The Knife Thread - Pocket Knives, Kitchen Knives, Knife skills- and everything in between -A place to discuss your knife layout and use

[Badungus Kabungus]

If going the multitool route, I like Leatherman over SAKs in most cases because having good pliers is kind of a big deal.

 

[Lichen Bark]

Spyderco chads rise up! I sleep with a Spyderco Civilian under my pillow just in case.....

 

[Jeff_the_Thriller]

Here's this super autistic dude who does knife reviews. It's weirdly fascinating and he is very knowledgeable.

 

[GeorgeHWBush]

Spyderco chads rise up! I sleep with a Spyderco Civilian under my pillow just in case.....

If I get another Spyderco it’s going to be a fully serrated model.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

today on dank swordz

money clip little guy



USA comb


an actually good knife, an old victornox I got when I was in Switzerland a thousand years ago


one of my current daily drivers


cool raptory looking thing


also I've started playing with throwing knives

 

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

cool raptory looking thing

Karambits are cool, though I tend to prefer the smaller ones. Also, I really dig the folding mechanism of the CRKT Provoke:

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

If going the multitool route, I like Leatherman over SAKs in most cases because having good pliers is kind of a big deal.

I like the Leatherman she got me for Christmas. For Valentine's Day she got me a Ka-bar hobo knife for almost free. Not my images obviously. Mines about in the same shape needs cleaned up a little. Folding Spoon

 

[FedPostalService]

I like the Leatherman she got me for Christmas. For Valentine's Day she got me a Ka-bar hobo knife for almost free. Not my images obviously. Mines about in the same shape needs cleaned up a little. Folding Spoon

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View attachment 6991197

That is fantastic!

 

[Miriam Margoyles]

All the British bobbies of His Majesty's Constabulary watching this thread:

 

[Jump]

Ive been carrying a SAK Tinker since I was a little kid. It may sound gay but I grew up watching MacGyver (the original) and on that show thats what he carried. Thats how I ended up on SAK's. I use it almost every day at work.

Im not living innawoods and dont hunt anymore so I have no real use for bigger blades.

 

[Slav Power]

Recently I thought about getting a more robust SAK than my Recruit, but I couldn't decide on what amount of tools I wanted on top of it. First I thought of the Huntsman, then I found that the Ranger was essentially a better version of that, but then I dove off the deep end. I found Felix Immler's YouTube channel, got enamored with how much you could do with a SAK, I found that the Handyman pliers are actually very useful, but price wise the Handyman was already close to the Swiss Champ and I was thinking about getting the Plus scales with the pen as well as the needle and the corkscrew screwdriver and getting all that would cost me as much as getting the Swiss Champ.

So I pulled the trigger and got the Swiss Champ for ~$88.

Honestly? I don't see why people say it's "too big", maybe they think like that because they look at the photos and think it's unpractical and a meme. I thought the same until I held it in my hands. It's perfect EDC.
-It's lighter than my phone, it fits perfectly into the small jeans pocket.
-It's not unwieldy by any means, I have average sized hands and it fits neatly in the palm of my hand.
-It's toolset gives you a handy pocket toolbox that'll come in handy whenever, and with EDC it's always the idea of "it's better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it".

The Swiss Champ gives you just about anything you'd ever need and still have it nice and compact, smaller than a Leatherman. And if you really need a pair of pliers, Knipex Cobra XS are a thing, and right now I'm contemplating whether or not to splurge out on them just to have that extra assurance of always being ready for anything that might arise in day-to-day life.

If you can't decide on which SAK to get, just get the Swiss Champ. If it's too much, you always have the 30-day return Amazon policy/14-day EU return policy, but at least you'll get accustomed with what you can get from a SAK. Or you'll be like me, fall in love with the Swiss Champ and have it serve you for the rest of your life, since you're buying Victorinox and not some cheap Chinese knockoff.

 

[Lord Xenu]

Honestly? I don't see why people say it's "too big"

(BBC Antiques Roadshow UK)

 

[Slav Power]

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(BBC Antiques Roadshow UK)

The real meme SAK is the SwissChamp XXL, an expensive showpiece that throws in every layer that Victorinox makes including the kitchen sink. Though I'm sure a dozen or so lunatics will consider it as fit for EDC.

Both a regular and a serrated blade, two parcel hooks, two fine screwdrivers, two bit drivers, both the regular opener layer and the combo tool. No other SAK has this kind of redundancy because it's pointless, unless you're making a showpiece of course.

Still has nothing on the Wenger Giant Knife, the greatest showpiece ever made:

In comparison, SwissChamp is actually a very sane and usable balance of tools. It's as wide as my index and middle finger, and the eight layers in the specification is a bit misleading. It's spaced for seven layers, because the eighth layer is the fish scaler that's squeezed right next to the wood saw, together being as thick as the pliers layer. It's really well optimized all things considered.

There's also the CyberTool L that loses only a few of SwissChamp's tools, adds a bit driver, and is only marginally thicker than the SC, though I'd argue the SC is a better overall option since it retains the scissors and the magnifying glass, which can double as a fire starter outdoors. If you're gonna work on electronics you're better off with a dedicated driver set, while the inline Philips of the SC can come in useful for stuff like case fan screws.

It really isn't that big. Multitools tend to be bigger and heavier than the SC yet no one ever scoffs at them just because those have bigger pliers. Which, again, can be replaced with a pair of Knipex Cobra XS since that's the only real advantage multitools have over SAK's.

 

[Lord Xenu]

Multitools tend to be bigger and heavier than the SC yet no one ever scoffs at them just because those have bigger pliers

I used to carry the Leatherman Skeletool as EDC and I would recommend it. I bought the original immediately on release after I saw it in a 2003-ish Maxim Magazine issue, and carried it for a few years, until I lost it. I replaced it with a skeletool XC, and carried that one for a few years, until I lost it as well.

(not my picture)
It's a good balance for edc. It has a pocket clip and the blade has good steel. It easily opens with one hand. The original one I bought had a nylon sheath with a pocket for a small bit set. My big qualm with it would be that it should've been designed to use standard bits (without the nut driver attachment included in the bit set).

Losing the XC is what made me decide to start carrying small cheap pocket knives more often than not. This multitool was fairly expensive when I got it, though its gone down in price.

I still own and occasionally carry a leatherman, but it is too heavy for a pocket carry. I carry it in my work bag or with my outdoors gear. It's an old style surge with the replaceable wire cutter inserts. My inserts are kind of mangled. I should find some new ones.

The scissors are kind of weak, otherwise, this thing is pretty much bullet-proof.


I'll post some of my better knives at some point. Up thread someone mentioned the brand Rike. I have one, and have to agree that the quality is fantastic, and the price was reasonable.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

I've got some shit fake leatherman I got from walmart for like, ten bucks about fifteen years ago
dude's still running strong, use the FWUAK out of it with my biking and day to day life, but I do carry it in my backpack and not a pocket

I'll get some pics for next batch of stupid knives I buy on ebay, got a replacement of my actual switchblade with a button instead of those "spring assist" types, need to get pics of him for sure

 

[TruffleSpark]

Are there any particular multitool brands that are cheaper than Victorinox/Leatherman that are still really high quality? Or is this one of those "you get what you pay for" things?

 

[Grub]

If going the multitool route, I like Leatherman over SAKs in most cases because having good pliers is kind of a big deal.

I got a leatherman as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. I've had cheap shitty multitools and even more expensive ones before but they were all kind of shitty so I was always more of a single blade pocket knife kind of guy but I've really come to love that Leatherman. I'm really surprised by the quality. The knife blade is actually a good blade, the screwdriver bits are useful, the pliers aren't loose and wobbly. I've actually used every single tool on it doing real work and it hasn't let me down yet. It's the quality of the blade that really impresses me though. It's not the best blade in the world but it's a real blade and it can keep an edge which is more than I can say for literally every other multitool I've ever owned.

 

[Slav Power]

Are there any particular multitool brands that are cheaper than Victorinox/Leatherman that are still really high quality? Or is this one of those "you get what you pay for" things?

When it comes to SAK's, Victorinox is "you get what you pay for". I got burnt so many times as a kid using some cheapo Chinese knockoffs that would be so tough to open they'd constantly break my fingernails, until I decided to get a genuine Victorinox. A Recruit definitely costed more than those knockoffs, but after I got it in my hands I finally understood what you're paying for. It got plenty of use throughout high school despite it's basic tool set and it's still fine to this day. From what I've heard their Swiss Tools are even better than Leatherman multitools, but I'm more biased towards layered steel encased in red celidor that gets scratched by just looking at it.

Like someone said in the BIFL thread: buy once, cry once. Sure, a Swiss Champ might cost ~$90, but you get a versatile pocket tool that'll last you a lifetime. Plus, the Swiss don't fuck around when it comes to their lifetime warranty. A Vic will save your ass 99% of the time, but if you need a cheap folding knife that has a locking blade, get an Opinel, and if you need some heavier pocket pliers get Knipex Cobra XS or 87 01 125.

Speaking of, I picked up the Cobra XS today and like it was said in the BIFL thread, buy once, cry once. They're tiny and expensive but they're extremely potent and well built, definitely gonna daily carry them from now on. I'll probably encounter a billion situations where both the Champ and the XS will come in handy, and it's really reassuring to know you have both in your pocket at all times. Practically unnoticeable bulk from both in my jeans, my wallet and phone are the two most unwieldy items I carry.

 

[FedPostalService]

Lads, I really miss Wenger

 

[Lord Xenu]

Are there any particular multitool brands that are cheaper than Victorinox/Leatherman that are still really high quality? Or is this one of those "you get what you pay for" things?

I dont own any personally, but if you look on that Chinese flashlight forum, they have rec's for which Chinese multitools are decent and available on amazon etc. As mentioned above, the real value in many big-brand tools & knives are the no-hassle lifetime warranties of brands like Gerber, Victorinox, and Leatherman.

People used to talk about the Ganzo 301. It appears to be unavailable. Maybe check out one of their newer offerings. I did own a Ganzo folding knife that I got from a rec on one of those sites. It was like $20 and seemed like a decent knife, it had ceramic bearings. I didn't use it because it was too heavy/big for my purpose, so I gave it away.

For the thread tax, here is my Ferrum Forge "Falcon". I don't recall how much it cost, but probably around $100. I think I got it to replace an aging Kershaw Onion (Onion/Leek were my preference in the past). It's one of 4-5 knives I got from Massdrop before they sucked. It is US designed, and made in China by the same manufacturer that makes Civivi (IIRC).
Its comfortable to hold, and light enough, with a good sized blade. I think the scales are titanium, the blade is S35VN. I don't think it would be a comfortable knife for someone with very large hands, as the handle is quite short. The finger cutaway in the blade does a lot of work.
That pocket clip is aftermarket. The original was milled titanium, and I figured it would break easily, so I got one made from spring steel. That's why the color doesn't match.
As you can see, the knife is barely used. I decided it was too nice to mangle/lose, so I threw it back inside its zippered case, where it has remained for the last couple of years.


I have another Massdrop x Ferrum Forge that I will post later.