[smallcaps]

Thank you for your recommendations. I'm afraid I need some edumacation here. I don't know the differences in materials, why one would choose one type of blade over the other, why some knives are $30 and others are $800. To me, they all look the same. If you have some time and it's not too much to ask, could you take me through the knives 101? Thanks

Certainly not an expert and more of an enthusiast that appreciates the design and functionality of knives, so please take my comments with a grain of salt!

I think choosing a knife is really about the use-case, much like choosing any other tool. And while functionality is important for any tool, pocket knives these days are also seen as a kind of EDC pocket jewellery. There is some pride in ownership, carrying and using something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, so I personally use these two factors (functionality, hotness) to decide on the knife I'll carry for the day.

If the knife you gift your bother is intended for pure use in the field for his job (think you mentioned law? Law enforcement? Legal?), most operators will say that forget about a folding knife, go with a fixed-blade knife instead. I am nowhere near qualified to comment on this, so I'll leave this one alone for now, and point you to some other communities (BladeForums) where you might get more informed answers.

If the intent of the knife lies in more of the EDC and pocket jewellery category, where usage could be opening a box, cutting an apple, etc., then a folding pocket knife is perfect for this. Some questions and points to consider include:

• What is the local knife carry laws where the knife will be used?
  • Some places don't allow locking knives, blades of a certain length, and deployment mechanisms like automatic knives, so best to check this first.
• Is the environment that the knife will be used potentially corrosive?
  • Such as using the knife to cut acidic foods (kitchen or camp use), by saltwater (lives by the coast, on a boat, for fishing), in dusty or dirty environments (in the back yard, on a construction site), etc. This will dictate the type of steel you might want to consider, as well as other things such as washers vs. bearings, deployment methods, scale materials, etc.
  • Some good stainless steels used in knives include s30v, s35vn, s45vn, s90v, s110v, M390, 20cv, 204p, CPM-154, RWL34, and many many more.
  • For stainless steels that are virtually rust-proof, look out for LC200n, H1, and Vanax.
  • For decent budget steels, check out D2, 440, 14c28n, N690, and VG10.
  • There are many many more steels (carbon steels, for instance) that I won't touch upon, but check out BladeHQ for a decent article.
• Is it intended more as 'pocket jewellery' for EDC carry?
  • There is a specific category of folding knife known as 'Gentleman's Carry Knife', which, while offers the basic functionality of being able to cut things, also offers the aesthetic benefit of being made of fancy materials, in order to produce 'envy' by the people around you, much like a Patek Philippe watch is to a Timex. They both offer the function of telling time, however, the former can be worn to a wedding, graduation, in an office, etc. while the other is better suited for gardening.
• Blade shapes
  • There are many kinds of blade shapes and some are more useful for certain types of cuts. Wharncliffe profiles are great for scoring (box and letter opening) - think utility blade shape. Clip-points and spear points are great for piercing tasks. Sheepfoot blades (like kitchen knives) are great for draw cuts, where you are passing the blade through the material.
  • Of course, the shape of the blade is also a very aesthetic choice, so if it's a gift, I would personally pick something that looks good to you!

Hope that helps a bit, and again, I'm no expert so please take a look at the following resources to get more information:

• https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/complete-guide-pocket-knives/
• https://knifeinformer.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/
• https://knifesteelnerds.com/
• https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368
• https://knife-depot.com/pages/pocket-knife-buying-guide
• https://www.betterpocketknife.com/articles/pocket-knife-blade-shapes-and-types/
• https://www.thecoolist.com/best-knife-blade-shapes/
• https://www.marineapproved.com/knife-blade-types-shapes/
• https://everydaycarry.com/edc-knife-locks-guide
• https://hiconsumption.com/complete-guide-to-knife-locking-systems/

 

[bifcake]

Thanks so much and thanks for all the links. I'll start doing some reading.

 

[KcMsterpce]

Also keep in mind that many types of metal have different tolerances.
For example, you have carbon steel... it is more brittle, but holds its sharp edge much longer. Apparently, it's trickier to forge as well. It will stain after oils and acids get on it (it forms a "patina"). Many don't like that stained look on carbon. Also, it is not meant for chopping and heavy use. It won't bend easily, it will just break. The benefit of carbon is in its extremely sharp edge and long-term sharpness.
Then comes "western" style metals... these will not hold their edge as long, but they are more resilient to abuse. For a good all-around, multi-use blade, I would recommend a more "robust" metal.
For my kitchen knives, I'm all about sharpness (carbon). I love how it slices everything with ease. I don't chop stuff much. Thus, a knife that needs more abuse and wear and tear would do better with more common metals that are more bendable and resilient. Stainless steels will be less prone to rust as well. They don't require as much attention and care to keep clean and rust-free.
If you think it would be better to have a knife that cleans easily and won't get tarnished, then have something clad with stainless on the outer shell.

 

[bifcake]

Also keep in mind that many types of metal have different tolerances.
For example, you have carbon steel... it is more brittle, but holds its sharp edge much longer. Apparently, it's trickier to forge as well. It will stain after oils and acids get on it (it forms a "patina"). Many don't like that stained look on carbon. Also, it is not meant for chopping and heavy use. It won't bend easily, it will just break. The benefit of carbon is in its extremely sharp edge and long-term sharpness.
Then comes "western" style metals... these will not hold their edge as long, but they are more resilient to abuse. For a good all-around, multi-use blade, I would recommend a more "robust" metal.
For my kitchen knives, I'm all about sharpness (carbon). I love how it slices everything with ease. I don't chop stuff much. Thus, a knife that needs more abuse and wear and tear would do better with more common metals that are more bendable and resilient. Stainless steels will be less prone to rust as well. They don't require as much attention and care to keep clean and rust-free.
If you think it would be better to have a knife that cleans easily and won't get tarnished, then have something clad with stainless on the outer shell.

This is for my brother in law as an every day knife. So, I was thinking of a folding knife. Perhaps with an S30v blade?

 

[KcMsterpce]

I am not an expert on this stuff, but from what I gather, most folding knives are made with pretty forgiving metal and will hold up well with heavy use.
Ultimately, I think you providing a knife as a present is more important than what it's made of. Get what you think looks good, and most likely, it will perform well for 99% of people who use it.

 

[bifcake]

I am not an expert on this stuff, but from what I gather, most folding knives are made with pretty forgiving metal and will hold up well with heavy use.
Ultimately, I think you providing a knife as a present is more important than what it's made of. Get what you think looks good, and most likely, it will perform well for 99% of people who use it.

Thanks! I think you're on the money.

 

[ostewart]

Got a nice little EDC knife from my aunty/uncle for Christmas, quite pleased with it (Real Steel Heinnie Haynes Luna Red)

 

[bifcake]

Do you have a link to the website? Thanks

 

[ostewart]

Do you have a link to the website? Thanks

https://www.realsteelknives.com/products

 

[bifcake]

Thanks! Those are neat!

 

[smallcaps]

Made my very first knife using old rebar steel. My hands hurt from all the hammering, but quite happy with the result!

 

[warrenpchi]

That pattern on the tang is utterly perfect.

 

[smallcaps]

That pattern on the tang is utterly perfect.

Thank you kindly! I lucked out on the rebar pattern on the handle.

 

[cdf294]

That pattern does look fantastic @smallcaps . Great job!


I've been using a Benchmade as my primary daily for a few years and have recently decided that it deserves retirement since it's been through a lot.
Having ended up with a few extra dollars for Christmas and selling a Sebenza that I hated the way it felt in hand, I picked up a few items to put into rotation. I prefer beefy folders for EDC since I can legally carry them here. I buy and use knives as the tools they are so I guess almost every knife I own will look heavily used eventually if it becomes the primary carry in my rotation. I think this knife will be perfect for EDC since it won't look beat up as quickly due to the heavily stonewashed blade and handle.

 

[go_vtec]

Thank you for your recommendations. I'm afraid I need some edumacation here. I don't know the differences in materials, why one would choose one type of blade over the other, why some knives are $30 and others are $800. To me, they all look the same. If you have some time and it's not too much to ask, could you take me through the knives 101? Thanks

Similar to headphones, different materials, different designs, and sometime different designers can influence cost of knives significantly. Most of knives under $100 use economical steel materials for the blades where they are easy to sharpen, but they don't hold the edges too long. Some higher end steels can cost substantially and very difficult to sharpen. Most of comment higher end steels are CPM-S30V or CPM-S35V which are typically around $100 to $400 range. Slightly higher steel such as CPM-S110V can be very difficult to sharpen and often requires significant skills to sharpen and horn the edges. However these higher end knifes will hold their edges for months to years for normal light uses. Blade designs and geometry determine the use cases and how specific folding mechanism keep the folding blade open is one of the most important decision points to selecting knife. Imaging the blade closes while you are holding your knife. You will not like the end results. Other significant factor would be the handle materials, such as titanium, carbon fiber, G10 (=fancy plastic & ceramic materials), micarta, stainless steels can influence design can also practicality on how handle feels. Most importantly, the use cases and how one would like to use them should be the most significant factors for selection (how to put in in your pocket, how to deploy knife, what is holding the knife open, and how to deactivate the fold-open mechanism to fold the knife. I have some that I can open with one hand and close with one hand safely, but they are ones that requires two hands to fold as well.

For retired military and some tactical law officers like Paramilitary 2 model (also called PM2) by Spyderco. Their handle colors are determined by the blade materials and they are also limited models that cost more than $200. If you are thinking about spending around $200, you may want to buy him something that uses good steels and from the good manufacturers. Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, and Benchmade are typically $100+ commercial knife makers (mostly of them cost around $200, which you've listed as your target) and they are very popular with military and law enforcement officers. CRKT, Cold Steel, & Kershaw are mostly sub $100 knife makers that produce most of knives around $50, but uses slightly less higher end materials for most of their models. Buck knives are not too bad, but they are not very tactical and they use older folding design that modern folding knife users rarely prefer.