with a Benchmade Griptilian 556 and Gerber GatorGrip II folder that both used to be my everyday carry knives. To be sure those are both good knives, but my old EDC knives have fallen by the wayside to my newer Kershaw Leek, which is one sexy sumbitch. I paid about 110 dollars for it two or three years ago, and it's proven worth that and more. S30V stainless (the blade on the Leek) is very hard vanadium carbide with the tempering quality that Kershaw has. The edge retention is unbeatable for a stainless, and it's rust-resistant enough to withstand getting damp and sweaty regularly. The assisted-open is great when I have a package in hand and I don't want to put it down or have some other task occupying one hand. My only gripe is that they used a tiny-as-**** torx bolt head so it's hard to disassemble and clean regularly.

I have my eye on picking up a Spyderco because their ZP-189 steel is off the hook, but the only ones I like from them are 200+ dollars and I'd be afraid to break something that expensive.

Other than that, there's a 14" Kukri in my closet at home. I've got a Buck fixed blade and a Leatherman Wave hanging out in my desk here at school.

If I wasn't working such a demanding job this summer I would build a gas-powered forge in my back yard to begin making fixed-blade knives. As it stands I have to wait until next summer.

 

[morgs]

The only knife I have is the discontinued buck 120, and I have it as a collectors item. Never used it and probably never will, love it though. Wouldn't dare attempt to sharpen it because I know how easy it is to wreck the blade doing so.

 

[Tyguy]

Kinda had a good laugh with that pic. That's a 40 dollar gerber, nothing special obviously but it's my second favorite; the first being a slightly bigger hardware store purchase.

 

[Viperidae]

Morgs and Tyguy: identical twins separated at birth?

 

[Vegeta897]

Mom bought it for me when I was 9.

 

[YROC]

I need to replace that blade sometime.

 

[Naph]

 

[morgs]

God I lol'd

 

[Eejit]

I saw some knives of sexy Toledo damascene steel when I was in Barcelona. Was rather tempted but the selection wasn't great and none of them really did it for me, for those prices. Maybe next time I visit Toledo itself.

 

[Stylo]

It's a 2B. Real nasty when sharpened. Thug Lyf.

 

[Maestro]

The only knife I have is the discontinued buck 120, and I have it as a collectors item. Never used it and probably never will, love it though. Wouldn't dare attempt to sharpen it because I know how easy it is to wreck the blade doing so.

It really is quite easy to sharpen a knife, it's just a matter of some basic knowledge, tools, and a decent amount of patience. I have a grinding/stropping wheel so I can do this regularly, but with enough patience it's a trivial matter to make a knife sharp enough to shave or carve wood with. All you need is to look up a guide to sharpening knives on instructables and you'll find a host of them.

*snip*

Holy dick that was hilarious.

 

[Tyguy]

Do you guys think it's safe to post this online?

 

[KiplingsCat]

I used to do backstage theatre work before. It was nice to have a distinctive stanley knife, because then people wouldn't steal it.

 

[Vegeta897]

It was nice to have a distinctive stanley knife, because then people wouldn't steal it.

Hmm, that might be a double-edged sword though.

 

[Tyguy]

I used to do backstage theatre

Read that as "backstab" theater and pictured a bunch of ballerinas dancing around with box cutters. By the time I snapped out of it I realized I was an idiot.

 

[KiplingsCat]

Hmm, that might be a double-edged sword though.

Yeah, let me clarify actually: Having a distinctive stanley knife meant that if somebody else stole it, I'd know

Seriously, you leave your stanley knife down for two seconds and someone else "borrows" it for a minute to cut something and then you never see it again. ****ing actors.

(Edit: ew ew ew I hate the new tongue smiley)

 

[JUL3]

I see you've played knifey spooney before.

 

[Maestro]

Yeah, let me clarify actually: Having a distinctive stanley knife meant that if somebody else stole it, I'd know

Seriously, you leave your stanley knife down for two seconds and someone else "borrows" it for a minute to cut something and then you never see it again. ****ing actors.

(Edit: ew ew ew I hate the new tongue smiley)

Actors need to be kept away from backstage equipment, they could hurt themselves.

 

[xcellerate]

 

[Adabiviak]

I was a meatcutter for twelve years, and I can still take apart a side of beef pretty quickly. I kept four knoves and a pair of scissors:
12" Granton Edge slicer (Messermeister)
10" Chef Kinfe (J.A. Henckels)
7" Super-flex Grand Prix filet knife (Wusthof Trident)
6" Semi-stiff curved boning knife (Dexter Russell)
Poultry shears (Fiskars)

Every old man who came in the store had a different, exclusive way to sharpen knives, and my technique is a combination of these. The knife wasn't considered sharp until it could shave hair without tugging. Other than this, I have a generic diving knife for cutting kelp and other seaweed.

 

[Higlac]

This thread reminded me that I need a new pocketknife. I use a Buck 119 for pretty much everything around the house. I'll cook with it, and I clean deer with it when I go hunting. It also opens letters. I used to have one of these but I lost it. It was by far one of the best knives I've ever carried.

I also need to buy a good sharpening kit.

Spoiler

Mom bought it for me when I was 9.

Clean and sharpen that shit.

 

[Maestro]

Spoiler

An excellent knife, I've got the green handle/black TiNi coating blade. The locking mechanism is the best one I've ever seen, it's rock-****ing-solid.

I was a meatcutter for twelve years, and I can still take apart a side of beef pretty quickly. I kept four knoves and a pair of scissors:
12" Granton Edge slicer (Messermeister)
10" Chef Kinfe (J.A. Henckels)
7" Super-flex Grand Prix filet knife (Wusthof Trident)
6" Semi-stiff curved boning knife (Dexter Russell)
Poultry shears (Fiskars)

Every old man who came in the store had a different, exclusive way to sharpen knives, and my technique is a combination of these. The knife wasn't considered sharp until it could shave hair without tugging. Other than this, I have a generic diving knife for cutting kelp and other seaweed.

What angle do you typically sharpen at? For working knives/pocket knives I like a good 30-35 degree since I can beat on it. For my carving tools, however, 25 is the most I'll go. Depending on the kitchen knife it's somewhere in between, generally the bigger knives are closer to 30, the paring knives and stuff are 20ish so they cut fruit and stuff better.

This thread reminded me that I need a new pocketknife. I use a Buck 119 for pretty much everything around the house. I'll cook with it, and I clean deer with it when I go hunting. It also opens letters. I used to have one of these but I lost it. It was by far one of the best knives I've ever carried.

I also need to buy a good sharpening kit.


Clean and sharpen that shit.

Ah, man, I used to have that EXACT knife! The new Scout knives are made of shitty Chinese stainless. Good three-blade jackknives are a think of the past, I'm afraid.

 

[Destructo-Bot]

 

[Maestro]

How satisfied are you with the performance of the Ka-Bar Kukri?

 

[Destructo-Bot]

Extremely satisfied, I use it for camping and general yard work. It hasn't failed to cut or chop anything I've thrown it's way yet and it does it fast.

 

[ríomhaire]

Great against Spies too.

 

[Adabiviak]

What angle do you typically sharpen at? For working knives/pocket knives I like a good 30-35 degree since I can beat on it. For my carving tools, however, 25 is the most I'll go. Depending on the kitchen knife it's somewhere in between, generally the bigger knives are closer to 30, the paring knives and stuff are 20ish so they cut fruit and stuff better.

The boning and chef knives were kept at a larger angle since they were meant to take the regular abuse of hitting and separating bones. The filet and slicer were kept at a smaller angle since they would be crossing flesh only, but I would occasionally use the filet knife to clear the meat out of hip cavities because it was very flexible - can bend the blade to 90°. Honestly though, I'd have to measure the angle - I do it by feel. I use a Norton two-sided oil stone (India fine and Crystolon medium):

 

[Maestro]

Do you use a leather strop as well, or just a steel to put on the fine edge? I generally run my knives over a leather strop wheel and that's it, since they never get dull enough to really need as much material removed as a medium grit stone usually does.

Have you ever tried a Santoku style knives? I find they tend to bind up in thick meat less. The one my family has is a mid-grade one, I think it's a J.A. Henckel. Eventually I'd like to cut, grind, and forge a Santoku from S90V steel.

 

[Destructo-Bot]

Anyone here using ceramic knives for cooking related tasks? Worth it, not worth it?

 

[Eejit]

Anyone here using ceramic knives for cooking related tasks? Worth it, not worth it?

They're pretty awesome for vegetables and meat not on the bone.

 

[Maestro]

My uncle accidentally cut through a thin plastic cutting board his was so sharp. Big thing with ceramics is whether they are quality ones, because the cheap ones aren't sharp enough to begin with and you can't put an edge on them.

I like them for the same stuff, Eejit. They're a little too fragile for me, though. I'll just stick with high-quality steels because I've broken one too many ceramic knives by accident.

 

[Adabiviak]

Do you use a leather strop as well, or just a steel to put on the fine edge?

No, just the steel (non-abrasive).

Have you ever tried a Santoku style knives?

Not while in the butcher shop (I have one at home). I used the chef knife for those sorts of cuts.

 

[Eejit]

I like them for the same stuff, Eejit. They're a little too fragile for me, though. I'll just stick with high-quality steels because I've broken one too many ceramic knives by accident.

My flat always had good quality ceramic knives at uni as one of my flatmates was Japanese. We had one for like 3 years before one of us broke it on a bone. My girlfriend has had her current one for 5 years or so without problems.

 

[Maestro]

It's not the knives that are the problem, I love the knives (corrosion proof, almost immortal edge, and pitch black color). I just keep breaking them!

 

[Ennui]

I have a small folding lockblade that I carry around with me a lot of the time. Make is Gerber and it's only a 2.5 or 3 inch blade. I don't see what possible use carrying around a huge Rambo knife could be unless you live in the jungle but I do use my pocketknife more often than I'd expect.

 

[Maestro]

I have a small folding lockblade that I carry around with me a lot of the time. Make is Gerber and it's only a 2.5 or 3 inch blade. I don't see what possible use carrying around a huge Rambo knife could be unless you live in the jungle but I do use my pocketknife more often than I'd expect.

None of us carry Rambo-style knives, since that's illegal outside of specific circumstances, but they are fun to brag on.

 

[Dan]

I've picked up shaving with a straight razor lately because it's the easiest way to deal with a 3 week beard. Disposables get clogged really fast. I had some very old razors I picked up off EBay and honed them on a 2000/4000 grit combo Japanese waterstone. Some I took out some nicks and stuff on a much rougher kitchen knife water stone. But even after stropping I can't get that satisfying twing of letting a hair fall on the blade and slice right through. If I drag it a bit, it will fall in half, and it shaves okay.

It's fun to put a blade under a microscope and check out the edge. I was amazed at how jagged my razor was until I really got to the fine grit.

 

[Destructo-Bot]

You should give a double edged razor a shot. Doesn't clog like cartridge razors do and you don't have to futz around with honing and stroping. A pack of DE blades that lasts you half a lifetime runs about $8.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RBF1PO/ref=oh_o04_s00_i02_details
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013RZ2ZM/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L4EING/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

 

[Dan]

But holding a naked razor and stropping mid shave is so much more badass