Knives..what are your favorites?

[WarrenJ]

I use primarily 1080 and 5160.  I clay up the backs of the blades, heat them just past non-magnetic and quench them in oil.  I clean them up and drop them in the oven for an hour and a half to draw them back at the appropriate temp.  The last batch of 5160 knives I treated came out with a pretty respectable hamon line, which is not that common (but I'll take it).  The short japanese style sword in the pic is forged from S7.  I had to heat it up and pack it in ashes for a day so I could grind the damn thing.  That is some tough stuff.  I didn't think it forged that bad, but it sure does not like to grind. 

I really like 5160 for hard use knives.  It may not hold an edge like O-1 but it is far easier to resharpen in the field and it is way tougher.  Once you differentially heat treat 5160 and draw it back a little (into the high 50's RC) they are pretty indestructible. 

Its very important to clean the quenching oil off the blades before you draw them back in the kitchen oven.  Wives do not appreciate the kitchen (and the rest of the house for that matter) smelling like a fire in an auto repair garage. 

I have a couple of sticks of CRU-FORGE V that I am going to play with.  If you get the heat treat right, its supposed to be darn impressive.

[sugarcrook]

I'm interested in one or two finished knives of the style on the far right.  Would like to get one for me and one for my old man. 

[IZ]

What kind of knife suggested for kayaking Warren?

[WarrenJ]

The first knife I designed for use in the kayak was a large heavy brute that I could cut limbs with, brain a carp with, use as an anchor point, etc.  The problem is that in a kayak there is very little room and everything needs to be simple, small and accessible or it just doesn't work.  I find in the kayak I like a small neck knife, sort of kiridashi shaped.  I can grab it quick to cut fishing line, use the fine tip to poke the paint out if a jig eye, cut bait, etc.  When I know I am going after large fish like catfish or bowfishing for carp, I'll take a big heavy knife and slide it under the front edge of the seat, under my leg, but when you are trying to chop a fishpoint out of a carp skull or trying to brain a 15lb catfish flopping around on your legs, you need to be super careful not to gash yourself severely.  You are working right over your femoral arteries with a large sharp knife.  You cannot underestimate the destructive potential of a large sharp knife.  I have taken large sharp knives and went through a deer skull in one blow - it even cut through the teeth.  The little bit of meat between your skin and your femoral artery is just an oops in the close confines of a kayak.

The one issue with my knives and blood and kayaks is they are simple carbon steels.  They rust if you look at them sideways, so you need to make sure to dry and oil them after you have been out and make sure that the inside of the sheath is clean and dry when you stick the blade back in after cleaning.  They cut better than most stainless steels but they do stain and rust.

I'll try to grab a pic of the little kiridishi neck knife I carry.  Its real simple and unpretty but it works real well.  it is chisel ground,meaning that it is only ground on one side, the other side being flat.

[WarrenJ]

Well, if you don't have plans for #7 from the left, I'd be perfectly happy to handle/sheath it myself. If it's heat treated, I can handle the rest.

Either way, nice work, and looks like a hell of a lot of fun. 

 

Is this the one you are looking at?

[jaxduc]

Gerber Applegate Fairbairn Combat Folder


Best knive I've ever owned.
This was the knife issued to my brother when he was stationed in Afghanistan.
Interesting, the Afghani locals fear this knife more than a gun. Reason: a gun is a quick death... a knife can be used for torture...

[triangleforge]

A good kayak knife?

<cliche>

It depends.

</cliche>

For me, a kayaking knife needs to be stainless, serrated and to have a blunt tip; I like the Gerber River Shorty like this one:



It stays permanently attached to the left shoulder strap of my PFD, handle down, where it's out of the way while paddling but instantly accessible. The plastic sheath doesn't fit close, so water drains out quickly. So far, I've only needed it to spread peanut butter or cut sausage while lunching beside various rivers, but the design is primarily for use in rescue or self rescue situations in moving water. (Disclaimer - my Swiftwater Rescue Instructor cert expired a couple of months ago, so the ACA takes no responsibility for any advice I might offer!  )

You can see reviews of the Shorty and a wide range of similar knives at http://www.allaboutrivers.com/river-knive-reviews-gs79.html - the one they don't have there that I've handled a bit and liked is by Benchmade:



These knives are designed for a different purpose than the ones Warren describes - the primary function is to be instantly accessible and cut rope or even saw through a plastic boat hull in a big hurry.

While none of the real or drill whitewater rescues I've been involved in have involved knives, I want to re-emphasize something Warren said: do not use any knife casually when you're boating, especially in the close quarters of a kayak. The blunt tip on most of the river knives above is intended so you don't stab yourself or the person you're attempting to help while cutting at a line or whatever's fouled, but it's no guarantee of safety. The Mid-Atlantic boating community was rocked a few years back by a rescue gone horribly wrong - a kayaker was pinned by the force of fast-moving water on a submerged stump that was hung up inside his cockpit, between the pinned boater's legs. His friend (a very experienced boater,  and - if I remember the story right - a surgeon) was attempting to free him by cutting away his sprayskirt from the stump with a blunt-tip river knife, and nicked the pinned boater's femoral artery. Just remember to be careful, OK?

[WarrenJ]

The confines of a kayak is a real poor place to try and administer first aid to yourself.  I almost always paddle alone so I think things through very carefully before I act. 

The only thing I don't like about most stainless dive or rafting knives is they are hard to sharpen and really don't take a very good edge at all.  The ability to clip them on your PDF or use as a neck knife so they are instantly accessible is fantastic in a kayak.  Anything on your belt, or in a pants pocket might as well be on the moon when you are wedged into a kayak.  The zero maintenance of the stainless knives is certainly nice but I am spoiled by sharp knives.  If some of the dive type knives were made of some of the better grades of stainless instead of 440A, they would probably be ideal as long as the heat treatment was done correctly.  Serrations are very nice for emergency cutting of cord and plastic and certainly have a place on a boat knife.

[triangleforge]

One of the things that's got me intrigued about the Benchmade 100SH20 is that they use H1 steel, which - according to the reviews I've seen - takes & holds a much better edge than most stainless steels on the market. And while searching for photos of that knife just now, I came across a newer Benchmade  design (110H2O) that I'd never seen, using N680 (57-60HRC) steel, which also seems to get good reviews.

http://davesknifeworld.com/benchmaderiverandrescuefixedbladeblackhandleh1blade-1.aspx

I also remember really liking the design of the Benchmade 100SH20's sheath, which has a more positive lock (with a thumb release) than the Gerber - I've never had my knife fall out, but I'd prefer it to be a bit more secure. Looking at the picture I posted above, I don't remember if the sheath is ambidextrous; if it's not, the handle would be backwards from the way I currently wear mine.

The full link from the photo of the 100H20:

http://www.knifeworks.com/browseproducts/Benchmade-River---Rescue-Fixed-Blade--Yellow-Handle--H1-Blade.HTML

Spyderco also uses H1 in its "Salt" knife line, and some of these might be good candidates for boating.

http://www.knivesplus.com/spyderco-h1-salt-i-pacific-salt-knives.html

[WarrenJ]

VG-10 would make a great boat knife. 

[IZ]

I like that Benchmade.  Thanks guys!

[rgramjet]

IZ, I carry the NRS Copilot on my PFD.  Its a neat little knife but the thing that bugs me is the "bottle opener" is too small......will not fit a beer bottle!  

Price is good especially compared to the Ti version.

http://www.altrec.com/nrs/co-pilot-knife

Even when Im on the water, my Emerson is in my pocket.  If I drop it/lose it, I will scream like a woman.

[IZ]

I'll check into that knife Rg!

That Benchmade isn't made anymore Triangle.  The newest model isn't that great.
 

I found the CRKT ABC Aqua though and really liking that.

[AmongTheLiving]

my personal opinion, Emerson is probably the best feeling knife. they are typically made from the 154cm which is a more than good steel. i also make knives. i work specifically with cpm154, cpm s30v and 440c for my bigger blades.

s30v is probably my favorite steel and is great for razor sharp edges but fawk its not easy to sharpen in the field.

production knives though... emerson gentleman jim has got to be the sickest knife on the market.

[rgramjet]

Wish they made the gentleman Jim with the wave feature.