Let's Talk About Knives.....................

Ard · Sep 1, 2009

I was looking up old threads and topics and found this one. Some of the photos have disappeared but there are still may in the thread. I bumped it up because I found a great set of photos from Noreaster that deserved a quote.

Knives, I have always been a fancier of knives. When I was a boy my father always had a huge Queen Steel bone scaled pocket knife in his trousers and the fascination stuck. Over the years I have developed a sort of collection of knives. Most of mine are pocket / clip back knives but I have a few fixed blade models also. Since relocating here to AK. I find that to leave home without my Benchmade Osborn Axis clipped in my right side pocket feels worse than leaving home without my American Express Corporate card. It seems I always need the knife. Opening packages, cutting a cord or rope at camp, and of course for dispatching an occasional salmon with a quick stroke through the brain, yep I keep one handy all the time. Then there is the fillet knife, what is your favorite? How do you keep them sharp, what works best to maintain the edge? What about assisted opening blades like the Kershaw and Gerbers?

If you have a favorite knife what is it and if you have a picture, post one please. I will take a photo of my every day carry blade and of my fishing blade and post them here soon. First I'll wait to see if this is a subject that other members are drawn to engage in.

Jimmie · Sep 2, 2009

When the "Sportsman Warehouse" was still open in our town I looked at a lot of knives. The ones that I liked but never bought were the "Knives of Alaska" brand. Their fishermans combo set looked good. It was hard for me to pull the trigger and purchase knives that expensive but I'm sure that they are worth it. I wound up purchasing a fillet knive, Steigermans design Benchmade. It's a fold up with sheath. I've got a number of pocket knives but the one I always have with me is a "Leatherman" with the fold out pliers in the center. I've also got a small Zog in my tackle box that I rarely use.

mcnerney · Sep 2, 2009

Ard: I always carry a small pocket knife with me, I'm like you, kind of feel lost without it. Post some photos of your favorites. I will do the same, I have a couple of fixed blades my son made for me.

Jimmie: I'm not sure if this is the same outfit but my son and I were visiting with a machinist friend in Midland, TX awhile back and he showed me a knife blank that had been produced by a foundary in Houston. The blanks were made by a lost wax method (I forget the actual name of that process of pouring metal into a casting) and had the name of the company embossed in the sides, very nice detail. Anyway it was something like "Knives of Alaska", later I looked them up online and found that he was actually from Texas but had a fishing/bird hunting lodge operation in Alaska in the summer and fall. If that is the same company he produces some very nice looking knives.

Larry

Ard · Sep 3, 2009

Photos of a few Knives

These are some of the knives that I use, some more than others;

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The fillet knives are a 9" Eagle River & a 12" Kershaw. I use the Kershaw.

The stag Horn is a Damascus Steel that I have had for about 24 years, I carry that on my fishing pack, very sharp steel.

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The knife with the green anodized handle is a Benchmade Osborn Axis with a Tanto point. My everyday carry and a beautiful piece of machining.

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The workhorse of the bunch is my Gerber speed blade. I have pounded it down through the lids of cans of Alpo dog food and then sawed them open with it and it still takes an edge.

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The other steel handled knife is a Ken Onion Leek made by Kershaw. It is also an assisted opening blade and very well honed. I have a few more around here and will add one to the thread now and then.

mcnerney · Sep 3, 2009

Ard: That stag Horn knife with Damascus Steel is beatuiful, great pattern on the steel!

Larry

mcnerney · Sep 3, 2009

This first picture is a knife my son made for me a long time ago:

This is a picture of a custom damascus pipe my son build for his elderly neighbor.

Here is something you don't see everyday, custom farrier hoof knives my son makes:

Larry

Ard · Sep 3, 2009

WOW! What a craftsman.

catfish · Sep 8, 2009

the pocket knife and the straight blade i carry all the time and more times than not i carry all three
you can never have to many knives

Ard · Dec 26, 2010

I saw that Casey posted that he got a new Gerber for Christmas and so I am bring this back to life. Since posting this thread I have picked up two more Benchmade knives. Both are the Griptillian combo blades, I bought one for my brother for his birthday and liked it so much I got one for myself. Then I had to choose between Spear Point or Tanto Point on the blades so I did what any good knife freak would do, I got both.

I'll wait to see if any Christmas present knives show up and I'll post a picture of the new ones I have now tomorrow. Hey Catfish, I'm liking that fixed blade you carry a lot!

Ard

dean_mt · Jan 2, 2011

It's hard to have too many of good things like knives and flyrods and hunting rifles...since nice knives are more affordable than nice rods and guns I tend to find myself wanting another one a little more often.

I have that same Kershaw fillet knife that I like to bone deer with. And an assisted opening Kershaw, too, that is my everyday knife. That Benchmade is a beauty, I'd really like one of those. And how do you like the Griptillion? I like the look of that knife and was considering one for the fishing pack.

nerka · Dec 26, 2010

I have a few nice knives that I simply keep put away. I think of knives in a fairly utilitarian way for the most part. The ones I use the most are several varieties of the Kershaw Ken Onion series. I like the leek the best. Opening assist comes in handy and the looks are sharp. I also own the smaller one I think its called the scalion. I find that more handy around the vise.
As for cleaning fish and game, I generally use dexter russel sani safe type. Dishwasher safe, decent steel that sharpens easy and if I happen to lose or break it somehow, I'm out generally less than $50.
I also still use a few different ulu type knives. It works great for knocking the heads off salmon when dealing with a quantity of them, or kings and big silvers. Being able to force down weight on a small area and then spread throughout the width of the curved blade does a nice clean job and saves the edge on your filet knife.
While I have some family who has the skills and practice to filet salmon with an ulu, I generally stick to a 10in filet.

goldentrout · Dec 26, 2010

I like original Schrade knives. I have a bunch of them. Here's some good fishing knives.

I like these. They weigh nothing in your vest.

Another good light vest knife by Gerber that I use.

I have what is refered to as a "end of days" knife that is just like this one only without the DU shield on the side. Good usable saw.

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Ard · Dec 26, 2010

Nice;

That is quite a bunch of knives GT, love those fillet knives. I went back and looked at the picture I put on the thread and I see that I didn't put in the one that works the best. I have an old Rapalla with a 7" blade (you guys know the one I'm talking about) I have no idea why but it takes an edge and keeps it better than the others I have. Gotta get that out of my tackle bag and snap a picture, if I recall this would have been purchased around 1978. They were sold everywhere,

Ard

rangerrich99 · Dec 27, 2010

While I can appreciate beautiful collector knives, I mostly buy knives based on utility.

For fishing:

11" gerber filet
7" rapala filet
Fishing Swiss Army knife (20 year old gift from my brother)
Kershaw Tactical Blackout folder (I have three Kershaws, this is my favorite, and without a doubt the sharpest folder I own)

For hunting:

Kershaw Vapor II
Buck folder (gift from my father 25 years ago)
K-Bar serrated (gift from my brother last year, replaces the one I lost 10 years ago)

The Kershaw Blackout is an assisted opener, very fast and easy to use. That and the Swiss Army go everywhere I go. On a side note, I've found that the Swiss knife can be sharpened to a pretty good edge and will hold it for a decent period of time. It's an old knife, so I don't know if the new ones are the same in that regard, but mine's a keeper.

Ard · Dec 27, 2010

I have an old Swiss Army Hiker and they have been sharp like a scalpel as long as I remember.

pie314 · Dec 27, 2010

ahh knives, I think every kid with interest in the outdoors is addicted to them, and some like me never outgrow the addiction.

My first real knife my dad gave me was a kershaw ken onion folder. I use this knife as an everyday utility tool.

As for hunting, my two favorites are knives of alaska, the bush camp and cub bear combo, the bushcamp is a little large for cleaning deer but for butchering it works great. The cub bear is an awesome caping knife and good for fine detailed cutting. knives of alaska are some of the best quality tools I have ever used and they hold a wicked sharp edge.

There are only 2 knives I dont use. A folder from buck called the alpha hunter with a beautiful rosewood insert in the handle. I first saw this knife when I was about 14 and I have always wanted it. My girlfriend got it for my 21st birthday and it has not seen the field, they dont make it anymore so it stays locked up in the gun safe along with one other knife. It was my great grandfathers, given to him as a gift as a young boy. Even then the knife was a hand me down so I can roughly date it to around 100 years old. Its a remington, full tang drop point, about a 5 inch blade. You can tell the handle was hand wrapped leather, its pretty cool. My grandfather had a man make me a custom sheathe out of bear hide he hunted, skun and did all the work himself. Hopefully I can post a picture of it on here someday, if I can ever figure out how.

Brian

ghostdncr · Jan 2, 2011

One of my Portland-marked Gerber EZ-Outs with the SEAL point grind. This point style really does limit the knife's utility in regards to cleaning fingernails and the like, but in a combat role it's essentially unequaled. I'd be as likely to leave the house without pants...

Ard · Jan 2, 2011

Here's some more;

Nice Blade John,

Dean,

I got 2 of the Griptillian knives...........Duh It was an accident, really

One with a Tanto point that I am not using and the other that has been on duty for a few months, I like em fine. The little one with the Ivory Micarta scales is a Paul Presto from Lone Wolf Knives and has an unusual locking and opening design. If you goggle Lone Wolf Knives they explain better than I can what makes them different.

There are some more around here, I think in my tackle bag...........When I come across them I'll stick them on here.

ghostdncr · Jan 2, 2011

Two thumbs up for that Benchmade on top, Ard! I'd carry either one but much prefer the simple hole in the the blade to the stud-type assist. If you ever decide to part with that one, give me a shout.

Ard · Jan 2, 2011

They both have the Axis Lock / Opening lever on them. You can open either with the lever.

caseywise · Jan 2, 2011

a couple new ones. ard, the new gereber is on the way.

Code:

---------- Post added at 12:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 AM ----------

i will post that as well.

Pocono · Jan 2, 2011

One knife does it all for me; fish, line/leader/tippet (for those "miscalculated" casts where the trees actually move in on you as you're just completing your backcast

), rhodies, greenbriar, etc. and I don't' go packing up into any headwaters without it; particularly in the Spring...........

It's clean and it's stoned sharp.

Pocono

goldentrout · Jan 2, 2011

Nice Kabar! I'd like to get one some day. Very useful knife!

Ard · Jan 2, 2011

Always liked that knife Allan (kabar) but never got one. I carry an old Western Knife Co. Bowie for heavy work. It has proven itself since 1984. Chop wood, dig holes, split the pelvis on big game or driving in tent stakes, it's pretty versatile. and double as a machete if I don't have one with.

I forgot to mention those, a machete. Nancy and I both have one by Gerber, we got new ones 2 years back because the old Army Surplus ones were really beat up. These are the ticket for the Bush.

And for John, here's another with the circle blade opening system, I forgot about this knife till you mentioned the Circle blades.

Frank doesn't share my love for the Bowie but I'm putting it on anyway

It works for me

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Spyderco; For John

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The Trail Maker;

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This is knida fun huh? Like visiting someone and they keep getting stuff off the shelf or out of the drawer to show you. Nice knives guys

goldentrout · Jan 3, 2011

Nice Bowie! I'm looking at a new one myself to buy. I lean heavily toward traditional type knives. I do stray from them once in awhile. Since your Bowie causes some controversy, I'll do you one better and show two of my ugliest knives. I never payed any attention to these until I started collecting. The first time I picked one up I really liked the feel and grip of the ugly rubber handle on it and bought it to use. A Camp Knife and a drop point hunting knife.

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ghostdncr · Jan 3, 2011

That Schrade is reminiscent of a Ghurka, albeit without the handle offset. I'm a big fan of those. Perhaps it's more what would be termed a bolo-style blade?

Ard, I love the Spyderco knives but I got one for a gift several years ago and found the belt clip to be 180 degrees off from the Gerbers I've been carrying all these years. I tried adapting for several months and couldn't get into the swing of it, so went back to my Gerbers for everyday carry. Beautiful knives, though. Well made with lots of attention to detail.

Ard · Jan 3, 2011

That Bowie has done a lot of work from digging latrines to splitting kindling for the fire It has put in the hours. I have owned that for 27 years.

Let's Talk About Knives.....................

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