[Hamaki gaijin]

 
 
New Toys,  ProTech DarkAngel SN 50,  Microtech Makora carbon fiber from 05/2009 and the new Spyderco Street Bowie and my old tacpen and monkeypaw keychain.  The streetbowie feels good in the hand but the fit and finish not hear as nice as the smaller streebeat released some years back.  Really wish spyderco kept the micarta handle, but this is the economical model.  Im a fan of Protech blades great autos for the money.  As for microtech what can you say they are the best production autos out (my opinion) but pricey.

 

[liamstrain]

Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer the Italian stiletto switchblade for autos ... I'll bet those are very nice though. 
 
I still have a Street Beat near the top of my fixed blade wish list. My impressions of the bowie are the same as yours. 

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

I have several but even the best ones of those werent great cutters.  I love old swing guards, but the italian ones made now even by reputable dealers use somewhat suspect steel.  The ones in here cut and have 0 blade play.

 

[liamstrain]

Aye - the italians are more about pointy than slicey. Frank B still uses reasonable steel, but they are certainly "light duty" knives. 

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

Quote:

Aye - the italians are more about pointy than slicey. Frank B still uses reasonable steel, but they are certainly "light duty" knives. 

Frank B uses alot of 440B steel in his which just doesnt hold up well.

 

[warubozu]

Visited my local knife shop today foolishly thinking I could just walk out with my wallet intact. Bought the following two knives as I was offered a deal I couldn't refuse:
 
Spyderco Caly 3 damascus carbon fiber
 

 
Spyderco Lum Chinese titanium
 

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

Quote:

Visited my local knife shop today foolishly thinking I could just walk out with my wallet intact. Bought the following two knives as I was offered a deal I couldn't refuse:
 
Spyderco Caly 3 damascus carbon fiber
 

 
Spyderco Lum Chinese titanium
 

Love the Lum chinese folder have the regular and the large.
The calypso looks sweet to.

 

[liamstrain]

Quote:

Frank B uses alot of 440B steel in his which just doesnt hold up well.

 
I thought it was 440C, but thanks for the clarification. I'm pretty picky about my steels in other blades, but this doesn't bother me too much. I'm not cutting with any stilletto. All it needs is to be sharpened to a point and hold that shape long enough to go through a few layers of cloth. Done. Edge retention and carbide consistency are not a big deal for a stilletto or bayonette grind since those are not slicing/cutting blades. 
 
Great looking Caly, Warubozu.

 

[Chris_Himself]

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

Quote:

 
I thought it was 440C, but thanks for the clarification. I'm pretty picky about my steels in other blades, but this doesn't bother me too much. I'm not cutting with any stilletto. All it needs is to be sharpened to a point and hold that shape long enough to go through a few layers of cloth. Done. Edge retention and carbide consistency are not a big deal for a stilletto or bayonette grind since those are not slicing/cutting blades. 
 
Great looking Caly, Warubozu.

Agreed however lateral strength at the point is an issue.  Thin blade profiles and bad heat treat can really make a blade easy to break at the tip (think early Fairbain and Sykes daggers).   Burn makes great ones but they are shelf eye poppers not carry pieces, Some Latamas are good.  Some newer pieces are 440C but alot of the late 80s to 90s stuff from maniago is 420 and 440b

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

Quote:

Love the large clip point.  Tom Mayo right?

 

[Chris_Himself]

Quote:

Love the large clip point.  Tom Mayo right?

 
Yep, it's a Moran XL bowie by Tom. Good eye

 

[warubozu]

Quote:

 
I thought it was 440C, but thanks for the clarification. I'm pretty picky about my steels in other blades, but this doesn't bother me too much. I'm not cutting with any stilletto. All it needs is to be sharpened to a point and hold that shape long enough to go through a few layers of cloth. Done. Edge retention and carbide consistency are not a big deal for a stilletto or bayonette grind since those are not slicing/cutting blades. 
 
Great looking Caly, Warubozu.

Thanks, I tried so hard in vain to resist buying it.

 

[Hamaki gaijin]

Quote:

 
Yep, it's a Moran XL bowie by Tom. Good eye

Thats a nice piece I dont have any of his in my collection.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I've been paring down my knife collection lately (in part to fund headphones), but I'm keeping my favorites. I've settled on the CRK Umnumzaan as my top dog for now, with a few other nice productions to accompany it. But the cheaper ones I don't use as much can go; about a month ago I had about 50 knives and many of them didn't see much use.